WIANEWS - APRIL 28 - VK NATIONAL NEWS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA
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. When you upload audio email us the txt version.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WIANEWS WEEK COMMENCING APRIL 28 2013.
WIA DIRECTOR TRENT SAMPSON VK4TI TELLS US OF THE 'Michael Owen Plaque.'
WIA AGM VENUE HIGHLIGHTS - ONNO VK6FLAB
WIA NEWS REBROADCASTERS MUST SUBSCRIBE URGENTLY "we tell you why."
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING APR 28 2013.
International Disaster, Earthquake in China
Saturday April 20 a major earthquake hit China's southwest rural area of
Ya'an, which has now left 200 dead, injured about 12,000 and many more
people homeless.
Fan Bin BA 1 RB reported that amateur radio operators swung into action to
provide emergency communications and coordinate parts of the disaster
response.
With toppled houses everywhere, rescuers frantically began their search of
the rubble for survivors, while medical staff treated those hurt on the
ground and in make-shift hospitals.
Panic was evident with survivors sheltering in cars and tents. Badly hit
Lushan County is now like a large refugee camp with volunteers providing
meals.
Fan Bin BA 1 RB has recently reported that public communication was back to
normal in the disaster area and the local repeater systems continued to work.
He said the Chinese Radio Sports Association, also known as the Chinese Radio
Amateur Club, no longer required emergency communication frequencies. It
expressed thanks for the support from IARU member societies and others.
A role for some radio hams was maintaining traffic control, with emergency
supplies arriving including tents, water, food and medicine.
Rain hampered search and rescue efforts in the quake zone, and added to fallen
trees and landslides making progress slower in some areas. After-shocks also
occurred.
The Sichuan provincial government reported that 3,000 kilometres of road
and 327 bridges had been damaged. The total repair bill from the earthquake
was put at $3 billion.
The central government of China, local officials, rescuers, relief workers
and radio amateurs are much better prepared to deal with disasters, than
has been the case in the past.
Neighbouring Russia sent rescue teams, and the Red Cross from Hong Kong with
an embedded radio amateur, are helping the on-going effort.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman of the IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications
Committee with Fin Ban BA1RB, and Rudy Wong VR2USP)
Jason VK2LAW will be with us here on WIA National News shortly with more
International News but to VK now where we find :-
GPS jammers used by taxi drivers
To track modern taxis by finding the closest one vacant to a job and for
security reasons, cabs are fitted with satellite-based Global Positioning
System (GPS) technology.
The supply and use of a GPS jamming device has been outlawed in Australia
since 2004.
However intelligence indicates the devices may be used by some cab drivers
to block signals.
In a joint initiative called Operation Signal, the ACMA joined with the Victorian
Taxi Directorate at the Melbourne Airport taxi holding yard to re-educate
drivers.
Armed with fact sheets and a spectrum analyser, the ACMA spoke to hundreds
of them who should now know that GPS jammers are prohibited.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
"GPS jammers create a bubble of interference or blocking around a taxi.
A few operators have used a GPS jammer to override taxi meters and trick
the cab companies into giving them work when they're not in the immediate
area or are vacant.
At the expense of their colleagues, those using a jammer could make up to
$200 extra a week."
HORSE ENDURO - GIRARD STATE FOREST. 4-5 May
WICEN(NR) will assist with comms for the Tenterfield Equestrian Club.
20km, 40km 80km (2x40km) rides, first out early Saturday.
Base and two checkpoints required.
Est. 60 to 100 riders.
Terrain will probably mean comms on 80 or 40m, 2m liaison channel.
Depart early Fri morning, RV convoy at Casino 1030K
Set up by noon Fri., circuit recce and test in afternoon.
If you can assist, contact Ross VK2ARD, 040 880 6555
rossdowse@bigpond.com
VK3 Homebrewers meet Saturday May 4.
The next Homebrew Construction Group meeting will take place on Saturday
May the 4th at 2pm, at Amateur Radio Victoria, 40g Victory Boulevard,
Ashburton.
The group will have keen microwave enthusiast and Amateur Radio magazine
columnist, David Smith VK3HZ, to talk about polarity protection on his 10
GHz transverter.
