Vice-Chair Jon “Wiz” Wiswell called the meeting to order at 0932, at WSP in Bellevue.  Introductions were made around the tables.  DRAFT Minutes of the May 13, & Summarized Minutes of the June 11, 2003, meeting were reviewed and approved.  Members and guests in attendance today: 19.  Please be sure to sign in at each meeting, as your Sec/Treas looks at that info every time when preparing the minutes, to get or make updates, and to yield the most current member and guest information, or to correct the e-mail distribution list. 

Financial Report

Old Business

800 MHz IX   Discussion continued about the Nextel sites in Bellingham, near the YMCA and St Jo hospital, that Jerry Noe has reported about before, with coverage issues and blanking out taxicab communications, generally about a block from Holly and State St’s.  Steve Leonard provided Jerry a “project book”, the result of Nextel tests and work to analyze the problem.  Harlan Ohlson noted very good cooperation from Nextel in working w/ WSDOT issues, some of their 15 most important concerns list.   Wiz told of monthly meetings he has w/ Nextel concerning the King Co group of 800 MHz systems and IX problems, and some help Motorola has been w/ radio modifications for Seattle.  The logistics is overwhelming, as 14,000 users to get modifications to all their radios are not practical.  Overall, Nextel rates and received our sincere thanks for their efforts.  There was discussion about Motorola becoming more involved in corrections, as Nextel is using Motorola’s equipment, and Motorola has proposed technical solutions to the 800 IX issue w/ Public Safety 800 users, to the FCC.  Could Motorola “step up to the plate” and fund some corrections?  Can WWCIC invite Motorola to discuss their engineering solutions at a meeting?  There normally is a cost, as Motorola’s group charges their time as a consulting body to the Company like they were an outside contractor.  Perhaps Steve Leonard and Wiz can look into that.  Chuck Zappala mentioned a web link to Motorola containing a “cookbook” on iDen technology that might be available and a help to get into the details of it.  He will bring the info to next meeting.  Harlan reviewed some details of the EF Johnson gear the State uses on 800 for problems near Nextel sites.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning Meetings   Wiz reported.  The last meeting was in Wenatchee over 6/24-26.  The conference line wasn’t usable.  There is a new DRAFT version 3 of the plans on the web site, and the group is striving to get a semi-final version done by Sept.  They want to submit to FCC by Nov.  Comments on the drafts are welcome, and the info on the web site is extensive, w/ pdf files there to print if desired.  Comments are solicited at the group meetings, and can be considered to incorporate, as well as those made on the web site, to be reviewed at the next meetings.   See the web for the meeting schedule, and consider using the list-server.  Sign up for that, to receive the info by e-mail.  They meet at 1000, to allow traveling attendees to get there.  Recall, they also try to set up the conference phone for each meeting, to take call-in’s.  The phone number is (253) 512-7310.  (OPEN)

The 700 MHz 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.  Meeting schedules and past meeting minutes are on the web sites.   Be sure to check them for the latest information in this important planning step for both 700 and 800 MHz use in the future.  (OPEN)

Technical Seminars at meetings   We believe George has a presentation set for October 2003, on Amber Alert and radio implications.  Loren contacted Kim Torp-Pedersen about his connection on further information about BDA’s, w/ TXRX or Antenna Specialties.  Unfortunately, some confusion resulted in TXRX not able to present for the July meeting.  Kim will try to re-schedule for Oct or Nov, depending on George’s plan.  Another future possibility is a tour of the WSDOT Dispatch Center in Lynnwood, even perhaps holding one of our meetings there.  George will be looking into it further, though no report was available today, as George was not able to attend.  Harlan mentioned contacting Agilent Technologies and IFR, about site noise floor measurements, and will look into it further.  He and Wiz again noted that measurements need to become standardized on sites.  Harlan will also contact Pat Buller for more talk/action in the technical presentations area.  If anyone else would consider joining the technical presentations committee, please contact Harlan.  The general membership wants any proposed seminars placed onto the Agenda, so to be readily available to plan for attending, bring guests, and get onto personal calendars.  [Back in February, a committee was formed, consisting of Pat Buller, Harlan Ohlson, and George Bisso, along w/ a “member-at-large”, Kim Torp-Pedersen, to work on the programs for future technical presentations].  Harlan will get more involved in the coordination.  We recapped the rest of year 2003 meeting dates. 

