You are hereJuly 28th 470 ARG News Letter & More......

July 28th 470 ARG News Letter & More......

By N4JTQ - Posted on 28 July 2010

Welcome to the 470 news letter for this week, very hot the last few days and happy to see a little relief slide in, you think it's hot here try Iraq, 135 yesterday with a normal of 122 for the last several weeks , been doing a little antenna work this week on Cathy's and on mine both... had a grand total of 57 check in's last week on the net and would like to thank all who did check in.....Let's get started..
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Rookie Roundup
The Rookie Roundup is a contest aimed at Amateurs licensed for three years or less. This six-hour event is held three times per year (April, August and December). Rookies can contact anybody, while "Old Timers" make contact with only Rookies. Mentoring is a big part of this event!
http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup

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Government Agencies Introduce User-Friendly Federal Register
TAGS: amateur radio, amateur radio service, communications equipment, e-mail alert, federal government, federal register
07/28/2010

While the Federal Register may be the ultimate record of the business of the USA’s Executive Branch, it can be a difficult document to navigate. The Register publishes approximately 80,000 pages of documents each year in the form of Notices, Proposed Rules, Rules and Official Documents; this is where all new and amended rules to Part 97, the Amateur Radio Service, must be published before they will go into effect.

On Monday, July 27 -- in an effort to make things a bit easier on the thousands of people who access the Federal Register each and every day -- the US Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Archives’ Office of the Federal Register (OFR) launched a new and improved online Register -- named Federal Register 2.0 -- an outgrowth of President Obama’s first executive order that mandated greater transparency in federal government. The launch of the new site coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Federal Register Act on July 26, 1935.

“In much the same way that newspapers have looked at making content more accessible by changing the print and typeface, we can now do the same thing by making the Federal Register available such that people can manipulate it and customize it and reuse the content to make the information even more accessible,” said White House Open Government Initiative Director Beth Noveck.

On the older version of the Register’s Web site, you had to know specific search terms (such as the page number the article was on). The new site now lets users choose which category they would like to search in: Money, Environment, World, Science and Technology, Business and Industry, and Health and Welfare. Issues involving Amateur Radio would mainly be in the Science and Technology category, but others might be in Environment or Business and Industry.

The new site also boasts an “at a glance” feature on its landing page that lets users immediately know how many Notices, Proposed Rules, Rules, Significant Regulations and pages are in the current issue of the Register. Users can also quickly see how many articles and how many comment periods are ending.

Users can plug in search terms, such as “ARRL” and a list of articles including “ARRL” will be listed. On Tuesday, July 28, this included 39 articles from March 9, 1994 (Proposal to Establish a Vanity Call Sign System in the Amateur Service) to June 15, 2010 (Amateur Radio Use of the Allocation at 5 MHz). It also shows 49 events -- such as comment periods closing or opening and the effective date of rules -- and one Unified Agenda Item (Broadband Over Power Line Systems) that was marked “economically significant.

When searching “ARRL,” users can also find at a glance how many articles have been released in the last 30, 90 and 365 days. Users can also see how many of the 39 articles were Notices, Proposed Rules and Rules, as well as which agency each article is affiliated with (sometimes the ARRL deals with more than just the FCC) and the topic. Right now, the topics on Federal Register 2.0’s ARRL search page include (in order of the number of articles attributed to each subject) Radio, Communications Equipment, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements, Administrative Practice and Procedure, Privacy, and Television. Each of these search topics are accompanied by a link -- click on “Rule” and you will be taken to a page with all 21 Rules; click on “Communications Equipment” and you will be taken to a page with all eight articles on that subject.

Issues of the Register going back to 2000 will be available in a form known in the Web world as Extensible Markup Language (XML). This lets users to transport data from a Web site and store it, reorganize it or customize it elsewhere. In a press release from the GPO, officials said that this move puts readers, rather than the government, in charge of deciding how to access the Register’s reams of information.

According to White House officials, Federal Register 2.0 should make it easier for users to find their specific topic without having to wade through volumes of unrelated material, allowing users, including Web site designers, to quickly gather data and manipulate the information with tools, such as mapping software, word clouds, spreadsheets and e-mail alert systems. In the future, Amateur Radio operators tracking FCC policies might subscribe to an e-mail alert system built by a good-government group that will notify them of updates published in the Register. A California resident monitoring the impact of federal regulations on his neighborhood might visit a Web site that allows him to search the Register’s items by state, county and Zip code.

