Bad news if you don’t want cellphones on airplanes
Some wireless companies say they could have onboard cellphone capabilities up and running by 2007,
according to Scott McCartney, The Middle Seat columnist for The Wall Street Journal . Still, it’s not
clear sailing -- yet -- for cellular companies hoping to win a slice of the airline market. A new study by
researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) found radio-frequency emissions from devices like
cellphones and Blackberrys could interfere with the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems that are
increasingly used on modern aircraft. (As a sidenote, McCartney also writes that the study also
"revealed that some fliers are already making phone calls in defiance of an industrywide ban.")
Why now? Technological advances may now allow cell calls to be made from planes without interfering
with GPS networks (though the CMU study raises some new questions) and, in light of those advances,
Federal Communications Commission opposition to cellphones in flight has eased. "Now," McCartney
writes, "the Federal Aviation Administration must make its own decision." A group studying the issue for
the FAA is expected to issue a final report in December. But the real question may be, "Do fliers really
want cellphones in flight?" The FCC received about 8,000 comments when it proposed dropping its ban
on in-flight cellphone usage. Out of those comments, McCartney says only two or three were in favor.
He says the rest, except for about 50 or technical reports, came from travelers vociferously opposed to
opening up the cabin to gabby seatmates.
Great Britain to institute lifetime Amateur Radio licenses
Telecommunications regulator Ofcom has unveiled plans to reform Amateur Radio licensing in Great Britain.
The main change is that Amateur Radio licenses will be issued for life, although licensees will have to confirm
their license details every five years. Paper licenses are going away too, for all intents and purposes, and
Ofcom instead will provide an on-line service to issue electronic licenses. Hard-copy licenses will remain
available for those lacking Internet access, but there will be an administrative charge. Starting October 1,
Ofcom will take over from the Royal Mail the role of issuing, renewing and amending Amateur Radio
licenses. The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) says it welcomes Amateur Radio licensing reforms.
"The policy Ofcom has adopted is good news for Amateur Radio and justifies the stand the RSGB made last
year when Ofcom launched its consultation into Amateur Radio, RSGB General Manager Peter Kirby,
G0TWW, said. "All the other safeguards the Society asked for are also in the license." Kirby notes that while
Ofcom announced it was deregulating the Amateur Radio license, the RSGB is quick to point out that the
changes to the licensing system "do not add up to deregulation" of ham radio. "Please be reassured that the
hobby has not been deregulated and that all the safeguards the RSGB fought to retain are still in place and
will remain so," Kirby said. The RSGB last year went on record as being "strongly opposed" to any steps by
Ofcom to deregulate Amateur Radio in Great Britain, fearing that it could lead to the elimination of amateur
licensing altogether. Ofcom said its new approach to Amateur Radio licensing will "reduce unnecessary
bureaucracy." -- RSGB [via ARRL web Extra]
New frequency allocations for Monaco
GB2RS has been informed of new frequency allocations for the amateur radio service in the principality
of Monaco. Effective from January 2006, they are 1.810 to 1.850MHz (primary exclusive), 1.850 to
2.000MHz (secondary shared), 50.000 to 51.200MHz, 51.200 to 52.000MHz (secondary shared) and
70.000 to 70.500MHz (secondary shared).
Dayton Hamvention® Announces 2006 Award Winners
Dayton Hamvention has announced the winners of its 2006 Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement and
Technical Excellence awards. Being honored for their contributions to the Amateur Radio Service are Gordon
West, WB6NOA--Amateur of the Year; Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH--Special Achievement Award, and
Dick Illman, AH6EZ--Technical Excellence Award.
ARISS Makes It Official: "Tremendously Successful" SuitSat-1 is SK
SuitSat-1 is now a confirmed "Silent Key." So says its sponsor, the Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) program. In operation for more than two weeks, SuitSat-1 easily outlasted
initial predictions that it would transmit for about one week. ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer,
KA3HDO, says the mission captured imaginations around the world, despite a much-lower-than-expected
signal strength. [ARRL Web Extra]
QRP Echolink discussion podcasts
Bill, M0HBR, from London and Mike, KL7R, from Juneau, Alaska have started making podcasts of their
Echolink discussions about their QRP homebrew radio projects. Their latest discussion -- entitled
SolderSmoke 15 -- covered such issues as speech processing in QRP rigs, homebrew time domain
reflectometers and a DC-DC converter for an Elecraft rig. It can be heard by visiting web address:
www.ourmedia.org/node/161919
Aternatively, visit Bill and Mike’s website --
www.ourmedia.org/user/36170
- for instructions on how to automatically download the latest
discussion to your iPod or other MP3 player.
QRP News from Canada
http://www.qrp-canada.com includes a reflector, news archives, gear, contests ...
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