The meeting will also have a show ?n tell segment and discussion. All are
welcome to attend on Saturday. The group has an email address for inquiries
which is homebrew@amateurradio.com.au
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
MDRC HamFest 2013
The Moorabbin and District Amateur Radio club are pleased to announce the
2013 HamFest will be on Saturday 11th May, with doors opening at 10am.
This year's event will be at the Southern Community Centre, Rupert Drive,
Mulgrave (Melways map ref 80 F4).
The Moorabbin Radio Club's annual HamFest is proud to be Victoria's biggest
with displays and sales of new and preloved equipment. A must come must see
event for anyone interested in Radio Communications and Electronics.
Major door prizes, free tea and coffee, light refreshments and a sausage
sizzle will also be on offer.
Trader table bookings and general enquires can be made by emailing Graeme
Lewis VK3GL (vk3gl@bigpond.com) or by phoning mobile 0418 171601.
A Must see, must come event!!
Club celebrates its 75th anniversary
The Eastern Zone Amateur Radio Club based in Victoria's LaTrobe Valley will
hold a 75th Anniversary Dinner at the Morwell Bowling Club, on Saturday May
the 18th.
A special event station VI3BEZ75 will be activated during May, to further
celebrate the formation as the Eastern Zone of WIA Victoria in 1938.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
HOME OF THE GOOD GUYS
50 YEAR WIA MEDALS PRESENTED AT RADAR CLUB ROCKHAMPTON TO 2 FINE WIA MEMBERS
IN ROCKHAMPTON.
ON BEHALF OF WIA and RADAR CLUB ROCKHAMPTON HERE IS CLIVE VK4ACC
50 years continuous membership each
(A Life time!) 2 WIA Members from Rockhampton.
On Wednesday evening 17th April at Rockhampton And District Amateur Radio
Club a celebration and presentation was given to two of our RADAR CLUB
members.
Gordon Adams VK4GM and Doug Kraatz VK4DUG.
They both have had WIA continuous membership for 50 years to the day. They
joined WIA in 1963 We hold copies of both original membership certificates .
Copy will be sent to WIA National.
During the presentation Gordon stressed to younger members the importance of
being members of WIA.
First tho we will give a few pieces of history dealing with amateur radio in
Rockhampton Central Queensland.
In March 1928 the first radio club was formed in Rockhampton.
CQ Branch of WIAQ was formed in November 1960. Yes! Every member had to
have WIA membership. (And we all were!)
Rockhampton And District Amateur Radio Club was founded 15th May 1996. This
was due to the WIA CQ Branch became too difficult to administer for the
then state body WIAQ.
Clive VK4ACC a winner of a 75th WIA anniversary medal and Past Alternate
Federal Councillor and Past member of WIAQ Advisory Committee made the
presentation of the 50 year WIA membership medals on behalf of the WIA 17th
April 2013.
WIA AGM Venue Highlights - Bcast on 28 April 2013, 0'37"
Have you prepared for the last weekend in May; the 2013 WIA AGM and Conference?
The Tradewinds Hotel overlooks the Swan River in Fremantle. The well-appointed
rooms have a kitchenette and are grouped around the central facilities of the
hotel. You'll make your own reservation and make sure you tell them it's for
the WIA Conference, so you get the special room rate of $180 per night.
The 2013 WIA AGM and Conference, it's all about Engaging, Learning,
Appreciating, Socializing and Discovering.
You'll find all the information online at the VK6 conference site,
conference.vk6.net
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an f-call?
Having a license, or rather, getting a license is an activity that is
relatively simple. I've heard it said that people fear public speaking
more than death and zombies.
Keying your microphone is about as public as you can get, but compared
to public speaking, there is a pay-off. You don't actually have to look
at your audience and you can do it from the safety of your bedroom
if you so desire.
As I've said in the past, I've keyed my microphone many, many times.
When you listen to me you might not realise that every time I key my
microphone is a first time of sorts all over again. When I talk on air,
for example, to start this segment today, I had to take a breath, compose
myself and key my microphone and start talking.
As an added bonus, I'm reading from a script, so I know when I've made a
mistake, even if you don't.
As I'm speaking to you now, I have butterflies fluttering through my stomach,
I'm wired, and if I'm not careful, I'll sound like a speeding train, talking
at a million miles an hour.
The flip-side of that, is that you normally don't hear any of the internal
dialogue I'm having. I key my microphone and just start talking.
