Dear Friends of Wireless Messaging,

There is a considerable amount of very interesting news this week so I won't take up a lot of valuable space with a long editorial. I did get a little carried away in the THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK section at the end of this issue. My opinion piece was prompted by several recent events — some embarrassing e-mails that I have received and a very generous donation to the newsletter from a dear Latino friend down south of the border.

I have a client who needs some help getting an ATM300 ReFLEX transceiver working on USA Mobility's network. Please—anyone with experience working with the ATM300—contact me via e-mail brad@braddye.com.

Here is a cool little video that I thought you might enjoy: The History of Cell Phones in Three Minutes.

A Buyer For Motorola's Handset Division Emerges; In Early Talks With Videocon

Friday, May 23, 2008; 12:00 PM

Videocon said today it was in early talks to buy Motorola's (NYSE: MOT) handset division, according to the Business Standard. Videocon, a consumer electronics company, said it made a bid to acquire Motorola's mobile handset business, but declined to give a deadline for the deal and said the talks are at a very early stage. The article quoted analysts as saying that the business, which accounts for about 15 percent marketshare globally, is likely worth around $3.8 billion.

The pending purchase is interesting because it appears Videocon also will be rolling out a wireless network starting in August in India, where it owns spectrum. Carl Icahn has been pressuring Motorola to spin off the division and is prepared for a proxy fight. The spin off was expected to take awhile, especially it seemed like the other major handset makers, such as Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Samsung and LG (SEO: 066570) appeared uninterested.

[Source: The Washington Post]

Now on to more news and views . . .

Wireless Messaging Newsletter
VoIP Wi-Fi Paging WiMAX Telemetry Location Services Wireless Messaging	WIRELESS MESSAGING

This newsletter is brought to you by the generous support of our advertisers and the courtesy of iland Internet Solutions Corporation. For more information about the web-hosting services available from iland Internet Solutions Corporation, please click on their logo to the left.

There is no charge for subscription and there are no membership restrictions. Readers are a very select group of wireless industry professionals, and include the senior managers of many of the world's major Paging and Wireless Data companies. There is an even mix of operations managers, marketing people, and engineers — so I try to include items of interest to all three groups. It's all about staying up-to-date with business trends and technology. I regularly get readers' comments, so this newsletter has become a community forum for the Paging, and Wireless Data communities. You are welcome to contribute your ideas and opinions. Unless otherwise requested, all correspondence addressed to me is subject to publication in the newsletter and on my web site. I am very careful to protect the anonymity of those who request it.

NOTE: This newsletter is best viewed at screen resolutions of 800x600 (good) or 1024x768 (better). Any current revision of web browser should work fine. Please notify me of any problems with viewing. This site is compliant with XHTML 1.0 transitional coding for easy access from wireless devices. (XML 1.0/ISO 8859-1.)

The local newspaper here in Springfield, Illinois costs 75¢ a copy and it NEVER mentions paging. If you receive some benefit from this publication maybe you would like to help support it financially? A donation of $25.00 would represent approximately 50¢ a copy for one year. If you are so inclined, please click on the PayPal Donate button above. No trees were chopped down to produce this electronic newsletter.

Fourth exec in 6 months exits Motorola

Bloomberg News
May 20, 2008

Motorola Inc., reshuffling management to stem losses as mobile-phone sales plummet, said chief strategy officer Rich Nottenburg resigned, at least the fourth executive to leave in the past six months.

Nottenburg, 54, who also headed technology operations, quit to be with his family and pursue new opportunities, Motorola spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson said in an e-mailed message yesterday. Dan Moloney, head of the set-top-box and networks division, will take over Motorola Labs, a research unit, she said.

Chief executive Greg Brown, who took over after Ed Zander quit in November, has revamped Motorola's management team in a bid to revive handset sales. The mobile-phone division has lost more than $1.5 billion since the start of 2007 as the company has failed to win customers with its latest handsets, including the Razr2, the sequel to its best-selling model.

Stu Reed, the president of the mobile-phone business, and chief marketing officer Casey Keller departed earlier this year. Chief technology officer Padmasree Warrior left in December. In February, Brown named a new finance chief.

Motorola last year bought Holtsville-based Symbol Technologies.

Shares of Motorola, based in Schaumburg, Ill., rose 13 cents yesterday, closing at $10.20. The shares have declined 36 percent this year.

Under pressure from billionaire investor Carl Icahn, Brown said in March that Motorola will split off the money-losing phone unit next year to focus on profitable television set-top boxes, two-way radios and wireless-networking equipment.

AAPC’s Mission Statement Defines Purpose

• Identifying issues of common concern to its members.
• Providing an effective forum for the discussion and progression of issues relating to the industry.
• Monitoring and addressing regulatory and legal matters as a unified organization.
• Providing research into and development of our industry and its current and prospective markets.
• Providing education and resources to address the challenges and trends affecting our operating environments.
• Encouraging and maintaining high standards of ethics and services.
• Championing the industry and representing paging carriers with a positive voice.

Our industry must move forward together or we will perish individually. If you want to get involved, come and join us! The AAPC web site is a great source of information. The AAPC also hosts the Paging Technical Committee (PTC) web site. There is a lot of very valuable paging industry information there as well.

For a summary of membership benefits and a membership application, please click on the Join AAPC graphic above. We need you!

ENTERPRISE WIRELESS 2008

Our Myrtle Beach conference is moving to Arizona in 2008 and we want you to join us!

November 5-7
Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort
Scottsdale, Arizona

AAPC will join with the Enterprise Wireless Alliance to host more than 400 wireless industry professionals, including carriers, suppliers, and network providers, for three days of information sharing, technical sessions, vendor exhibits, and networking opportunities.

Paging and wireless technologies are recognized as a “must have” component in all emergency situations, due to their affordability and reliability. Spend three days with your colleagues attending dedicated paging-related sessions, perusing cutting-edge technologies in the vendor hall, and networking with friends.

With more than 330 days of sunshine, 200 golf courses, an array of outdoor activities, and outstanding shopping and dining, Scottsdale is the premier destination for business and leisure travelers. The new venue, the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort, is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and is situated on 22 acres of towering palms, has majestic desert mountain views, is easily accessible from the Sky Harbor airport, and is located minutes from Old Town Scottsdale.

Call for presentations

We are currently soliciting speakers and presentation ideas for the fall conference. Please e-mail Linda Hoover at info@pagingcarriers.org with presentation suggestions or speakers that you would like to hear.

Thanks to our Gold Vendor member!

PRISM Paging

Thanks to our Bronze Member Vendors!

