• RESCUE RADIO: HAM RADIO OPERATORS ATTACKED IN HAITI
• RESCUE RADIO: HAMS VICTIMIZED BY ARIZONA MAYDAY HOAX
• HAM RADIO POLITICS: ARRL ELECTS KAY CRAIGIE, N3KN AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT
• HAM RADIO POLITICS: CHANGES TOP THE ARRL LEADERSHIP
• RESTRUCTURING: FCC ELIMINATES PART 23 OF ITS RULES
• THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: DAVE INGRAM, K4TWJ - S.K.
• RADIO HONORS: DAYTON HAMVENTION SEEKING AWARD NOMINEES
• RADIOSPORTS: DX MAGAZINE PUBLISHES 2009 MOST WANTED RESULTS.

The following is a Q-S-T. Hams come under gunfire as they try to
assist earthquake devastated Haiti, amateur radio is victimized by
rescue radio hoax in Arizona and the ARRL makes history by electing its
first ever woman president. Meet her on Amateur Radio NewslineT report
number 1693 coming your way right now.

(Billboard Cart Here)

**

RESCUE RADIO: HAMS ATTACKED IN HAITI

Hams trying to bring communications back to Port au Prince Haiti were
forced to flea for their lives. This after the convoy they were a part
of was attacked by what was likely a roving band of looters. Bill
Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in the newsroom with the latest:

--

Radio amateurs from Radio Club Dominicano who were to be in Haiti
under the callsign HI8RCD/HH have had to abort their operations. This,
after the convoy they were travelling in was fired on.

The RCD initially reported that on Friday, January 15th, that their team
had crossed the Haitian border and headed toward the Dominican Embassy
in Port au Prince. Once there they then began installing ham radio
equipment but had to abort and flee the area when gunfire erupted.

Within a few hours the RCD Facebook page reported on a telephone
conversation between Hugo Ram¢n HI8VRS and Ramon Sanyoyo, XE1KK. There
it was confirmed that all 8 members of the HI8RCD team were back in the
border town of Jimani in the Dominican Republic. None of the hams had
been injured but decided to leave the Port au Prince for their own
safety and returned across the border unescorted.

Later they were able to establish two repeaters near the Haiti and
Dominican Republic border. One is at Jiman¡ on 146.880 MHz covering
Dominican Republic Border and most of Haiti including Port-Au-Prince.
This system is linked with 146.970 MHz covering 85% of the Dominican
Republic and the west of Puerto Rico. Other reports say that a third
repeater near the Dominican Republic border with Haiti is now
operational on 145.350 MHz. All machines require a -600 kHz transmit
offset and 100 hertz tone for access.

In other Haiti relief news, YV5AMH has e-mailed Newsline to say that
two Venezuelan hams identified as YV5JF and YV5VE, were to be operating
from a base located 5 Km west of Port au Prince after January 20th.
This operation is coordinated between the Radio Club of Venezola and
the Office of Communications of the Bolivarian Army. It is strictly in
support of Venezuelan humanitarian aid to Haiti. The Venezuelan hams
plan to use SSB, BPSK-31 and SSTV on several frequencies in the 80, 40
and 20 meter bands but the exact nature of the communications services
that they will be providing was not spelled out in the news release
from YV5AMH.

And looking down the pike as it were, as time goes on the need for ham
radio High Frequency communications is fast declining. This as
satellites are repositioned to quickly restore both international
telephone and Internet service to Haiti for aid workers to use.

What is expected to emerge ham radio-wise is a need for more bi-lingual
emergency communications operators using 2 meter FM and possibly D-Star
for on-island communications as the overall infrastructure of Haiti is
rebuilt. Its believed that one group is already in route to Port au
Prince to install a 2 meter D-Star machine that could become
operational this week.

Also, to those foreign nationals inquiring about obtaining permission
to operate ham radio in Haiti. It has to be noted that Haiti is not a
signatory to any reciprocal licensing agreement. Also, the building
that housed the Haitian Telecommunications Ministry was destroyed by
the quake and a number of staff members lost their lives. So at this
moment in time there is no way to get a Haitian license or operating
permit. Those who might eventually be asked to come should coordinate
licensing through the organization making the request.

While several amateur radio groups report that they are ready to send
trained operators and communications gear into Haiti, as we go to air
there has been no call for hams from the United States, Canada nor any
European nation has yet been asked to make the trek. There are several
reasons that have emerged. First is the question of language. In
recent days it has been reported that any relief workers that are
brought to Haiti will have to be fluent in Creole French as that's the
language of the indigenous population.

