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CHAPTER 24, Inc., MADISON, WI
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Monthly eNews
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August 2020
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Our Next Meeting:
Wednesday, Aug 26th
Jeff Welton of Nautel
All Digital AM Radio (MA3)
Jeff will describe the experiences of experimental radio stations transmitting only all digital AM Radio. He will also show the results of Xperi's recent field coverage tests of those stations.
7:00 PM - Meeting/Program
This meeting will be held virtually
Details including connection information will
be distributed in the days prior to the meeting.
Last Meeting's Minutes
Submitted by Russ Awe, Secretary
The SBE Chapter 24 meeting was called to order by Chapter Chair Britny Williams at 7pm, July 23, 2020 via a Google Hangouts virtual meeting. The meeting had 14 members present with nine being certified and one guest attending.
The Secretary meeting minutes from 6/24/2020 were moved, seconded and approved as submitted.
Mike Norton as Chapter Treasurer reported that the Chapter 24 checking account balance remains the same and has had no recent transactions.
The SBE National office has sent a Chapter Rebate check for 2019, in the amount of $568.25.
Russ Awe made a motion, seconded by Leonard Charles to donate the rebate check to the SBE ENNES workshops. The motion passed.
With the eNews letter, Leonard Charles reported that the deadline for articles for the August eNews letter is Saturday August 1st at 5pm. Please forward any article of interest to Chapter 24 members to Lcharles@sbe.org.
Britney reported that we have 46 members in our chapter.
Fred Sperry reported that the chapter remains steady with 12 Sustaining Memberships.
Britny will be working with Jeff Welton on a presentation for next month. If you have ideas for programs, please contact Britny. The WBA Broadcasters Clinic has been cancelled for an in person clinic. A virtual meeting is being planned instead.
For a full list, dates and planned programs please see the Chapter 24 web site. (http://www.sbe24.org/Meetings/C24_mtg.asp)
With the Certification Report Jim Hermanson stated that there have been a couple of requests for exams in August. A certification session is planned for November 6 - 16. Registration is due with the national office by September 21 for that session. Work is still in progressing on the ATSC 3.0 Certification.
Tom Smith with Frequency Coordination reported that nothing is happening due to COVID.
With the National SBE news, Leonard Charles reported that the annual election of SBE officers and directors has begun. Look for your SBE election ballot email from Friday, July 17 and use the unique link to securely cast your ballot. All ballots must be completed by 3:30 pm CDT on Wednesday, August 19. Those who opted out of electronic balloting or who do not have an email address on file with the SBE national office received their ballot and will vote via mail.
If you missed today's "C-Band in the New Shared Environment" SBE webinar, it will be archived at the SBE website. It is free to ALL SBE members.
SBE has two new webinars scheduled for August. Module 6 of the SBE AoIP series, "AES67 Basics" on Thursday, August 13 and "How FM Antennas Work" on Thursday, August 27. Both are at 1:00 pm CDT. Register at SBE.org. They are free to SBE MemberPlus members.
The process to replace retiring SBE Executive Director, John Poray, goes on. The Search Committee is doing first round interviews of multiple candidates via Zoom in the next ten days.
No old or new business was brought forward.
With announcements, Jim Hermanson reported that Doug Campbell a former Chief Engineer in the area is now a fishing boat captain in Florida.
Motion to adjourn was made by Leonard Charles and seconded by Jim Hermanson. Motion passed.
Meeting was adjourned by Britny at 7:12pm.
The meeting was followed with a presentation from Austin Thomas (Chapter 105 Houston) of LAWO who talk about the broadcast industry's transition to IP along with some of the challenges the industry faces. Also discussed was how manufactures like LAWO fit into the IP puzzle.
Linda Baun to Retire
WBA Vice President Linda Baun will retire in September after 14 years. Baun joined the WBA in 2006 and led numerous WBA events including the Broadcasters Clinic, the WBA Awards for Excellence program and Awards Gala, the Student Seminar, the winter and summer conferences, and numerous other WBA events including countless social events and broadcast training sessions. She coordinated the WBA's EEO Assistance Action Plan, ran numerous committees, and handled administration of the WBA office.
