*** UPDATED *** 470 ARG News Letter Aug 13,2010

Now the news letter has included video stories! Please enjoy the new features.

Hello everyone, a special thanks to everyone who participated in the net Thursday August 12, we had a total of 57 check in and was great to say hi to all, that's what the net is about also, a place that all amateur radio operators can meet, pass information and general chat... there was a comment on the new virus so I found this info and will pass along.. sp lets get started..

Zeus Trojan Virus Robs Thousands of Online Banking Customers

August 12th, 2010

The rise of mobile banking makes us think of greater productivity, speed and convenience. Rarely do we associate this technological advancement with the risks of robbery and bank fraud. But recent news of one of a sophisticated series of cyber attacks has created greater awareness of the rising threat of attacks by “Trojan viruses.”
The Attack

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4309656/is-zeus-v3-virus-a-threat-to-us/?...
Video from FOX above...

As a journalist who for almost ten years has sought to explain complex computer security topics to a broad audience, it’s sometimes difficult to be picky when major news publications over-hype an important security story or screw up tiny details: For one thing, Internet security so seldom receives more than surface treatment in the media that the increased attention to the issue often seems to excuse the breathlessness with which news organizations cover what may seem like breaking, exclusive stories.

The trouble with that line of thinking is that an over-hyped story tends to lack important context that helps frame the piece in ways that make it more relevant, timely, and actionable, as opposed to just sensational.

I say this because several major media outlets, including The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, on Thursday ran somewhat uncritical stories about a discovery by NetWitness, a security firm in Northern Virginia that has spent some time detailing the breadth of infections by a single botnet made up of PCs infected with ZeuS, a password stealing Trojan that lets criminals control the systems from afar. NetWitness found that this particular variant of the botnet, which it dubbed “Kneber,” had invaded more than 2,500 corporations and 75,000 computers worldwide.

The Post’s headline: More than 75,000 Computer Systems Hacked in one of the Largest Cyber Attacks, Security Firm Says.

From the WSJ: Broad New Hacking Attack Detected: Global Offensive Snagged Corporate, Personal Data at Nearly 2,500 Companies: Operation is Still Running.

Yahoo!’s coverage tells us, Scary Global Hacking Offensive Finally Outed.

After a day of dodging countless PR people pitching their experts to pile on to the story, I finally resolved to add my two cents when I heard this gem from the PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer: “A major new case of computer hacking has been uncovered. A virus known as botnet invaded the computers and used them to steal data from commercial and government systems. Among other things, the hackers have gained access to e-mail systems and online banking.”

Not to take anything away from NetWitness, whose network forensics software I have used and admire. Also, the company has a fine stable of security researchers, and is headed up by no less than Amit Yoran, a clueful geek who was formerly the top cyber official at the Department of Homeland Security.

And NetWitness timed its research masterfully, releasing its findings as it did so soon after news that Google and many other large financial, energy, defense, technology and media firms had been compromised by a stealthy computer attack.

The Post’s Ellen Nakashima tells us, “..it is significant…in its scale and in its apparent demonstration that the criminal groups’ sophistication in cyberattacks is approaching that of nation states such as China and Russia.”

Sadly, this botnet documented by NetWitness is neither unusual nor new. For the past several years at any given time, the number of distinct ZeuS botnets has hovered in the hundreds. At the moment, there are nearly 700 command-and-control centers online for ZeuS botnets all over the world, according to ZeuStracker, a Web site that keeps tabs on the global threat from ZeuS.

True, not every distinct ZeuS botnet has 75,000 infected machines in its thrall, but that’s actually not all that rare, and some have far more systems under their control. Last summer, I wrote about a ZeuS botnet of roughly 100,000 infected systems whose overlords (or enemies) exercised the “kill operating system” feature built into the botnet code, instructing all of the infected computers to render themselves unbootable and for all purposes unusable by either the bad guys or the rightful owners of the machines.

Take a peek inside any monster piles of purloined data these botnets turn in each day and chances are you will find similar victims as detailed in the Kneber write-up: Infected computers at dozens of government, military and educational institutions, as well as many of the world’s top corporations.

Back in 2007, I wrote a story for The Washington Post’s Security Fix blog called Tracking the Password Thieves, in which I pored over the data stolen by a single botnet that had infected some 3,221 U.S. victims. In just that comparatively tiny sample, I found infected machines at U.S. government systems (Department of Energy), financial institutions (Bank of America), and plenty of Fortune 50 companies, including IBM, Amgen and Merck (the latter was found again in the ZeuS botnet dissected by NetWitness).

Incidentally, the name of the password-stealing malware that I tracked in that story three years ago? “WSNPoem,” a pseudonym for the ZeuS Trojan.

The first sign that a story might be over-hyped is usually when it gets downplayed by some of the world’s largest security companies, such as McAfee and Symantec. These are companies that critics often accuse of encouraging hysteria over computer security threats so as to drive up sales of their products and services.

