4U1UN UN Amateur Radio Operation Could Resume

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4U1UN UN Amateur Radio Club Operation Could Resume Later this Year

ARRL – Outside of beacon signals, 4U1UN, the Amateur Radio club station at United Nations Headquarters in New York, has not been heard on the air since 2015, and only then under the commemorative 4U70UN call sign marking the UN’s 70th anniversary that fall, with operation from a ground-level garden area within the UN Headquarters complex. That could change soon. The 4U1UN station, once within the iconic UN building, was dismantled in 2010 and antennas removed in advance of extensive building renovations. But room for 4U1UN — which counts as a separate DXCC entity — was not allocated in the new building layout. UN staffer James Sarte, K2QI, the president of the United Nations Amateur Radio Club (UNARC), said in late July that “red tape” has been a roadblock to getting 4U1UN back on the air.

“It’s taken us years just to get the administration and security to allow us to resume beacon operations,” he told DX-World.net. “Security protocols became much tighter after 9/11. And when renovations [for] the Secretariat were completed, staff were no longer permitted to engage in any activities above the [Secretary-General’s] floor. That said, we’re slowly working to restore operations.”

Negotiations have been continuing off and on for a few years now, but Sarte says that any notion of returning to staffed operations from the station’s former forty-first-floor annex is a thing of the past. “Any such activity from the club will have to be done remotely from a broadcast booth that was loaned to us by the UN’s broadcast services section,” he explained. “The good news, however, is that new equipment was recently donated to the club that would make that a reality. The transceiver, amplifier, and associated network equipment are now in place. We also had a dedicated closed network line installed primarily for that purpose.” Operation would take place from UN Headquarters grounds.

Sarte said the remaining task is to install an antenna and begin testing, which, he estimated, should happen this month, and may already have begun.

“I know many have been waiting for the return of 4U1UN. No one wants to see it back on the air more than I do, but please understand that support for Amateur Radio operations by the [UN] administration has waned over the years. To get where we are today took a lot of cajoling and negotiation.” Most of the burden has fallen on Sarte, who said his workload has increased, plus funds are tight. “But I do promise that 4U1UN will be back on the air soon,” he concluded.

4U1UN is the 34th most-wanted DXCC entity, ahead of such Swain’s Island, Myanmar, and Yemen. Max de Henseler, HB9RS (SK), spearheaded the effort to establish a UN Headquarters Amateur Radio station in 1978. Before that, a UN Amateur Radio station operated as K2UN.

Indonesia – Lombok Earthquake

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IARU – As Radio Amateurs in Indonesia respond for the second time to an Earthquake in the Lombok area, please take care to avoid causing QRM to their activities on 7.110MHz and emergency activities on satellite IO-86.

The second powerful earthquake inthe area killed at least 98 people and seriously injured more than 200 others. The electricity supply in the area is disrupted and the ORARI of West Nusa Tenggara Region led by YB9KA and YB9GV have taken action to cover areas with no cellular coverage including taking battery supplies to affected repeaters. At the moment four repeaters are operating in the disaster area with ORARI HQ asking their Bali Island Region (the closest area) to provide further repeater support for use by emergency communications in Lombok.

ORARI HQ has also issued an official request to the nearest region, to help with both logistics and personnel to Lombok, and designating a National Frequency for the Lombok Earthquake at 7.110 MHz for HF, VHF on 145.500 MHz Simplex and 147.000 MHz Duplex, and also to activate ORARI Satellite LAPAN IO-86, to assist with communication.

The Central Java Region of the Indonesian Search And Rescue Council has sent a group of rescuers and vehicles, lead by YB2QC the Operation and Technical Head of ORARI to join the National Rescue Operation in Lombok and ORARI Jakarta is also arranging the delivery of logistical assistance to Lombok.

