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WIANEWS - Aug 08 - VK NATIONAL NEWS
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
Oh... and to contact us with your news because
If It Matters To You It Matters To Us!
email nationalnews@wia.org.au
http://www.wia.org.au (click news in member area) Submit your audio news
Please.. If you are only submitting text and not audio, write your story as
you would expect to hear it being read back and NEVER send just links & url's.
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WIANEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 08 2010.
ALL UP AND COMING IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF
AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 08 2010
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Top of the news
A look ahead at the VK100WIA roster
Today the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club completings its three-days
of operating at the Rosebud Scout Hall. Their activity has been an enormous
success and certainly given amateur radio a publicity boost.
VK100WIA moves to South Australia tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday with the
Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club operating mainly from member QTH?s daily 8am
to 11pm local time.
Look for them using SSB on the 80m and 40m, and SSB plus PSK on 20m, the
local 2m repeaters and Echolink VK5RLZ-R. On Wednesday the operation will
be a field station set up in Fremont Park, Elizabeth.
VK100WIA moves up to New South Wales this Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
12th to 14th of August, courtesy the VK2AWA Contest Group.
On Sunday the Illawarra Amateur Radio Society takes over. So do look for
both the VK2AWA Contest Group and Illawarra Club during the Remembrance Day
Contest.
On Saturday the 21st through to Monday the 23rd of August the Lockyer Valley
Radio Electronics Club is taking a Project Management approach to maximising
the media and other publicity opportunities that are available.
It is set to launch an information blitz on all local news media, send personal
invitations to the Mayor and local councillors, and inform ten local schools.
Lockyer Valley Radio Electronics Club will have public displays and demonstrations
of SSB, CW, PSK, and SSTV & ATV, and seeking enrolments for Foundation Licence
courses.
The VK100WIA roster available on the WIA website also have details for:
The Macedon Ranges Amateur Radio Club.
The Mid South Coast Amateur Radio Club.
The North East Radio Club of South Australia.
And to complete the month of August and kick off September is the Redcliffe
And District Radio Club in Queensland.
More details in future broadcasts.
(Jlinton)
Good Morning Trent Vk4ti here.. (cut 6 aug 8)
Mate against mate, state against State - The RD contest, radios version of
the State of Origin Football series is on next weekend.
I am sure much planning has gone into the 2010 Rememberance Day and wish all
competitiors a great weekend.
Make sure you have fun and after the RD dont forget to submit those logs to
Peter VK4OD
Back over to the news desk..
[Audio uploaded]
Hello Listeners. I am peter Harding, VK4OD the WIA RD Contest Manager.
I have not asked in the past so I would ask if when you send your log in either by Electronic or postal means please ensure that you have you correct postal address.
Anybody requiring any of the forms posted to them please contact me ASAP.
In the coming week I will finalize the Opening speech, which at this point it will run for exactly 30 minutes, and will finish with a series of beeps indicating it is 08:00utc, I will send out a special email via the usual weekly news server.
The opening speech will be available via the wia website.
For those people that are hand writing their logs, " PLEASE" try to write your logs in a legible manner, as in the past some logs have been VERY HARD to decipher.
Until next week.
WIA
President Michael Owen VK3KI president@wia.org.au
Vice President Ewan McLeod VK4ERM vk4erm@wia.org.au
Secretary Geoff Atkinson VK3AFA secretary@wia.org.au
Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz@wia.org.au
Amateur Radio magazine August edition
[Audio sent]
The cover story is about the activation of the Cape Nelson lighthouse new
Portland in south-western Victoria by Grant Alford VK3ILH during the
International lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
Other events reported on this month include GippsTech 2010 and the
Australian Foxhunting Championships held at Mt Gambier.
Roger Nichols VK7RN in his article 'The Targa Wrest Point Rally' explains
how radio amateurs provide communications for this major motor sport
event.
Foundation Corner by Ross Pittard VK3CE discusses 'going mobile' which
make an interesting read.
A fully illustrated article about the Melbourne Digital Amateur TV
repeater VK3RTV is published under the authorship of Peter Cossins VK3BFG.
