October 2011 - arrl-odv - reflector.arrl.org

[arrl-odv:20288] FW: FCC Fiddles with Rules for Broadband-over-Power-Line
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 01 Nov '11

01 Nov '11

Here’s a view of the FCC’s Second Report and Order on BPL from Chris Imlay’s least-favorite fellow communications attorney. Dave From: Mitchell Lazarus [mailto:lazarus@fhhlaw.com] Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2011 8:58 PM To: Undisclosed recipients Subject: FCC Fiddles with Rules for Broadband-over-Power-Line The proceeding lurches on, Zombie-like, increasingly irrelevant in the real world. Yet nobody in Washington seems the least bit surprised. http://www.commlawblog.com/2011/10/articles/internet/fcc-fiddles-with-rules… USUAL DISCLAIMER: This email is one of an occasional series on telecommunications regulatory issues sent to both clients and non-clients free of charge. It is not legal advice, does not create, extend, or reinstate an attorney-client relationship, and does not solicit the representation of entities that have regulatory counsel. Recipients are free to distribute this email to others, but please include this notice and the signature block. To add, change, or drop an email address, just let me know. Earlier items archived at http://www.commlawblog.com <http://www.commlawblog.com/> . Mitchell Lazarus 1300 N. 17th Street, Suite 1100 | Arlington, VA 22209 Office 703-812-0440 | Fax 703-812-0486 | Mobile 301-537-7278 lazarus(a)fhhlaw.com <mailto:petro@fhhlaw.com> | www.fhhlaw.com <http://www.fhhlaw.com/> | www.commlawblog.com <http://www.commlawblog.com/>

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[arrl-odv:20284] Power outages hit Connecticut
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 31 Oct '11

31 Oct '11

Heavy, wet snow coupled with blustery wind and trees that still have their leaves have combined to deliver another major power disruption in Connecticut. At the moment 40% of the customers of Connecticut Light & Power are without power, and things are likely to get much worse before they get better. The storm is expected to continue until tomorrow morning. At this point I don't have a status report on HQ other than that the power there appears to be on. (It went off at my home in Coventry just before 4 PM; I am running my wifi router from a battery.) So much for enjoying 10 meters this weekend (but it sure was fun while it lasted). 73, Dave K1ZZ

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[arrl-odv:20286] CAC chair appointment
by Kay Craigie 31 Oct '11

31 Oct '11

The new chair of the CAC for the remainder of 2011 and for 2012 is Al Dewey K0AD, the CAC rep from the Dakota Division. Al has been editor of NCJ, but his last issue in that capacity is the November/December magazine. I have informed David Patton by e-mail about the appointment. Owing to the winter storm situation in Connecticut that may affect staffing at HQ today, there may be a little delay getting the news out from HQ to the rest of the CAC and then to the contest community in general. 73 - Kay N3KN

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[arrl-odv:20283] BPL web story
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 27 Oct '11

