Burnover

October 22, 2007 - Orange County Firefighters were overrun and deployed their emergency shelters. Pictures and audio at:

http://www.latimes.com/media/flash/2007-11/33614400.swf

St. Charles Avenue Streetcar

The St. Charles Avenue Streetcar has returned after a two years, two months and 13 days absence. This historic line was established in 1835 using mules to pull each car. The line was briefly converted to steam and finally electrified in 1983. The Perley Thomas cars were added in 1923 and are still in use.


http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=3853493&page=1

Motorola Commences Tender Offer to Acquire Controlling Interest in Vertex Standard.

Motorola has announced its intention to acquire a controlling interest in Vertex Standard. If successful they will own 80% at a cost of $108 million.

Vertex Standard is the parent company of Yeasu.

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

http://www.motorola.com/mediacenter/news/detail.jsp?globalObjectId=8909_8838_23&pageLocaleId=2026

Red Bull Helicopter does back flips!

New Trailer

We recently acquired a new communication trailer. Our plans are to remove the interior shelves and replace them with 19 rack mounts. We also plan to add a pneumatic tower section and generator.

Trailer Specs:

• 1991 Wells Cargo
• 8' x 20' approx
• GWVR 7,000 lbs.
• Roll out Awnings
• Roof Rack
  
  

DHS Marks Funds to Fix Emergency Communications ProblemsAlmost $1 billion earmarked

WASHINGTON -- The government will distribute nearly $1 billion to states and cities to fix communications problems that still hamper police and fire departments six years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The biggest state recipients are California with $94 million, Texas with $65 million and New York with $61 million, according to Wednesday's announcement.


http://www.securityinfowatch.com/online/Homeland-Security/DHS-Marks-Funds-to-Fix-Emergency-Communications-Problems/11619SIW359

USS KIDD - DDG100

On June 9, 2007 the 3rd USS Kidd was commissioned in Galveston, Texas. The ceremony was attended by several of the former crew members and volunteers of DD-661

http://www.kidd.navy.mil/

A 12 Step Program for those addicted to Carrier Squelch

1. Admit you have a problem with dependency on Carrier Squelch and that you are powerless to stop yourself or force yourself to use CTCSS.
   
2. Believe that a better understanding of the RF world via a Higher Power (Physics) will restore your sanity.
   
3. Make a decision to turn your life over to your knowledge of RF principals to rebuild your life in a positive way without the addiction to Carrier Squelch.
   
4. Make a searching and fearless inventory of your RF knowledge.
   
5. Admit to your ham buddies that you don't understand why Carrier Squelch is bad or understand RF's physical unbreakable rules.
   
6. Be entirely ready to allow Physics to show you the way and accept that RF acts in specific ways.
   
7. Humbly ask someone to explain the basics of CTCSS to you and if you're ready -- DCS.
   
8. Make a list of all you've harmed with your use of Carrier Squelch and be willing to make amends with all.
   
9. Make amends with all of your fellow hams you've hurt by calling them with your CTCSS board turned on, except where to do so would injure them or others.
   
10. Continue to take personal inventory and when caught using Carrier Squelch, admit it, while continuing to recognize your progress toward recovery.
    
11. Meditate on the Physical properties of RF daily and hum the beautiful low tones of CTCSS to yourself.
    
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, carry the CTCSS message to others to experience the power of 1970's technology and practice the use of good technology in all your affairs.

Brains of Steel

"Louisiana lost this project [the steel mill ] because it continues to ignore its fundamental problems—the perception of questionable governmental ethics, substandard public education, a lack of investment in higher education, an anti-business attitude at the Capitol and a transportation network that’s crumbling and ill-conceived." - 5/22/07 Business Report

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2007/may/22/brains-steel/

DirecTV and BPL

DirecTV Group may test delivering high-speed Internet service through power lines. Currently no one has been able to use BPL to send multiple TV signals to multiple customers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1433448320070514?feedType=RSS&rpc=22

MOTOROLA SUSPENDS POWERLINE LV BPL DEVELOPMENT

Less than two years after announcing its Powerline LV Access BPL product, Motorola has decided to suspend product development and to devote its resources to more promising markets, industry sources say. Motorola reportedly has decided to focus on a product called Powerline MU, which is for use within multiple-unit dwellings. The decision to stop work on its Access BPL product reflects declining interest in residential broadband service delivery among utilities coupled with more immediate demand for in-building BPL systems. Motorola has indicated that it's not scrapping Powerline LV altogether, however.

Powerline LV united Motorola's Canopy wireless broadband Internet platform with enhanced ham band-notching HomePlug technology, drastically reducing BPL interference potential by restricting the application of high-frequency RF to the low-voltage side of the power transformers serving customers'
homes, not the medium-voltage wires that line many residential streets. As a result, Powerline LV avoided the system architecture that poses the greatest risk of BPL interference to radio communication -- radiation from the medium-voltage power lines.

ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, expressed appreciation for Motorola's approach to the thorny issue of radio interference from BPL systems. In an effort to minimize interference, particularly to the Amateur Radio bands, Motorola designed its Powerline LV system in close cooperation with the League's technical staff, Sumner noted. A test stand Access BPL system was in operation briefly at ARRL Headquarters. Measurements and subjective listening tests on the ham bands showed that Powerline LV was Amateur Radio-friendly.

"As one would expect from a company with such a distinguished record in the field of radio communication, Motorola acknowledged at the outset the seriousness of the interference problem," he said. "Motorola's system architecture influenced other vendors, raised industry awareness of the interference issue, and demonstrated the value of working with the ARRL to find positive solutions."


==>The ARRL Letter, Vol 26, No 18 (May 4, 2007)

New Comm Truck

We recently received this 1982 GMC TV Remote truck. It is equipped with a 35 foot pneumatic mast, generator and inverter. We plan to setup the truck for ATV use.

MITIGATING REPEATER INTERFERENCE TO MILITARY RADARS

The ARRL has been working with the US Department of Defense to develop a plan to mitigate alleged interference from 70 cm ham radio repeaters to military radar systems on both coasts. Amateur Radio is secondary to government users from 420 to 450 MHz and must not interfere with primary users. Citing an increasing number of interference complaints, the US Air Force has asked the FCC to order dozens of repeater systems to either mitigate interference to the "PAVE PAWS" radars or shut down.

The Commission has not yet responded. The situation affects 15 repeaters in the vicinity of Otis Air Force Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and more than 100 repeaters within some 140 miles of Beale Air Force Base near Sacramento, California.

www.arrl.org
ARRL Letter, Vol 26, No 16 (Apr 20, 2007), used by permission

Sun King Hey Ya

Hey Ya!