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Editor’s note: Your guest columnist for this month is none other than Santa Claus!! Santa saw how hard you’re Board of Directors and President, (Nora Pointer KC9MLV), have worked in keeping club members safe, educated, entertained and most importantly cared about. So I have decided to give the board, officers and it’s crew the month off. So there will be NO regular meeting in December 2020. Alright, time for me to dictate this column to my three secretaries Hardrock, Coco and Joe. What could go wrong with this idea? (LOL!)

HEALTH AND WELFARE: Santa hopes that all of you are being safe out there and wearing your masks. The Mrs. and I are also saying our prayers for those of you at home who are having any health issues. Our elves tell me that the best thing when you are not up to par is to woof down some cookies and perhaps a special beverage of choice. Our special ELF NOG (WINK WINK) served to one’s taste seems to keep the chill away even up here at the Pole!

EDUCATION: Zoom seems to be the best thing since sliced fruit cake for getting things done in this department! I have been told by Don KC9EQQ that the boys in our tech department, Brian Davis, Steve Peters, and Mike Kiley are making sure that meetings next year will be ready to send smoke signals through our chimney in case you feel more comfortable watching Hamfester meetings at home courtesy Zoom. But don’t worry- if you wish to attend meetings in person the old fashion way, Nora will have coffee and sweets ready for you to enjoy. But just in case, meetings are not viable due to current protocols, Brian Davis and Gene Phillips will have the latest scoop on meeting schedules through your website and Hamgab. Those two guys would make a great addition to our North Pole Gazette, but Ed your treasurer WA9EOL pays them too much money for those two to leave the club. Speaking of Ed, our top Money Manager Elf is soon to retire as our treasurer and we are looking for someone to take his place. Do you have skills that could fit this position? Contact Elf Nora to talk Turkey about your future as our Hamfester’s Treasurer! By the way, can we all get an AMEN for all the years of dedication Ed has served as your treasurer for the best Ham Club out there?? Thank you Ed- God Bless you and your wife Rose. We love you dearly and thank you profoundly for all you have done for club and members alike!

MORE ON EDUCATION: Brian Davis is putting together a Technicians Class through Zoom tentatively scheduled for January. Please contact him for further info.

WHAT A GREAT NOVEMBER MEETING!: Santa was really tapping his toes at the great musical presentation that was put on by our dear friend Elf Steve Cooper. His program was on the great Pop Icons of the sixties. But before his annual presentation we honored our Vets with our annual apropos spoken presentation by our very own Steve Peters. The aforementioned Gene was honored as we were too to have him present our nation’s color at the start of our November programs itinerary. The turn-out in both Zoom members watching the program live and in-person attendance made for a good showing that night. Thank you Steve, Gene and Steve for your services and service to our nation where that applies.

Santa needs to wrap- OOOOH Santa made a funny! Uh, he needs to wrap up things with a couple of personal thoughts-
The symbol of Santa Claus is one that inspires us to do our best for our fellow man. To do so requires an unselfish act of ultimate compassion, dedication, humor, and grace whereby when all those qualities are combined we can show the world, especially this nation that together as we have in the past can overcome hardships, hard times and difficulties through love and compassion for one another when it’s needed the most.

The world of Amateur Radio Operators is truly the embodiment of such great and good qualities I mentioned earlier. To become a friend of an Amateur Radio Operator is to be blessed like you have never been such before. Santa knows that. Nora and Don definitely know that for you all have shown your love for us in so many ways.

It is this kind of love that will get all of us through our Nation’s trials. Be they ham operators, families, or friends we need to treat each other like Santa would. A pretty good and easy standard to live up to don’t you agree?

Don and I wish everyone a very blessed, safe and joyous Christmas, New years, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa. Thank you to all of you our awesome Hamfesters Amateur Radio Club membership and all you do and have done year in and year out for the best Amateur Radio club there is!

As always, we ask you to keep an eye on the website for the most current happenings in our club. Remember to Like us on our Hamfesters Page and spread the word about our great club too! We are the fun place to have a good time of fellowship at all of our events!

73 and God Bless you all from all of us at the North Pole

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus (aka NORA KC9MLV and Don KC9EQQ), OH YEA- all the Elves and 9 certain reindeer we all know…..and love…..

PLEASE NOTE: Our next regular meeting, all things considered, will be Friday, January 8th, 2021. Thank you. AND REMEMBER- NO REGULAR MEETING IN DECEMBER 2020.

Secretary’s Beat – Meeting Minutes

Hamfesters club meeting Nov. 6, 2020 both in person, & Zoom. 7:35pm

People here; 22, on Zoom no idea. Visitors; Larry WD9GVY, Art & family. Welcome everyone.

