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RADIO ACTIVENewsletter of the Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club
May, 2008 Serving Las Vegas since April 1961The next regular meeting of the LVRAC is on Tuesday , May 20, 2008
Leadership Message Tom Petrakis - KE4ULL LVRAC President
President’s Corner: The dust is finally settling.To say the first four months of this year have been very interesting for the LVRAC is an understatement. We were forced to find another location for our monthly general membership meetings, the Speedway event, a few Silent Key issues and personally, the Race for the Cure. Fortunately, along came the wonderful people of the James Cashman facility at TPC. Along with it came the possibility that this location my not last for too long. And so it was, that location didn’t last for long. As I mentioned in my message on the reflector recently, those wonderful people at the Cashman facility are all unemployed as of this writing, as the building is being sold. We wish them all the best. However, after much searching and pounding the pavement, I am very happy to report we have found a new “home” for the LVRAC. Again, thanks to the efforts of one of our own, Cal Groom/KE6OEH, I have been able to workout a very acceptable arrangement with the Salvation Army to utilize their 2900 Palomino Lane facility (89107 for you Google guys). The facility and location are “just what the doctor ordered”. It is about as centralized I as could have hoped for and very easy to access. The Salvation Army people are about as excited with the arrangement as we are. It has the makings of a great long-term relationship. So plan on joining us for our regularly scheduled general membership monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 20th at 7 PM.
I am personally very happy to report that May 3rd has come and gone. As I have been mentioning, May 3rd this year presented numerous opportunities for Hams to be involved in something. The Race for the Cure came off without any noticeable problems. Twenty-eight hams, myself and 18,400 of our new friends all converged on Fremont Street. It was a wonderful event for those who will be directly affected by the funds the event raised, which are projected to be around 1.3 million dollars. My personal “thank you” to all of the hams who participated.
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 Additionally, Vern Garmen/K0EGA and Jeff Green/KC7PK did a nice job of representing the club at the annual Boy Scout Jamboree at Sunset Park on the same day. Vern reported that the booth saw a bunch of interested Scouts throughout the day and the effort was well worth our efforts. Thank you to both of you.
I hosted the “Thank You Dinner” for our Speedway volunteers on Saturday evening, April 26 at Sunset Station. The event was well attended and no awards were given out for the “most eaten”. If you are still hungry, you will get another opportunity to eat after the NASCAR Truck Race in September. More information will follow.
Did I forget to mention “Field Day 2008”? The Board of Directors and the Field Day Organizing Committee have been very busy with preparations for this year’s activities. They have already determined what stations/bands will be operated, the radios and other station equipment necessary, as well as the antennas required to operate all of them. Arnie/WA2SOE is really going all out with his efforts to utilize an automated “Logging” program at the event, with the various computers connected via wireless cards. I made our first Field Day equipment purchases last week at AES. So we are absolutely “off and running” for this year’s event. The next two monthly general membership meeting programs will address our planned Field Day activities. We are even going so far as to have all of the radios that will be in operation at Field Day at the June meeting to conduct a hands-on presentation on how to operate each of them. This will facilitate you being fully prepared to get on the air at Field Day. I encourage you to attend both of these very important meetings.
I have been working with Jay Peskin/KE7EGO on the relocation of the club’s trailer to one of his company’s facilities. This action will relocate the trailer storage to the general area of Eastern and Flamingo. We have all but completed the necessary legal documentation to support this action. I thank Billy Smith/W4HMV for his legal assistance in helping the club complete this action. This location will greatly enhance our ability to get to the trailer much more efficiently and at almost $4.00 a gallon for gas, at less expense to the driver.
As this newsletter goes to print, my first of two surgical procedures on my shoulder should have been completed (May12). I’m hoping for a rapid recovery and to time the second surgery so not to impact my ability to “flip” those omelets on Sunday morning at Field Day. If you were looking to become more “radio active” in your hobby, I see tremendous opportunities for you in the very near future.
73’s.Tom Petrakis/KE4ULLPresident, Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 *************************************************************************
WHERE WILL YOUR HAM GEAR GO WHEN YOU ARE GONE?
None of us like to think about becoming a Silent Key, but it is going to happen sooner, but hopefully much later. Also, most us have not considered what will happen to our ham gear if we pass away still owning those cherished items of electronic wizardry. Hams should be pro-active in minimizing the challenges faced by a surviving spouse or other family member(s) in disposing their ham gear. Will your spouse or children know what to do with it or who to contact? Before answering that question, let's review what happens in Nevada when a resident dies, at least with respect to the legal issues.
