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WIANEWS WEEK COMMENCING May 22 2011.
NBN
SKA
NYC
SOTA
ILLW
ISS
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING MAY 22 2011.
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AGM - TEXT EDTION ONLY
The 2011 WIA Annual Conference, Annual General Meeting and Open Forum will be
held in Darwin NT, next weekend. Yes it's here already.
Those attending will be looking forward to enjoying the hospitality offered by
the host club, the Darwin Amateur Radio Club, led by Spud Murphy VK8ZWM.
There's a nice balanced programme of social and technical activities that will
keep participants informed and entertained, and along the way they will
experience some of the relaxing tropical life that is Darwin.
Among the more mundane, yet essential elements of the weekend, is the Annual
General Meeting of the Institute where reports from all aspects of the society's
work will be tabled, and the open forum that follows provides an opportunity
for questions and answers.
The WIA Board will meet on the Monday morning, and one part of the normal
business of the Board is to appoint the army of volunteers who manage so many
of the WIA's functions, and by my reckoning there are close to 40 such positions
Add to these the people recruited to help them, and we have an army of
volunteers across the nation working for you, the Amateurs of Australia.
Of course it's not just the WIA that relies on volunteers - every Amateur Radio
group is operated by volunteers - it is the work done by those willing people
that keeps clubs running, provides education and assessments for Amateur Radio
licenses, build and maintain repeaters etc right through to the making of the
tea, coffee and nibbles for club meetings.
So if you've not thanked the volunteers supporting your club, how about doing
it real soon.
I'm Bob, VK6POP, Director of the Wireless Institute of Australia
NBN
The Federal Government on Wednesday morning claimed it had "made history"
after it officially launched live services on its flagship National Broadband
Network project on the mainland, in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister
Julia Gillard and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.
The northern NSW city of Armidale has had a number of residents connected to
the NBN already for about a month, with a number of locals reporting in
mid-April that their connections had gone live, with early entrant service
providers such as Primus and iiNet connecting customers up.
However the NBN's mainland launch had not until Wednesday received its formal
send-off.
Armidale is one of five first release sites where the NBN is rolling out on
mainland Australia. The other sites of Kiama Downs and Minnamurra (NSW),
Townsville (QLD), Willunga (SA) and Brunswick (Vic) which will begin offering
services progressively over the coming months.
Read the full story on the web, google "Delimiter".
SKA
ABC Radio News in Tasmania have reported on a University of Tasmania team which
has won out over dozens of other international proposals to access the new
Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder radio telescope currently under
construction in Western Australia.
Professor John Dickey, Head of the School of Mathematics and Physics leads a
team which will map the "interstellar medium" and analyse the structure of the
Milky Way and the lifecycle of stars.
IT'S RADIO AS YOU KNOW IT PLUS!
Joan Warner CEO, Commercial Radio Australia will speak on digital radio at
this week's RadComms Conference in Sydney 26 & 27 May alongside other featured
speakers such as, Senator the Hon. Stephen Conroy Minister for Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy.
The conference presents a unique opportunity to hear about the latest
developments in spectrum, and offers open forums to exchange ideas with
radiocommunications professionals across industry and government.
More here http://engage.acma.gov.au/radcomms-2011/
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK1
25th MAY General Meeting Presentation Topic:
"WSPR (Whisper) 101" - An introduction to Weak Signal Propagation Reporter.
Ian Stevenson VK1HOW has agreed to give a presentation on wspr with a
demonstration of hardware and software applications to enable users to
participate in WSPR digital technology
EDUCATION
14/15 May CRARC ran a Foundation Licence course in Canberra with 3 candidates
for the course and one for an upgrade to advanced level.
Congratulations to Bruce Stewart, Jonathon Tary and Dennis Stanton for
successfully completing the course and well done to Ian Stevenson for upgrading
to advanced level.
CRARC run regular Foundation Licence courses and upgrade assessments every two
months at Mt Mugga Scout Hall, their next Foundation course will be the weekend
of the 16th and 17th July and Upgrade Assessments on the Sunday.
