Re: [Swlfest] First Draft: 2021 34th Annual Winter SWL Fest Program

[Ed Cummings]

Jef, we'll really miss you and your loopy 
presentation this year.  And of course, we all miss Charlyne.

Your comment about being unable to participate in 
this year's SWLFest (because your internet 
connectivity is unreliable and sporadic) made me 
want to share a solution that too few here know 
about--even on this SWLFest discussion list that 
includes many knowledgeable radio communications enthusiasts.

Unlimited wireless high-speed accounts are 
available at very low cost to 501(c)(3) 
organizations that apply for it through a special 
program.  So if you have an affiliation with a 
501(c)(3) organization, and are willing to 
facilitate their participation in this program, 
then you can probably get this deal, too.  (I 
don't think NASWA is a 501(c)(3) but maybe I'm wrong.)

Over the past decade I've helped several 
501(c)(3) organizations qualify for this low-cost 
wireless internet service.  At least one of them 
has a user on this SWLFest mailing list.  The 
service uses the Sprint/T-Mobile 4G LTE Band 41 
spectrum (2496-2690 GHz) which the FCC had long 
ago allocated to the Instructional Television 
Fixed Service (aka Educational Broadcast 
Service).   For over a decade it's been used for 
wireless internet service via low-cost dedicated 4G LTE WiFi 'hotspot' devices.

Through a special FCC-approved 20-year agreement 
between some of the original ITFS/EBS licensees 
of Band 41 spectrum and Clear>Sprint>T-Mobile, 
this spectrum must be shared with those licensees 
by providing unlimited wireless internet 
accounts--which are then shared by participating 
501(c)(3) organizations with their staff, 
members, volunteers, and the people they serve.

As a volunteer for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 
charitable organization, I use this service and 
routinely get 80 Mbps download speeds through an 
Inseego MIFI 8000 LTE modem/bridge/router (your 
mileage may vary.)  The required Sprint/T-Mobile 
Band 41 (2.5 GHz) network only exists in certain 
geographical areas, so it's unlikely to work in rural and some other areas.

The ITFS/EBS licensees charge participating 
501(c)(3) "Direct Users" an annual admin fee of 
$120 for each of line of service, which can then 
be provided at cost (or more) by each 501(c)(3) 
to their staff, members, volunteers, and people 
they serve.  The required LTE modem/bridge/WiFi 
routers costs less than $100 or less than $200, 
depending on the model and features.  The bottom 
line is that unlimited internet connectivity 
$10/month is a remarkably good deal, especially 
if you can carry around with you as a high-speed 
WiFi mobile hotspot.  I just got off a flawless 
Zoom conference on my laptop using this internet connection.

If anyone on the SWLFest discussion list is 
interested, I can help point you in the right 
direction.  But here's a link to a consortium of 
ITFS/EBS licensees called Voqal that offers these 
accounts and the requisite modem/bridge/router 
equipment to 501(c)(3) nonprofits.  While this 
may all sound to good to be true, it's no 
scam--it's a clever repurposing of a defunct FCC 
service that allocated 2.5 GHz spectrum for 
educational purposes.  They just don't advertise 
it.   https://mobilecitizen.org/about/overview/

-Ed


At 09:51 AM 1/19/2021, Kb3gty wrote:

This is the first I've heard about the fest this 
year.  I haven't gotten a newsletter since Nov., 
and my access to the internet is unreliable, and 
sporadic.  Because of the internet issue its not 
likely that I'll be able to join you this 
year.  I hope it goes well, and will look forward to next year.

Jet
Mr loop
Kb3gty


On Saturday, January 16, 2021, 03:21:51 PM EST, 
John Figliozzi <jfigl...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:


The answer is yes, Sheldon.  Still figuring out where it will best fit in.

