June, 2006

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RSGB assists IARU Region 3 safeguard 24GHz
The Radio Society of Great Britain, the Spectrum Forum and the UK Microwave Group are working with the Wireless Institute of Australia in an attempt to safeguard the 24GHz band. Australian radio amateurs currently have primary access to this band but they could lose this as a result of plans to accommodate ultra wideband vehicle radar technology in the 22 to 26.5GHz band. The RSGB and the UK Microwave Group have put a lot of effort into protecting amateur's primary status in parts of the 24GHz band over the past 18 months in IARU Region 1. Now they are using the expertise and knowledge they gained during this process to help the Wireless Institute of Australia safeguard 24GHz in Region 3.

House Committee Okays Telecoms Bill with BPL-Interference Study Amendment
The US House Energy and Commerce Committee's version of the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 includes an amendment requiring the FCC to study the interference potential of BPL systems. After spending two days marking up (the Ross amendment is No 25) the measure, the panel voted April 26 to send the much-talked-about "telecoms rewrite" bill to the full House for its consideration. "Outstanding news!" was the reaction of ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. "This is a major victory for the ARRL," he exulted, noting that the amendment "received significant opposition" from utility companies. Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), proposed the amendment, and, with the support of Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX), the committee agreed by voice vote to include it in the bill. A year ago, Ross sponsored House Resolution 230 (H Res 230), which calls on the FCC to "reconsider and revise rules governing broadband over power line systems based on a comprehensive evaluation of the interference potential of those systems to public safety services and other licensed radio services." The non-binding resolution has six cosponsors.
"Hundreds of ARRL members who wrote their congressional representatives in support of Rep Ross's H Res 230 helped to achieve this week's success with the COPE Act amendment," Sumner observed. A more-widely reported Internet "network neutrality" amendment to the COPE Act bill was defeated. The measure will get a number next week. A statement released by Ross's office notes that his amendment, which received unanimous committee support, "would guarantee that valuable public safety communications and Amateur Radio operators are not subject to interference." One of two radio amateurs in the US House, Ross said infrastructure-free Amateur Radio, "often overlooked in favor of flashier means of communication," can maintain communication in disasters that bring more modern technology to its knees. Ham radio operators "are often the only means of communication attainable in a devastated area," Ross said. "I believe it is imperative that the interference potential [of BPL] is thoroughly examined and comprehensively evaluated to ensure that deployment of BPL, which I do support, does not cause radio interference for Amateur Radio operators and first responders who serve our communities," Ross added. The COPE Act BPL amendment adds a section (under Title V) to the proposed legislation that would require the FCC to study and report on the interference potential of BPL systems within 90 days of the bill's enactment. The Commission would have to submit its report to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. "This puts the House Energy and Commerce Committee on record as having concerns about BPL interference," Sumner said. "If we are vigilant in protecting it against deletion on the House floor--assuming the bill is approved by the House--the BPL language will be included in the legislation that goes on to the Senate."

California Public Utilities Commission Approves BPL Regulations
Saying that broadband over power line (BPL) will bring Internet access to "underserved communities," the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has adopted regulatory guidelines for electric utilities and companies that wish to develop BPL projects in that state. While the Commission's BPL guidelines include a requirement to maintain the safety and reliability of the electric distribution system, the state agency has no jurisdiction over radio frequency interference, which received no mention in the PUC's news release. ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, points out that the utility industry still must meet another tier of federal regulations that govern permitted BPL signal levels and interference issues.

Oregon radio amateur dies in tower mishap
Well-known DXer Ron J. Spears, W7IX, of Klamath Falls, Oregon, died May 14 when an Amateur Radio tower he was working on in Northern California broke and toppled. He was 44. News accounts say Spears, an ARRL DXCC Honor Roll member (CW), was attempting to retrieve a 40-meter beam from atop a 170-foot tower near MacDoel, California, when the structure collapsed and fell to the ground with Spears still attached by his safety belt. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His father, Aubrey, was assisting on the ground and witnessed the accident. Spears had built the tower for its previous owner, Ray Balch, K6VX (SK), and used to do all of Balch's antenna work, so he had prior experience working on the structure. According to his father, Spears had first inspected the tower for safety. Spears earlier had bought the antenna from the current property owner and was attempting to bring it down in pieces. The heavy-duty support structure broke as Spears was about 10 feet from the top. Unofficial reports say that when Spears removed the antenna, it slipped and struck one of the top guy wires, starting the tower swaying until the guy broke. All but the lower 40 feet of the structure reportedly fell. In addition to his father, survivors include his mother, Oletta, N7OHO, and a sister. Spears was a member of the ARRL and of the Southern Oregon Amateur Packet Radio Association.--News media reports; The Daily DX; Rod Ingram, WC7N

June, 2006

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