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WIANEWS - DEC 25 - 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
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you would expect to hear it being read back and NEVER send just links &
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WIANEWS WEEK COMMENCING DECEMBER 25 2011.
An email or ten in this past week directing us to a url about Ham Radio and
Mr Home Improvements himself, Tim Allan. Ben Robertson N7RBI was the first,
and we will hear more of this later when we hook up with Amateur Radio NewsLine.
THIS STORY AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING DECEMBER 25 2011.
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
WIA PRESIDENT VK3KI SPEAKS:-
At long last, and after ongoing representations by the WIA we seem to be getting
closer to Advanced licensees being allowed transmit power limits comparable to
other countries.
The ACMA has advised the WIA that it intends to accede to the WIA's request that
Advanced licensees may apply for a variation of their licence to permit higher
power from a fixed location on a trial basis from 1 March 2012. The ACMA has
stressed to the WIA that it remains concerned about the risk of interference from
the use of higher power.
At the end of 12 months the position will be reviewed by the ACMA.
The ACMA has adopted this approach to enable any particular difficulties to be
identified and satisfactory solutions found to, in the words of the ACMA,
"enable the trial to progress to appropriate ongoing arrangements from early 2013".
The ACMA will publish the changes to the licence process and forms setting out
the further information needed for an application for higher power before 1 March
2012.
While the details are still subject to discussion, the following principles will
be applied:
Transmitter power outputs up to 1,000 watts PEP may be permitted, though the
emission modes to which this limit will apply are still subject to consideration.
It should be noted that lower power limits may be specified in some cases.
The higher power limits will only be permitted on the amateur HF bands where the
amateur service is the primary service. The WIA has requested that the band
7100 to 7200 kHz be also included, and this is being considered,
Higher power will not be permitted in certain areas that will be identified by
the ACMA on its website.
Licensees will continue to be obliged to comply with the EME requirements.
For the period of the trial, licensees permitted to use higher power will be
encouraged to keep a full log of all transmissions on bands where the higher
power is permitted, noting in each case the power in fact used.
The WIA's most recent request is fully set out in the November 2010 issue of the
WIA's magazine Amateur Radio.
This is a preliminary announcement and further details will be published as they
become available before March and after the Christmas break.
The WIA anticipates working closely with the ACMA on this issue.
This is Mal VK3FDSL
Just a reminder that the National Office of the WIA closed for the Christmas
break at 4pm Melbourne time on Friday 23rd December. We will re-open at 10am
Melbourne time on Monday 16th January 2012.
No examinations or callsign recommendation applications will be processed nor
book orders dispatched before the office reopens in January.
We hope all radio amateurs are enjoying their festive season.
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK2
web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm
VKG Roundup http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news
Email Address : r_demkiw@yahoo.com.au
Seasons Greetings from the news team at VK2WI.
Just a note to listeners that they are here each Sunday morning across the
holiday period at 10 am - VK2 time. There will be no evening bulletins until
the 15th January.
VK3
web service:- http://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/
Police Roundup http://www.vicpolicenews.com.au/
Mt Hotham repeater in service
The Albury Wodonga Amateur Radio Club, after some years and a lot of hard
work, has got the VK3RHO 2-metre repeater back on air.
The enthusiasm behind the project came at a cost including some refurbishment,
sourcing power and site fees.
The Albury Wodonga Amateur Radio Club is to be congratulated in its efforts
which now fills a missing gap in the repeater network in the north-east of
Victoria.
It covers a wide area of the High Plains and will be useful during the annual
roof-run which is a WICEN event.
If you live in the area give it a try with 147.650 MHz in and 147.050 MHz
out.
(Amateur Radio Victoria)
VK4 - QNEWS
Send your stories for news. SCRIPT to qnews@wia.org.au
send audio to http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/upload/
get local audio news www.wiaq.com/ftp/vk4_qnews_64.mp3
get local news emailed qnews-vk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Welcome to QNews from VK4WIA. I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I've been thinking.
What did you find under the Christmas tree? Chances are that some time you
will receive a piece of electronics for a gift. Do you realise that the new
generation of components contain some very expensive mineral based
materials. Most of us are aware of tantalum capacitors and rare earth magnets.
A few years ago, it was worth salvaging old electronics to recover materials
such as gold. These days, it appears that what doesn't find its way to land fill
gets shipped to impoverished people overseas who "recycle" without the
protection of western safety regimes.
