Milliwatt

HELP WITH THE BRATS HAMFEST!

kb3ljm — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:56:22 +0000

Sunday, July 20, 2008
Howard County Fairgrounds
Call: 410-461-1212, leave a message; or visit our website: http://www.bratsatv.org We need your help NOW, on the day of the hamfest, the day before and the day after….

Thanks!

FCC Looks to Raise Vanity Call Sign Fees

kb3ljm — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:53:47 +0000

The 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.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/08/10089/?nc=1

Guest Speaker at June BRATS Meeting

kb3ljm — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:29:27 +0000

Tuesday, June 17, 7:15 PM at the Pikesville
Library; 1301 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville.
Jim Cross, WI3N, our ARRL MD/DC Section
Manager, speaking on Using ATV for emcomm.
PLAN TO JOIN US AND BRING A FRIEND!

FCC Denies Two Amateur Radio Petitions for Rulemaking

kb3ljm — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:53:34 +0000

In two separate decisions released today, the Federal Communications Commission denied two Petitions for Rulemaking (PRM) having to do with Amateur Radio. These two PRMs, one filed by Mark Miller, N5RFX, of Arlington, Texas, concerning digital spectrum issues, and the other filed jointly by Ken Chafin, W6CPA, of La Crescenta, California, and Leon Brown, KC6JAR, of Los Angeles, California, concerning additional spectrum for more repeaters, including digital systems. Miller’s PRM was assigned RM-11392, while the Chafin and Brown petition was not afforded an RM number by the FCC. According to ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, the ARRL filed no comments on either petition in accordance with the League’s standard policy on bare petitions for rule making that do not deal with spectrum allocations.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/07/10087/?nc=1

Newspaper Reports “BPL plan is dead in Dallas”

kb3ljm — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:52:23 +0000

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. 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.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/02/10078/?nc=1

Robert Beasley, K6BJH, Silent Key

kb3ljm — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:44:22 +0000

Amateur radio cartoonist Robert Beasley, K6BJH, whose deft drawings sparked many a grin, died February 16, 2008; he was 82. His wife, Helen, survives Bob. According to his autobiography, he was first licensed in southern California in 1953. Following retirement, Bob fulfilled his lifelong desire to become a cartoonist. His work was featured in QST, Worldradio, Electric Radio, Spec-Com Journal, Radioscan and Badger State Smoke Signals. Collections of his cartoons were published as: The Best of Beasley and The Best of Beasley: K6BJH on Amateur Television.

Source: K9YA Telegraph, 5/2008

Some Thoughts

kb3ljm — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:10:21 +0000

Yes, it’s that time again! Hamfest time is here.We need your help, not only on July 20, but now! Here’s how you can help: Call the BRATS info-line at 410-461-1212 and leave a message. Say “I want to help with the hamfest”. Let us know when you will be available, on July 19, 20 and 21 as well as now…We will get back to you. We can only pull it off if you help.
Thanks and 73, Mayer, W3GXK

New Apparel Items Now Available from ARRL

kb3ljm — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:24:47 +0000

Show off your ham radio pride with ARRL’s new line of HAM apparel. The new shirt, sweatshirt and ball cap feature the very popular oval Euro design with “HAM” emblazoned in the center and the ARRL Web site address centered underneath it. The T shirt is a pre-shrunk black Hanes beefy-T with white contrast stitching. The HAM oval is screenprinted on the left chest. This trendy T shirt comes in unisex sizes from small to 3X for only $12.95 each. The heavyweight black sweatshirt features a quarter-zip neckline with a brass metal zipper and leather pull. The HAM oval is embroidered on the left chest. This sweatshirt is perfect for the still chilly nights of spring and comes in unisex sizes from small to 3X for only $34.95 each. The black ballcap features the HAM oval embroidered in the center of the cap. With an adjustable Velcro tab closure, this cap is sure to fit just about anyone. Get yours for only $12.95. Receive a free HAM Euro sticker (a $2 value) when you order one of these three HAM items before May 31, 2008.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8150

2008 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference Issues Call for Papers

kb3ljm — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:38:32 +0000

Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the 27th annual ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC), Friday-Sunday, September 26-28, in Chicago, Illinois. Papers will also be published in the Conference Proceedings. Authors do not need to attend the conference to have their papers included in the Proceedings. The submission deadline is July 31. The ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference is an international forum for technically minded radio amateurs to meet and present new ideas and techniques. Paper/presentation topic areas include — but are not limited to – software defined radio (SDR), digital voice, digital satellite communication, digital signal processing (DSP), HF digital modes, adapting IEEE 802.11 systems for Amateur Radio, Global Positioning System (GPS), Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS), Linux in Amateur Radio, AX.25 updates and Internet operability with Amateur Radio networks. Submit papers to Maty Weinberg, KB1EIB, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 or via e-mail. Papers will be published exactly as submitted, and authors will retain all rights. ARRL will provide additional information on the 2008 DCC as it becomes available.

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8133

William F. Buckley Meets Amateur Radio

kb3ljm — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:34:23 +0000

In a personal essay published in the April 2008 issue of The National Review, the late William F. Buckley Jr described a fascinating story involving himself, Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA (SK), and of course ham radio. It seems that Mr Buckley was part of a 12 man trip to a very remote outpost at the South Pole. In addition to his son, his old pal Barry Goldwater and Barry Jr were also members of this expedition. Buckley described being in a crowded Soviet igloo, entertained with “trays of caviar and tumblers of vodka.” After toasting his Russian host, he was suddenly taken aside by Barry Jr. “Dad wants to see you” he said, pointing to the door. Buckley was taken to another igloo, apparently the radio shack. “Thought you might like to talk to your wife,” the senior Goldwater said. Buckley describes the prideful look on Goldwater’s face, having maneuvered the Soviet radio to contact his wife back home in Arizona! Although he was a man famous for his complete control of the English language, Bill Buckley said he was “speechless” as he heard the telephone ringing and his wife answering the telephone! He said, “It’s me darling” and his wife responded, “It’s three o’clock in the morning!” Buckley exclaimed, “I’m calling from the South Pole!” This story reminded me of the many nights back in the late 1970s when I gladly helped with phone patches from the US Navy base at McMurdo, Antarctica. Just as Senator Goldwater did, I awakened many people in the wee hours of the morning with a phone call from their loved ones on the bottom of the world! — Bruce Jackson, KA5ELC, Cordova, Tennessee

http://www.arrl.org/?artid=8132