According to Director of the Federal Register Ray Mosley, it cost the government approximately $100,000 to convert the Federal Register issues dating to 2000. The Register went online in 1994, and converting issues from 1994 to 2000 will cost at least another $150,000, he said. He anticipated little effect on his staff of 59 editors, technical experts and lawyers.

The Office of the Federal Register publishes the Register each business day. The first issue, published March 14, 1936, had 11 pages; the issue on Tuesday, July 27 had 264. According to the White House, the Register published 79,435 pages in 31,879 documents during fiscal year 2008, its largest year ever; online readers downloaded more than 200 million Register documents in fiscal year 2009. The Federal Register also has its own Facebook page. -- Some information provided by The Washington Post

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FCC Launches Consumer Help Center
TAGS: press release
07/27/2010

Beginning July 28, those who have dealings with the FCC will have a new tool that the FCC claims will put them “within one click of all the information they want” from the Commission: a new “easy-to-use” Consumer Help Center.

“Our new Consumer Help Center makes it easy for consumers to learn about our work and take action,” said FCC Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Joel Gurin said in a press release. “Here, in one place, consumers can do a number of things, such as read about consumer issues, get practical advice for avoiding problems, file a complaint, comment on our rulemakings, or read what our FCC experts are saying in our Consumer Blog.”

The Consumer Help Center is produced by the FCC’s Consumer Task Force, an inter-bureau group established by Chairman Julius Genachowski at the beginning of 2010. The Task Force has led several recent initiatives on major consumer issues. The Consumer Help Center includes:
Everything consumers need to know about Bill Shock and Early Termination Fees -- two common issues that affect wireless customers.
Savvy Traveler tips -- advice on making phone calls when travelling abroad.
Broadband Speed Test -- consumers can test the speed of their broadband service.
Fact Sheet Library -- more than 150 consumer Fact Sheets on telecom subjects.
Links to additional resources on a range of issues, including privacy.
Links to file a complaint to the FCC or comment on our rulemakings.
Blog posts about consumer issues -- with consumer comments welcome.
News releases, statements and FCC actions.

The site will be updated to include new FCC consumer initiatives as they are launched.

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Our Test Session up coming....note classes are not shown..
Please check out the website on Tech and General Class /classes.......
Exam Session
08/28/2010 | Sevierville TN 37862-3710

Sponsor: Sevier County ERS
Location: Sevier County Rescue Squad Building
Time: 10:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Learn More

Exam Session
10/23/2010 | Sevierville TN 37862-3710

Sponsor: Sevier County ERS
Location: Sevier County Rescue Squad Building
Time: 10:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Learn More

Exam Session
11/20/2010 | Sevierville TN 37862-3710

Sponsor: Sevier County ERS
Location: Sevier County Rescue Squad Building
Time: 10:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)
Learn More

Exam Session
12/18/2010 | Sevierville TN 37862-3710

Sponsor: Sevier County ERS
Location: Sevier County Rescue Squad Building
Time: 10:00 AM (Walk-ins allowed)

Find a class ,.........
http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session

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Below is a listing of our most popular instructional materials. Other ARRL publications to be used for instruction may also be discounted. Call to find out if an unlisted publication qualifies for the discount.Item # Title Retail Discount
Price
0830 The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, 2nd ed. © 2010
24.95 18.71
0847 ARRL's Tech Q&A, 5th ed. © 2010 17.95 13.46
1263 The ARRL Instructor's Manual, 4th ed. © 2008 19.95 14.96
9965 General Class License Manual, 6th ed. © 2007 24.95 18.71
9957 ARRL's General Q&A, 3rd ed. © 2007 17.95 13.46
1352 Extra Class License Manual, 9th ed. © 2008 24.95 18.71
1379 ARRL's Extra Q&A, 2nd ed. © 2008 17.95 13.46
9728 Getting Started with Ham Radio, 1st ed. © 2006 19.95 14.96
9558 Basic Radio-Understanding the Key Building Blocks 1st ed.© 2005 29.95 22.46
0823 Understanding Basic Electronics, 2nd ed. © 2010 29.95 22.46
1155 Basic Electronics Course and Kit 55.00 41.25
0017 Modulation and Wave Fundamentals Board 69.00 51.75
8735 Ham University CD-ROM*, (Tech, General, Extra and Morse code) 39.95 --
8956 Ham University CD-ROM*, Technician/General Edition 24.95 --
1048 Ham University CD-ROM*, Extra Class and Morse Code Edition
(*Instructors: install and activate on up to 5 different computers) 24.95 --
9571 HamTestOnline, web-based training for Tech, General and Extra 49.95 --

