District 21
Departmental Pages
Executive

R/C Jean L. Hamilton, SN

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There are two stories in the news that contain a marine electronics component.  The first tells about a developing joint venture between two well know electronic equipment suppliers with a slant towards amateur radio and comes from the ARRL web site.  The second story relates to nineteen lightning monitoring stations that can span nearly 31.4 million acres around Norman, Oklahoma.

The first story: Motorola to acquire controlling interest in Vertex Standard Co., Ltd.

According to a November 5 press release issued by Motorola, Motorola USA has announced its intention to "launch a tender offer to acquire a controlling interest in Vertex Standard Co., Ltd.”  Vertex Standard is the parent company of Yaesu (amateur radio products) and Standard Horizon (marine electronics).  Upon successful completion of the tender offer and subsequent restructuring process, Motorola will own 80 percent of Vertex Standard; Tokogiken, a privately held Japanese company, controlled by current president and CEO of Vertex Standard Jun Hasegawa, will retain 20 percent, forming a joint venture.  The total purchase price for 80 percent of the outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis will be approximately ¥12.3 billion (approximately US $108 million).  The bid will start November 6 and end on December 26.  If the bid succeeds, shares of Vertex would be de-listed from the Jasdaq Securities Exchange in Japan.

According to Dennis Motschenbacher, K7BV, Yaesu's Executive Vice President for Amateur Radio Sales in North America, "I thought that the happiest and proudest day of my 45-plus years in Amateur Radio was when I was offered the opportunity to lead the Yaesu North American sales effort; however, being able to now announce this news to my fellow Amateur Radio operators takes over as the top life thrill for me! I am certain the good fortune that put me in this leadership chair at Yaesu now promises opportunities for me to do more for the technological future of Amateur Radio than I ever dreamed possible.  I do not pretend to know the full extent of the positive impact this Motorola/Vertex Standard business arrangement will have on Amateur Radio -- I just know it is going to be terrific for all of us who love Amateur Radio for its public service and entertainment value, as well as its potential for us to make lifelong friendships in our neighborhoods and around the world."

Saying that hams should not expect to see a line of Motorola Amateur Radio products, Motschenbacher said he sees the joint venture between Motorola and Vertex Standard "as a very good thing for Amateur Radio in general and Yaesu customers in particular.  I hope our loyal customers will readily see this business venture for what it is, an opportunity to make a solid 50-plus year old Yaesu company even stronger and more formable than is already the case.  There is absolutely no reason to have the slightest concern about equipment warranties and the continuation of support for our products.  I am really excited to see what the joint engineering capabilities of these two huge communications companies will bring in the way of new technology advancement for the Amateur Radio service."

Motorola said that the joint venture "will develop and sell Vertex Standard branded products and develop select Motorola branded products.  The Motorola brand will continue to focus on higher featured, higher tier products and continue to utilize existing Motorola distribution channels.  Vertex Standard's strength in the Amateur, Marine and Airband (Avionics) segments will also provide Motorola with access to new business opportunities.  In addition, Vertex Standard's solutions are highly complementary with Motorola's products and will add greater depth and breadth to Motorola's Government and Public Safety business."

According to Hasegawa, "The joint venture will give Vertex Standard access to Motorola's global distribution channels, presenting considerable opportunities for Vertex Standard to drive growth.  We also expect to reduce costs, as we will benefit from Motorola's global scale and resources.  With Motorola, Vertex Standard will be stronger and better positioned to deliver new and innovative 2-way radio solutions for professionals and consumers around the world."

Motschenbacher said, "There is a unique aspect of business that comes with Amateur Radio.  It's not just about a radio.  It's the relationship between the ham, the radio itself and the company that makes that radio.  This relationship in Amateur Radio is far different than it is, say, between a buyer of a HDTV, the TV and the TV manufacturer.  The relationship in Amateur Radio is far more personal and "bonding", per se.  I am certain that we will do our utmost to ensure that Motorola understands this delicate bond.  Since Motorola is leaving the day-to-day management of Yaesu in the hands of my boss, Jun Hasegawa, President of Vertex Standard, we can expect our longtime relationship with hams to remain intact."

Calling the joint venture "a good thing," Motschenbacher said, "Before working in the business side of Amateur Radio, my old business partner and I purchased a number of small companies in our line of business.  More often than not, we found that bringing these new acquisitions into our existing family of companies added more to the overall success of the total group than expected.  Therefore, I believe that this joint venture is not just a 1 + 1=2 equation -- I am positive that the outcome for our Amateur Radio customers is going to feel more like 1+1= 3 and that's a good thing!"