• Commtech Wireless
• Critical Response Systems, Inc.
• Hark Technologies
• Inilex, Inc.
• Microspace Communications Corporation
• Minilec Service, Inc.
• Nighthawk Systems, Inc.
• Raven Systems
• United Communications Corporation

Advertiser Index

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Motorola Settles Iridium Bankruptcy Cases

May 21, 2008
By Anshu Shrivastava
TMCnet Contributing Editor

Motorola (News - Alert) has said that Judge James M. Peck has approved a global settlement of disputes in the Iridium bankruptcy cases pending in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

In a press statement, the company said that approval of this settlement resolves in “Motorola's favor, at no out of pocket cost to the Company, all pending claims against the Company arising out of Iridium's bankruptcy proceedings.”

Since 2001, the court-appointed statutory creditors’ committee has been actively pursuing a number of claims against Motorola—voidable preference, fraudulent conveyance, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty—and sought more than $4 billion in total damages.

Peter Lawson, executive vice president and chief counsel for Motorola, said that this verdict is a favorable outcome for Motorola.

“We have always been confident in our litigation position, and this resolution -- ending the entire case at no out of pocket cost to Motorola -- confirms our confidence was well-founded. We are pleased to conclude this matter and resolve all of the Company's exposure to claims in the Iridium bankruptcy court,” he added.

“This case has been hard fought throughout its long run, against skilled and committed opponents. It is gratifying to bring the matter to a close,” said Anne McClain Sidrys, a partner in Kirkland & Ellis, trial counsel for Motorola.

This favorable resolution, according to the company, follows Motorola's victory in a first phase trial conducted by the Judge Peck from October 2006 to June 2007. The first phase trial focused on certain essential elements—solvency and capital adequacy—of the committee's $3 billion preference and fraudulent conveyance claims.

According to the company, Judge Peck ruled entirely in favor of Motorola, which once made cell phones for Iridium, in August 2007, and in September 2007 entered judgment for Motorola on those claims.

Motorola said that to avoid an expensive and time-consuming further trial, the parties conducted comprehensive settlement discussions, which included mediation in February 2008.

Lately, Motorola has been in news for the sliding profits in its handset business.

Iridium, established in 1992, stated launching satellites for its services in 1997. However, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1999 after it failed to attract customers willing to pay as much as $7 a minute to make phone calls with bulky Iridium phones, according to Reuters.

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Emergency Communications Center Makes Debut

by KRISTEN ARMSTRONG
Sun Gazette Staff Writer

(Created: Friday, May 16, 2008 12:17 PM EDT)

Robert Griffin Jr., right, director of the county government's Office of Emergency Management, thanks project manager John Stevens for all his work in the new Emergency Communications Center. (Photo by Kristen Armstrong) Arlington's new Emergency Communications Center is ready for action.

Unveiled at a May 16 ribbon-cutting, the much-anticipated center is slated to begin receiving incoming 911 calls on May 20.

“This is a celebration,” said Robert Griffin Jr., director of the county government's Office of Emergency Management (OEM). “It's a new day for communication.”

The new facility features an $18 million digital radio system - Arlington is the first jurisdiction in the region to go digital - which increases capacity and coverage.

The 8,800-square-foot center has 30 work stations and 48 phone lines for emergency calls, compared to the old facility's 16 work stations and 16 phone lines.

Fourteen 50-inch monitors form a video wall that will allow OEM personnel to monitor a variety of feeds simultaneously, including traffic cameras, security cameras and eight television stations.

The hope is that, with the center's improvements in design and technology, staff will have the tools to be able to respond to a catastrophic event like the 2001 attack on the Pentagon.

“We know about emergencies right here,” County Board Chairman Walter Tejada said at the ribbon-cutting. “Now we have a first-class facility for a first-class team.”

The center's total cost was around $38 million, and was funded primarily by bonds issued by Arlington's Industrial Development Authority.

And while those involved with the project were very thankful for the support of residents, the County Board and other partners, special tribute was paid to the OEM staff who work in the ECC day in and day out.

“We are grateful to [OEM's staff] for their dedicated service,” Tejada said. “Thank you for keeping Arlington safe.”

MOTOROLA OEM
Case Parts

Above is a sample of what we have, call for a full list.
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'Serving the Paging industry since 1987'

The man behind all those pagers

Posted by Christopher Borrelli at 10:27 A.M. CDT
Originally posted: May 21, 2008

So I’m walking through the National Restaurant Association Show and what should I see but a pager in the shape of a lobster and a pager in the shape of a slice of pizza and a standard coaster pager? I remember something.

Last week in At Play we had a short debate on the pros and cons of the ubiquitous vibrating flashing restaurant pager. Here were exhibits A, B and C. I demanded to know who was in charge. OK, I asked rather meekly if I could talk to the owner of the company, which is called Long Range Systems. The owner is Ken Lovegreen, and it turns out that he owns the patent on the coaster pager, and the lobster pager, and the pizza pager. He lives in Texas but he hails from Rhode Island—hence the inspiration for the lobster pager.

Lovegreen said that the pizza pager is doing really well but the lobster pager business is slow at the moment: “To tell you the truth, I wish I did a crab.”

Well, first things first, Ken. He actually owns the patent on a crab pager. So expect it in the near future. He also owns the patent on a pager shaped like a sombrero, and a horseshoe-shaped pager, and a tire-shaped pager, and a cactus pager, and a fish pager, and a—well, that’s it. But, wow, incredible, right?

Ken Lovegreen: Pager Guy

Sprint answers Steve Jobs and Apple's iPhone on June 20

Sprint confirmed this afternoon that the Samsung Instinct, Sprint's answer to the Apple iPhone, will start showing up on store shelves on June 20.

The phone, expected to cost between $200 and $300, initially is expected to be available in limited markets. It also will be available first to Sprint customers who sign up for one of the company's "Simply Everything" plans.

Sprint said the phone is expected to be in short supply initially, and is recommending that potential buyers pre-register at Sprint's Instinct Web site.

The Instinct includes standard features — camera, video camera, music player — and adds turn-by-turn navigation and a number of other features.

The Instinct was developed jointly by Sprint and Samsung. The phone includes full HTML Web browsing and other features included in the iPhone. However, unlike the current iPhone, it works on Sprint's next generation high speed network.

Although Apple and CEO Steve Jobs have stayed mum on the release of the much anticipated 3G iPhone, analysts are widely expecting the second generation phone to be unveiled on June 9. Jobs kicks off the Apple 2008 Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 that day.

Submitted by Dave Hayes on Thu, 2008-05-22 18:40.

Prism Paging
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Bush allows Americans to send cellphones to relatives in Cuba

The easing of U.S. trade restrictions is intended to put pressure on the island nation to improve its people's lives.

From a Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 22, 2008

WASHINGTON — President Bush on Wednesday announced a loosening of U.S. restrictions that will allow Cuban Americans to send cellphones to family members in Cuba.

Speaking in the White House East Room in a celebration marking the first "Day of Solidarity With the Cuban People," Bush said it was up to the Cuban government to decide whether it would allow its citizens to receive the phones.

Administration officials argued that the relaxed restrictions on trade with the Cuban people did not represent a weakening of the long embargo on trade with Cuba.

