May 31 Deadline for Young Ham of the Year Nominations

Nominations for the Newsline Young Ham of the Year award - which CQ co-sponsors - are due by May 31. Now in its 28th year, the YHOTY program recognizes the achievements of radio amateurs age 18 or younger living in the US, its possessions or Canada. Qualifying candidates must have made a significant contribution to amateur radio or - through the use of amateur radio - to their communities or to the nation. 

Official nominating forms may be downloaded from <www.arnewsline.org/yhoty> or requested by mail (with a self-addressed stamped envelope) from Amateur Radio Newsline, Inc., Young Ham of the Year Award, 28197 Robin Ave., Santa Clarita, CA 91350.

The Very Strange Case of W9NTP and the FBI

Don Miller, W9NTP, is well-known in amateur radio as a pioneer in slow-scan TV techniques and a leader in promoting the use of the mode. Back in 1972, he was recognized for his efforts as Dayton's Radio Amateur of the Year. Don has also traveled extensively and in the course of his travels over the past eight decades, has amassed a huge collection of artifacts from all over the world. These artifacts, which had been stored at Don's home in Waldron, Indiana, are now in the hands of the FBI, which seized the entire collection in early April, trying to determine if any of the materials had been obtained or imported illegally. 
 

Several Indiana newspapers and TV stations showed photos of a massive FBI presence outside Miller's home, with tents set up around his property and a variety of vehicles. An FBI spokesman told CBS News.com that neither the total number of items in Miller's collection nor their monetary value had been determined, but said "the cultural value of these artifacts is immeasurable."

The FBI is cataloging each item and trying to determine where and when each one was obtained, which is important because some may have been collected before various laws and treaties regarding cultural artifacts took effect. As of our deadline, Miller had not been charged with any offense, and he told CBS he was cooperating with the FBI but maintained that he "absolutely" had rightful ownership of everything in his collection.

ARRL Calls for Quicker, More Visible FCC Enforcement

Responding to an FCC request for comments on improving how the Commission functions (GN Docket 14-25), the ARRL has called for more timely and visible enforcement of the FCC's rules, especially regarding the amateur service. 


According to the ARRL Letter, changes in FCC procedures over the past five years restricting the public release of information about enforcement actions has resulted in "a widespread, albeit inaccurate, public perception that there is no active enforcement in our service." That perception, said the League, has resulted in "unacceptable increases in rule violations" because people think they won't be held accountable.

QRM Costs Ham His License Plus $1,000

A few FCC enforcement actions have been announced recently, including a consent decree in which a Florida ham agreed to pay a $1,000 "voluntary donation" and gave up his license in return for terminating an enforcement action which could have cost him $25,000 in fines. 

The ARRL Letter reports that Terry Van Volkenburg, KC5RF, had been charged by the FCC with making unlicensed transmissions on a public safety frequency that interfered with the jail radio system of the Brevard County, Florida, Sheriff's Office.

In a separate action, Oklahoma ham Orloff Haines, KF5IXX, is facing a possible $12,000 fine for allegedly interfering with communications on CB channel 19. According to the ARRL Letter, Haines, an Extra Class licensee, admitted to transmitting a continuous carrier on channel 19, reportedly because area CBers were harassing his wife. Haines had the usual 30 days to pay the fine or make a written request to have it reduced or cancelled.

AMSAT VP Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, SK

AMSAT's Vice President of Engineering, Tony Monteiro, AA2TX, passed away on March 26 at age 55 after battling cancer. His many contributions to amateur satellite technology included designing the software for the Software-Defined Transponder (SDX) that was used on ARISSAT-1 in 2011. 

AMSAT announced the appointment of Jerry Buxton, NJ0Y, to succeed Monteiro as Vice President of Engineering; and Steve Coy, K8UD, a board alternate, has assumed Tony's seat on the AMSAT Board of Directors.