Contesters will find information about the 30th ALARA Contest, Westfield
Cup, the Remembrance Day Contest and more.
And for specialist interests, there are the regular columns on DXing,
Shortwave Listening, amateur satellites and VHF/UHF.
Amateur Radio magazine is a WIA membership service and copies are also
available at selected newsagents.
(Barry Robinson VK3PV)
Project manage amateur radio events
When an event is multifaceted and involves a team of people then a planned
approach is most likely to get superior results.
The Lockyer Valley Radio & Electronics Club VK4WIL has done just that as
it plans to put the special callsign VK100WIA on air, Saturday the 21st
through to Monday the 23rd.of August.
Club Treasurer and Project Manager for the activity, Alan Shannon VK4SN
says many hours have been put into VK100WIA activity and without a
planning document things could be missed or overlooked.
The document is sent to the club committee and others assisting with the
project so they can personally track what has and needs to be done.
It includes logistics, sponsorship, event rostering, media liaison and
publicity.
The aims are to achieve measurable outcomes including level of
participation, increased club membership and maximising the contacts over
the three-day roster slot.
The WIA Centenary Committee is delighted that Alan VK4SN has provided a
copy of the project plan and agreed to its request that it be made
available through the WIA website for the interest of all radio clubs.
(Announcers Robert and Brian chat about the planning document)
Correction!
While it's generally considered rude to ask a lady her age, beware if
you do declare it openly (like on a weekly new bulletin) and get it wrong!
That's what happened to us last week and we were quickly brought into
line by more than one ALARA member. Quickest off the mark were Jean VK3VIP
and Susan VK7LUV who reminded us that ALARA - the Australian Ladies
Amateur Radio Association - was in fact celebrating its' 35th year, not
its 30th.
Our most humble apologies.
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
VK3
Ballarat Amateur Radio Group Hamvention 2010
Sun 24 Oct 10.00 AM to 3.00PM
Location is again at the Ballarat Greyhound Track, cnr Rubicon and Sutton
streets. Tables will be booked via Hamvention@BARG.org.au There will be
Commercial Traders, preloved gear and lots of odds and ends. Door prizes. Three
category Homebrew competition will be conducted with $50 prize for best judged
in each of grade. Details and forms are available on the BARG.org.au web site.
Map of how to get to the event can be downloaded on same site.
VK6 - NEWS WEST
Hi from Jono VK6NDT
Some of you fellow ham enthusiasts may have heard about a new 2m repeater firing up in the North West. Well its finally here. Tom Price is a remote mining town in the Pilbara region of the north west, It also boast's the highest town in Western Australia at 750m ASL. The town is located inland, at the edge of the Hamersley Range almost half way between Newman and Karratha. Tom Price was purpose built by Hamersley Iron Mining Company in 1965 after rich iron-ore deposits were discovered in the near by Hamersley Ranges
Ham Radio has been with this town for some time but limited to HF due to its remoteness. There has even been Scouts involved in ham radio here with the callsign VK6SCG. Unfortunately like everywhere the numbers of hams has decreased over time and only a hand full of operators are left (a mix of Fly in Fly out staff and Locals).
One thing about this lovely town is that the Karajini National Park is just down the road which attracts alot of tourists every year.
With only a few amateur repeaters outside the metro area the idea of getting one set up out here was discussed.
Help was never to far away with Craig VK6FLAM and the guys from the Amateur Radio Society of North West Australia, Mike VK6BHY and Steve VK6HV. we were able to get some gear together to get it on the air.
So the Callsign - VK6RTP, and the Frequencies are as follows for a mobile. TX is 146.025 and RX 146.625 (channel 1 for the older generation)
The repeater is a simple set up just using 2 Simoco SRM9000 commercial radio's back to back and utilizing a NHRC-4 Repeater controller for audio adjusting and CWID
The repeater is located at Mt Nameless, the highest point in WA with vehicle access, with an antenna height of 1135m ASL. It has around a 90km radius of coverage with the transmitter at 15w out of the antenna which is currently a Folded dipole soon to be changed out with a High gain vertical which should hopefully put a bit more signal into the national park for the touring hams.
