wheatley@inuxi.UUCP (Steven Wheatley) (09/27/85)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:: ::
:: T H E W 5 Y I R E P O R T ::
:: ::
:: D i t s & B i t s ::
:: ::
:: Vol 7 #18 -- 9/15/85 ::
:: ::
:: ::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Up to the minute news from the worlds of amateur radio, personal
computing and emerging electronics. While no guarantee is made,
information is from sources we believe to be reliable. May be
reproduced providing credit is given to The W5YI Report.
In this issue:
- National VEC Organization Formed
- Gathering News on the Ham Bands
- Ham Publishes Commodore Book
- AEC - Work-at-Home Association
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
The W5YI Report, even though a VEC in all regions, has been given
permission by the FCC to distribute license preparation materials as a
convenience to applicants and VE's. All manuals contain ALL questions,
answers and discussion why the answer is right! You can order the
guides from The W5YI Report, PO Box 10101, Dallas, TX 75207. The
following guides are available:
FCC-Novice Study Guide $3.00 + $1.00 Postage
FCC-Novice Element 2 Test $1.00 + $0.50 Postage
FCC-Tech/General Study Guide $5.00 + $1.50 Postage
FCC-Advanced Study Guide $5.00 + $1.50 Postage
FCC-Extra Class Study Guide $5.00 + $1.50 Postage
FCC Part 97 Rules Book $3.00 + $1.50 Postage
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
Note: Would you like to become a Volunteer Examiner under The W5YI
Report program? If so, please send a copy of your Extra Class license,
the following statement, and an SASE to:
W5YI - VEC
PO Box 10101
Dallas, TX 75207
You will also receive a booklet on how the Volunteer Examination program
operates and how to go about giving tests. A certificate
(optional) is also available for $1.00. Details and accreditation
materials will be sent to you within a two week period. Include
the following statement with your VE request:
"I am a currently licensed Extra Class amateur radio operator and wish
to be a Volunteer Examiner. I have never had my station or operator
license revoked or suspended. I do not own a significant interest in
nor am an employee of any company or entity engaged in making or
distributing amateur radio equipment or license preparation materials.
My age is at least 18 years old."
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
Do you have Amateur Radio news to contribute to The W5YI Report? If so,
please call (817) 461-6443 and leave a message on Fred's recorder!
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
o National VEC Organization Formed
--------------------------------
Should the fragmented amateur testing community be brought together
under the guidance of a single umbrella organization? That was the
question pondered by VEC representatives at a recently concluded FCC
workshop held August 9th at the FCC's Gettysburg, PA, licensing
facility. At present, we have some two dozen plus VEC ham test
administrators.
The informal after hours meeting found that much duplication of effort
exists among the VEC's. Each has their own test preparation system and a
somewhat different program... even though their instructions from the
FCC are the same. The collective feeling seemed to be that VEC's need to
work together toward achieving uniform amateur radio operator testing
and a system should be developed to provide for input from VE's and
VEC's into the testing decision making process.
Many phone calls and a couple of weeks later, a national testing
organization tentatively named the Council for Amateur Radio Examining
(C.A.R.E.), has been formed. Already being considered are such things as
mutually recognizing each others volunteer examiners, developing a
common examination pool, establishing test standards, co-op printing and
stockpiling of testing materials and cooperating in exam scheduling.
C.A.R.E. will also serve as a national clearinghouse to gather and
disseminate amateur radio testing information.
Membership in C.A.R.E. will be open to any FCC accredited VEC and to any
individual volunteer examiners... even if the VEC is not a C.A.R.E
member. Associate membership status will be open to anyone. Annual dues
range from $25.00 for VEC's down to $5.00 for associate members.
Work on the C.A.R.E organization is continuing rapidly. The Board of
Directors will be made up of each VEC member - each having one vote on
C.A.R.E. policy. A Vice Director will be selected by the Director. A
National VEC Net to discuss how amateur radio operator testing could be
standardized now meets Sunday's at 14.173 MHz at 1700 Z.
Preliminary draft articles of C.A.R.E. incorporation in the State of
Illinois have been prepared and forwarded to all VEC's for further
comment and suggestions. Incorporation will be sought under IRS Code
501(c)3 which provides for non-profit incorporation for charitable,
educational and scientific purposes.
The initial officers of the group will be:
Joe T. Ingram, Jr., K4OOV, President, Central Alabama VEC -
Region 4.
Alex Magocsi, WB2MGB, First Vice President, Metroplex VEC -
Region 2, soon to be a national VEC.
Frederick O. Maia, W5YI, Vice President, The W5YI Report VEC -
National VEC.
James Georgias, W9JUG, Executive Vice President, Devry VEC -
National VEC.
Gordon Girton, W6NLG, Secretary/Treasurer, Sunnyvale VEC -
Region 6 VEC.