"Linda's shoes will be impossible to fill" said WBA President and CEO Michelle Vetterkind. "Linda earned a well-deserved reputation for always going above and beyond what our members expected of her and the extra special personal touches she added to every event. Linda is a dear friend whose presence I will miss in the WBA office more than I can say. Linda and Terry will always be a part of the WBA family."
"Since 2006 Linda Baun has been the heart and soul of the WBA's Broadcasters Clinic" said Broadcasters Clinic Committee Chair Kent Aschenbrenner. "With genuine passion she orchestrated this multiple award-winning event. It was my pleasure and honor to serve on the Clinic Committee with Linda leading the way."
Prior to coming to the WBA Baun worked at the SBE national office in Indianapolis for many years.
Broadcasters Clinic Canceled
The face to face Broadcasters Clinic has been canceled this year. This will be the first time in the 64 year history of the Clinic that it will not be held. WBA Vice President Linda Baun issued this statement: "With deep disappointment I share this news with you. Due to circumstances beyond our control the 2020 Broadcasters Clinic is canceled. Uncertainty prevails in our current Covid-19 world." Discussions are being held into the possibility of a virtual Clinic this year. The 2019 Broadcasters Clinic drew engineers, speakers, and vendors from 27 states to the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
CES 2021 to be Digital Only
The Consumer Technology Association announced the Consumer Electronics Show 2021 will be an all-digital experience connecting exhibitors, customers, thought leaders and media from around the world. The new format will allow participants to hear from technology innovators, see cutting-edge technologies and the latest product launches, and engage with global brands and startups from around the world.
"Amid the pandemic and growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it's just not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA.
No ETRS Form 1 Required in 2020
from Gary Timm
The FCC announced that EAS Participants in 2020 will not be required to adhere to the FCC EAS Rule requiring that EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) Form 1 be re-filed annually. You will not need to file ETRS Form 1 this year.
On June 19, 2020, FEMA announced that there will be no Nationwide EAS Test in 2020, the results of which would have been required to be entered on ETRS Forms 2 and 3. Thus, EAS Participants need have no interaction with ETRS at all this year.
For more information see DA-20-717A1.
WPR's Project Gets Ink
The Chapter 24 November 2019 monthly meeting was a discussion and tour of a major Wisconsin Public Radio rebuild project, at the time still in progress. Touted as WPR's transition to next-gen operations, the project, along with our Chapter Chair Britny Williams, got highly detailed ink on the UW Information Technology web site. You can read more about it here.
Program Ideas Appreciated
The Chapter 24 2020 meeting schedule is available here. Is there a topic you would like to see covered at one of our local Chapter 24 meetings? Or, better yet, is there a topic that you'd like to speak on at an upcoming meeting? Please forward any ideas to Britny Williams or to one of the Chapter 24 officers for consideration. Open dates are available.
Amateur Radio News
Compiled by Tom Weeden, WJ9H
The FCC has issued a Forfeiture Order (FO) calling for drone vendor HobbyKing to pay a fine of $2,861,128 for marketing drone transmitters that do not comply with FCC rules. An FCC Enforcement Bureau investigation stemmed in part from a 2017 ARRL complaint that HobbyKing was selling drone transmitters that operated on amateur and non-amateur frequencies, in some instances marketing them as amateur radio equipment. The fine affirms the monetary penalty sought in a June 2018 FCC Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL).
The FCC said its investigation found that dozens of devices marketed by the company transmitted in unauthorized radio frequency bands and, in some cases, operated at excessive power levels. "Such unlawful transmissions could interfere with key government and public safety services, like aviation systems," the FCC said. The ARRL EMC Committee and Lab also determined that potential interference to the secondary (transponder) air traffic control radar system on 1030 - 1090 MHz could occur.
"We have fully considered HobbyKing's response to the NAL, which does not contest any facts and includes only a variety of legal arguments, none of which we find persuasive," the FCC said in the FO. "We therefore adopt the $2,861,128 forfeiture penalty proposed in the NAL."
The FCC pointed out in the FO that it has previously made clear that "[d]evices used in the Amateur Radio Service do not require authorization prior to being imported into the United States, but devices for other services, including the CB service, require Commission approval." The FCC investigation found that 65 models of devices marketed by HobbyKing should have had FCC certification.