VK2
web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm
VKG Roundup http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news
TRASH & TREASURE AT VK2WI.
Next Sunday the 29 th is the Trash & Treasure event at the VK2WI Dural site.
Commencing at 9.30 am it will be followed in the early afternoon by the
Homebrew and Experimenters Group meeting. Also in the morning there will be
the usual license assessments - Those wishing to undertake an assessment should
attend by 10 am.
Further information may be obtained on the ARNSW phone 02 9651 1490 or
mobile 0400 445 829.
VK4 - QNEWS
web service local audio news:- www.wiaq.com/ftp/vk4_qnews_64.mp3
local news email qnews-vk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
VKR Roundup http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/Media+Releases/
News from the Queensland Digital Group and ATV Group.
Alan VK4NA informs us that the QDG is still growing and now has 53 members
spread over five countries.
The club's Web site and monthly newsletter 'Digipeat' continue to interest both
Amateur and non Amateurs alike.
Brisbane area members meet on the third Friday of the month for a chat and
occasional lecture, Google 'Queensland Digital Group' for details
Amateur Television alive and well in Brisbane
South East Queensland ATV members meet in Brisbane on the first Friday of the
month, join them for good company and good food, Google 'South East Queensland
ATV group' for details.
At the April TREC meeting Ron Goodhew VK4EMF gave an update on the historical
radio station XQA which will be on permanent display at the Mareeba Heritage
Museum on the Atherton Tablelands.
Ron has been instrumental in acquiring and setting up this fascinating display
of the first licensed Queensland Amateur Radio station (a spark gap station)
that was operated by Marcus Brims in Mareeba in 1914. It is believed that the
station is basically still in an operational condition.
Welcome to QNews from VK4WIA. I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I've been thinking.
Technology has the effect of changing the interactions between people. The
difference between walking, animal power and then machines such as trains saw a
new mobility and knowledge of one's surrounds. The creation of written language,
writing and the printing press changed the way information was spread.
Electronics enhanced the telegraph, telephone and we now have pocket computers
called smart phones.
News and information, trivia and comment are available at a finger touch on a
screen and the current generation of technology users take this for granted.
Long gone is the pedal radio and the operator connected phone call.
It is becoming more apparent that the benefits of this new communications
technology are less "Star Trek" and more adapting social standards to available
technology. The growing use of instant comms demands exponential growth of
infrastructure.
However, in the hobby domain we have a limited range of technologies with poor
geographic distribution to serve the amateur population. Similarly the cost of
hand held devices which will meld internet and telephone function is comparable
with the brand name major smart phone.
For me, the question becomes will the potential radio hobbyist be able to
forsake the sophistication of the commercial system with multiple apps,
good available computing power and easy connectivity for the currently
old and limited amateur radio service?
I'm Geoff Emery and that's what I think....how about you?
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to RSGB, Southgate AR Club, the ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.
NYC ALERT.
Smartphone and other GPS enabled mobile device users in the New York City will
be the first in the United States to receive emergency alerts on their handsets.
This with word that the new FCC inspired Personal Localized Alerting Network or
PLAN system will be inaugurated in the Big Apple by the end of the year.
Once in operation, it will deliver geographically targeted text messages to
GPS-enabled cellular telephones. The new system will be used for just three
types of alerts.
These are ones issued by the president, alters of a life-threatening incident
and AMBER Alerts in search of kidnapped or missing children.
Participating carriers can opt out of all but the Presidential alerts.
STILL IN USA AS WEATHER CLEARS IN SOUTHEAST, HAMS CONTINUE SUPPORT
Even though the storms that raged through Southeast USA have long gone,
the damage and heartache they left in their wake are still present.
In Alabama, the state that felt the biggest brunt of the storms, hams made
their way to fire stations, emergency operations centres and shelters
-- anywhere they were told that they were needed.
Calling it his first experience with an EF-5 tornado, ARRL Southeastern
Division Director W4OZK, said that the devastation is "mind-boggling!
ARES successfully provided a massive amount of critical communications,
got repeaters back on the air, with no utility power.
