(Adopted : 11/12/2002)

Chair George Bisso called the meeting to order at 0934.   Introductions were made around the tables.  DRAFT Minutes of the Sept 10, 2002, meeting were reviewed and approved.    

Members and guests in attendance: 18

Financial Report

Old Business

800 MHz IX   Discussion continues regarding the 800 MHz proposals made by several groups of agencies, and Nextel’s white paper from last November.  No submittal has been made from WWCIC, though a number of ideas have been discussed or considered.  There has been a “new consensus plan” proposed for FCC consideration.  Loren brought a number of articles and a graphical representation of one of the proposals, along with other materials on the subject.  Public Notice (DA 02-2202, with comments due by Monday, Sept 23), is the current FCC action.  The collection of articles is available for perusal at each meeting.  ((The collection is becoming substantial, and everyone is encouraged to review each month.  Get there early, or stay after.))  Per Gerry Broerman, Boeing is continuing collecting comments, even though after the ‘deadline’, and would include those of others, if desired.  Contact Gerry for how to be included.  Per Steve Leonard, Nextel is working on some issues; a visit in the Spokane area is planned.  There is a new site in Tri-Cities, and Bellingham.  Steve will be working w/ Jerry Noe; the site will be on the YMCA.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning Meetings   The web sites are www.region43.org for Washington State, and www.region35.org, for Oregon, respectively.  Contact Jon “Wiz” Wiswell, Pat Buller or Kevin Kearns for more info.  Discussion centered on issues with Canadian television continuing to be assigned spectrum in the 700 band, and feeling that IX issues, particularly along border areas within 150 miles, won’t be addressed until a substantial Treaty, similar to ones for 800 and 900 MHz are agreed upon by both Countries.  Members mentioned lack of any formal coordination during a recent visit to BC by Queen Elizabeth, though no interference issues became problems.  There was a meeting on 9/25, and Wiz advised that minutes are on the web site.  Be sure to check there, for the latest information.  It is important to keep information-sharing, and “getting the word out”.  Wiz mentioned that the 700 group would be trying a telephone conference line and speakerphone scenario, to see if it would work for folks who couldn’t get to the meetings in person.  There is another meeting in late October, in Yakima.  He will keep us informed as that trial progresses.  (Loren has access to a voice conference machine, if an analog phone line were available, if WWCIC wanted to try something like that.  However, a conferencing capability within the building’s telephone system would need to be available for such a thing to work, unless only one call at a time was handled)  (OPEN)

WWCIC web site   No new issues.  (ALWAYS OPEN)

Technical Seminars at meetings   Discussion continued about various topics for seminars.  George Bisso will contact Clay Freinwald for a possible November presentation, perhaps about EAS generally, or the Amber Alert system.  (30-40 minute presentations, that allow 20 min or so for questions, are what are desired).  Other future topics might include local area network and 911 tie-in’s with the State EOC, perhaps Jack Manon, about RF safety and monitoring, or a presentation on the Johnson Radio LTR system, maybe even test equipment hints and kinks.  It would be a goal to do one every month or two.  Loren will get some previous contact info back for George, as it had been lost while George was ill.  FLASH-- There will be a presentation at the WWCIC meeting on Nov 12, from NWS and NOAA about EAS and Amber Alert systems.  (OPEN)

XM Radio   More fill-in sites are going in, in “light rural” and rural areas, particularly mountainous terrain, where the satellite coverage is lacking, and XM desires to pick up local coverage with news and traffic.  We need to remain aware, and as members come across the sites, information-share.  Sirius doesn’t have any ground-based repeaters as part of their system, at least in this area, so is not the same type problem potential (high power sites and interference) as XM.  A third satellite company, WorldSpace, has a system, but it is not currently operating over the US, per some Internet research Loren did recently.   Per George, Sirius is not licensed for a networking strategy, so doesn’t use fill-in sites.  XM claims 500,000 subscribers.  (OPEN)

Planning for WWCIC/WCTC Joint meeting 2003   The year 2003 will again be our turn to host the joint meeting.  Early planning will make a successful meeting.  Some locations were suggested.  George contacted Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, about space, costs and food.  Kris McGowan and Jayson Clairmont will help w/ arrangements.  We should also begin to develop our ideas for discussion content.  Forward questions or concerns to the Officers, or bring them to the meetings.  The 2^nd week of June 2003 is Monday 6/9-Friday 6/13.  Check your calendars for any potential conflicts, and perhaps we can set the date in the next couple months.  (OPEN)  

APCO report   Pat Buller mentioned APCO were trying to set up a training session at Snoqualmie.  Contact Pat for more details.  APCO has a lot if information on their web site, at www.apcointl.org/.

New Business

IX Issue   Pat Buller mentioned a problem of IX at 155.7675 MHz, which interfered with Bremerton PD at 155.775, over 75 miles away, even though the systems had met all the criteria for coordination.  There was an issue between narrow-band and wide-band deviation, which are sometimes not compatible.  Another set of frequencies may have cured the situation.  Talk to Pat for more details.  Both George B. and Perry Wheeler offered other comments, and narrow-band technology was emphasized.  (OPEN)

Items of Information

FCC   Mike Rothe mentioned a new feature at the FCC web site.  If you wish to ask questions, they will come up with answers.  Go see fccinfo.fcc.gov, on the regular web site shown below as a link.  The local office has a new Engineer recently assigned, Jayson F. Clairmont.  Mike and Kris talked about some problems that had been encountered in telecommunications.  “Fat-finger dialing” is where a person dials a number close to one used by some long-distance providers, and reaches another company which specifically handles the call as though it were the intended company, except charges much higher rates.  That takes advantage of someone’s mistake to overcharge, and is not legal.  FCC is intervening.  Continue to contact Kris if bothered by CRAM’ing, SPAM'ing or SLAM’ing.  Both those practices are also illegal, and FCC, as well as the WUTC in Washington State, is intervening.  Tower lighting and painting continue to be emphasized by FCC, and some companies are encountering “voluntary contributions” for their violations.  Talk to any of the FCC staff to understand what a “voluntary contribution” refers to.  Dennis A is recuperating from some surgery, doing well.  Most FCC documents can be found on FCC’s website www.fcc.gov.  If you would like help with documents, please contact Dennis Anderson.

George B told attendees more about IBOC, in band-on channel; a mechanism for intercommunication in the background while a radio broadcast station is transmitting.  Talk to George for more details, if you are interested in test results using IBOC.  The NAB web page is at www.nab.org.  There is considerable information to be found there.  The December 10, 2002, WWCIC meeting will be special, with a seasonal celebration, so plan to be hungry.  Jay S has made the conference room reservation at WSP for 9 AM – 2 PM.   Jay Schmierer confirmed the WSP District Office is available for a place to hold the WWCIC meetings, through all of 2003.  Mark McDermott told about progress at SERS 800 MHz system, with the first 5 sites out to bid, in the Phase 1 part of the project.  They are hopeful to have a limited operation on by Jan 2003, and Phase 1 running by June 03.  Solicitations are going out for the bids for the rest of Phase 1 in the next couple weeks.

Meeting adjourned at 1050.  Next meeting is on Nov 12, 2002, again at the WSP District Office in Bellevue.  See the WWCIC web page for detailed directions to the location.  Thanks to everyone for your interest and support for WWCIC.  

Loren H. Postma

Secretary/Treasurer