But both companies today sought to talk people down off the ledges and assure customers that the threat was – while serious – nothing new.

“In the world of cybersecurity the ‘kneber’ botnet is, unfortunately, just another botnet. With 75,000 infected machines, Kneber is not even that big, there are much larger botnets,” McAfee said in a written statement. “Kneber is based on the ‘Zeus’ Trojan, malware known to security companies. In our recently released Q4 2009 Threats Report we found that in the last three months of 2009 just under four million newly infected machines joined botnets.”

Symantec also downplayed the threat:

“Kneber, in reality, is not a new threat at all, but is simply a pseudonym for the infamous and well-known Zeus Trojan. The name Kneber simply refers to a particular group, or herd, of zombie computers, a.k.a. bots, being controlled by one owner. The actual Trojan itself is the same Trojan.Zbot, which also goes by the name Zeus, which has been being observed, analyzed and protected against for some time now.”

Perhaps I am a little closer to this particular botnet than most: After all, I have written dozens of stories over the last nine months about the exploits of organized criminals using ZeuS to steal tens of millions of dollars from small- to mid-sized businesses, governments and non-profit organizations.

This is just some of the context that would have been nice to see in any of the mainstream press treatment of this research. From where I sit, security stories that lack appropriate context tend to ring hollow, and squander important opportunities to raise awareness on the size, scope and real-world impact of these threats.

I suggest going to filehippo.com or majorgeeks.com to get free anti-virus, and other software to protect your system, Micro soft Security Essentials is also very good and will run with other software...

ARRL Rookie Round UP , Check Out Below.....
http://www.arrl.org/rookie-roundup

Authorities Believe Gary Haas, N5VGH, and Wife Killed by Escaped Convicts
TAGS: New Mexico, Oklahoma City, us air force, wife linda
08/11/2010

The burned skeletal remains of Gary Haas, N5VGH, and his wife Linda were found in a charred camper on a remote ranch in eastern New Mexico on the morning of Wednesday, August 4. Authorities believe they were killed by escaped convicts, along with an accomplice, who had escaped from an Arizona prison on July 30. Authorities said that the Haas’ bodies and camper were found by a rancher on his property, not far from Santa Rosa, one of the New Mexico cities that the couple frequented; their truck was found in Albuquerque, 100 miles away.

Married about 35 years, the couple started out as high school sweethearts. They wed while Linda was still in college and Gary was in the US Air Force. Both followed career paths that led them to work at the General Motors plant in Oklahoma City, leaving when it closed down in 2006. After retirement, the couple took to camping, frequenting places in Colorado and New Mexico, often staying at state parks. According to Linda’s younger sister, it wasn’t unusual for the couple to take off for a month or so and go to Colorado with their pickup, travel trailer and dogs.

Two of the three escaped convicts have been captured: Tracy Province, 42 -- who was serving a life sentence for murder and robbery -- was captured Tuesday, August 10 in Meeteetse, Wyoming; Daniel Renwick, 36 -- who was serving two consecutive 22-year sentences for second-degree murder -- was captured August 1 in Colorado. The third escaped convict -- John McCluskey, 45 -- was serving a 15 year sentence for attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault and the discharge of a firearm. He and accomplice Casslyn Welch, 44, are still on the loose; Welch is McClusky’s fiancée and cousin. -- Thanks to The Oklahoman, the Tucson Citizen and the Phoenix New Times for the information
Cybercriminals broke into the accounts of thousands of British Internet banking customers by using a malicious computer program that hides on home computers. The program stole confidential passwords and account details from at least 3,000 individuals. Since the new virus displayed fake bank statements, it succeeded in emptying bank accounts without the owner’s knowledge. Internet security experts estimate at least £675,000 ($869,400) has been illegally transferred from the UK in the last month via the virus.

The Virus

Trojans hide in websites, E-mails or downloads. The latest attack used a Trojan called “Zeus v3,” which hides inside advertisements on legitimate websites. Once installed
on a home computer, the program waits until the person visits his or her online bank. Once this happens, it secretly records their account details and passwords and uses the information to transfer up to £5,000 ($6,440) to other bank accounts.

How to Keep Your Account Safe

You can protect yourself from these threatening viruses by keeping your anti-virus software up to date and keeping your firewalls set to the highest level. Also, avoid opening an E-mail attachments that end in “.exe” (They are ‘executable’ files and can do what they please within your system.) If you think your machine has already been infected, contact your bank immediately. More often than not, your bank will assess whether you are a genuine victim of fraud and will reimburse you.

I Got By With a Little Help from My Friends

Stan Levandowski, WB2LQF

wb2lqf@arrl.net

You never know where your ham radio friendships will lead you.

The rain splattered around me as I half ran, half walked up the steep macadam driveway toward the gingerbread-trimmed garage. Above, a huge triband beam drooped in the mist. It lurched once, then again. Apparently satisfied with its aim, the beam fell silent and still. It was 1960 and I was 11 years old.

