About This NewsletterMeeting AnnouncementUpcoming Meeting ScheduleMeeting MinutesWireless Mics Under AttackLocal LegalsWhite Space Tests ContinueFrom The Chair - Do What Is Right....Amateur Radio NewsSBE Notes & RemindersChapter Sustaining MembersReturn to 2008 Newsletter Archives The Chapter 24 Newsletter is published monthly by Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers; Madison, Wisconsin. Original hard copy edited by John Salzwedel on InDesign CS. Submissions of interest to the broadcast technical community are welcome. You can make your submissions by e-mail to:
Information and/or articles are also accepted by US Mail. Please address them to:
SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter Editor
3893 Terrace Circle
DeForest, WI 53532
Please submit articles as .txt or Word.doc files, images can be submitted as .jpg or .tif files, pdf files are also acceptable.
Steve Paugh is the editor for the Electronic Version of this Newsletter uploaded monthly onto SBE Chapter 24's web page.
Thanks to Leonard Charles for his work on the Chapter 24 WWW page and electronic newsletter.
Contributors this month:
Dennis Baldridge
Tom Smith
Paul Stoffel
Tom Weeden
© 2008 by SBE Chapter 24. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Society, its officers, or its members. SBE Chapter 24 regrets, but is not liable for, any omissions or errors. The Chapter 24 Newsletter is published twelve times per year. Other SBE Chapters are permitted to use excerpts if attributed to the original author, sources, and SBE Chapter 24.
Thank you to Clear Channel Radio for providing copying and folding facilities for the Chapter 24 newsletter!
Thank you to WISC-TV for maintaining the web server for the Chapter 24 Web page!
Paul Wilson, Associate Professor, UW-Madison will give us a presentation describing how nuclear energy is in the middle of a renaissance driven by more than a decade of improved performance and a growing demand for low-emission electricity generation. This talk will start by examining where nuclear energy has come in the last 10 years to become the cheapest generation option.
Behind-the-scenes regulatory and technical improvements have opened the door for expansion over the next decade. The prospects for new reactor construction and status of various efforts will be outlined.
Finally, over the long term, nuclear energy does still have research needs, chiefly the closing of the nuclear fuel cycle. Looking beyond the next two decades, we will examine some of the national and international research directions that will turn nuclear energy into a more sustainable choice.
Visitors and guests are welcome at all of our SBE meetings!
| DAY | DATE | TOPIC | PRESENTER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weds | Oct 15 | SBE National Chair | |
| Weds | Nov 12 | TBD | |
| Thur | Dec 11 | Fitzgerald's/ Steve Paugh | |
| Tentative 2009 Program Subjects | |||
| DAY | DATE | TOPIC | CONTACT |
Submitted by Paul Stoffel, Acting Secretary
Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers met on Wednesday, Aug.13, 2008 at the studios of Wisconsin Public Radio. Chairman Dennis Baldridge called the meeting to order at 7:07pm. There were 11 members present, of whom 10 were certified. Five guests introduced themselves.
Steve Paugh made a motion to accept the July minutes as published in the Chapter newsletter. The motion was seconded by Bill Hamilton.
The treasurer’s report from Leslie Franzen was read by Dennis Baldridge. The current bank balance in the Chapter’s checking account was reported.
The frequency coordinator report from Tom Smith was read by Dennis Baldridge: There is no local news; nationally the FCC is doing more testing on unlicensed devices in the TV band focusing on wireless mike detection. There has been some complaints filed about unlicensed wireless mikes filed with the FCC, and they will take up the issue at the August 22nd meeting of the Commission. More information in the next newsletter.
Certification Chair Jim Hermanson reported that the application date for the next certification test at the National meeting to be held in Madison has closed; the application deadline for the next test period from November 7-17 will be September 19. The next local chapter exam date is February 6-16, 2009, with an application deadline of December 31, 2008.Chairman Dennis Baldridge reported that Chapter 24 received an SBE National Award for Highest Member Attendance.
National Liaison Leonard Charles reported that volunteers are needed to help with the National SBE satellite and Web teleconference on Monday, Oct. 13, to be produced out of the Wisconsin Public Television studios in Madison. Camera operators and telephone & e-mail help is needed. Contact Charles or Paul Stoffel if you are interested in volunteering. This teleconference precedes the Society of Broadcast Engineers 2008 National Meeting in Madison on October 14-15.
The National Meeting will be held in conjunction with the annual Broadcasters Clinic, a three-day event that features broadcast technical presentations for radio and television engineers and a broadcast equipment expo. There is a fee to attend the Broadcasters Clinic. Hosts for the SBE National Meeting will be SBE Chapter 24 of Madison and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA). The event will take place at the Madison Marriott West Hotel, located in Middleton, on Madison’s west side. Events held during the SBE National Meeting include the fall meeting of the national Board of Directors, the annual SBE Fellows Breakfast, the Annual Membership Meeting and the 2008 SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner. The fee to attend the Broadcasters Clinic does not include a ticket to the SBE Awards Reception and Dinner; they are available for $14 per person. The WBA is handling registration for the Broadcasters Clinic and the SBE National Awards Reception and Dinner.