It took five days before significant utility power was restored.
KOSHER
Telecommunications companies in Israel have tapped into a growing cell phone
market with the creation of 'Kosher' mobile phones.
Kosher phones block access to services which are not approved by Ultra
Orthodox rabbis such as erotic phone services and text messaging between
members of the opposite sex.
These devices do not have SMS, they don't have data, they don't have internet,
they don't have a camera, they don't have a radio. These devices are for speech
only. And there is a market in the world which is interested in a speech-only
device.
Bletchley Park Enigma exhibition
If you are visiting the UK, listen up! Bletchley Park Trust has opened a
new exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of the capture of an
Enigma machine and codebooks from German U-boat 110 that took place 70 years ago.
The exhibition contains photographs of the capture and it is the
first time all known photos have been exhibited together at the same
time. The exhibition tells the full story including many of the
details that appeared in the best selling book on the capture of the
Enigma code.
www.bletchleypark.org.uk.
SOTA PASSES MILLIONTH QSO
Some big news for hams who like to operate portable off of tall rocks called
mountains. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH with the details:
Summits on the Air recently passed a significant milestone with its millionth
QSO being made over the recent holiday period.
SOTA started in 2002 and has now grown into a worldwide award scheme with
55 associations across the world and around 44,000 qualifying summits.
I'm Jeremy Boot and you are tuned to the Amateur Radio Newsline.
For more information on the scheme, check out the internet at www.sota.org.uk
W8BBA FALLS SILENT AFTER 50 YEARS SERVICE TO VETERANS
Amateur station W8BAA located at the Veterans Administration Hospital in
Brecksville Ohio fell silent on April 29th after at least 50 years of service
to veterans.
The Brecksville VA hospital operations are being moved to the main Cleveland VA
hospital and the Brecksville radio club equipment is being transferred to the
radio room at that facility. The club call at the main hospital is WA8VA.
HAM NATION WITH K9EID PREMIERES MAY 24
Amateur Radio's Mr. Audio, Bob Heil, K9EID, will be hosting a new weekly HD
video webcast about our hobby titled Ham Nation. According to Bob, each weeks
Ham Nation will feature interesting guests as they discuss the many fascinating
aspects of the hobby.
The shows premiere on May 24th will have famed rock guitarist Joe Walsh, WB6ACU,
and broadcast facility designer Dave Jennings, WJ6W, as Bob's special guests.
Jennings is one of the hosts of the Amplitude Modulation International net that
meets every Wednesday on 3870 kHz.
Ham Nation will air Tuesday evenings at 9 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Central and
6 p.m. Pacific time on Leo Laporte's TWIT TV Internet network.
To tune in, please take your web browser to live.twit.tv and join the fun.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2011
2011
Aug 20-21 WW I.L.L.W.
A milestone for the International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend
The 200th entry has been received from Jason Schlencker VK4FJGS, who will
be at the Sea Hill Point Lighthouse on the tip of Curtis Island off Central
Queensland.
Also adding excitement is a new country, Azerbaijan which will see the Absheron
Lighthouse take to the air under the callsign 4J0LH.
Usually there are about 50 countries and last year we had a record 447
entries.
The basic objective is to promote awareness of lighthouses and
lightships, their need for preservation, promotion of amateur radio and
International goodwill.
Germany has 34 registrations so far this year, just ahead of the USA and
Australia on 28 each, followed by England, Netherlands and Sweden.
There are many more accessible and yet to be activated lighthouses around
the world.
The 48-hour fun event is always held on the 3rd weekend in August,
which this year means August the 20th and 21st. Check out the details on
the website ILLW.NET
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
Steve VK3TDX has been told by CQ magazine he was the Oceania winner SOAB HP
for the 2010 RTTY DX contest with 1326 QSO's, he says "This is my first
significant contest win and I get the plaque for Oceania HP but due
to a misunderstanding of who was going to sponsor the Oceania plaque my name
didn't get printed in the winners on page 16 of the current CQ issue but the
contest director confirms that I did win."