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/11/05/100/?nc=1

The second story: NASA awards grant for lightning study center.

The Oklahoman (11/6, David Zizzo) reports that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration awarded a $1.4 million, three-year grant "to establish the Center for Lightning Advanced Studies and Safety (CLASS) at" the University of Oklahoma.  "The center will focus on improving ground-based observations of lightning by adding eight 'moveable' monitoring stations to an existing 'lightning mapping array' of 11 fixed stations operating in central Oklahoma."  The existing stations "detect lightning locations by triangulating on the radio frequency emissions they produce.”  They "cover an area about 250 miles in diameter" and "can produce three-dimensional profiles of lightning in an area 100 miles in diameter."  With the added stations, the coverage area will increase and the data collection will improve.  "Researchers will use the improved system to cross-check visual satellite lightning data, gaining what they hope will be new insight into the shapes, behavior and even predictability of lightning."

If you have not taken the Marine Electronics (ME) Elective Course, please check its availability this coming winter and/or spring with your Squadron Educational Officer.  ME gives practical insight into the working and operation of the marine electronics that are available for your boat such as VHF-FM and HF-SSB radios, depth sounders, radar, and GPS receivers.  Lightning protection and amateur radio also are reviewed in ME.

P/C William (Bill) S. Haddock, Jr.  AP  WA5EJQ
P/C M. M. (Ozzie) Osborne, N  W5DXX
D/21 Radio Technical Committee

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RIVER CRUISING

Cruising in any form is not seen often on the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) web site. So, when I saw river cruising, my interest peaked. The ARRL announces special events for the radio amateurs. Special events generally commemorate an occasion and are not contests. The following special event caught my attention:

Aug 17-Sep 13, 1700 UTC-1700 UTC , Illinois River, Illinois. USS LST-325 Radio Club, WW2 LST. USS LST-325 Summer Cruise Up Through the Illinois Heartland. 14.300 14.040 7.040 3.540. QSL: USS LST-325 Memorial Ship, 840 LST Dr, Evansville, IN 47713. www.lstmemorial.org

The hams will recognize the single side band and Morse code frequencies. Except my apology for not bringing this to your attention sooner as this event now is about 50% complete.

The above LST Memorial web site contains some interesting stuff. This LST (Landing Ship, Tank) is an amphibious vessel designed to land battle-ready tanks, troops and supplies directly onto enemy shores.  Ships of this type proved to be enormously useful during times of both war and peace.  This particular LST was originally known as LST-325 during the Second World War (landing at Omaha Beach on D-day), USNS LST-325 during its arctic operations in the 1950's, and later L-144 ( A/G Syros) while it was in the service of the Greek Navy.  It was acquired by The USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc., in 2000, and caught considerable public attention when our veteran crew brought it on a 6,500-mile journey from the Greek island of Crete in November, 2000 to Mobile, Alabama on January 10, 2001.

The 2007 Summer Cruise of the LST-325 begins and ends at Evansville, Indiana on the Ohio River. The itinerary includes Meredosia, Peoria and Henry, Illinois on the Illinois River as well as Alton, Illinois on the Mississippi River. It was at Peoria on August 20-29, Henry between August 29 and September 5, and Alton on September 6-11. This cruise immediately precedes the LST Week (4-days) in Evansville, Indiana on September 26-30.

If you know people that are in these ports, tell them to take time to see the LST-325.

A few reminders: the USPS and the ARRL have a partnering MOU. Both organizations were founded in 1914. Secondly, USPS has the Marine Amateur Radio Guide. If this guide is not available at your marine supply store, your SEO can order a copy for you. Lastly, amateur radio is reviewed in the Marine Electronics Elective. If you have not received credit for it, contact your SEO for the class schedule.

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Solar Cycle 24 Predictions

You may be interested in two current articles from different sources that relate to high frequency communications and the 11-year (average length) solar sunspot cycle. The following article is suggesting that the Solar Cycle 23 may have ended after a long delay.

The K7RA Solar Update

SEATTLE, WA, May 4, 2007 -- The string of zero sunspot days ended Wednesday, April 25, and -- relative to the bottom of the solar cycle -- sunspot numbers over the past few days have been quite an improvement. Average daily sunspot number jumped from the previous week by 23 points to 25.1, and average solar flux increased over 14 points to 84.8.