27 Oct '11

I have just submitted the following for the ARRL Letter and the web news crawl. Ed Hare is still out of pocket, so this was written without the benefit of his input. Therefore, I had to gloss over a couple of the technical aspects. Dave FCC Tightens BPL Interference Rules - But Not By Enough On October 24, 2011 the FCC released the Second Report and Order in its proceeding, now in its 9th year, to adopt rules for Access Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems. The Second Report and Order is the final step in the Commission's effort to comply with the directives of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which in April 2008 ordered the FCC to correct errors it had committed in the course of adopting rules in 2004. The Court acted in response to a Petition for Review filed by the ARRL. In July 2009 the FCC issued a Request for Further Comment and Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making in which it proposed slight modification of measurement standards for determining whether a BPL system is in compliance with the maximum allowable levels of radiated emissions. In response the ARRL argued that, coupled with a scientifically valid extrapolation factor for determining those levels, mandatory notching of the amateur bands to a level 35 dB below the general emission limit would reduce the likelihood of harmful interference to amateur stations to a level that would permit any remaining harmful interference to be remedied on a case-by-case basis. The ARRL noted that its request for mandatory notching simply reflected the best practices of the BPL industry. In the Second Report and Order the Commission decided not to adopt its own proposal and also declined to adopt the ARRL's request for mandatory notching. Instead, the Commission has increased the requirement for BPL systems to be able to notch frequency bands to at least 25 dB, an increase of 5 dB from the existing requirement of 20 dB. The Commission also made technical adjustments to its rules for determining the distance between a power line and a measurement antenna and for determining site-specific extrapolation factors. "We were prepared to be disappointed, and we were," commented ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, after reviewing the 76-page Second Report and Order. "The increase in notch depth is a step in the right direction but the value of the change is greatly diminished by the notches not being mandatory. The FCC acknowledges that a compliant BPL system will increase the noise floor below 30 MHz at distances of up to 400 meters from a power line, but characterizes that as 'a relatively short distance.' How many amateur stations are located more than a quarter-mile from the nearest power line?" More than 17 pages of the Second Report and Order are devoted to defending the Commission's choice of a 40 dB/decade extrapolation factor for measuring emissions at distances other than 30 meters from the power line. "It was particularly disappointing to read that '...ARRL asserts that there is only one scientifically correct and valid answer of an extrapolation factor of 20 dB...,' Sumner said. "That is a gross mischaracterization of our position. Our argument was that the 40 dB/decade value chosen by the Commission was demonstrably inappropriate for BPL, which the FCC acknowledges does not behave as a point-source emitter. Lacking an unambiguous scientific basis for a single value that would be equally valid across the entire frequency range from 1.7 to 30 MHz, the Commission fell back on the single value that defies physics - while at the same time acknowledging that '...ARRL is correct with regard to the physics of this issue.'" One FCC statement with which the ARRL is in strong agreement occurs toward the end of the extrapolation factor discussion: "Whether the extrapolation factor is 20 dB or 40 dB or somewhere in between is far less important than the fact that harmful interference must be corrected under any circumstances." Unfortunately, Sumner observed, the FCC's deeds do not back up these words. "The Commission notes that there are not many interference complaints about BPL systems that are currently in operation but inaccurately attributes that to the adequacy of its rules. In fact it is the marketplace failure of Access BPL coupled with voluntary steps taken by the few system providers that are still in business that is responsible for this fortunate result." The one interference complaint that the FCC acknowledges receiving was filed by the ARRL on December 29, 2010, and which the Commission says was "...submitted recently [emphasis added] and is under investigation at this time." "A well documented interference complaint languishing for months is a perfect illustration of why mandatory notching is needed," Sumner said. The Second Report and Order states that "...the BPL system database shows that BPL systems are currently operating in 125 zip codes across the United States." In fact, once non-existent zip codes are eliminated there are 200 zip codes listed in the BPL system database. The FCC offers no explanation for why it has discounted this figure to 125, but neither figure reflects reality. "The BPL system database is filled with listings for 'paper' systems that were never deployed, systems that have been taken out of service, and systems that are at some planning stage or are only offering service to customers within a small pilot area," Sumner said. "The FCC's own report on the status of internet access services as of December 31, 2010 shows no more than 6,000 customers nationwide receiving service via 'power line and other' connections, and about half of those appear to be 'other.' There is no reasonable explanation for why the Commission cites a flawed industry source for data when it possesses better data itself. "One of the most puzzling sections of the Second Report and Order is that devoted to a discussion of the noise floor," Sumner concluded. "The thrust of the Commission's argument is that while natural and manmade radio noise is extremely variable, there is no point in regulating BPL emissions down to a reasonable level because in some locations and at certain times it will be obscured by other noise sources. Imagine if that sort of logic were applied to air and water pollution - and make no mistake, BPL emissions pollute an irreplaceable natural resource, the radio spectrum." While a thorough technical analysis of the FCC's latest BPL document will take some time, Sumner predicted that the ARRL will petition for reconsideration. "While BPL has failed in the marketplace as a medium for delivering broadband connectivity to consumers, the technology is perceived to have some 'smart grid' applications," he said. "Now is the time to fix the rules, principally by mandatory notching, so that any new entrants will be competing on a level playing field with the existing BPL firms that have recognized the need for notching of the amateur bands."

