__________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------

                        THE CGC COMMUNICATOR

                              CGC #1141

                        Monday, May 21, 2012

                               ________

                  Robert F. Gonsett, W6VR,  Editor
                  <cgc (at) cgc333.connectnet.com>

    Copyright 2012, Communications General® Corporation (CGC)

------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________

  FCC NEWS BRIEFS

  o  Statements of Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai upon
  being sworn in as FCC commissioners:
  http://tinyurl.com/Stmnt-Jessica-Rosenworcel
  http://tinyurl.com/Stmnt-Ajit-Pai

  o  New rules would make U.S. first in the world to allocate
  spectrum (2360-2400 MHz discussed here) for wireless medical
  body area networks:
  http://tinyurl.com/2GHz-Med-Body-Networks
  http://tinyurl.com/CNN-WirelessPatientNetworks

  o  FCC to hold Open Commission Meeting Thursday, May 24,
  2012 (no broadcast items scheduled):
  http://tinyurl.com/052412Open-FCC-Meeting

******************************************************************

  FCC ENFORCEMENT WATCH -- CALIFORNIA

  o  Cesar Chavez Foundation fined $12,500 for broadcasting
  prohibited advertisements over KUFW(FM), Woodlake.  According
  to Radio World, "...the commission found the [Chavez] station
  had apparently violated the underwriting laws by airing four
  separate advertisements more than 2,000 times from March
  through December of 2006.  That's when the FCC proposed
  the $12,500 penalty."
  http://tinyurl.com/KUFW-Forfeiture

  o  Astound Broadband (cable operator), Rocklin -- NOV issued
  for missing annual EEO report in the public inspection file:
  http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-314043A1.html

  o  Comcast issued NOVs for excessive signal leakage at
  121.2625 MHz at various CATV facilities:
  http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-314003A1.html
  http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-314004A1.html
  http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-314005A1.html
  http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-314006A1.html
  http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-314044A1.html

******************************************************************
                           RANDOM NOTES
******************************************************************

  GENERAL NOTES OF INTEREST

  o  LightSquared files bankruptcy but it looks like they
  are planning to pounce again:
  http://tinyurl.com/LightSquaredBankruptcy

  o  Skilled broadcast engineers are vanishing.  Soldering,
  what's that?
  http://tinyurl.com/VanishingEngineers

  o  Digital Alert Systems says it is the first manufacturer
  to receive FCC approval for certified next-generation CAP EAS
  alerting equipment:
  http://tinyurl.com/DAS-CAP-EAS

  o  A friendly reminder to tighten electric power lugs every
  so often:
  http://tinyurl.com/Tighten-Electric-Lugs

******************************************************************

  GENERAL NOTES FOR RADIO

  o  FCC's Peter Doyle, Jim Bradshaw and others focus on
  FM Translator application processing in a live forum:
  http://tinyurl.com/FM-Xlator-Processing-Seminar

  o  Petitions for Reconsideration filed on FCC's new caps
  for pending FM Translator apps:
  http://tinyurl.com/Recon-on-Caps-for-Apps

  o  More decisions to come in the FM translator/LPFM scrum:
  http://tinyurl.com/More-LP-Xlator-Decisions

  o  The down draft at NPR:
  http://tinyurl.com/NPR-Down-Draft

******************************************************************

  CELLULAR

  o  Wireless EAS goes live this month, delivering location-
  based SMS-type warnings:
  http://tinyurl.com/Wireless-SMS-EAS

    o  Cellular operators are looking at small cells as a
  way to use their spectrum more efficiently:
  http://tinyurl.com/SmallCells

******************************************************************
                           HAM RADIO NOTE
******************************************************************

  PLEASE DO NOT USE 145.8 - 146.0 MHZ

  Hams are reminded not to use 145.8 to 146.0 MHz for point-
to-point contacts.  This region may seem quiet, but it contains
uplink frequencies to various amateur radio satellites.  Even a
few watts of power can cause severe interference to ham satellite
operations.  (Amateur Radio Newsline)

******************************************************************
                       LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
******************************************************************

  TECH LETTERS

  Letters to the Editor of the CGC Communicator should be
posted on the Tech Letters Website.  Here is the URL to see
the most recent postings and to make new postings (all letters
and comments are moderated and are posted after review):

  http://www.earthsignals.com/press/

  Please contact the moderator, Steve Blodgett, if you are
having trouble viewing or posting: sblodgett (at) earthsignals.com

  Thanks!