(Summary of information from Dani YB2TJV )

ARISS Packet Radio System Expected to be Back Late this Year

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ARRL – The currently silent packet radio system on the International Space Station could be back on the air by year’s end.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) hardware team members have located an original duplicate of the packet module that had been in use on the International Space Station (ISS) before failing more than a year ago after 17 years of service. With a new battery installed, the unit was tested and found to be functioning. The ARISS packet system in the space station’s Columbus module, operating on 145.825 MHz, quit last July after first experiencing some problems. All necessary paperwork has been completed to manifest the packet module on the Progress 71P spacecraft launch now set for Halloween, with docking on November 2.

“Installation date will depend on the crew’s busy schedule, but ARISS hopes packet can be online again by the end of November 2018,” ARISS said this week in a news release. ARISS said it’s heard from “many hams” who have been asking when the packet system will be back on the air.

When the ARISS packet module aboard ISS died in last year, the ARISS hardware team already was overburdened with the design and safety certification of the new interoperable radio system ARISS has been developing that’s set for launch next year. The team did attempt some basic troubleshooting of the old packet module but was unable to revive it and decided instead to dedicate all of its time to the new replacement radio system, including packet capability.

ARISS Packet Radio System Expected to be Back Late this Year

Early this year, thermal testing of the first flight-identical power supply for the new comprehensive radio system showed that some changes to air flow were needed. This change would delay launch of the new radio equipment from late 2018 to early 2019.

ARISS Donate
VA3DBJ.ca – ISS page

Slow phone or computer? How to avoid getting ‘cryptojacked’

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By Josh Elliott/Global News – Your computer or smartphone might be helping criminals crank out thousands of dollars in online currency, and you wouldn’t even know it.

A new hacking tool known as “cryptojacking” is on the rise, and it threatens to secretly use your computer to generate online money for cybercriminals.

In the latest case, the Russian online security firm Kaspersky says a downloadable program has generated more than $40,000 by operating in the background on victims’ phones, laptops and work computers. The program has been dubbed “PowerGhost,” and it has yet to be stopped.

Cybercriminals have also found ways to exploit victims’ computers through their web browsers. In one case from January, someone inserted a line of cryptojacking code into an advertisement on YouTube. Victims saw their computers slow to a crawl when the advertisement appeared, as their processors were hijacked to generate money for the cybercriminal.

Experts say potentially thousands of websites and hundreds of thousands of users have been affected by a form of cryptojacking, although its stealthy nature makes it hard to nail down concrete numbers.

Raj Samani, the chief scientist at antivirus-maker McAfee, says cryptojacking is “one of the fastest-growing areas of cybercrime.”

Here’s how to protect yourself in the new age of cryptojacking.

What are they stealing?

Anyone can “mine” their own cryptocurrency by using a computer to solve complex math problems. However, the process can be time- and energy-intensive, making it hard to turn a profit without a large operation or a cheap source of power.

Cryptojacking is all about generating cryptocurrency, an anonymous, decentralized form of online money that can be used to purchase a wide variety of goods and services from internet retailers.

With cryptojacking, hackers are essentially making their victims’ computers do all the work for them. They secretly force thousands of computers to solve math problems in the background, then have the resulting cryptocurrency sent to their own digital wallet. Each computer generates only a small amount of revenue, but their combined efforts can mean big bucks for the cybercriminal.

“It’s the theft of computer resources and it’s the theft of energy,”

Troy Mursch – Bad Packets Report

“They’re stealing your resources to mine cryptocurrency for themselves, and that money goes directly into their pocket.”

This makes corporate networks particularly attractive for cybercriminals, because every computer on the network could be forced to mine cryptocurrency, he said.

“The individual device may not be making the guy rich, but when you rope all these together, … it starts to add up,” Mursch said.

