Volume 17, Number 27 (July 10, 1998)

The ARRL Letter Index
ARRL Audio News

·To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your e-mail delivery address: see How to Get The ARRL Letter, below
·Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!): letter-dlvy@arrl.org
·Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, rlindquist@arrl.org
·ARRL Audio News: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/ or call 860-594-0384
·The ARRLWeb Extra: http://www.arrl.org/members-only/extra

IN THIS EDITION:

+Available on ARRL Audio News

HAMS HELP AS FLORIDA BURNS

As the smoke begins to clear in the wake of the Florida wildfire disaster, details of ham radio activity in the now-blistered and blackened Sunshine State have begun to emerge. Wildfires that began more than a month ago in the drought-stricken areas of Northern Florida raged out of control in late June and early July, burning thousands of acres of property, destroying dozens of homes, and causing upwards of $300 million in damage. Although recent rain has offered some relief, the fire danger continues. President Clinton visited the fire-stricken region this week.

Volunteer firefighter and ham Jeff Capehart, KE4NIV, was among those in the thick of things. Capehart lives in Alachua County, in the Gainesville area, which did not suffer the brunt of the fires. Even so, he and his colleagues found themselves quite busy during the first week of July--a time when many might normally be taking time off in anticipation of a long Independence Day holiday weekend.

Volusia County on the Atlantic Coast was among the hard-hit regions of Florida, and that's where Capehart and his colleagues went to help. "Two of us volunteer firefighter/hams were down in Volusia County helping out a rural fire department with additional manpower for their trucks," he said. Capehart and Kevin Rulapaugh, KE4NVI (whose name is an anagram of the letters in his call sign), were among those sent June 30 with a strike team from Alachua County Fire Rescue Reserves to Osteen in Volusia County. "We rode on a rescue truck, brush truck, and tanker truck," he said. Five volunteer firefighters were on the team.

The situation had worsened by week's end. On July 2, some areas in the Orange County towns of Bithlo and Christmas got the word to evacuate. Dick Dudley, AC4PF, reports that Orange County ARES members staffed the EOC, the Red Cross and an emergency shelter in East Orlando. On July 3, Flagler County, just north of Volusia, announced a full-scale evacuation--some 40,000 residents. The Red Cross opened a special needs shelter at a high school in Gainesville. Capehart reports that hams were first on the scene to help coordinate the shelter setup at the Red Cross HQ, at the school, and at the county Emergency Operations Center. A complete radio station including portable antennas and a computer with APRS was set up at both the EOC and the shelter.

An informal net was established on a local repeater, and some of the repeater regulars volunteered to help. Hams also helped to load cots and supplies on a trailer to deliver to the shelter. The informal net remained in operation until midday on June 6, running 24 hours a day. More than 30 operators participated. Other nets were established, and ARES operators remained on standby or were active as fire spotters in affected counties.

Northern Florida SEC Nils Millergren, WA4NDA, says the fires were the worst in memory. "I've lived in Florida all my life and never remember anything like this," he said.

One ham was dispatched to the Alachua County Animal Shelter, since evacuees had been told to leave their pets in crates on their doorstep or to drop them off at the Flagler County Fairgrounds. The animals were loaded up and transported to both Jacksonville and Alachua County. Donations and supplies for the displaced pet population also poured in, including many 50-pound bags of dog and cat food. Capehart reports the evacuated pets included animals of all sorts, from birds and rabbits to goats and horses, in addition to the more typical cats and dogs. "The Animal Shelter staff was impressed with the communications capability of having a ham radio operator who could get things done when normal channels were ineffective," Capehart said.

On a day that should have been a holiday--July 4--hams found themselves involved in coordinating firefighter and evacuee relief efforts. Daytona's Pepsi 400 auto race was postponed until October. Parts of Interstate 95 were closed to traffic. In Flagler County, a collection and drop-off location was set up at the county's central supply warehouse, and hams were again called in to unload and load supplies. "They even went above the call of duty and drove the supplies, an 18-wheeler loaded with over a thousand gallons of water and around 100 gallons of Gatorade and fruit drinks from Gainesville to the Flagler County Fairgrounds in Bunnell, which was the staging area for firefighters," Capehart said. After driving two hours each way plus a couple more unloading, the crew did not get home until the wee hours of July 5.