The president's step, which Dan Fisk, a National Security Council specialist responsible for Latin American issues, said would take effect in several weeks, follows Cuban announcements that citizens there would be allowed to own cellphones and computers and that DVDs and toasters would be available in coming years.

The president argued for political change in the country as well, saying Cubans should be allowed to "speak freely in public" and "stop worrying about whether they have bread every day."

"If the Cuban regime is serious about improving the lives of the Cuban people," he said, it should take steps to "make the changes meaningful."

He also said it was the "height of hypocrisy to claim credit" for allowing the Cubans to have items "they can't afford."

Faster Care Response in Hospitals, PageRouter

Onsite paging for better and more reliable healthcare

05/19/08
By BusinessWire

MARKHAM, Ontario, BUSINESS WIRE — In order to speed care and improve pager reliability, St. Ann's Community, a long-term care facility in Rochester, New York, was ready to move beyond an older onsite paging system and the use of a commercial paging company.

"Pager coverage was inconsistent, especially in the elevators and basements, and we sometimes resorted to phone tag to dispatch staff for admissions and discharges," says Jack Pease, Senior VP Administrator for St. Ann's Community. "To better serve our residents and increase our responsiveness to their needs, we sought a faster, more reliable, and flexible paging system that would integrate our onsite-offsite paging requirements."

When St. Ann's implemented the PageRouter Paging Management System, Pease found that pages reached all areas of its 19-story and 10-story facilities within seconds. Because the system automatically monitors and re-transmits pages if transmission is unconfirmed, it further strengthened reliability; and automatic documentation of all pages by pager and time of transmission offered some desired liability protection as well.

This paging management system can help administrators adjust to inevitable last minute staffing changes with a speed and flexibility not found in traditional paging systems, which often require IT department involvement. Instead, from any computer browser screen, even remotely from home, supervisors can make work groups on-the-fly. They can add and remove staff from groups or departments as easily as dragging and dropping a name into the group or department via Windows-type visual maps.

"With the PageRouter system, our caregivers respond to residents' needs faster and more expertly than ever," says Pease. "We've found it especially helpful in grouping staff on admissions and discharges, so residents feel right at home and get the care they need. The ability to quickly coordinate our staff and resources, while important in routine care, would be truly essential for any emergency or disaster when every second counts."

"By integrating our onsite-offsite paging into one reliable system, we're actually saving money every month by avoiding excessive commercial paging charges and other fees," concludes Pease. "Any facility wanting to deliver better, faster healthcare with fewer required resources should look into an advanced paging management system."

Canamex Communications Corporation is the developer of the PageRouter Paging Management System and QUIKPAGER Wireless product line. QUIKPAGER 2400 can be found in nearly 40% of hospitals in the United States. Contact Canamex at 888-387-4205 for a demonstration, visit them at www.canamexcom.com or write to 200 Riviera Drive, Markham, Ontario, L34 5M1, Canada.

Contacts:
Canamex Communications Corporation Norm Zapata,
888-387-4205 norm.zapata@canamexcom.com or Jorge Fernandez,
888-387-4205 jorge.fernandez@canamexcom.com

The Best in Paging Is Also the Biggest!

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Contact Zetron today to discuss your paging needs.

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SATELLITE CONTROL FOR PAGING SYSTEMS

$500.00 FLAT RATE

TAPS—Texas Association of Paging Services is looking for partners on 152.480 MHz. Our association currently uses Echostar, formerly Spacecom, for distribution of our data and a large percentage of our members use the satellite to key their TXs. We have a CommOneSystems Gateway at the uplink in Chicago with a back-up running 24/7. Our paging coverage area on 152.480 MHz currently encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Kansas. The TAPS paging coverage is available to members of our Network on 152.480 MHz for $.005 a transmitter (per capcode per month), broken down by state or regions of states and members receive a credit towards their bill for each transmitter which they provide to our coverage. Members are able to use the satellite for their own use If you are on 152.480 MHz or just need a satellite for keying your own TXs on your frequency we have the solution for you.

TAPS will provide the gateways in Chicago, with Internet backbone and bandwidth on our satellite channel for $ 500.00 (for your system) a month.

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AT&T Says 3G Network Will Be Complete by June

By Teresa von Fuchs
WirelessWeek - May 21, 2008

AT&T announced that by the end of June it will have completed the rollout of its high-speed 3G network. In a statement issued today, the company said that it will deploy HSUPA technology in the six remaining markets across its entire wireless broadband network. The carrier also said that with the completed rollout of HSUPA, it will be the first U.S. carrier to fully deploy HSPA technology in its 3G network.

By the end of the year, AT&T says its 3G network will be available in nearly 350 markets, and that customers in those markets can expect uplink speeds between 500 kbps and 800 kbps and download speed of up to 1.4 Mbps with compatible devices.

“By fully deploying HSUPA across our 3G footprint, we not only meet the current needs of our customers but also lay the path for our continued evolution to even faster wireless broadband capabilities,” said Kris Rinne, senior vice president of Architecture and Planning for AT&T's wireless operations, in a statement.

AT&T’s 3G announcement coincides with the rumors of a possible 3G iPhone launch in June.

AT&T also announced it will offer free Wi-Fi access to qualifying LaptopConnect customers at more than 17,000 hotspots. LaptopConnect customers will now automatically receive a pop-up message alerting them to Wi-Fi availability when in range of an AT&T hotspot. Customers with the latest AT&T Communication Manager software will only have to click Connect to switch to the available Wi-Fi network.

The offer is available to customers who subscribe to a DataConnect plan of $59.99 or more.

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Torrico bill to strengthen emergency communications to limited-English speaking populations passes

California Political Desk

May 20, 2008

SACRAMENTO – In a state frequently plagued with wildfires, floods and earthquakes, the ability of emergency services to reach limited English speakers could be the difference between life and death.

Under a bill carried by Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico (D-Newark) the needs of LEP populations would be incorporated into emergency preparedness planning, response and recovery training. The state Assembly passed the bill, AB 1930, by a vote of 64 to 0 today.

"The need to use multiple languages when reaching out in emergencies is critical as we have seen from previous disasters," Torrico said. "The need to communicate clearly and relay vital information is extremely important in a state as diverse as California."

In California approximately seven million residents are limited English proficient. The state´s Little Hoover Commission has highlighted the importance of developing plans to ensure the needs of vulnerable populations, including those with limited proficiency in English, are met during a catastrophe. Wildfires in southern California, as well as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, resulted in thousands of limited English speakers receiving evacuation orders only in English.

"During and right after a disaster, the most important thing you need besides, food, water, and shelter, is information," said Leilani Aguinaldo Yee, a legislative advocate with Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. "If disaster victims can't get information about where to get help, or they can´t understand the information given to them, the risk of injury or death increases. This bill will help save lives."

The bill would require the state's Director of Emergency Services to incorporate local ethnic community-based organizations and ethnic media outlets in communication plans to alert them about emergency information.