Political Intrigue Plays Out on Ham Bands

The political dispute between Russia and Ukraine is impacting the HF amateur bands, according to Newsline. The International Amateur Radio Union's Monitoring System newsletter reported recently that Ukraine's foreign intelligence service has been transmitting numbers and encrypted messages every Wednesday at 1010 UTC on 14.280 MHz, using full-carrier AM. In addition, the newsletter reported the Russian Air Force has been transmitting FSK signals on 7.018 MHz, which were also heard on harmonics of 14.036 and 28.072 MHz.

ARRL: Crimea is Not a New DXCC Entity

Crimea - NOT a new DXCC entity. (Map courtesy
CIA World Factbook)

The ARRL reminds amateurs that regardless of whether it is administered by Ukraine or Russia, Crimea is not and never has been a separate DXCC entity. 

In an announcement on April 10, Awards Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, reported that the ARRL Awards Committee had determined that the country status of Crimean stations would depend on how they identify their location and on which country had issued the call sign in use. "A QSL with a call sign issued by … Ukraine and showing the entity name as Ukraine counts as Ukraine," wrote Moore, while a QSL with a call sign issued Russia and showing the entity name as Russia counts as Russia. "A QSL that satisfies neither condition," he added, "does not count for either entity.

Voice of Russia Goes Silent on Shortwave

After months of conflicting reports, the Voice of Russia permanently ended its shortwave broadcasts at the end of March.

The station - formerly Radio Moscow - was a major propaganda tool of the former Soviet Union during the Cold War and was usually among the first stations tuned in by new shortwave listeners, as its powerhouse signals were hard to miss.

As with most other government broadcasters abandoning shortwave, the Voice of Russia cited budgetary problems as the reason for its decision to terminate shortwave broadcasts.

Transatlantic VLF Signals

Transmissions by U.S. amateurs involved in experimental very low frequency (VLF) operation have been monitored by amateurs in Europe. The ARRL Letter reports that transmissions by hams operating under the WH2XBA experimental license on frequencies of approximately 74 kHz and 29.5 kHz were received in both the UK and in Germany. The transmissions use very slow speed Morse code, with each "dit" lasting two minutes and each "dah" lasting six minutes (not exactly a mode for quickly transmitting large amounts of information - ed.).

The Letter also reports that the software being used to detect these signals is also being used by U.S. Navy personnel assisting in the search for missing Malaysian Flight 370 to listen for "black box" pings transmitted at 37.5 kHz.

Lithuanian President Sends Greetings via Amateur Radio Satellite

Lithuanian President Dalia
Grybauskaite (Courtesy
Government of Lithuania)

The President of Lithuania used amateur radio in March to transmit a message to that country's first satellite - LituanicaSAT-1 - which includes an amateur radio voice transponder and was deployed from the International Space Station at that end of February. 

The ARRL Letter reported that President Dalia Grybauskaite used a handheld radio and the call sign LY5N to transmit her message, "Greetings to all Lithuanians around the world," up to the satellite, which stored it on a memory chip and retransmitted it on March 22.
 
According to the Letter, Grybauskaite may be the first head of state to send a message via an amateur radio satellite.

New Ham Call Signs OKd for Vienna International Center

The UN's Vienna International Center
(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

The Vienna International Radio Club, which operates 4U1VIC at the United Nations' Vienna International Center, has announced the release of two new call signs - C7A and 4Y1A - to be used from the center on various occasions. 

According to Southgate Amateur Radio News, the C7A-C7Z call sign block is allocated to the World Meteorological Organization, while 4YA-4YZ is allocated to the International Civil Aviation Organization. The calls will be used in connection with special events, such as World Meteorological Day or International Civil Aviation Day. For DXCC purposes, the calls will count as Austria, not the UN, according to the report.

Colvin Award Grant Goes to WRTC-14 Organizers

The group hosting this summer's World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) competition in New England is the latest recipient of a Colvin Award grant. WRTC2014, Inc., reported that the grant consisted of "a significant financial contribution," but did not specify its amount. 

The Colvin Award is funded by an endowment established by the late Lloyd Colvin, W6KG, to support amateur radio projects that promote international goodwill in the field of DX. It is administered by the ARRL. WRTC is a quadrennial competition among the world's top contesters, held during the IARU HF Championship contest in July. For more information, see <http://www.arrl.org/colvin-award-grants> and <http://www.wrtc2014.org>.