Just recently, China placed trade restrictions on the export of rare earth metals to
Japan which is claimed to be the world's largest consumer. This sent shock
waves around the electronics and manufacturing industries similar to the loss of
epoxy to pot semi -conductors following the Kobe earthquake, 15 years ago.
Australian mining industries are gearing up to produce rare earth metals from
local resources.
Perhaps the current enthusiasm for restoring "boat anchor" electronics from the
valve era is very good training for working with the very rare "unobtainium" bits
of the latest pocket sized toys.
I'm Geoff Emery and that's what I think...how about you?
Dalby area date claimer
FEB 4 VK4 Bunya Mts & District AmCom Inc. Ham & Wine Fest 2012.
VK5
1941, The first of four ships being built for the Australian Navy slides down
the slipway of BHP's newly constructed Whyalla Shipyard.
HMAS Whyalla was commissioned for duty on January 8, 1942. She carried out escort
duty on Australia's east coast and later took part in operations in the
New Guinea theatre before being attached to the British Pacific fleet as a unit
of the 21st minesweeping flotilla.
HMAS WHYALLA was decommissioned in 1947 and sold to the Victorian government for
whom she would be employed as a lighthouse maintenance vessel until 1984.
Hearing that the ship was to be sold as scrap, she was purchased by the Whyalla
City Council and brought back to Whyalla. In 1987 she was moved back up the same
slipway from which she was launched 46 years earlier and relocated to become the
centrepiece of the city's maritime museum.
On the weekend of January 7 and 8, 2012 the South Australian branch of the
Naval Association of Australia will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the
ship's commissioning and the Whyalla Amateur Radio Club will take part in the
special celebration by operating from the ship using the special event callsign
VI5WHY.
The station will be on air from around 2300 UTC on Saturday January 7 and is
especially keen to make contact with present or former naval members. Operating
frequencies and modes will be posted on the VKHAM website closer to the event.
Special QSL certificates will be sent to all stations who make contact.
So mark the date January 7 on your calendar.
This has been Alex VK5ALX on behalf of the Whyalla Amateur Radio Club.
WIA DIRECTORS Broadcast 20111225 EWAN VK4ERM
Seasons Greetings to All Listeners from the President and Board of the WIA.
Once again the past year has been an eventful one for Amateur Radio in VK
culminating in the release by the WIA on last Thursday, the 22nd of December, of
the proposed high power trial by the ACMA during part of 2012.
The supportive staff at our National Office at Andersen House in Bayswater,
Victoria, have continued to provide friendly and efficient service to our members
and the Board. It would be remiss of me not to mention our appreciation for the
skilled volunteer work conducted on behalf of the WIA by very competent and
experienced amateurs; we owe these dedicated people a debt of gratitude for
their support.
This is a time of travel for many individuals and families to reunite with other
family members by air, land or sea. Many amateurs will be among them so if you
hear a mobile station calling please answer and keep them company for a while on
their journey, especially if it is late at night, to help them safely on their
way. There will also be others you may hear who cannot be reunited with their kin
for various reasons so why not bring some cheer to their day by answering?
Those of us fortunate to be sharing our time with family and friends in the
comfort of our surrounds should spare a moment to reflect on those serving our
nation overseas in the Defence Force, Australian Federal Police, Customs,
philanthropic organisations and many others and silently wish them a speedy and
safe return.
Sadly, some families will have an empty chair at the Christmas table and the
mood will be sombre as the occupier will never return.
The New Year is just around the corner and a time when many will make New Year's
Resolutions. Besides resurrecting those from this year, which were not achieved,
give thought to something you can resolve to achieve in 2012 for the betterment
of Amateur Radio in VK.
This has been Ewan VK4ERM for the WIA Board wishing you all a Merry Christmas, a
Happy and Prosperous New Year, and safe travelling.
EDUCATION YOUTH AND ADVANCEMENT OF AMATEUR RADIO
www.hamcollege.com.au
VK7 and NTARC congratulate Brendan Smith on passing his Foundation Licence
assessment. We understand that Brendan has requested VK7FESQ as his call, so we
look forward to hearing him on air soon.
Please make Brendan welcome by coming back when you hear him on air and
introduce yourself.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to RSGB, Southgate AR Club, the ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.