Virginia Community College System launches emergency alert system

Washington Business Journal
by Tierney Plumb Staff Reporter
Thursday, May 22, 2008 - 2:20 PM EDT

A majority of schools in the Virginia Community College System are now using an emergency alert technology that was originally developed by Roam Secure, a text-based alerting and regional mass-notification systems provider.

The emergency alert system was launched at seventeen of the 23 schools May 19.

Northern Virginia Community College, the first in the state's community college system to launch the company's patent-pending emergency notification system, started using the technology last August.

Houston-based Cooper Industries Ltd. (NYSE:CBE) bought Arlington-based Roam Secure and two other companies for $100 million in December 2007. Roam Secure is now called Cooper Notification.

The remaining five community colleges within the 240,000-student system have pre-existing contracts with other providers.

"We would relish the idea of being in all 23 systems, but it's up to each college to decide where they want to go next," said Ned Ingraham, vice president of homeland security services at Cooper Notification. "Clearly, there are some advantages to being interconnected but it's an individual decision."

The alert system allows campus safety officials to send targeted alerts — which include weather notices to security breaches — via e-mail, text and voice messaging to students, faculty and staff. The systems are hosted in two secure data centers located on the East Coast and in the Southwest.

The Web-based system supports more than 18,000 messages per minute. Alerts can be generated from a single Web interface or using a mobile device.

Some schools take their enrollment data and populate systems with that data, while others do a voluntary open enrollment, according to Ingraham.

The community college deployments will also be integrated with more than 30 existing systems at cities, counties and other colleges across Virginia that are connected via Roam Secure and the Virginia Statewide Alerting Network, which is managed by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Cooper Notification currently provides campus-wide emergency communications for George Mason University in Fairfax and the University of Maryland in College Park.

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American Red Cross Responds to ARRL Concerns Regarding Background Checks

In November 2007, ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, wrote to the American Red Cross (ARC) regarding concerns voiced by ARRL volunteers. In 2006, the Red Cross stated it would implement background checks that included, among other things, a credit check and a "mode of living" check for its staff and volunteers, including ARES volunteers providing services to the Red Cross during disasters. ARRL saw these portions of the background check as unneeded and inappropriate for ARES service.

In a letter dated May 8 of this year, Armond T. Mascelli, ARC Vice President for Disaster Response Services replied to President Harrison: "I can now report back to you that [these] actions have been completed and changes have been instituted which I trust resolves the concerns detailed in your letter. This effort took considerably more time and attention than originally envisioned, but I believe the results will now benefit our respective organizations.

"A new background consent form now [is] to be used by all Red Cross chapters for ARRL members and other partner organizations. The form and related process is limited to the name and social security number verification of the individual, and a criminal background check. References and suggestions to other related investigative possibilities have been stricken."

ARRL Emergency Preparedness and Response Manager Dennis Dura, K2DCD, announced the resolution at the ARRL ARES forum at the Dayton Hamvention® and received hearty applause.

"We are very pleased that the American Red Cross has addressed some of the issues that we raised regarding their background investigations and that we can move forward in a relationship that has existed for a long, long time," Harrison said. "The American Red Cross and the ARRL have shared a productive relationship for many years which has been of benefit to both the organizations and to the public. We are glad that throughout the past months we have been able to negotiate the issues that we had and have finally come to a resolution."

What's Next?

With the background check issue apparently resolved, the ARRL will be working with the ARC in the negotiation and creation of a draft for a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or similar document to replace the one which expired last year; Dura and Keith Robertory of the ARC will be leading the effort. When complete, the draft of the MOU will be presented to the leadership of both organizations for approval.

"The ARRL is very pleased that the American Red Cross has responded appropriately to our concerns about the background check issue," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "We believe it now will be possible to go forward to negotiate a statement of understanding between the two organizations. We look forward to renewing and expanding the relationship with the Red Cross."

NEWS FLASH — SATELLITE FAILURES

• January 11, 1997—Telstar 401 suffers a short in the satellite circuitry—TOTAL LOSS
• May 19, 1998—Galaxy 4 control processor causes loss of fixed orbit—TOTAL LOSS
• September 19, 2003—Telstar 4 suffers loss of its primary power bus—TOTAL LOSS
• March 17, 2004—PAS-6 suffers loss of power—TOTAL LOSS
• January 14, 2005—Intelsat 804 suffers electrical power system anomaly—TOTAL LOSS

DON’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT SATELLITE OUTAGE

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Phoenix Spacecraft on Course for May 25 Mars Landing

05.22.08

This artist's montage shows NASA's Phoenix spacecraft en route to and landing on Mars. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Calech/University of Arizona

PASADENA, Calif. — With three days and 3 million miles left to fly before arriving at Mars, NASA's Phoenix spacecraft is on track for its destination in the Martian arctic.

"The latest calculation from our navigation team shows the center of the area where we're currently headed lies less than eight miles from the center of our target area," said Barry Goldstein, Phoenix project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "We may decide on Saturday that we don't need to use our final opportunity for fine tuning the trajectory Phoenix is on. Either way, we will continue to monitor the trajectory throughout Saturday night, on the off chance we need to execute our contingency maneuver eight hours before entry."

The spacecraft is in fine health.

"All systems are nominal and stable," said Ed Sedivy, Phoenix spacecraft program manager for Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, which built the spacecraft. "We have plenty of propellant, the temperatures look good and the batteries are fully charged."

The spacecraft is closing in on the scariest seven minutes of the mission.

On Sunday, shortly after the annual 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Phoenix will be approaching Mars at about 12,750 miles per hour, a speed that could cover 500 miles in 2 minutes and 22 seconds. After it enters the top of the Martian atmosphere at that velocity, it must use superheated friction with the atmosphere, a strong parachute and a set of pulsing retrorockets to achieve a safe, three-legged standstill touchdown on the surface in just seven minutes.

The earliest possible time when mission controllers could get confirmation from Phoenix indicating it has survived landing will be at 4:53 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday (7:53 p.m. Eastern Time). Of 11 previous attempts that various nations have made to land spacecraft on Mars, only five have succeeded.

Phoenix will land farther north on Mars than any previous mission, at a site expected to have ice-rich permafrost beneath the surface, but within reach of the lander's robotic arm.

"Last instructions were given to the science team at our final meeting at the University of Arizona Tuesday," said Phoenix Principal Investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "This week, we are conducting our dress rehearsal before opening night on Sunday." The science team is slowly adjusting to working on Mars time, in which each day lasts 24.66 hours, in preparation for a demanding mission.

Smith said, "We are ready to robotically operate our science lab in the Martian arctic and dig through the layers of history to the ice-rich soil below."

Phoenix is equipped to study the history of the water now frozen into the site's permafrost, to check for carbon-containing chemicals that are essential ingredients for life, and to monitor polar-region weather on Mars from a surface perspective for the first time.