Katie Allen, WY7KRA, Named CQ Communications Sales and Marketing Manager

(Hicksville, NY -- March 28, 2014) – Katie Allen, WY7KRA, has been appointed Sales and Marketing Manager for CQ Communications, Inc., effective immediately, it was announced today by company President and Publisher Richard Ross, K2MGA. Katie will be responsible for advertising sales for CQ Amateur Radio magazine (including the CQ Plus digital supplement), as well as marketing efforts for all CQ Communications products.

An active DXer and contester who recently earned her Extra Class license, Katie entered the world of amateur radio as the ARRL's Membership Manager in the 2000s, earning her first ham license under the guidance of other League staff members. She then sparked an effort to revitalize the ARRL staff radio club and station, W1HQ, both of which had fallen into inactivity, and helped move ham radio into the world of multimedia by producing and posting various operating videos on You Tube. She currently lives in Sundance, Wyoming with her husband, Dwayne, WY7FD.

"I love ham radio and the ham industry and I'm beyond thrilled to be back in it," says Katie. "I know there are challenges ahead, but my successes over the years have been with new projects or revitalizations ... so perhaps I've come home again to my area of specialty."

"Katie's enthusiasm for amateur radio and everything relating to it, along with her track record marketing our hobby to newcomers and her experience in multimedia and social networking, put her in an ideal position to help manufacturers and retailers best match up their products with our readers," notes CQ Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA. Ross adds that "the introduction of CQ Plus has expanded CQ's audience beyond its traditional base of active hams to the broader hobby radio community. Katie's ability to connect with both groups, and to reach out via new media, will help add to our advertisers' ability to do the same."

CQ Communications, Inc., based in Hicksville, New York, publishes CQ Amateur Radio, including the CQ Plus digital supplement, in addition to CQ books, videos and related products. It also sponsors a comprehensive series of operating awards and the world's most popular on-air contests. Its flagship magazine, CQ Amateur Radio, is currently in its 70th year of continuous publication, now in both print and digital formats.

Dayton Simultaneously Honors, Snubs, ARRL

The Dayton Amateur Radio Association honored two long-time leaders of the ARRL with its annual Hamvention® awards, but pointedly snubbed the organization itself in its announcement.

Larry Price, W4RA, ARRL President from 1984 to 1992 and president of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) from 1999 to 2009, is the recipient of the 2014 Amateur of the Year Award. This year's Special Achievement Award goes to ARRL CEO Dave Sumner, K1ZZ. Yet neither man's affiliation with the League is cited in the DARA announcement.

Price is recognized for his "significant and direct impact on the development of amateur radio throughout the world" in his role as IARU President, and Sumner is cited for his work as a member of the "IARU observer team" as well as his ongoing "efforts in crafting broadband over power lines (BPL) regulations in conjunction with the FCC to reduce (harmful BPL) emissions." The fact that he has led the ARRL for the past three decades is completely ignored.

Also honored this year are FLDIGI developer David Freese, Jr., W1HKJ, with the Technical Achievement Award, and the Gwinnett Amateur Radio Society in suburban Atlanta with the Club of the Year Award. All awards will be presented at the Dayton Hamvention® on May 16-18.

"HamTV" on the Air From ISS

One of the early digital ATV images downlinked from the
International Space Station as commissioning of the new
HamTV system got under way in March. (NASA photo)

The "HamTV" digital amateur television (DATV) transmitter aboard the International Space Station was installed on March 6, and initial transmissions on March 8 were successfully received on the ground and streamed over the Internet by the British Amateur Television Club (BATC). According to the AMSAT News Service, the project has been ten years in the making and its main mission is to allow space station crew members to include live video as well as audio in their contacts with school groups through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program.

This is not the first time amateur television pictures have been transmitted from orbit. Back in 1985, Tony England, W0ORE, the second astronaut to operate from space, transmitted slow-scan TV pictures on his 2-meter downlink from the shuttle Challenger.