******************************************************************
                            OFF TOPIC
******************************************************************

  EXPAND YOUR VOCABULARY

  o  Dopeler Effect:  The tendency of poor ideas to seem
  smarter when they come at you rapidly.

  o  Giraffiti:  Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

******************************************************************

  HIGH STANDARD OFF TOPIC MATERIAL

  o  Cruising over the Bay Area in the Zeppelin Eureka:
  http://home.comcast.net/~bzee1b/Zeppelin/Zeppelin.html

  o  Mechanical resonance nicely demonstrated by a speeding
  SUV.  The first 45 seconds are all you need to view:
  http://tinyurl.com/MechanicalResonance

  o  San Clemente beach rocks "catch fire in woman's pocket"
  and lead to severe burns (the incident sounds very suspicious):
  http://tinyurl.com/BeachRocksCombust
  http://tinyurl.com/BeachRocksCombustPartII

  o  No one knows how or why they do it.  Yet each fall,
  thousands of starlings dance in sync in the twilight above
  England and Scotland.  A collection of starlings is called
  a Murmuration:
  http://vimeo.com/31158841

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------

                        THE CGC COMMUNICATOR

                              CGC #1140

                       Tuesday,  May 15, 2012

                               ________

  LPFM/FM TRANSLATOR FORUM DETAILS

  The FCC has announced the details for its Wednesday, May 16,
2012, LPFM and FM translator public forum.  Note that the session
will be Webcast beginning at 11AM PDT (2PM EDT).

  http://tinyurl.com/LPFM-Xlator-Forum-Details

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------

                         THE CGC COMMUNICATOR

                              CGC #1139

                         Sunday, May 13, 2012

                              ________

                   Robert F. Gonsett, W6VR,  Editor
                   <cgc (at) cgc333.connectnet.com>

    Copyright 2012, Communications General® Corporation (CGC)

------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________

  WHERE TO SEND FM TRANSLATOR QUESTIONS

  CGC #1138 carried the following story:

  o On Wednesday, May 16, the FCC plans to explain its FM
  translator processing changes:
  http://tinyurl.com/XlatorProcessingChanges

  If you would like to submit questions in advance of the video
forum, here is your chance to do so.  Just use the e-mail address
at the bottom of this story.  The forum itself was instigated at
the request of AFCCE, the Association of Federal Communications
Consulting Engineers.  Charles Cooper at dLR will collect and
compile the questions.  The forum is short, however, so not all
questions may be addressed.

  We note that the FCC is now billing this event as a "Low
Power FM and FM Translator Public Forum," so it is possible that
LPFM questions will be entertained.  Regardless, please submit
your questions no later than Monday night, May 14.

  Here, then, is the disguised address for questions - disguised
to prevent spam-bots from picking it up.  Please un-disguise the
address by replacing the " (at) " portion with the @ symbol:

  questions (at) afcce.org

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------

                         THE CGC COMMUNICATOR

                               CGC #1138

                        Saturday, May 12, 2012

                                ________

                   Robert F. Gonsett, W6VR,  Editor
                   <cgc (at) cgc333.connectnet.com>

    Copyright 2012, Communications General® Corporation (CGC)

------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________

  FCC NEWS BRIEFS

  o  Whether and how the FCC should adopt a flexible second-
  adjacent waiver standard in order to get more low power
  radio stations on the air in urban areas is a huge bone
  of contention between full-service stations and LPFMs:
  http://tinyurl.com/SecondAdjacentLPFMs

  o  Should the FCC eliminate the LP10 class of LPFM
  stations?  Should LP100 stations be allowed to run 250 watts
  of power?  These and other questions are presented at:
  http://tinyurl.com/PossiblyEliminateLP10

  o  On Wednesday, May 16, the FCC plans to explain its FM
  translator processing changes:
  http://tinyurl.com/XlatorProcessingChanges

  o  The Wireless Telecom Bureau is providing guidance
  on the new environmental notification process for antenna
  structure registration.  Expect additional material to be
  released on or about Monday and a live Webcast demo on the
  changes to the filing system on the following Monday:
  http://tinyurl.com/TowerRegInclBirdEffects

  o  NAB president Gordon Smith is asking Congress to order
  an inventory of available spectrum space:
  http://tinyurl.com/SpecInventoryRequested

******************************************************************
                           RANDOM NOTES
******************************************************************

  GENERAL NOTES OF INTEREST

  o  BWWG helps State EAS planners:
  http://tinyurl.com/EAS-HelpFromBWWG

  o  An 80-percent budget cut is forcing Radio Canada
  International (RCI) to abandon shortwave and satellite radio
  broadcasting, leaving the Web as RCI's only method of
  delivery:
  http://tinyurl.com/RCI-ShortwaveAbandoned

******************************************************************

  COGNITIVE RADIO PROGRESSES

  This article explains Cognitive Radio from a military
perspective where data bursts, white spaces, interoperability,
encryption, exotic waveforms and other things come together
to create ad-hoc communications networks for our soldiers.
Each radio functions as a "node" or "router" with the goal
of having networks of radios established on the fly.