The Phoenix mission is led by Smith at the University of Arizona with project management at JPL and development partnership at Lockheed Martin. International contributions come from the Canadian Space Agency; the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; the universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark; Max Planck Institute, Germany; and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. For more about Phoenix, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/phoenix and http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu.

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Hi-tech firm upgrades patients' lifeline

22 May 2008

A radio-paging reminder service that provides brain injury patients with a lifeline to independence has been updated and upgraded using soft-ware from Norwich-based communications specialist Autopage.

The Neuropage reminder service is operated nationwide from the Oliver Zangwill Centre for Neuropsycho-logical Rehabilitation, which is based at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Ely.

Someone using Neuropage sends a list of reminders, and at the appropriate time the computer-run system sends a message to their pager or mobile phone.

The system is designed for people with memory, planning or organisational difficulties resulting from brain injury, and it can also be used by some people with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or people with learning disabilities.

Reminders can be for one-off events such as hospital appointments or they can be for regular events or tasks, such as taking medication or getting ready to go to work.

Neuropage has helped hundreds of people since it was launched 10 years ago, and it recently made a successful transition to its new Windows-operated Autopage system.

"Neuropage has been working very successfully for many years but in the past the use of SMS texting has been a bit tricky for us," said Andrew Bateman, clinical manager and head of research at the Oliver Zangwill Centre.

"The Autopage system makes it rather more straightforward for us to choose between paging and texting.

"We're actually big fans of paging because it offers one-button retrieval, which is ideal for our patients, who can frequently do without complicated phones.

"However, some patients do find texting more attractive, and it is now easier for us to meet their wishes."

Neuropage users will not have noticed any changes to their reminder service, but the Autopage software has made the system easier for administrators to run.

Autopage, which is based at Cringleford, has been integrating text messaging into wider business communications for more than 10 years. It has worked with utilities companies, manufacturing and service industries, transport firms, and public sector and health organisations.

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BloostonLaw Telecom Update

Published by the Law Offices of Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy & Prendergast, LLP

[Selected portions reproduced here with the firm's permission.]

www.bloostonlaw.com

700 MHz “D Block” FNPRM Seems To Be Only The First Step Toward Re-Auction

But Rural Carriers May Wish To Consider Advocating Smaller Licensing Areas

In the text of its Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the FCC revisits its decisions concerning the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership – considering revisions to this partnership as well as alternative rules it should adopt in the event the D Block licensee is no longer required to enter into a mandatory public/private partnership. But this appears to be only a first step toward a re-auction of the D Block spectrum; the Commission states that there will be another FNPRM detailing more specific proposals. This raises the question as to whether the D Block will be reauctioned before the end of this year, and whether the final rules will be determined by this Administration.

We note, however, that the FCC will now consider alternative approaches to the D Block licensing scheme, and therefore encourage our small and rural clients to join in comments urging that the D Block be licensed (at least in rural areas) via smaller license areas that would allow small business/rural telco participation in the re-auction; and that any public safety participation requirements for rural areas take into account the difficulties of a rural build out. These carriers could be the most logical entities to achieve coverage to more remote communities.

In the FNPRM, the FCC considers clarifications and revisions to the public safety component of the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership that would better promote its public interest goals. More specifically, it seeks comment on whether, under Section 337 of the Communications Act and Section 90.523 of the Commission’s rules, only entities that are providing public safety services are eligible to use the public safety spectrum portion of the shared network established under the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership, and whether such entities should be required to subscribe to the network. The FCC also seeks comment on whether to clarify the requirement that the Public Safety Broadband Licensee be a nonprofit organization and specify that entities associated with the public safety component of the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership, apart from outside advisors or counsel with no debt or equity relationship to the Public Safety Broadband Licensee, may not be for-profit entities.

In addition, the FCC seeks comment on possible modifications to the various rules governing the D Block licensee and the Public Safety Broadband Licensee within the framework of the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership (as revised or clarified). First, it seeks comment on whether it remains in the public interest to require a public/private partnership between the nationwide D Block licensee and the Public Safety Broadband Licensee for the purpose of creating a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for both commercial and public safety network services. Next, to ensure a thorough consideration of the Commission’s options in the event that it continues to require a public/private partnership between these licensees, the FCC seeks comment on a broad set of possible revisions to the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership, including revisions regarding the respective obligations of the D-Block licensee and the Public Safety Broadband Licensee.

In particular, the FCC seeks comment on the following issues: (1) the technical requirements of the shared wireless broadband network to be constructed by the D Block licensee, (2) the rules governing public safety priority access to the D Block spectrum during emergencies; (3) the D Block performance requirements and license term; (4) the respective roles and responsibilities of the D Block licensee and Public Safety Broadband Licensee in connection with the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership and the shared wireless broadband network, including whether the Public Safety Broadband Licensee may assume responsibilities akin to a “mobile virtual network operator”; (5) the various fees associated with the shared network; (6) the process for negotiating and establishing the Network Sharing Agreement, including the consequences of a failure to reach agreement; (7) certain auction-related issues, including whether to restrict who may participate in the new auction of the D Block license, how to determine any reserve price for such an auction, whether to adopt an exception to the impermissible material relationship rule for the determination of designated entity eligibility with respect to arrangements for the lease or resale (including wholesale) of the spectrum capacity of the D Block license, and whether the Commission should modify the auction default payment rules with respect to the D Block winning bidder; and (8) relocation of the public safety narrowband operations.

Finally, the FCC seeks comment on other revisions or clarifications that may be appropriate with regard to the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership, including whether to license the D Block and public safety broadband spectrum on a nationwide or adopt a regional geographic service area basis such as Regional Economic Area Grouping (REAG).

Licensing without the Public/Private Partnership: The FCC would also consider options if the D Block is licensed without the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership condition. It notes that there are several circumstances where such options might be relevant. First, the FCC might determine that it should immediately conduct an auction to license the D Block without such a Public/Private Partnership condition. In addition, it might conclude that, even if it should retain the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership condition in the next D Block auction, the condition should be removed if the next D Block auction fails to produce a winning bidder, or the winning bidder defaults or fails to negotiate a successful Network Sharing Agreement with the Public Safety Broadband Licensee. Therefore, for any circumstances where the FCC determines that the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership condition on the D Block should not be retained, it seeks comment on revisions to the rules that would be appropriate with respect to the D Block license as well as revisions with regard to the Public Safety Broadband License that would ensure the development and deployment of a nationwide interoperable broadband network for public safety users.

Finally, the FCC notes that, in the event that that it determine not to proceed with the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership, it seeks comment broadly on how it may still achieve the public interest goal of ensuring a nationwide, interoperable broadband network is available for the use of public safety, and whether there are further revisions or obligations the FCC should impose on the Public Safety Broadband License to achieve these goals.