VK6RTP has been set up with a courtesy tone and a 4 second tail (or hang time which ever you prefer) to differ from the Wannaroo repeater for those hams who may want to try a bit of long distance FM dx into the Pilbara.
With New Mine sites like Rio Tinto's Brockman 4, Marandoo Expansion, Western Turner Syncline and FMG's Solomon Mine Future plans for Amateur Radio in the Pilbara are to extend coverage into the Karajini national park as mentioned. Also to Fit VK6RTP with IRLP capabilities for the Fly in fly out people with only a hand held radio with them, and to have Tom Price linked with the Wickham/ karratha Repeater VK6RWR and Exmouths VK6REX and who know's maybe even a repeater at Newman. I may even look into a 10m FM link as well some time down the track.
Some more information about the new 2m Repeater in the North West and some photos can be seen at www.VK6NDT.webs.com
I cant wait for the QSO's.
73's Jono VK6NDT
ACMA NEWS
EDUCATION YOUTH AND ADVANCEMENT OF AMATEUR RADIO
RADIO EDUCATION: RSGB PRESENTS MUSICAL MORSE TRAINING
The RSGB newcomers web page has an MP3 designed to encourage learning Morse
Code. With a musical backing track, it gives the entire Morse alphabet
including numbers and punctuation. We cant bring it to you because of the
FCC's ban on music on the ham bands, but you can hear it on-line at
tinyurl.com/morsemusic. Just click the 'Play' button to listen. (GB2RS)
SILENT KEYS
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
New world record on 10GHz
A new world record in distance on 10GHz has been established between
the Cape Verde islands and southern Portugal.
On 10th July at 10.46 UTC the previous record of 2,070km was smashed
by a SSB QSO at 2,696km during the Hyperatlantica 2010 DXpedition.
A detailed report will appear in the September 2010 RadCom but in the
meantime details, in French, can be found at www.hyperatlantica.ch.
Congratulations to all involved.
RSBG
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
OPERATIONAL NEWS
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, REPEATER BEACON DX AND NET ADVICE
DXpedition gets YJ0VK callsign
This DXpedition with a team of four Australian radio amateurs will be
operating for six days, 0001 UTC on 27 August through to 0100 UTC on 2
September.
Team Leader Chris Chapman VK3QB advises that YJ0VK on Vanuatu\'s main
Island of Efate will be on the HF bands, with special attention to the
WARC bands.
The stations will be fairly simply yet effective 100 watts feeding
vertical and dipole antennas, and an Inverted-L for 160m.
More information is available on the website yj0vk.vkham.com
Depending on internet availability the plan is to update the online log at
least once a day.
We wish the team Chris Chapman VK3QB (Leader), Allan Meredith VK2CA (QSL
Manager & Webmaster), Luke Steele VK3HJ and Benton Vowles VK3CBV.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
PROPAGATION STUDY: NEW 6 METER BEACON IN KYRGYZSTAN
EX1SIX is a new 6 meter propagation beacon that has come on the air from
Kyrgyzstan. It transmits on 50.026 MHz with 60 watts out to a vertical
groundplane from grid square MN82sd. That's near the village Tamga on the
southern coast of lake Issyk Kul.
According to Oleg Ivin, EX8MLT, the beacon's installation was
made possible thanks to the help of David Krejg, N3DB. Ivin says that
N3DB is the leader in the installation of a project to install 6 meter
beacons world wide. More is on line at tinyurl.com/propbeacon. (UN Ham
Radio News)
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: SO-67 AGAIN RETURNING TO SERVICE
South Africa AMSAT reports on their web page that operations are slowly
being resumed on its Sumbandilsat SO-67 bird. According to the
announcement the satellites ground control station will observe the amateur
payload to ensure the it remains stable and then gradually add more
operating time. You can follow the progress on-line at
www.amsatsa.org.za. (ANS)
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: ISS TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF US SCOUTING WITH ISS CONTACT
A special Amateur Radio on the International Space Station contact with the
100th anniversary of Scouting Jamboree is scheduled to take place at about
18:20 UTC on Saturday, October 31st. At the time of the contact the I-S-S
will be in a 56 degree elevation pass over the National Boy Scout Jamboree
at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia. That's where some 43,000 scouts and leaders
will join 8,000 volunteers to celebrate this milestone event for the
scouting movement. Amateur Radio Newsline's Mark Abramowicz, NT3V, is at
the Jamboree and will have a report on ham radios part in this years
Jamboree later on in this weeks Amateur Radio Newsline report.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- LIGHTHOUSES AND LIGHTSHIPS
Australia really lights up
The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend being held on the 21
and 22nd of August, has VK radio amateurs and clubs setting a new record
of 54 registrations.