"With the ban on fireworks in Florida, it was a very unusual Fourth of July to travel and not see fireworks shooting off all over the place and hear the pop-pop-pop of firecrackers," Capehart said. "This will be one Fourth of July for the record books that will not be forgotten."--thanks to Jeff Capehart, KE4NIV, and Nils Millergren, WA4NDA

FIELD DAY BECOMES THE REAL THING

Fresh from participating in a Simulated Emergency Test June 27, hams in West Virginia's Kanawha County were eager to get started with Field Day--ham radio's annual combination of contesting and emergency preparedness. Members of the Kanawha Amateur Radio Club (ARES/RACES) and Kanawha Amateur Radio Emergency Service (KARES) soon were working FD in earnest. Although stiflingly hot, there was no rain in sight. Ops racked up contacts well into the wee hours of Sunday morning, when the rain that had begun caused major flash flooding in parts of Kanawha and in 16 other West Virginia counties.

Hams promptly abandoned their Field Day effort as the county EOC put out the call to activate ARES and RACES. Kanawha County Emergency Coordinator Mac McMillian, W8XF, notified Jim Damron, N8TMW, to start an ARES/RACES net Sunday morning. The city of Clendenin was completely cut off, and hams were routed over mountains and down back roads to work their way into the flood-ravaged town. Hams were thus able to tell emergency services how to reach the town by vehicle. Clendenin resident Dick Wolfe, KB8VDN, was called on to establish communication. Brad Young, N8UEP, Jeff Clark, N8DTN, Tina Clark, N8TSY, and Patrick Clark, KC8BFD arrived to set up communication posts at the local fire department, a command post and a shelter set up in a local church. Other hams were dispatched to a staging area just off Interstate 79. At one point, a Clendenin evacuee needed medication. The report was sent back to EOC via ham radio. At one point, Tina Clark, who was acting as coordinator at the shelter in Clendenin, found herself dealing with a family that not only had lost its home, but whose father had died of an apparent heart attack as a result of the flooding.

Other hams checked on flooding and road conditions, assisted at shelters, and passed along information on efforts to rescue residents stranded in their homes by high water and helping them reach shelters. West Virginia SM Olie Rinehart, WD8V, and his wife, Ann, KA8ZGY, set up communication at a shelter established in a local school. Others shared shifts at the National Weather Service, relaying vitally-needed weather information. Bill Hunter, K8BS, coordinated state efforts from the State EOC in the Capitol basement in Charleston. Scores of other hams were on standby to assist when necessary.

The emergency net continued throughout the day and into the night, finally securing at 9 PM local time--more than 12 hours later. "Though exhausted, all those participating were happy to be of assistance and thankful for the drills of the past to help prepare them for disasters such as this," said Olie Rinehart. County emergency officials praised the hams' efforts in the flooding. Rinehart said officials were particularly impressed with ham radio's ability to cross-communicate with other services involved.

"All of us enjoy the fun of hamming," Rinehart observed. "But at times like these we really demonstrate our mettle. This is what it's all about."

OHIO ARES/NTS INVOLVED IN FLOOD EMERGENCIES

Hams helped recently during two major flood episodes in Ohio. The first involved southern counties along the Ohio River. The second involved flash floods in at least 20 counties throughout Ohio. Many Ohio counties suffered flood damage, but ham radio involvement was minimal because normal lines of communication remained open.

Ham radio weather spotters played a big part in the early stages of the weather emergency, according to Ohio State Government Liaison Paul Krugh, N2NS. On June 29, Ohio District 7 DEC John Chapman, WB8INY, was called to activate W8SGT at the state EOC in Columbus as a precaution. "We opened up the 75-meter station and monitored the large-area repeaters in Ohio for any incoming traffic," Chapman said. He said they monitored "a fair amount of traffic" on local VHF nets in affected counties. "Hams seemed to be well-coordinated," he said.