Emergency Radio Internet Linking System
The Program:
During the 2008 Hurricane Season, ARRL Headquarters instituted a Command-Control-Coordination (C3) operation to support operations taking place in the Sections. One of the aspects that was required in this support activity was the needed capability for ARRL HQ to establish radio links into the affected areas. Due to a number of factors, such as the bands of operation of local-regional emergency nets and the lack of sunspots, W1AW had no capability to reach into these areas. Even when propagation improves with the return of Sunspots, normal characteristics of the bands will not permit continuous communications links over the high frequency bands from Newington.
One tool that was used extensively during this past tropical season was Echolink, if local repeaters were so enabled. Echolink was also used to maintain contact with the National Hurricane Center and the VoIP Hurricane Net operations. The existence of HF nets on the 40 and 80 meter bands while providing excellent coverage of several hundred miles in the impacted areas, did not allow W1AW to come up on any of these frequencies if needed. Nor did it permit monitoring of conditions to develop and maintain a higher level of situational awareness/disaster intelligence necessary for the Headquarters support operations. This was a capability that was lacking at ARRL HQ. Note the intent is to develop all the necessary communication capabilities to impact emergency communications needs anywhere in the world at W1AW.
A solution to this inability was found to exist and was exploited using the capabilities of Echolink and HF radio by Dr. David Woolweaver, K5RAV. K5RAV had good propagation into the impacted areas during the tropical events in the Gulf of Mexico area and established a connection between his home HF equipment and the Echolink program. By making this connection, W1AW was able to use a direct Echolink connection to K5RAV's home station enabling HQ to come up on these HF frequencies. Simple, elegant and it worked.
This capability greatly added to the available resources of W1AW. The need to build out this capability was clear and K5RAV began to enlist some other stations in his State to develop this linking tool. However, it has been an ad hoc effort with known stations, and there was no official standing of these stations for emergency communications with the ARRL. Additionally, while a regional capability was developed in a part of Texas, the need was to have this capability wherever the ARRL had a presence throughout the rest of the country. When this program is in place, it would not only serve ARRL HQ, but any number of our partner organizations that utilize amateur radio in their disaster responses. ERILS is a program to support the HQ-Field Organization coordination during any disaster response that requires that level of interaction. It is not meant to be utilized for casual operating.

The concept of the “Emergency Radio Internet Linking System” (ERILS) was crafted to meet this need. ERILS would be operated under the Emergency Preparedness & Response Program. Official ERILS Stations would be designated after meeting specific criteria that would enable them to blend the capabilities of radio and the Internet that would permit emergency communications to occur. Attachment 1 contains the suggested station criteria. Stations would be geographically diverse which would provide redundant pathways into multiple areas of the United States. While Echolink was utilized successfully in 2008, other current and future software platforms could be used with traditional RF capabilities to meet the mission needs.
The number of stations in the program would not be at the level of the ARES OES, nor is this program conceived to be one under the auspices of individual Sections. It is a program being proposed through this concept paper to be a national resource for headquarters. However, Section Managers will have input into proposed stations in the geographical area they are responsible for, as their knowledge of individuals is beyond what is possible at the HQ level. See Attachment 2 for the suggested application process.
All costs for stations would be borne by the Station Licensee, including the required Internet connections. The only projected cost beyond ARRL HQ staff time to organize and maintain the program, which would be part of normal duties, would be for certificates designating the station as part of the program.
Emergency Liaison Station:
As discussed above, individual stations are the key component of ERILS. These stations require a particular designation for planning and response purposes, and as recognition of the station owner’s resources and commitment. These would be designated as an Emergency Liaison Station.
An Emergency Liaison Station (ELS) is an Amateur Radio Station designated by the Manager of Emergency Preparedness & Response (EP&R) to act as a linking interface utilizing traditional radio frequency (RF) circuits and the Internet to provide specific emergency communications connectivity. Stations will meet specific requirements to receive this designation. This linking will permit communications to be established into disaster areas that cannot be contacted using direct RF means (as demonstrated in 2008), but can be accessed through local/regional stations that have propagation into the area with the appropriate RF circuit with an Internet link to W1AW or other ARRL designated location. These locations can be ad hoc disaster headquarters, disaster field operations, or established Emergency Operations Centers of governmental and non-governmental organizations. An ELS is not an Official Emergency Station (OES) that is part of the ARES program, but is a separate resource available to the Manager EP&R, or designees, and ARRL Leadership. The concept of station participation is similar to the Official Observer program.

