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WIANEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING May 8 2011.
WIA CLUB GRANT 2010 AWARDED TO REAST IN VK7
Soldering is easy - the comic book
WIA JOHN MOYLE CONTEST - EXCELLENT RESULT FOR SUMMERLAND CLUB IN NORTHERN VK2
Time ticking for ILLW
ALL THESE STORIES UP AND COMING IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS
INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING MAY 08 2011.
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Rescue operation launched for stranded tourist.
A man believed to be travelling through the Pilbara in a campervan appears
"stuck" and Karratha Emergency services have launched a search and rescue
operation. The Swiss tourist activated an emergency beacon in Western
Australia's remote Pilbara.
The Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Canberra sent a plane from Perth
to drop off a radio to the man who is believed to be stranded on the
Talawana Track, 1,000 kilometres east of Karratha.
It is believed the man is travelling in a campervan from Perth to Cairns.
ON THE BUSES
The Australian Capital Territory Government has committed $4.5 million in
funding to upgrade the ACTION bus radio network as part of this year's budget.
The government's overhaul of the radio system comes after years of complaints
from the Transport Workers Union that the failures of the radio systems on the
buses threatened to compromise driver security.
ZDNet Australia asked for detail on the proposed overhaul of the radio network,
but no comment had been received at the time of writing.
Worth a follow-up read on zdnet next time you surf the web!
HISSY FIT
Snakes have a face only a mother could love, but that hasn't stopped
PhD student Melissa Bruton, from the University of Queensland's School of
Geography, Planning and Environmental Management from getting up close and
personal.
Melissa was recently awarded a grant by the Wildlife Preservation Society of
Queensland to support her research into reptiles in the southern Brigalow Belt
region of Queensland and New South Wales.
Melissa has a particular interest in the elusive woma python.
To do this, She be implanting radio-transmitters into the body cavity of
several larger pythons and radio-tracking them for one year each.
After finishing just one summer of trapping Ms Bruton already has 8
woma pythons to study.
The tracked womas are quite mobile but early indications are that they return
to preferred burrow sites. Each woma will be tracked every second day for a
minimum of 12 months so we will know a lot more about these elusive pythons in
12 months' time.
UQNEWS
LIGHTS CAMERAS ACTION
Frank Fenner documentary has filming in VK5.
Kojo Productions' documentary, that pays tribute to late scientist, Frank
Fenner, is filming in iconic Adelaide locations this week with an all
South Australian cast.
Spanning Frank's groundbreaking work on malaria in World War II, through
charting the course of myxomatosis in Australia's feral rabbits, to his vital
role in eliminating smallpox, the film is being directed by award winning
Richard Jasek, best known for his work on TV's McLeod's Daughters and
City Homicide.
Monday 9th May - Tuesday 10th May the filming is set to take place across
multiple locations - Cummins House, Botanic Gardens, and Semaphore Beach
WIA
President Michael Owen VK3KI president@wia.org.au
Vice President Phil Wait VK2ASD vk2asd@wia.org.au
Secretary Sarah Thompson VK3AUD secretary@wia.org.au
Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz@wia.org.au
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania Inc, 2010 Club Grants
Success!
Last week the club grants for 2010 were announced after some extended
deliberation by the WIA Board.
REAST Inc. was successful in a grant of $1000 toward scholarships to cover the
training, licence fee and membership of REAST and the WIA.
(73, Tony, VK7VKT, Secretary REAST)
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK2
web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm
VKG Roundup http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news
Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club 36th Annual Field Day 11 12 June 2011
Fox hunts, Trash and Treasure, Trade Displays and fellowship
36th Annual Field day which will encompass the celebration of 40 years of
the clubs operation.
Note the new venue, Tacking Point Lifesaving Club Hall Matthew Flinders Drive
Port Macquarie.
The special callsign VI40BOR will operate from the 1/6/2011 to the 30/10/2011.
QSL cards will be issued featuring the commemorative callsign.
STANDARD EXAM COURSE LISMORE- 14-15, 21-22 May
Anyone wanting to do or upgrade to Standard Call contact Duncan VK2DLR
draymont@bigpond.com
Let him know of your interest and get more info from him.
VK4 QNEWS
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DID YOU TELL ANYONE ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO THIS WEEK?
--------------------------------------------------
NO NOT ONE VK4 CLUB DID THIS WEEK!!
Welcome to QNews from VK4WIA. I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I've been thinking.
A major human characteristic is the need for certainty. We always want to know
that what we know is real and lasting. It has been said of war that it is the
victors that write the history. From that perspective there is the knowledge
that what we believe is true and unchangeable.
