March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

Improvements have been made to the 5.76GHz beacon on Bell Hill, near Blandford in Dorset. GB3SCC has been given a high stability GPS locked frequency standard and DFCWi keying. The beacon now maintains its nominal frequency of 5760.905007MHz to anaccuracy of a few Hertz. Reception reports will be gratefully received by G0API, whose address is correct in the RSGB Yearbook. Alternatively, visit the web site of the South Coast Repeater and Beacon Group at www.scrbg.org, where full details of all their beacons can be found. [RSGB]

Posted in RSGB | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

he D-Star system has become accessible to many more UK stations thanks to several newly operational two meter repeaters. These include GB7DG in Glasgow, GB7YD in Yorkshire, GB7MI in Manchester and GB7DE in Fife. D-Star repeaters have already become well established on the 70cm band but these VHF units will considerably broaden access to the network. An overview of D-Star was published in the March edition of RadCom, and coverage information can be found at www.ukrepeater.net Barnsley’s new 70cm D-Star repeater has been forced off the air because interference on its input from unlicensed devices. GB7YD dash C on 433.9125MHz has been removed from service until an alternative frequency can be found. This part of the band is used by a large number of licence-exempt micro power consumer electronic devices. These include vehicle keyless entry systems, wireless door bells and data links for home weather stations. [GB2RS]

Posted in GB2RS, RSGB | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

Last month’s VP6DX Ducie Island DXpedition logged nearly 183,700 contacts. This included nearly 7,000 on top band and more than 10,000 using digital modes. They made an almost equal number of CW and SSB contacts at around 87,000 each. By the time the south Pacific operation finished on 27 February, the group had broken several records. One was for the largest number of contacts made by any radio expedition. Further detailed information is on the web at www.vp6dx.com

Posted in RSGB | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

MOZAMBIQUE, C9.

Rodrigo, CT1BXT is QRV as C91R from Maputo until August 1. Activity is on 80 to 10 meters, with an emphasis on the lower bands. QSL to home call.

FRANZ JOSEF ISLAND, R1FJ.

Gene, R1FJT has been active on 20 and 30 meters using PSK and RTTY at various times. QSL via UA4RC.

WESTERN SAHARA, S0.

Mahafud, S01MZ has been active on 40 meters around 2300z. QSL via EA1BT.

LAOS, XW.

Bruce, XW1B has been active using RTTY on 20 meters around 1100 to 1300z. QSL via E21EIC.

OPERATION APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT.
The following operation has been approved for DXCC credit: Kermadec Island, ZL1GO/8, 2007 operation.

CALLSIGN UPDATE. As reported in DX news bulletin ARLD011 for Iceland, operators Alex, RA3MR, Artem, RD3MA, Dmitry, RA3MF, Helen, RV3ACA, Valery, RZ6AU and Serge, UA1ANA are QRV as homecalls/TF, TF/OH2DZ and RK3MWL/TF until March 18. They will also use the special call TF4Y in the Russian DX contest. Activity is on all bands with an emphasis on the newer and low bands. QSL TF4Y for the Russian DX contest via RV3ACA. QSL RK3MWL/TF via RD3MA and all others via home calls.

THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. The 10-10 International Mobile Contest, NCCC Sprint CW Ladder, Russian DX Contest, DARC HF SSTV Contest, Feld Hell Sprint, AGCW VHF/UHF CW Contest, Virginia QSO Party, UBA Spring 6 Meter Contest, Kuwait 15-Meter Contest and the ARCI HF Grid Square CW Sprint are all on tap for this weekend. The Run for the Bacon QRP CW Contest and Bucharest Contest are scheduled for March 17. Please see March QST, page 74 and the ARRL and WA7BNM contest web sites for details.

http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/2008-arld012.html

Posted in ARRL DX BULLETIN | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

CONGO, 9Q.

Station 9Q1EK has been active on 160 meters around 0450z and 15 meters around 1000 to 1300z. QSL via SM5DJZ.