Charles also reported that SBE National is working on the 2009 NAB Engineering Conference.
Steve Paugh, Program Committee, reported on upcoming meetings: September 11, Nuclear Energy; October 15, Broadcasters Clinic & SBE National meeting; and November 12, Charter Communications tour.
No report given on Sustaining Membership.
Other business: DirecTV is now receiving Madison’s off-air DTV signals, instead of the analog channels, except for Wisconsin Public Television.
By common consent, the meeting was adjourned.
The evening’s program was a tour of Wisconsin Public Radio’s studios given by Steve Johnston, Director of Engineering and Operations of Wisconsin Public Radio.
On July 16, a group of public interest and consumer groups called the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition (PISC) filed an Informal Complaint and Petition for Rulemaking concerning the sale and use of wireless mics by ineligible users. The PISC consists of the New America Foundation, which is a leading proponent of the use of TV white space for unlicensed use; the CUWin Foundation; Consumer Federation of America; Consumers Union; EDUCAUSE; Free Press; Media Access Project; the National Hispanic Media Coalition; Open Source Wireless Coalition; Public Knowledge; and U.S. PIRG.
In the petition, the group asked the FCC to investigate Shure and other manufacturers listed in the complaint for willfully and knowingly marketing and selling wireless mics to unauthorized users in violation of Part 74 and for engaging in deceptive advertising to ineligible users such as churches, theaters, event venues and the public. They included over 170 pages of brochures and manuals from Shure and other manufacturers.
In the petition, the groups asked the FCC to grant amnesty to all unauthorized users of wireless mics; reclassify all licensed wireless mics as secondary to all services in the channel 52-69 band after the DTV transition; order the manufacture and sale of wireless mics operating on channels 52-69 to cease immediately; and create a new "General Wireless Microphone Service" licensed under Section 307(e) to operate on vacant UHF channels below Channel 52 on a secondary basis and create a licensed band in the 2020-2025 MHz band.
The PISC gave two reasons for the petition. The first was potential interference to new public safety and advanced wireless services in the channel 52-69 band and by having the unlicensed wireless mic users "come to light" in order to assist the FCC in resolving the pending issues in Docket No. 04-186 to allow the use of TV white space for broadband use. The latter reason is probably the main reason for this petition as, it was mostly written by the New America Foundation, which is the leading public interest proponent of white space use.
On August 15, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in response to the PISC’s petition. In the notice, the FCC issued a freeze on accepting any applications for licenses for new wireless mic systems on channels 52-69 and granting any authorizations on certifying equipment to operate on that band. The FCC asked for comment on a number of points raised in the petition. The Commission proposed to prohibit manufacture or sale of any devices that would operate as low-power auxiliary devices on channels 52-69. They went one step further than the PISC petition and proposed to prohibit the use of existing devices after February 17, 2009 on channels 52-69. When the FCC authorized the Wireless Assist Video Devices in 2002 for the film industry in the UHF TV band, operation was prohibited on channels 52-69.
The Commission also asked for comment on the PISC’s proposal for General Wireless Microphone Service and on the investigation of the various manufacturers of wireless mics, which the FCC has already started to do.
The rulemaking is WT Docket No.08-166; Revisions to the Rules Authorizing the Operation of Low Power Auxiliary Stations in the 698-806 MHz Band and WT Docket No. 08-167; Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, Petition for Rulemaking Regarding Low Power Auxiliary Stations Including Wireless Microphones, and the Digital transition. Comments are due 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, with replies due 15 days after the comment period ends.
From release by the FCC (www.fcc.gov) and the New America Foundation
WMSN-DT Madison, WI Channel 11
WMSN Licensee, LLC has requested that DTV channel 49 be substituted for channel 11 in Madison. The FCC adopted a proposed rulemaking on August 13 and released it on August 14. It was published in the Federal Register on August 22. Comments are due on September 22, with replies due on October 6.
New FM, Mineral Point, WI
KM Radio of Independence, LLC has petitioned the FCC to allocate FM Channel 238A to Mineral Point, WI. On order to use channel 238A (95.5 MHz) in Mineral Point, they have proposed to substitute channel 254A (98.7 MHz) for vacant channel 238A in Asbury, Iowa and have KMAQ-FM in Maquoketa, Iowa change channels from 236A (95.1 MHz) to 237A (95.3 MHz). This notice was adopted on July 30, 2008 and released on August 1. Comments are due on September 22, with replies due on October 7.