DYING WITHOUT A WILL OR TRUST
If a person dies without a will or a living revocable trust, that is called dying intestate. If you die owning real property, cash (bank account or hidden under the mattress) or stocks/bonds in your own name as sole owner with no beneficiary, then your estate will have to through estate administration because title to such items cannot be transferred without a court order. These types of property are called "probateable property". The good news is that the State of Nevada already has an estate plan established for you. The bad news is that your survivors may not have any say in who will be in charge of that process, and no say in who inherits not only probateable property, but also any ham gear. If your estate has to go through estate administration (similar to probate), state law controls who inherits the probateable property you owned at the time of your death. The court appointed administrator will inventory the your assets, notify the your creditors and will pay off the valid debts (including fees charged by the Administrator) by selling your assets to pay off the just debts if you did not have enough cash to pay them off. So, your ham gear could be sold to pay off debts. If you die having no debts or had sufficient funds to pay all your bills, then the administrator is required under Nevada law to distribute your property to those persons specified in Nevada statutes. Typically, those persons are a spouse, children, parents and siblings. Those statutory heirs can then do what they want to with the inherited property.
But, if you die without a will but have jointly-owned real property, stocks/bonds and/or cash jointly with someone else or a beneficiary named on the deed, stock account and/or bank accounts, who survive you, then your estate will not have to go through estate administration. In that case, the surviving joint owners or named beneficiaries will take title to those assets without any court involvement. However, as to any ham gear, your survivor or survivors can do anything they want with the equipment.
DYING WITH A WILL
While a Will does not necessarily prevent a probate action if you owned probateable property, at least a Will allows you to appoint a personal representative (formerly an executor/executrix) and to state who you want to inherit your property, including your ham gear. In essence, a Will allows you to still have a say in where your ham gear goes. In addition, if all your real property, stocks/bonds and bank accounts were owned jointly or with named beneficiaries, there will be no need for your Will to be probated in court and your property will pass as you stated in the Will.
DYING WITH A TRUST
Many people today want to avoid a probate action regardless of the types of property they own and regardless if they own real property, stocks/bonds or bank accounts jointly or without any named beneficiary, such as a payable-on-death account. The common method for doing that is a revocable living trust. If you were to use this method, you would
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 have a Trust prepared, preferably by a qualified attorney, and you formally and legally transfer title of your property, other than vehicles, to the Trust. You would also name yourself as the trustee of the Trust and possibly as a beneficiary (in the event you have a co-trustee who pre-deceases you, such as a spouse). You would also have a short Will prepared, called a "pour-over" Will to cover any property that you did not transfer into the Trust. Assuming that at the time of your death, you owned any real property, stocks/bonds and/or cash in just your name totaling less than $20,000 in value, your pour-over Will would not have to be probated and all other property "owned" by the Trust would be distributed to people you have selected to receive it, all without having any court involvement. Many attorneys who prepare Trusts recommend lumping in items such as furniture, appliances, electronics (ham gear to us) in a general personal property category to be transferred into the Trust, and if you did that you could specify exactly how you want your ham gear to be disposed of in the event of your death.
REVIEW
The only types of property which have to go through estate administration/probate in Nevada are: real property, stocks/bonds/securities and cash/bank accounts owned by the deceased in their sole name or without any beneficiaries specified in writing. For example a payable-on-death bank account and jointly-owned home would not have to go through probate whether you had a Will or not. Ham gear does not have to go through probate, but it could possibly be subject to sale in an estate administration if you died without a Will and also owned any "probateable property". A Will and/or a Trust allow you to specify what you want to happen to your ham gear in the event of your death, even if your estate goes through probate. Estate administration and probate are costly and time-consuming processes that can be avoided with just a little planning and paperwork. Wills are not very expensive, even if prepared by an attorney. Trusts are more complex, thus much more expensive than Wills, but they have the potential to save considerable costs associated with the probate process.
SUMMARY
At a minimum, hams should have something in writing telling their spouse, adult children, parents or adult siblings what to do with their ham gear in the event of their death. A better choice is to have a Will prepared by an attorney in which you can specify who gets what or what your personal representative should do with your ham gear, for example, sell it or give it to a radio club as a charitable contribution. Even if the Will has to go through probate, as long as your gear does not have to be sold to help pay your debts, it will go to the person or entity of your choice. The Trust provides the most reliable method to ensure that your gear will go the way you want.
There are many radio clubs which are also charitable organizations, so that the person (or estate) who gives ham gear to such a club, can take a tax deduction based on the fair market value of the gear at the time of the donation. While the LVRAC is such a club, it also has a Silent Key committee to assist family-member survivors of a deceased ham in valuing, selling or otherwise disposing of the ham gear. If you are contacted by a family of a deceased ham who needs some assistance with the ham gear and who would also like the LVRAC to be involved, it is of the utmost importance that you contact the LVRAC President to ensure that the Club's leadership gets involved as soon as possible to establish contact with the family in order to document any and all transactions for accountability. The worst thing that can happen is for the gear to "fall between the cracks" and the LVRAC leadership be unaware of what has transpired.