Responding to the NAL, HobbyKing claimed to have ceased marketing the 65 models the FCC identified, but promised only to make "best efforts" not to market other noncompliant RF devices. Read the forfeiture order here: FCC-20-101A1.
Germany's amateur satellite organization AMSAT-DL (amsat-dl.org/en/) has submitted a comprehensive proposal to the European Space Agency (ESA) for its Lunar Amateur Radio Transponder (LunART) lunar lander -- a communications platform on the Large European Lander to support communication and payload experiments. AMSAT-DL's Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, and Matthias Bopp, DD1US, say that a LunART (called "LunaART" in the AMSAT-DL proposal) would support direct communication with Earth via amateur radio, support university and student payloads and offer direct access to their experiments, and expand the reach of radio science. It could also provide backup communication capability and capacity during an emergency, or when the ESA network is busy.
The comprehensive radio platform would use the European frequency protocol of 2.4 GHz up and 10.45 GHz down (approximately 100 W), pioneered in the QO-100 satellite, the first geosynchronous amateur radio payload. The platform would also include a VHF/UHF transponder. AMSAT-DL would develop and build the necessary hardware and software and provide ground station support via the 20-meter dish at AMSAT-DL headquarters in Bochum, Germany. They envision developing a smaller ground station with an approximately 1-meter dish to support groups, including schools and universities. Low-power beacons would transmit on various frequencies from VHF (145 MHz) through SHF (up to 24 GHz or even 47 GHz), AMSAT-DL's proposal says.
"This transponder would also be an ideal platform to develop new transmission schemes with novel modulation and coding techniques optimized for long-distance communications with the corresponding high latency (long delays)," AMSAT-DL said. "This would provide essential knowledge in preparation of a future Mars mission." In addition, LunART could include the capability to transmit still or slow-scan television images and video to schools "from cameras attached to the lander monitoring the moon surface and perhaps the Earth in the background [which] would be ideal stimuli for getting school kids and STEM organizations further interested in space." -- Thanks to Southgate Amateur Radio News (southgatearc.org).
(Excerpts from the American Radio Relay League's arrl.org web site)
FCC NEWS
compiled by Tom Smith
C-Band Reimbursement Amounts Detailed
On July 30th, the FCC released the list of items and amounts that they will reimburse C-band satellite transmission service providers and users of satellite services for. Those eligible for reimbursement are those who have registered their receive dishes to transition from using the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz spectrum to 4.0 to 4.2 GHz spectrum. The FCC released two documents in the notice. The first is the Report and Order (DA-20-802A1) which gives the overall description of the process on getting reimbursement, the discussion on how the FCC determined how the process would work, and what would be reimbursed. The second document (DA-20-802A2) is an attachment that lists amounts to be reimbursed and qualifications for obtaining reimbursement. The amounts that can be reimbursed can be a few hundred dollars for items such as filters and Low Noise Amplifiers to several hundred thousand dollars for building and launching replacement satellites. There are two ways that one can be reimbursed. The first is similar to that for the TV repack where the user or provides give the FCC an itemized list of qualified purchases and amounts for reimbursement. The second method is to receive a lump sum determined by the FCC for a particular system. Those who wish to receive a lump sum must elect that method and notify the FCC by August 31st. Everyone that has satellite dishes and has registered them should download both documents and familiarize themselves with them as soon as possible to determine the method of payment they wish to take.
Political File Problems
The FCC has issued a number of consent decrees (DOC-365684A1) concerning political files. The decrees did not give specifics, but the issues were the result of failure to certify compliance during license renewal. The consent decree for each station or group seemed to be a standard form and listed the requirements for placing information on all political ad purchases in the public file as soon as possible. All those that received the consent decrees were radio broadcasters and included the largest radio groups along with a handful of small stations. The large groups include Alpha Media, Beasley Media, Cumulus Media, Entercom, I-Heart and Salem Media.