  One interesting point not mentioned in the article is that
our government now views itself as a "waveform library" -- a
repository of algorithms invented by vendors (such as Harris)
to achieve spread spectrum waveforms.  Two such waveforms are
mentioned in the article, the Soldier Radio Waveform and the
Wideband Networking Waveform.  The library is growing and today
holds a total of five waveforms according to inside sources.

  http://tinyurl.com/Military-CognitiveRadio

******************************************************************
                          HAM RADIO NOTES
******************************************************************

  HIGH SCHOOL BALLOON SOARS TO OVER 111,000 FEET

  The students at Anacapa School in Santa Barbara have
succeeded in sending a balloon to over 111,000 feet.

  According to Amateur Radio Newsline, the instrumentation
included a GPS, atmospheric sensors, high-definition video,
still cameras, a television transmitter and a Geiger counter.
The payload downlinked live data, video and images during its
ascent.  Two payload capsules tethered to the balloon were
returned to Earth via parachutes on May 5th.

  Anacapa Amateur High-Altitude Balloon 2 was designed and
built entirely by students that included Alex Carlson, KJ6UGF
and Genevieve Hatfield, KJ6UGH.  They, along with non-hams
Grayson Baggiolini, Julio Bernal and Christian Eckert, made
up the construction and launch team that was under the
supervision of faculty advisor Levi Maaia, K6LCM.

  http://www.anacapaschool.org/athletics-activities/ansec/

******************************************************************

  LENORE JENSEN PHONE PATCHING TO VIETNAM VIA MARS

  Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, of Amateur Radio Newsline, has
discovered another classic film featuring the late Lenore Jensen,
W6NAZ, running phone patches to Vietnam.  These were done through
the Military Affiliate Radio System ("MARS") which often used
frequencies just outside the regular HF ham bands.  Overseas
telephone calls were difficult to make decades ago and sometimes
impossible depending on location, so ham radio filled the void
-- all with volunteer effort -- and Lenore was at the forefront
of that activity.

  Bill adds, "The color is faded meaning the film was shot on
the old non-fade-proof Kodak 7381/7383 film stocks we all used
for industrial film making back then."  He dates the documentary
to the late 60s and notes that the phone patch was obviously
simulated for filming.  Did you ever hear noise-free audio on
HF DX, or the public always remembering to say "over?"

  These details aside, the film appears to be accurate overall.
It depicts the way things were done about 50 years ago.

  http://tinyurl.com/LenorePatchingToVietnam  (30 minutes)

******************************************************************
                       LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
******************************************************************

  TECH LETTERS

  Letters to the Editor of the CGC Communicator should be
posted on the Tech Letters Website.  Here is the URL to see
the most recent postings and to make new postings (all letters
and comments are moderated and are posted after review):

  http://www.earthsignals.com/press/

  Please contact the moderator, Steve Blodgett, if you are
having trouble viewing or posting: sblodgett (at) earthsignals.com

  Thanks!

******************************************************************
                            OFF TOPIC
******************************************************************

  HIGH STANDARD OFF TOPIC MATERIAL

  o  Induction heating to 2192 degrees F:
  http://www.flixxy.com/levitation-induction-melting.htm

  o  UK military to have non-lethal sonic weapon at Olympics:
  http://tinyurl.com/SonicWeapon

  o  The Copenhagen Philharmonic flash mob -- delightful:
  http://tinyurl.com/Copenhagen-flash-mob

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------

                         THE CGC COMMUNICATOR

                               CGC #1137

                         Tuesday, May 8, 2012

                                ________

                   Robert F. Gonsett, W6VR,  Editor
                   <cgc (at) cgc333.connectnet.com>

    Copyright 2012, Communications General® Corporation (CGC)

------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________

  FCC NEWS BRIEFS

Continue reading →

An update to the Broadcast Warning Working Group sample SECC plan is now available here and on the EAS Forum website. This version expands statements in Section 2 on changes to EAS, includes a FEMA graphic on IPAWS OPEN, more fully describes the structure, oprations and responsibilities of the SECC, and fixes some formatting problems. There are ideas and sections in this sample plan that may be useful to local EAS committees (LECC’s) for their plan re-writes.

From previous post: The Broadcast Warning Working Group held an SECC plan writing workshop during the recent NAB Convention. The goal was to come up with a sample state plan with elements that take revisions we know about so far to Part 11 into account. The plan, in Microsoft Word .doc format is posted here for download.

SECC_SAMPLE_PLAN_Version 4.0

__________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------

                        THE CGC COMMUNICATOR

                             CGC #1136*

                        Tuesday, May 1, 2012

                              ________

                  Robert F. Gonsett, W6VR, Editor
                  <cgc (at) cgc333.connectnet.com>

     Copyright 2012, Communications General® Corporation (CGC)

------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________

  LOCAL FCC APPLICATIONS & ACTIONS

Continue reading →

__________________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------

                        THE CGC COMMUNICATOR

                              CGC #1135

                       Monday, April 30, 2012

                              ________

                  Robert F. Gonsett, W6VR,  Editor
                  <cgc (at) cgc333.connectnet.com>

    Copyright 2012, Communications General® Corporation (CGC)

------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________________________________

  FCC NEWS BRIEFS

Continue reading →