These officers will serve until 1987. While the president will be the
principal officer of the corporation, day-to-day operation of C.A.R.E.
will be handled by Executive Vice President Jim Georgias, W9JUG, of the
DeVry VEC. Joe Schroeder, W9JUV, has been asked to handle the public
relations function of the group.
o News Gathering on Ham Spectrum
------------------------------
Should the FCC allow news gathering on amateur radio frequencies? Up
until this point the Commission has ruled that this is an illegal
(commercial) use of amateur spectrum. In the wake of a NPRM (Docket
85-188 4/15/85) that provides for land mobile - amateur radio service
shared use of the 421-430 MHz band, this may be changing.
On August 13th, Lee Shoblom, President and General Manager of London
Bridge Broadcasting, Inc., 2001 Industrial Blvd., Lake Havasu City, AZ
86403, filed a request with the FCC for waiver of the amateur rules to
permit him to use amateur radio for news gathering for broadcast
purposes.
Specifically, Mr. Shoblom requests that he be permitted to use amateur
frequency 434 MHz for gathering news on matters of community interest
and broadcast such news on his low power television station.
The FCC's Private Radio Bureau seeks comments on this filing and has
assigned "File No. PRB-2" to the matter. "PRB" file numbers are
something the FCC unofficially came up with to solicit information from
the public. They are more or less similar to NOI's ... Notice of Inquiry
which we don't seem to see too much of any more.
News gathering on amateur frequencies has some interesting
ramifications. Will amateurs be allowed to participate? Can they be
stopped if the licensee (broadcaster) approves it? Can non-type accepted
ham gear be used when usually FCC approved communications equipment is
required?
I can remember thirty years ago participating in the New England Weather
Net on 80 meters. While commercial radio stations did not actively
participate, they did listen - and broadcast - the weather the amateurs
passed on. At least one television station gave credit to the weather
network for their reports. It was cloudy as to whether the net existed
to assist broadcasters - or to simply exchange reports among amateurs.
We were confused as to why it was OK to report bad weather directly to
amateurs at the US weather burear via ham radio but not to amateur radio
operators at commerical stations. There seems to be a fine line between
amateur and non-amateur public service.
A good use of amateur spectrum might be to report traffic tie-ups and
accidents to broadcast stations during rush hour traffic but it is not
legal. But it is legal to report it to the police via phone patch.
Broadcasters have trouble understanding the difference. Some maintain
that the government has no power to control what is said on the air
waves... any air waves. The difference, of course, is that the Part
97.110 rules allow emergency... but not routine... business
communications on the ham bands. Broadcasters do not handle
emergencies... they only report them.
o Ham Publishes Commodore/Ham Book
--------------------------------
If you are a ham and have a Commodore home computer, you might look into
a new book entitled "The Commodore Ham's Companion."
Written by Jim Grubbs, K9EI, of Springfield, IL, the 160-page paperback
book contains over 80 sources for Commodore amateur radio software and
hardware... and a bibliography of over 60 magazine articles and reviews
about using Commodore machines in the ham shack.
Jim claims that Commodore machines are the easiest to interface with
amateur radio. He concentrates on the VIC-20 and the C-64. The chapter
on "How to use your Commodore computer to join the packet radio
revolution" is worth the price of the book alone. Jim talks about his
packet lashup to his Dad, W9DXA, and brother, Jon, WB9YJC. Completely up
to date , he also mentioned the TAPR TNC-2 ($185) that has just been
released! (Book was published in August.)
Self-published by QSKY Publishing, (PO Box 3042, Springfield, IL 62708),
"The Commodore Ham's Companion" Is $15.95 plus $2.50 first class
shipping/handling. (VISA/MC accepted). Jim, an active ham since age 11,
holds Satellite Worked All States certificate #16.
o Independent Computer Cottagers
------------------------------
Do you have some sort of computer linked business "on the side"... maybe
even full time... that you do from your home? If so, you might want to
consider being a member of AEC... the Association of Electronic
Cottagers formed in January 1985.
Formed by Paul and Sarah Edwards of (677 Canyon Drive), Sierra Madre,
California (91024), AEC is designed to support the growing number of
people who work from their home with personal computers.
The Association of Electronic Cottagers is partly a support group for
the cottage industries made possible using personal computers and partly
a rights watchdog for home workers.
Members of AEC can obtain marketing assistance, business consultation
and other services... also access up-to-the-minute news affecting their
interests through a monthly newsletter, an online hotline, bulletin
boards, electronic conferences and private databases available through
the CompuServe Information Service.
AEC evolved out of an international computer network... the Work-At-Home
special interest group (SIG) of CompuServe, an interactive database for
computer users. The Edwards' began this SIG because they wanted to meet
other entrepreneurs and believed others had the same need.
Labor unions see working at home and telecommuting as a threat. Local
bureaucrats, using zoning laws, have put some home computer workers out
of business. AEC has put together an Electronic Bill of Rights which,
among other things, asks that legislatures make no laws prohibiting
freedom to work in one's home... when that work does not interfere with
neighbor's enjoyment of their own homes and communities.
The Edwards' are the authors of several books on working from home with
a personal computer. Paul is an attorney... Sarah holds a Masters degree
in Social Work. Their 18-year old son is an engineering student at
UCLA.
[End this issue]