October 2003 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[ARRL-ODV:9681] State Legislative Report for October 2003
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 31 Oct '03

31 Oct '03

The monthly status report on state telecommunications legislation, as of the end of October, is posted for Officers, Directors, and Vice Directors at http://www.arrl.org/members-only/ODV/docs/Legislative/2003/1003.doc. Dave K1ZZ

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9680] Re: Want To Feel Extremely Insignificant?
by K5ur＠aol.com 31 Oct '03

31 Oct '03

Kay: Yep, nice aurora, even down here in the south. I worked it all the way up including 222 MHz. I was not running 200 watts like you, though. 73, K5UR

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9679] Re: Want To Feel Extremely Insignificant?
by Kay Craigie 31 Oct '03

31 Oct '03

Having never used more than 200 watts in my life, I don't need to feel any less signicant -- but my kid is now well past the teenage years and she's still talking to me, so I can't believe I'm completely irrelevant. Nevertheless, it's a temptation to hop a train to see that planetarium show. Or a person could just stay home and work the aurora. It's the first time I've ever seen a 3-digit A index, so who knows? N3AO and I polished off a bottle of good California white wine while working the Au this evening. A few new grids, a nice buzz -- ham radio is wonderful! <grin> 73 - Kay N3KN

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9678] Re: Want To Feel Extremely Insignificant?
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 30 Oct '03

30 Oct '03

If you like this and are going to be in the NYC area, plan to take in the current show at the Hayden Planetarium. It's worth the trip. One of Linda's and my best friends is an amateur astronomer. Dick's comment reminds me of my explanation to her of why I wasn't more interested in astronomy myself: I feel insignificant enough as it is. Dave K1ZZ -----Original Message----- From: dick(a)pobox.com [mailto:dick@pobox.com] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 3:42 PM To: arrl-odv Subject: [ARRL-ODV:9677] Want To Feel Extremely Insignificant? 30 OCT, 2003 - 1430 CST Most URL references I receive are for items and issues that are either mundane or are "yesterday's news". However, a ham friend on the SMC reflector posted this URL and it's worth your time - particularly if you have a reasonably fast Internet connection. After viewing these assembled Hubble Space Telescope pictures, I felt extremely insignificant. http://wires.news.com.au/special/mm/030811-hubble.htm Thanks to the folks "down under" who put this space show together. 73 - Dick, W9GIG

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9677] Want To Feel Extremely Insignificant?
by dick＠pobox.com 30 Oct '03

30 Oct '03

30 OCT, 2003 - 1430 CST Most URL references I receive are for items and issues that are either mundane or are "yesterday's news". However, a ham friend on the SMC reflector posted this URL and it's worth your time - particularly if you have a reasonably fast Internet connection. After viewing these assembled Hubble Space Telescope pictures, I felt extremely insignificant. http://wires.news.com.au/special/mm/030811-hubble.htm Thanks to the folks "down under" who put this space show together. 73 - Dick, W9GIG

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9676] Another Threat To U.S. Infrastructure
by dick＠pobox.com 30 Oct '03