NAURU, C2.

Dick, C21DL has been active using RTTY on 20 meters around 2230 to 0130z. QSL via DJ2EH.

IRAN, EP.

Sadegh, EP3HF has been QRV on 15 meters around 0930z and then 17 meters around 1000z. QSL direct.

GABON, TR.

Alain, TR8CA has been active on 160 and 80 meters using CW from around 0500 to 0600z. QSL via F6CBC.

OPERATION APPROVED FOR DXCC CREDIT.
The following operation is approved for DXCC credit: Equatorial Guinea, 3C7Y, 2007 operation.

http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/2008-arld011.html

Posted in ARRL DX BULLETIN | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

Bruce, KK5DO, AMSAT Store Manager is quite pleased to announce a new item just added to the AMSAT store. It is the long awaited 2007 AMSAT Symposium DVD. To order yours contact Martha at the AMSAT office, telephone 301 589-6062. This is a must for anyone that was not able to attend the 2007 AMSAT symposium in Pittsburgh or those that attended who would like the Symposium on DVD.

This DVD has all of the 2007 papers, PowerPoints and audio of the presentations. Additional features of this DVD are the Symposium papers from 2004 and 2005, ISS Columbus module video
and much more.

Posted in AMSAT | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

Denver International Airport is blocking certain websites from its free Wi-Fi network, fearing that some customers could find the sites offensive, according to The Associated Press.  For example, The Denver Post writes that if you “want to browse Vanity Fair magazine,” then “you’ll have to buy it at the newsstand, because (Denver’s) Internet filter blocks Vanity Fair as ‘provocative.’ ” The Post says other blocked sites include celebrity gossip site perezhilton.com on and “hipster-geek favorite” boingboing.net.” The Post adds the Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit photos are also blocked, although the paper says that’s “even though the magazine’s bare-breasted cover shot is on prominent display at airport stores, right next to Penthouse and Hustler.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in WiFi, Travel, USA Today | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

Adidas and Samsung have teamed up for a new twist in training — a mobile phone that can coach.

The companies announced Thursday a mobile phone that works with Adidas shoes and apparel to plan, track and motivate users in training.

The device directs and motivates users during workouts by combining a mobile phone, heart rate monitor, stride sensor, MP3 player and the voice of an electronic “personal coach.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in USA Today | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

The FCC has posted new Amateur Radio enforcement correspondence on its “Amateur Radio Service Enforcement Actions” Web page. Special Counsel in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division Riley Hollingsworth sent a Warning Notice to Amanda F. Spenlinhauer, KB1CQX. Hollingsworth also sent a letter inquiring about interference from a Part 15 device to a licensee in Holmen, Wisconsin, and a Warning Notice concerning interference on 10 meters from an unlicensed station, Harmony, North Carolina. Two cases were opened by the Commission regarding unlicensed transmissions on non-amateur frequencies by amateur licensees in Zebulon and Pikeville, North Carolina. The Appalachian Power Company in Charleston, West Virginia also received a letter from the FCC regarding radio frequency interference from power line hardware to an Amateur Radio licensee. Direct all questions concerning the Amateur Radio Service Enforcement Actions Web postings via e-mail only to Riley Hollingsworth in the FCC Spectrum Enforcement Division.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8071

Posted in ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off

March 17, 2008 by kb3ljm.

On March 6, the FCC announced that it has issued a Forfeiture Order in the amount of $4300 to Ronald Mondgock, KA3OMZ, of Honeybrook, Pennsylvania, “for willfully and repeatedly violating Section 301 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Act), by operating radio transmitting equipment on the frequencies 439.850 MHz and 147.560 MHz without a license.” Section 301 states a federal license is required to “operate any apparatus for the transmission of energy or communications or signals by radio.” Mondgock’s Amateur Radio license expired in December 2005.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/03/10/100/?nc=1

Posted in ARRL Web Extra | Comments Off