From FCC releases (www.fcc.gov) and the Federal Register (www.gpo.gov)
In mid-July, the FCC started to conduct more tests on devices that would use the TV white spaces. The first round of tests was in residential and rural areas and tested the ability of the devices to detect TV transmissions, so not to operate on TV channels in use by broadcasters. The second round of tests was to determine the ability of these devices to detect wireless mikes. This testing occurred during a Washington Redskins preseason game and at a Broadway theater production in New York. The outcome of the tests depends on which side the press talked to, with Shure and the broadcasters saying that the tests failed and Motorola, Philips and others saying that the tests were a success. For broadcast TV signals, Motorola provided a device that relied on a database of users and Philips provided a device that sensed off-the-air signals. All systems depended on carrier sensing for wireless mics. Google and Microsoft did not send equipment to be tested this round. All devices wer
e prototypes with laptops used for computing power, which would not be installed in an unlicensed personal router or WIMax relay on a light post.
Meanwhile Verizon, Qualcomm and Aloha have asked that the white space spectrum be auctioned. There are a number of Web sites sponsored by public interest groups and the computer industry, including one by Google that looks like a public interest site call FreeTheAirwaves.com. This site allows users to send a one-page form letter to the FCC comment site. On August 28 and 29, the site generated nearly 10,000 copies of the form letter as comments to Docket 04-186, which is the docket number for the white space rulemaking.
From FCC Releases (www.fcc.gov) and other news Web sites
Our discussion of the SBE’s Canons of Ethics began in January of this year and will be concluded and summarized this month. We discovered that honesty, justice and courtesy form a moral philosophy when associated with mutual interest between human beings: this constitutes the foundation of ethics. I contend that at the heart of this foundation is our character.
Character has been described in a variety of ways: The inward motivation to do what is right; or who you are, even when no one is watching. Character can be defined as the qualities built into an individual’s life which determines his or her response regardless of circumstances.
Therefore, we need to guard ourselves against unprofessional attitudes and actions. Someone once wrote, Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. As Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."
Establishing a standard of excellence requires a desire to improve ourselves. One significant opportunity for self-development and to practice our relationships with other professionals is before us. October 14-16, 2008, the SBE’s National Meeting will be held in conjunction with the annual Broadcasters Clinic, a three-day event that features broadcast technical presentations for radio and television engineers and a broadcast equipment expo.
I would encourage everyone to become involved with this event as it represents a great opportunity for professional development. Simply put, it is the right thing to do. The clinic is just around the corner. Put the SBE’s Canon of Ethics into practice, mark your calendar, make your reservations and join the activities at the 2008 SBE National Meeting and Broadcasters Clinic. You can sign up online today at www.wi-broadcasters.org/events/Broadcasters%20Clinic/broadcastclinic.htm
ARRL looking to expand experimental license
On August 22, the American Radio Relay League applied to the FCC for expansion of its 500-kHz experimental license WD2XSH. If approved, this application will raise the total number of stations participating from 20 to 40. This will provide greater geographic coverage, including Alaska and Hawaii, and will provide more opportunities for ground-wave testing. Also included are requests for an expanded frequency band (495-510 kHz) and portable operation within 50 km. Amateur radio operators currently have no permanent allocation below the AM broadcast band.
Excerpts from the American Radio Relay League’s Web site, arrl.org
Hurricane Watch Net activated
The National Hurricane Center’s Amateur Radio Hurricane Watch Net activated Sunday afternoon, August 31st for the purpose of establishing a list of available reporting stations along the northern Gulf of Mexico shores beginning Monday morning as hurricane Gustav was forecast to make landfall in that area.
The Hurricane Watch Net has been using these frequencies during the Hurricane Gustav emergency:
•20 meters: 14.325 MHz USBThe Hurricane Watch Net www.hwn.org is also monitoring upcoming storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine.
HamNet meets the second Sunday of each month at 0000 GMT on 14.205 MHz. Hal Hostetler WA7BGX is the Control Station. Any amateur operator is welcome and encouraged to participate.
The SBE National Certification Committee has announced exam session dates. Check the list below for the exam period that is best for you. For more information about SBE Certification, see your Chapter Certification Chair or contact Megan Clappe, Certification Director at the SBE National Office at (317) 846-9000, or mclappe@sbe.org .
| November 7-17, 2008 | Local Chapters | September 19, 2008 |
| February 6-16, 2009 | Local Chapters | December 31, 2008 |
| April 21, 2009 | NAB | April 1, 2009 |
| June 5-15, 2009 | Local Chapters | April 17, 2009 |
| August 7-17, 2009 | Local Chapters | June 5, 2009 |
| November 6-16, 2009 | Local Chapters | September 18, 2009 |
USING THE SBE LOGO
SBE chapters and members may use the SBE logo on business cards, letterhead and chapter newsletters. When referring to a chapter, it must be used with that chapter’s name or number adjacent to the logo. Members must put "Member of" or "Certified by" adjacent to the logo.
The proper logo must be used in any case. The correct logo can be obtained only through the SBE National Office. Send an e-mail with your request to Angel Bates at abates@sbe.org.
The FAA has closed the Green Bay Flight Service Station, which was the FAA notification point for all tower light outages and restoration reports.
For all Wisconsin-based towers, the new reporting number for tower light outages now changes to 877-487-6867. Stations with current open notifications to the Green Bay FSS will need to call this new number when the notification can be cleared.
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER DEADLINES
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