30 Oct '03

30 OCT, 2003 - 1215 CDT Looks like the kooks/terrorists? have developed another nasty activity. 73 - Dick, W9GIG ============================================================== DHS Information Bulletin Acts of Sabotage Involving High Voltage Transmission Towers 30 October 2003 ATTENTION: North American electric power Physical Security Officers, Facility Managers, Transmission service providers, the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Canadian electric power authorities, State Homeland Security Advisors OVERVIEW Several incidents involving the removal of support bolts at the base of electric high-power transmission towers have been reported on the West Coast, between Oregon and California. Although not confirmed at this time, due to the common modus operandi and Pacific Northwest locations of these events, the sabotage may be the work of a single individual or group. DETAILS At approximately 3:00 pm PDT, on 20 October, 2003, a Pacific Corps dispatcher reported that an individual was observed by a power plant employee in the act of removing bolts from the leg of a Portland Gas and Electric Co-Generation plant 500kv transmission tower located in Klamath County, Oregon along the California-Oregon border. This line comes out of a main inter-tie at the Captain Jack substation. A large ratchet wrench was used to loosen seven of the eleven bolts, and the tower did not collapse. The subject fled in a pickup truck after being spotted. At approximately 5:35 pm PDT, on 20 October, an individual was spotted removing tower bolts on the Cottonwood Airport 230kv line, North of Sacramento, California. The individual fled in a pickup truck after being spotted. On 22 October, Oregon State Police reported bolts missing from a significant high power tower in Wasco, Oregon supporting the Pacific DC inter-tie that serves as a major corridor for shipping power from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles, California. On 23 October, the Electricity Sector - Information Sharing & Analysis Center (ES-ISAC) reported that two 500kv transmission towers near the Columbia River in Oregon had bolts removed from one of their legs. There are other unconfirmed reports of possible sabotage to transmission towers, which are currently under investigation by the FBI and local authorities. The FBI recently issued an arrest warrant for an individual with an extensive criminal record who is suspected of being involved in these acts of sabotage. Currently, we have no indication that these incidents have any terrorism nexus. The ES-ISAC has submitted several reports involving the incidents, and has held several industry conference calls to alert officials of the developing incidents. Additionally, the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), the federal agency that manages a portion of the Western area power grid, has increased security and awareness of its employees. Due to the quick action of Western power companies in replacing missing bolts and making other repairs, there does not appear to be a risk of power outages occurring as a result of these acts of sabotage. SUGGESTED PROTECTIVE MEASURES An ISAC Bulletin sent out via email on 21 October 2003 14:44 has suggested: · an increase in local utilities industry awareness, · an increase in ground patrols, · peening or tack welding the bolts to the legs of the transmission towers. In addition to these measures, DHS suggests that the following protective measures be considered: a. Transmission providers coordinate with their local law enforcement officials concerning high voltage tower assets b. Increased aerial surveillance be undertaken as a means of deterrence DHS encourages recipients of this Information Bulletin to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to local law enforcement, local FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force or the Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC). The HSOC may be contacted at: Phone: (202) 282-8101 DHS intends to update this advisory should it receive additional relevant information, including information provided to it by the user community. Based on this notification, no change to the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) level is anticipated; the current HSAS level is YELLOW. ==============================================================

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9675] Re: Confidential re ARRL v. FCC, United States Court of ...
by W3KD＠aol.com 30 Oct '03

30 Oct '03

In a message dated 10/29/2003 7:18:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, andy(a)andyoppel.com writes: > > Chris... not to mention your taste in films for the board > meeting. (snicker, snicker) > > Andy, degustibus non est disputantere. ("Taste is not a matter of dispute"). I use that in tower cases all the time. 73, Chris W3KD :-)

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9674] Re: Confidential re ARRL v. FCC, United States Court of ...
by Andy Oppel 30 Oct '03

30 Oct '03

Chris... not to mention your taste in films for the board meeting. (snicker, snicker) At 06:00 PM 10/29/2003 -0500, you wrote: >In a message dated 10/29/2003 5:14:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, >k8je(a)earthlink.net writes: > > >> >> >>The more I think about it, I think you should have said Mea Maxima Culpa! > > >Apparently so, Jim, given the laserlike honing in by various members of >the Board on the error in my memo! >Chris Andy Oppel andy(a)andyoppel.com

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9673] Re: Confidential re ARRL v. FCC, United States Court of ...
by W3KD＠aol.com 29 Oct '03

29 Oct '03

In a message dated 10/29/2003 5:14:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, k8je(a)earthlink.net writes: > > > The more I think about it, I think you should have said Mea Maxima Culpa! > > Apparently so, Jim, given the laserlike honing in by various members of the Board on the error in my memo! Chris