Satellite Radio - No further news to report, as George was not present today.  No one else had heard anything more recent.  (OPEN)

APCO report or news   Pat Buller reported that Ross Morris has resigned, so the interim APCO Frequency Coordinator responsibility for all of WA has fallen to himself, Mr. Buller.  A rousing chorus of encouragement by those present at the meeting was detected.  Several associated w/ WWCIC participated in training events at the Wenatchee APCO Conference last June.  APCO International is meeting in Indianapolis Aug 10-16.  About 95% of the coordination applications Pat has been reviewing have been for the VHF, 150-160 MHz spectrum.  Not very many are in 700 or 800, and a few in 450 band, which is all already assigned.  There is some activity by unlicensed entities on sovereign lands using equipment on VHF prematurely, that have applied for frequencies, but the frequencies have not been vacated or returned to FCC, by some agencies moving to 800.  The FCC is placing more emphasis on IX as determined by the “interference temperature”.  That is a hard one to understand.  Colors denote acceptable levels of IX.  Orange or Red means over 60% unusable.  Is there a real definition?  Someone thought there was info on FCC’s web site, or in a report they saw a couple months ago.  Mike Rothe will try to get more info for next meeting.  Chuck Z says it is on the FCC site, but not sure where.  Try a search.  Be aware of the “Safe Harbor Rule”, for re-licensing.  If a license expires before it is renewed, then all the equipment comes under the new frequency regs, for bandwidth.  Don’t let your licenses expire, to maintain your present status.  Reminder, that Public Safety comes under the 6.25 KHz bandwidth spec in 2018, while Business generally must comply by 2013.  There was a lot of info in the IECIC minutes, most of which was sent to the WWCIC distribution e-mail list last month.  The APCO meeting in June, in Wenatchee, covered revisions for narrow-banding.  There is a Washington State Chapter web site at www.apcowa.org where more information may be found.  The 2004 APCO Regional conference will be in Spokane, WA.  Narrow-banding is coming from FCC, final report and order will stipulate narrowband applications for 12.5 KHz, so no more wide-band voice channels can be coordinated, perhaps after Sept orOct 2003.  A stipulation that equipment manufactured for 12.5 KHz will also need to be compatible for 6.25 bandwidth is also contained in the new rules coming in January 2004.  There are still lots of issues for manufacture of radios capable of meeting the 6.25 KHz spec, particularly with receiver technology.  ((Doug Rider included a lot of information about the “spectrum-efficient technologies” issue, contained in the IECIC minutes for their March 2003 meeting, that Sec/Treas has available.  Just ask.))  Pat gave a seminar at the conference that was well received.  We may be fortunate enough to have him present at one of our meetings.  Contact Pat directly for more APCO-related details.  APCO International has a lot if information on their web site, at www.apcointl.org/.  (OPEN)

Unlicensed technologies, Spread-Spectrum systems, and Noise Floor Measurements 

Chuck Z told about the “blue zone”, a concentration of “hot spots”, which he had told about earlier this year.  Using advanced antennas and technology, manufacturers are getting better coverage by the unlicensed systems.  A “hot spot” was earlier thought to be about 200 ft or so, but now has grown to blocks, and the “blue zone” adds to get distances up to ¼ or ½ mile areas.  Some active antenna arrays can operate as 32 sectors, switch automatically, and affect the connected modems like a cellular system.  802.22 specs cover the backbone to connect 802.11X  (“hot spots”) infrastructure together.  McDonalds have expanded trial systems back East, some hotels offer 802.11 coverage for free, as an incentive to patronize their facilities.  A question was raised about the status of Ricochet.  Wiz told about Seattle’s use of about 200 units on Ricochet before Metricom went out of business.  Everett used 5 modems for a short time, but only the pole-top units still reside on their poles, not active as no connection from the former WAP’s.  There are re-started Ricochet systems operating in Denver and San Diego, but none known of locally.  Puget Sound Energy is using some 900 MHz spread-spectrum systems for meter reading.  Seattle looked at some use for telemetry and water controls, but didn’t carry it forward, due to IX unknowns.  Boeing experimented with some, but the systems just locked up due to too much IX.  There is so much going on in the 900 unlicensed bands it is hard to figure out.  There are no guarantees the systems will work reliably, coverage stabilities, and so on.  The line between Communications departments and Information Technology is getting “fuzzier”.  Gerry Broerman, Curt Kyle, and Harlan O, in addition to Chuck Z, all commented.  Wireless broadband over power lines is another relatively new topic related to this area.  Several entities around the country are using it.  UTC has been promoting the technology, and has seminars dealing with aspects of BPL.  ARRL is strongly against it.  Search on a number of web sites; look in “Google” for BPL, or Broadband over Power Lines.  (OPEN)