Roll Officers in person: Nora KC9MLV, Jim W9JPR, Patti KC9LYE.

President Report: by Nora KC9MLV, no one has voluteered to be club’s Treasurer for 2021. Ed WA9EOL, is stepping down after ten years. Thanks, Ed.

Our club’s Christmas party might be held in Jan. 2012. This is because of COVID 19, gatherings are limited in size, and resturants are closed for indoor dining.

Veteran’s Day is Nov. 11th Steve W9KXT, read a prayer.

Tonight’s Program: Steve Cooper, trumpet player, music program.

Minutes: The Oct. club meeting minutes were approved by; Don KC9EQQ, & Steve W9KXT.

New Business: In Dec. Connie Kelly is holding an on line amateur radio event. See Hamfesters.org for details.

Chuck and the Hawthorn envirormental group are promoting the clean up of rivers and streams.

Adjournment: Jim W9JPR, & Patti KC9LYE, @ 9:35 pm.

Door prize winners: Larry WD9GVY, Patti KC9LYE, Don KC9EQQ, Lenny KB9OUQ.

It’s Dues Time!

The Hamfesters radio club values each member. We hope you enjoy the club, whether it be the monthly meetings, the Field Day outing, or the Christmas dinner meeting. Even in this time of Covid virus the club appreciates your support. You can always get technical help and advise from other club members. If you are looking for help getting an antenna up or advice on getting a new radio, perhaps some club members can help. Of course, all of the activity costs money.

It is that time of the year when I take a look at our membership dues payment records. We really would like to keep you in the club and on the Hamfesters Roster. If you see me at the next meeting, please consider submitting your dues to me, or better yet, do it now by using our web site and using our online form. You can also send a check to the Membership Chairman, Brian Davis, 17038 Oconto Ave. Tinley Park, IL 60477. Be sure your call sign is on the check or
letter so I know who sent the funds! Pay your dues here: https://www.hamfesters.org/main/club-information/

Thank you in advance for renewing your dues.
73,
Brian, W9HLQ, Membership Chairman

Antenna Raising for W9PNG

Aside from Field Day, I have been off the air for the past 3-4 years. Well, back on Nov 7th, Brian W9HLQ, Al N9ZD, my father-in-law John helped me raise a homemade antenna mast made from 2x4s. Below are a few of the pics from the event! Thank you for all the help!

I have raised a G5RV onto the mast and receives fairly well. I will concentrate on 40M & 20M.

My desires from this point will be to get “Worked All States” on phone and digital. I hope to see you all on the air!

73s, Gene W9PNG

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FCC’s proposal for a $50 “application fee”

From Kermit Carlson W9XA, ARRL Central Division Director

Dear ARRL Central Division Member,

Many Central Division members have contacted me in the past month about the FCC’s proposal for a $50 “application fee” for license applications
in the Amateur Radio Service. The fees Notice of Proposed Rule-making was published in yesterday’s Federal Register
(https://tinyurl.com/yyk8f2yp).
The deadline for comments is November 16, and the Reply comment deadline is November 30.   

Since the “official” comment period is now open now is the time to file comments against this proposal!

Below are some details to consider when filing comments to the FCC in response to the NPRM.  Our thanks to Dave Siddall K3ZJ, ARRL Counsel,

for these guidelines included below.  Please be sure to carefully review the paragraphs; “Some Suggestions” as the information
therein will assist with much of the applicable background.

This subject is critical, the timing is critical.  I urge you to contact the FCC.  Address and related information is contained in the article referenced in the Federal Register.   Please use your own words to express your objections to the proposed fees.

(Good) Arguments Against FCC Fees for Radio Amateurs

Amateurs contribute to the public good. In many areas, they provide an emergency communications backbone capability at no taxpayer cost. Consistently we have witnessed storms and natural disasters completely wipe out the internet, cellular, and other means of communication.  Radio amateurs often fill that void on an unmatched, flexible basis when needed.  One recent example is the California wildfires.   

Unlike operators in other FCC licensed services, Amateur Radio operators by law domestic and international — must eschew using their license for any pecuniary interest.  Amateurs are prohibited from earning or charging any money for any communications activity.  The expenses for their equipment and activities come out of their own pockets, with no opportunity for reimbursement or payment of any kind.

The United States is experiencing a severe lack of RF engineers and expertise at the very time it is needed by the burgeoning wireless industries.    Amateur radio is helping to meet the deficit, but much more is needed and youngsters (High School and College-aged) are least able to afford licensing fees.  RF knowledge and related digital expertise is needed to maintain U.S. leadership in wireless industries.