Warren Waterman, W2JRX, and Middletown, New York’s best-ever television repairman, was about to administer my Novice exam. I had memorized the ARRL License Manual and taught myself Morse code by listening to W1AW cipher groups on my National NC-60 receiver. That old five tube general coverage superhet was about one step up in sensitivity and selectivity from the crystal set I’d built using a copper penny and safety pin for the detector. But today I was too young to know fear and too unimaginative to imagine failure. Of course I would be successful.

That was 50 years ago. Little did I know how ham radio would enrich my life by introducing me to new experiences and wonderful friends. Perhaps the most valuable contribution ham radio made to my life was to teach me, at a very early age, that I could achieve anything if I were willing to work at it.

It seemed to take forever until “The Envelope” arrived and I was reborn as WN2LQF. Our family was not exactly well-off and I was lucky to have even that NC-60 with its bandspread control. Those spiffy Hallicrafters receivers in Boy’s Life magazine weren’t within my reach. We lived in a housing project where my dad was the maintenance man. Outside antennas were strictly prohibited but dad was able to sneak up into our long building’s attic space and hang the 40 meter dipole that I had fabricated from magnet wire. He brought the feed line down through my bedroom closet ceiling and that closet became my first shack.

The 20 W Monster

If I wanted a transmitter, I was going to have to build it. Since my personal net worth alternated between slim and none, the innards of discarded TVs and junked radios would have to be recycled. I found a well-thumbed edition of (I think) CQ with a circuit called “The 22 Watt Monster.” It used a 50L6 output tube with a 50Y6 rectifier. There was no isolation transformer. One side of the ac line went directly to ground; the other went to 120 V ac. I guess the 22 W referred to dc plate input because it only dimly lit a 60 W light bulb. But it put WN2LQF on the air.

The logs from that era are long gone but I do remember my first contact was with another Novice in Hubbard, Ohio on 7175 kilocycles. It was the only crystal I owned. Every so often I’d take it apart and rub pencil lead on one side of it to pull the frequency a little. That way my logbook’s “Band/Frequency” column wouldn’t look so boring. I had an absolute ball until an ARRL Official Observer’s card arrived in the mail notifying me of clicks and chirps at about the same time my Novice license was due to expire. In those days, it was necessary to appear in person at the Federal Building at 641 Washington Street in New York City for the General class exam. With no means to get there, I went back to Warren Waterman’s garage and took the Technician exam, became WB2LQF and set out to explore the VHF world.

Somehow, mom and dad found $44.95 in the household budget and a Heathkit “Twoer” appeared under our Christmas tree. Dad filled a 5 gallon bucket with sand, stuck a length of old aluminum TV mast in it and I mounted my 2 meter “rotatable” homemade beam antenna up near my second floor bedroom’s ceiling. For QSL purposes, I would report using a “10 element Yagi at 20 feet.” I reasoned that two floors, each with 8 foot ceilings came to 16 feet. Then I added a couple more feet for the floor joists and rounded up. I logged contacts from Mt Greylock, Massachusetts to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.

Tips, Trash and Tall Tales

In many ways, my life’s journey may have begun on 145.8 megacycles (now I owned two crystals). It was here that I met “Grif” Griffin, W2LOR. Grif had been a Navy radioman in World War II. He would frequently invite me to his house and I’d always be sent home with tales of the South Pacific, useful operating hints and an armload of precious “junk.” Grif was an unabashed CW junkie and introduced me to the semiautomatic “bug” and the joys of higher speed CW.

He challenged me to qualify for the ARRL 20 WPM code proficiency certificate and I did so on June 15, 1965. I owe my General class license to Grif. Without his guidance and confidence in me, things might have turned out vastly different. Whenever I’d run low on confidence or self-esteem, Grif’s advice was always the same, “Get your foot in the door first, and then worry about proving yourself!”

Not to be upstaged by the Navy, John Gottlieb, WB2OJK, invited me to his shack just as frequently. John was in the Army National Guard. John was also a private pilot restoring a 1940s era Ercoupe in his garage. He was the most meticulous man I’d ever met. Even as John worked on his airplane project he’d tidy up and leave his shop spotless after each session. John explained that a neat, clean and well-organized environment always made him feel more motivated to do a quality job.

John was also very creative. I would look at a broken item and see a broken item. John would look at the same broken item and see a resurrection. “Junk re-thunk” comes to mind. John treated everything and everyone with great respect. I wanted to be like John. It was John who encouraged me to join Army MARS and thus I became AL2LQF on the MARS frequencies. MARS represented the first time in my young life that I had ever contributed my time to any sort of organization.

SAC, SAGE and 60,000 Tubes

Enter Pete Smith, WA6DUI, an Airman stationed at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, New York. Pete worked with computers in the Air Force. Stewart was a Strategic Air Command base back in 1964 and also the site of one of 23 SAGE computers in operation throughout the United States between 1963 and 1983. SAGE stood for “Semi-Automated Ground Environment.” It was designed as an early warning network to locate Soviet bombers that might carry atomic bombs. The SAGE computer would then be able to direct Nike and BOMARC missiles toward the bombers.