When it comes to looking over our history, we find that we have heroes who have
characteristics that make them superior to the rest of us. Sometimes, when we
are lucky to hear the story from people who were there we find that some of
these heroes are quirky, different and even unlike able as individuals.
It is the symbolism that these people and their actions embody that is the
enduring truth we seek.
What I believe is that we need to be honest in our activities and any attempts
at "gilding the lily" are to be carefully avoided. If some-one does excel, in
our mind, we should applaud those things that stand out and faithfully record
the facts. Some of the greatest people, in history, have been eccentric enough
that you and I wouldn't even make them Facebook friends. However their
achievements last and their names linger.
Thinking over the battles played on grass, cricket and football for instance,
and the battles fought to the death, there have been people who try and make
all these events heroic and mythic. Surely the facts should stand by
themselves, real and unadorned.
I'm Geoff Emery and that's what I think....how about you?
VK7
local area news :- http://reast.asn.au/news.php
vk7 local news, email vk7regionalnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Introduction to Geocaching
REAST intend to run an introduction to Geocaching for anyone interested,
Today Mothers day Sunday 8 May from 2-4pm at the Queen's Domain clubrooms.
Do you have a GPS or a smart phone that has a GPS and wondered what you can
do with it? Well Geocaching or world-wide treasure hunting using your GPS
may interest you.
REAST will have some presentations to explain the basics then will actually go
and find a few caches around the Queen's Domain.
www.geocaching.com.au
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to RSGB, Southgate AR Club, the ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.
Don't worry, it's not a terror alarm - it was just the annual test of the
Danish nationwide siren warning system
Following the death of Osama bin Laden, terror threat levels have increased
significantly. But those in Copenhagen that heard those loud sirens Wednesday
at noon, need not have worried it was a TEST alarm warning of impending
danger, ON TEST.
Emergency Management Agency and the police conducted its annual test of the
nationwide siren warning system in an effort to familiarise citizens with the
warning signals.
Some 1,078 electronic warning sirens have been set up on top of buildings and
on masts throughout the country. With the current system, around 80 percent
of the Danish population can be warned of threats with the stationary sirens.
The remaining 20 percent can be warned with mobile sirens placed on police
vehicles.
The sirens are tested every night, but at a frequency that cannot be heard.
Once a year - the first Wednesday of May - they are tested with the full
sound on... let's hope our Princess Mary had the twins bedroom window shut!
SPY V SPY
Last Wednesday week in 'Philly' The New Mellow Edwards performed at
International House, on Chestnut St.
What has this USA jazz Muso got to do with us?
Well we have all dialled around the short-wave band and no doubt have heard
that female voice reciting a string of five-digit numbers (in several
languages). These strange broadcasts most likely are covert messages
transmitted to spies, or criminals, or ... someone, who knows the death
of Geronimo may also have been sent this way!
The 'numbers' held a fascination for off-kilter trombonist/composer
Curtis Hasselbring, it should come as no surprise they inspired a new suite
of music.
He performed the piece, which requires the musicians to decode and work with
five-digit numbers, with a stellar, expanded septet version of his New Mellow
Edwards ensemble.
http://curha.com/NumberStations.html
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NEWS FROM ARNEWSLINE USA
HAM RADIO OPERATOR ONE OF NINE AMERICANS MURDERED IN KABUL
Some sad news to report. Word that James McLaughlin, WA2EWE
who also held the call T6AF, was one of the nine Americans
that lost their lives in a shooting at Kabul airport on
Wednesday, April 27th. According to Voice of America
reporter and fellow amateur Steve Herman, W7VOA/T6AD, all
were killed when an Afghan military pilot opened fire in an
operations room of the Afghan Air Corps.
Reporting from Seoul, Korea, where he is chief of the Voice
of America bureau, Herman said McLaughlin, who was also his
friend as well as being a career U.S. military officer
working as a contractor training Afghan pilots.
According to Steve Herman, he first met Jim McLaughlinin
August, 2009, when they were the only two radio amateurs
operating from Kabul. Herman said that McLaughlin had put
together a fine radio shack in his quarters. He said that
it was obvious from spending time with McLaughlin that ham
radio was an important morale booster and pastime. As such,
T6AF usually spent a couple of hours a day on the air.
So far this April, fourteen Americans have been killed by
members of the Afghan military. An Afghan officer on the
compound identified the shooter of McLaughlin and the others
as one Ahmad Gul.
According to Steve Herman, this attack was the worst single
episode of an Afghan turning against his coalition partners.
RSGB DECIDES NOT TO LIVE STREAM ITS AGM THIS YEAR
The Radio Society of Great Britain's Annual General Meeting Saturday, May 14th
will not be streamed live to the Internet this year.