More important is what you are seeing daily on your TV screen. With
the chaos in the street, the looting and random violence, Haiti is not
a safe place to be without a military escort. And the military is not
about to spend its times babysitting hams. Even those hams tasked with
rescue radio operations.

More on this story next week. I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the
newsroom in Los Angeles.

--

The bottom line. Haiti remains a very dangerous place and its best not
to encourage anyone to even think about a self-deployment scheme. This
is not a time nor a place for want-to-be heroes, no matter how
important that they think their assistance might be. Going there on
your own might mean that you will never be seen or heard from again.

**

RESCUE RADIO: HAMS VICTIMIZED BY ARIZONA MAYDAY HOAX

Back in the United States, reports of an injury accident in the desert
near Maricopa, Arizona prompted a three hour search that began after
an unknown station turned up on several 2 meter frequencies requesting
help. And it now all appears to be a cruel hoax as we hear in this
report from Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP:

--

David French, W7FAN, tells Newsline that on Sunday morning, January 17th
a unknown operator showed up on several 2 meter frequencies. The
unidentified station claimed to have been in a desert motoring accident
and in need of help.

The story begins at 10:35 a.m.. That's when Richard Dabney, K6BZZ, in
Maricopa was in QSO on the Phoenix 146.94 White Tanks repeater when the
unidentified station interrupted his contact to request help. The
station then said "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" and gave information that he
and his father were in the desert in a dune buggy and had rolled it
over. The operator also stated that his father was a ham and that it
was his father's radio that was being used.

The person on the radio stated that he was injured and the passenger
was unconscious. He also made comments that led KB6ZZ to assume that
the father was the passenger and gave some GPS coordinates before his
signal faded out. The initial 911 call was made by K6BZZ.

At 10:45, Dennis Griffin, KD7CAC, copied a station breaking into a
special event net on the 146.86 Mt Ord repeater located North-East of
Phoenix and also requesting assistance. As there was a public service
event taking place on the .86 machine he was moved the station to the
147.36 repeater also on Mt Ord. There, KD7CAC copied pretty much the
same information as had KB6ZZ before the station again faded out.
Griffin also alerted authorities, This time the Pinal County Sheriff's
Dept via its 911 emergency exchange.

Unfortunately, neither operator thought to request a callsign or name
on initial contact and the station was gone before they could follow-
up. But the GPS coordinates he gave both operators tracked to an area
of desert wilderness southwest of Maricopa.

In response, authorities established a command post at the Vija Truck
Stop at State Route 84 and Interstate 8. Units from the Pinal County
Sheriff's Office and Arizona Department of Public Safety Search and
Rescue combed the area, but turned up nothing.

Later in the afternoon, a new set of coordinates was obtained which put
the accident scene near Ajo. Pima County officials were notified, but
their subsequent search yielded no results as well.

Authorities now believe that the distress calls were a cruel joke being
played on the local ham community by a person and for reasons yet
unknown. None the less, Maricopa, Arizona, hams proved that they could
respond quickly when an emergency situation came their way, even if
that emergency turned out to be a phony call for help.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Norm Seeley, KI7UP, reporting from
Scottsdale.

--

News reports say this is the second such hoax local authorities have
received. As with the use this time of ham radio frequencies the
motives for the bogus calls are unknown. (W7FAN, Maricopa 360)

**

BREAK 1

From the United States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline,
heard on bulletin stations around the world including the KA5GLX
repeater serving Clear Lake Texas.

(5 sec pause here)

**

HAM RADIO POLITICS: ARRL ELECTS KAY CRAIGIE, N3KN AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT

A historic day in the history of the American Radio Relay League. This
as the Board of Directors elects First Vice President Kay Craigie,
N3KN, of Blacksburg, Virginia, as the organization's first ever female
president. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, is at our
East Coast Bureau with the details:

--

Kay Cragie says she is humbled to have been elevated to such an honor
and is pleased the ARRL board had the confidence to entrust her with
such an awesome responsibility.

Craigie, who began her service to the ARRL and its membership in 1986
as the Eastern Pennsylvania section manager, says she also recognizes
the legacy of her predecessors.

"If you stand in the lobby at ARRL headquarters, you see photographs of
all the presidents of ARRL going all the way back to Hiram Percy Maxim,
W1AW," Craigie says. "I'm here to tell you when you think about joining
that list of amazing, outstanding radio amateurs, if it doesn't throw
you for just a little bit of a loop there's something wrong with you.