For more, click here

FCC Cites Baofeng Importer

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FCC Cites Baofeng Importer for Illegally Marketing Unauthorized RF Devices

The FCC has issued a Citation and Order (Citation) to Amcrest Industries, LLC(formerly Foscam Digital Technologies, LLC), an importer and marketer of popular and inexpensive Baofeng hand-held transceivers, alleging that the company violated FCC rules and the Communications Act by illegally marketing unauthorized RF devices. The FCC asserts that Amcrest marketed Baofeng model UV-5R-series FM hand-held radios capable of transmitting on “restricted frequencies.” The Baofeng models UV-5R and UV-5R V2+ were granted an FCC equipment authorization in 2012 to operate under Part 90 Private Land Mobile Radio Service (Land Mobile) rules.

“Under § 2.803 of the Commission’s rules, an entity may not market a device that is capable of operating outside the scope of its equipment authorization,” the FCC Citation said. “RF devices that have been authorized under Part 90 rules, such as the model as issue, must operate within the technical parameters established in those rules.” The FCC also maintained that the UV-5R 2+ is capable of operating at 1 W or 4 W, while the Part 90 Equipment Authorization limits the power output to 1.78 W.

Amcrest conceded that the units were capable of operating on restricted frequencies but told the FCC that, per discussions with the manufacturer, were “only capable of operating at 1 W, the FCC said. The company instructed the manufacturer to fix the problem and later confirmed with the manufacturer that all Amcrest inventory on order and in the future would operate only on 145 – 155 MHz and 400 – 520 MHz.

While the Citation does not mention Amateur Radio, the UV-5R series radios can be programmed in a channelized configuration to function on 2-meters and 70-centimeters. According to the Citation, Amcrest had added a warning in its user manuals and marketing and sales materials implying that the UV-5R V2+ could operate on unauthorized and restricted frequencies, including Part 87 Aviation Services frequencies, Part 80 Maritime Services frequencies, and frequencies reserved for federal government use. The FCC said Part 90 radios that permit the operator to use external controls to program and transmit on frequencies other than those programmed by the manufacturer are “generally prohibited.”

Amcrest told the FCC that it had ceased marketing four models in the Baofeng UV-5R series “a few years ago,” but it did not remove them from its website until last February. Numerous online retailers continue selling UV-5R series radios for less than $25, with some ads indicating that these are “ham” equipment.

Amcrest Industries, LLC, which owns and operates Baofengradio US, is an import, distribution, and marketing company based in Houston, Texas. It also sells hand-held transceivers under its own label.

“While we recognize Amcrest’s efforts to date to achieve compliance with the Commission’s rules, the company must nonetheless ensure the version of the UV-5R V2+ it is marketing operates only on frequencies specified in its Equipment Authorization,” the FCC said in its Citation. The FCC directed Amcrest “to take immediate steps to come into compliance with the Commission’s equipment authorization rules and cease marketing unauthorized RF devices in the United States.” Amcrest could face fines of nearly $20,000 per day if it fails to comply. 

Slow-Scan TV Transmissions from ISS

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Slow-Scan TV Transmissions from International Space Station: July 30-31

RAC/ARISS – ARISS Russia is planning another of their popular MAI Slow Scan Television (SSTV) experiment events. Transmissions are scheduled to begin at 16:00 UTC on July 30, then powered down at 19:30 UTC. The next day (July 31), the system will be active from 13:25-19:15 UTC. Downlink should be on the traditional 145.80 MHz frequency and the operating mode will likely be PD120.

When this event becomes active, SSTV images are downlinked from the International Space Station (ISS) at the frequency of 145.80 MHz and can be received using Amateur Radio equipment as simple as a 2 metre handheld radio or a common scanner receiver the covers the 2 metre Amateur band. After connecting the audio output of the radio receiver into the audio input of a computer running free software such as MMSSTV, the SSTV images can be displayed.

Please note that the event is dependent on other activities, schedules and crew responsibilities on the ISS and are subject to change at any time.

Please check for news and the most current information on the AMSAT.org (https://www.amsat.org/) and ARISS.org (http://www.ariss.org/) websites, the [email protected], the ARISS facebook at Amateur Radio On 
The International Space Station (ARISS) and ARISS twitter @ARISS_status.

