Meeting Minutes for May 10, 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.

Financial Report  

Checking Account Balance

$2,886.80 

Savings Account Balance

$   861.43 

Total Bank Balances

$3,748.23 

Secretary-Treasurer Finance and Correspondence Reports:

The bill for second quarter web site hosting was received.

 

Business Reports

Chairman’s opening comments: Chairman George Bisso called the meeting to order at 09:37 AM, at the WSP office in Bellevue.  Introductions were made around the tables.  Members in attendance today: 14.

Adoption of draft minutes of last meeting: Meeting minutes for April’s meeting were approved as drafted.

Committee Reports

Technical Committee Report:  None. (OPEN)

Web Site Report: 800 Mhz rebanding info and BPL info added. Hit counter shows approximately 1,000 visits in a year’s time. Second quarter web hosting bill received.  (OPEN)

FCC Report:  New chairman Kevin Martin. Dynasty Mortgage fined $770,000 for do not call violations. Univision fined $28,000 for broadcasting telephone rule violation; caller did not know he was on the air. A-O broadcasting fined $25,000 for exceeding RF exposure limits, EAS and remote control violations (KTMN, Cloudcroft New Mexico). Communication sites (towers) are being tied to the Historic Preservation Act requiring additional review. (OPEN)

Old Business

BPL Issues: ARRL and others continue to file complaints.   (OPEN)

Grass Mt. 48.48 MHz IX Report: No change.   (OPEN)

450 MHz IX: Nothing new to report. (OPEN)

FRS Issues: Nothing new to report.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning & Meetings: Monthly meetings continue.  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: WSDOT has 15 points along I-405 it will be addressing with Nextel and other carriers.  Nextel’s use of used equipment to migrate may not be acceptable to many displaced users. After rebanding interference threshold goes up to -88dbm. Current users need to measure system performance before rebanding so they have a reference to compare to after changes. RSSI alone is not sufficient to measure signal quality. King County has also measured signal to noise levels/SINAD.  (OPEN)

Technical Seminars at WWCIC Meetings:     (OPEN)

Mark Zamolloa with Arva and Associates made a presentation on Spectrum Analyzers. He had several Anritsu analyzers available for hands on demonstration.

XM and Sirius Satellite Radio News: XM increased their subscription rates to match Sirius. XM still has the most subscribers but neither has hit the profitability mark and continue to advertise heavily.  Mariners report that it is great to have the variety of program material available out on the open water and definitely beats HF.   (OPEN)

APCO business or reports and general frequency coordination news:  Northwest chapter annual seminars in Wenatchee June 22/23.  Washington State Emergency Management Department has applied for five of the new (VTAC) VHF interoperability channels. (OPEN)

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

Amateur radio activity:  SEAPAC convention and flea market June 17-19. Field Day June 29-30.  (OPEN)

New Business

The date for the June meeting with the WCTC is June 15, 1030 am at Hazelmere.  We need items for the agenda submitted early so get your suggestions in by June 25. Some idea areas are 700 Mhz, BPL, Digital Broadcast, 800 Mhz rebanding effects, 2010 Winter Olympics communication impacts. WCTC had two questions for us; are there any active plans for the deployment of 700 Mhz in Washington and what is the status of 800 Mhz rebanding efforts. Kevin Kerns volunteered to address the issues at the meeting. We need to get a head count to them by June 1. Cost will be approximately $30.

            There is hope that our previous good working relationship with our counterparts across the border will continue and that the need to coordinate on some big issues like the Olympics soon may even improve things. The RCMP is one of several players on the Canadian side that is very supportive of a mutually agreeable effort.

Items of Information

Miscellaneous:

Harlan brought up that UWB (unlicensed wideband) devices that are set to be coming out next year are something to think about. They are “intelligent radios” in theory they look at the spectrum and use only vacant spectrum thereby causing no interference.

 

Moved and seconded to adjourn at 11:30AM.

   

Respectfully submitted,

Steven Mayes,  Secretary/Treasurer

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