Georgia Single Sideband Association Main

Dalton Hamfest is Next!

The Annual Dalton Hamfest is coming up next, the last Saturday of this month. The GSSA has a room reserved at the Western Sizzlin for the noon hour. All are welcome to come and break bread with the GSSA, GCRC, Geritol, G-Ten, Buzzards, and any other nets and groups represented. The GSSA and GCRC groups will have our customary tables in the pass through area where the 2 buildings join together. Dues can be paid here if it's close to that time for you. Come by and sit a spell! Click on the link to the left for more info. See you there!

RADIO LAW: WRC 2012 ENDS – THE OUTCOME FOR HAM RADIO

The 2012 World Radiocommunications Conference, better known as WRC 12 has come to a close with some good news for ham radio:

At its Plenary meeting held on February 14th, the World Radiocommunication Conference approved a new secondary frequency allocation to the Amateur Radio Service from 472 to 479 kHz. Having passed its First and Second Readings it is normally a formality that this change be included in the conferences Final Acts when the gathering concludes and the Table of Frequency Allocations would then be amended accordingly.

As a secondary user, amateur radio shares 472 to 479 kHz with the Maritime Mobile Service which is the primary user in all three ITU Regions and with the Aeronautical Radionavigation Service which is a Secondary user except as noted in the following footnotes:

One footnote reads that a number of countries will identify their intent to elevate the status of their Aeronautical Radionavigation Service to Primary as a step in ensuring protection from secondary users.

Also there is a footnote that says that the power which radio amateurs may use in 472 to 479 kHz will be limited to 5 watts effective radiated except for amateur stations within 800 km of the borders of a number of countries. These are principally Russia, many of the former Soviet bloc nations and the Arab states. For those affected amateurs the power output limit will be 1 watt.

It is, of course, up to individual administrations to authorize use of the band by their amateurs. How long it will before the band is available to hams in the United States? That’s up to the bureaucrats in Washington D.C.. At this point that is unknown.

The new band at 600 meters will represent the return of amateurs to the medium waves. This is an area of spectrum that hams have not had access to since the earliest days of radio regulation. More on WRC 12 in future Amateur Radio Newsline reports. (RAC)

RADIO LAW: ILLINOIS DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW WON'T AFFECT HAM RADIO

Amateur radio as well as 11 Meter CB and several other services have won a complete exemption from a proposed Illinois state law aimed at curtailing the activities of distracted drivers on that states roads and streets.

There were actually two proposed measures before the Illinois state legislature aimed at accomplishing the same thing. As originally written, both House Bill 3972 introduced by Representative John D'Amico and House Bill 3970 by Representative Karen May would have banned the use of all electronic communication devices with a very few limited exceptions. These were the use of two-way radio by law-enforcement and operators of emergency vehicles; cellphones used in a hands-free or voice-activated mode or in parked vehicles. And that was it.

Now, after consultation with representatives of the Illinois ham radio community, Representative D’Amico has amended his proposal to exclude numerous types of two-way radio based communications from his measure. This, while leaving the original intent of the proposed law aimed which is primarily aimed at curtailing texting or using a hand-held cellular telephone while the vehicle is in motion.

Item 7 of the Amended D’Amico measure is the part that’s important to the ham radio community. It states that a driver using two-way or citizens band radio services or two-way mobile radio transmitter or receivers for licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service are exempt from the proposed law. And that’s good news for anyone with radio gear in their car driving in or through the state of Illinois.

While this still leaves House Bill 3970 by Representative Karen May as active as originally written, it’s believed that this measure will shortly be amended to follow the House Bill 3970, if this has not taken place already. (ARNewsline™, others)

A Summer Story

Les Volta, NP6LV

An old mobile adds a spark to one family’s history.

As my youngest daughter drove up to our annual family reunion picnic, the summer breeze blew past where I was standing and a flashback of time hit me. I recalled being at the same family reunion picnic. It was a hot and sunny summer day and we were sitting around a shade tree at the picnic. I looked around and saw my father driving up in his old 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook. He bought it new back in ’51.

I heard all the kids say, “Far out, look at that old car!” As my father sat down, I asked him if he still had the old ham radio in it. He looked at the car and said, “Yep and it still works too.” My youngest daughter ran over and said, “Wow! Grandpa that is a big radio in the car.” I asked my dad to tell us the story about how he got the radio. It was always a good story. He looked at us and asked us to sit down and he began this story.

RADIO LAW: NEW 5 MHZ RULES GO INTO EFFECT ON MARCH 5

In the United States, word that the new rules governing ham radio operations in the 5 MHz or 60 meter spectrum take effect on March 5th. This after a notice to that affect appeared in the February 3rd edition of the United States Federal Register.

As previously reported, last November the FCC released a Report and Order detailing new rules for the 5 MHz Amateur Radio band. The announcement brought with it a number of changes for 60 meter operators. This included substituting a channel at 5 point 358 point 5 MHz for 5 point 368 MHz previously authorized. The effective radiated limit in the 60 meter band will be raised by 3 dB to 100 Watts Peak Envelope Power relative to a half-wave dipole. Also, three additional emission types are authorized. These are Data, RTTY and CW.