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[arrl-odv:20282] IN-News
by Kustosik, Lisa, KA1UFZ 27 Oct '11

27 Oct '11

<<102611.doc>> IN-Newsletter <<Microsoft Word Picture>> Vol. 34, No. 43 October 26, 2011 -- Covers the period October 16-22. Upcoming Meetings and Events Programs & Services Committee November 12 - ARRL HQ Ballot Counting for Director/Vice Director Elections November 18 - ARRL HQ Administration & Finance Committee November 19 @ 8:30am - ARRL HQ CFO Office Reported by Barry Shelley, N1VXY On Wednesday, October 19th, the ARRL web site was down for approximately 2 hours as a result of a minor technical issue. Both the IT staff and Rackspace (the host vendor) indentified the outage and, working through the appropriate protocols, were able to remedy the situation. We do not expect the issue to be a recurring problem. Technical Relations Reported by Brennan Price, N4QX Brennan Price drafted copy for the last edition of Spectrum Defense Matters for 2011 and prepared, with Jon Siverling, a contribution on Amateur Radio's utilization of 5 MHz for an upcoming CITEL PCC.II meeting near San Juan, Puerto Rico. Brennan also successfully objected to material in a United States contribution to the upcoming Working Party 5B meeting in Geneva that indicated maritime opposition to an affirmative outcome on Agenda Item 1.23. TAPR has proposed Atlanta, Georgia, as the site for the 2012 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference. Director Sarratt has given his approval and has noted hamfest dates within the Southeastern Division in September and October for planning purposes. Feedback from the recent Amateur Radio Administration Course was positive. Lisa Kustosik reported this year's course to alumni, several of whom have responded with appreciation. Media & Public Relations Reported by Allen Pitts, W1AGP The DIY Video is complete and I anxiously await the arrival of the hard drive with all of the files. An Oct 19th "dress rehearsal" of the Nov. 3rd webinar by the PRC on the question "What does the media want from hams and how do they want it" went very well. If there's even ½ of the information and enthusiasm in the webinar as there was in the rehearsal, it will be most excellent! Information about the webinar went out on several email reflectors and will be in the newsletter and CONTACT!. Information was sent to technical bloggers about how the sunspots allowed many new hams to experience the magic of 10m - and apparently led to the slowdown of several ham radio related websites on Oct 22-23. (Thankfully, LOTW was not one of them and took the surge just fine.) The new Section Manager workshop went well and was complimented. Development Reported by Mary Hobart, K1MMH Total Develoment revenue for 2011 has topped $628,000 or 65% of the 2011 revenue target. The next 10 weeks are critical to reaching the overall goal by December 31. Funds that need a boost are Spectrum Defense Fund, Education & Technology Fund and the Diamond Club. Individual Giving Manager Lauren Clark is busy working on projects to boost revenues. She is reviewing copy for the third and final 2011 issues of Spectrum Defense Matters. She has issued email solicitations for Diamond Club and Education & Technology. She will be finalizing a year end appeal to be distributed the week of Thanksgiving. The members of the Second Century Campaign committee are finalizing their personal leadership commitments to the campaign. The committee's 100% commitment is vital to the success of cultivation key prospects they will contact individually. Once printed materials are in hand, lead letters to selected high value prospects will be prepared and mailed. Production/Editorial Reported by Joel Kleinman, N1BKE Khrystyne Keane participated in the annual Section Managers Workshop on Saturday, October 22. She gave a presentation on QST, The ARRL Letter, the ARRL Audio News and social media. Khrystyne also wrote and distributed the ARRL Letter and produced and voiced ARRL Audio News for October 20, 2011. Sales and Marketing Reported by Diane Petrilli for Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R The warehouse crew fulfilled 1,388 packages for publication and product orders, 410 membership premiums, and QST mailing supplements. An 8 page "mini catalog" holiday gift guide is being prepared for the upcoming holiday season. It will mail mid-November to ARRL best customers. "Happy Birthday" postcards, with a special e-store offer, have mailed to members with November birthdays. Now Shipping: ARRL Exam Review CD-ROM Diane Petrilli attended the Section Manager Workshop on 10/22 to talk about membership recruitment. E-mailings to lapsed members, GUESTS and prospects this month have brought in 210 members so far and responses are still coming in. An newly redesigned membership brochure is at the printer. The most recent 40,000 piece mailing sent mid-October has returned at .88% 5 weeks out. The 20,000 piece postcard sent around the same time has returned at .70%. The mailing to previous purchasers has returned at .87% 5 weeks out. This week a test of the 5th renewal notice (similar in format to the outperforming new 4th renewal notices) began. We will test for 3 months. Membership & Volunteer Programs Reported by Dave Patton, NN1N The Section Manager Workshop, the annual orientation event for new Section Managers, was held at Headquarters this past Friday through Sunday (October 21 -23). Steve Ewald coordinated the event, and Chuck Skolaut and Leona Adams provided logistical support to help keep the event running smoothly. Special thanks go to Ken Bailey, Allen Pitts, Debra Johnson, Diane Petrilli, Dan Henderson, Khrystyne Keane, Mike Keane, and Chuck and Steve for leading the Workshop