It is believed that these resource capabilities should be developed throughout the United States to add to the “tool box” of amateur radio capabilities when we are called upon to provide emergency communications. The creation of an official program to support these activities and the stations that comprise the system should be undertaken without delay to be ready for any response to the 2009 Hurricane Season and for other calamities that will occur.
Suggested ELS Criteria
?
FCC Amateur Radio License holder of General Class or higher
?
High Speed Internet Connection
o
Dial-up connections not accepted
?
Primary and back-up HF transceivers
?
Multiple antenna capabilities for minimum of operating on 80, 40 and 20 meters
?
Experienced Echolink user capable of interfacing software/hardware with HF transceiver
o
Training documentation to be provided
?
Computer equipment necessary to support current and future software platforms
?
Control operator availability/capability for long durations
?
Backup power capability for station suggested

ARRL Argues that Oklahoma Town’s RFI Ordinance is “Null and Void”
TAGS: amateur, arrl, general counsel, radio, radio amateur, radio frequency interference
07/23/2010

Saying that only the Federal Communications Commission is empowered to regulate radio frequency interference (RFI), the ARRL has notified Midwest City, Oklahoma, that its local ordinance 27-3(9), seeking to regulate radio transmissions and RFI, is “null and void.” Midwest City is in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

Midwest City’s Ordinance 27-3(9) reads: “In addition to other public nuisances declared by other sections of this Code or law, the following [is] hereby declared to be [a] public nuisance: Operating or using any electrical apparatus or machine which materially and unduly interferes with radio or television reception by others.” Section 27 of Midwest City’s Ordinances deals with nuisances.

On July 21, ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, wrote to Midwest City Assistant City Manager Dave Ballew, City Attorney Katherine Bolles and Director of Code Enforcement Mike Stroh, informing them that the ARRL had been provided with a copy of the ordinance by amateurs in that community. “We are also aware that a notice was sent by Mr Stroh on behalf of the City to one of ARRL’s members who resides in Midwest City asserting that the FCC-licensed radio amateur to whom the letter was addressed was in violation of the ordinance as the result of radio frequency interference appearing in a neighbor/complainant’s home electronic equipment,” the letter read. “The licensed radio amateur was ordered to remedy the problem in one day, under penalty of a sanction assessed against the real property of the radio amateur.”

Section 27-2 of the nuisance ordinance states the penalty for non-compliance: “It shall be unlawful for any person to create or maintain a public nuisance within the or [sic] to permit a public nuisance to remain on premises under his control within the city” and that “the punishment for a violation of this chapter shall be a minimum of one hundred dollars ($100.00) or fifteen (15) days imprisonment or both such fine and imprisonment and shall not exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) or thirty (30) days imprisonment or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day a violation shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.”

The letter explained to the Midwest City officials that as the FCC is the only entity empowered to regulate RFI, that this matter “is not a proper subject for municipal regulation by Midwest City, and your ordinance 27-3(9), which purports to regulate RFI is preempted on its face, and is therefore null and void. The City in fact has absolutely no jurisdiction whatsoever over radio frequency interference. Such regulation is exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission and all regulation of radio transmission and interference phenomena is preempted by Federal law.”

All radio stations operate, and all telecommunications are regulated pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934, As Amended. The FCC has exclusive jurisdiction over RFI matters and all technical matters associated with radio communications. In the letter, General Counsel Imlay presented almost 20 legal cases defining the Commission’s role and its sole authority over these matters.