This modest increase in sunspot activity may noticeably improve propagation compared to weeks with no sunspots. As we understand it, popular propagation prediction programs are based on a statistical model using predicted smoothed sunspot numbers. It is probably less accurate to vary a path prediction for a particular date using daily sunspot numbers, but taking an average of several days may produce more realistic results.

Source: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/05/04/100/?nc=1

The following article suggests two possibilities for Solar Cycle 24. It will peak in October 2011 if it is strong or in August 2012 if it is weak. Either case is equally probable.

Solar Storm Watch Starts Next March ( 3 May 2007)

The next 11-year cycle of solar storms will most likely start in March 2008 and peak in late 2011 or mid-2012 — up to a year later than expected — according to a forecast issued by the NOAA Space Environment Center.

During an active solar period, violent eruptions occur more often on the sun. Solar flares and vast explosions, known as coronal mass ejections, shoot energetic photons and highly charged matter toward Earth, jolting the planet’s ionosphere and geomagnetic field, potentially affecting power grids, critical military and airline communications, satellites, Global Positioning System signals, and even threatening astronauts with harmful radiation. These same storms illuminate night skies with brilliant sheets of red and green known as auroras, or the northern or southern lights.

The NOAA Space Environment Center led the prediction panel and issued the forecast at its annual Space Weather Workshop in Boulder, Colo. NASA sponsored the panel.

Expected to start last fall, the delayed onset of Solar Cycle 24 stymied the panel and left them evenly split on whether a weak or strong period of solar storms lies ahead. Neither group predicts a record-breaker.

Scientists measure solar cycle intensity by the maximum number of sunspots —dark blotches on the sun that mark areas of heightened magnetic activity. The more sunspots there are, the more likely it is major solar storms will occur.

In the cycle forecast, half of the panel predicts a moderately strong cycle of 140 sunspots, plus or minus 20, expected to peak in October 2011. The other half predicts a moderately weak cycle of 90 sunspots, plus or minus 10, peaking in August 2012. An average solar cycle ranges from 75 to 155 sunspots. The late decline of Cycle 23 has helped shift the panel away from its earlier leaning toward a strong Cycle 24. Now the group is evenly split between strong and weak.

The first year after solar minimum, marking the end of Cycle 23, will provide the information scientists need to arrive at a consensus. NOAA and the panel decided to issue their best estimate now and update the forecast as the cycle progresses, since NOAA Space Environment Center customers have been requesting a forecast for more than a year.

For related information, go to www.isa.org/environment.

Source: http://www.isa.org/Content/ContentGroups/News/20071/May33/Solar_
storm_watch_starts_next_March.htm

Ionospheric propagation is reviewed in the second part of Marine Electronics. If you have not received credit for Marine Electronics, consider taking this elective course. Review the class schedule with your Squadron’s Education Officer.

P/C William (Bill) S. Haddock, Jr. AP
D/21 Radio Technical Committee

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The following article below may be of interest to the members of D/21 in that it confirms that G. Marconi additionally was into yachting.

Reference: http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7386

International Marconi Day event is April 28 (Apr 18, 2007) -- Special event stations will be on the air Saturday, April 28 (UTC), to mark International Marconi Day (IMD), a 24-hour Amateur Radio event commemorating the birth of wireless pioneer Guglielmo Marconi on April 25, 1874. Participants can qualify for awards by making contacts on 160 through 10 meters (CW, SSB and digital) with designated IMD stations operating on or near a site where Marconi carried out experiments or where Marconi equipment was used prior to his death in 1937. The sponsoring Cornish Radio Amateur Club (CRAC) will operate GB4IMD from Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, Cornwall, overlooking Falmouth Harbour where Marconi spent some 10 days aboard his yacht Elettra in April 1923. Additional IMD stations will be on the air from the UK, the US, Canada, South America, Australia and Europe. The IMD Web site has a list of IMD 2007 award stations.

The USPS has an Amateur Radio Learning Guide for those who would like to earn their FCC license.  The FCC dropped the Morse code requirement in 1Q-2007, and there are record numbers of individuals applying to the Volunteer Examiners for high frequency privileges.  Also, amateur radio is touched upon in the Marine Electronics Elective Course.  Contact your SEO for availability and details.