1 0

[ARRL-ODV:9672] Fw: AC Power Interference
by Dick Mondro 29 Oct '03

29 Oct '03

This message is from the Technical Coordinator (TC) for the Michigan Section and is a perfect example of why power companies should not get involved in sending RF over power lines. It also seems to be an excellent recommendation for our ARRL Publication that was used by a telephone industry professional. Wallace is KE8HR, and manager of network engineering for SBC in Detroit. Dick Mondro, W8FQT ----- Original Message ----- From: "MURRAY, WALLACE W (AIT)" <wm3912(a)sbc.com> To: <dalew(a)dundee.net>; <w8fqt(a)arrl.org>; <JBRIDGEW(a)fcc.gov> Cc: <ke8hr(a)comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 4:52 PM Subject: AC Power Interference > Two weeks ago, I had an opportunity to determine why all the DSL customers > in a two block area in Mentor Ohio were out of service. The POTS telephone > service was not effected. Cordless phones in the area were not working. As > you can imagine, this was a problem that had existed for over a week and > many hours of overtime had been expended by local telco craft. Our > inductive coordination and electrical protection people had been involved > but decided that this was a RF interference problem and called for help. > > The symptoms were as follows, broadband noise from below the broadcast band > up to about 6 MHz, and physically centered around a street which served the > effected customers. The characteristic signature as viewed on the spectrum > analyzer was spark interference from a single source. This spark > interference signature could be seen on a loop antenna tuned to 6 MHz, or > connected directly to the customer's cable pair. > > Early on the power company, The Illuminating Company, that serves metro > Cleveland had been called, but dismissed the noise to the telephone cable as > being poor bonding and grounding. They reluctantly worked with SBC to add > additional grounds. None of this did any good. The power company now took > the position that it must be the telephone company. > > This is when I was called and traveled to Cleveland and found the above > spark interference. Upon being told that the "experts" were here from > Detroit, the power company commented, "if they know so much, why don't they > tell us where the problem is". > > I knew that there was a new AC power interference Handbook from the ARRL and > a visit to AES resulted in a copy. I now had pictures that I could share > with Power Quality person from the power company. Further analysis resulted > in determining that we were suffering from spark noise being generated in > the URD or underground residential distribution. The telephone cable was > buried in the same trench as the power cable about one foot above. The > power quality person stated that he had never seen spark interference in the > underground cause this kind of interference. It should be noted that the > interference we were experiencing was perfectly described in Chapter 3 of > the AC power interference handbook. HF noise on the "dip" pole, where the > URD goes underground was strong. > > Spark interference causes a broad spectrum of noise up to 1000 MHz. > Further, the closer to the problem you get, the higher the frequency of > interference should be observed. Based on this we opened up the squelch on > the company 450 MHz radio and drove up and down the street looking for hot > spots of noise. We found several, with the strongest being near a pad > mounted transformer. The power company finally arrived with tools and > equipment to open up the 13.2 kV pad transformer or area where the UHF > interference was the greatest. When the case on the transformer was opened, > and the power connectors removed and re connected the noise quit. Pictures > in Chapter 3 of the book show all the pieces. Needless to say, the DSL > circuits came up and worked better than ever. > > Several observations. The power company was fully equipped with specialized > equipment for quickly isolating the interference, but I never saw them use > it. The power company assumed that because basis telephone service was not > effected, the DSL data service was of no concern, to say nothing of the > broadcast interference taking out a local 50 kW clear channel AM station and > HF radio interference. Spark interference does not generate heat or waste > power. Again, power company has little incentive to act. In looking at the > ARRL web site for most recent FCC violation notices, two were sent by Riley > Hollingsworth to the Counsel at the Ohio power company. This same power > company is highly suspect for contributing to the recent power outage. Do > we see a pattern here. > > Final observations. Is BPL something that the power companies really want > to do? My experience demonstrates that they have neither the desire nor the > corporate focus to use the radio spectrum in a responsible manner. The > power companies are not equipped to find and solve RF interference problems. > Job skills are different between a power company lineman and a radio > technician. My experience with this noise and others is that the power > companies will not invest in the training or if they do, will not support > the findings of the power quality people. There will be a significant > number of people needed to chase interference if BPL is permitted. > > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com) Version: 6.0.532 / Virus Database: 326 - Release Date: 10/27/2003

1 0