For more information contact:

Dave Jordan, AA4KN
ARISS PR
[email protected]

Background information:

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States and other international space agencies and international Amateur Radio organizations around the world.

The primary purpose of ARISS is to organize scheduled contacts via Amateur Radio between crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced volunteers from Amateur Radio clubs and coordination from the ARISS team, the ISS crew members speak directly with large group audiences in a variety of public forums such as school assemblies, science centers and museums, Scout camporees, jamborees and space camps, where students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies and Amateur Radio.

ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering the participating space agencies, NASA, the Russian Space Agency, ESA, CNES, JAXA and CSA, with the AMSAT and International Amateur Radio Union organizations from participating countries.

ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crew members onboard the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and communities see, firsthand, how Amateur Radio and crew members on the International Space Station can energize youth and instill an interest in science, technology, and learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on their website.

HAARP to Use WSPR on 80 Meters

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ARRL – Alaska’s super-power High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) transmitters in Gakona, Alaska, will take advantage of the WSPR digital protocol and the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter Network (WSPRnet) during a short experimental campaign, July 30 through August 1. University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Space Physics Group researcher and HAARP Chief Scientist Chris Fallen, KL3WX, told ARRL that he’ll be conducting research into ionospheric irregularities, but hardly with a weak signal.

“I am conducting a dual-use experiment to create field-aligned — plasma density — irregularities while also modulating the HF beam for a WSPR beacon test,” he said. Specifically, Fallen will be looking at plasma density irregularities in the F-layer of the ionosphere.

Fallen said the WSPR experimental periods are tentatively planned to last about 30 minutes per day and occur between approximately 2300 and 2400 hours UTC on all 3 days, which would put the operations during daylight hours in US time zones. Most transmissions will be at the WSPR 80-meter default frequency of 3.592.6 MHz, Fallen said. HAARP will use full-carrier AM, since it’s not equipped to transmit SSB. The call sign will be WI2XFX. The HAARP transmitters can generate megawatts of RF.

“One irregularity is that the actual transmit power will be higher than what is reported since it is out of range of what the software allows to be encoded,” Fallen told ARRL.

“These daytime 80-meter conditions are not ideal for a propagation test, but are the result of a compromise with other science objectives and operational constraints,” Fallen said. “I hope that this will be a useful trial for future propagation tests that utilize beacon networks maintained by hams. If I have a little bit of time remaining in my budget, I will try to accommodate a 40-meter test as well.”

Fallen said he’s using WSPRnet to retrieve signal reports automatically, rather than by soliciting listener reports, which often do not include the location and signal strength information his research requires.

“We will conduct a short test each day — admittedly not QRP, but the test will be short — transmitting on even numbered minutes, and then later collecting from the database the spots reported by each station that received HAARP,” Fallen explained. “This will demonstrate the concept of using a large and incredibly variable — in terms of frequency, power, and direction — HF transmitter such as HAARP, in conjunction with WSPRnet, to generate snapshots of HF propagation conditions from a point source in the subarctic.”

Fallen said hams have been requesting something like this, although with far more asking for FT8 than for WSPR transmissions. “But, I am having trouble figuring out specifically how FT8 would work with HAARP,” Fallen said.

Fallen said the Amateur Radio bands are not included in HAARP’s permanent Part 5 Experimental license authorization, but UAF routinely seeks a Special Temporary Authorization (STA, attached) that permits access to some amateur frequencies.

FCC Proposes $18,000 Fine in Louisiana

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FCC Proposes $18,000 Fine in Louisiana Amateur Radio Interference Case

ARRL – The FCC has issued a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) proposing to fine Jerry W. Materne, KC5CSG, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, $18,000 “for apparently causing intentional interference and for apparently failing to provide station identification on amateur radio frequencies,” the FCC said.

“Mr. Materne was previously warned regarding this behavior in writing by the Enforcement Bureau and, given his history as a repeat offender, these apparent violations warrant a significant penalty,” the FCC said in the NAL, released on July 25.