The computer itself was located in a concrete blockhouse. Pete arranged a tour of the blockhouse for us local hams. The SAGE computer used a lot of tubes in those days — 60 thousand. Designed and built by IBM, it also used 175,000 diodes and 13,000 transistors, and weighed about 250 tons. Pete began to unravel the mysteries of the computer for us. I was being introduced to people, concepts, ideas, technology…possibilities that broadened my world.

These fellow hams were my best friends throughout my teen years. They treated me with respect, they had confidence in me; they included me in local ham activities. They were never farther away than the time it took the “Twoer” to warm up. I didn’t see them as adults or authority figures. They were…hams; they were my friends and I got to call them by their first names. The teenage years can be troublesome times for youths. In the turbulent ’60s we certainly had our challenges. That I avoided smoking, drugs, alcohol and other undesirable activities was at least partially the result of not wanting to disappoint my mentors.

I spent almost as much time home brewing as I did operating. MARS provided periodic “goodie boxes” chock full of surplus components. Grif could be counted on to supply any missing parts I needed. Back in those days, you were nobody unless you had a 6146, 807, 811 or 813 for the final. Grif just “happened” to have a few of each lying around and gave me a choice. I picked the 807 because the shape appealed to me and it felt real good in my hand. It gave off a nice warm glow, too.

As high school graduation approached, and with no money for college, I needed to make some decisions about my future. Grif, John and Pete would all play important roles.

Shipping Out

Grif’s tales of Navy life and his impressive technical skill, which he credited to Navy training, influenced me to enlist in 1966. Because I held an Amateur Radio General class license, I was guaranteed enlistment as a Radioman Third Class and electronics training in San Diego. The Navy made good on its education promises and after completing several months of training, I reported to my first duty station — Marine Amphibious Squadron Four aboard the USS Boxer.

My duty hours were spent in Radio Central on CW, phone and RTTY; my off-duty hours were happily spent helping to run phone patches as K9YGR/Maritime Mobile. We made a lot of sailors very happy in those days before cell phones and e-mail. Of course, all that wonderful Collins and Drake equipment made me very happy, too. My tour of duty in the Navy strengthened my sense of values and responsibility, exposed me to new situations and provided me with some valuable post high school formal training. Thanks, Grif!

With my active duty obligation now complete, I needed to start a career, not just find a job. Pete and that giant IBM-designed SAGE computer at Stewart Air Force Base had made a lasting impression on me. I knew it was unlikely that I could ever become a computer programmer without a college degree but I secretly hoped for a “backdoor” through which I could get into the computer field at some level. Now seemed like the right time to apply a good measure of Grif’s advice to get my foot in that door first and worry about proving myself later.

It was late August of 1969. Neil Armstrong had walked on the moon a month earlier. Two weeks ago, I was at Max Yasgur’s farm, along with 400,000 other people, just up Highway 17 from my home. Anything was possible, right? So I applied to IBM. Not only did they hire me, they trained me to operate and, later, to program the IBM System 360 line of computers. On my first day at work, Mr Bensky, my new boss, sat behind his desk and peered down at my newly hatched IBM employee personnel file. “Wow” he said. “It says here you’re a ham operator, huh? You should pick this stuff up with no problem at all! Welcome, aboard!” Thanks, Pete!

Settling Down

Welcome aboard, indeed. As an IBMer I now had a start on a great career, a regular salary and a measure of stability. Marriage and a family followed in the 1970s and life settled into a pleasant routine. Periodically, I would fondly recall those long-ago summer days spent in John’s garage as he worked on his Ercoupe airplane restoration.

I began taking flying lessons in 1973. That was 36 years ago. In those 36 years I’ve soared peacefully in sailplanes, spun and rolled wildly in aerobatic machines and taken my family on many wonderful flying trips in tamer aircraft. But nothing was quite as stirring as August 12, 2006, the day I taxied onto the runway, straightened the tail wheel, pushed the throttle forward and began the take-off roll for the first test flight in the experimental airplane I had spent several years building all by myself. I can assure you that the wire runs and the electronics installation were absolutely neat and there was a single common ground point. Remember, first and foremost I’m a ham. Thanks, John!

I must confess. I have not always been a “good” ham. There have been times when Amateur Radio has taken a back seat to other responsibilities. There were the years I spent earning undergraduate and graduate degrees while being a dad to two daughters, sharing household duties with my schoolteacher wife and managing large software projects at IBM — all concurrently. I may have abandoned ham radio at times, but ham radio never abandoned me. I’ve always “come home” to ham radio. It was always there, waiting for me. Its message to me has been consistent: you can do anything you want, as long as you are willing to work at it. I am grateful for having known Grif, John and Pete and thankful for their influences upon my life.