Krugh says ARES groups in affected localities supported Red Cross and Salvation Army response teams. Fortunately, there were no major power outages, although some communities did lose power. "We've gotten off lucky," Krugh said, but added, "these episodes are no indication to let our guard down."--thanks to Paul Krugh, N2NS, John Chapman, WB8INY, and Jerry Paquette, WB8IOW

SAREX WON'T BE FLYING ON JOHN GLENN SHUTTLE FLIGHT

NASA has scuttled plans to include the Space Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) payload aboard STS-95 this fall. That's the flight that will carry US Senator and astronaut John Glenn into space. Five schools, four in the US and one in Japan, had been tentatively lined up for Amateur Radio schedules to talk with the shuttle crew during the highly publicized October mission. Glenn, the first astronaut to orbit Earth, will be 77 when he returns to space later this year.

NASA flight managers also removed nine other "secondary" payloads because of time constraints on the already-busy mission. NASA expressed regret at having to drop the educational SAREX payload.

Two hams--US Astronaut Scott Parazynski, KC5RSY, and European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque, KC5RGG, of Spain--will be among the international crew aboard STS-95.

"We're really disappointed," said ARRL Educational Activities Department Manager and SAREX Working Group Member Rosalie White, WA1STO. The Glenn flight had generated a good deal of enthusiasm within the ham radio community. Schools to be included had only recently been notified that they would be on the list. White said the US schools now will be first in line for consideration on future missions, such as STS-93 early next year and the International Space Station.

Future shuttle missions are heavily loaded with activities involving construction of the ISS. Eileen Collins, KD5EDS, the commander of STS-93, is said to be enthusiastic about the possibility of including SAREX on her flight. Amateur Radio also is an official payload aboard the International Space Station.

ELECTION WILL DECIDE SOUTHERN FLORIDA SECTION MANAGER

Ballots went out June 30 to ARRL members in the Southern Florida section to determine who will be the next section manager there. Three candidates have qualified to succeed Robert "Rip" Van Winkle, AA4HT, of Lakeland. He has decided not to seek another term. On the ballot will be Kevin Bunin, K4PG, of Delray Beach; Neil Lauritsen Sr, KA3DBK, of Clearwater; and Ed Petzolt, K1LNC, of Hobe Sound. Ballots in South Florida must be back at HQ by August 14. The successful candidate's term will begin October 1.

Three other new section managers also will begin their terms of office October 1. All three were unopposed for election. In Puerto Rico, Juan Escobar, KP4ZZ, of San Juan, replaces Guillermo Schwarz, KP3S. In Idaho, Michael Elliott, KF7ZQ, of Boise, succeeds Mike Langrell, AA7VR. In Ohio, Joe Phillips, K8QOE, of Fairfield, replaces David Kersten, N8AUH.

Six incumbent section managers were unopposed for re-election. They are Coy Day, N5OK, Oklahoma; Bill Kurtti, WC0M, North Dakota; Randy "Max" Wendel, N0FKU, Minnesota; Betsey Doane, K1EIC, Connecticut; Bill Thompson, W2MTA, Western New York; and John Ellis, NP2B, Virgin Islands.

FCC UPHOLDS INITIAL DECISION TO DENY KV4FZ RENEWAL

Another step in the KV4FZ legal saga: The FCC has upheld the supplemental initial decision of an administrative law judge to deny the application of Herbert L. Schoenbohm, KV4FZ, to renew his Amateur Radio licenses. ALJ Edward Luton had found that Schoenbohm, of Kingshill, Virgin Islands, had "engaged in misrepresentation and lacked candor" in testifying about his felony telephone toll fraud conviction and his solicitation of ex parte presentations. Schoenbohm was convicted in federal court of fraudulently using a counterfeit access device to obtain long-distance telephone service. The FCC also said he solicited others, using Amateur Radio, to make ex parte presentations on his behalf, in violation of FCC rules. The FCC said his behavior, in combination with his fraud conviction, justified nonrenewal of his ham ticket.

Schoenbohm has maintained that the FCC should renew his license because his conviction was several years ago, his sentence light, and he's had a spotless record and been fully rehabilitated. The FCC disagreed, however, saying that Schoenbohm "has not demonstrated that he possesses the basic character traits of truthfulness and reliability that are essential to licenseeship."