Currently, amateur radio in the United States holds a secondary allocation for 5 MHz and ham radio operations must not cause any interference to the primary users of that band. These include fixed service, as well as mobile stations authorized by the telecommunications regulators of other sovereign nations. Access in the United States to the channelized 60 meter spectrum is limited to holders of General class or high FCC license grants. You can read the entire Federal Register item explaining the 5 MHz changes at tinyurl.com/6wzsfjm (FCC, ARN)

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: A SPRAY-ON ANTENNA

Ever found yourself without a signal and wished you could just spray one on like magic? Soon, you may be able to do just that. Chamtech Enterprises, of Sandy, Utah, has developed a spray-on antenna material that it says is more lightweight and energy efficient than current technology.

Revealed at Google's inaugural "Solve for X" symposium, the company says than an antenna can be painted onto almost any surface including trees, walls and even on fabrics.

Chamtech says that it is already talking with government-based customers, and as such can't give too much detail on how it works. However it has released information that its material uses organic elements that have the ability to interact with magnetic and radio-frequency fields.

The company's Chief Technology Officer is Rhett Spencer. Spencer is quoted as saying the antenna could increase mobile energy efficiency by 10 percent. Also that it was found to work particularly well under water. Observers at the event say that being organic could make it ideal for sub-aquatic telecommunications infrastructure.

Prelimnary tests on current a generation cell phone showed that the product was able to boost signals by an impressive 20 dbm when painted over the standard internal antenna.

From our point of view, for ham radio operators living in antenna restricted areas such as apartments or condominiums, the possibilities of a product such as this could be endless. All a ham might need is a bit of imagination and some of the spray-on antenna paint to get on the air with a signal much stronger than from the rubber duckie on his or her HT.

For more information about the Chamtech spray-on antenna material you can take your web browser to www.chamtechops.com. A video with a talk about the technology involved is on-line at tinyurl.com/spray-on-antenna. (ARN, N4OZ, FutureTech)