I believe that ham radio has the potential to teach transferable skills beyond those that are strictly technical. I am grateful for having learned, through ham radio, such skills as self-directed learning, persistence, attention to detail, self-discipline, pride in workmanship, getting along with others and, most importantly, self-confidence. I believe that my own early introduction to these skills, at an impressionable age, aided and guided me throughout my life. I’ve never been afraid to try new things. I learned very early in life that knowledge is powerful, liberating and available to anyone who wants to develop it. I’ve learned first-hand how important mentor relationships can be; they have the potential to be gifts that continue to bear fruit throughout a lifetime.

I’ve heard that “things are different now” and young people have too many alternative activities that vie for their time and attention. Perhaps it is so. I refuse to assume that ham radio is not competitive. I don’t believe that the only potential outcome from an interest in ham radio is, or should be, an electronics or science career. Rather, I prefer to think in broader terms of benefits that can enrich the lives of anyone, at any age and from any walk of life.

Reunion by QSL

Warren, Grif and John are Silent Keys now. I lost track of Pete. WA6DUI came up as a canceled call sign. Since I now knew that I could do anything if I were willing to work hard enough, I found Pete’s old QSL card from December 20, 1964 and began an Internet search. I found him in Alamogordo, New Mexico, still active and now operating with his Advanced ticket as W6PTS. We had a grand chat by telephone and exchanged e-mail addresses. I had the opportunity to personally thank Pete for including me in that field trip to the SAGE blockhouse 45 years ago, which launched my interest in computers. We also exchanged electronic images of the QSL cards we received from each other in 1964.

I can’t help but wonder how my life’s direction might have changed if just one of these guys had been factored out of the equation.

I’m retired now, from both IBM and from 20 years of college teaching. I’ve come full circle. The kids are grown. My wife and I recently downsized to a townhouse. Once again, I’ve “come home” to ham radio. I plan to stay for good this time. Outside antennas are strictly prohibited in our townhouse community. Oh well...been there, done that. I’ve got a 40 meter dipole up in the attic again and, yes, the feed line comes down through a closet ceiling. My current rig is a modest little Ten Tec 1340 low power kit I proudly built. An MFJ antenna tuner, a Ten Tec “Budget” keyer and a neat little brass ScQRPion paddle, #691, round out my station. Every so often I hook up my old Vibroplex Champion bug — the very key Grif encouraged me to buy and the one I took to sea with me. I get out good enough.

Presently, I’m searching for a really sensitive copper penny and a large vintage safety pin so I can build a crystal set with my grandkids. Gosh, using a 1N34 would make it a no-brainer. Then we’ll start working on Morse code to teach them discipline, concentration, perseverance and we can have “secret” conversations. Kids love secrets. Afterward, I’ll start working on their little neighborhood friends. Let’s call it my “Adopt-a-Kid” retirement plan. Hey, you never know…

All photos courtesy Stan Levandowski, WB2LQF.

Stan Levandowski, WB2LQF, an ARRL member, has been licensed since 1960. First licensed as WN2LQF, he now holds an Amateur Extra class license. He holds an undergraduate degree in business and earned his MBA from Long Island University. Stan retired from IBM where he was a software development manager and from Nyack College where he taught organizational management classes for 20 years. He is a member of the QSY Society and the Mount Beacon Amateur Radio Club. He is also a licensed private pilot and a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Stan enjoys low power HF CW operating and is presently trying to master a new sideswiper. You can contact Stan at 6 Chatham Ct, Fishkill, NY 12524.

Spectrum Defense Matters -- to Everyone
TAGS: amateur radio, amateur radio frequencies, arrl, ARRL Chief, ARRL Chief Technology, ARRL Spectrum Defense, ARRL Technical Relations, ARRL volunteers, ARRL Web site, international amateur radio union, Officer Brennan Price, Officer David Sumner, radio amateurs, radio spectrum, world radiocommunication conference
08/10/2010

In July 2010, the ARRL launched a newsletter called Spectrum Defense Matters to keep its members information on issues related to the protection of Amateur Radio frequencies. This newsletter -- published on the ARRL Web site a few times each year -- will cover both domestic and international topics. Your financial support is vital to support ARRL’s work to protect your operating privileges by contributing generously to the ARRL Spectrum Defense Fund.

“The radio spectrum is a finite and increasingly valuable resource,” said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, in this inaugural issue. “Mobile broadband providers are willing to pay almost any price for access that they can sell back to the public. Yet, who can put a price on a community, devastated and cut off by natural disaster, being able to communicate reliably when normal channels have failed? What is the dollar value of a young person being inspired, by his or her hands-on experience as a radio amateur, to pursue a career in science or engineering? On a more personal level, what is the enrichment that Amateur Radio has brought to our own lives worth to each of us?”

Saying that ARRL volunteers and staff work tirelessly every day to protect our spectrum access, Sumner notes that the ARRL is in partnership “with radio amateurs throughout the world, coordinating our efforts through the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). In future issues of this newsletter we plan to report to you on the status of those efforts as we prepare for the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) and as we meet other challenges.”