"Because these are people who had a tremendous contribution to amateur
radio and I am just unbelievably honored to be joining that group."

Craigie moved up the ARRL ladder pretty quickly, becoming the Atlantic
Division vice director in 1990 and then director in 1996.

N3KN was elected a vice president in 2000, and moved up to first vice
president in 2006.

Craigie says during that time, she got the chance to work on many of
the challenges facing the amateur radio service.

"We were believing that Part 15 devices were going to be a challenge
for amateur radio," Craigie recalls. "Boy were we right. The whole
issue of broadband over powerlines - not so much BPL but the
interference that BPL can create - has been a real issue for us over
the last several years. We're still working on that one."

"Another challenge that we're now seeing is the increasing demand for
spectrum for mobile broad-band," she continues. "I have a Smartphone,
lots of radio amateurs have Smartphones. We're using them. They gobble
up a great deal of spectrum to serve us the way we want them to.

"And, the ARRL's job is to make sure that meeting the needs of that
industry doesn't cut into the spectrum that amateur radio operators
have to use and to experiment with."

Craigie says one of the big efforts she is committed to is attracting
more qualified and dedicated people into the amateur radio service.

"We're making good strides on that, thanks to the efforts at the grass
roots by individual instructors and radio clubs and groups who are
getting out the word about amateur radio and helping people become
licensed," Craigie says.

"Of course, we'd like to have more younger people involved in amateur
radio. Amateur radio is a fellowship based on achievement. Everything
else is just a demographic factoid, really.

"Achievement is the key and that's why amateur radio is so good for
young people in that it stimulates them to achievement of a very
positive and constructive kind and the League wants to do what we can
do in cooperation with local hams to promote more young people getting
involved in amateur radio."

Craigie - now a retired educator - was tasked to develop what became
the league's Education and Technology program. She says it continues
to work on a number of levels.

"This project is ongoing, it's successful, it has achieved things
beyond my wildest dreams," Craigie says.

"And the League is very pleased to continue to offer school teachers
the skills and the knowledge that they need to bring amateur radio into
the classroom and help kids get excited about education, excited about
science, about technology about social studies, about languages - all
the different things that you can use amateur radio to support in the
classroom."

Finally, Craigie says, one of her top priorities is to continue to
promote the valuable public service role of amateur radio.

"When you have situations where infrastructure is crippled, overloaded,
amateur radio, as we say, is what works when all else fails," Craigie
says. "And, in the circumstances like what we have in Haiti right now,
of course, it's tremendously dangerous.

"We've seen news stories about amateurs who have attempted to help and
then had to fall back to safer positions. But, amateur radio for the
foreseeable future will be in a position to assist the authorities and
to assist charitable relief agencies to help the public.

"Whether it's helping the public in our own communities, elsewhere in
our country or in some cases, around the world. And we certainly
commend the hams who have the dedication and courage to do that.
"And, of course we also encourage them to take some note for their own
personal safety in those circumstances where that's a real issue."

You can download my entire interview with Kay Craigie from our website
at www.arnewsline.org. Just scroll down to the words "Kay Craigie
interview" and right click on the word "here" to save the file to your
computer."

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, in
Philadelphia.

--

Kay Craigie, N3KN, assumed the reins ARRL from outgoing President Joel
Harrison, W5ZN, at the close of the Annual Meeting. In October,
Harrison had advised the Board that he would not seek re-election.

(ARNewslineT with biographic information from ARRL)

**

HAM RADIO POLITICS: CHANGES TOP THE ARRL LEADERSHIP

The elevation of Kay Craigie to the presidency has lead to several
other changes in the ARRL higherarchy. As a result, Vice President
Rick Roderick, K5UR, being elected First Vice President and Midwest
Division Director Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, elected to the Vice President
position. This has created a vacancy in the Director position in the
Midwest Division where following natural order of succession Vice
Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, will take over as Director.

Another change was the election of Dakota Division Director Jay
Bellows, K0QB, as International Vice President. Dakota Division Vice
Director Greg Widin, K0GW, will move up to Director in that Division.

Last but by no means least word that ARRL Technical Relations Manager
Brennan Price, N4QX, has been elected ARRL Chief Technology Officer.
He replaces Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, who retired from the staff in 2008 but
retained the officer title through the end of its two-year term.

**

RESTRUCTURING: FCC ELIMINATES PART 23 OF ITS RULES

The FCC has issued an order that eliminates Part 23 of its Rules. Part
23 governed the International Fixed Public Radiocommunication Services.

