Dates for WWCIC meetings for 2005   Meetings will be held on the 2^nd Tuesday like always, with no meeting in August and June joint meeting with our Canadian counterparts is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14 at Semiahmoo.  The current location for regular meetings is the Washington State Patrol Office in Bellevue.

Financial Report  

Business Reports

Chairman’s opening comments: Chairman George Bisso called the meeting to order at 9:46 AM, at the WSP office in Bellevue.  Introductions were made around the tables.  Members in attendance today: 10.

Committee Reports

Technical Committee Report:  Suggestions for technical presentations at meetings are always welcome. Harris Corporation’s is scheduled for a presentation at the April 11, 2006 meeting on High Definition (HD) radio. The question was posed; do we need to review the technical standards in light of new modulation schemes? (OPEN)

Web Site Report:  Some bad links were cleaned up and the hit counter was reset. Counter was at approximately 1300 or around 110 a month.

Old Business

BPL Issues: ARRL is continuing their objections to BPL and its interference.

150/450 MHz IX: Interference to Orcas Island Fire Department, Amateur Radio and other systems on Mt. Constitution cleared up after some work was done on a FM broadcast station at the site. Orcas Island Fire Dept. continued to experience intermittent problems which was traced to a failure in one of their portable radios. When the battery got low it would start transmitting which would get into the repeater and cause the interference. (OPEN)

FRS Issues: Nothing new to report.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning & Meetings: The FCC has made April 25, 2009 for the last date for TV broadcast operation in the 700Mhz. band. 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: Deadlines were delayed 90 days. 800 Mhz rebanding voluntary negotiations for wave 4 start April 3. 800 Mhz plan is still under review before submission to the FCC. (OPEN)

Technical Seminars at WWCIC Meetings: Harris Corp. is scheduled for a presentation on HD radio in April. (OPEN)

APCO business or reports and general frequency coordination news:  The FCC is holding an open meeting on development of operational, technical and spectrum requirements for meeting federal, state and local public safety communications requirements though the year 2010.  APCO is seeking comments on eight NPRs about public safety communications needs in the 700 mhz band. The Office of Managing Director is calling for the establishment of a Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. (OPEN)

License-free or Spread-Spectrum technology issues: No report.  (OPEN)

CBP Interference: Interference occurred coincidentally with snowfall. Nextel has identified several of their channels that they will not use at the site without notification.

New Business

The Department of Homeland Security is looking into the “Interoperability” as applied to broadcasters.  They are also looking at EAS procedures.

Items of Information

Dave Babbit from Motorola made a presentation on Tower Mounted Amplifiers. The amplifiers are useful to balance the talk in vs. talk out coverage of radio systems. Most commonly used at higher frequencies (800/900) but some are available at lower frequencies. The current technology is not just an active device remotely mounted at the antenna but a system of amplifiers, filters and control circuitry. Dave’s presentation went into details of design and use of these devices.

Moved and seconded to adjourn at 11:17 AM.

Respectfully submitted,