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A representative listing of recent reports on Amateur Radio enforcement-related actions from
the files of the FCC Compliance and Information Bureau: NOTE: Issuance by the FCC of a Warning Notice indicates that the FCC has what it believes to be reliable evidence of possible rules infractions and not necessarily that the recipient has violated FCC rules. The FCC has the authority, pursuant to �97.519(d)(2) of the rules to readminister any examination element previously administered by a volunteer examiner. This Enforcement Log is representative of recent Warning Notices, Notices of Violation, calls for retesting, and other FCC communications to licensees involving possible serious rules violations. It is not a comprehensive listing of FCC Amateur enforcement actions. ABILENE, TX: The FCC sent a Warning Notice September 14, 2000, to Tech Plus licensee Gerald G. Dugan, N5OGD, citing "information before the Commission" alleging that the licensee had threatened individuals during transmissions on the Key City Amateur Radio Club repeaters during June, and that he had not complied with Amateur Service identification rules, �97.119. "Information also indicates that you have not heeded requests from the repeater licensee that you not use the repeater," FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth wrote. Hollingsworth warned that operation of the type described would not be tolerated and could result in license revocation and a fine. He requested that Dugan respond within 20 days and warned that failure to respond would lead to revocation proceedings. Hollingsworth invited the licensee to contact him to discuss the matter. ANAHEIM, CA: The FCC wrote Amateur Extra licensee Gary David Gray, W6DOE, August 29, 2000, to follow up on its March 29 request that Gray justify at least 27 club station call signs issued to him. Gray responded April 19 stating that he had three additional club station call signs and provided documentation for "numerous clubs," the FCC said. FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth wrote that the FCC would permit Gray to retain eight of the club station call signs and that the others would be canceled, including five club station call signs issued to "IEEE Amateur Radio," for which, Hollingsworth said, no documentation was furnished. HOLLYWOOD, FL: The FCC sent a Warning Notice August 29, to General licensee Julio A. Cedeno, N2GRM, citing "monitoring information before the Commission" indicating that the licensee has not been complying to Amateur Service identification rules, �97.119. "Information also indicates that you have received several Official Observer notices about these violations but that they have been ignored," FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth wrote. Hollingsworth warned that failure to comply with amateur station identification rules could lead to enforcement action. "This is the last written warning you will receive before enforcement action is initiated," Hollingsworth advised. He invited the licensee to contact him to discuss the matter. HONOLULU, HI: The FCC sent a Warning Notice September 14, 2000, to Tech Plus licensee Michael S. Takahashi, NH6QZ, citing "information before the Commission" alleging that the licensee may have been interfering with communications on the WH6CZB repeater at various times, including July 11 of this year. FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth warned that operation of the type described would not be tolerated and could result in license revocation and a fine. He requested that Takahashi respond within 20 days and warned that failure to respond would lead to revocation proceedings. Hollingsworth invited the licensee to contact him to discuss the matter. LAS VEGAS, NV [UPDATE]: The FCC on September 20, 2000 wrote Glen Timmerman, doing business as Citipage Plus, to follow up on its investigation into allegations of harmful interference by the paging system's WNMM584 transmitter to the Silver Dollar Amateur Radio Club N7OK repeater on 147.09 MHz. FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth told Timmerman that his response to the FCC's initial inquiry was inadequate. The FCC says a response prepared on behalf of Citipage Plus by John Babcock and provided to the FCC argued that the interfering signal "must be a strong intermodulation product created in the repeater user's receiver." Hollingsworth said the interference is apparently being caused by the mixing of Citipage Plus' signal at 152.40 MHz with the 157.740 output of paging system WPAV492, licensed to Western Regional Paging Network, also in Las Vegas. "Apparently this results in an interfering signal of 147.10 MHz," he said. Hollingsworth said that complainants have reported interference at a distance of 20 miles from Citipage Plus' WNMM584 on Amateur frequencies "even without repeater N7OK being in service," and that mobiles operating near WNMM 584 reportedly have been unable to receive the repeater's signal. The FCC had requested that Citipage Plus contact its service personnel and determine what steps can be taken to resolve this matter, but Hollingsworth said there was no indication that this had been done. Hollingsworth again asked Citipage Plus to contact its service personnel and to cooperate in resolving the interference complaints. "If after that meeting, your position is that the problem is not caused by your repeater system, state in detail the technical findings upon which you base your conclusion," Hollingsworth concluded. The FCC gave Timmerman 20 days to respond. NEWTON, NC [UPDATE]: The FCC wrote John M. Yount on September 5, 2000, canceling his Amateur Extra class license, K4QIJ, because he failed to appear for re-examination. The FCC zeroed in on Yount last spring as a prime suspect in its "Captain Truth" investigation into unidentified Amateur Radio transmissions and malicious interference. FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth had written Yount on March 29, citing FCC and other close-in monitoring evidence that indicated Yount's station was the source of "malicious interference and jamming" on 20 and 75 meters. "Captain Truth" has not been heard on the air since the FCC's initial letter. The FCC says radio-direction finding bearings led to Yount's residence and antenna. Part of its monitoring evidence resulted from work done by the FCC's High-Frequency Direction Finding facility. Yount suggested in his only reply to the FCC that there were a lot of vehicles and other houses on his property and that someone else could have been responsible for the transmissions the FCC had monitored and tracked. Hollingsworth said he wrote Yount again on June 1 to seek clarification and additional information in the ongoing investigation. After failing to get a satisfactory reply, Hollingsworth wrote Yount on July 17 requesting that he retake his examinations by September 1, but Yount never replied and failed to appear for retesting. Hollingsworth warned Yount that continued operation of radio transmitting equipment after September 5 could result in criminal prosecution. TUCSON, AZ [UPDATE]: The FCC wrote Linda C. Hearn Donnelly on September 5, 2000, canceling her Technician class license, KD7FRQ, because she failed to appear for re-examination. The FCC wrote Hearn Donnelly July 11, 2000, requesting that she retake the Technician examination elements under the supervision of an ARRL-VEC volunteer examiner team by August 30, 2000, or her license would be canceled, but she did not appear. As a result, the FCC canceled her license. On May 23, 2000, Hearn Donnelly had received a Notice of Unlicensed Radio Operation from the FCC's San Diego District Office ordering her to cease operation of an "unauthorized radio station" on 90.9 MHz. FCC personnel tracked the station to Hearn Donnelly's Tucson address. She was warned that operation of a radio transmitter without a license was a violation of federal law and could result in fines, arrest and imprisonment and seizure of equipment. In his September 5 letter, FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth reiterated that warning. VACAVILLE, CA: The FCC wrote Technician licensee Michael K. Stokes, W6GRS, on September 6, 2000, citing "monitoring information before the Commission" indicating that the licensee may have "engaged in deliberate interference" to other communications on the WA6BZS repeater during August. "This interference consisted of transmitting a signal generator tone on the input of the repeater using the PL tone of the repeater," FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth wrote. Hollingsworth advised Stokes that the alleged conduct "degrades the Amateur Radio Service for legitimate communications, is contrary to Section 97.1 of the amateur rules and is considered deliberate interference." Hollingsworth requested that Stokes respond to the letter within 20 days stating what actions he is taking to eliminate the alleged interference. "Continued interference of this nature will jeopardize your amateur license," Hollingsworth said. He invited the licensee to contact him to discuss the matter. |