New Business

(From the May minutes) John Woodcock talked about some problems with Quantar repeaters.  WSP has several hundred of the units.  PL frequencies, response problems, and repeater cut-offs due to different response on PL tones are some of them.  He is asking Motorola to help for WSP.  Are any other members having troubles?  What about phase shift?  He has contacted Fred Radovich, and he may be able to help escalate the response.  Wiz mentioned that Motorola could be approached as a FRB item.  (Failure Review Board, which has weekly discussion, might get a higher level of response).  If it can get into FRB, it goes before the VP’s on a weekly basis.  The more users that bring the problem to Motorola, the better the likelihood is, that they will respond.  Motorola may have special people to contact back in PA, but the numbers are not readily available.  Back to the July meeting- Software Defined Radio, (SDR)- Steve Leonard made some comment that Nextel has done some testing, worked on design, lab tests looked good, but when attempted to put on the air, didn’t work that well in “real-world” use.  (OPEN)

Items of Information

FCC   Mike Rothe presented information from FCC.  He covered some infractions issued, and getting license renewal letters from FCC.  They are normally sent out 90 days before license expiration, but may wander around at agency mail sorting areas, as often names or positions have changed, and mail isn’t routed correctly at the end user.  If you are aware of your licenses, be keen on the time periods to expect renewal notices.  Also check the ULS, as web renewal processes work better now, than when first rolled out.  He told about the new 60 meter Ham band.  There is lots of info about the new frequency grant in ARRL letter, Vol 22, #21.  There are very strict rules for usage.  FCC is still working with tower paint and lighting violations, started back in 1994.  They are also pursuing SLAM, CRAM, and SPAM problems.  Most FCC documents can be found on FCC’s website www.fcc.gov.  If you would like help with documents, please contact Dennis Anderson.  Pat B mentioned more about BPL issues, where the technology is using frequencies from 2-80 MHz.  FCC seems fairly non-committal on the issue.  Great potential exists for IX and noise on the present band uses, and the like.  Japan tried it, but shut down shortly after starting due to IX trouble.  There are around 12 companies that manufacture BPL equipment, per Chuck Z, who recently did some web research. 

Gerry Broerman is retiring from Boeing in 38 days.  This is Gerry’s last meeting.  He will be going to Florida.  Thanks for Gerry’s many years of involvement in WWCIC.  Steve Mayes will be back in the area in mid-August.  We look forward to seeing Steve again at future meetings, and returning to activity as our Member-at-Large #1.  Harlan O introduced Dennis Hausman, with WA State Dept of Information Services, who will be working in the 700 MHz planning process, State radio systems planning, and the SIEC, the State Interoperability Executive Committee.  Dennis told a bit about the SIEC focus.  There was a Pat B joke, as we have become accustomed to, and anticipate at each meeting.  He seems an unending source for material.  (Sec/Treas smiles…)  (OPEN) 

Meeting adjourned at 1105.  Next meeting is on Tuesday, Sept 9, 2003, at WSP in Bellevue.  See the WWCIC web page for details about our regular meetings and directions to the locations.  Thanks to everyone for your interest and support for WWCIC.  

Respectfully submitted,

Your most humble Secretary/Treasurer,

Loren H. Postma