In the Communications Amendments Act of 1982, the legislation clearly demonstrated that Congress intended to completely preempt the regulation of RFI: “The Conference Substitute is further intended to clarify the reservation over matters involving RFI. Such matters will not be regulated by local or state law, nor shall radio transmitting apparatus be subject to local or state regulation as part of any effort to resolve an RFI complaint. The Conferees believe that radio transmitter operators should not be subject to fines, forfeitures, or other liability imposed by any local or state authority as a result of interference appearing in home electronic equipment or systems. Rather, the Conferees intend that regulation of RFI phenomena shall be imposed only by the [Federal Communications] Commission.” The Conference also clarified that “the exclusive jurisdiction over RFI incidents (including preemption of state and local regulation of such phenomena) lies with the FCC.”

General Counsel Imlay expressed his hope that it will not be necessary to submit Midwest City’s Ordinance 27-3(9) to the FCC by way of a Request for a Declaratory Ruling, “but that would be [the ARRL’s] planned course of action unless Ordinance 27-3(9) is rescinded and that letter from Mr Stroh to the radio amateur in Midwest City is retracted immediately. That radio amateur has the full support of ARRL in any action he may choose to take in this connection."

More Oil !!

Adding insult to the Gulf's injury, an oil platform hit by a tugboat early Tuesday is now spewing oil and natural gas near a Louisiana marsh area.

While there was no estimate of how much oil was gushing, officials said the mile-long slick it created was small compared with the Gulf spill.

The oil and gas is shooting up 100 feet into the air, officials said, as a private contractor was called in to try to cap the well.

While small in size, the spill weighed heavy on locals. "We cannot catch a break," Deano Bonano, Jefferson Parish emergency management director, said in a note to parish officials.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer John Edwards said a strip of oil 50 yards wide and a mile long was spotted on the water near the well, which was no longer in operation when it was hit.

Some 6,000 feet of boom were placed around the site, Thad Allen, the national incident commander for the nearby BP spill, told reporters.

The tugboat was pushing a barge when the collision happened, he added.

The well is in inland waterways on the border of Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes, about 65 miles south of New Orleans; it's marsh area not accessible by road.

The tugboat hit the well around 1 a.m. local time. The tugboat captain immediately notified officials, and another boat later called in the leak.

The tugboat captain told investigators the well was not lit as required, Coast Guard Capt. John Arenstam said.

Allen said the well is owned by the state of Louisiana.

The leak is north of Barataria Bay, a sensitive coastal estuary where crews have been fighting waves of oil from the BP spill.

Global Hawk headed to Iraq...
The U.S. Navy is considering deploying its first Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to an air base near Iraq to experiment with its ability to conduct maritime surveillance, according to defense officials.

Navy officials declined to discuss the exact location for a deployment. "Longer-term options for the system may include additional deployment situations -- allowing the system to demonstrate its unique persistent maritime ISR capabilities in various overseas environments," says Chuck Wagner, a spokesman for Naval Air Systems Command.

According to other defense officials, the Navy Global Hawk is expected to arrive at a base in the Middle East early next year, and the aircraft will be co-located with Air Force Global Hawks already at that base. Defense officials declined to identify the base, citing security issues. But it is widely known that the Air Force's high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft supporting activities in Iraq and Afghanistan operate from Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.

The high-flying Global Hawk is capable of collecting intelligence from above 55,000 feet altitude for a day or more at a time. The Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD) vehicle, one of two Block 10 Global Hawks owned by the Navy, is carrying an integrated sensor suite. These aircraft were bought to allow the Navy to experiment with using a UAV for maritime surveillance. Using various modes -- for inverse synthetic aperture radar, maritime search and target acquisition -- this sensor can conduct surveillance of surface ships. The aircraft also carries the LR100, a basic signals intelligence collector.

Exercises

The GHMD aircraft have been used for a variety of exercises, including Trident Warrior 08 and Rim of the Pacific 08. Most recently, the aircraft collected images of wildfires in California this summer and of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Ike.

The UAVs will give the Pentagon a new tool to use for monitoring shipping activity in the Persian Gulf, where several scrapes with Iranian ships have occurred in recent months. And the deployment will give the Navy some hands-on operational experience deploying the UAV prior to inducting its future Global Hawks into the fleet.

