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CHAPTER 24, Inc., MADISON, WI
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Monthly eNews
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February 2020
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Our Next Meeting:
Wednesday, February 26th
Tour of The Hamel Music Center
The Hamel Music Center on the UW Madison Campus features cutting-edge acoustic technology designed to prepare students to perform at the highest of professional standards. As a "learning lab" it also provides students with a recording studio and access to lighting technology to gain valuable production experience. Because its located with the bustling East Campus Mall area just outside its windows, delivering an exceptional musical experience inside those windows required innovative design solutions and acoustical treatments to achieve sound isolation from one of campus's busiest, and noisiest, intersections.
PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY START TIME
There will be no Dinner opportunity this month due to the early meeting time
Business Meeting starts in the lobby at 5:15 PM
Tour to begin at 5:30PM
The Hamel Music Center
740 University Avenue
(near the corner of Lake St. and University Ave.)
Madison, WI
Visitors and guests are welcome!
Click Map to Enlarge
Election Season is Here
NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
Nominations for the 2020 Chapter 24 Officers Election are now open. Any Chapter member in good standing may volunteer to run for one of four Officer positions; Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer. Any member in good standing can nominate another member in good standing but the nominee must be aware of the nomination and agree to run.
The continued success of our Chapter depends entirely on the participation of our members. The ulitimate way to participate is to server the Chapter as one of its Officers. Officer duties are described in Article V of our By Laws as published on the web site. Please read them over and if you fit please submit your own nomination.
Nominations will remain open until the end of the Chapter's March 26th monthly meeting. The election will be held from April 1st until the close of the Chapter's April 22nd monthly meeting. Election results will be announced before the Chapter's May 28th meeting with the new Officers assuming their duties at that meeting.
Please contact Nominations Chair Leonard Charles with your nomination.
Last Meeting's Minutes
Submitted by Russ Awe, Secretary
Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers held its monthly meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at WISC-TV. There were 17 members present, 13 who were certified, and 5 guests.
The meeting was called to order at 7:08pm by chapter Chair Britny Williams. After quick introductions, the secretary's report of the December meeting minutes were approved as published in the January eNewsletter.
Chapter treasurer Roy Henn reported that the Chapter account continues steady with a positive balance. No incoming checks or outgoing payments.
With the Newsletter report, Leonard Charles submitted that the deadline for articles for the January eNews letter is Saturday February 1st. Please forward any article of interest to members of Chapter 24 to Leonard Charles . If you don't receive the eNews letter and wish to, send an email addressed to Leonard Charles to be added to the distribution list.
Britny Williams reported that Chapter membership has no change. We stand at 48 official members of the National SBE assigned to Chapter 24 as of August 2019.
For Sustaining Membership, Fred Sperry had forwarded a message that there were two recent renewals, Heartland Video Systems and WKOW-TV. That brings our Sustaining Memberships to a continued level of thirteen.
Program Committee chair Britny Williams announced the February 26th program will be a tour of the new Hammel Music Center on the UW Madison campus. They have requested a 5:30pm tour start time, so our meeting will start at 5:10pm. Dinner will be on your own that evening. The program topics for the March and April meetings are currently open. May will be the NAB recap. The Program Committee is seeking program ideas. Please submit your suggestions to Britny Williams .
Jim Hermanson next gave the Certification Education report. He stated that the next exam is in Las Vegas. Application deadline is March 9th. Local exam sessions are June 5th thru 15th. April 17th is the application deadline with National.
Frequency Coordination with Tom Smith reported that there were no new requests.
Leonard Charles then reported from National that the annual SBE Membership renewal is coming up. Renewal letters will be mailed at the end of January. There is no increase from the 2019 levels. SBE MemberPlus is still $175 and gives you access to all SBE webinars.
SBE webinars coming up in February include Wireshark - Part 2 - Trouble Shooting, on Thursday, February 13 at 1 pm CST and, Module 1 of AoIP - IP Networking for Real-time Media Networks, on Tuesday, February 25, also at 1 pm CST. Register at the SBE website, sbe.org/Education/Webinars. SBE MemberPlus members click on the MemberPlus link when you register to convert your registration fee to free.
Long time SBE Executive Director has announced his retirement effective the end of this year. Congratulations and best wishes to John Poray.
Britny then announced that the Chapter is looking for a Nominations Committee Chair to coordinate the upcoming elections. If you are interested in serving, please contact Britny Williams .
There was no old business to review. There was no new business. In general announcements, Tom Weeden announced that he will be retiring from WMTV-TV at the end of March. Congratulations Tom!
The meeting adjourned at 7:18pm. The program consisted of Chapter 24 members Kevin Ruppert, Chief Engineer of WISC TV (News 3 Now), and Matt Mommaerts, Assistant Chief Engineer of WMSN TV (Fox 47). They took us on a deep dive into the Madison market's recent TV channel change project. They explained what modifications were required to the Candelabra tower and its complement of appendages during the project. We learned on which channel each affected station landed and what it took to get them there.
Program Ideas Needed
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 are qualified to speak on at an upcoming meeting? Please forward any ideas to Britny Williams or to one of the Chapter 24 officers for consideration. There are several open dates available.
