Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B
To : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Fri Dec 28 2018 11:14 am
CALIFORNIA TECH FIRM FINED $900,000 OVER SATELLITES
JIM/ANCHOR: A California tech firm has been fined by the FCC for its
illegal launch of satellites. Here's Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.
KEVIN: A Silicon Valley startup that caught the FCC's attention in
January, 2018, after launching four experimental satellites from India,
has been fined $900,000 by the United States agency, a civil penalty
for the unapproved launch and operation of the ultra-tiny so-called
SpaceBEEs. The SpaceBEES were launched barely a month after the FCC
denied the company's application to deploy the quartet of satellites.
A December 20 report in Gizmodo also noted that additional investigation
by the agency unearthed a number of weather balloon-to-ground station
tests by the company that were also unauthorized, along with tests of
satellite and ground station equipment. The FCC noted that such
unauthorized operations pose a risk of radio frequency interference,
as well as collisions in space, and imperil the satellite operations of
commercial enterprises and government. The FCC noted that Swarm
Technologies has admitted it acted without proper authorization, and
will pay the penalty, and implement a five-year plan of compliance.
Amateur Radio Newsline first reported on the company's unauthorized
satellite operations in March 2018, after the FCC also revoked
permission it had previously given to Swarm, for its next four
scheduled satellites, which had originally been earmarked for launch
in April of 2018.
For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kevin Trotman, N5PRE.
(GIZMODO)
**
NEW FREQUENCIES OK'D FOR WEST COAST CITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY
JIM/ANCHOR: Yet another FCC action just gave public safety a boost in
Washington state. More from Jack Parker, W8ISH.
JACK: The city of Rainier in Washington state has gained approval for
two new radio frequencies in the public safety part of the UHF band,
with the help of local amateur radio operators.
Ed Braaten, N7EKB, the ARRL-appointed ARES Emergency Coordinator for
the East Thurston County ARES Team, assisted the city, which is one of
the agencies served by ARES. Ed told Newsline in an email that by having
the new public safety channel, the city will be able to expand its
ability to respond to emergencies, and deploy individuals to shelter
locations who are not amateur radio operators. Ed said that by removing
the need to have hams at each shelter, amateurs can instead focus their
resources at the city's Emergency Operations Center. Ed said that hams
with the East Thurston County ARES team will be training the shelter
volunteers, so they can gain fluency with the basic radio communication
skills they'll need.
He said the team will also be authorized by the city to operate as a
relay station on their "EOC Net" using the new public safety radio
frequency. The hams will be able to pick up traffic, and relay
information to the county's emergency management officials, or the state
EOC, using amateur nets and frequencies.
Although Rainier's license remains in "pending status" with the FCC right
now, officials expect it to be granted by mid to late January.
For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jack Parker, W8ISH.
(ED BRAATEN N7EKB)
**
NEW NET FOR CHRISTIAN AMATEUR RADIO FELLOWSHIP
JIM/ANCHOR: The start of the new year is bringing a new net for
participants in the Christian Amateur Radio Fellowship: It's a VoIP Net
and it will have its first meeting on the first Saturday of 2019 -
that's January 5th -- at 2 p.m. Central Time in the U.S. The net is being
made possible with the help of the DigicommCafe, and the Alabama Link,
and can be found on Echolink, Allstar, and D-STAR. For more details,
visit the website at carf dot net (carf.net). The fellowship also has an
HF net Monday through Saturday on 3.930 MHz at 7 a.m. Eastern Time in the
U.S. Everyone is welcome regardless of denomination.
(LLOYD COLSTON KC5FM)
**
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