Schoenbohm's license expired in 1995, and his call sign no longer appears in the FCC database. However, he has been allowed to continue operating as KV4FZ until his appeals are exhausted. He now has 90 days to seek reconsideration or judicial review. If he does not do so, his authorization to operate expires at 12:01 A.M. on the 91st day after July 8. If he does seek reconsideration or appeal, his authorization to operate expires on the 91st day after completion of the process (which could include Supreme Court review).

FCC AMENDS RULES FOR U-NII DEVICES ON 5 GHz

The FCC has amended its rules for Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices operating in the 5-GHz range under Part 15 of the Commission's rules. In 1997, the FCC made 5.15 to 5.35 and 5.725 to 5.825 GHz available to U-NII devices under Part 15 of its rules. Amateur Radio shares part of the spectrum involved, which is the in the band 5.650 to 5.925 GHz. U-NII devices would provide short-range, high-speed wireless digital communication.

In response to industry petitions for reconsideration and clarification, the FCC has amended Part 15 to permit fixed, point-to-point U-NII devices in the 5.725 to 5.825 GHz band to operate with up to 1 W maximum transmitter output power and directional antennas of up to 23 dBi gain. The Commission also changed its rules to specify transmit power limits as a function of the channel bandwidth. A logarithmic equation would determine the power permitted. "This action will not increase the maximum power permitted by U-NII devices, but merely scale permissible maximum power to the bandwidth used," the FCC said.

The FCC said it will consider higher gain antennas for U-NII devices for longer-range community networking. In its comments, the NTIA expressed concerns that high-power government radar systems could interfere with the unlicensed devices, but otherwise supported the use of higher-gain antennas for fixed, point-to-point U-NII devices in that band.

The ARRL has argued that longer-range links will interfere with amateur operations and are a significant departure from Part 15, which requires that interference potential of unlicensed devices be subject to "reasonable regulation" so as to not interfere with licensed services. One industry petitioner, Apple Computer, said the ARRL has not demonstrated that U-NII devices present any real threat of interference to ham operation.

The FCC said it would maintain the power spectral density limits adopted in the original report and order.

The FCC also revised its rules to express U-NII out-of-band and spurious emission limits in terms of absolute radiated power levels, regardless of antenna gain.

The FCC advised manufacturers "to consider the proximity and the high power of non-government licensed radio stations," including amateur stations, when choosing operating frequencies during the design of their equipment.

The complete text of the FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order, released June 24, is available on the FCC Web page at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/ Engineering_Technology/Orders/1998/fcc98121.txt.

SOLAR UPDATE

Solar prognosticator Tad Cook, K7VVV Seattle, Washington, reports: Average solar flux was up just slightly last week over the week before, and geomagnetic conditions were fairly unsettled. Solar flux was above the 90-day average of 108 on every day, and the flux peaked at 129.1 on July 4. This was the highest recorded value since two months earlier when the solar flux reached 133.4 on May 5. The earlier peak was not followed by another one four weeks later, which is usually expected because of the 27.5 day rotation of the sun. Sometimes the active region that produced the high flux and improved propagation has faded by the next rotation.

Solar flux over the next few days, July 10 through July 12, is forecast to be 112, 110 and 108, with planetary A indices around 5, 10 and 8.

Based on the previous solar rotation, flux values are expected to slip to 100 early next week, holding steady until July 24 when they are expected to rise again. Solar flux should rise above 120 by July 28, and near 130 at the end of the month.

For these summer months, 20, 17 and 15 meters offer the best propagation during daylight, especially when flux values are higher. From the author's home in the Pacific Northwest, 20 meters is open to the South Pacific late into every evening. On 10 meters, the best hope is north-south propagation when that band opens, with South American signals strong into North America, especially into the southern parts of the continent.

Last week's bulletin reported on the problems with SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. Unfortunately, contact with SOHO has not been established. Even if contact could be restored, the condition of the equipment inside is uncertain. This is because SOHO has a thermal design that allows some equipment to operate in extreme heat while other gear on the other side of the craft is very cold. Since the craft is now believed to be rotating, the sun is heating the previously cold part of the craft, a condition which scientists refer to as "barbecue mode." Stay up to date on the latest developments and also observe some of the stunning pictures and fascinating observations on the SOHO web site at http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov.

