FCC Proposes $400,000 Jammer Fine

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The FCC has proposed a fine of more than $400,000 on a Queens, New York, man who has admitted making unauthorised transmissions on New York City Police Department (NYPD) radio frequencies, maliciously interfering with NYPD officers’ communications

Peralta, 20, is alleged to have transmitted false bomb threats, false claims of criminal activities involving firearms, false distress calls from purported NYPD officers, and threats against individual NYPD officers. The unauthorised transmissions began a year ago, according to the FCC.

“Through his actions, as he described them to the NYPD, Mr. Peralta has demonstrated not only a deliberate disregard of the Commission’s authority and rules, but of the safety of NYPD officers and the public that they are called to serve and protect. Commission action in this context is, therefore, essential to safeguard authorised operations on spectrum licensed for public safety uses, and, accordingly, a substantial penalty appears warranted.”
— FCC Responding to Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) - 14 April 2017.

The FCC said the NAL addresses nine unauthorised and interfering transmissions that Peralta has admitted to the NYPD that he made on its radio system. The FCC said Peralta’s unauthorised transmissions included false bomb threats, false claims of criminal activities involving firearms, false distress calls from purported NYPD officers, and threats against individual NYPD officers.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, said that with the NAL, the FCC is making it “abundantly clear that it will not tolerate unauthorized and illegal use of the radio spectrum.” The entire Commission now must sign off on such proposed fines, and Pai said he was grateful to his fellow FCC members for “agreeing to act swiftly and strongly” in the matter. “This may not be a typical pirate radio case in which an unauthorized operator inflicts damage on a radio broadcaster that is operating with a valid FCC license,” Pai said, “but it does involve unauthorized interference to critical public safety communications systems.”

ARRL story - http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-proposes-levying-huge-fine-on-new-york-police-radio-jammer
 

Netherlands 5 MHz Ham Radio Band Active

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From 1st April 2017, the  Netherlands State Gazette has announced that Dutch radio amateurs will have the new 5 MHz band agreed at WRC-15 

The World Radio Conference 2015 allocated 5351.5-5366.5 kHz to the Amateur Service with a maximum permitted transmission power of 15 Watts EIRP.

The Gazette notice also removed the cross-band and duplex restrictions on 50.45-52.0 MHz and 70.0-70.5 MHz.

VERON story in Google English - http://tinyurl.com/Netherlands-Gazette-2017-03-28

Gazette Number 17502 - https://www.veron.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/60-meter-per-1-april-2017.pdf

EI6YXQ for International Marconi Day

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The Kerry Amateur Radio Group based in Co. Kerry Ireland will participate as an Award Station in this year's International Marconi Day event on Saturday 22nd April 2017.

The station will be set up at Colaiste Brhreanainn on the site of the former Marconi Station at Ballybunnion, Co. Kerry, Ireland by the Expeditionary Radio Team of the radio club.

Operation by club members for the full duration of the event from 0000 UTC to 2359 UTC on 22nd April is planned. Two HF SSB stations are planned for this year on the site as well as a HF data station.

The special event callsign EI6YXQ will be used to commemorate the original callsign of YXQ used by the Marconi Station in Ballybunnion which made world history by achieving the first transatlantic voice radio transmission in March 1919 to the Marconi Station located at Louisberg, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland in the East to West direction. The number 6 is used in the callsign as a tribute to the late John O’Carroll EI6AH who organised the event for many years over two decades ago welcoming many amateur radio operators through the doors and always making sure that everyone had a cup of tea and plenty to eat. The welcome extended by John and his family was legendary, embodying the spirit of amateur radio and friendship.

A QRZ.com page for EI6YXQ has been set up in addition to having a special QSL card printed for the event. The QSL card can be seen on the QRZ.com page. We intend to upload the log of contacts to the page also and access permitting we will endeavour to post updates from the station over the course of the event.

The Kerry Amateur Radio Group are looking forward to working as many stations as possible as well as having an enjoyable weekend at the station on this historic site.

Kerry Amateur Radio Group - http://kerryamateurradiogroup.com