If you've never done that, then the idea of saying something on-air can be
daunting. The more you hesitate, the harder it gets and the more you might
fear the actual process, never mind the technical aspects of setting up your
station.
There are a couple of things that you might do to make this a little less
terrifying. First of all, you might consider that the process of keying your
microphone for the first time is something that you've already done several
times in your life. You spoke on the phone for the first time, you met a
stranger, you were asked a question in a meeting. Keying your radio is the
same thing.
Every amateur has had to go through the process, and, in addition, there are
radio nets around where you can do this with people who have only just gotten
their license too.
So, don't be afraid of your microphone, the trick is not to give in to
whatever is holding you back, but to take a breath and give it a go. I look
forward to hearing you on-air, Zombies notwithstanding.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB
INTERNATIONAL NEWS CONTINUES With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART, ARVictoria and the WW sources of the WIA.
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information
service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.
ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the
activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active
interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analogue
and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space
as soon as volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org.
SARL TO GET A 472 kHz LICENSE
The SARL has secured a pilot license for experimentation on 472 kHz. The
SARL has made payments for the two 5 MHz licenses, (made mention of several
weeks ago here on VK1WIA National News) and the 472 kHz. A special web section
is being created for the information of SARL members.
The final arrangements on how SARL members can take part in experimentations
on 5 MHz and 472 kHz will be published on their.
REPEATER LOCATOR FOR IPHONE/IPAD
A free Repeater Directory App for the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand,
South America and more is now available for iPhone and Android based smart
devices.
Repeater Locator enables the traveling ham to easily find repeaters across
most populated areas of the world using GPS or a Locator to find repeaters.
Also the Android version supports the BlueCAT, FT-857 and FT-817 Bluetooth
CAT interface that allow a user to simply touch a repeater to instantly his
or her radio.
You can find Repeater locator by searching for ZBM2 at the Apple App Store or
the Play store
RADIO SCOUTING EVENT A MAJOR SUCCESS
A ham radio related Youth Workshop in Kirkland, Washington is being called a
big success. This thanks to the hard work of the amateur radio support team
at the event.
According to planners, there were over 100 Electricity, Electronics and
Radio Merit Badges completed by the 58 youngsters who were registered at the
event.
14 adults and 14 scouts qualified for their amateur radio licenses.
Five of the adults were Scout Masters. Some of the others were from scouting
troops and the Lake Washington Ham Club.
Another event of this type is in the planning stages for September 14th.
Young radio amateurs in South Africa have been invited to become interested
in VHF and the frequencies above including the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
We Radio amateurs started off on the medium frequencies with spark
transmissions, then forced to relocate to the shorter wavelengths, the
HF band, where we pioneered world-wide DX operation via the F and the F2
layers and even explored the more 'useless? sic' "Ultra High Frequencies"
above 56 MHz
As radio communications progressed throughout the years it was discovered
that there were many different modes of propagation present on VHF, UHF and
SHF that made long distances possible, including DX, EME, satellite and
space communications.
This is a great challenge for the younger generation of South African
radio amateurs to explore the modern world of radio communications, and make
their contribution to radio science.
After all it was a radio amateur Grote Reber, W9GFZ, at Wheaton, Illinois
who originally mapped the radio sky on VHF (160 MHz) and became the first
radio astronomer in the world.
=============================================================================
NEWS FROM ARNEWSLINE USA
CALIFORNIA CB OPERATOR CITED FOR TALKING TO MUCH TO NOBODY
A California CB operator has been cited by the FCC for what
amounts to having been long winded while talking to nobody
on 11 meter CB. Here's Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce
Tennant, K6PZW, with the details.
--
Talking to nobody on 11 meters but taking a long time to say
it is the crux of a Notice of Violation issued on March 12th
to Joseph Loiacono who lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Lakewood.
According to the FCC, back on January 29th the FCC received
a complaint of interference to CB radio communications on
27.165 MHz In response agents from the Los Angeles Office
Enforcement Bureau T-hunted the signal and determined that
they were coming from an antenna at a residence owned by Mr.Loiacono.
While monitoring the frequency the agents observed someone
whom they allege to have been Joseph Loiacono engaging in
extended one-way transmissions which resulted in intentional
interference to other CB stations. Some of these transmissions
the FCC says lasted up to twenty minutes in length.