EU threat to Amateur Radio kits
Thilo DL9KCE, reports a threat to amateur radio kits and modified equipment
arising from changes to the EMC directive.
Currently amateur radio kits and modified equipment are specifically excluded
from the directive but under the proposed changes they would be fully subjected
to the EMC directive. The resulting high compliance costs could make it
uneconomic to develop and sell kits so killing off the kit market.
If radio amateurs wished to modify equipment it appears they would also incur
additional costs and bureaucratic hassle.
IARU Region 1 will respond to it with a letter soon.
Directive 1999/5/EC see ANNEX I
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:1999:091:0010:0010:EN:PDF
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NEWS FROM ARNEWSLINE USA
NATIONAL RADIO AFGHANISTAN ON 40 METERS
Uli Bihlmayer, DJ9KR, reports that National Radio
Afghanistan is operating on 7 point 2 MHz in the
amateur Radio 40 meter band. DJ9KR says via the
IARU-Region 1 website that he monitored the
station on November 28th as being centered on
7200 kHz and covering 7195 through 7205 kHz with its audio sidebands.
DJ9KR says that the best way to handle this
situation is to inform your nation's
telecommunications agency if you are suffering
interference from National Radio of Afghanistan
and ask them to file an international
complaint. Another recommended procedure is to
file a report with the Intruder Watch coordinator
in your nation.
THE WORLD OF AMATEUR RADIO CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF OSCAR 1
The world of Amateur Radio is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the orbiting
of the first ever ham radio satellite known simply as OSCAR, an acronym for the
words Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, is in
the newsroom with more:
For those not around back then, OSCAR, now called by many as Oscar One was
carried into space at 2041 GMT, December 12th 1961. It was carried aloft by
the Discoverer 36 launching vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
After launch the satellite went into a North-South orbit transmitting Morse on
a frequency between 144.990 and 145.008. It's said to have had a tremendous
signal strength on any direct, overhead pass.
Among the first to hear OSCAR One were the hams at KC4USB which was the Marie
Byrd Base at the South Pole. They picked up the signal loud and clear only a
few minutes after launch and this is what they heard:
OSCAR-1 Audio clip
Yes, just above the noise a radio amateur or SWL with a fairly decent receiver
with a good 2 meter converter could make out the letters H and I that formed the
word "hi." And soon the signal was heard by hams in Kodiak, Alaska and by KH6UK
in Hawaii. All of these on OSCAR's first pass. The ARRL headquarters' station
W1AW heard the first pass on the United States East coast.
Now, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the orbiting of the OSCAR One ham
satellite, AMSAT North America is re-issuing the original Project OSCAR
Newsletters. According to AMSAT, the original OSCAR Newsletters were all hand
typed back in 1961. Don Ferguson, KD6IRE has scanned these documents announcing
OSCAR 1. They are being re-issued via the Amsat News Service bulletins on-line.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in the Newsroom in
Los Angeles.
Thanks to the efforts of AMSAT and especially KD6IRE 21st century hams world wide
can read the story of the bird that opened the door to space communications to
amateur radio operators around the globe.
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WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
Milan Illinois National Guard building holds secret message
Recently, a passerby noticed something very peculiar about the addition being
added on to the Illinois National Guard building in Milan.
The design in the building containing a secret message.
Dave Mayfield knows a thing or two about radios after collecting and operating
them for 25 years. So, when he drove by the Illinois National Guard building a
few days ago the design caught his eye.
"Took me just a second at first. I thought maybe it was a random pattern but it's
not random at all. It's Morse code," said Mayfield.
But what the bricks say remains a mystery for most. It's estimated only one in
thousands would know one wall says, "loyalty" and "duty", while another wall
says, "respect" and "honor".
The Illinois National Guard put all seven of the Army values on new buildings
built for the 2nd and 123rd Forward Support companies.
Read the full WQAD story at:
http://www.wqad.com/news/wqad-illinois-national-guard-milan-morse-
code-secret-message-12162011,0,2308380.story
(southgate)
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2012
January 1-31 VK Ross Hull Memorial VHF UHF Contest
January 14-15 VK Summer VHF-UGF Field Day
March 17-18 VK JOHN MOYLE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY
May 5 VK/trans Tasman Contest 80metres SSB
June 9-10 VK Shires Contest.
