Chair George Bisso called the meeting to order at 0937.   Introductions were made around the tables.  DRAFT Minutes of the May 14, 2002, meeting were reviewed and approved.  Hand-written notes of the June 12 joint meeting were available for attendees, but were not finalized as minutes.   Loren will get them produced in the usual electronic format for the Sept meeting.  

Members and guests in attendance: 12

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.  Steve Leonard observed that whatever the US does regarding band plans will have to be a treaty re-negotiation with Canada.  Opinion is that the 800 band is poorly applied now, due to coordination rules.  Nextel and Telus (Nextel version in Canada?) have a sharing agreement, but it isn’t working that well locally.  Some discussion considered antenna down-tilt and coverage into Canada. ((Loren has continued to collect articles from various sources discussing the issues, proposals, explanations of proposals and analysis, charts and graphs, and some examples of others’ responses to the Nextel ‘white paper’, if anyone should like to review or make copies of them.  They are available for perusal at each meeting.))     (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.  There is a new ITA proposal for 700 MHz.  There is a concern for licensing issues – a US applicant needs to be able to see what the responses are that are sent back to the US from I/Canada.  There are denials based on coverage problems due to the high mountains around Vancouver and Vancouver Island.  The feeling that FCC is not “going to bat” to get US-based applications for licenses approved, but just accepting what I/Canada denies, is an issue.  (OPEN)

WWCIC web site   No new issues.  Alan Robinson is the e-mail contact, if a person wishes to send info or ask questions of the organization, as shown in multiple places on various pages of the WWCIC site.  The Constitution and By-laws formerly shown on the web page was  NOT entirely correct, as some of the material had not been fully updated.  Some omissions and errors existed.  Alan has that particular page turned off temporarily, and Loren is continuing to research and work on the changes.  (The changes, additions, and corrections were all membership-approved long ago, but the correct version didn’t get dispersed)   (OPEN)

Technical Seminars at meetings   More discussion about various topics for seminars.  Clay Franwald would be willing to do a presentation on EAS.  George Bisso will contact him for an October or November presentation.  30-40 minute presentations, that allow 20 min or so for questions, are what is desired.  Highlight local area network and 911 tie-in’s with the State EOC, locating lost children, using the Amber Plan, and the like.  Perhaps Jack Manon, about RF safety and monitoring.  A presentation on the Johnson Radio LTR system, test equipment hints and kinks.  It would be a goal to do one every month or two.  (OPEN)

XM Radio   George Bisso says more sites are going in.  Locally, there are 7, and when last discussed only 4.  These are at 2.3 GHz, using 10 KW power, TPO for 40 KW ERP.  Known sites are Cougar Mt, Everett Mutual tower, Tacoma-St Joseph Hospital, Indian Hill (4 KW), Bellingham, Lynden (4 KW), Gold Mt, and 4 others.  If working in proximity, be aware, and get all power turned off.   (OPEN)

New Business

No new business was brought forward

Items of Information

FCC   All the FCC representatives were elsewhere today.  Most FCC documents can be found on FCC’s website www.fcc.gov.  If you would like help with documents, or like to know how to get hard copy, please contact Dennis.

Miscellaneous

Steve L mentioned a noise problem in the Kennydale area that resulted from a Mylar balloon caught on a Utility line.  It was arcing and causing broadband noise, that defied locating by DF, but after the Utility Co removed it, no more problem.  George B is working with new comm systems at Seahawk Stadium, about 38 frequencies to be used at the same time.   Harlan O mentioned about his friend, a protégé, who now has http://www.shinemicro.com/.

Meeting adjourned at 1048.  Next meeting on Sept 10, and no meeting in August – enjoy.  Thanks to everyone for your interest and support for WWCIC.  

Loren H. Postma

Secretary/Treasurer