According to a Commission January 14th release, this change eliminates
an outmoded service and makes the frequencies available for other
services. Among the re-purposing of the spectrum involved is to
provide for newer disaster recovery communications services.

The Commission's rules defined the now defunct International Fixed
Public Radiocommunication Services as a publicly available fixed
service between the United States and foreign points that was created
in the 1930's. For many years facilities on those frequencies provided
an important form of international communications. More recently it
was used for point-to-point microwave services.

You can read more at:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-7A1.doc (CGC,
FCC)

**

RESTRUCTURING: BROADCAST TV VS. WIRELESS BROADBAND CONTINUED

The FCC appears to be backing off on reallocating broadcast spectrum
for broadband, or so it seems according to a report from John Eggerton
of Broadcasting & Cable Magazine. In his article Eggerton quotes Phil
Bellaria of the FCC's broadband planning committee as saying the
current plan being prepared for Congress does not include enforced
reallocation of broadcast spectrum but includes a clause of what he
terms as a voluntary opportunity.

By way of background, the FCC began suggesting such a spectrum
reallocation late last year. This only weeks after the conclusion of
the digital television transition. That's when the Commission's Blair
Levin first mentioned the idea of taking broadcast spectrum for the
national broadband plan and likely place it in the hands of wireless
telephone service providers. A wireless industry spokesman had said
that wireless broadband will need at least 800 MHz of additional
spectrum in the next six years.

Broadcast TV occupies 300 MHz and according to Wireless Week, the
wireless industry maintains that the record overwhelmingly demonstrates
there's a need for additional spectrum for mobile broadband services.
This includes the almost 300 MHz allocated for broadcast television use
which the wireless industry appears to see as being spectrum most
favorable to mobile broadband. (B&C)

**

ENFORCEMENT: FCC ISSUES CITITAION FOR UNAUTHORIZED WIRELESES VIDEO
CAMERA

The FCC has issued an official Citation to Pinecomputer of Covina,
California. This, for marketing unauthorized radio frequency devices
in the United States.

According to the FCC, an investigation by the Enforcement Bureau's Los
Angeles Office revealed that on November 10, 2009, Pinecomputer
marketed model W203CA, 1.2 GHz wireless surveillance cameras and
associated receivers which have not been approved for sale by the
regulatory agency. The agency maintains that Section 302(b) of the
Communications Act provides that no person shall manufacture, import,
sell, offer for sale, devices which fail to comply with the FCC
regulations in this area.

Violations of the Act or the Commission's Rules may subject the
violator to substantial monetary forfeitures, seizure of equipment and
criminal sanctions, including imprisonment. The FCC gave Pinecomputer
fourteen days to request an in person meeting with the agency to
discuss the allegations.
(FCC)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE: ORLANDO HAMCATION FEBRUARY 13 - 15

Amateur Radio goes on the Digital Road is the theme of the 2010 Orlando
Hamcation slated for February 13th to the 15th at the Central Florida
Fairgrounds. Highlights include over 150 commercial vendors, 400 swap
table vendors and participants also the largest Tailgate Area in the
southeast United States. For more information on this years Orlando
Hamcation please visit www.hamcation.com on the World Wide Web.
(Orlando Hamcation)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE: SEVHFS CONFERENCE IN KENTUCKY APRIL 23 - 24

The next Southeastern VHF Society Conference will be April 23rd and 24th.
This, at the new $17 Million Space Science Center at Morehead State
University in Morehead, Kentucky. Further information including the
registration form for the conference will soon be posted on the
Southeastern VHF Society website. Its in cyberspace at www.svhfs.org
/vhf/ (SEVHFS)

**

BREAK 2

This is ham radio news for today's radio amateur. From the United
States of America, We are the Amateur Radio Newsline with links to the
world from our only official website at www.arnewsline.org and being
relayed by the volunteer services of the following radio amateur:

(5 sec pause here)

**

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD: DAVE INGRAM, K4TWJ - S.K.

It is with great sadness that we report that our longtime friend and CQ
Magazine columnist, Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, became a Silent Key the morning
of January 20th. This as the result of complications from a massive
heart attack he suffered on New Year's Eve.

Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, had been writing for CQ at least since 1981 and has
been a CQ columnist since 1982, starting with an amateur television
column called World of Video. That column eventually broadened its
outlook and became Dave's signature monthly column in CQ known as the
"World of Ideas." Regular topics included Morse code keys, stealth
antennas, building "new vintage" tube gear and mobiling.