This first issue of Spectrum Defense Matters includes articles on how the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is opposing an amateur allocation on 500 kHz. ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX -- as the United States spokesperson for Amateur Radio issues at the ITU -- is working hard to effectively and fairly present the case for Amateur Radio over significant resistance by maritime interests both inside and outside the United States.

Other articles include how the ARRL is preparing to advocate for Amateur Radio at WRC-12, coming up in January 2012. WRC-12 will consider a number of items that could, in a worst case scenario, adversely impact Amateur Radio. WRC-12 will consider an allocation to the radiolocation service somewhere within 30-300 MHz, potentially affecting the Amateur Radio 50, 144, and 222 MHz bands. Also on the agenda are potential allocations to HF oceanographic radar between 3 and 50 MHz; these radars have operated on an ad hoc, experimental basis for a number of years, and while they are unquestionably useful, they are incompatible with Amateur Radio. Studies regarding these issues will also be finalized in November.

A major milestone will occur in February 2011 when a two-week Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM) will be held in Geneva. The CPM, which is likely to attract more than 1000 participants, will prepare a detailed technical report analyzing various options for addressing the more than 30 Agenda Items for the WRC. Inputs to the CPM are being drafted by Working Parties of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). “If you can picture a thousand people working in six different languages and debating the placement of every comma in a 500-page document, you have an idea of what a CPM is like,” Sumner said. This report will be an influential document, serving as the starting point for deliberations at WRC-12. Both Price and ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, are working to make sure this document gives Amateur Radio the consideration it requires and deserves.

If you value the Amateur Radio spectrum, help the ARRL protect this valuable resource. For a $50 contribution to the Spectrum Defense Fund, you will receive a beautiful 2010 Spectrum Defense pin that you can wear with pride, knowing you are doing your part to help to protect your on-air privileges. With a donation of $100, you will not only receive the pin, but also a 2010 Spectrum Defense mug.

“You can take an important step right now to support ARRL’s commitment to defending the Amateur Radio Spectrum,” Sumner explained. “Please make a generous contribution to the Spectrum Defense Fund by mail, on the Web or by phone. Perhaps you’ll consider a very easy way to contribute by pledging $10 or $20 or $100 a month. Your financial commitment, over and above your annual dues, will ensure that ARRL has the resources to represent you and protect your operating frequencies.” To make a donation via mail, please send to Spectrum Defense Fund, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111. To make a contribution over the phone, or to discuss other giving options, please call 860-594-0397.

FCC Denies Petitions on Call Sign Usage, Expanded Privileges
TAGS: amateur radio, amateur radio service, amateur stations, Commission’s Rules, fcc amateur radio, federal communications commission, meter band, Part 97, petition, Rule Making, social security number
08/11/2010

On August 9, the FCC denied two Petitions for Rule Making: one to prohibit what the petitioner called “the false or unauthorized use of an Amateur Radio call sign,” and one to wishing to expand privileges on the 15 meter phone band for General and Amateur Extra class licensees.

Eric R. Hilding, K6VVA

Eric R. Hilding, K6VVA, of Morgan Hill, California, filed a Petition for Rule Making in November 2009, asking the FCC that Part 97 of the Commission’s Rules “be amended to prohibit the false or unauthorized use of an amateur radio call sign.” Hilding, in his Petition, made the argument that “the grant of an Amateur Radio operator/primary station license and call sign is actually a federal fingerprint and federal identity that is unique to one, and only one, individual person or club entity, using the same principle as assignment of unique federal Social Security numbers. Any unauthorized use or identity theft of a person’s Social Security number is rightfully a federal crime.”

Hilding cited several instances where a “psychotic individual” allegedly used valid call signs of well-known amateurs and DXpeditions to post on “multiple international anonymous Internet proxy servers to post non-international goodwill content foul trash. Clearly, many of these ongoing posts are a form of electronic ‘harassment’ and ‘stalking.’ Some of the postings constitute a form of ‘electronic hate crime’...very disturbing is that the perpetrator of these electronic crimes is most likely an FCC Amateur Radio licensee.”

Hilding proposed changes to Part 97 to reflect his belief that using someone else’s call sign is a form of identity theft. He called on the FCC to add language to Part 97 stating that “[a]ny misrepresentation or unauthorized use of a Federal Communications Commission licensee’s unique call sign identity, whether made over the public airwaves, Internet packet cluster system postings, cellular or non-cellular telephone connections, electronic based communications or print media formats of any other nature, shall be considered a form of federal identity theft and a federal crime,” and wanted those who violated this provision to face consequences of jail time up to five years and/or fines up to $50,000. Hilding wanted his proposed amendments to be effective retroactively as of January 1, 2007.

In its denial of Hilding’s Petition, the FCC said that Part 97 of the Commission’s Rules regulates only the Amateur Radio Service: “Regulations regarding other forms of communications would be beyond the scope of Part 97. Given that Part 97 already prohibits amateur stations from transmitting false identification, we conclude that the rules already address the misuse of amateur call signs to the appropriate extent, and that your Petition presents no grounds for amending Part 97.”