Bill Smith, Esq., W4HMV *************************************************************************************************
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008
Vice President's Message James R. Gorr - N3TOY
Field DayField Day is June 28th and 29th this year. The LVRAC will be hosting Field Day activities at Sunset park again this year. All hams are invited to participate. Field Day coordinator for the LVRAC is James R. Gorr, N3TOY. All information on Field will be posted to the clubs reflector, web page and included in the newsletter. This years Field Day is focused on the locals hams, especially ones who are unable to operate HF due to license class or CC&R's, etc... (Which BTW, neither is a valid excuse!) Here is a chance to come out and experience the premier event of the LVRAC for 2008. The LVRAC will provide the radios, antennas, and Saturday night dinner. I make a motion the Tom cooks Sunday morning breakfast.
********************************************************** From the Editor's Desk: Frank Drake - KL7IPV
These are from W1JD, JD Delancy of the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club: Here is a succinct history of Teletype development, for those interested. Some of us remember when "TWX's" were a routine means of "important" communication..., especially within the military: http://www.thocp.net/hardware/history_of_teletype_development_.htm
***************** Word on the street is that the National Institute of Standards and Technology is close to signing a Lease Management Agreement with Clear Channel Communications, Inc. for its flagship Time and Frequency station WWV, Fort Collins, Colorado <http://tf.nist.gov/stations/wwv.html>.Clear Channel Radio's consultants have demanded some changes to the sound of the station, which broadcasts time of day, standard frequency, and other information 24 hours per day, saying that the old format is "dull and predictable."Additionally, WWV's traditional modulation level of 50 percent for the steady tones, 50 percent for the BCD time code and 75 percent for the voice announcements was deemed "not loud enough." The station will reformulate itself as "The Tick." WWV's program director Hickory Zeitgeist says that the station has already added some snappy new announcements to the rotation, which can be heard by clicking the clock.http://www.lownoiserecords.com/wwv_the_tick.html
From Jim Bilan - KC7UXB:
Raffle prizes for May meeting:2 Icom IC-V8 2 meter HTs, an EmComm "Go kit", Hakko 936 Multi temp soldering station, moon Publishing's book, "Las Vegas", 3 Vectronic kits, ARRL Digital Handbook & 2 HF Digital Handbooks, Power Pole connectors, etc. Receive an extra ticket for having license with you or if you bring a canned or dry food donation.
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 *****************************************************************************
Treasurer’s Report By Gerry Wojciechowski, K9ADY
******************************************************************************************** Articles and Pictures are needed for the newsletter. Submit your articles and pictures to Frank Drake, KL7IPV, our Newsletter Editor. Articles for next month must be submitted B E F O R E June 6th. Send them to: [email protected]
***********************************************************************************
Clark County ARES/Races Charles Kunz, AA5QJ -
Clark County NV ARES EC /RACES CRO
Mark your calendars for this years meetings: They are set for: Saturday, October 25th. Next meeting: July 26 at the Clark County Gov't Center - Training Room 3, 9 AM. Monthly EC Report From: EC Clark County Month: April Year: 2008 Total of ARES Members: 150 Number of Active Nets: 1 Local Net name: Clark County NV ARES/RACES Sessions 4 Number of nets, drills, tests & training sessions: 5 Hours 163 Number of public service events this month: 0 Hours 0 Number of emergency operations this month: 0 Hours: 0 Administrative and meeting hours this month Hours: 32 Total Volunteer Hours: 193 Activities: Members, working with other organizations, supported the ADA Tour de Cure Bike Ride on Apr 5 in Henderson and Lake Mead area, and the Baker to Vegas Law Enforcement Run on Apr 19-20. New Icom VHF and UHF commercial radios and B&W HF antenna installed in Emergency Communications Center at Clark County Government Center
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LVRAC Monthly Reconciliation of Income and Expenses 2008
Balance at the end of March: $13,065.66
Income Deposited for April: $171.00
Expenses for April: $1,671.62
Balance at the end of April: $11,565.04
Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 Quarterly meeting was held Apr 12. Don Carlson - KQ6FM SEC briefed on upcoming section-wide events including a full-scale Health Dept Exercise in Oct or Nov, Vigilant Guard exercise in June, EMCOMMWEST in Reno May 3-4, and plans to update the State ARES Plan. Glenn - KB7REO, DEC discussed a proposed MOU between ARES/RACES and REACT. Vern - K0EGA, AEC Ops/Training said that Kentucky ARES (www.kyham.net) will process any tests and provide certificates to members completing their Emergency Communications online courses. We will accept the KY training as fulfilling the requirement for the ARRL Emcomm Level 1 course. Jay - KE7EGO, AEC Henderson stated that the Clark County School District is considering amateur radio equipment at several locations. Charlie - KH6AB, AEC Mesquite briefed on their Open House on May 16, their station at Mesquite Lutheran Church, and his encouraging members to take CERT and