Amateur Radio
Issue No.6, 2020
Delivery date 14 December 2020
 WIA Member Digital Edition Download
Editorial
Season’s Greetings!
As I said here back in Issue 2, I have to pay tribute to all those who have striven to-date to maintain the momentum of AR production, especially over the uncertain circumstances prevailing this year.
A hobby, a sport or a service?
While following-up a subject on social media recently, I chanced upon a discussion about the ‘nature’ of amateur radio – was it a hobby, a sport or a service?
Compared to many "discussions" on social media, this was an intellectual debate, even though it was peppered with the inevitable bold statements of certainty from various participants, strengthened with alarming expletives and free character references.
In bureaucratic circles, as many of you know, the Amateur Service is defined by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as "a radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest." Further, the amateur-satellite service is "a radiocommunication service using space stations on earth satellites for the same purposes."
"Duly authorized" means licensed. Hence, amateur radio exists to meet the needs of people licensed to use the radiofrequency spectrum for their own not-for-profit interests. A hundred years ago, when control of the spectrum was sorted-out by global geopolitical interests, small bands of frequencies were allocated to experimenters (later, the amateur service) so that governments knew who they were and where they were located, with little interest in what they were doing. If there was little satisfaction to be gained pursuing an interest in radio communications, few people would continue it. If a "hobby" is defined as “an activity done . . . in one’s leisure time for pleasure”, then clearly, amateur radio is a hobby. The same goes for building and flying model aeroplanes. Hence, we can say that the Amateur Service is a hobby.
Although recognising the ITU definition, the ACMA says on its website: "An amateur apparatus licence is for hobby radio and technical experimentation." On that page, it urges readers to subscribe to the ACMA e-bulletin". . for the latest amateur service information". The ACMA appears bipolar about amateur radio as a hobby/service (or, maybe, inclusive?). The AMC, mentions neither. A dictionary definition of ‘sport’ says "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." Do amateur radio activities, in any way, fall within this definition? The word ‘entertainment’ causes a pause, but then, the dictionary says: ". . something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement".
I am writing this while the 2020 Spring VHF-UHF Field Day is in full-swing. Read that definition of sport, again. Every weekend, month, and year, throughout the world, there is some amateur radio contest underway. Think ARDF, SOTA and WWFF, the CQ World Wide DX Contest, DXCC and so on. All this is amateur radio sport.
A service, a hobby, a sport – this is amateur radio.
Best wishes to all for 2021.
WIA President's Comment
WIA Presidents Comment
With the end of this eventful year fast approaching on this turn around the sun, there appears to be good reason to be optimistic now about the ongoing management of the pandemic in Australia. Specifically, I congratulate Victorians and particularly Melbournians on staying the very difficult course and achieving such a world leading outcome. Of course the virus has not been eliminated, as significant risk from those returning from overseas continues but comparisons with overseas jurisdictions such as the US and UK are in stark contrast to the current situation in Australia and New Zealand.
Director Election 2021: The WIA will soon be calling for nominations for the 2021 half-board election. Directors are elected for a two-year term and hence each year approximately half the board positions are up for nominations. The nomination process closes late January each new year. Forms and instructions will be on the website, plus you will need another member to support your nomination. If you believe you can add value to the WIA particularly in any one of the areas of marketing, finance / accounting, strategy, commercial management or governance plus have a passion for the future of amateur radio, then we would like you to seriously consider nominating. To continue the now 110 year legacy of the WIA, the WIA needs you! Also if you know someone that has these or similar attributes, maybe apply some gentle persuasion!
Foundation Exam Syllabus: The ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) has released an updated syllabus (Version 10) for the Foundation Licence qualification which can be found on the AMC (Australian Marine College) website. The intent of this update was to revise the syllabus to bring it into line with the recent changes to licence conditions. These changes stem from the ACMA Syllabus Review Panel which was constituted early this year (2020). The WIA put forward a very highly qualified volunteer syllabus team comprised of Cameron McKay, David Uzzell and Dr Steve Beveridge. Other members included by the ACMA in the panel included their own staff, one AMC staff member plus a number of others who have operated as “technical advisors” to AMC.
Unfortunately, the panel was dissolved by the ACMA some months later due to, as was advised, its’ inability to reach full agreement on the syllabus - a classic case of “too many cooks in the kitchen”. More unfortunate, however, is that the revised Version 10 syllabus documents as posted on the AMC website is riddled with errors, some minor typos but also other significant errors. These errors extent in the exposure drafts were identified and rectified in the WIA Syllabus team’s submission to the review panel – but the published version seems to have regressed to an earlier version that resembles closely the single submission that the AMC-linked panel representatives had made as a group. As an example, starting right at the beginning Section 1.1 of Version 10 on the “Nature of Amateur Radio” it states: “Recall that Amateur radio is intended to facilitate the hobby of Radiocommunications.” This isn’t even close to the proper definition of the Radio Amateur Service as defined in the LCD (Licence Conditions) and the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) Radio Regulations (RRs). “Self-training is an important purpose of the amateur services, as articulated in the definition of the amateur service in No. 1.56 of the RR. Radio amateurs have made significant technical contributions to the fields of radio propagation, high frequency single sideband radiotelephone, HF data communications, packet radio protocols and communication satellite design”. See: https://life.itu.int/radioclub/ars.htm
I remind readers that the WIA has an update PDF that can be downloaded from the WIA website for the WIA Foundation Manual that incorporates the LCD changes and harmonises it with the new syllabus – so you can continue to use the manual for exam study with confidence. Also don’t forget the WIA has a online trial foundation exam, also on our website, to help candidates in their study.
Déjà vu and 100 year US Commercial Radio anniversary: On Tuesday, November 3, 2020 commercial radio in the USA celebrated its 100th Anniversary. On that day in 1920, KDKA Pittsburgh broadcast the US Presidential Election results during the vote counting. This was done to demonstrate the capability of the broadcast medium to the US public. Ironically, there is a 1918 pandemic link to this election as the incumbent US President Woodrow Wilson contracted the Spanish Influenza virus during 1919 and was considered to be too ill to be nominated as a candidate for the 1920 election. Historian and author Tevi Troy wrote, citing the Wilson administration’s response to the 1918 pandemic, that “The federal response to the influenza outbreak in 1918 can best be described as neglectful. Hundreds of thousands of Americans died without President Wilson saying anything or mobilizing non-military components of the U.S. government to help the civilian population”. Déjà vu perhaps?
In closing: The WIA today, more than 110 years since it was founded, exists entirely due to the continuing contribution of many volunteers over many generations - consider becoming one of these volunteers and contribute, even in a small way, to the future of this great hobby.
73
Greg VK2GPK, WIA President.
Table Of Contents
Technical
A competition-grade ARDF receiver kit - John Bramham VK3WWW
Shorting rain static on your antenna - Gary Watson ZL3SV
Homebrew HF Transceiver project Part 4 Construction and testing - Luigi Destefano VK3AQZ
A Cold War Warrior yields its secrets Refurbishing my Collins R-390A/URR - Mike Charteris VK4QS
Power pitfalls to avoid in using the FT-817 as a transverter IF or with external PAs - Dr Kevin Johnston VK4UH
General
Election of Directors - Call for Nominations - WIA
Amateur radio direction finding - Edited by Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
Echoes – 25, 50 and 100 years ago - WIA History and Archive Committee
A field day high - Matthew Ayres VK2BAI
Bench NoteBook: Making thick shaft variable capacitors useful - Peter Parker VK3YE
ILLW 2020 - Bob Ronai VK4BOB
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