In addition, for the past decade, Dave has been CQ's QRP Editor and
"How it Works" columnist. His enthusiasm for whatever caught his
interest was contagious and spread widely through his informal yet
educational style of writing.

But more than anything else, Dave was simply a nice guy. He was a ham
who loved the hobby and blessed with the God-given ability to share
that enthusiasm with anyone with whom he came in contact.

As this newscast is prepared funeral arrangements are not complete.
Additional information will be posted on the CQ website news page when
it becomes available. Condolence cards may be sent to Dave's wife,
Sandy, WB4OEE, at their Callbook address. Contributions in Dave
Ingram's memory be made to the American Heart Association

73 old friend. You will truly be missed.

(From information provided by CQ Magazine)

**

RADIO HONORS: DAYTON HAMVENTION SEEKING AWARD NOMINEES

The Dayton Hamventionc is once again soliciting nominations for its
highly coveted Radio Amateur of the Year, Special Achievement and
Technical Excellence awards. To many radio amateurs these are
considered the ham radio equivalents of the entertainment industries
Tony, Emmy and Oscars.

The Radio Amateur of the Year is someone who has devoted the better
part of his or her life to improving the overall state of Amateur
Radio. The Special Achievement Award is presented to a radio amateur
whose one time accomplishment has had a significant and positive impact
on the hobby. The Technical Excellence Award is given to an individual
whose expertise in the scientific aspect of the hobby has lead to
advancement in the overall state of the art. And this year, there will
also be a onetime only a Club of the Year award. This to coincides with
the 2010 Hamvention theme which is "Amateur Radio Clubs Worldwide: the
Lifeline."

Applications for these awards can be found
www.hamvention.org/awards.php. Submissions by e-mail go to
awards@hamvention.org or via regular mail to Hamventionc 2010,
Attention Awards Committee, Post Office Box 964, Dayton, Ohio, 45401.
And less we forget, the cutoff date for submitting all nominations is
March 15th. (Hamventionc)

**

THE SOCIAL SCENE: SPEAKERS NEEDED FOR HAMVENTION TOWN MEETING

If you have ever dreamed of being a speaker at the famed Dayton
Hamventionc, 2010 may your chance to make that dream come true. Each
year Amateur Radio Newsliner produces and hosts the Ham Radio Town
Meeting at the Hamventionc. And with the world financial recession
continuing and so many people still out of work, we got the idea to
dedicate this years session to advising how having a ham radio license
might be a way to open doors to employment. If you are one of those
people who landed a job because of your experience as a radio amateur,
we would love to have you tell your story at this years Ham Radio Town
Meeting.

OK, there are a few caveats. First off, you are on your own as far as
travel and accommodations. The Hamventionc no longer pays the expenses
for speakers. Also, you will only get 10 minutes to tell your story
after which you will be expected to answer questions from the audience
at the Hara Arena and possibly those on-line in their homes.

If you are interested in being a presenter please e-mail us an outline
of your proposed presentation to newsline (at) arnewsline (dot) org.
Please be sure to include your postal address, e-mail address, phone
number and other contact information. We will look over all
submissions and get back to you if what you have to say fits with the
goal of this year's Hamventionc Ham Radio Town Meeting.

This year's Ham Radio Town Meeting takes place on Saturday, May 15th at
the Dayton Hamventionc. We look forward to hearing from you.
(ARNewslineT)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: A SOUNDS OF SPACE WEBSITE

Turning to ham radio space related news, word that DD1US now has an
extensive collection of sounds from manned and unmanned space
exploration including amateur radio operations on his website. This
includes historic recordings like Sputnik 1 and Apollo 11. There is
even a page devoted to clips of Amateur Radio satellites from Oscar 1
to Oscar 68. Its all on-line at www.dd1us.de. (Southgate)

**

HAM RADIO IN SPACE: FO-29 TO RETURN TO THE AIR

Fuji Oscar 29 ground controllers at the Japan Amateur Radio League plan
to open the satellite for amateur radio use but it may not remain
operational after eclipses due to power limitation issues. Depending
on the power budget the JARL may need to selectively cancel satellite
on time. All hams are reminded to please use as low power as necessary
on the uplink to complete their communications. (JE9PEL)

**

RADIOSPORTS: WSJT GROUP SPRING ON JANUARY 30

The first 2010 WSJT Group Sprint will be held on January 30th which is
the last Saturday morning of the month. The rules will stay the same
as for the last Sprint in April of 2009 and are posted at contest
website at. http://www.ykc.com/wa5ufh/Sprint/W5WVO_Sprints.htm

For those who have never heard of a Sprint, these are short duration
contests usually aimed at promoting activity on a given band or using a
specific mode. In this case its to encourage the use of the WSJT low
noise digital communications mode developed by Joe Taylor, K1JT.
Subsequent Sprints for 2010 will be on February 27th, March 27th, and
April 24th. (W5WVO)

**

RADIOSPORTS: DX MAGAZINE PUBLISHES 2009 MOST WANTED RESULTS.