June 25 VK/trans Tasman Contest 160metres SSB
July First full weekend NZART Memorial Contest
August 11-12 VK Remembrance Day Contest
August 18-19 WW International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX and BEACON AND NET ADVICE
F4FOO is operating from Togo in West Africa until 4 January.
He will be on 20 - 10m using SSB.
The callsign to look for is 5V7MA and QSLs go via his F4FOO home call.
(irts)
SM6CPY is active as 9X0PY from Rwanda between 24th December and 7th January 2012.
His operation will be holiday style on all bands with a focus on 20 through
10 metres.
QSL to his home callsign, SM6CPY
Manfred, DF6EX, has written a program that helps in providing info on which
QSL-Manager/DX-station you can expect a reply via the Bureau or which DX-stations
you better not work or have to spend a lot of money to get their card.
The program has a growing database and it lets you know what stations do not QSL
back or just take your green stamps.
Currently, there are 11500 managers/DX-stations listed, from information
collected over the past 20 years. The best news is that it is free.
Read more about the program at:
http://www.winqsl.com
Or load directly at:
http://www.winqsl.com/winqsl/?page_id=74
No fee at all.
Also, there will be further updates; you just have to register by mail.
(southgate)
INTRUDER WATCH - ENFORCEMENT ZONE
Region III IARUMS Coordinator Peter Young VK3MV
Greek pop music blasts from Turkish Cypriot mosques
The religious affairs directorate in the Turkish controlled sector of Cyprus has
claimed that deliberate interference caused popular Greek-Cypriot radio
programmes to broadcast from mosque rooftops instead of the Islamic call to
prayer.
Due to interference in radio frequencies which link the mosques' PA systems,
Greek pop hits could be heard yesterday blasting through the air.
Read more from the Famagusta Gazette
(southgate)
MEDIA WATCH
www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WorldRadio.html
VK Club Bulletins http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aarnie/
Seasons Greetings from the VK7 Regional News team.
Where has 2011 gone! It seems that only a short time ago we were reporting the
VK9NA DXpeditions and it was the Annual General Meeting season for clubs around
VK7 and guess what we are back in the season.
Time flies when you are having so much fun with this great hobby of ours!
We all hope you have a safe and relaxing Christmas and New Year and see you in
2012.
this is Justin, VK7TW on behalf of the VK7 Regional News Team and VK1WIA.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: HAM RADIO TO BE FEATURED PLAYER ON LAST MAN STANDING
Ham radio is coming to network television. This as a part of the plot of the ABC
situation comedy "Last Man Standing."
On the show, actor and comedian Tim Allen of Home Improvement fame plays the
character of Mike Baxter. Baxter is the married father of three and the director
of marketing at an outdoor sporting goods store in Colorado.
Amateur radio will come into play on the show in mid-January when its revealed
that Mike Baxter is an avid radio amateur with the callsign KA0XTT. But that's
not the only ham radio connection to the show.
Last Man Standing is being produced for ABC Television by John Amodeo, NN6JA.
And if you pick up the December edition of CQ Magazine and turn to page 30, you
will find an article by Amodeo. One that tells the story of how he challenged
his staff to become licensed radio amateurs, and out of those who accepted seven
have gotten licensed so far. The reward for those who succeeded was a dual band
hand-held radio.
As of this report Tim Allen is not among those who have accepted John Amodeo's
challenge, but he tells CQ that he is working on him.
In addition to the CQ article the ARRL has a very nice piece about
Last Man Standing and how it got involved in helping Amodeo to create
the KA0XTT call sign. You can read that on the news pages at www.arrl.org
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- DIGITAL
Global Data Traffic
An interesting statistic is that by 2014, global data traffic will increase by
39 times from current levels, reaching 3.6 exabytes, around 3.9 billion gigabytes
per month, according to wireless firm Cisco.
(irts)
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
ESA VEGA ROCKET TO CARRY NEW MICROSATS TO ORBIT IN JANUARY 2012
The inaugural launch of the European Space Agency's new Vega rocket will carry
the ALMASat-1 amateur radio micro satellite and at least 6 additional CubeSats.
Slated for January of 2012, the launch will take place from ESA spaceport at
Kourou, French Guiana. Once lofted into space, all of the satellites will be
placed into an elliptical orbit of 1450 by 300 km at an inclination of 69.5
degrees.
