Dates for WWCIC meetings for 2006   Meetings will be held on the 2^nd Tuesday like always, with no meeting in August and June joint meeting with our Canadian counterparts.  The current location for regular meetings is the Washington State Patrol Office in Bellevue.

Business Reports

Chairman’s opening comments: Chairman George Bisso called the meeting to order at 9:35 am. Introductions were made around the tables.  Attendance today: 19. A minute of silence was observed in remembrance of Pat Buller and his contribution to the WWCIC. 

Secretary-Treasurer Finance and Correspondence Reports: Invoice for third quarter web hosting of $54.00 received. Checking balance $682.70, savings balance $2871.56.

Committee Reports

Technical Committee Report:  Suggestions for technical presentations at meetings are always welcome. Members are asked to think about possible presentations/presenters that may be among their ranks; coworkers, industry contacts, friends. Icom is now planning a presentation early 2007 on digital modulation. (OPEN)

FCC Report: The FCC has realized that many of their engineers are at or nearing retirement eligibility and have been actively recruiting new engineers nationwide. The rating and selection process is automated and appears to be weighted toward academic achievement. The Seattle office is in the final stage of filling one position.

A Snohomish police officer observed a driver talking on a radio while interference was occurring. He detained a suspect who admitted to being the cause of ongoing intentional interference that had been occurring on several Everett law enforcement channels; music and baiting comments made over the air. The WSP impounded the vehicle he was driving which belonged to a friend. The FCC verified the VHF amateur band radio in the vehicle had been modified and was operating on the interfered channels. The attorneys are sorting out how to handle this and other issues with this subject.

The FCC has created a new bureau of Public Satiety and Homeland Security.

The Advanced Wireless auction netted 13.9 billion dollars. This will impact some users in the 2 GHz microwave spectrum.

The FCC has been delegated to check into the advertising by Fast Food Restraints focused at children. Three billion dollars a year are spent on this advertising.

The ARRL is suing the FCC in regard to BPL and the increase in RF noise levels. One new rule in the August 2006 order allows BPL operators to raise the noise level up to 25db above median noise level before it is considered interference. (Open)

BPL Issues: Seattle City Light is being lobbied to use BPL but has no plans to do so at this time. BPL is normally associated with the high voltage distribution grid. Products to multiplex voice and control signals have been used for years in in-building applications: (telephone line extenders, X-10 remote controls). LAN power line muxes have been available and continue to push their speeds up. (OPEN)

FRS Issues: Nothing new to report.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning & Meetings: No report. The 700 MHz web sites are www.region43.org for Washington State, and www.region35.org, for Oregon. (OPEN)

800 MHz IX and Nextel issues: The FCC says that simplex mobile only licenses are considered secondary and thereby do not qualify for replacement spectrum and financial support if the channels are in the rebanding spectrum. This has big impacts since many of these type of licenses are for safety purposes (tactical, on-scene, coordination) Chevron was seeking inclusion of their mobile only simplex channels in the rebanding efforts and was ruled against.

Technical Seminars at WWCIC Meetings: An open invitation for ideas, presenters or topic suggestions to follow up on. Bob Johnson from NARDA gave a good presentation on RF safety which included the rules and regulations as well as measurement tools. A digital version of the material presented will be available from Manon Engineering. (OPEN)

XM and Sirius Satellite Radio News: Nothing new.  (OPEN)

APCO business or reports and general frequency coordination news:  Open invitation for new members. Membership is not limited to Public Safety professionals. (OPEN)

License-free or Spread-Spectrum technology issues: With the commonality and availability of this type of equipment off the shelf at many stores, work groups have been implementing usage on their own without knowing the impacts. Interference can be caused to their own operation or others as in the case of a multi-tenant office buildings. (OPEN)

Amateur radio activity: The ARRL is seeking legal action against the FCC for failure to follow their rules in regard to BPL issues. The ARRL hopes to make the commission stop making decisions that do not consider the technical impacts of their actions.

Old Business

There was none.

New Business

There was none.

  Items of Information

There were none.

Moved and seconded to adjourn at 12:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,