The DX Magazine's "2009 Most Wanted Survey" has been posted on the
publications Web site and printed in the January / February issue.
The top five most sought after entities appear to be number five Yemen;
number four Bvouvet Island; number 3 Marion Island, number two Navassa
Island. The number one most wanted country is North Korea.

The survey was conducted between September and October of 2009. The
listing shows the top 100 World-Wide most wanted and also includes
their 1998 comparison ranking for 2008. Its on line at
dxpub.com/dx_news.html/ (DX Magazine)

**

DX

In other DX, EA5BYP and EA5KM will be active from Annobon Island
sometime in April. Dates and callsigns will be announced soon. Their
will be on 160 through 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY, with an
emphasis on the lower bands and Morse. More on this one as information
is released.

JA8BMK will be active from Juan Fernandez Island as CE0ZA through
February 2nd. His operation will
be on 160 through 10 meters using CW, SSB and the Digital modes. QSL
direct only to JA8BMK.

W7EJ, will be active from Morocco as CN2R during the CQ 160 Meter CW
Contest on January 29th through the 31st. This as a Single-Op/High-Power
entry. QSL via W7EJ. And MJ0ASP will also be active from Morocco.
Look for him as CN2MR between February 18th to the 26th. His activity
will be on the HF bands using mostly CW. QSL via his home callsign

Above from various DX news sources

**

THAT FINAL ITEM: LORAN-C NAVIGATION SYSYEM GOING QRT

And finally this week, its time to say goodbye to the old LORAN-C radio
navigation system is soon going QRT. Frank Haas, KB4T, is here with
the story of a longtime friend to sailors world-wide:

--

LORAN is an acronym for the words long-range navigation. It's a radio
navigation system that was developed during World War II for military
ships and aircraft. It then was then perfected for civilian use and
entered full time service in 1957.

LORAN-C operates in the low frequency portion of the electromagnetic
spectrum from 90 to 110 kHz.. It has transmitted the past 52 years from
24 stations operated by the Coast Guard to determine positions at sea
or in the air.

For decades, LORAN-C was the standard navigation system for ships,
fishing boats, and other vessels. It also served as a supplemental
navigation aid on many small to medium sized aircraft. And at its peak
popularity, an estimated one and a half million LORAN-C receivers were
in use.

But in the mid-1990's mariners and pilots began turning to global
positioning systems for its almost pinpoint accuracy. Gradually, use
of LORAN-C fell away. Now the Department of Homeland Security says
that LORAN-C has become obsolete and is no longer needed for navigation
or safety.

Most of the nation's LORAN-C transmission stations will be turned off
on February 8th with the remainder being powered down by October 1st.
This termination of service does not affect U.S. participation in the
Russian American or Canadian LORAN-C chains. U.S. participation in
these operations will continue at least temporarily in accordance with
international agreements.

From Holly Hill Florida, I'm Frank Haas, KB4T, reporting for the
Amateur Radio Newsline.

--

Some had thought that the government might keep LORAN-C as a
terrestrial back-up system for the satellite based Global Positioning
System but the Department of Homeland Security seems to believe that
doing so is not a necessity. (Science OnLine, Boston Globe and various
other published reports)

**

NEWSCAST CLOSE

With thanks to Alan Labs, AMSAT, the ARRL, the CGC Communicator, CQ
Magazine, the FCC, the Ohio Penn DX Bulletin, Radio Netherlands, Rain,
the RSGB, the Southgate News and Australia's W-I-A News, that's all
from the Amateur Radio NewslineT. Our e-mail address is
newsline@arnewsline.org. More information is available at Amateur
Radio Newsline'sT only official website located at www.arnewsline.org.
You can also write to us or support us at Amateur Radio NewslineT,
28197 Robin Avenue, Santa Clarita California, 91350

For now, with Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, at the editors desk, I'm Don
Wilbanks, AE5DW, saying 73 and we thank you for listening.

Amateur Radio NewslineT is Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

http://www.arnewsline.org/