Richard Ebeling, K2UTC

Richard Ebeling, K2UTC, of White Plains, New York, filed a Petition for Rule Making in December 2009, requesting that the FCC amend Part 97 to authorize more spectrum for voice communications, specifically, to increase the segment in the 15 meter band authorized to General and Amateur Extra class licensees for phone emissions by 75 and 50 kilohertz, respectively.

In his Petition, Ebeling argued that the frequency segment available for phone emissions allotted to General class licensees in the 15 meter band should be returned to what it was prior to the Commission's Incentive Licensing decision in 1967. The FCC noted in its denial letter that Ebeling believed that taking away these privileges “unfairly disadvantaged General class licensees.”

The FCC pointed out that it recently increased the spectrum amateur stations could use for voice communications in various amateur bands, specifically, that the spectrum that General class licensees may use for phone emissions in the 15 meter band was increased by 25 kilohertz. “The Petition does not address this action, or otherwise present evidence that the current amount of spectrum in the 15 meter band available for voice communications is inadequate,” the FCC said. “Consequently, we conclude that the rule change you request is not necessary.”

RACES... are you really RACES?
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
RACES stands for "Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service," a protocol created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC Part 97, Section 407). Many government agencies across the country train their Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS) volunteers using the RACES protocol. The volunteers serve their respective jurisdictions pursuant to guidelines and mandates established by local emergency management officials.

RACES volunteer operators are:
Licensed Radio Amateurs
Certified by a civil defense agency
Able to communicate on Amateur Radio frequencies during drills, exercises and emergencies
Activated by local, county and state jurisdictions and are the only Amateur Radio operators authorized to transmit during declared emergencies when the President of the United States specifically invokes the War Powers Act.

RACES Resource Library:
This web site is intended to assist in the distribution of RACES Auxiliary Emergency Communications information. Updated RACES documentation and other emergency preparedness documents are available through the RACES Resource Library, maintained by RACES volunteers registered with the Arlington County, Virginia Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Support Function #2.

National Incident Management System:

Protocols embraced by RACES volunteers across the nation include the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which provides a consistent nationwide template to enable federal, state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work together to protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents.
To learn more about RACES check with your local RACES Officer or the EMA Director.. you are required to have training to be involved in the RACES Program, ex...ARECC Level 1, FEMA Courses 100a,200a,700a,800b.. this is a example of some of the requirements that the EMA Director will require, if you don't have at least ARECC Level 1, 100a & 700a, you will probably need to take these courses ... ARES is also now asking for these min courses to be taken, most emergency agencies will not use you on a ICS if you cannot provide proper training records... if you would like further information check with you EMA Director or EC or RACES Officer for your county....
When so activated, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service will consist of only those amateur radio operators who have previously registered with State and local governments to provide emergency radio communications for them in times of emergency. Other amateur radio operations would be suspended and operations under the RACES rules might be restricted to certain frequencies within the amateur radio bands.

In addition to wartime communications, operations under the RACES rules can provide or supplement communications during emergencies where normal communication systems have sustained damage. It may be used in a wide variety of situations, including natural disasters, technological disasters, nuclear accidents, nuclear attack, terrorist incidents, and bomb threats.

FEMA Course Site..
http://training.fema.gov/IS/

FCC Enforcement ..
May 7, 2010

Mr. Matthew J. Lapham

(Address withheld)

(City/State withheld)

Re: WARNING FOR UNLICENSED RADIO OPERATION

EB-10-GB-0064

Dear Mr. Lapham:

Information before the Commission indicates that you have periodically
been operating under the amateur radio call sign of KC5RLU. This call sign
is licensed to Matthew A. Lapham of Baker, Louisiana, who is currently
serving in the United States Air Force in Iraq. Commission records
indicate that you do not have an amateur license.

Operation of radio transmitting equipment without a valid FCC
authorization is a violation of Section 301 of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended, and may subject the responsible parties to substantial
monetary forfeitures, in rem arrest action against the offending radio
equipment, and criminal sanctions including imprisonment. Because
unlicensed operation creates a danger of interference to important radio
communications services and may subject the operator to severe penalties,
this warning emphasizes the importance of complying strictly with these
legal requirements.

ANY UNAUTHORIZED OPERATION OF THIS RADIO STATION MUST CEASE IMMEDIATELY.

You have ten (10) days from the date of receipt of this warning to respond
to this office. The response must contain a statement of the specific
action(s) taken to come into compliance with the Commission's rules and
should include a time line for completion of pending corrective action(s).
You are directed to support your response with a signed and dated
affidavit or declaration under penalty of perjury, verifying the truth and
accuracy of the information submitted in your response. Your response
should be sent to: 1270 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325 and reference
the listed case number.