At a minimum, young people (below the age of 26) should be exempt from the proposed license fees.

Amateur radio is self-regulating;
 (a) Amateur examinations are written and administered by radio amateur volunteers. 
(b) Examination results and paperwork most often are submitted electronically to the FCC. Electronic submission could be required if there would be a cost
savings to the Commission.
(c) Amateur radio educational classes are conducted by volunteers who by-and-large do not charge fees or tuition for teaching. 
(d) The amateur service, in cooperation with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, has a volunteer corps that monitors the amateur airwaves and has programs that try to prevent their misuse before FCC involvement might be needed.  The amateurs also observe non-amateur signals both within the amateur spectrum and outside it, and report unusual or suspicious signals.

Amateur radio continues to be a source of significant technological innovation that should be encouraged, not discouraged. 

Some Suggestions:

We do not recommend arguing that the $50 fee every 10 years, which amounts to $5.00 a year, will harm or “kill” amateur radio, even though as proposed this is for each covered application, which includes upgrade applications.  Tech-General-Extra could be $150. If exams are taken at different sessions this would be a substantial amount.  But it is the wrong way to say the whole service turns on $5/year for each licensee.

The Commission argues that the charges are required by the statute. The word used in the Congressional Act which directs the FCC to collect fees is “shall”, which is mandatory, not optional.  But the statute does not set the amount, nor does it prohibit reasonable exceptions evidenced by the Commission’s proposal to exempt from fees administrative update applications based on policy grounds.

There is a long history and precedent on charging fees for the licensing service involved, just as there is for passports, green cards, drivers’ licenses (issued by states), etc.  Better to make pertinent arguments on why the fees would impair the public benefits of the amateur radio service than argue that the whole service might die as a result of a fee that, in fact, is less than the fee many of us paid in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

For background: this proceeding is being handled by staff unfamiliar with amateur radio.  It is being handled in the FCC’s Office of Managing Director (OMD), not in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau where the amateur-specific Part 97 matters are handled.  The focus of OMD is accounting budgets and the like for the entire Commission. The fee proposals cover every FCC license and service across the board and the consideration was directed by Congress.  It is recommended that respondents keep “ham jargon” out of comments, which would not be understood by the intended recipients.

Thank you.

Kermit Carlson W9XA

Comments to the Federal Communication Commission may be filed
online at;      https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings
FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS)
reference –  posting to MD Docket No. 20-270

——————————————————————–
ARRL Central Division
Director: Kermit A Carlson, W9XA
w9xa@arrl.org

5G is Here, Right!

by Gregory D. Rosenberg (AB9MZ)

I had the opportunity of a lifetime to sit in on Verizon’s 5G technical troubleshooting class in July 2020 where we got hands-on experience with the test equipment being used by Verizon to test, certify, and troubleshoot 5G networks. Gloves, masks, and social distancing were mandatory for all those attending the class.
October of 2020 brought us the beginnings of 5G (The 3rd major generation of wireless technology) into limited public venues, hotels, and arenas in some 60 cities across the U.S. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T turned on their 5G networks. 5G began rolling out in the cities with higher population densities. Like 4G, (including 4G LTE, 4G LTE advanced and the newest 4G LTE+). 4G LTE+ was created to bridge the gap and serve as a transitional network service stack to move to 5G. As has been seen from our evolution from 3G it takes about a decade to get country-wide, let alone World Wide deployments and availability. 5G operates on three frequency bands. No one really counted 1G and 2G networks. They were very slow, often unreliable, and dropped calls were a frequent occurrence.  

Source: http://net-informations.com/q/diff/generations.html#:~:text=1G%20Vs.,3G%20Vs.&text=For%20eg%2C%201G%20offers%202.4,is%20based%20on%20LTE%20technology%20.