T-Band Reallocation
On June 24th, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC-20-89A1) to reallocate portions of the T-band from public service use to commercial users. This action is the result of Congress passing the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 which requires the spectrum to be auctioned. T-Band is an allocation for land mobile that uses TV channels between channel 14 to 20 in eleven large markets. They are New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angles, San Francisco, Miami, and Washington D.C. One to up to three channels can be used in the various markets and are used for both public safety and commercial land mobile. The FCC is proposing that the spectrum be auctioned for land mobile and fixed and mobile wireless broadband. The band was originally allocated in 1970 for this mobile use. There are bills in Congress to repeal the reallocation of the T-Band as the cost of moving the public safety users to new spectrum is greater than the amount that could be raised in an auction.
Satellite Internet Approved
On July 29th, the FCC adopted an Order and Authorization (FCC-20-102A1) for Kuiper Systems LLC which is operated by Amazon to develop and operate a low orbit satellite system to deliver internet service. The system will consist of 3236 satellites operating in 98 orbital planes between 354 to 378 miles above the earth. The orbital paths are between 56 degrees north and 56 degrees south. The systems will operate in a number of segments in the Ka spectrum from 17.7 GHz to 30 GHz. Kuiper will be required to meet a large number of requirements before they can start operation including a plan to prevent the satellites from becoming space junk after they end their life.
For the Record
(Wisconsin FCC Actions)
compiled by Leonard Charles
from the FCC Daily Digest
07/02/2020
Applicant: UW Board of Regents
WHID, 88.1Mhz, Green Bay, WI
Action: Minor Modification
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07/20/2020
Applicant: HC2 Station Group, INC.
W23BW-D, Chan-23, Madison, WI
Action: Voluntary Transfer of Control
From: HC2 Holdings, INC.
To: HC2 Holdings, INC
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Applicant: DTV America Corporation
WZCK-LD, Chan-24, Madison, WI
W26FD-D, Chan-26, La Crosse, WI
W31EV-D, Chan-31, Wausau, WI
W23FC-D, Chan-23, Eau Claire, WI
W33DH-D, Chan-33, Eau Claire, WI
W34EO-D, Chan-34, Wausau, WI
Action: Voluntary Transfer of Control
From: HC2 Holdings, INC.
To: HC2 Holdings, INC
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Applicant: HC2 Broadcasting INC.
W14ER-D, Chan-14, Eau Claire, WI
W20DI-D, Chan-20, Traverse City, WI
WTSJ-LP, Chan-26, Milwaukee, WI
Action: Voluntary Transfer of Control
From: HC2 Holdings, INC.
To: HC2 Holdings, INC
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07/27/2020
Applicant: Mississippi Valley Broadcasters, LLC
WLFN, 1490 Khz, La Crosse, WI
WQCC, 106.3 Mhz, La Crosse, WI
Action: Voluntary Assignment of License
From: Mississippi Valley Broadcasters, LLC,
To: Magnum Communications, INC.
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Applicant: Mississippi Valley Broadcasters, LLC
WLXR-FM, 104.9 Mhz, La Crosse, WI
Action: Voluntary Assignment of License
From: Mississippi Valley Broadcasters, LLC,
To: The Salvation Poem Foundation
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Applicant: Mississippi Valley Broadcasters, LLC
WKBH-FM, 100.1 Mhz, West Salem, WI
Action: Voluntary Assignment of License
From: Mississippi Valley Broadcasters, LLC,
To: Educational Media Foundation
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Applicant: The Salvation Poem Foundation, INC.
K250AZ, 97.9 Mhz, La Crosse, WI
Action: Voluntary Assignment of License
From: The Salvation Poem Foundation, INC.
To: Magnum Communications, INC.
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07/29/2020
Applicant: J.Kinlow & A.Kinlow-Glosson,
Co-Special Admins, J.Kinlow EST
WGLB, 1560 Khz, Elm Grove, WI
W241CI, 96.1 Mhz, Milwaukee, WI
Action: Voluntary Assignment of License
From: J.Kinlow & A.Kinlow-Glosson,
Co-Special Admins, J.Kinlow EST
To: JJK Media, LLC
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Applicant: Liberty and Freedom INC.
WCNP, 89.5 Mhz, Baraboo, WI
Action: Voluntary Transfer of Control
From: Licensee Board of Directors
To: New Board of Directors
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Certification and Education
compiled by Jim Hermanson
Chapter 24 has two examinees during the August exam window. We are working to provide safe distance locations for each examinee.