In this regard, the FCC seeks comment on the appropriate geographic service area for the D Block in the event that the D Block license is re-auctioned without a 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership obligation. Would it best serve the public interest to continue to license the D Block on a nationwide basis, or should the FCC choose a smaller geographic service area, such as the CMA, EA, and REAG sizes used to license the other 700 MHz blocks? The FCC notes that, in evaluating the appropriate balance of license areas, it will continue to consider the 700 MHz Band as a whole, including the commercial spectrum that has been previously auctioned.

The FCC requests that commenters provide information that would corroborate the benefits of their proposed geographic area and the costs and benefits of adopting an alternative license area. Commenters should also discuss how a particular license area for the D Block would best serve the public interest, considering the commercial 700 MHz Band spectrum as a whole.

Finally, commenters should address whether the availability of package bidding, which may mitigate the exposure risk for bidders seeking certain aggregations of licenses, should influence the FCC’s choice of geographic license service area for the D Block.

The FCC said it is launching its Second Further Notice with the following principles and goals:

• To identify concerns in the existing structure of the 700 MHz Public/Private Partnership to inform its decision making going forward;
• To promote wireless innovation and broadband network penetration while meeting the communications needs of the first responder community in a commercially viable manner;
• To facilitate public safety access to a nationwide, interoperable broadband network in a timely manner;
• To identify funding opportunities for the public safety community to realize the promise of a broadband communications infrastructure with a nationwide level of interoperability; and
• To maximize the commercial and public safety benefits of this unique piece of 700 MHz spectrum.

The FCC invites comment broadly on these principles and goals, as well as the specific subjects discussed herein. Before ultimately adopting final rules in response to this Second FNPRM, the FCC said, it plans to present for public comment, in a subsequent Further Notice, a detailed proposal regarding the specific proposed rules.

Comments in this WT Docket No. 06-150 proceeding are due June 20, and replies are due July 7.

BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, John Prendergast, Cary Mitchell, and Bob Jackson.

REPLY DEADLINE IN USF REFORM PROCEEDING EXTENDED UNTIL JUNE 2: The FCC has extended until June 2 the deadline for reply comments on the three Universal Service Fund (USF) Reform Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) in WC Docket No. 05-337. These include the Joint Board NPRM, the Identical Support Rule NPRM, and the Reverse Auctions NPRM. An extension had been requested by the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance (ITTA), National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO), United States Telecom Association (USTelecom), and Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA). The motion for extension was supported by the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

BloostonLaw contacts: Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and Mary Sisak.

SENATE PASSES RESOLUTION DISAPPROVING FCC’s MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULE: The U.S. Senate last week passed a joint resolution, S.J. Res. 28, disapproving the FCC’s broadcast media ownership rule. The resolution, which does not carry the force of law, states: “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to broadcast media ownership (Report and Order FCC 07-216), received by Congress on February 22, 2008, and such rule shall have no force or effect.” The resolution was introduced by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.). In supporting the resolution, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye said: “Like many of my colleagues, I am deeply troubled by the FCC’s rulemaking that would allow greater consolidation of our media.” FCC Commissioner Michael Copps released a brief statement: "The Senate spoke for a huge majority of Americans last night by voting to overturn the flawed FCC decision gutting our long-standing ban on newspaper-broadcast crossownership. With courageous leaders like Senator Byron Dorgan, the Senate has struck a blow for localism and diversity in a media environment crying out for more of both." Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said: “This vote reflects a strong consensus across the ideological spectrum against further media concentration, from left to right and virtually everybody in between. The FCC veered dangerously off-course from the American mainstream, so our elected representatives are trying to steer us back.” Although the resolution will have no effect on the FCC rule, it does send a strong signal that Congress is not happy with it.

BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, Ben Dickens, Gerry Duffy, and John Prendergast.

FCC SETS COMMENT DATES FOR NOI ON FRAUDULENT 911 CALLS MADE FROM WIRELESS NSI PHONES: The FCC has established comment dates for a Petition for a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) filed by the public safety community regarding the number of fraudulent 911 calls made from wireless non-service initialized (NSI) phones. Comments in this PS Docket No. 08-51 proceeding are due June 30, and replies are due July 29. The petitioners state that these calls often are taking valuable resources and time away from individuals and families who truly are in need of emergency assistance when they dial 911. NSI phones are cell phones without service contracts that have no associated name and address, and do not provide Automatic Number Identification (ANI) and call back features used by Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to respond to 911 calls. According to petitioners, in 2006, PSAPs in Tennessee reported more than 10,000 fraudulent 911 calls from NSI phones in just a three-month span of time. In Florida, several PSAPs reported approximately 8,400 fraudulent 911 calls from NSI phones in just one month (December 2006), constituting more than 96 percent of the 911 calls received by those PSAPs from NSI phones. Currently the Commission’s rules require wireless carriers to transmit all wireless 911 calls, including those made from NSI phones, to 911 call centers or PSAPs. In 2002, because of the limitations of these cell phones, the FCC clarified that its rules do not prevent wireless carriers from blocking fraudulent 911 calls from NSI phones. Actions taken by carriers to block such calls must be done in adherence with applicable state and local law enforcement procedures. However, according to the petitioners, blocking such calls has raised technical and legal concerns by wireless carriers and the public safety community. The FCC notice calls for public comments, analysis and information on the nature and the extent of the problem for PSAPs across the nation in responding to fraudulent calls; carriers’ legal and technical concerns with blocking 911 calls from wireless NSI phones and potential ways to make this a more viable option; as well as other possible solutions to address this issue. The petition was filed by the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board, the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators, the Michigan State 9-1-1 Office, the New Jersey State 9-1-1 Commission, the Snohomish County Enhanced 9-1-1 Office, the National Emergency Number Association, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International, the State of Montana 911 Program, the Washington Sate E911 Program, and Openwave Systems, Inc. (BloostonLaw Telecom Update, April 16).

BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, John Prendergast, and Richard Rubino.

FCC RESCHEDULES AUCTION 78 FOR AUGUST 13: The FCC has rescheduled Auction No. 78 for licenses in multiple radio services to commence on August 13, 2008. This auction will include 55 unsold licenses: 35 licenses in the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz bands (AWS-1) and 20 licenses in the broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS). The spectrum to be auctioned has been offered previously in other auctions but was unsold or returned to the Commission as a result of license cancellation or termination. Interested clients should contact BloostonLaw for the specific licenses available. The Commission released a Public Notice outlining the filing requirements, minimum opening bids, upfront payments, and other auction rules and procedures. We note that there will be no reserve prices for the 35 AWS-1 licenses, and broadband PCS licensees will no longer be responsible for costs associated with relocating Fixed Microwave Service (FMS) operations. The pre-auction deadlines are as follows: Auction seminar—June 10; shortform application filing window opens—June 10; shortform application filing deadline—June 19; upfront payment deadline—July 17; mock auction—August 11; and auction begins August 13.

BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, John Prendergast, Cary Mitchell, and Bob Jackson.