Amateur Radio News
Compiled by Tom Weeden, WJ9H
ARRL to Argue for Continued Access to 3 GHz Spectrum as FCC Sets Comment Deadlines
At its annual meeting on January 17 - 18, the ARRL Board of Directors instructed Washington Counsel Dave Siddall, K3ZJ, to prepare a strong response to protect amateur access to spectrum in the 3 GHz range. In its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in WT Docket 19-348, the FCC proposed to relocate all non-federal operations, including amateur uses, to spectrum outside the 3.3 - 3.55 GHz band.
The Commission anticipates auctioning this spectrum to expand commercial use of 5G cellular and wireless broadband services, if agreement can be reached on relocation of -- or sharing with -- the federal incumbents that operate in the same band. Publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register on January 22 established deadlines of February 21 for comments and March 23 for reply comments.
The FCC has requested comment on the uses radio amateurs make of the spectrum and appropriate relocation options. Complicating matters is the fact that radio amateurs must consider the possibility that the immediately adjacent 3.1 - 3.3 GHz band is included in the spectrum that Congress has identified for similar study. FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly, in a December statement, referenced the fact that the lower band may also be considered for non-federal reallocation, potentially limiting relocation possibilities.
Amateurs make substantial use of the 3.3 - 3.5 GHz band that would be hard to replicate elsewhere, and they had filed more than 150 comments before the designated comment period even began. Among users looking at options are those who use this spectrum for Earth-Moon-Earth (moonbounce) communication, mesh networks, experiments with communication over long distances, radiosport, and amateur television. A portion of the band is also designated for use by amateur satellites in ITU Regions 2 and 3 (the Americas and Asia/Pacific).
A report is due by March 23 from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) evaluating the feasibility of having federal users share all or part of the 3.1 - 3.55 GHz band with commercial wireless services. This report is required by the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (MOBILE NOW) Act. The results of the NTIA report will impact how much spectrum ultimately may be re-allocated for auction to wireless providers.
ARRL urges amateurs who comment to inform the FCC about the uses they make of the 3 GHz spectrum. Short comments and longer statements may be filed electronically. Visit the FCC "How to Comment on FCC Proceedings" page for more information. Commenters should reference WT Docket 19-348.
ARRL On the Air Podcast Premieres
ARRL's new On the Air podcast for those just getting started on their amateur radio journey debuted January 16, with a new episode to be posted each month. The podcast is a companion to the new bimonthly On the Air magazine, which is already on its way to member subscribers. On the Air magazine's Editorial Director Becky Schoenfeld, W1BXY, will be the host of the new podcast. Both the podcast and the magazine are aimed at offering new and beginner-to-intermediate-level radio amateurs a fresh approach to exploring radio communication.
Each On the Air podcast will take a deeper dive into the articles and issues raised in the magazine, including advice and insight on topics covering the range of amateur radio interests and activities: radio technology, operating, equipment, project building, and emergency communication.
Supplementing On the Air will be a new ARRLOTA Facebook page for those who share a love of radio communication and are looking to learn and explore more about their interests.
The biweekly Eclectic Tech podcast for experienced radio amateurs will launch on February 13. Hosted by QST Editor Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Eclectic Tech will highlight topics involving amateur and non-amateur technology, offer brief interviews with individuals involved in projects of interest to amateurs, and include practical information of immediate benefit to today's hams.
(Excerpts from the American Radio Relay League's arrl.org web site)
Certification and Education
compiled by Jim Hermanson
The Open 2020 Exam Schedule
| Exam Dates |
Location |
Application Deadline
(to SBE National Office) |
| April 21, 2020 |
NAB Show in Las Vegas |
March 9, 2020 |
| June 5-15, 2020 |
Local Chapters (Madison Area) |
April 17, 2020 |
| August 7-17, 2020 |
Local Chapters (Madison Area) |
June 12, 2020 |
| November 6-16, 2020 |
Local Chapters (Madison Area) |
September 21, 2020 |
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.
Ready to Take an Exam?
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.
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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Ready to Recertify?
When you are ready to recertify, see the following page for forms and information.
https://www.sbe.org/sections/cert_recert.php
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 7/1/2020. Please send in your re-certification paperwork by that date.
If you have any questions contact Certification Director Megan Clappe.
Upcoming Webinars, Videos, and Education
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Wireshark Webinar: Part 2 - Troubleshooting
In the second session, Stephen Poole, the market chief engineer for Crawford Broadcasting continues by discussing "smart" filers in Wireshark. The first-time user will note that the screen almost instantly fills up with captured packets. To sort through the jumble and confusion, Wireshark supports extensive filters that will limit the display to what you're interested in. It also understands most common protocols and can help you see the actual data in a neat readable format.
Members $62, MemberPlus Members FREE and Non-Members $92. Register Here
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
AoIP Series, Module 1 - IP Networking for Real-Time Media Networks
The AoIP Webinar series begins with a review of IP networking fundamentals found in and required by an IP network infrastructure supporting real-time media content. National President Wayne M. Pecena, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, DRB, CBNE gives a deeper review that will look at the hardware typically required by a media content network, the specific use of VLANs to create a segmented network, the implementation of multicast in a LAN environment, and quality of service (QoS) practices to insure quality of experience (QoE) performance. The goal of this webinar is to provide an IP networking technology foundation for the build of an AoIP network regardless of the specific AoIP technology standard deployed.
Members $62, MemberPlus Members FREE and Non-Members $92. Register Here
Tons of 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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