5G Initial tests
Last week I had the privilege to test a 5G enabled Android phone near one of the 5G base stations in Chicago. I disabled the fall back to 4G setting and stayed connected on 5G for a couple of hours testing different workloads. The outcome 5G drained the battery from 100% charge to 40% charge in less than two hours. 
A lot of work will be required to incorporate higher capacity batteries into our mobile computing devices in order to achieve even half-way decent battery life for mobile device users. The mobile computing devices that emerge this year and next are still very early development models. They still have to figure out the best RF IP routing strategies, collision management, and the best application use cases for 5G networks. Like Bluetooth Low Energy (BT LE) 5G will leverage application profiles to define the characstic requirements for a given application stack. These profiles will identify the applications dependency on bandwidth, latency tolerance, delivery guarantee, number of required channels,  encryption, and security requirements. As an example life safety applications will clearly be prioritized over gaming or social media applications.
Honestly I wouldn’t buy a 5G capable devices until the fall of 2022. Although the 5G phones, tablets, and hotspots will emerge over the next year that will let you dip your toes in the 5G pond. These devices are still using very early generation 5G chipsets. The earliest I would consider buying a new device with the intent of using 5G would be mid 2021. And again that will be using the currently available chipsets. I project that 5G will be sufficiently deployed by 2024 / 2025 that it will start to become a practical technology that our mobile devices can truly start leveraging with some amazing speeds. Imagine downloading a two hour movie in a couple of minutes. Imagine an encrypted 5G circuit that sends your doctors your bodies medical telemetry over an encrypted and highly secure virtual private network over the 5G network.

5G core features
5G converges voice, video, chat, telemetry, command & control (C2) onto a single RF based TCP/IP network (RF IP for short). Although we have many RF based protocols today, many of which have been around since the early ‘2000s. Many newer technologies based on Mobile IPv6 protocols will open up 5G to support an array of interesting applications. Public 5G networks will support our mobile devices in a similar way to 4G, but private 5G networks will play a key role in supporting a variety of new applications that haven’t even been fully flushed out yet. Companies will be able to leverage secure and encrypted private 5G networks for IoT, AI/ML, remote monitoring, and numerous building management and access control functions. Communities will leverage private 5G to deploy and manage traffic lights, street lighting, street sensors, and pedestrian traffic counters used to assess placement of piezo transducers in sidewalks to power many next generation street sensors and maybe even lighting some day. 
5G based Vehicle-to-Vehicle (VtV) networks will support communications between vehicles, as well as allow our vehicles to interact with road sensors, interact with our current Emergency Alert System (EAS) system, and to better mitigate accidents, better manage traffic flows, communicate intent of a vehicle to start, stop, merge, or turn. 5G VtV networks will build a massive mesh network that will overlay onto of todays’ Municipal Area Networks (MANs). 

802.11ax (WiFi 6) was designed in concert with each other. This offers some rather unique capabilities. One of the biggest features is to be able to seamlessly transition from WiFi 6 to or from 5G/6G devices. You are driving home from work. When you arrive home and encounter your WiFi 6 network in your home the call will dynamically switch to use your local network. This will stop 5G from rapidly consuming your mobile device’s batteries.
Initial Rollout of 5GThe current chipsets being delivered in the latest generations of mobile devices in late 2020 through the end of 2021 are designed to only use 5G for short low latency transmissions or large data transfers (i.e. Movies, Games, Podcasts, …). Don’t expect 5G in your neighborhood or where you travel any time soon. Like 4G it took over 8 years from when it was turned on until it became a household commodity. You should expect 5G to cover about 40% of the larger cities by early 2024. 60% by 2026. And about 90% by 2028. The remaining 10% covers the lowest population density areas in the country. These will likely be served by a combination of Low-Earth-Orbiting satellites. China will be launching the first 5G satellite by early 2021. I suspect that the EU and the U.S. will start deploying satellites as early as 2023. This is because the chipsets and firmware won’t be ready in our allocated spectrum until the end of 2021. A lot of testing will need to take place between now and when we drop a few billion dollars per 5G satellite in 2023. Rumors suggest that NASA will place 5G nodes on the Moon with very large dishes in order to test the effectiveness of 5G as an EME transmission technology. 
5G SpectrumThe frequency bands for 5G networks come in two sets. 

• Frequency range 1 (FR1) is from 450 MHz to 6 GHz. 
• Frequency range 2 (FR2) is from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz.

In order to share frequencies used by LTE and 5G networks, frequency- and time division duplexing are be used. At present the U.S. is the only country with already licensed FR2 spectrum. I suspect that is because of the significant number of developers and stakeholders that are U.S. based.

6G Spectrum 
The initial deployment of 6G networks is planned for some time in mid 2030. The frequency range that has been allocated for 6G is 94GHz to 3THz. It has not been formally subdivided into frequency ranges by the ITU. Working committees expect to publish standards for 6G for public comment over the next handful of years. As we know the higher the frequency the less building penetration and the shorter the operating distances will be in dense areas. The same issues apply to 5G. A single leaf, a piece of paper, or a dirty window are sufficient to interfere with the majority of 5G/6G frequency bands. This raises a concern in my mind which I have had for the last decade as 5G evolved. That is the requirement to use higher power between the nodes that comprise the 5G network. 