In an inquiry of this type we are required to notify you that under the
Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. S: 552a(e)(3), the Commission's staff will
use all relevant information before it, including information you disclose
in your reply, to determine what, if any, enforcement action is warranted
in this matter.

You may contact me at 717-338-2577 should you wish to discuss this matter.

Sincerely,

Laura L. Smith

January 6, 2010

Mr. Scott Walter

(Address withheld)

(City/State withheld)

Re: Amateur Radio License N9SBJ

Warning Notice

EB-09-GB-305

Dear Mr. Walter:

The trustee of W9AXD has requested, by certified letter, that you refrain
from use of his repeater. The written request was issued as a result of
your failure to follow operational rules set forth by the licensee/control
operator of the repeater for his users. You were previously issued several
verbal requests to refrain from using the repeater, but failed to comply
with those requests necessitating the formal written request. You
acknowledged on air that you understood that you were not to be using the
W9AXD repeater but indicated that you were going to continue using it
despite the requests of the trustee that you cease doing so.

The Commission requires that repeaters be under the supervision of a
control operator and not only expects, but requires, that such control
operators be responsible for the proper operation of the repeater system.
Control operators may take whatever steps they deem appropriate to ensure
compliance with the repeater rules, including limiting the repeater use to
certain users, converting the repeater to a closed repeater or taking it
off the air entirely.

Please be advised that the Commission expects you to abide by the request
of the trustee that you stay off of W9AXD - and any other similar requests
to cease operations on any other repeaters by any other repeater
licensees, control operators or trustees. Use of W9AXD again after receipt
of this letter could subject you to severe penalties, including license
revocation, monetary forfeiture (fine) or a modification proceeding to
restrict the frequencies upon which you may operate.

Sincerely,

Laura L. Smith

April 9, 2010

Mr. Michael Moretti

(Address withheld)

(City/State withheld)

Re: WARNING NOTICE

Amateur Radio License W2YP

EB-10-GB-0040

Dear Mr. Moretti:

By letter dated March 22, 2010, the Commission notified you that it had
received a complaint concerning the operation of your amateur radio
station. The complaint alleged that you have been marking threats against
other amateur operators in your area.

You responded to the Commission's letter on March 31, 2010. In that
letter, you explained that about six months ago you began to receive
interference to your ongoing QSOs from an unknown source(s). According to
your response, your "frustration and anger built up" as a result of the
"relentless stream of sarcasm, belligerence, verbal harassment, and signal
jamming." Ultimately, as you acknowledge in your letter, you "vented
[your] anger at these individuals" by threatening them. You apologized for
the outburst and stated that the comments were not to be taken literally
but rather, were you venting your "pent-up emotions." Finally, you note
that amateur radio is a "wonderful" hobby and that going forward you will
endeavor to do your part in upholding its fine traditions.

While your frustration and agitation over the alleged interference to your
station is understandable, your operation as described above is contrary
to the basis and purpose of the amateur radio service as set out in
Section 97.1 of the Commission's rules. Please be advised that the
Commission expects you to abide by its rules. This letter serves as notice
that, if operation of this type reoccurs after receipt of this letter, you
could be

subject to severe penalties, including license revocation, monetary
forfeiture (fines), or a

modification proceeding to restrict the frequencies upon which you may
operate.

Sincerely,

Laura L. Smith

April 9, 2010

Mr. William K. Clark

(Address withheld)

(City/State withheld)

Re: WARNING NOTICE

Amateur Radio License WK7X

EB-10-GB-0029

Dear Mr. Clark:

By letter dated March 10, 2010, the Commission notified you that it had
received a complaint concerning the operation of your amateur radio
station. The complaint alleged that you transmitted obscene or indecent
words or language in violation of Section 97.113(a) (4) of the
Commission's rules. A copy of the complaint was sent to you for your
review.

You responded to the Commission's letter on April 5, 2010. In that letter,
you acknowledged that you made a "very bad decision using indecent words."
You further explain that you are a disabled Viet Nam veteran who uses your
amateur radio as your primary source of entertainment. In your response,
you mentioned that the incident was very short in duration and requested
leniency on the part of the Commission as a result of the acknowledged
rule violation. Finally, you indicated that you were "very (extremely)
sorry for [your] actions" and stated that it would "never happen again."

Your operation as described above is contrary to the basis and purpose of
the amateur radio service as set out in Section 97.1 of the Commission's
rules. Please be advised that the Commission expects you to abide by its
rules. This letter serves as notice that, if operation of this type
reoccurs after receipt of this letter, you could be

subject to severe penalties, including license revocation, monetary
forfeiture (fines), or a modification proceeding to restrict the
frequencies upon which you may operate.

Sincerely,

Laura L. Smith

Special Counsel

Cc: Denver Field Office

Western Regional Director

See 47 C.F.R. S: 97.1.

Fines normally range from $7,500 to $10,000.

These are just a few of the many complaints and actions taken, yes they are there and working hard also for the amateur community... Thought you all would like to see...

More to follow, sorry for being late..