P/C William (Bill) S. Haddock, Jr.  AP
Radio Technical Committee

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Click here to read an article on Amature Radio and a Rescue off of the Chilean Coast (PDF 29kb)

from D/21 Radio Technical Committee
P/C William (Bill) S. Haddock, Jr.  AP
william.haddock@kbr.com

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RETURN OF COASTAL RADIO

Sea Tow, Southold, NY acquired the marine VHF-FM coast radio stations which were formerly owned by Maritel. Maritel with barely 2-weeks notice ceased operations on Thursday, June 05, 2003, of the eight duplex Channels 24-28 and 84-86, which they had bought in the 1990’s. These channels in the FCC frequency plan are reserved for ship-to-coast public correspondence conversations and align to the frequencies between 157.200 - 157.400 for coast receive and 161.800 - 162.000 MHz for coast transmit. The marine VHF-FM coast radio stations provide a coastal cruiser with consistent contacts to land facilities. “Coastal” can extend seaward to 25 nm, which is far beyond cellular range in many areas.

Sea Tow has a national call center (800.4SEATOW) and a well developed internal VHF dispatch system. The marine VHF-FM coast radio stations by Sea Tow are called “Sea Smart VHF.” You can browse the details at www.seasmartvhf.com or call 800.732.8694. Sea Smart VHF is intended to be an improved alternative to cell phones and more affordable than satellite communications. A live operator can patch you through to the telephone service or can assist with a marine problem. The advertised costs with unlimited calls are $12/month for Sea Tow members or $17/month for non-members.

Sea Smart VHF is operational now off shore from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Sea Smart VHF will be off shore from Texas and Louisiana about August, 2007. Sea Smart VHF is expected to cover the entire U.S. coast by November, 2007.

Sea Smart VHF works with a marine VHF-FM transceiver with DSC capability. The fixed-mount VHF-DSC transceivers became available after Thursday, June 17, 1999. Seven years later, the VHF-DSC transceivers have easy-to-read displays, fog horns, hailers with listen back, etc. The VHF-DSC requires the encoding of a unique Maritime Mobile Service Identify (MMSI) number for your vessel. BoatUS or Sea Tow can assist in programming the MMSI into your VHF-DSC and in obtaining it for domestic usage. If cruising beyond the 25 nm zone, your MMSI has to be obtained from the FCC.

The USCG maintains the MMSI database at the Rescue Coordination Center. The USCG is struggling with the National Distress and Rescue System which was renamed “Rescue21” in September, 2002. This complex program is at least 2-years behind schedule, i.e. may not be completed until 2011. The current status of the Rescue21 system is found at www.uscg.mil/rescue21/about/impsched.htm. Rescue21 will include the western river district. Channel 16 voice signaling will remain in effect at least until the entire Rescue21 network is operational. The “distress” button on the VHF-DSC transceiver that is connected by a data bus, which can be a shielded twisted pair, to a GPS receiver will automatically bring assistance under Rescue21.

Learn more about radio procedures, DSC, NMEA-0183, etc. by contacting your Squadron Education Officer and enrolling in the Marine Electronics elective course.

D/21 Radio Technical Committee
P/C Bill Haddock, Jr., AP WA5EJQ
P/C Ozzie Osborne, N W5DXX

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2007-2008 Executive Department

Executive Officer: R/C Jean L. Hamilton, SN

Cooperative Charting Committee
Chair: P/C Richard C. (Dick) Snapp, AP
CoChair: TBD

Environmental Committee
Chair: P/D/C Charles V. Strong, AP

Legislative Committee
TX: P/D/C Herman Willi Jr., SN
LA: P/C S. P. (Stan) Chapman, Jr., AP

Liason Committee
Chair: Cdr Nell D. Moore, AP
TPWD: P/Lt/C Kenneth W. Brooks, SN
LDPW: Cdr Jerry W. Madden, S

Public Relations Committee
Chair: P/C Christine G. Rakestraw, AP

Radio Technical Committee
Chair: P/C William S. (Bill) Haddock, Jr., AP
CoChair: P/C Merton (Ozzie) M. Osborne, N

Safety Committee
Chair: P/C Betty A. Carr, AP

Squadron Development Committee
Chair: P/C William K. Galle, AP

Vessel Safety Check Committee
Chair: D/Lt Suzan Gayle Rector, AP
Assistant: P/D/C Corwin R. Broussard, SN
Assistant: P/C Kim M. Viator, AP

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