ARRL Emcom training. Jay - KE7EGO, Gary - KK7LV and Bruce - KY7B formed the committee to further Jim O’Brien’s request to formalize support of Deaf/Hard of Hearing persons in an emergency. ARES/RACES pagers are still available from Glen - WA7ZNT. Frank - KL7IPV’s article on cabinetizing ham radio equipment in hospitals is now on eham. http://www.eham.net/articles/19032 Charlie - AA5QJ, EC briefed on the current state of Winlink and the new RMS Pactor, RMS Packet and PaclinkMP software. He also reviewed Outpost software as a simple email interface to packet mailboxes, BBS’s and Winlink. Tim - W9AYK suggested we add more information to our Monday night net check ins to include what repeater we are using, equipment/antenna/power, and current location. This will increase member familiarity with system capabilities, and entice members to try new configurations to test their own systems. This will be implemented in future nets. There were 41 check ins to the GMRS Emergency Net in March. Next meeting: July 26. See you there. Email: [email protected] Name: Charlie Kunz - AA5QJ
****************************************************** Secretary’s Report By Kraig Knapp, KD7JSN
Las Vegas Radio Amateur ClubGeneral Meeting
April 15, 2008 – 7:01 PMWelcome – Tom, KE4ULLIntroductions: Visitors 2, Members 37 = Total 39
New Calls 0New Licenses: 0, Upgrades 0 – All Classes 0
Reports:Secretary – Kraig, KD7JSN: Frank motioned to accept March newsletter and Arnie seconded. The
motion passed.Treasurer – Gerry, K9ADY: March financial report approved. Read financial report at request of
President.Repeater Committee: Tom, KE4ULL: none
Newsletter Editor – Frank Drake, KL7IPV: Due by May 4th. Send photos of your shack and equipment. Anything you do in the field, take photos and give to him.
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 Librarian – Don Jaster, KA7GRU: A box of books was brought from the library and put on display. If there is anything you are interested in, tell Don and he will bring it to the meeting next month.Old Business:
Field Day – Tom, KE4ULL: Lots of items available for sale such as shirts and pins. He passed the paperwork around so folk could order this stuff. Tom talked to the group about having Field Day set up by the May BOD meeting. LVRAC is putting on Field Day at Sunset Park, and all Hams are invited.
NAB – Stan, W7SLP: This will happen April 14th to the 17th. All Hams are welcome. The secret code is EE08 for free exhibits pass.
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure – Tom, KE4ULL: Saturday May 3rd. This one will probably break the 21,000 record. The maximum time is from 6 AM to 11 AM.
Tom – A former Ham is interested in helping out at a Club Scout Jamboree to get Boy Scouts interested in amateur radio.
New Business:Ron Smith, N7NBA, has a tower and five element beam donated some time ago, but cannot put it up
because he lives in a housing tract with CC&Rs’. He would like to donate it to the Club.Announcements:
Gary, K7VY: A Ham from Reno advertised Emcomm West.com.Tom: Dinner for Speedway folks at Sunset Station on Friday, 4/26. RSVP please.Tom: One of our two lost antenna analyzers has reappeared. Tom is getting together with the Club’s legal council and work out the hold-harmless agreement with
CCSD so we can store the Club’s trailer at a location that will cost nothing.ARES/RACES: Charlie said it was a good meeting last Saturday with about 40 people attending.Marc, K7MNZ, will embroider shirts for members. $15 for the embroidery and the shirt is as
expensive as you would like.Break and Refreshments: 7:34 to 7:45PROGRAM: Dan Starr, AA7I, Nevada Task Force I & Charlie Kunz, AA5QJ, talked about and showed off
their Go Kits (Emergency Prepardness)Door Prizes – Jim Bilan, KC7UXB
Bag with solar panel, gel cell & charger: Jack, KE7CGL36 AA Duracell, auto adapter, LED sign, goodie bag from LV Marathon: Don, KA7GRU36 AA Duracell, auto adapter, LED sign: Charlie, AA5QJ36 AA Duracell, auto adapter, LED sign: Jack, KE7CGLGoodie bag from LV Marathon and Power Poles: Richard, AB7ZI
Adjourned: 9:03 PM *************************************************************And thanks to Don Jaster for this one:
Live coverage of Dayton HamfestThis is pretty good. I tried it before. These guys use helmet cameras.You may have watched us the past couple years. We broadcast live streaming video and audio of the worlds largest ham radio convention. It is the Dayton Hamvention in Dayton , Ohio. Hams from all over the world come to this each year. We are looking forward to broadcasting again in just 2 weeks. For now we have recorded video running on our web site. There is also a chat room for hams all over the world to chat and have fun. We have been viewed in over 150 countries. The site is active now and you may check it out. The
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 address is http://wa5kub.com or http://w5kub.com . When we start our convoy to hamvention we will switch over to live broadcast. Also please note that our broadcast begins 2 days earlier than the hamvention. We actually broadcast our drive in the car LIVE for the 550 miles that we drive from Memphis, Tennessee to Dayton, Ohio. We also have a "helmet cam" that we wear every where we go. That means you see us when we go to eat , when we stop for gas or just about everything. The broadcast is live 24 hours a day at hamvention as we set up outside in the flea market. If you cant go, have your ham friends come by our spaces 3350-3351 and wave back to you. It will be fun.Please spread the word to everyone.