Sunspot Numbers for June 25 through July 1 were 84, 99, 125, 133, 137, 127 and 126 with a mean of 118.7. 10.7 cm flux was 106.2, 109.2, 115.2, 122, 119.3, 120.9 and 126.8, with a mean of 117.1, and estimated planetary A indices were 10, 48, 5, 5, 4, 5, and 8, with a mean of 12.1.

Sunspot numbers for July 2 through 8 were 109, 123, 129, 137, 110, 92, and 56 with a mean of 108. The 10.7-cm flux was 120.4, 127.6, 129.1, 123.5, 121.1, 114.6, and 112.4, with a mean of 121.2. The estimated planetary A indices were 10, 11, 12, 15, 19, 6, and 5, with a mean of 11.1.

In Brief:

  • This weekend on the radio: Turn on and tune in for the IARU HF Championship. The ARRL HQ station W1AW/0 will operate from Hannibal, Missouri, at the QTH of K4VX. The IARU HQ station, NU1AW, will operate from Connecticut. Also on tap: the QRP ARCI Summer Homebrew Sprint, and the CQ WW VHF Contest. Just ahead: The North American QSO Party (RTTY) is July 18-19. Also, the SEANET Contest (CW).

  • RAC seeks 10 meters for Basic ops: Radio Amateurs of Canada has asked Industry Canada to permit holders of the Basic plus 5 WPM Morse code certificates to operate in the 10-meter band. The license is the approximate equivalent of the US Tech Plus ticket, which already enjoys 10-meter privileges. RAC said the proposal "would be an important step for the growth and stability of the Amateur Radio Service." RAC says it hopes IC--Canada's equivalent of the FCC--will approve the move quickly so that Basic ops can enjoy HF operating during the rise in the current sunspot cycle.

  • More astro-hams: SAREX Principal Investigator Matt Bordelon, KC5BTL, reports that the number of US astronauts with ham radio tickets has risen to 82. Three members of the STS-93 crew now are licensed, two of them fairly recently. They are Michel Tognini, KD5EJZ, Eileen Collins, KD5EDS, and Catherine Coleman, KC5ZTH.

  • SkyQuest Balloon launch a success: W1AW served as tracking net control on 75 meters Saturday, May 30, when the SkyQuest expendable balloon package launched from the National Weather Service's Boston Forecast Office Open House. The balloon's signal was heard all across New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania for approximately two hours, indicating a healthy peak altitude. The net, with help from HQ staffers Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, and Al Alvareztorres, AA1DO, had almost 30 checkins. Hank Riley, N1LTV, of SkyQuest seeks operators who have extended tapes of the balloon telemetry signal that they could loan to SkyQuest for analysis. Contact Riley via e-mail at h1riley@umassd.edu if you could share that material. Extended, uninterrupted tapes are required to decode the altimeter data. These don't have to be perfect in quality because exact frequencies are not relevant to altitude measurement.--Hank Riley, N1LTV/SkyQuest

  • Ham club helps cops with weather system: The University of Arkansas Amateur Radio Club (W5YM) helped the Police Department in the small town of Elkins, Arkansas, to install an early weather warning system at a cost of about $300. Using a Student Government Association grant, the club already had installed a nonamateur repeater to rebroadcast National Weather Service satellite signals on VHF, where they can be received on simple scanners and decoded on a PC equipped with the proper software. The system permits dispatchers to have ready access to weather warnings.--Northwest Arkansas Times; thanks to Jim Haynes

  • W6RCL wins Murrow Award: NBC News producer Alan Kaul, W6RCL, has been selected to receive the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in television journalism for his role in producing NBC's coverage following the death of Mother Teresa. Kaul was one of five on-site producers in Calcutta, India. The team produced eight reports that aired September 5 to 13, 1997. The stories examined the life and work of the Roman Catholic nun who pledged herself to those she called the "poorest of the poor." The Edward R. Murrow Awards will be presented September 23, in San Antonio, Texas, during the Radio and Television News Directors Association convention.--thanks to Newsline