In 2017, the FCC received numerous complaints alleging that Materne was causing interference to the W5BII repeater, preventing other amateur licensees from using it. In March 2017, the repeater trustee banned Materne from using the repeater.

Responding to some of the complaints, the Enforcement Bureau issued a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), advising Materne of the allegations and directing him to address them. Materne denied causing interference but admitted to operating simplex on the repeater’s output frequency. In June 2017, the FCC received an additional complaint alleging that Materne had repeatedly interfered with an attempted emergency net that was called up as Tropical Storm Cindy was about to make landfall. The complaint maintained that Materne “repeatedly transmitted on the repeater’s input frequency, hindering the local emergency net’s ability to coordinate weather warnings and alerts on behalf of the National Weather Service,” the FCC said in the NAL.

Local amateurs were able to track the interfering signal to Materne’s residence and confirmed their findings to the FCC, prompting a Warning Letter advising Materne of the complaint and pointing out that his behavior “as described in the complaint would be a violation of Section 97.101(d) of the Commission’s rules.” Materne responded to the Warning Letter to argue that it was legal to transmit on the repeater’s output frequency, further stating that “he was tired of this trash harassing me,” the FCC said.

In the wake of further complaints, FCC agents visited Lake Charles, tracked transmissions on 146.130 MHz to Materne’s residence, and monitored them for up to 7 hours. The agent reported hearing Materne “playing music on 146.130 MHz and warning other amateur operators that the local Amateur Radio club would not be able to conduct their net later that day.”

That evening, the agent watched as Materne drove to a location near the W5BII repeater, where, the agent said, Materne “began transmitting an amateur digital radio signal from a hand-held radio in his vehicle,” disrupting the net and failing to identify. Subsequently, the agent, accompanied by a deputy from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, approached Materne’s vehicle and confirmed that he possessed a radio capable of operating on 146.130 MHz. “Audio recordings captured by the agent demonstrate that the intentional interference ceased as the agent and the Sheriff’s deputy approached Mr. Materne’s vehicle,” the FCC said in the NAL.

The FCC said that based on the evidence before it, Materne “apparently willfully violated Section 333 of the Act and Section 97.101(d) of the Commission’s rules by intentionally interfering with other licensed amateur communications,” and that he “apparently willfully violated Section 97.119(a) of the Commission’s rules by failing to transmit his assigned call sign.”

“[W]e find that Mr. Materne’s apparent repeated, intentional, and egregious apparent violations of Section 333 of the Act and Section 97.101(d) of the Commission’s rules warrant an upward adjustment of $10,000 to the proposed forfeiture,” the FCC said. “In applying the applicable statutory factors, we also consider whether there is any basis for a downward adjustment of the proposed forfeiture. Here, we find none.”

Software and Downloads

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Scanner & Amateur Radio Software 

Work in progress…

OP25 – OP25 is a not-for-profit project to bring together folks that are interested in implementing APCO P25 using a software-defined radio on Linux systems. Their goal, is to build a software-defined analyzer for APCO P25 signals that is available under the GNU Public License (GPL).

APCO Project 25 is the digital communications standard used by many police and emergency services throughout the world. Most notably the US, Canada and Australia deploy systems based on P25. Compared to existing analogue systems P25 offers improved spectrum use, coverage and flexibility. Provision is made to ensure the confidentiality of traffic, to allow the use of trunking and the provision of data in addition to voice services.

For more information on downloading and installing on Linux, please click here.

Satellite Tracking Software

There are numerous satellite tracking programs out there and they are all very nice programs. But there are those that stand out as some of the best. Below are some of the programs that I believe are well worth your time to look into. Take a look at them and see if they are right for you.

Orbitron

Gpredict – Gpredict is a real-time satellite tracking and orbit prediction application. It can track an unlimited number of satellites and display their position and other data in lists, tables, maps, and polar plots (radar view). Gpredict can also predict the time of future passes for a satellite, and provide you with detailed information about each pass.