This in led to the FCC issuing the Notice of Violation
seeking additional information concerning the violations and
any remedial actions that Loiacono had since taken.
Specifically his response had to fully explain each
violation, including all relevant surrounding facts and
circumstances. It was also was to contain a statement of
the specific actions he had so far taken to correct each
violation and preclude any recurrence.
But it did not end there. In accordance with Section 1.16
of the Rules, Loiacono was directed to support his response
with an affidavit or declaration made under penalty of
perjury, verifying the truth and accuracy of the information
that he provided to the FCC. He was also warned that to
knowingly and wilfully make any false statement or conceal
any material fact in reply to the Notice of Violation was punishable
by fine or imprisonment under Title 18 of the U.S. Code.
Joseph Loiacono was given 20 days from the release of the
Notice of Violation to submit his written statement
concerning this matter. That date is now past but at airtime
it's not known what information he had in his reply to the FCC.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW,
monitoring this one from Los Angeles.
--
For what it's worth, this is the first time in years if not
decades that we have heard of anyone on the 11 meter
Citizens Band being issued a Notice of Violation for making
a one way transmission that was far too long. In fact its
one of the few instances of any real enforcement action on
11 meters in a long, long time.
SPECIAL EVENT STATION TO HONOR CODE TALKERS
The Lawton Fort Sill Amateur Radio Club will be
hosting a special event station from May 8th to
the 11th at the Comanche National Museum in
Lawton, Oklahoma. This to commemorate the work
of the Comanche Code Talkers of World War II.
According to Wikipedia, the Code talkers were
people who used obscure languages as a means of
secret communication during wartime. The term is
now usually associated with the United States
soldiers during the world wars who used their
knowledge of Native-American languages as a basis
to transmit coded messages.
There were approximately 400 to 500 Native
Americans in the United States Marine Corps whose
primary job was the transmission of secret
tactical messages. Code talkers transmitted
these messages over military telephone or radio
communications nets using formal or informally
developed codes built upon their native
languages. Their service improved communications
in terms of speed of encryption at both ends in
front line operations during World War II.
=============================================================================
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
Three hams were shipwrecked during a DXpedition. On was a W2
from New York, One was a G3 from London and on was an SP4 from Warsaw.
The little island was so tiny, it only had a single palm tree on it, and
the three guys just walked around and around it in circles.
After a few thirsty days, the SP4 stubs his toe on something, and
pulling it out of the sand, he sees it is an oil lamp. Right away
he starts to rub and shine it with his tattered shirt.
Poof! Out comes the Genie!
"Master, I am ready to grant you three wishes!" Says the Genie.
The SP4 says "Gee, can you make it one wish a piece for us three?"
The Genie thinks about this, and says "OK, I guess and can do that."
So, the W2 goes first. "I would like to be at 42nd, on times square,
sipping a cold Miller and watching the miniskirted girls parade by!'
Poof! and he is gone!
The G3 goes next. "I wish I was in Piccadilly Circus sipping me some
cold ale, and watching the lasses go prancing by with their long hair
swinging in the breeze!"
Poof! and he is gone!
Now it is the SP4's turn. "Gee, I don't know. Can't run a one
man DXpedition. I wish my buddies were back ....
The Wireless Institute of Australia is proud to announce the introduction of
the Michael Owen Plaque for competitors in the IARU HF Championship Contest
held in July every year.
A Plaque will be presented by the WIA to the Highest Point Scoring single
operator station in IARU region three (3) in the IARU HF Championship.
Regardless of mode or bands used the Michael Owen plaque shall be awarded
annually to the Single Operator scoring the most points in the IARU
HF Championship.
This is to encourage excellence in Region 3 contesting in memory of the work
and dedication of Michael Owen former president of the Wireless Institute of
Australia.
Check wia.org.au FOR CURRENT RULES
The Michael Owen Plaque.
This TEXT ONLY item from the NZART was originally sourced to VK4TS,
"Who was Michael Owen ?
"IARU Region 3 Chairman Michael Owen, VK3KI, passed away September 22.2012. He
was 75. Owen, who was also President of the Wireless Institute of Australia
(WIA) -- that country's IARU Member-Society -- participated in many IARU
committees and was a member of the IARU Observer Team at a number of World
Radiocommunication Conferences. He is perhaps best remembered for his work on
Article 25 -- a package of revisions to the international Radio Regulations
that are specific to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services -- at WRC-03.