The Open Exam Schedule
| Exam Dates |
Location |
Application Deadline
(to SBE National Office) |
November 6-16, 2020
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Local Chapters (Madison Area)
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September 21, 2020
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February 5-15, 2021
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Local Chapters (Madison Area)
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December 31, 2020
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April 13, 2021
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NAB Show Las Vegas
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March 5, 2021
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June 4-14, 2021
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Local Chapters (Madison Area)
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April 16, 2021
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August 6-16, 2021
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Local Chapters (Madison Area)
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June 11, 2021
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November 5-15, 2021
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Local Chapters (Madison Area)
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September 10, 2021
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What certifications am I eligible for? Click here
Each year, account balance permitting, Chapter 24 will reimburse half the application fee to any member of Chapter 24 in good standing who successfully obtains any SBE certification level not previously held by that member. Contact the SBE Chapter 24 chairperson or certification chairperson for more information.
When you are ready to take an SBE exam, note the open exam schedule, complete the appropriate application (found here... https://www.sbe.org/sections/Cert_App_Proc.php) and send it directly to the SBE National office (see address below) with the respective fee. You will be notified once your application is approved. Your local certification chairman will receive a list of applicants and exams in his/her chapter and arrange for a proctor. He/she will then contact applicants to schedule a mutually agreeable date, time, and place for the exam(s) within the respective exam date window. This must be coordinated before the exam will be sent by SBE National. Completed exam(s) will be mailed back to SBE National for grading. Pass/fail results will be mailed directly to the applicants within approximately six weeks.
The majority of SBE certifications are open book and access to the Internet is allowed to give a more "real world" situation.
You may mail, email or fax your applications to:
Megan E. Clappe
Certification Director
9102 N. Meridian St.
Suite 150
Indianapolis, IN 46260
317-846-9120 Fax
mclappe@sbe.org
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Re-certification
Please keep SBE up to date on your contact information. When your certification is due to expire, you should receive a letter from SBE six, three and one month prior to your certification expiring. You will also receive an email notification. The next expiration date is 1/1/2021. Please send in your re-certification paperwork by that date. If you have any questions contact Certification Director Megan Clappe.
ATSC 3.0 Specialist Exam Prep Materials
The ATSC3 Specialist is still in the development phase. There has been one round of beta testing conducted. After that round, the committee determined that some additional questions needed to be added. Those questions are being written. Once they have been incorporated, a second round of beta testing will take place.
In the meantime, there is a reference list of items that may be helpful in studying for the exam.
When the exam is ready to accept applications the SBE will make an announcement.
August Webinar
Thursday, August 13, 2020
AoIP Module 6: AES67 Basics: What It Is, and What It Is Not
Moving audio over Ethernet goes back to the early 1990s. The advantages of moving audio over Ethernet networks has become clear throughout the: live sound, radio, television, theater, audio and video studio and AV industries. The need for standards that allow interoperability between systems from different manufacturers has become clear to everyone. Join us as Ken Tankle, Senior Product Specialist, Telos Alliance discusses how the AES67 standard for high-performance streaming audio-over-IP interoperability has become the standard that television and radio engineers are demanding in order to meet their interoperability requirements. The SMPTE standard ST2110-30 for audio over IP uses AES67 as the basis of ST2110-30. This presentation looks at what the AES67 standard is and what it is not. This is what everyone that has to make decisions about using audio over IP (AoIP) needs to know.
Members $62, MemberPlus Members FREE and Non Members $92. Register Here.
Completion of each of these SBE webinars qualifies for one credit, identified under Category I of the Recertification Schedule for SBE Certifications. The fee for SBE members $62. SBE Members with SBE MemberPlus are FREE. The non-member fee is $92.
Several state-of-the-art radio, TV, multimedia, and IT engineering training is available through this page...
https://www.sbe.org/sections/WebinarsbySBE.php
More information on SBE Education Programs is available here...
https://www.sbe.org/sections/edu_seminars.php
Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE), its officers, or its members. SBE Chapter 24, Inc. regrets, but is not liable for, any omissions or errors. Articles of interest to Chapter 24 members are accepted up to the close of business the 1st day of each month. Send your article to lcharles@sbe.org.
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