These Navy vehicles are not to be confused with the Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) development program. Under that effort, Northrop Grumman is designing and building Global Hawk Block 20-based aircraft designed for maritime surveillance.

These aircraft will carry the Multifunction Active Sensor (MFAS), a 360-degree mechanically steered active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar optimized for the maritime role. Initial operational capability for the BAMS system is in 2015.

During the operations abroad, the Navy will use Air Force pilots and sensor operators for the Navy mission, reducing the footprint for the Navy at the deployed location, according to defense officials.

More Power From Vehicles in Iraq...
This article first appeared in Defense Technology International.

A strong argument could be made that given the recent innovations in ground-vehicle armor, and vehicle-mounted communications and sensor equipment brought about by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military is in a "Golden Age" for tactical vehicles.

It's jarring to think that just a few years ago, U.S. forces entered Iraq in thin-skinned, often doorless or roofless Humvees, vehicles that now seem more appropriate for museums than combat zones. The unforeseen needs of extra armor, especially underbelly armor to deflect roadside bombs, and the exponentially greater power-generation requirements of a force that increasingly relies on sensors and communications gear, has strained the fleet to its limits, and led to a revolution in vehicle technology.

Many of the changes this has spawned can be seen in two new development projects: the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), envisioned as the battlefield replacement of the Humvee, and the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), an interim replacement for Humvees in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan until the JLTV is fielded in 2015.

But while the attention of the military and industry is fixed on these two designs, with their electronics, sturdier suspension systems, lightweight composite armor and increased payloads, Brig. Gen. Brian Layer, commander of the Army's Transportation Center, calls attention to the Expanded Capacity Vehicle-2 (ECV2) from AM General, an upgraded and improved Humvee that he says is the "middle piece" that will get the military through until the JLTV is fielded. The ECV2 incorporates lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, and so offers better power production capabilities, an engine moved forward, raised profile, more room in the crew compartment and electronic controls -- features that take into account the growing power needs and space requirements of sensors and communications gear.

The ECV2 isn't slated to hit the dirt until 2010, but one selling point is that it provides the same 3,500-lb. payload Humvees had before being weighed down with bolt-on armor in-theater. For whatever reason -- probably due to its flashier JLTV, MRAP and M-ATV cousins -- the ECV2 has been largely ignored in the rush to get new vehicles to troops in the field. Considering that it comes in at roughly half the cost of the JLTV (but without most of its technological upgrades and cutting-edge armor), it seems to be a capable vehicle that might get another look in budget-conscious times.

Throwing a little drama into the mix, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway warned in April that the service would not participate in the JLTV program if prototypes do not get lighter. The Marine Corps, he said, "will not buy a vehicle that's 20,000 lb." Depending on what the "evolution of development looks like, we may have to depart that buy and rehabilitate what we've got," Conway said. But to add all of these capabilities to existing or in-development programs requires the vehicles to produce much more electrical wattage than they have been able to generate. Requirements for the JLTV, for example, call for each vehicle to have a 30-kw. generator.

Michael Gallagher, program manager for expeditionary power systems for the Marine Corps, says the service is trying to meet the need for juice by retrofitting 400-amp. alternators with reduced-diameter pulleys on Humvees to generate more electricity. "One of the key incentives for this was that more power is needed, but more power was really needed at lower speeds, when vehicles are idling, or [moving slowly]," he said at a tactical vehicle conference in April.

Gallagher reported that his office received economic stimulus funding for the project, and is using the cash to bring the system to a reasonable level of maturity before turning it over to industry later this year in an open competition, with the goal of testing it in 2010 and 2011. Gallagher admitted, though, that "400 amps can only get us so far for so long -- in the future 400 amps will not be enough power," especially considering that he was talking about DC power. One approach the Marines are looking at is giving Humvees 20 kw. (800 amps) of onboard power.

To put this in perspective, when Humvees were first fielded in the 1980s, they had 60-amp. alternators. Compare that to the 600-800-amp. alternators the M-ATV and JLTV are expected to use. But even that exponentially enhanced requirement, Gallagher admitted, might not be enough on a future battlefield. Vehicles today are expected to support a mix of military and commercial off-the-shelf electronics, he said, all with different power requirements. And the need will grow.