Here is our schedule:Begin the convoy to hamvention on Wednesday May 14 at 1300 GMT or 0800 AM Central time. It is a 10 hour drive. We set up our flea market spaces at hamvention on Thursday May 15 at approx 1400 GMT. The hamventions begins on Friday morning May 16,We drive back to Memphis after hamvention ends on Sunday May 18.Remember you can go to http://wa5kub.com or http://w5kub.com right now and chat with other hams around the world and watch some recorded videos of hamfest. Also see lots of ham radio pictures at http://tmedlin.com/dayton.htmlI hope to see you at hamvention. ************************************************************* The ARRL Letter Vol. 27, No. 17 May 2, 2008 IN THIS EDITION:
* + FCC Denies Utah Motorsport Park Use of Amateur Radio Frequencies * + Newspaper Reports "BPL plan is dead in Dallas" * + Spring 2008 W1AW Frequency Measuring Test Scheduled for May * + Ten New Satellites in Orbit * IN BRIEF: + Japanese Amateurs Receive More Privileges on 75/80 Meters + VoIP Hurricane Net Looking to Recruit Net Control Operators + Notes from the DXCC Desk +Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> =============================================================> FCC DENIES UTAH MOTORSPORT PARK USE OF AMATEUR RADIO FREQUENCIES On Thursday, April 24, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, filed an Informal Objection with the FCC regarding a pending application for a Special Temporary Authority (STA) filed by Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. One day after filing the Objection, the FCC agreed with the ARRL, saying, "Due to the possibility of interference to Amateur operators and also the race teams utilizing the proposed frequencies, we feel that it is not in the public interest to grant [Miller Motorsports Park's] request."The FCC also advised Miller Motorsports that if they "wish[ed] to pursue other frequencies, [they] should coordinate with the ARRL and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)." Miller Motorsports requested the use of frequencies 448.525, 448.650, 448.060, 448.290 and 448.610 MHz at 4 W ERP. They proposed to use 100 mobile units on each of these and other channels at or above 450 MHz for a race event scheduled May 26-June 1, 2008. The application filed by Miller Motorsports stated that the radios would be used for "security, medical and maintenance for the entire event" and that communications service is "vital to the life and safety of the spectators and drivers of this race event." Miller Motorsports also implied that the NTIA hadapproved the use of the 448 MHz channels.The League's Informal Objection pointed out that "Amateur Radio Service licensees make extremely heavy use of the band 420-450 MHz, and especially the segment 440-450 MHz for FM voice repeaters. There are repeater stations in Salt Lake City, of which Tooele is a close-in suburb, using frequencies throughout the 448 MHz range for outputs, including 448.525, 448.625, 448.050 and
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 448.075 MHz. In addition, there are repeater outputs in other areas of the greater Salt Lake City area which are in regular operation at all times of the day or night, and radio amateurs using mobile stations would be predictably interfered with by operation as proposed in the STA."The Objection also stated that there was the possibility that some of the spectators at Miller Motorsports Park, or otherwise in the area, might be Amateur Radio operators who might be operating using their portable transceivers "on the precise channels sought by the STA." The ARRL called the Miller Motorsports Park choice of channels "completely inappropriate. The radio amateurs who are licensed to use these frequencies are under no obligation to either tolerateinterference or to cease their own operation, regardless of the interference that might be suffered at any time" by Miller Motorsports. While the FCC has issued STAs on the amateur allocations from time to time, the ARRL wrote, "many, perhaps a majority, are of no concern tothe ARRL due to the choice of frequency band, duty cycle or power level proposed," what Miller Motorsports is requesting is "a completely incompatible and inappropriate use of Amateur Radio allocations." Citing "harmful interference to and from the Amateur Radio Service on channelsin the 448 MHz band," the ARRL requested that the FCC deny Miller Motorsports' STA application.==> NEWSPAPER REPORTS "BPL PLAN IS DEAD IN DALLAS" The Dallas Morning News has reported that "an ambitious plan for using power lines to deliver fast Internet service to 2 million Dallas-area homes collapsed Thursday." Current Group, LLC has announced plans to sell its Dallas BPL network to Oncor, a regulated electric distribution and transmission business, for $90 million. Oncor reportedly has no plans to offer Internet service but will use the network to detect distribution network issues <http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-current_02bus.ART.State.Edition1.460d413.html>. While Current originally touted the network as a way to offer Internet service to consumers and had entered into a marketing arrangement with DirecTV, the Houston Chronicle quotes Oncor spokesman Chris Schein as confirming that Oncor will use the network only for monitoring the power grid: "Our business is delivering electricity, not being an Internet provider or a television provider." <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/5747397.html> ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, observed that "This announcement underscores yet again that the Bush Administration made a fundamental error in judgment when it erroneously identified BPL as a potential 'third wire' delivering broadband to consumers. As the Courtof Appeals for the DC Circuit determined last week <http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/25/10064/?nc=1>, the FCC then compounded the error by 'cherry-picking' from its staff studies and ignoring other studies that proved the FCC was underestimating the interference potential of BPL systems. One can only hope that this latest marketplace failure of BPL will send a clear message that the answer to expanding consumer broadband access lies with other, more promising technologies that do not have such a potential to pollute the radio spectrum." ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, was quick to point out that BPL was not going away in Dallas. According to Oncor Vice President Jim Greer, Oncor will use the BPL network to spot grid problems to detect large power outages before they affect customers. Oncor will not offer Internet service through the system as Current had originally plannedwhen they built it. The ARRL has no issues with BPL as long as it does not cause harmfulinterference to the amateur bands. Current's Dallas system is a good example of that, Hare said, as it is "notched" so as not to interfere with the Amateur Radio Service: "The Current system in Dallas is probably not causing interference to ham radio. Their equipment doesn't use the ham bands. It is also quiet except when in use. For meter reading and other utility applications, nearby modems may make the occasional short burst of noise, but not the cacophony of sound we hearwith some other systems. You would probably be able to tell that BPL is there if you tune outside the ham bands. From an EMC perspective, what is needed now to complete this progress are regulations and standards that match BPL's most successful models." DirecTV customers who get Internet service through Current's network will probably lose service when the deal goes through. "Oncor is not in the telecommunications business, and it has no plans to get into thetelecommunications business," said Schein. Dallas and Houston are the only metropolitan areas in Texas with BPL. In the past, the City of Austin looked at incorporating a BPL system intheir community, but decided not to do so. In a report<http://p1k.arrl.org/~ehare/bpl/COAAE_BPL_Final_Report.pdf> on how the BPL trial it undertook worked for them, the City of Austin summarized its reasons for that decision.==> SPRING 2008 W1AW FREQUENCY MEASURING TEST SCHEDULED THIS MONTH Capitalizing on the popular and effective automated online results reporting system developed by Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, for the Frequency Measuring Test (FMT) <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt> in November 2007, W1AW will conduct a spring FMT. This FMT will begin on Wednesday, May 21 at 9:45 PM (EDT) (that's the same as 0145 UTC on May 22), replacing W1AW's normally scheduled phone bulletin.
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 W1AW Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, recommends that those planning to participate should listen to W1AW's transmissions prior to the event to determine which band -- or bands -- will bebest for measurement purposes.In this edition of the FMT, listeners will be asked to measure the frequency of an audio tone, given an exact frequency for the carrier signal. The tone will be between 1000-2500 Hz. The carrier frequencies will be 3990 kHz (LSB), 7290 kHz (LSB), 14290 kHz (USB) and 18160 kHz (USB).Measuring audio frequencies of a modulated signal is a useful skill for those interested in digital modes. Proper tuning of these signals is important to obtain the highest quality performance. For non-digital users, it is also important to understand the relationship between the frequencies of the modulated signal's sidebands and its carrier. The techniques for measuring a modulating tone are described in the November 2004 QST in an article<http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt/2004/04fmtsilver.pdf> on the Frequency Measuring Test by H. Ward Silver, N0AX. The FMT Web page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt> also has several interesting articles about measuring on-the-air signal frequencies.The FMT will start with a general QST call from W1AW at exactly 0145 UTC, transmitted simultaneously on the frequencies listed above. The test will consist of three 60-second key down transmissions for each band, followed by a station identification. The test will last forapproximately 15 minutes and will end with station identification. W1AW will identify before, during and after the transmissions. There are no plans at this time for a West Coast station.As in the November 2007 FMT, your report should be submitted via the FMT Report form on the W1AW FMT Web site <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/fmt>.Along with your call sign and e-mail address, enter your most accurate measurement on each band. There will be a window to list your equipment, describe the method you used to make the measurements and enter any Soapbox comments. Participants have 14 days to input their data.Participants may input their data more than once, although the final entry will be the one used for the results. W1AW will post the transmitted frequencies on the FMT Web site following the test. This will