The Milliwatt July 2005

July, 2005

ATV FAQs

By Jeff Sippel, K3OCO

The article last month generated quite a few questions so here is an attempt to answer some of them. The ATV gang meets on Thursday nights, 9 PM, and hopes that you will come out and join us. All you have to do is have audio to join, no pictures are required. I did just audio for some time before I even tuned in the video on my living room TV set.

WHAT WILL I SEE? Sometimes it's model trains by Bob (KC3FI), sometimes somebody's grandchildren, you never know. Gene (W3BAB) recently had a picture of himself and some pretty girls on the air; another picture was of him on the cover of QST. It's different each time, but it's interesting!

HOW DO I TUNE IN AMATEUR TELEVISION (ATV)? Just get a modern set tuned to cable channel 60 and with a good outdoor antenna you should see us, especially if you are in NE Baltimore. Once you are on the cable channels check and see if you can tune in 45 or 54. If you can you're not on cable channels. Most sets require you to use the remote and change the tuner from "AIR" To "CABLE" It is tries to scan all the cable channels, just stop it with an input from the remote, you won't need scanning for this.

WHAT ANTENNA DO I NEED? In NE Baltimore you can use an outdoor antenna, some can use rabbit ears. It doesn't hurt to have a pre-amp on the antenna if you have one. If nothing else, you can use 5-10 feet of wire and just aim it in different directions to get the best reception.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO TRANSMIT VIDEO? A one watt transmitter costs around $140 from a couple of different sources. You can use a digital camera (35 mm type), or a video camera like you use to take vacation videos. It really isn't very hard or expensive at all.

CAN I GO OVER SOMEONE'S HOUSE TO WATCH ATV? Sure come over mine and I'll be glad to let you watch and even put you on camera if you'd like. Just call me 410-426-4650 and set up a time to do it. Bring some pictures of any other hobbies you have, or grandchildren, etc. If you are not in NE Baltimore then someone might be closer for you, maybe I can help line you up.

SUPPOSE MY TV SET IS IN ONE ROOM AND MY 2 METER RIG IN ANOTHER? No problem, just watch us and when it is your turn to transmit go in the other room and use the 2 meter rig. You'll have a ball, so will we.

For more information just go to www.bratsatv.org Hope to hear you soon on the 147.030 machine on Thursday nights telling us what you are seeing, ‘till then 73s. Maybe next time I'll go over simple J-Poles that you can make for 440. They are easy and they really get out good.

Japan to relax Morse code licensing requirements (May 27, 2005)

The Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications acted May 24 to relax Morse code requirements for Amateur Radio licensing, but it did not eliminate them altogether. Effective October 1, 2005, the MIC will reduce the requirements for First and Second Class licenses to 5 WPM--solid copy for two minutes. The previous code requirements for these licenses were 12 and 9 WPM respectively. The MIC will drop the Morse requirement, now 5 WPM, for the Third Class license.--submitted by Joe Speroni, AH0A

FCC Issues $21,000 Notice of Apparent Liability to Maine Amateur

The FCC has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NAL) proposing to fine Glenn A. Baxter, K1MAN, of Belgrade Lakes, Maine, $21,000. In the NAL, released June 7, the FCC alleges that Baxter has violated several sections of the Part 97 Amateur Service Rules. The list includes rules proscribing interference with ongoing communications, transmitting communications in which he has a pecuniary interest, failure to provide information the FCC requested, engaging in broadcasting, and failure to exercise control of his station. In the NAL, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau recites a litany of correspondence over the past several months to and from Baxter--a registered professional engineer and executive director of the American Amateur Radio Association (AARA).

July, 2005

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