sessions. In addition to touring HQ, meeting staff, and taking part in Workshop discussions, the Section Managers were also able to operate W1AW for a while late on Saturday afternoon. Headquarters welcomed the following guests that were here for the SM Workshop: Jack Ciaccia, WMØG, Colorado; David Drummond, W4MD, Alabama; Bill Roberts, W5NPR, West Texas; Dale Temple, W5RXU, Arkansas; Steve Ryan, N2ITF, Western New York, and his wife, Diane Ryan, KC2SOA - an Assistant Section Manager in Western New York. Leona generated new Field Organization Appointment reports for distribution (via e-mail) to each and every Section Manager. Working together with the SMs, this will help keep Field appointee records up to date. Pat Bunsold, WA6MHZ, has been nominated to run for the San Diego Section Manager position for the next term of office beginning April 1, 2012. Chuck reports that a harmonic of a shortwave station operating from Guatemala was heard on 10 meters, and the station was identified. Information was sent to the Region 2 coordinator for possible follow up. One radio amateur from New Hampshire successfully completed requirements to become an Official Observer this past week. An amateur from California was approved to be added to our Intruder Watch monitoring group. Investigation continues regarding an unknown signal on 14.200 MHz. Questions handled this week included identification during a special event, operating overseas, providing volunteer counsel information, keeping license mailing addresses current for the FCC, CODAR, swap nets and operating on a cruise ship. Education Services Reported by Debra Johnson, K1DMJ Amy Strickland joined the Education Services Department as full-time Administrator on Oct. 11, as Jennifer Knapp departs to pursue her Accounting degree full-time. Amy will be responsible for the daily operations of the CEP, and for providing administrative support for the ETP as well as all other department programs. Education & Technology Program Effective October 1, Mark Spencer WA8SME is back on board as Program Director. He will be working with us as a contractor and will be taking responsibility for review of grant applications, curriculum and resource development, and coordination of instruction for the Teachers Institutes. Nathan McCray K9CPO is stepping back from the share of ETP leadership responsibilities he has been shouldering for the past year to hand those duties back to Mark Spencer. Recently Nathan has turned his attention to starting a ham radio club at his elementary school in Kenosha, WI (Edward Bain School of Language and Art). Students have already made a few HF and VHF QSO's with the highlight so far being a contact in Portugal. He has started instructing basic electronics as preparation for licensing. Students are also building a simple 20-meter wire dipole. He is also working on matching curriculum for his electronics class to the concepts taught with the Wisconsin state standards, with the hope that this information will lead to other schools taking on the program. While filling the shoes of ETP Coordinator Nathan reports that he has spent numerous hours helping ETP schools and recent TI graduates with equipment set up and other technical questions. He has fielded many questions about weather imaging, especially during the tropical storm season, as well as a ton of requests on how to build the turnstile antenna and the copper quad antenna. ARISS An ARISS contact was the highlight of Astronomy Day on October 8 at the George Observatory in Brazos Bend State Park near Needville, Texas. The annual event supports many educational activities and is attended by 4,000 youth and parents. A NASA exhibit provides an opportunity to discuss the ISS, space travel, and various forms of communication. Each of the many astronomy clubs in Houston and surrounding towns have a large percentage of members who are radio amateurs. The clubs and the Houston Museum of Natural Science mentored children in educational activities. ISS Commander Mike Fossum, KF5AQG, was on the air for as much of JOTA as he could fit in. Mike is a scoutmaster of Texas Troop 1598. Steve Bible, N7HPR, a member of the ARISSat team, composed a survey on what hams liked or wanted to see changed about ARISSat, and as of September 29, 500 people sent survey responses. Johnson Space Center Education Office reported to the ARISS Team that in a recent memo from NASA Headquarters in Washington DC about accomplishments for 2011, ARISS was one of only a few NASA programs highlighted. NASA Headquarters Associate Administrator of Education Leland Melvin said: "10,743 curious students and 778 motivated educators participated in direct communication with International Space Station (ISS) crews via the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), sparking their interest in STEM." A six-month tally was made of the most recent ARISS educational contacts plus those scheduled thus far through November. Region # Contacts May - Nov 2011 % USA 15 28 Russia 10 19 Canada 04 07 Europe 17 31 Japan 08 15 Total 54 100 Sincerely Compiled by, Lisa Kustosik, KA1UFZ Assistant to the CEO Hamfest/Member Contact/ARRL Representative/Meetings/Vacations All Staff 11/24-11/25 Holiday Leona Adams 10/28 Vacation `` 11/11 Vacation Margie Bourgoin 11/11 Vacation Steve Ford 11/23 Vacation Scott Gee 12/23-12/27 Vacation Dan Henderson 11/21-11/29 Vacation `` 12/16-1/4 Vacation Mary Hobart 11/10-11/11 Vacation `` 11/17-? Medical Leave Debra Johnson 10/27-10/30 ARISS Int'l Meeting `` 11/14-11/17 Training/Vacation Khrystyne Keane 10/28 Vacation Joel Kleinman 10/25 Vacation Zack Lau 11/5-11/6 Iowa Section Convention, Davenport, IA Chuck Skolaut 11/4-11/6 Georgia Section Convention, Lawrenceville, GA