Here are some links for additional information and photos, courtesy of the AMSAT News Service:

Webstream of the TV transmissions http://batc.tv/ch_live.php?ch=4

HamTV overview by Gaston Bertels ON4WF http://tinyurl.com/HamTVoverview

ISS HamTV Yahoo Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HamTV

ARISS-EU HamTV Bulletins http://www.ariss-eu.org/

HamTV on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Hamtvproject

RadioShack to Close 1100 Stores

Chances are there's a RadioShack store near you. But there's now about a one in five chance that there won't be one there much longer. The struggling electronics chain announced plans in early March "to close up to 1,100 underperforming stores," as it released financial reports showing it suffering a $400 million net loss in 2013, with nearly half of that coming in the fourth quarter alone.

Hams have long relied on the chain as a source for components, and in the past, for ham gear, shortwave receivers and scanners as well. In recent years, RadioShack has put a greater focus on mobile phones and accessories, a market that has softened recently, as new purchases have given way to replacements and upgrades. One recent bright spot for hams has been a new focus on kits and building, in response to the growth of the maker movement.

New Head of FCC Enforcement Bureau; ARRL to Seek More Amateur Enforcement

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has named Travis LeBlanc - a former Justice Department attorney - as acting
Chief of the Commission's Enforcement Bureau. According to an FCC announcement, LeBlanc is returning to Washington from California, where he has been a top deputy and senior advisor to the state's Attorney General, specializing in technology regulation, telecommunications, high-tech crime and cyber-security, among other subjects.

The ARRL is planning to use the arrival of new leadership at both the Enforcement Bureau and the Commission to try to bring top-level attention to bear on a perceived lack of enforcement in the Amateur Service in recent years. In an open letter to ARRL members in the Hudson Division, Division Director and ARRL Executive Committee member Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, noted that Chairman Wheeler, in announcing LeBlanc's appointment, said that "the credibility of the Commission's rules depends on its enforcement activities," said the League is planning to meet with FCC staff and commissioners to discuss enforcement issues and asked members to supply him with specific reports of rules violations that have been reported to the FCC but have not been addressed. Lisenco noted that the change in leadership provides "a golden opportunity to … attempt to change the current regulatory environment from being virtually non-existent to one that supports us."

FEMA Head to Speak at ARRL Centennial Banquet

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate,
KK4INZ. (FEMA photo)

The ARRL has announced that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will be the keynote speaker at the ARRL Centennial Banquet this summer in Hartford, Connecticut. The banquet will be part of the League's Centennial Convention being held from July 17-19.

Fugate is a licensed amateur - KK4INZ - and has been FEMA Administrator since 2009. He has previously praised the role played by amateur radio operators in responding to emergencies and disasters.

Former Ham Magazine Editors W1RW, WZ8C, are Silent Keys

The amateur radio journalism community lost two prominent members in late February and early March.

On February 23, former QST Editor and ARRL General Manager John Huntoon, W1RW, passed away at age 97. Huntoon joined the ARRL staff in 1939, prior to the outbreak of World War II, left to serve in the Coast Guard and returned after the war. He represented the League at various international conferences in the 1940s and '50s, became Assistant General Manager in 1956 and General Manager - then the League's top staff position - in 1961. He retired from that position, whose responsibilities included being QST editor, in 1975.

Nancy Kott, WZ8C, became a Silent Key March 2 at age 58, following years of medical problems. Nancy was the last editor of the print edition of WorldRadio magazine and the first editor of WorldRadio Online, shepherding the magazine through its transition to a digital-only format. She was also a strong advocate of Morse code, heading the U.S. chapter of the FISTS CW Club until her passing. All of these activities were in addition to her "day job" as a field representative for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CQ offers its condolences to the families and friends of both John and Nancy.

ARRL Seeks Input on Digital Modes

The ARRL is asking members for "cogent input and thoughtful feedback" on matters relating to digital mode operation on the HF amateur bands. According to the ARRL Letter, the input - due by March 31 - will be used by the board of directors' HF Band Planning Committee to try to craft new band plans that will best allow these modes to "compatibly coexist with each other." Comments and suggestions should be e-mailed to <HF-Digital-Bandplanning@arrl.org>.