Georgia State Net (GSN) Georgia CW Training Net (GTN) Officers_Net Info_LocalClubs Membership Roster Membership Application Constitution & By Laws ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Upcoming Hamfests* Dalton Hamfest Dalton, Ga February 25 MORE BirmingHamfest Birmingham, Al March 3 MORE Charlotte Hamfest Concord, NC March 10 & 11 MORE Kennehoochee Hamfest Marietta, GA March 17 MORE Indian Springs Picnic Indian Springs State Park May 5 Heart of Georgia Hamfest Byron, GA May 12 MORE Atlanta Hamfest Marietta, Ga June 2 MORE		Dalton Hamfest is Next! The Annual Dalton Hamfest is coming up next, the last Saturday of this month. The GSSA has a room reserved at the Western Sizzlin for the noon hour. All are welcome to come and break bread with the GSSA, GCRC, Geritol, G-Ten, Buzzards, and any other nets and groups represented. The GSSA and GCRC groups will have our customary tables in the pass through area where the 2 buildings join together. Dues can be paid here if it's close to that time for you. Come by and sit a spell! Click on the link to the left for more info. See you there! RADIO LAW: WRC 2012 ENDS – THE OUTCOME FOR HAM RADIO The 2012 World Radiocommunications Conference, better known as WRC 12 has come to a close with some good news for ham radio: At its Plenary meeting held on February 14th, the World Radiocommunication Conference approved a new secondary frequency allocation to the Amateur Radio Service from 472 to 479 kHz. Having passed its First and Second Readings it is normally a formality that this change be included in the conferences Final Acts when the gathering concludes and the Table of Frequency Allocations would then be amended accordingly. As a secondary user, amateur radio shares 472 to 479 kHz with the Maritime Mobile Service which is the primary user in all three ITU Regions and with the Aeronautical Radionavigation Service which is a Secondary user except as noted in the following footnotes: One footnote reads that a number of countries will identify their intent to elevate the status of their Aeronautical Radionavigation Service to Primary as a step in ensuring protection from secondary users. Also there is a footnote that says that the power which radio amateurs may use in 472 to 479 kHz will be limited to 5 watts effective radiated except for amateur stations within 800 km of the borders of a number of countries. These are principally Russia, many of the former Soviet bloc nations and the Arab states. For those affected amateurs the power output limit will be 1 watt. It is, of course, up to individual administrations to authorize use of the band by their amateurs. How long it will before the band is available to hams in the United States? That’s up to the bureaucrats in Washington D.C.. At this point that is unknown. The new band at 600 meters will represent the return of amateurs to the medium waves. This is an area of spectrum that hams have not had access to since the earliest days of radio regulation. More on WRC 12 in future Amateur Radio Newsline reports. (RAC) RADIO LAW: ILLINOIS DISTRACTED DRIVING LAW WON'T AFFECT HAM RADIO Amateur radio as well as 11 Meter CB and several other services have won a complete exemption from a proposed Illinois state law aimed at curtailing the activities of distracted drivers on that states roads and streets. There were actually two proposed measures before the Illinois state legislature aimed at accomplishing the same thing. As originally written, both House Bill 3972 introduced by Representative John D'Amico and House Bill 3970 by Representative Karen May would have banned the use of all electronic communication devices with a very few limited exceptions. These were the use of two-way radio by law-enforcement and operators of emergency vehicles; cellphones used in a hands-free or voice-activated mode or in parked vehicles. And that was it. Now, after consultation with representatives of the Illinois ham radio community, Representative D’Amico has amended his proposal to exclude numerous types of two-way radio based communications from his measure. This, while leaving the original intent of the proposed law aimed which is primarily aimed at curtailing texting or using a hand-held cellular telephone while the vehicle is in motion. Item 7 of the Amended D’Amico measure is the part that’s important to the ham radio community. It states that a driver using two-way or citizens band radio services or two-way mobile radio transmitter or receivers for licensees of the Federal Communications Commission in the Amateur Radio Service are exempt from the proposed law. And that’s good news for anyone with radio gear in their car driving in or through the state of Illinois. While this still leaves House Bill 3970 by Representative Karen May as active as originally written, it’s believed that this measure will shortly be amended to follow the House Bill 3970, if this has not taken place already. (ARNewsline™, others) A Summer Story Les Volta, NP6LV An old mobile adds a spark to one family’s history. As my youngest daughter drove up to our annual family reunion picnic, the summer breeze blew past where I was standing and a flashback of time hit me. I recalled being at the same family reunion picnic. It was a hot and sunny summer day and we were sitting around a shade tree at the picnic. I looked around and saw my father driving up in his old 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook. He bought it new back in ’51. I heard all the kids say, “Far out, look at that old car!” As my father sat down, I asked him if he still had the old ham radio in it. He looked at the car and said, “Yep and it still works too.” My youngest daughter ran over and said, “Wow! Grandpa that is a big radio in the car.” I asked my dad to tell us the story about how he got the radio. It was always a good story. He looked at us and asked us to sit down and he began this story. RADIO LAW: NEW 5 MHZ RULES GO INTO EFFECT ON MARCH 5 In the United States, word that the new rules governing ham radio operations in the 5 MHz or 60 meter spectrum take effect on March 5th. This after a notice to that affect appeared in the February 3rd edition of the United States Federal Register. As previously reported, last November the FCC released a Report and Order detailing new rules for the 5 MHz Amateur Radio band. The announcement brought with it a number of changes for 60 meter operators. This included substituting a channel at 5 point 358 point 5 MHz for 5 point 368 MHz previously authorized. The effective radiated limit in the 60 meter band will be raised by 3 dB to 100 Watts Peak Envelope Power relative to a half-wave dipole. Also, three additional emission types are authorized. These are Data, RTTY and CW. Currently, amateur radio in the United States holds a secondary allocation for 5 MHz and ham radio operations must not cause any interference to the primary users of that band. These include fixed service, as well as mobile stations authorized by the telecommunications regulators of other sovereign nations. Access in the United States to the channelized 60 meter spectrum is limited to holders of General class or high FCC license grants. You can read the entire Federal Register item explaining the 5 MHz changes at tinyurl.com/6wzsfjm (FCC, ARN) EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: A SPRAY-ON ANTENNA Ever found yourself without a signal and wished you could just spray one on like magic? Soon, you may be able to do just that. Chamtech Enterprises, of Sandy, Utah, has developed a spray-on antenna material that it says is more lightweight and energy efficient than current technology. Revealed at Google's inaugural "Solve for X" symposium, the company says than an antenna can be painted onto almost any surface including trees, walls and even on fabrics. Chamtech says that it is already talking with government-based customers, and as such can't give too much detail on how it works. However it has released information that its material uses organic elements that have the ability to interact with magnetic and radio-frequency fields. The company's Chief Technology Officer is Rhett Spencer. Spencer is quoted as saying the antenna could increase mobile energy efficiency by 10 percent. Also that it was found to work particularly well under water. Observers at the event say that being organic could make it ideal for sub-aquatic telecommunications infrastructure. Prelimnary tests on current a generation cell phone showed that the product was able to boost signals by an impressive 20 dbm when painted over the standard internal antenna. From our point of view, for ham radio operators living in antenna restricted areas such as apartments or condominiums, the possibilities of a product such as this could be endless. All a ham might need is a bit of imagination and some of the spray-on antenna paint to get on the air with a signal much stronger than from the rubber duckie on his or her HT. For more information about the Chamtech spray-on antenna material you can take your web browser to www.chamtechops.com. A video with a talk about the technology involved is on-line at tinyurl.com/spray-on-antenna. (ARN, N4OZ, FutureTech)
OK, so this makes no sense to us either, but it might be as good a choice as any....
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