They are expected to have a lifetime before re-entry of up to 4 years. For
details of each of the birds please follow the on-line links found at
tinyurl.com/vega-first-launch.
(southgate)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA
http://rsgbiota.org
Members of the Russian Robinson Club will attempt to activate another
all-time IOTA new one in Alaska, the Bethel County group, NA-240,
between 5th and 8th January 2012. They will concentrate on 20, 30 and 40m.
(rsgb)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING
http://www.scouts.com.au
http://www.scout.org/jota
http://www.international.scouts.com.au
Turkish Scouting and Guiding special event station
Members of the Turkish Scouting and Guiding Federation's National Conciousness
Camp, has activated special event station TC9SAM between December 23-26th.
Activity is in memory for the "Allahuekber Martyrs", and operations will be
commemorating the fallen in Sarikamis Campaign of World War I.
The special event station TC9SAM will be located in Gaziler and Kaynak villlages
of Erzurum. In accordance with the camp program, they will be on the air mainly
on 40 and 80m bands but will also try the other bands. You can also try to follow
the team on APRS.
Detailed info is available on www.tif.org.tr
The QSL Manager is TA1HZ.
(And as an aside December 20 was the 96th anniversary of the ANZAC's departure
from Gallipoli)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO
IARU REGION 3
Emergency Centre of Activity (CoA) frequencies
3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz
Hams do their bit after disaster
The flooding that swept through the Philippines has claimed 800 lives after the
enormous devastation left by Tropical Storm Washi.
Local hams in the disaster area are now doing their best to help out with relief
efforts. The search for survivors continues along with the many burials that are
needed.
The Red Cross reports the storm swept away entire coastal villages as it dumped
heavy rain triggering mud slides. Some 47,000 people are in evacuation centres.
President Benigno Aquino is set to visit the disaster zone.
The storm flooded a river that sent muddy floodwaters from nearby mountains that
coated streets.
It has been a bad season for the country with back-to-back typhoons in September
leaving many people dead in the northern Philippines.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3, Disaster Communication Committee.)
SOCIAL SCENE 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 Geneva 23rd January TO 17th February 2012
FEB 4 VK4 Bunya Mts & District AmCom Inc. Ham & Wine Fest 2012.
FEB 12 VK3 CentreVictoria Hamfest, Kyneton Racecourse
FEB 26 VK2 CCARC WYONG FIELD DAY
APR 14-15 VK WIA National Field Day.
MAY 3-18 VK5 YL International 2012 Australia (vk5tmc@bigpond.com)
MAY 5- 6 VK4 RADAR and MARC Clairview Gathering
MAY 25-27 VK3 WIA Annual Conference Mildura
JUN 8-11 VK4 FNNQARG! QLD Cassowary Coast
JULY 14 VK4 Wide Bay Hamfest. West Maryborough Scout Hall
NOV 12 VK3 SPARC HAMFEST (ROSEBUD BY THE BAY)
WIA PRESIDENT - THE FINAL FINAL AT CHRISTMAS TIME
The fact that this broadcast is scheduled for Christmas day gives me the
opportunity to offer some special comments.
Let me look back for a moment on the year just passed.
I had thought that after the Centenary year last year, this year would be quiet
and uneventful.
It hasn't turned out that way, with major issues such as station inspections,
WRC 12 and all the work associated with that, and now the move toward higher
power.
So many people doing so much in so many ways for amateur radio and the future
of amateur radio, our Publications Committee, our contest and award managers,
our Assessors and all the trainers, all those who contribute to the clubs, we
really do owe much to many people.
To all of you who have contributed to the WIA and to amateur radio, I say thank
you.
To all of you who have taken the trouble to tell us personally at hamfests or
who have written to us appreciating the work of the WIA, I say a most sincere
thank you.
To all of you, radio amateurs and interested in amateur radio, I extend on
behalf of the board of the WIA, our manager Mal Brooks and on behalf of
Dianne and Margaret, our very best wishes for the Festive Season and for a
healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.
Submitting news items
If you would like to submit news items for inclusion in the
VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to nationalnews@wia.org.au
to submit audio read "how to submit items" in the weekly news page on
wia.org.au
Remember the sooner you submit material the more the likelihood of it being
broadcast in the very next edition of WIA National News.
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WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide.
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Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed prior to
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Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers you may
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even get a "cheerio call".
Thanks 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.
*****************************************************************************
/ex
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