RCA ASKS FCC TO INVESTIGATE EXCLUSIVE HANDSET ARRANGEMENTS: The Rural Cellular Association (RCA) has asked the FCC to investigate exclusive handset arrangements between carriers and handset manufacturers, according to Wireless Week. In its petition, RCA said it requests that “the commission initiate a rulemaking to investigate the widespread use and anticompetitive effects of exclusivity arrangements between commercial wireless carriers and handset manufacturers and, as necessary, adopt rules that prohibit such arrangements when contrary to the public interest, consistent with its obligations under the Communications Act.” Citing the example of Apple’s agreement with AT&T for the iPhone, RCA’s petition explains that the exclusive arrangement between the two means that most Vermont residents, as well as residents in rural areas of 15 other states, cannot use the popular handset as AT&T only offers roaming service in the state and local carriers cannot sell the iPhone. The petition also cites exclusive handset deals between LG and Verizon Wireless, and Samsung and Sprint Nextel, saying exclusive handset arrangements create “another “digital divide” between urban and rural America.” RCA’s complaint comes at a time when carriers are facing increasing pressure to open their networks and allow consumers more choice about what devices and applications they wish to use over networks, Wireless Week said.

BloostonLaw contacts: Hal Mordkofsky, John Prendergast, and Cary Mitchell.

MAY 31: FCC FORM 395, EMPLOYMENT REPORT. Common carriers, including wireless carriers, with 16 or more full-time employees must file their annual Common Carrier Employment Reports (FCC Form 395) by May 31. This report tracks carrier compliance with rules requiring recruitment of minority employees. Further, the FCC requires all common carriers to report any employment discrimination complaints they received during the past year. That information is also due on May 31. (The Form 395 is newly revised this year—prior versions are obsolete.) The FCC encourages carriers to complete the discrimination report requirement by filling out Section IV of Form 395, rather than submitting a separate report. Clients who would like assistance in filing Form 395 should contact Richard Rubino and Bob Jackson.

This newsletter is not intended to provide legal advice. Those interested in more information should contact the firm.

Source: Blooston, Mordkofsky, Dickens, Duffy and Prendergast, LLP
For additional information, contact Hal Mordkofsky at 202-828-5520 or halmor@bloostonlaw.com

Morse Code at 140 WPM

By J. M. Cornwell, ACØCA

May 20, 2008

Mr. Spock meets Samuel Morse.

Chuck Adams, K7QO, mans the key.

After reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about Chuck Adams, K7QO, who has a fascinating hobby — or two — I decided to contact him and find out the story for myself.

Chuck copies Morse code accurately at 140 words per minute (WPM), making him one of the fastest operators in the world. When contacted about his amazing feat he said the figure of 140 WPM is “probably misleading.” Chuck explained, “There are three code speeds that I think any good CW operator should know and should know how to measure. Plain text with a ‘mil’ or keyboard. This is the way world records are done and [also] code tests, [copying] one minute without error out of five minutes of plain text from the hard copy generated. [C]ode tests started out this way and then went to either a multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank [test] …before being discontinued.

Chuck Adams, K7QO

Competitive CW

“Code competitions that I [did] as a teenager didn’t allow typewriters, so it was done with pen and paper [where] I used to win at 40-45 WPM. To this day, I still do hard copy of every QSO that I have. At high speeds, I grab a typewriter, an electric one.

“Plain text without hard copy, also known as copying in your head, …is much more difficult to measure as you have to rely on what someone repeats back to you after a session. But this doesn't have to be 100% copy. There are guys who consistently carry on QSOs at 110-120 WPM, but those QSOs are disappearing from the bands. [The third way is a] computer program from RufzXP which is where the 140.9 WPM comes from for me and the 200 WPM that two individuals did at the IARU competition in the European Union (EU). The program has a database of something like 45,000 radio amateur calls, mostly from contesters. You hear a call and type it into the program. If you get it right, the program sends another call at a faster speed and continues to increase the speed for each correct call. If you miss then the next call is sent at a slower speed. Your score is determined by a number of factors: response time, correct calls or number of characters per call, etc. This program is the most frustrating thing you can do … [and] will drive anyone to drink in a hurry.”

Chuck plays down his achievement, although he learned code in two evenings using an Instructograph paper tape machine. His father, W5NNB, took Chuck to a club meeting in Kermit, TX to find someone to teach him because he didn’t feel his son would listen to him. Two already licensed teenagers Chuck’s age took him under their wings that Wednesday and the following Thursday and Friday evenings Chuck memorized the code. His father dropped him off at Terry and Roy Acuff's home in Kermit on Saturday. When the dust was settled and the test over, Chuck had done 12 WPM.

He became interested in very high speeds in his senior year in high school. Working on 40 meters with a Heathkit Apache and an NC-300 receiver calling CQ at 45 WPM, he was confident until he received a message at 60 WPM. “I couldn't get them to QRS, so we didn’t complete a QSO. I was so angry at the time that I told myself no one would ever do that to me again. So far, so good.”

Is High Speed Code Worth It?

As with anything there are always questions and one question that comes to mind is if there is value in sending and receiving code at such high speeds. According to Chuck, “The bands might not hold up for long periods of time so you can get a lot done in a short period of time,” something that would obviously be useful in an emergency situation when time is of the essence. But it seems almost impossible to get more than the gist of a message, much like speed reading where the text is skimmed. Chuck disagrees. “At higher speeds, it is my belief that you are as close as you can get to what I call the ‘Vulcan Mind Meld.’ You hear/see words in your mind instantly that came from another human mind miles away without consciously hearing the sounds from the speaker. When we talk to people we don’t think about the sounds, but the ideas being given.”

While it may sound like science fiction, Chuck’s enthusiasm and stories make high speed code something worth achieving and a lot of fun. “I had one QSO at high speed my senior year in high school with a YL for 3.5 hours. I will never forget that one. I also had a QSO with a B-58 pilot who was in Little Rock, Arkansas and got scrambled on an alert; it was not a drill. Then the Cuban missile crisis was announced.”

For those of you who have struggled with code, Chuck agrees that it’s not easy and that “…you have to work at it to keep it. Use it or lost it.” During World War II when the military trained Morse code operators, they trained for 16 weeks for about 8 hours a day. But Chuck says, “The U.S. government did it wrong. They used the old E — I — S — H sequence,” which, in Chuck’s opinion, is “…the worst thing you can do. It either consciously or subconsciously gets the individuals counting elements.” He urges anyone learning code that way to “…please, please drop any code course that starts this way or uses some gimmick for memorization…especially visual aids. This is a killer for code speed. Your mind learns to go through a couple of steps before getting the conversion done, and then you later have to unlearn the sequence. The only way to make sure code sticks with you is to “[s]tart with a regular daily schedule and stick with it. It’s the only way to succeed in a reasonable time period.” Chuck prefers the A — B — C — D sequence because “…it fairly well mixes up the patterns so that [you] don’t compare them to [similar letters].” It’s the way we all learned the alphabet in order to read.