allow participants to quickly determine the accuracy of their equipment and methods. A complete package of results will be available via the FMT Web site after the 14-day reporting period is concluded. The results from the November 2007 FMT are available on the 2007 FMT Results Web site <http://www.b4h.net/fmt/fmtresults.php>. =========================================================================> TEN NEW SATELLITES IN ORBIT Ten satellites reached orbit April 28 aboard an Indian PSLV-C9 rocket launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center. The primary payloads were India's CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 satellites. In addition to the NLS-5 and RUBIN-8 satellites, the rocket carried six CubeSat <http://www.cubesat.org/> research satellites, all of which communicate using Amateur Radio frequencies. All spacecraft deployed normally and appear to be functional at this time. The SEEDS satellite was designed and built by students at Japan's Nihon University. When fully operational, SEEDS will download telemetry in Morse code and 1200-baud FM AFSK packet radio at 437.485 MHz. Thesatellite also has Slow-Scan TV (SSTV) capability. Several stations have reported receiving SEEDS CW telemetry and the team would appreciate receiving more reports from amateurs at their ground station Web page <http://sat.aero.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp/gs/english/cardform_e.html>. AAUSAT-II <http://aausatii.space.aau.dk/eng/> is the creation of a student team at Aalborg University in Denmark. It will downlink scientific telemetry at 437.425 MHz using 1200 or 9600-baud packet. Can-X2 <http://www.utias-sfl.net/nanosatellites/CanX2/> is a product of students at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS/SFL). Can-X2 will downlink telemetry at 437.478 MHz using 4 kbps GFSK, but the downlink will be active only whenthe satellite is within range of the Toronto ground station. Compass-One <http://www.cubesat.de / > was designed and built by students at Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany. The satellite features a Morse code telemetry beacon at 437.275 MHz. Compass-1 will also provide a packet radio data downlink, which will include imagedata, at 437.405 MHz. Cute 1.7 + APDII <http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/cute1.7/index_e.html>is a satellite created by students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. This satellite will not only provide telemetry, it will also offer a 9600-baud packet store-and-forward message relay with an uplink at 1267.6 MHz and a downlink at 437.475 MHz. Delfi-C3 <http://www.delfic3.nl/> was designed and built by students at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. It includes an SSB/CW linear transponder. The satellite will be in telemetry-only mode for the first three months of the mission, after which it will be switched to transponder mode. Delfi-C3 downlinks 1200-baud packet telemetry at 145.870 MHz. The linear transponder, when activated, will have an uplink passband from 435.530 to 435.570 MHz and a corresponding downlink passband from 145.880 to 145.920 MHz.=====================================================================
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 ==>IN BRIEF:* Japanese Amateurs Receive More Privileges on 75/80 Meters: Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) announced that Japan's Table of Frequency Allocations and the Japanese giving amateurs in that country more privileges on certainfrequency blocks in the 75/80 meter band. Japanese amateurs are now allowed to operate the following additional frequencies on the 75/80 meters: 3.599-3.612 MHz, 3.680 to 3.687 MHz, 3.702-3.716 MHz, 3.745-3.747 MHz and 3.754-3.770 MHz. As of April 28, 2008, Japanese amateurs will have privileges on the following frequencies in the 75/80 meter band: 3.500-3.520 MHz (CW only), 3.520-3.525 MHz (Digital Mode and CW), 3.525-3.575 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.599-3.612 MHz (CW and Phone),3.680-3.687 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.702-3.716 MHz (CW and Phone), 3.745-3.770 MHz (CW and Phone) and 3.791-3.805 MHz (CW and Phone). "This makes it a bit easier for US amateurs to make contacts with Japanese amateurs, especially in contests, since Japan does not have phone privileges on the 160 meter band," said ARRL Membership Services Manager Dave Patton, NN1N. "These new privileges will also make it easier for DXpeditions to work Japan." -- Information provided by JARL<http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/> * VoIP Hurricane Net Looking to Recruit Net Control Operators: The VoIP Hurricane Net <http://www.voipwx.net/> is looking for Net Control Operators (NCOs) to assist with its weekly Hurricane Preparation Net and during Hurricane Net activations. The VoIP Hurricane Net, created in2002, is a support net working with WX4NHC <http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/w4ehw / >, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The VoIP Net Management team is looking for NCOs from any geographic area to maintain a net for as long as emergency communications are required before, during and shortly after hurricanes; this could be up to 24 hours a day and sometimes for several days. Net Control Operators from the Pacific, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and other international areas can play a critical role in assisting net operations during the overnight hours of a North American activation during their local daytime, providing North American NCOsrest during their normal overnight hours. Fluent Spanish speakers are also encouraged to apply to become NCOs in order to further support operations in South and Central America, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The VoIP Net Management team will be offering NCO training in the coming weeks. If you're interested in becoming an NCO, please contact Director of VoIP Hurricane Net Operations Rob Macedo, KD1CY <[email protected]>, or VoIP Hurricane Net Weekly and Activation Net Control Scheduler Jim Palmer, KB1KQW <[email protected]>. -- Information provided by VoIP Hurricane Net * No ARRL Audio News on May 16: There will be no ARRL Audio News on Friday, May 16. The ARRL Letter will be released on that day. ARRL Audio News will return on Friday, May 23.