UK radio amateurs don't want lifetime licenses, poll indicates
The majority of the United Kingdom's radio amateurs want to keep the existing Amateur Radio licensing
structure or have longer license terms rather than switch to a license that's good for life. That's one
conclusion of a MORI poll commissioned by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which regulates
Amateur Radio in the UK. The survey of 1572 hams also revealed that two-thirds of the respondents
believe the current licensing structure to be "about right." The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB)
points out that the poll does not represent the conclusions of Ofcom's still-pending consultation into the
future of Amateur Radio but "just one small part" of the overall process. "Ofcom is keen to issue Amateur
Radio licenses for life," the RSGB said. "But 52 percent of respondents to the survey said they prefer either
the existing arrangement or an extended renewal period." The RSGB said the lifetime license proposal was
even less popular among its members, with around two-thirds favoring the current arrangement or longer
terms. Of those who wanted longer license terms, 60 percent preferred a five-year renewal period, the
Society reported. Only 1 percent of the those surveyed said they wanted to abolish the licensing
arrangement altogether. The full survey report is on the Ofcom Web site.
Ford to debut pickup with mobile office
DETROIT -- Ford Motor says it will soon offer wireless mobile offices in its F-series pickups, an option aimed
at building contractors and others who do business on the road. Pricing isn't finalized, but it would cost around
$3,000 for a wireless-equipped computer, printer and global positioning system, Ford spokesman Alan Hall
said. Add-ons like a digital camera and credit card scanner also would be available. A Ford F-250 Super Duty
truck equipped with a mobile office was being shown Tuesday at the Specialty Equipment Market Association
show in Las Vegas. The annual show isn't open to the public, but it dazzles an estimated 100,000 automotive
insiders with souped-up vehicles and the latest aftermarket trends and components. Ford expects to offer the
mobile office as a dealer-installed accessory in 2006. The system uses a flat Stargate Mobile computer,
powered by the truck's battery and mounted on a stand between the driver's seat and passenger seat. The
computer has a touch-screen option -- eliminating the need for a keyboard or mouse -- and is designed to be
removed from the stand and taken to a work site. It stays connected to the Internet via a broadband wireless
cellular card. "It's super rugged. You can drop it in the dirt, pick it up, brush it off and you're good to go," said
Patty Dilger, director of North American automotive and industrial equipment for Microsoft Corp., which worked
with Ford to develop the mobile office and provides the Windows XP Professional operating system.
Dilger said this is the first time that operating system has been available as a dealer-installed option in a vehicle. Microsoft has an operating system called Windows Automotive 5.0 in about 18 vehicle models, but it's mainly
used for vehicle communication systems such as real-time traffic updates. The computer in the Ford pickups will
be equipped with office software, including Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint, and also can play music or be
used for navigation. Around 60% of F-series buyers use their trucks for business, Hall said.
LF Experimentation by Radio Amateurs Continues Quietly
Experimentation by radio amateurs on the nether regions of the radio spectrum continues quietly and largely
unnoticed outside of the LF community. Since the FCC turned down the ARRL's 1998 petition to create an
Amateur Radio "sliver band" in the vicinity of 136 kHz, some US amateur licensees have obtained FCC
Part 5 Experimental licenses to research the possibilities of LF, including transatlantic and transpacific
propagation. A few hams in Canada have obtained special permission from Industry Canada to operate on
LF using Amateur Radio call signs. The latest noteworthy accomplishment was a QSO between US
Experimental licensees. LF enthusiast Laurence Howell, KL1X -- operating as WD2XDW -- and John Andrews,
W1TAG -- operating as WD2XES -- completed their LF contact October 29 on 137 kHz.
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12
BRATS Home Page