(73 Steve VK3TDX via vk6pop)
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX and BEACON AND NET ADVICE
The Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society was approached by a group named
"1912 the Event" This group is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the
sinking of the Titanic in April 1912.
They wanted a morse code operator for their displays, the first on May 31st
from 6.30 to 9.30 pm at Adelaide Arcade, this is 100 years from the launch of
the Titanic.
One of our members, Doc, VK5BUG, took up the challenge. Doc is an excellent
CW operator, but will measure his speed to match his contact's ability.
The Club have obtained the call VK5MGY from the ACMA. MGY was the call of the
Titanic. The call will be in use for the next 12 months and we will produce a
QSL card for contacts.
Keep your ear out for VK5MGY on the bands for the next 12 months.
Check out the event web site 1912theevent.com
This has been David VK5KC, President of the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society
MONACO, 3A.
Monaco Telegraphy Group active as 3A2CWG during the month of May in celebration
of its 20th anniversary.
QSL via 3A2LF.
COLLINGWOOD OPEN DAY JUNE 4
On the air, the United Kingdom's Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society will run
a special event station on the H.M.S. Collingwood on Saturday June 4th.
The callsign to be used is GB6COD which stands for Collingwood Open Day.
The station will be operational on all amateur bands from 1.8MHz
through 440 MHz. The Society headquarters station will also be open for
viewing from 9.30am to 6pm the same day. The open day will also feature the
Royal Navy Field Gun Competition.
JULY 24
Hellenic Amateur Radio Association of Australia out to Lord Howe Island VK9HR.
24th July to 2nd August 2011.
get this - get the cupie doll!
On 7 May 2011 a new beacon was switched on in Bloemfontein to test NAVIS
conditions from the central Freestate. The beacon operates on 7 027 kHz running
50 mW into a dipole antenna 6 metre above the ground.
The purpose of the new beacon is to test propagation conditions from central
South Africa. The antenna in use is set up for NVIS conditions. NAVIS is the
acronym for Near Vertical Incidence Skywave. It is a radio-wave propagation
method that provides usable signals in the range between ground wave and sky wave
distances, usually between 50 to 650 km. The radio waves travel upwards into the
ionosphere, where they are refracted back down and can be received within a
circular region up to 650 km from the transmitter. If the frequency is too high,
refraction fails to occur and if it is too low absorption reduces the signal
strength. The usable frequencies for NVIS communications are between 1,8 and 15
MHz.
The beacon sends the following message in an endless loop in CW at 5 words per
minute: "VVV DE ZS4BOT/B KG30BV." The beacon's position is KG30BV.
The beacon and software was designed and built by Jan, ZS4JAN.
Reports can be sent to wirelesscomms@vodamail.co.za.
WIRELESS WEATHER
Beginning Tuesday, September 6, the Space Weather Prediction Centre will cease
broadcasting its geophysical alert message on WWV and WWVH.
These messages have informed listeners of the solar flux, the mid-latitude A
and K indices and space weather storms, both current and predicted. Currently,
the message is heard on minute 18 from WWV and minute 45 from WWVH.
The information will still be available on the SWPC website.
www.nws.noaa.gov
(sourced to arrl)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK UNOFFICIAL HF Net.
2nd Sunday each month.
April through October 1000 UTC 3.685 MHz
November through March 0900 UTC 7.068 MHz
Space shuttle Commander Mark Kelly and his five crewmates, 3 of whom are
licenced radio amateurs, are on the International Space Station after
launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Monday.
The STS-134 mission is the penultimate orbiter flight and the final one for
shuttle Endeavour
Kelly's crewmates are Pilot Greg H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Mike Fincke
KE5AIT, Drew Feustel, Greg Chamitoff KD5PKZ and Roberto Vittori IZ6ERU, of the
European Space Agency.
IZ6ERU will be the last international astronaut to fly aboard a shuttle.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA
http://rsgbiota.org
50 YEARS OF IOTA
2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Islands On The Air Program
by British SWL Geoff Watts. As a build-up to celebrations on this occasion, the
RSGB Islands On The Air Manager and Committee have announced an exciting
activity period in which all licensed amateurs world-wide are invited to
participate.