Amateur Radio societies around the world have benefited from Owen's enthusiasm
and experience; he was passionately involved with the Amateur Radio Service
since the 1960s, and served as IARU Vice President from 1989-1999.
In 2004, Owen led the WIA through the progression from a federal structure
with state divisions, to an efficient national organization with affiliated
local clubs. Through Owen, the WIA became highly regarded by government
agencies and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for its
professionalism and efficiency, especially in relation to the WIA examination
and call sign management service. He championed and guided the introduction of
the Foundation License class in Australia, a move which bolstered the numbers
of Australian radio amateurs, while other countries' numbers were declining.
ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, recalled first meeting Owen
36 years ago:"IARU President Noel Eaton, VE3CJ, had called the first-ever
meeting of representatives from all three IARU regions to coordinate global
preparations for the 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference. WARC-79 is
memorable primarily because it's where the Amateur Radio Service gained the
bands at 10, 18 and 24 MHz, among other things. Michael came to that meeting
in Florida in April 1976 as a Director of what was then called the IARU Region
3 Association, which had been formed just a few years earlier to bring
together the IARU Member-Societies of the Asia-Pacific region. His day job was
as an attorney, but he was also an active radio amateur and very involved in
the WIA. I got to know Michael much better three years later, because we spent
11 weeks in Geneva together at WARC-79. He had found a place on the Australian
delegation and I was part of the IARU team. He was not simply a colleague; he
was a friend.
"Among the assignments that Michael drew at WARC-79 was to draft a resolution
to exempt the Amateur-Satellite Service from coordination procedures that
otherwise would have bogged us down in endless paperwork and great expense. As
an attorney it was just the sort of thing he was good at. His work has stood
the test of time, and it remains in effect to this day. No good deed goes
unpunished, so in 2003, he was brought back to Geneva as a member of the IARU
team to handle the rewrite of Article 25, the rules that apply specifically to
the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services. That turned out to be as much an
exercise in diplomacy as in drafting, but Michael was up to the task. I
shudder to think what he would have billed a commercial client for the same
sort of job but this, as all of his other contributions to Amateur Radio, was
service performed as a volunteer.
"Michael did not go into hibernation between 1979 and 2003. From 1989-1999, he
served as Vice President of the IARU. Later, as President of the Wireless
Institute of Australia, he choreographed the transition of the WIA from a
confederation to a truly national body. Today the WIA -- which celebrated its
100th anniversary in 2010 -- is one of the few other national Amateur Radio
organizations in the world that is growing. Simultaneously, Michael served as
Chairman of IARU Region 3 since 2006.
"Michael Owen was a strategic thinker; he saw past short-term pros and cons
and could envision how decisions made today would affect the distant future.
He also understood that working in the background -- doing one's homework --
was essential to success. There is simply no way to replace someone with
Michael's experience and wisdom. His death is a searing loss for both the IARU
and the WIA, but both organizations are stronger today because of the enormous
contributions he made to their well-being."
OPERATIONAL NEWS - DATELINE 2013
The Day of the YLs will be held 18 and 19 May.
VK SHIRES June long weekend 0600 UTC Sat June 8, ends 0600 UTC June 9.
WW International Museums Weekends June 15/16 and 22/23
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX and BEACON AND NET ADVICE
First D-Star repeater in Canaries
ED8ZAB is the first D-Star repeater in the Canary Islands.
It is rated at 10 watts and transmits on 438.462.5MHz from
Gran Canaria at an altitude of 1,200m (3,650 feet).
A new CCS system consisting of a routing via DMTF has been
installed; send the DTMF D-Star 40412 from your nearest
repeater. Please send reports to ed8zab@yahoo.es.
MARION ISLAND
Two radio amateurs are part of the over-wintering team and will be active
on Marion Island now to April 2014.
ZS 8 C - Carson, (ZR6CWI), and ZS 8 Z - David, (ZS1BCE).
Modes will mainly be SSB and digital modes and their QSL Manager is ZS 1 HF.
Japanese amateur radio operators celebrate the successful transition from
analogue to digital terrestrial TV with the call 8 N 1 TW.