For the past several years the British Amateur Television
Club and the RSGB have cooperated in making this event
available world-wide. But an RSGB statement published on
the British Amateur Television Club's website, the
organization says that while the club has once again offered
to do it again this year that the RSGB has decided to decline.
While no specific reason was given for the sudden
cancellation there's speculation that it has something to do
with the recent resignation of the Society's former General
Manager Peter Kirby who the RSGB's says left its employ
after the discovery of what national society termed as
financial irregularities on his part.
The statement goes on to say that RSGB has considered its
position and has reluctantly reached the decision that this
year it would not be prudent to go ahead with live streaming.
In its own statement, the British Amateur Television Club
says that it has accepted the Society's position on this but
hopes to be able to offer the Society the facility again in
2012.
More is on-line at batc.tv
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WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
SHOWER POWER SOAP OPERAS
The world's first shower powered radio comes from UK based Tango Group
the same group that commercialised the award-winning Wind-Up Radio.
This radio is powered entirely by your shower water.
The H20 brand, has a patented a micro turbine concept through the motion of
water flowing through a little turbine.
The convenient and energy-efficient shower powered radio, means users can
listen to their favourite radio stations while in the shower.
The radio, and is even more convenient since it is recharged as the shower
runs, dispelling the need for disposable batteries.
The radio even allows users to carry on listening after the shower is turned
off; using any excess energy stored in an integral Ni-Mh rechargeable cell.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2011
2012
March 17-18 VK JOHN MOYLE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY
JOHN MOYLE CONTEST - EXCELLENT RESULT FOR SUMMERLAND CLUB IN NORTHERN VK2
24 Hour Portable Operation - Multiple Operator
VK2SRC - All Mode, All Band, with a score of 9094 points,
three times the next competitor. This means they have also won the
WIA President's Cup for 2011.
24 Hour Portable Operation - Single Operator
VK3MV - all mode, HF, with a score of 410 points. Peter also
operated only on QRP with a max power of 5W. Congratulations!
Six Hour Portable Operation - Multiple Operator
VK4WIL - All Mode, HF Bands, a score of 84 points.
Six Hour Portable Operation - Single Operator
VK3VFO - phone Only, VHF Bands, with 561 points.
Home Station - 24 Hour
VK7NET - Home Station with a score of 708 points.
Home Station - 6 Hour
VK2KDP - Home Station with 305 points.
As I said, the WIA President's Cup was awarded to VK2SRC for the highest score
by a WIA affiliated club Station in any category.
For more details go to - http://www.wia.org.au and check out the members area
which currently will be open for members and non members alike.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX and BEACON AND NET ADVICE
GB0BON June 19th to celebrate the 366th anniversary of the Battle of Naseby,
the decisive battle of the English civil war June 1645 in the small hamlet
of Naseby in Leicestershire.
(Welland Valley Amateur Radio Society)
The Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia Inc is organising another
major DXpedition.
This time heading out to Lord Howe Island with the call sign VK9HR.
The dates are the 24th July to 2nd August 2011
Operators, particularly CW, SSB or digital mode operators are required however
Catherine VK2FEME says " we will welcome all that are interested."
The cost is $1950.00 which includes airfares and taxes to and from Lord Howe
Island, departing from Sydney, plus 10 nights accommodation.
2 resorts have been for this DXpedition and will be operating 160 - 6 meters
between the two sites.
All equipment will be supplied with some of the latest equipment being a
Kenwood TS590S, Icom 7000 and also the latest SPE amplifiers, Step IR antennas
etc.
Please check our recently updated website www.vk9hr.com for more information.
The VK9HR DXpedition team leader is Tommy Horozakis VK2IR and co-leader John
Chalkiarakis VK3YP.
Please contact team leader - Tommy Horozakis VK2IR if you have enquiries
on 0413 005 511 or email president@haraoa.com, or co-leader John Chalkiarakis
VK3YP on treasurer@haraoa.com
(Catherine Stokes, VK2FEME Secretary HARAOA.)
Further In DX, PD9DX, ON8AK and ON5UR will be active as OJ0UR from
Market Reef between August 13th and the 20th.
Their operation will be on the HF bands using a Vertical and a 2 element beam.
QSL via M0URX, direct, via the bureau, or electronically using Logbook of
the World.