For a two-year period during 2012 and 2013, Islands On The Air chasers are
encouraged to contact as many different IOTA groups as possible. Also, for hams
so inclined to play their part by operating from as many groups as possible,
with special emphasis on the less-frequently activated ones.
The complete rules of the Islands On The Air 50th Anniversary Marathon will
appear in the forthcoming RSGB IOTA Directory to be released at the Dayton
Hamvention.
They can also be on-line at www.g3kma.dsl.pipex.com
REWIND
Who was douard Branly?
douard Branly (1844-1940) was one of the earliest pioneers of radio, but is
largely unknown outside his native France. Branly's experiments in 1889/90 with
the "coherer" receiver, arguably the earliest practical radio receiver, was
credited by the later, British receiver pioneer, Oliver Lodge, and was further
developed by Guglielmo Marconi, then replaced about 1907 by crystal detectors.
Indeed, Marconi's first wireless transmission across the English Channel, in
1899, sent a greeting and credit to Branly.
(Original in French; translated: "Mr. Marconi sends to Mr. Branly his regards
over the Channel through the wireless telegraph, this nice achievement being
partly the result of Mr. Branly's remarkable work.")
The coherer was a 'digital' device, relying on the welding of minute particles
of iron where the electromagnetic radiation broke through the oxide and thus
caused a sudden reduction in the conductivity of the coherer. In this respect,
it was a 'digital' receiver, in the same way that the Morse Code is a digital
mode. Branly realised the necessity to strike or vibrate the coherer to break
apart the particles; Lodge perfected the technique; Marconi employed it.
Branly was trained as a physicist at the Sorbonne University in Paris, earning
a doctorate for studies into electrostatic phenomena in batteries. He later
trained as a physician, earning a doctorate for studying haemoglobin
concentration in blood, before returning to practical physics as a professor at
the new Catholic University (Institute Catholic) of Paris.
Branly participated in the early radio experiments from the Eifell Tower in the
late 1890s. He did not file any patent and freely distributed coherers (Branly
tubes) to all requesting them, concentrating on the improvement of its
sensitivity and stability; nevertheless, this technology was overtaken by
crystals and then valves and transistors. Branly was twice proposed for a Nobel
Prize in Physics, in 1904 and 1915, but radio was acknowledged in 1909 for
Marconi and Braun. In 1911, amidst open controversy, Branly was elected to the
French Academy of Sciences in a contest against Marie Curie. The next year, he
refused Marconi's offer to be a technical advisor to a Marconi company. During
World War 1, Branly served as a military engineer, including developing an
infrared telegraph for secret communications.
Even after formal retirement from the Catholic University, Branly was an active
experimenter into his early 90s, using a laboratory built for him at the
Institute Catholic by a benefactor, and honoured variously including a visit in
1934 by the mother of US President Roosevelt. He published his last paper in
1935, at age 91, describing a medical thermometer using Nickel in the bulb. He
died in 1940, his funeral at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris attended by the
French President.
douard Branly (1844-1940), radio pioneer.
References:
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?isnumber=5277441&arnumber=5277448&tag=1 Edouard Branly, the Coherer, and the Branly effect - History of Communications], Jean-Marie Dilhac, Communications Magazine, IEEE, Volume: 47 Issue: 9, September 2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89douard_Branly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi
"Mr. Marconi sends to Mr. Branly his regards over the Channel through the
wireless telegraph, this nice achievement being partly the result of Mr.
Branly's remarkable work."
<ref name="Dilhac">[http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?isnumber=527744
1&arnumber=5277448&tag=1 Edouard Branly, the Coherer, and the Branly effect -
History of Communications], Jean-Marie Dilhac, Communications Magazine, IEEE,
Volume: 47 Issue: 9, September 2009, (quoting J. Terrat-Branly, ''Mon pre,
Edouard Branly'', Corra, 1941) accessed 10 May 2011</ref>
SOCIAL SCENE
2011
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. CANCELLED (VK4DMC)
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
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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