And they remain just ahead of Germany with 51 registrations, followed by
the USA on 42.
A total of 350 registrations have been received so far from 30 nations.
For more information visit the website www.illw.net
(arv)
FAMPARC has VK100WIA literally smokin?
The Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Amateur Radio Club had seven of its
members involved in a multi-band operation for the special callsign VK100WIA.
While the callsign continues to prove very popular but when David VK3EW put
it on 17m band on Saturday morning it created a pile-up.
A club member who won?t be named, had a mishap with the microwave oven, which
put an end to calling CQ as operators need some fresh air.
FARMPAC also have the Frankston-Hastings Leader newspaper photograph attend
the club rooms which resulted in a story being published.
In all the club reports it logged 816 contacts on HF, D-STAR and 2m FM for
VK100WIA and enjoyed supporting the WIA and the centenary celebration.
The operator roster was Rod VK3YC, Gerard VK3GER, Terry VK3BMX, Peter VK3BPN,
John VK3CVF, David VK3EW and David VK3LDR.
(jlinton)
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2010
Aug 14-15 WIA Remembrance Day Contest
Peter Harding vk4od@wia.org.au
Aug 21-22 International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
register on website illw.net
Oct 23 WIA WIA National Field Day
nfd@wia.org.au
Oct 2- 3 WIA Oceania DX Contest Phone
Tony Burt vk3tz@wia.org.au
Oct 9-10 WIA Oceania DX Contest CW
Tony Burt vk3tz@wia.org.au
NOV 20-21 WIA Spring VHF-UHF Field Day
John Martin VK3KM tac@wia.org.au
SOCIAL BITS N BOBS
Blue Mountains Amateur Radio Club is holding its annual Winterfest August 22
at the clubhouse in Orchard Hills
Oct 23 WIA WIA National Field Day
nfd@wia.org.au
NOV 7 VK5
2010 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Hamfest Rosa St Goodwood
2012
15TH IARU REGION 3 CONFERENCE hosted by V.A.R.C. in Ho-Chi-Minh City, Vietnam.
JAN 23-FEB 17 YEAR 2012
World Radio Conference WRC-11 Geneva 23rd January TO 17th February 2012
MAY 4-7 2012 VK5
YL International 2012 Australia (vk5tmc@bigpond.com)
THE FINAL FINAL
Maleluca Mayhem!
John VK5NX, one of our may relay stations wrote:
" Fortunately this Sunday Broadcast Relay went out with out any real trouble
except for the very strong wind we were experiencing at the time blowing the
fronds of a nearby Melaleuca tree flapping on to one of my antenna wires;
even though it is insulated it still managed to change the tuning and cause a
deterioration of the signal going out, but I managed to find a setting that was
usable so that the signal went out anyway! Proof of the effort was the following
callback number for Sunday 1st August on 80m --16 Stations-- in the trying
conditions I guess thats partway reasonable. "
And it's great to see John's doing well after a short stay at the White Coat Hotel,
a.k.a. The Pretty Nurse Boarding House, a couple of weeks ago.
16 stations on 80 and another 17 from when he put it out on 40m, thanks must go out
to John and all the other stations casting out the WIA Weekly News into the ether each
week.
A reminder to all listening that we do keep track of callbacks, in fact while compiling
the news I came across more than 30 callback notifications from all over the country,
so each time you listen, please let us know you were there.
Please think of the environment before printing this email
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The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to
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We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of Australia
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Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who submit
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