BROADCAST MONITORING SWL AND SCANNER NEWS
http://spench.net/drupal/software/rfmap )AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHICAL RF MAP)
http://www.scanaustralia.bigpondhosting.com
http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/
HTTP://www.ei7dar.com/hf.html
www.tinyurl.com/BITS-026 (A receiver located in NY USA)
http://wb4mak.com/ (Atlanta 80/40/20 Web SDR Receiver)
Radio Netherlands Worldwide management has confirmed the purchase of three
500 kW short-wave transmitters from the recently-closed short-wave site at
Hrby in Sweden. The transmitters are currently being dismantled for shipment
to RNW's station in Madagascar.
Recently, RNW management announced that it intended to speed up the process of
replacing short-wave with other distribution platforms, including the closure
of its relay stations in Bonaire and Madagascar. The Bonaire facility is
scheduled for closure at the end of October 2012, but no closure date has yet
been decided for Madagascar.
However, late last year RNW decided it was time to replace the nearly
40-year-old Philips transmitters at Madagascar. Rather than invest in
new transmitters, the opportunity was taken to purchase the three ABB
transmitters from the Swedish station at Hrby which was closed at the end
of last year.
These were installed in 1993.
THE QNEWS WORK BENCH - the nuts and volts report -
(Measure twice - Cut once!)
MAKING LEDS THE ALL PURPOSE ROOM LIGHT
New technology may make Light Emitting Diodes practical For everyday home
and even ham shack AS Jim Damron, N8TMW, says.
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara,
say they've figured out the cause of a problem that's made
light-emitting diodes impractical for general lighting purposes.
Chris Van de Walle is a professor in the Materials
Department at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
He heads the research group that carried out the work. They
investigated a phenomenon referred to as the drop in
efficiency that occurs in these LEDs when they're operating
at the high powers required to illuminate a room. The cause
of this decline has been the subject of considerable debate,
but the U-C Santa Barbara researchers say they've figured
out the mechanism responsible for the effect by performing
quantum-mechanical calculations.
Van de Walle says that identifying the root cause of the
problem was an indispensable first step toward devising solutions.
(ARNEWSLINE)
MEDIA WATCH
www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WorldRadio.html
VK Club Bulletins http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aarnie/
World Amateur Radio Day on prime-time TV
World Amateur Radio Day took place on April 18 and was featured on
German regional broadcasters WDR, NDR and HR who covered the day
in TV news reports. Viewers saw 3 minute TV spots on radio amateurs
in Bonn, Flensburg, Kassel and in a mountain hut near Wetzlar.
As a result of the TV coverage over half a million people throughout
Germany got an insight into the hobby.
HR TV Video (in German)
http://tinyurl.com/hr-Beitrag
NDR TV Video
www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/s-h_magazin/media/shmag9155.html
WDR Bonn TV Video
www.wdr.de/mediathek/html/regional/rueckschau/lokalzeit_bonn.xml
The theme for World Amateur Radio Day this year was
'Amateur Radio: The first technology-based social network',
(sourced to Southgate news)
Soldering is easy - the comic book
This comic book aims to encourage more people to get soldering.
The description of the comic says:
Soldering is easy, and with this comic we hope to show just how easy.
Please use this to learn how to solder, to teach others, or as material
for workshops and hackerspaces!
The PDF can be downloaded from Andie Nordgren's website.
http://log.andie.se/post/4529161438/soldering-is-easy-the-comic-book
(sourced to Southgate news)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- CW
FISTS Club - East Asia www.feacw.net
FISTS Club - Australasia www.fistsdownunder.org
FISTS Club - UK & Europe www.fists.co.uk
FISTS Club - Americas www.fists.org
THE 7TH HST CHAMPIONSHIP CUP OF NATIONS
The 7th International High Speed Telegraphy championship Cup
of Nations will take place in Mogilev, Belarus from July 7th
to the 11th.
This is a traditional event and at airtime planners report that
several top high speed telegraphy teams have already confirmed
their participation.
For more information on this event please contact v e-mail
andrew_eu7ki@hotmail.com
(Southgate)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP --- POLICE
http://www.iparc.nl
THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION HG15IPA
On the air, keep an ear open for Hungarian special event
station HG15IPA to be active through December 31st to
celebrate the 15th anniversary jubilee callsign of the
International Police Association.
The "police" station is expected to be on 160 through 10 meters
using CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK31 and SSTV.
For more information please visit www.qrz.com/db/hg3ipa
QSL via HA3JB.
REWIND
A story worth a read is in last Tuesday ,3 May's Yorkshire post.
Instead of floating in space, much of the information super highway is actually
under water.
You might be surprised to know that this global communications system surfaces
in the UK near a small village on the Yorkshire coast.
If you think the internet is largely dependent on satellites circling thousands
of miles above the earth, think again.
The global communications system relies on old submarine cable routes that date
from the 1800s.