CW — Simple, Inexpensive and Efficient

One of the good things about Morse code is that the equipment is so easy to build. “That’s the way we did it in the 50s and 60s. We were all poor and a single-tube transmitter crystal-controlled rig (crystal-controlled rigs were a requirement for one-year Novices) was cheap and easy to build. [Even today,] you can buy a kit for a single band CW transceiver for $55 and add an additional $30 for case, etc. Use a wire antenna and a simple key and keyer and you are going like gangbusters. Those who say life is too short for QRP haven’t got a clue and don’t want the ranks to grow if they keep that attitude.

“Because Morse takes very little…it is a good use of bandwidth and it takes less power to be heard. I have been QRP for all my ham years, but will go to QRO power for the QRQ QSOs I’m about to take up. You can’t do high speeds at QRP levels … unless it’s line of sight.”

Chuck says it’s difficult to say whether Morse code will fall completely out of use. It is much more expensive to do the digital modes when you add in the cost of computer and software, but they are popular because you can sit down at the keyboard and have a mini-Internet on the air and no real concentration is required for long periods of time. However, since most young hams can’t afford that kind of ham shack, starting out with a QRP (low power) CW rig gives them a chance to become active quickly. It’s also something to think about for those hams on a budget or fixed income.

A Daily Measure of Morse Keeps the Mind Sharp

Morse code is a regular part of Chuck’s life and not just in terms of going on the air. He also puts out a series of books on CD at different Morse code speeds. He started the books almost twenty years ago to get plain text code for his daily practice when the AP and UPI wire services discontinued daily news transmissions via Morse to ships at sea. “I missed the practice and wanted something to work on to keep up my code speed. I had too much time and energy invested to let it slip away.” Chuck uses a computer to translate books in the public domain to code because it gave him perfect spacing and was error free and could be done any time of the day. “It was QRM/QRN/QSB free and a pleasure to do and I had lengthy sessions of continuous material. A complete book, such as War of the Worlds, is really a joy to work through [and you don’t have to] worry about time of day and sunspot counts for a Morse practice session.” He added that smaller MP3 players and iPods make it possible to carry practice with you. Chuck walks 10 km a day, getting in 2 hours of practice and there are side benefits to the concentration that comes with building code speed.

Chuck plays poker tournaments professionally that require intense concentration for 14-15 hours a day. “I really, really believe practicing Morse, which forces you to concentrate continually, helps keep the memory working well and might, just might, help keep one sharp. I have yet to run into any CW operator at any age who couldn't concentrate and seemed to hold onto information for a long time.” Considering the current scientific data coming out about Alzheimer’s disease, using Morse code on a daily basis might just be one way to combat the disease. This may be one case where more is better.

Get Ready for 2010

Although the FCC took out the code requirement in licensing, the story of Morse code is far from over. One US group is attempting to set a new world record in the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) high speed competition in 2010 and is looking for a place to hold the competition. Chuck hopes it will be held at Pacificon because it’s near San Francisco International Airport and holding the competition in Dayton will increase the costs for attendees from the EU and other countries. A venue near an international airport would be best for overseas contestants. The undertaking will be expensive and sponsors with connections, enthusiasm and/or financial clout are needed. With the current exchange rate, it is more expensive for US competitors to go to Europe, so an American contest would be an asset. If you’d like to get more information, please contact Ilya Kleyman, KE7OPG, 12510 109th Ct. NE -302, Kirkland WA 98034.

Whatever the reason for getting into high speed Morse code, one thing is certain; code is not going to go away any time soon. It’s not easy for some people to master code, but, like anything worth doing, it is worth the effort. In the end, it’s all about practice, time and more practice, but above all, “Patience, Grasshopper.”

J. M. Cornwell, AC0CA, is a nationally syndicated freelance journalist, editor, book reviewer and award winning author whose recent work has been included in Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers and Chicken Soup for the Adopted Soul. She is also a Volunteer Examiner and newsletter editor for the Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association (PPRAA) and holds an Extra class license.

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Brad Dye, Editor
The Wireless Messaging Newsletter
P.O. Box 13283
Springfield, IL 62791 USA

— Brad On The Soapbox —

Here in the United States of America we value our freedom of speech very much. One unpleasant side of this wonderful right is that anyone can say just about anything they want to. Except, of course, ridiculous things like shouting "FIRE, FIRE! in a crowded theater, libel, threats of various kinds, etc.

I receive thousands of e-mails. Sometimes over a thousand in one day. Fortunately, my spam filter catches most of the really bad ones. At the risk of offending some of my friends, I have asked several of them not to send me any more "group" messages. I welcome messages sent to me, but a lot of the junk I receive is addressed to a long list of e-mail addresses, and I just happen to be one of them.

Several times recently I have received messages complaining about Interactive Voice Response (IVR) machines (they are like telephone answering machines) that give the caller the choice of selecting the prompts and voice announcements in the Spanish language. Here is an example:

If you want this in Spanish, move to a country that speaks it.

This kind of xenophobic message usually comes from some ignorant, uneducated, bigot who couldn't put together a complete sentence in the English language using correct grammar, let alone learn to speak a second language. I am offended and embarrassed that anyone in my country would be so rude. I have traveled to over fifty countries and have been generally treated very well—as a guest—while I was in each of them.

Of course in Canada bilingual announcements (English and French) are the norm. Some places, like Singapore have multiple official languages. They have four — English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. It is wonderful to travel in Europe where so many different languages are spoken. High-level businessmen all over the world generally speak multiple languages—and speak them very well. One idiot said, “The people in France are so intelligent — even the little kids can speak French.”

I speak Spanish. It is my second language. I started learning it 43 years ago as a freshman in college. Learning Spanish has been just about the most rewarding thing I have ever done. It has opened the door to knowing a small part of the Hispanic culture — along with its rich traditions, its art, its music, and its wonderful people.

I have published this joke before, but it bears repeating:

If a person speaks three languages, that person is called trilingual.
If a person speaks two languages, that person is called bilingual.
If a person speaks only one language, that person is usually an American.

“The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2004 was 41.3 million, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest race or ethnic minority. Hispanics constituted 14 percent of the nation’s total population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.)” [source: US Census]

Did you know that there are 6,912 living languages in the world today? There are an estimated 340 million people in the world who speak English as their first language and 322 million people who speak Spanish as their first language. [source]

It would be interesting to trace the lineage of these pinheads who are asking Spanish speaking people to leave the USA. I wonder what language their ancestors spoke when they first immigrated to America? Since these idiots are too uncivilized to realize how stupid they make the rest of us look, let me apologise to everyone who speaks Spanish for the rudeness and ignorance of some of my countrymen—certainly not all of us think this way.

Señor, perdónanos nuestros pecados.

Everyone has the right to their own opinions, and these are mine.