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[arrl-odv:20281] Trip report - HamJam 2011
by Kay Craigie 26 Oct '11

26 Oct '11

The attachment is a brief report on my attendance at the HamJam in suburban Atlanta last weekend. 73 - Kay N3KN

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[arrl-odv:20279] FCC BPL remand order is out
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 25 Oct '11

25 Oct '11

I have not read the 76-page document carefully, but a quick scan doesn't reveal much good news. Dave <<FCC-11-160A1.doc>>

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[arrl-odv:20278] Another loss in the ARRL family
by Sumner, Dave, K1ZZ 25 Oct '11

25 Oct '11

I am sorry to report that Paul Rinaldo's wife Vicki died last Tuesday after a brief illness. Dave K1ZZ

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[arrl-odv:20277] Donation to the ARRL
by Kay Craigie 24 Oct '11

24 Oct '11

As most of you know, it's important for the credibility of our development program to have 100% Board participation in giving to the ARRL every year. Although every Director, Vice Director, and volunteer Officer gives very generously of personal time and effort, a financial donation from us is also important. Major donors and potential major donors have asked in the past if the Board does what we ask members to do. When I encourage people to donate, I like to be in the position of assuring them that I am a donor, too. I don't know how much anyone on the Board donates. That's absolutely a private matter. I also don't know who has or has not donated in 2011. All I know is that 11 volunteer Board members have not donated yet in this calendar year. If you have made a financial donation to the League in 2011, thank you sincerely. Leading by example is a big part of what we do on this Board. If you have not donated yet, or if you aren't sure, please contact Mary now with your questions and donations. The ARRL has a variety of special-purpose funds that you can choose from, in additional to the general endowment, and Mary can review the options with you. No one should feel pressured to donate more than your personal circumstances permit in this tough economic environment. I don't think of any donation as "small" or even "modest," because I know that every dollar comes as much from the heart as from the wallet. Please take care of this as soon as possible, before the holiday season kicks in and time flies. Thanks and 73 - Kay N3KN

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[arrl-odv:20274] NTIA Evaluating 3300 - 3500 MHz for Reallocation to Broadband
by Richard J Norton 20 Oct '11

20 Oct '11

Andy Seybold, W6AMS, sent me a link to an article that says that NTIA has suggested that our 3300 - 3500 MHz band may be suitable for reallocation to broadband. I believe that this is as expected. The following table shows the bands on the NTIA list. The article is at http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/125414 73, Dick Norton, N6AA [image: FederalSpectrum]

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