There is concern as well in the Stryker vehicle community about power generation. The 8 X 8 infantry vehicle, made by General Dynamics, doesn't generate enough power to run all of its electronics simultaneously, according to Robert Hobbs, deputy capability manager at the Army's Training and Doctrine Command. The vehicle uses an analog system, which the Army wants to replace with digital technology.

Hobbs also spoke about suspension issues the vehicle could face if more armor is added to an already-stressed frame, which is "at the edge" of the weight the suspension system can accommodate. Originally designed at about 38,000 lb., with various armor packages Strykers now clock in at about 52,000 lb. Program managers, as a result, are looking at a semiactive suspension to handle the weight.

All of this work on power generation and suspension gear, and meeting the urgent battlefield needs of Iraq and Afghanistan, is siphoning cash away from other vehicles. Hobbs said work on the Stryker M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV) was "moving forward," and General Dynamics had been given the go-ahead to build the MEV to replace M113s. That order, however, was put on hold. "We took the money that was scheduled to go into the 113 divesture and moved it to buy equipment for a Stryker brigade going to Afghanistan."

With all this movement across the wheeled tactical vehicle fleet, Col. Mike Smith, director of training doctrine and combat command at the Army's Armor Center, didn't inspire much confidence when he called into question the next big-ticket tactical vehicle, the JLTV. Smith told the conference that he's "not sure" if the Defense Dept. "has figured out what it really wants us to do with JLTV yet. The lighter family of vehicles crapped out on us and is no longer cost-effective." He said the Defense Dept. is trying to get ahead of the issue, "but I'm not sure if we've figured out what it is we want in terms of" how the vehicle should perform in combat.

While the Stryker shop -- like those of the JLTV, MRAP, ECV2 and M-ATV -- is busily working on generating enough power to run all the systems tactical vehicles in use, Rickey Smith, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, is looking farther down the road. "Can you get that power onto the vehicle, then expand to see if you can run your command post off of the vehicle?" he asked. "I want the platform to be the one doing it. This notion of always having external power somewhere else [is unrealistic]. We've got to get better because if you project into these austere environments, we've got to have the capability to power other things."

Looking across the spectrum of vehicles in use and in development, Layer concluded that "whether we end up buying the ECV2, jump to JLTV, or buy more Humvees, the requirements for power inside the cab are going to continue to grow, and are going to be synchronized across the Army."

Had request for info on Skywarn Again, so here it is....
What is SKYWARNTM?

SKYWARNTM is a nationwide network of volunteer storm spotters trained by the National Weather Service (NWS) to report significant weather. Anyone with an interest in weather is welcome to participate. To become a trained storm spotter, you need to attend a storm training session, offered at various times and places across the Morristown County Warning Area.

Why SKYWARNTM?

The National Weather Service's mission is to protect lives and property with safety being the top priority. When weather conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms or tornadoes to develop, a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch is issued. A severe thunderstorm or tornado warning is issued when severe weather has been reported by a SKYWARNTM spotter or indicated by Doppler radar. SKYWARNTM volunteers become the NWS's and local Emergency Management's eyes and ears, helping them to provide the public with better weather watch and warning services.

Who will activate SKYWARNTM?

The NWS and/or the local emergency management authorities may activate the SKYWARNTM net whenever there is a threat of severe weather or when the NWS issues a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch. In this case, information may be relayed through amateur radio repeaters. Localized events may be phoned directly to the NWS and/or local emergency management.

Where will SKYWARNTM observations be taken?

SKYWARNTM reports are relayed from on the road, while at work, or at your home. It is important not to jeopardize your own safety by placing yourself in the path of severe weather while participating in SKYWARNTM.

SKYWARNTM and Amateur Radio Operators

HAM radio operators have a special place in the SKYWARNTM program. NWS offices have HAM equipment on site. SKYWARNTM nets run by the volunteer amateur radio net control operators allow for reports to be directly heard at National Weather Service offices.

How do I join SKYWARNTM?

For additional information on SKYWARNTM including times and locations of storm spotter training sessions, please e-mail Tim Troutman (Warning Coordination Meteorologist) or phone (423) 586-8706, Monday-Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM.

Where can I find educational materials on storm spotting?