John

> On Jan 16, 2021, at 11:15 AM, Sheldon Harvey 
<<mailto:ve2...@yahoo.com>ve2...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hi, John.  Thanks for the draft schedule.
>
> Do you still want to have me do the "In Memoriam" segment?
>
> Sheldon Harvey
> Greenfield Park, Quebec
>
> Enjoy birds and birdwatching?
> <http://www.birdprotectionquebec.org>http://www.birdprotectionquebec.org
>
>
> On Saturday, January 16, 2021, 1:10:21 a.m. 
EST, John Figliozzi 
<<mailto:jfigl...@nycap.rr.com>jfigl...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
>
>
> As stated previously, COVID-19 has forced 
cancellation of an in-person Fest.  But 
undaunted (well, mostly…) the Fest sshall go on 
with a “virtual” event, courtesy of the 
Internet and the ZOOM 
platform.  Interested?  Consult www.swlfest.com 
for registration instructions and further 
particulars.  Here’s the program schedule:
>
>
> 2021 34th “VIRTUAL” WINTER SWL FEST PROGRAM
>
> All sessions except the “Shindig” 
nominally one-hour but may run longer or 
shorter at the option of the presenter.
>
> This schedule,LOGNULL 
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accurate as of January 16th, is subject to change.
>
>
> Friday February 26th, 2021
>
>
> 1800 UTC / 1300 EST / 1000 PST / 1900 CET / 0500 (Sat.) AEDT
>
> The Well-Equipped Scannist - A Scanner For Every Purpose – Tom Swisher
>
> . . . and the gadgets, doohickeys and 
trinkets to enhance your scanning pleasure.
>
>
> 2000 UTC / 1500 EST / 1200 PST / 2100 CET / 0700 (Sat.) AEDT
>
> Easy Antennas for SWLs Who Want to Become HF Hams – Skip Arey
>
> Communicating is just as much fun as 
listening. Can your shortwave receiving wires 
do the job or should you be rethinking your 
station's antennas?  Uncle Skip will show you 
how to get on the air without mortgaging your house to do it.
>
>
> 2300 UTC / 1800 EST / 1500 PST / 0000 (Sat.) CET / 1000 (Sat.) AEDT
>
> The Annual Free Radio Forum – Larry Will
>
> Including:
>
> -- News, FCC actions or lack thereof
>
> -- Shortwave free radio year in review
>
> -- Everyone's still doing the 6850-6980 area
>
> -- …Butt! There's been a noticeable diversity 
in frequency use because of lousy DX
>
> -- …¦Noticeably in the 4000-4100 KHz and 
5100-5200 KLOGNULL NowTransReader::ReadIt() 
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>
> -- Most active stations
>
> -- Gallery of interesting QSLs and SSTVs from the past year
>
> -- Medium wave free radio, the world above 1700
>
> -- North American Pirate Radio Hall of Fame inductees for 2021
>
> -- Resources for the free radio listener
>
> -- archive.org
>
> -- swlpost.com
>
> -- hfunderground
>
> -- free radio network
>
> -- Free Radio Weekly (25 years!)
>
> Preparations are underway to simulcast this 
forum on WBCQ 6160 kHz. Watch this space!
>
>
> Saturday, February 27th, 2021
>
>
> 0100 UTC / 2000 (Fri.) EST / 1700 (Fri.) PST / 0200 CET / 1200 AEDT
>
> The Shortwave Shindig in Exile – David GGoren
>
> From a secret location, David’s annual 
freeform celebration of the medium. This time it shapes up like this:
>
> 0100 – Shortwave-related music videos, a 
loook at the recent Brooklyn Pirate Radio Sound 
Map update, and a review of radio-related bits and bobs from the past year.
> 0200 – Live on WRMI! (frequencies TBA) - with 
music, Meet the Archhivist w/ Thomas Witherspoon and other special features.
> 0300 – A RLOGNULL NowTransReader::ReadIt() 
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eplay of “Shortwaves/Long Distancee” - the 
2017 two-hour broadcast featuring the top 
submissions to NASWA’s and Wave Farm’s call 
for shortwave-related music and sound compositions.
>
>
> 1800 UTC / 1300 EST / 1000 PST / 1900 CET / 0500 (Sun.) AEDT
>
> QRP General Coverage Transceivers: Bridge 
Between Transmitting and Listening – Thomas Witherspoon
>; We've seen an amazing array of full-featured 
general-coverage QRP transceivers hit the 
market in the past few years--during the 
doldrums of the solar cycle, no less. These 
rigs provide SWLs and even DXers a means to 
easily escape RFI and to experiment with 
portable listening posts. We'll take a look at 
a number of QRP general-coverage transceivers I 
consider to be truly worthy, with a particular 
focus on the innovative Icom IC-705.
>
>
> 2000 UTC / 1500 EST / 1200 PST / 2100 CET / 0700 (Sun.) AEDT
>
> Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood…er, Basement – Dan Robinson
>
> Premium Receivers In A Time of Plummeting Shortwave
> With All India Radio GOS in English all but 
gone from shortwave and Brazil shifting to DRM,
> among other depressing developments, Dan 
takes a look at the used receiver market in 
2021, including premium receivers, and discusses the Japanese Buyee site.
>
>
> 2300 UTC / 1800 EST / 1500 PST / 0000 (Sun.) CET / 1000 (Sun.) AEDT
> The Addictive Quality of Curiosity - Mark 
Fahey, Live from Freemans Reach, Australia
> This building in the sleepy rural village of 
Freemans Reach in southeast Australia rarely 
needs LOGNULL NowTransReader::ReadIt() 
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heating. 18 receivers running 24x7x365 provide 
continuous coverage from 1kHz to 12.8GHz. Can 
the quest for knowledge ever be satisfied? This 
presentation is a live dive into the 
presenter’s Sisyphean obsession to monitor the world’s culture.
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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or visit the URL shown above.
>
> For more information on the Fest, visit:
>
> <http://www.swlfest.com>http://www.swlfest.com
> http://swlfest.blogspot.com
> _______________________________________________
> Swlfest mailing list
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> http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/swlfest
>
> To unsubscribe:  Send an E-mail 
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<LOGNULL.htm>swlfest-requ...@hard-core-dx.com?subject=unsubscribe, 
or visit the URL shown above.
>
> For more information on the Fest, visit:
>
> <http://www.swlfest.com>http://www.swlfest.com
> http://swlfest.blogspot.com

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