Two hundred and fifty submarine cable systems provide the backbone for most of
today's communications systems.
Another 19 are due to come online this year.
Less than five per cent of our hi-tech communications network is done via
satellite, with fibre accounting for most of the rest.
The 19th century version of the information super highway would have struggled
to keep up. The first transatlantic cable transmission in 1858 was a 98-word
message from Queen Victoria of the UK to President Buchanan of the US which
took 16 hours to transmit.
Fifteen years later, the first commercial transatlantic cable message was sent.
It cost the princely sum of 20 for 20 words, which is roughly the equivalent
of 900 today.
By 1870, information could be transmitted at around 10 words per minute.
Fans of Tolstoy should note that it would have taken 37 days to send over
one copy of War & Peace.
Today, of-course information moves at lightning pace. Messages can be sent
with the click of a mouse.
it is estimated that there are between 100 and 150 cable faults around the
world each year.
Nearly half of these faults are due to fishing, although earthquakes can also
cause damage and disruption.
Some things haven't changed in the last 150 years.
The method of recovering faulty cables has remained the same.
They are retrieved using a grappling hook on the end of up to five miles of
rope. The rope is more expensive than the cables it helps to recover.
So the next time you log on, pray that a shark with a power complex isn't
nibbling away at a cable in the deep.
www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/business-news/the_super_highway_underneath_the_sea_1_3341643
SOCIAL SCENE
2011
May 7 VK3 Moorabbin and District Amateur Radio club Hamfest
Brentwood Secondary College, Glen Waverley vk3gl@bigpond.com
May 7 VK4 Brisbane Amateur Radio Club's BarcFest, Mt. Gravatt Show
grounds, 1600 Logan Road, Upper Mt. Gravatt 9:30AM
email vk4so@wia.org.au
May 27-29 WIA AGM Weekend in Darwin
secretary@wia.org.au
Jun 10 - 12 VK4 Far North and North Queensland Amateur Radio Gathering at
King Reef Resort Kurrimine Beach.
Jun 11 - 12 VK2 Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club annual Field Day
Jul 16 VK3 Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club Hamfest
Cranbourne Community Hall 10am ( secretary@ggrec.org.au )
Jul 16 VK4 Maryborough Electronics and Radio Group "Wide Bay Hamfest"
West Scout Hall, Ariadne St, Maryborough 8:30am.
secretary@merg.org.au
Jul 31 VK2/3 Riverina Field Day 10am at Lavington Scout Group Hall.
Aug 7 VK2 Lismore region - SARCFEST
Aug 20-21 WW
Time ticking for ILLW
With three months to go 29, including Lebanon for the first ever time, are
the countries recorded so far for the International Lighthouse and
Lightship Weekend.
Right there at the beginning in 1998 was Germany, growing in the fun event
to 60 last year just pipping Australia at the post, followed by the USA
and England.
The late Mike Dalrymple GM4SUC supported it until his death in 2005. His
ashes have been since spread near the Turnberry Lighthouse. The Ayr Radio
Group has continued its ties with the annual event.
More than half of the registrations are to be made. Arch rivals Germany
and Australia are on 30 each. Many or rarely activated lighthouses are
still available.
Check out the website illw.net for the rules and an on-line facility to
register a lighthouse or lightship for the weekend of 20th and 21st of
August.
Sep 11 VK3 SADARC Comms Day at St Augustine's Hall Shepparton 10am.
Sep 16-18 VK4 NQ Amateur Radio Convention Date Set Townsville
Sep 23-28 R3 Region 3 ARDF Championship Bendigo VK3
http://r3.ardf.org.au/
Sep 30-Oct 2 VK4 Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club AGM at Camp Fairbairn
CONTACT Secretary Gordon, (vk4kal@wia.org.au)
Nov 20 vk5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Hamfest
Goodwood Community Centre, Rosa St Goodwood at 0930.
Visit www.ahars.com.au for contact details
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 3-18 2012 VK5
YL International 2012 Australia (vk5tmc@bigpond.com)
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WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide.
TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA
Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed prior to
the actual broadcast date, e-mail nationalnews@wia.org.au
Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers you may
lodge a quick reply to let us know you read it, who knows, you might
even get a "cheerio call".
Thanks to to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize
their time and equipment in bringing you this weekly broadcast.
The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to
active amateurs residing in Australia and the globe.
We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of Australia
and participation in the activities of local clubs.
Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who submit
material and do not necessarily reflect those of the rebroadcasters,
nor the National WIA, but are broadcast in the spirit in which they were
submitted.
Material may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, a credit to
WIANews wouldn't go astray...
Compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.
*****************************************************************************
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