Activity continues till the 28th of July, QSL via bureau.
http://www.dtvstatus.net/
DXpedition to Isle of Mull (EU-008)
Steve Thomas, M 1 ACB and other members Camb-Ham group will be operating
GS 3 PYE/P from the Isle of Mull 10-16 May from 2 metres to 160 metres
as well as a station on 472 kHz.
More information can be found at http://www.camb-hams.com
(Steve Thomas, M1ACB via RAC)
DL 100 OUI CELEBRATES 100 YEARS SINCE FIRST DL - US RADIO CONTACT
Keep an ear open for the German special event callsign DL 100 OUI
which will be on the air throughout 2013.
This in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first commercial radio
contact between that nation and the United States from Hannover.
O U I were the call letters of the German station at that time.
The US station was located in New Jersey.
CT 1 FTR is now active from the Sudan as ST 2 FT operating both the HF and
VHF bands using a Yaesu FT-857 and a loop antenna. Word is that he will
be there until June. QSL via CT1FTR.
RG 61 PP - celebrating the Day of the Cosmonaut (12 Apr) and the birthday of
Yuri Gagarin (9 Mar 1934), on air now until 31 May
INS Kattabomman - VLF and soon ELF
Peter Ellis VK1PE reports on a third-of-its-kind transmitting station that is
being built in India.
Amateurs have been enjoying the delights of 137kHz, 475kHz, and so on for a
while now. However, the military use of VLF (and below) has been around for
a lot longer, witness in Australia alone, Belconnen ACT on 44kHz in the 1940s,
North West Cape WA on 19.8kHz in the late 1960s, the Omega station Gippsland
VIC on 13 kHz and later 18.6kHz. And, investment in these really low bands is
continuing.
For those in the know, Jane's has been the last word in published analysis of
Defence matters for around 115 years.
Jane's Defence Weekly (6 March 2013) reports on recent photographic analysis
of Indian Naval Station (INS) Kattabomman at South Vijaya Narayanam,
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India. It currently has four frequencies between
16.3 and 19.2kHz (VLF), to communicate with submerged submarines. It is being
expanded with two towers for "Even Lower Frequencies", immediately south of
the VLF 13-tower array that is nearly 2.5km across.
The new transmitter is reported to be on ELF (3-300Hz), and related to the
Russian ZEVS station near Murmansk on 82Hz with a wavelength of 3,660
kilometres, a significant proportion of the Earth's diameter. The new
facility will supposedly feature nuclear-hardened bunkers and be operational
in 2015. Yet, the two new 500m tall towers seem immaterial at these
frequencies, that need long and low wires running out for tens of kilometres
over a very 'poor' conducting soil, and use the Earth itself as the antenna.
The now-decommissioned American "Seafarer" station in Wisconsin on 76Hz had
feeder wires running 52km. The Russian system's feeders run for 60km in each
direction. With an input of hundreds of Amps, their calculated emitted power
is only a few Watts.
Maybe the new towers are to extend the VLF options for the Indian Navy, and
the ELF is separate.
Time will tell.
For National Radio News, Peter Ellis VK1PE
References:
http://goo.gl/maps/fV05a (Google Maps - INS Kattabomman)
http://www.ihs.com/janes
http://www.janes.com/products/janes/defence-security-report.aspx?AliasID=75185
http://www.vlf.it/zevs/zevs.htm
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
CELEBRATING 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST CLASS CW OPERATORS CLUB
To commemorate their 75th anniversary of the First Class CW
Operators Club this coming May the organization is holding a
month-long on-air event featuring more than 20 special FOC
suffix calls. This will include GB75FOC which is a special
anniversary callsign for their club station.
There will also be other FOC call signs operating from the
USA and Canada as well as some exotic locations such as VQ9,
HZ1 and 5T. Stations will gain points for contacting any
First Class CW Operators Club member and a certificate will
be presented to stations who reach certain point levels.
Founded in 1938 with its roots, history and management in
the United Kingdom, the First Class CW Operators' Club
promotes good CW operating, Morse activity, friendship and
socializing via its worldwide membership of approximately
500. Complete details of the group and this event is on-
line at tinyurl.com/first-class-morse
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
SPACELAB 2 PROPOSED BEYOND THE MOON
NASA has propose a concept for a deep space station that has been dubbed
Skylab 2. Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, from Amateur Radio Newsline said that
Skylab 2 concept would consist of a single-piece habitat based on the
Space Launch System's upper-stage hydrogen tank.