There are many good articles in the November 2020 Microwave & RF magazine.

“Expanding 5G/6G connectivity to include network-to-smart device communications, combined with AI and IoT, will usher in a new industrial wave and offer greater business value for both industry and society. …

NEXT-GENERATION AREAS OF SERVICE

The next wave of communications focuses on three areas of service (Fig. 2) including:

• Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), which extends the current mobile experience with high data throughput on the order of more than 10 Gb/s, high system capacity on the order of more than 1000X that of LTE, and a much better spectral efficiency (3-4X) than LTE. Its use cases are high-speed mobile broadband, virtual reality, aug- mented reality, gaming, and more.
• Ultra-reliable, low-latency communications (URLLC), which focuses on achieving low latency, high reliability, and high availability. The expectation is for latencies of less than 1 ms. This is basically for mission-critical use cases and applications.
• Massive machine-type communications (mMTC), which provides connectivity to a huge number of devic- es whose traffic profile is typically a small amount of data (spread) sporadically. Consequently, latency and throughput aren’t a big concern. The main concern is the optimal power utilization of those devices because they’re battery-powered and the expectation of battery life is around 10 years or so.”

…
Microwave and RF – November 2020 – 5G/6G will fuse Cyber & Physical Worlds (Page 22).https://creative.endeavorb2b.com/misc/digital_edition/2011MRF_DE.pdf?code=UM0DE&utm_source=RF+MWRF+Digital+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS201026048&o_eid=4266I4844012J6I&rdx.ident%5Bpull%5D=omeda%7C4266I4844012J6I

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Resilience Ferries Four Radio Amateurs to the ISS

Posted by ARRL – Link to ARRL Article

SpaceX Dragon capsule Resilience, carrying four radio amateurs, autonomously docked on November 17 at 0401 UTC with the International Space Station (ISS). A SpaceX Falcon 9 launcher carrying the precious payload went into space on Sunday, November 15, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. They comprise the ISS Expedition 64/65 crew.

“Well, the ISS is loaded with hams now,” Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) US Delegate for ARRL Rosalie White, K1STO, said on Tuesday. “These four arrived very early this morning Eastern Time: NASA astronauts Victor Glover, KI5BKC; Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG, and Shannon Walker, KD5DXB, as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP.” This marks Glover’s first time in space. The others all are ISS veterans.

Earlier this year, NASA ISS Ham Project Coordinator Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, held amateur radio licensing study sessions for Glover, who passed the Technician exam on August 20.

The four will remain on station until next spring. They joined Expedition 64 Commander Sergey Ryzhikov and Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, on the ISS.

White said all but Noguchi likely will take part in ARISS contacts with schools. White said the first school contact is tentatively scheduled for December 4 with Tecumseh High School in Oklahoma, home of the Tecumseh High School Amateur Radio Club, K5THS. She said the students have earned their ham licenses, and the club has built an antenna and is learning about satellites and circuits.

The Sunday launch from Kennedy Space Center marked only the second crewed-flight for the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which became the first commercial vehicle to put humans into orbit when astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, KE5GGX, launched in May, and NASA gave SpaceX the go for future such launches.

“The return of human spaceflight to the United States with one of the safest, most advanced systems ever built is a turning point for America’s future space exploration,” SpaceX claimed, “and it lays the groundwork for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.”

VE Testing

Hamfesters VE Testing Report
Al Bukowski N9ZD – VE coordinator

No VE Sessions until March 2021

The Hamfester’s VE examinations to Continue on APPOINTMENT TIMES ONLY for the remainder of the year. NO WALK-INS

The Hamfester’s Radio Club VE test session(s) for xxxxxxxxx  will be Appointment only.

Candidates MUST email to get an appointed time (earliest 8AM), other instructions, and directions to the Exam Location
Liaison Al Bukowski (N9ZD)        ( aln9zd@gmail.com )

TEST Location: TBD – Oak Forest, IL  60452  (will be using a VE’s Garage for now unless Oak Forest City Hall reopens)

VE Stock test material will be in Plastic protective sleeves to protect the next user after disinfectant cleaner applied.

NOTE: Since Hamfester’s average candidate attendance the past years has been average of 4, the 
Appointment times will be 3 candidates 8:00 AM / 3 candidates 9:30AM /  3 candidates 11:00AM  / Flexible as needed

A Special ‘Thank You’ to All the VE’s volunteering there Saturday morning to assist me at the Exam sessions.

Because it is touching sensitive areas of your machine it will ask your permission to make the changes it needs to. Simply click [YES]. Then agree to the license agreement on the next screen.

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Club Information

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Pics from the November Meeting

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