=========================================================== QST de W1AW ARRL Bulletin 9 ARLB009From ARRL Headquarters Newington CT May 9, 2008To all radio amateurs ARLB009 FCC Looks to Raise Vanity Call Sign FeesThe FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order(NPRM)on May 8 seeking to raise fees for Amateur Radio vanity call signs.Currently, a vanity call sign costs $11.70 and is good for 10 years; the new fee, if the FCC plan goes through, will go up to $12.30 for 10 years, an increase of $.60.The FCC is authorized by the Communications Act of 1934 (as amended) to collect vanity call sign fees to recover the costs associated with that program. The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term. Instructions on how to comment on this NPRM are available on the FCC Web site at,http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/howtocomment.html.The vanity call sign fee has fluctuated over the 12 years of the current program -- from a low of $12 to a high of $50; the current fee of $11.70 is the lowest the fee has been since the inception of the vanity call sign program. The FCC said it anticipates some 15,000 Amateur Radio vanity call sign "payment units" or applications during the next fiscal year, collecting $184,500 in fees from the program.The vanity call sign regulatory fee is payable not only when applying for a new vanity call sign, but also upon renewing a vanity call sign for a new term. The first vanity call sign licensesissued under the current Amateur Radio vanity call sign program that began in 1996 came up for renewal two years ago. Those holding vanity call signs issued prior to 1996 are exempt from having to pay the vanity call sign regulatory fee at renewal, however. That's because Congress did not authorize the FCC to collect regulatory fees until 1993. Such "heritage" vanity call sign
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club May,2008 holders do not appear as vanity licensees in the FCC. Amateur Radio licensees may file for renewal only within 90 days of their license expiration date. All radio amateurs must have an FCCRegistration Number (FRN) before filing any application with the Commission. Applicants can obtain an FRN by going to the ULS site at, http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls, and clicking on the "New UsersRegister" link. You must supply your Social Security Number toobtain an FRN.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter/American Radio Relay League. Copyright 2008 American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved *************************************************************************************NEWS FLASH!!!!New meeting location: 2900 Palomino Lane in the Salvation Army Building. It is located on Palomino Lane east of Valley View Blvd between Alta and Charleston street.
LVRAC Contact Information PresidentVice PresidentSecretaryTreasurerDirectorDirectorDirectorNewsletter EditorTrusteePublic InformationLibrarianWebmasters
Net Controllers
Tom Petrakis, KE4ULLJamie Gorr, N3TOYKraig Knapp, KD7JSNGerry Wojciechowski, K9ADYMark Zuckerman, K7MNZDon Jaster, KA7GRUJim Bilan, KC7UXBFrank Drake, KL7IPVMike Lee, WB6RTH Dave Mason, KE7KLUDon Jaster, KA7GRUJamie Gorr, N3TOYCharlie Kunz, AA5QJHoward Mark, K3HMFrank Drake, KL7IPVJay Peskin, KE7EGO
[email protected]@openirlp.net [email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected] [email protected]@mikelee911.com DMason@[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected]@cox.net
526-0611 233-2479 362-1265869-5348365-8803737-0544302-3431 838-3452
528-7955737-0544233-2479334-1196256-3662838-3452896-4104
LAS VEGAS RADIO AMATEUR CLUBP.O. Box 27342
Las Vegas, Nevada 89126
The club operates on a calendar year (January through December) with dues presently at $20 per year. Dues are the same for an individual or family membership. Please send check or money order payable to the Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club (or LVRAC) and mail to the club’s Post Office box listed in the heading of this application or pay by PayPal at http://www.lvrac.org
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur Club P.O. Box 27342Las Vegas, NV 89126 May 2008 Issue
Internet: http://www.lvrac.org
Radio: 146.940 MHZ (K7UGE repeater)448.500 MHz (K7UGE repeater)146.730 MHz (QST machine)
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Las Vegas Radio Amateur ClubThe LVRAC holds monthly meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Salvation Army Building, 2900 Palomino
Lane. Meetings start at 7:00 pm.
Radio Net Weekly (except 3rd Tuesday) on VHF 146.94 and UHF 448.50 MHz PL 100 Negative Offset starting at 7:00 pm.
All Amateurs invited to tune in.
