Meeting Minutes for September 8, 2009

Web Page: www.wwcic.org

Information Line Phone Number: 425-820-6271

Dates for WWCIC meetings for 2009   Meetings will be held on the 2nd Tuesday like always, with no meeting in August  .  The current location for regular meetings is the Washington State Patrol Office in Bellevue.

Business Reports

Chairman’s opening comments: Vice Chairman Jon Wiswell called the meeting to order at 9:45 am. Introductions were made around the tables.  Attendance today: 8.

Adoption of draft minutes of last meeting: July meeting minutes were approved as drafted.

Secretary-Treasurer Finance and Correspondence Reports: Checking, no activity, ending balance of $767.90. Starting balance in Savings $686.73, interest $.11, ending balance of $686.84.

A proposal to add five dollars to the dues fee for dues paid after the first of the year for which the dues are for. Dues paid before the beginning of the dues year would be the same ($20). The purpose is to create an incentive for early dues payment.

It was also proposed that we waive the Washington State Patrol’s membership dues while they provide a meeting room on a continuing basis.

Committee Reports

Technical Committee Report:  For today’s presentation Gerald Kern gave an overview of IP radio control systems (ROIP).  A P25 update presentation by ICOM is scheduled for the October meeting (rescheduled from last spring).

Suggestions for technical presentations at meetings are always welcome. (OPEN)

Web Site Report:  All is well. (OPEN)  

FCC Report: No report. Kris is still the only full time Seattle staff person. (Open)

Old Business

BPL Issues: As a result of legal challenges to FCC rulings filed by the Amateur Radio Relay League the FCC lowered the extrapolation factor for signal level measurement for BPL from 40 to 30dB/decade, the ARRL had requested 20. http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/07/22/10977/?nc=1      (OPEN)

150/450 MHz IX: No report. (OPEN)

FRS Issues: No report.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning & Meetings: August meeting was canceled. 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: The August meeting centered around rebanding issues. Meetings are schedule for the last Wednesday of the month. September meeting will be held at Sparling Engineering in Lynwood, WA.  (OPEN)

XM and Sirius Satellite Radio News: Nothing new to report. (OPEN)

APCO business or reports and general frequency coordination news: Richard Mirgon is the new president of APCO International assuming the duties from past president Chris Fisher (NORCOM Director). http://www.apcowa.org/      http://www.apcointl.org/  (OPEN)

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

4.9 GHz: The City of Seattle is starting to use 4.9 GHz in a pilot test for some point to point applications, phone connectivity to replace some leased lines. They are already using it for incidents to replace down circuits and/or backhaul video/data/voice from the scene using Motorola Canopy equipment. This is part of an overall more comprehensive look at the best use of the City’s telecommunications resources and what new technology should be implemented.

Region 43 is registering users and maintaining a database to provide some amount of coordination activity. (OPEN)

Amateur radio activity: The City of Woodinville has installed new Kenwood equipment in their EOC to tie in with Emergency Service Coordinating Agency (ESCA) and other Amateur Radio emergency communications systems.

BPL information available at http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/HTML/plc/  (OPEN)

New Business

Items of Information

Moved and seconded to adjourn at 10:16 AM.

Technical Seminar

A presentation on some options for wide/broadband backhaul was put on by Gerald Kern from GE MDS. It started with a general overview and history of Microwave Data Systems (MDS), know for their telemetry products especially in the utilities industry. Two years ago MDS was acquired by General Electric to regain a lot of the RF expertise that used to have. Several example applications were discussed followed by an informational session on possibilities in the 3.6 GHz spectrum.

Respectfully submitted,

Steven Mayes,  Secretary/Treasurer

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