The resulting space station would be the equivalent of a two-story house.
Such a space station would be human tended, hosting crews for weeks and then
months at a time. It would serve as a way station for expeditions into
deep space or back to the lunar surface.
Astronauts on the deep space station could remotely operate
radio controlled robots on the lunar surface and would study
the effects of deep space, which includes microgravity and
radiation, on the human body.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- INTERNET --- THE HAMS DOMAIN
TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA
www.HamRadioNation.com
LATEST HANDHELD RADIO WEBSITE LAUNCHED
Bill Carmichael has launched a website to provide information on the latest
handheld radio technology.
The site includes product reviews and articles from radio enthusiasts
globally discussing what they consider their own best handheld radio gear.
Ham radio wise the quad band Yaesu VX-8DR and the dual band Yaesu FT-60R
handhelds are among the radios featured on the site.
You can read for yourself on
besthandheldradios.com
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ILLW
International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend
Registrations are higher than at this time last year, guaranteeing there
will be plenty of activity from lighthouses and marine beacons in August,
only 16 weeks away.
Some 40 per cent of all registrations are from Australia and Germany, with
40 each so far.
The 16th annual fun event has attracted 29 nations from Argentina through
to Wales.
For information about the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
on August the 17th and 18th or to register online, visit the dedicated website
at illw.net
(Jim Linton VK3PC text versions only)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO --- TEXT EDITIONS ONLY
IARU REGION 3
Emergency Centre of Activity (CoA) frequencies
3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz
Saturday May 4th 2013
East Gippsland Stages
Bairnsdale
Contact: Christopher Morley VK3CJK phone: 03 5127 5656
Email: chris.morley@gdfsuezau.com
Sunday May 5th 2013
Eildon Nav Rally
Eildon
Contact: Peter Weeks VK3YZP phone: 03 5772 1454
Email: weeksradio@virtual.net.au
Saturday May 11th 2013
Global Frontline Challenge
Kinglake
Contact: Mark Dods VK3ZR phone: 03 9849 0501
Email: madods@optusnet.com.au
Saturday June 8th 2013
Mallee Rally
Sea Lake
Contact: Paul Elvey VK3YYF phone: 03 9753 2184
Email: paul.elvey@apparel21.com
ALL PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH RETRANSMITTING THIS NEWS OR SETTING UP
AUTOMATED AUDIO FEEDS SHOULD BE SUBSCRIBED TO YAHOOGROUPS.COM
A blank email with word subscribe in subject field
Send as wiabroadcasters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
MUST BE SENT FROM SAME ADDRESS AS U WISH TO SUBSCRIBE TO
THIS WILL LET YOU KNOW THE FILE NAMES AND DATES AND WHERE NEWS IS STORED
AND YOU WILL NEED THAT DURING MAY FOR OUR SPECIAL AGM BROADCASTS.
SOCIAL SCENE 2013
MAY 3- 5 VK4 Clairview AR Weekend details 04 296 32815
MAY 11 VK3 Moorabbin & District Radio Club HamFest
MAY 11 VK4 BARCfest Mt Gravatt Showgrounds 9:30am
MAY 11 VK6 Hills Amateur Radio Group - HARGfest - 1pm.
MAY 24-26 VK6 WIA AGM AND CONFERENCE IN PERTH
JUL 20 VK3 Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club HamFest
AUG 11 VK2 SARCFEST 414 Richmond Hill Rd near Lismore
AUG 17-18 WW ILLW
Oct 3- 7 VK4 North Queensland Amateur Radio Convention Charters Towers
NOV 2 VK4 Gold Coast ARS HamFest at Albert Waterways Hall.
NOV 3 VK5 HamFest Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Goodwood.
NOV 15-17 VK3 Victorian National Parks Weekend
Nov 24 VK3 Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club: Rosebud RadioFest
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. Each item will only
be broadcast once, if you want a couple of mentions, please submit different
slants to keep your event 'fresh 'and always if the news room is to read your
item write in the 3rd person.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=============================================================================
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 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 ac
|