For storm spotters, there are two spotter guides to get you started: Basic Spotters' Field Guide (in PDF format) and Advanced Spotters' Field Guide (in PDF format).
Those in District 6 can also contact DEC/ Bill Hicks W1RFA or myself, ADEC / N4JTQ Rick Sr...

And a look at the NWS Morristown..

How We're Doing...

How is the service from the new Weather Forecast Office at Morristown? The following table of statistics represents how well we're doing since 1996 when we assumed responsibility for the County Warning Area. Much of our success is due to the power of the Doppler radar to detect and analyze severe storms. We could not, however, have had near the success as we have attained without the aid of our volunteer spotters. Most of these spotters are HAM radio operators who contribute their time and equipment to provide the National Weather Service (NWS) with continuous up-to-date information on what is happening on the ground at any given location. Also, our close working relationship with State and County Emergency Managers is invaluable, giving us feedback from all parts of our warning area.
One of the best measures of service is how well we're verifying our severe weather warnings. We measure our success by several different methods. The first method is the Probability of Detection (POD) or how likely we are to detect a severe storm. The second method is the False Alarm Ratio (FAR) or how often we 'cry wolf'. The third method is the Critical Success Index (CSI) which is a combination of the POD and FAR. Last, but definitely not least, is our Average Lead Time which is simply how much advance warning we give.
Please note the second column for the following years..

Comparison of Verification Statistics for WFO Morristown
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Number of Severe Weather Events 213 258 306 246 337 268 384 452 368 396 612 238 421
Number of Severe Weather Warnings 326 433 710 281 379 265 456 593 384 456 681 289 305
Probability of Detection (perfect = 100) 85 93 89 89 93 93 94 95 97 96 98 95 86
False Alarm Ratio (perfect = 0) 44 43 61 25 21 16 24 31 20 23 16 29 23
Critical Success Index (perfect = 100) 51 55 37 69 75 79 73 67 78 74 83 70 69
Average Lead Time (higher is better) 21.3 23.8 21.2 17.3 18.7 17.3 19.0 20.6 21.2 19.3 18.0 19.7 19.6

Probability of Detection (POD): This is the percentage of all severe weather events which were warned for (a perfect score would be 100%). For example, if we issued 60 warnings and there were 100 total severe weather events reported (60 warned, 40 unwarned), the POD would be 60%.

POD = warned events / (warned events + unwarned events)

60 / (60 + 40) = 60 / 100 = 60%

False Alarm Ratio (FAR): This ratio measures how often we issue false alarms, or in other words, a measure of 'crying wolf'. Ideally we want this number to be 0.0%. Some of our false alarms will be from storms that may appear severe, or are borderline severe. Some false alarms will be from storms that are severe, but the severe weather occurred where no one was around to observe the event (classic case of 'if the tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, does it make any noise?').

(from above example)

FAR = unverified warnings / (verified warnings + unverified warnings)

40 / (60 + 40) = 40 / 100 = 40%
Overwarning will achieve a high POD, but at the expense of a high FAR. If warnings are rarely or never issued, the FAR will be low but so will the POD. Overall success can be expressed by the Critical Success Index, which is a function of both POD and FAR.

Critical Success Index (CSI): CSI is the ratio of warned events to the total number of events + the number of unwarned events. As with the POD, 100% is a perfect score. As an example, if there were 80 warnings issued, and 60 warnings had verified severe weather while 40 did not have verified severe weather (in addition, there were 20 severe weather events that went unwarned), then the CSI would be:

CSI = warned events / (warned events + unwarned events + unverified warnings)

60 / (60 + 20 + 40) = 60 / 120 = 50%

Average Lead Time: This is simply the length of time from when we issue the warning until our first report of severe weather in the warned area. This time can be anything from 0 minutes up to the total valid time of the warning.

Stormpulse on Hurricanes..
http://www.stormpulse.com/atlantic

UTC Time ..
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

This week in video's on amateur radio.....
APRS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbbYN0EZtBg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seizlru51LU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf6Rlz91Drw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRUxSDIQLdg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEAs3J8OL2s&feature=related

Ham Shacks ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyYVrpFWsqs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ams-a_mXeQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz4yDMdJJQM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vE1zk60v3E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccd5O3FBnBY&feature=related