Meeting Minutes for February 8, 2005
Web Page: www.wwcic.org
Information Line Phone Number: 425-820-6271
Dates for WWCIC meetings for 2005 Meetings will be held on the 2nd Tuesday like always, with no meeting in August and June joint meeting with our Canadian counterparts subject to change. The current location is the Washington State Patrol Office in Bellevue.
No
new report. Pending Transactions
– Transfer of
Secretary/Treasurer duties and records.
Chairman’s opening
comments: Chairman George Bisso
called the meeting to order at 09:35 AM, at the WSP office in Bellevue.
Introductions were made around the tables.
Members in attendance today: 16. George noted that several members
had notified him that they would not be in attendance today due to unplanned
work conflicts.
Adoption of draft
minutes of last meeting: Meeting
minutes for December’s and January’s meeting were approved as drafted.
Secretary-Treasurer
Finance and Correspondence Reports:
None
Technical Committee
Report: None(OPEN)
Web Site Report:
None (OPEN)
FCC Report: Nextel has accepted the Report and Order for 800 Mhz realignment. A broadcaster was fined $28K for airing phone calls in violation of the rules on consent. A New Mexico station was fined $25K for not having EAS equipment and RFR rule violations. (OPEN)
800 MHz IX and Nextel
issues: Nextel
has a new policy for responding to interference complaints. Nextel will respond
within 24 hr to interference within 5000 feet of their site and the complaining
parties own received signal level is -88 dbm or greater.
To keep things organized they have set up rigid procedures to meet the 24
hr commitment so if you make a complaint be prepared to be contacted and
interact on the problem. For example if the complaint comes in late Friday be
prepared to be contacted and meet on site Saturday night.
Most of the US rebanding will be straight forward. Thirty days after a
deal is made to vacate spectrum the spectrum should be available. There are
hardware/firmware considerations for the new users of the vacated spectrum. (OPEN)
700 MHz Planning &
Meetings: There has been some informal discussion with Canada about
their plans. A suggestion was made
that a defined procedure such as a computer program be used for frequency
coordination in the border areas. The
region 43 committee approved its plan and summated it to the FCC. There is a
sixty day public comment period. The SIEC work is ongoing, looking at First
Responders and the best communications system to provide interoperability.
The 700 MHz web sites are www.region43.org
for Washington State, and www.region35.org,
for Oregon. (OPEN)
Grass Mt. 48.48 MHz IX
Report: Pat
reported that further work on hold due to weather. When conditions permit the
plan is to investigate further using multiple antenna locations.
(OPEN)
450 MHz IX: Nothing
new to report. (OPEN)
FRS Issues:
Nothing new to report. (OPEN)
BPL Issues: Senator
Cantwell is showing support for those apposing BPL. Chelan PUD is
testing. Generally private utilities view it as revenue source and public
utilities view it as a nuisance and liability.
(OPEN)
Technical Seminars at
WWCIC Meetings: Harlan has created a flyer to invite technical presenters to WWCIC
meetings. The intent is to give members a document to solicit
presentations. (OPEN)
XM and Sirius Satellite
Radio News: Approximate subscribers
XM 3 Mil, Sirrius 1 Mil. There is a noticeable drop off of first time users not
renewing their service such as new car buyers that have it included as an
option. (OPEN)
APCO business or reports
and general frequency coordination news: Pat clarified that
he is still frequency coordinating for APCO in eastern Washington until
Jay Morrison is able to take over. Jay currently has assumed the coordinator
duties for Western Washington and Alaska. The National APCO convention will be
held in Denver, CO this year and will have a booth at the IWCE.
(OPEN)
License-free or
Spread-Spectrum technology issues:
The broadcasters are in a bind, Part 74 does not have a frequency allocation to
allow transporting the High Definition Radio signal from the studio to
transmitter. They have had to resort to unlicensed Spread Spectrum links to get the signal path.
Amateur radio events and
activities: Spencer noted that the
annual Mike and Key Club Flea Market will be held on March 12, a good
opportunity to acquire or get rid of all things radio or
electronic related. George
had a report of a carrier at 146.58 Mhz with
approx 1.5 Khz modulation at 1 Khz deviation. The carrier stays up for several
hours at a time and appears to be coming from west of the Seattle area.
(OPEN)
George reported hearing a
news report on high power Wi-Fi. A demonstration where a high definition movie
originating in Portland, OR was transferred via the internet
to Park City, Utah and then retransmitted over the air.
Digital broadcast radio is coming, 11 stations in Seattle are
broadcasting so far. The digital format takes 5 percent of the power to get
equivalent coverage to analog and seems to work well even in multipath
locations. 2015 is the sunset date for analog broadcast.
Steven Mayes was nominated
to fill the vacant Secretary/Treasure position and confirmed by vote of members.
A Federal Interoperability
Summit will be held in Seattle sometime in May.
Miscellaneous: Pat says he has found a case similar to the electric fence problem in Pierce County in his neighborhood.
Moved and seconded to
adjourn at 11:20 AM.
Respectfully submitted,