Gpredict is different from other satellite tracking programs in that it allows you to group the satellites into visualization modules. Each of these modules can be configured independently from the others giving you unlimited flexibility concerning the look and feel of the modules. Naturally, Gpredict will also allow you to track satellites relatively to different observer locations – at the same time.  Gpredict is available for Linux and Windows operating systems.

Gpredict is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License. This gives you the freedom to use and modify gpredict to suit your needs. Gpredict is available as source package as well as precompiled binaries available via third parties.

Orbitron

Orbitron – Orbitron is a satellite tracking system for radio amateur and observing purposes. It’s also used by weather professionals, satellite communication users, astronomers, UFO hobbyist and even astrologers. Orbitron shows the positions of satellites at any given moment (in real or simulated time). Orbitron is available for Windows, but can be operated on Linux via Wine.

Sebastian Stoff has done a great job on taking satellite tracking to the next level. Even though satellite tracking hsn’t really changed much through the years, Sebastian has given it a new look. I have been very proud to help Sebastian with a very small part on his project, by providing the satellite information.

After taking some time off, Sebastian has returned and is looking at improving his very popular software. He is even looking at a new web based project as well. For more information, please visit his site or his new forum by clicking here .

D Ransom

David Ransom Software – STSORBIT PLUS, usually known as STSPLUS, is intended for use during Space Shuttle missions and for general satellite tracking using NASA/NORAD 2-Line Orbital Elements. One primary satellite and up to 32 additional “static” or “real time” satellites may be simultaneously tracked in real time on most computers.

David Ransom’s site was reported non-operational as of December 1, 2006 – David passed away on November 5th, 2006. As a tribute to Dave and his hard work for NASA, USAF, Amateur Radio operators and every satellite tracker, David Cottle and myself have made the full STSPlus package available to all.

You can get the entire package here.

Two-Line Element Files – TLE

The following information provided by numerous sources that is updated on a almost daily basis. This section has been a combined effort by myself and Dave Cottle, with links and other information provided by John David Corby and Dr. Kelso. Thanks to all.

Aus-City – Operated by David Cottle. Aus-City has provided a forum, that not only provides the latest space related information, but also provides a place for you to ask questions and participate in the ongoing, near-real time discussions. Aus-City has provides satellite two line elements (TLE’s) via the TLE.INFO web site. The TLE’s are update every 6 hours.

CelesTrak – Operated by Dr. T.S. Kelso since 1985, CelesTrak has established a credible reputation worldwide for providing educational materials and standard data to the space community such as two-line element sets, earth orientation parameters, solar weather data, geomagnetic indices, precision orbit ephemerides, and associated models and documentation.

Dangerous Street Drug Suspected In Northumberland

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Northumberland – The Northumberland OPP is warning the public about a new synthetic street drug called “Flakka” suspected to be circulating in Northumberland County. Some call it the “zombie” drug because it turns it’s victims into zombies.

This drug is being sold on the streets as Xanax according to police. “Flakka” is a designer drug that can be snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed. The drug has been found in both powder and rock forms and can vary in color. It may also be combined with other, softer drugs such as marijuana.

Symptoms of ingestion of “Flakka” are often delayed, occurring up to 18-24 hours after ingestion and include; extreme agitation, hallucinations, dystonia (muscles contract uncontrollably), psychosis, hyperactivity, delirium, bizarre behaviour, and extreme strength. The Police say the side effects of this drug include but are not limited to acute kidney injury, heart failure and even death.

CNN reports a man in South Florida who broke down the hurricane-proof doors of a police department admitted to being on flakka. A girl in Melbourne, Florida, ran through the street screaming that she was Satan while on a flakka trip.

Anyone who encounters a person who appears to be in a state of overdose should exercise extreme caution and immediately call 9-1-1. police advise.

By Pamela Vanmeer

https://www.kawartha411.ca/2018/07/16/dangerous-street-drug-suspected-to-be-circulating-in-northumberland/