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WIANEWS - SEPTEMBER 29 - VK NATIONAL NEWS
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
Oh... and to contact us with your news because
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WIANEWS WEEK COMMENCING SEP 29 2013.
WIA's VK3ADW JOINTLY AWARDED Michael J. Owen VK3KI IARU AWARD
WIA PRESIDENT WRITES TO CLUBS RE REPEATERS
WIA DIRECTOR ROGER HARRISON ON WIA FINANCES
WIA QUIZ TIME
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING SEP 29 2013.
Jail gets phone jamming technology
Lithgow jail west of Sydney is now trialling Australia's first authorised
trial of technology that will stop inmates making calls from smuggled mobile
phones.
While illegal to have a mobile phone inside a jail, some 239 were found last
year in New South Wales.
After approval from the Australian Communications and Media Authority a tender
was called resulting in dozens of antennas installed into prison cell blocks.
The trial is being closely watched to ensure the jamming does not cause
interference to mobile phone use outside the jail.
Depending on its success jamming could become a tool in other maximum security
prisons.
Mobile phone jamming is already used in the US, Bermuda, New Zealand and
the Cayman Islands, but possession and use of jammers is outlawed in Australia.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WIA BOARD TALK
President Phil Wait VK2ASD vk2asd@wia.org.au
Vice President Chris Platt VK5CP vk5cp@wia.org.au
Secretary David Williams VK3RU vk3ru@wia.org.au
Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz@wia.org.au
Inaugural Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award Announced
The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union held its
annual meeting on 2 & 4 November 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Due to the
passing of Michael J. Owen VK3KI, who had been a member of the Administrative
Council for most of its existence and had been a long time contributor to the
efforts of IARU to promote and preserve amateur radio, the AC decided to
establish an award in recognition of this.
The Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award was established to recognize an individual or
individuals that best exemplify the dedication and hard work of IARU
volunteers.
Following an IARU request for submission by member Societies of possible
recipients, the AC at its meeting in Cancun Mexico on Sunday 22 September
2013, considered submissions and agreed to jointly award the first
Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award to Dr David Wardlaw VK3ADW and
Wojciech Nietyksza SP5FM.
David Wardlaw became involved with the IARU in 1968 as a part of the
Secretariat provided by WIA for the inaugural conference of IARU Region 3
in Sydney. While serving as WIA President he attended the 1976 IARU world
meeting in Miami, held in conjunction with the Region 2 Conference, at which
the global objectives and strategy for WARC-79 were developed. Along with
Michael Owen, David was appointed to the Australian delegation to WARC-79 to
represent Amateur Radio. He served as a Director of Region 3 from 1988 to 1994
and from 1997 to 1999, resigning at that time to succeed Michael as IARU
Vice President. He served as IARU Vice President from 1999 to 2004. David was
an effective representative of both Amateur Radio and the Australian
administration at the ITU.
Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM began his long and intensive IARU involvement as a
member of the IARU team attending the 1974 Maritime Mobile WARC in Geneva.
From that time through WRC-03 he was the most consistent face of the IARU at
ITU meetings and conferences. He was elected Vice Chairman of Region 1 in
1975 and was re-elected to that position every three years until 1999 when he
relinquished it for Tafa Diop, 6W1KI. Wojciech remained a member of the
Region 1 EC and chairman of its External Relations Committee through 2002.
The WIA congratulates Dr David Wardlaw VK3ADW and Wojciech Nietyksza SP5FM on
the receipt of the inaugural Michael J. Owen VK3KI award.
Geoff Atkinson VK3TL IARU Region 3 Director, in Mexico attending the AC
meeting and IARU Region 2 Conference, phoned Dr Wardlaw from the meeting to
advise him of the award and extend congratulations on behalf of the IARU
Region 3.
From our President, writing on WIA Front Page News this note to clubs
arranging repeaters.
The ACMA limit power output of all repeaters to 50 watts maximum.
To comply with this requirement, and to avoid applications being
automatically rejected by the ACMA, the WIA will modify all repeater
applications received to specify 50 Watts power output.
Co-shared transmitter sites may also be required to comply with the communal
site licence conditions. This condition, if applicable, will be attached to
the repeater licence.
If an amateur repeater is proposed in a remote location well away from other
services, with evidence supporting the operational need for higher power, an
application may be made to the ACMA to have the restriction removed.
There is no restriction on cross-linking of amateur repeaters across State
borders. Under an in-principal agreement between the WIA and the ACMA, the
ACMA licenses each repeaters transmitter (TX frequency), and records the
associated repeater receive frequency on the licence for the link transmitter
controlling that repeater.
Provided each end of the link in each State is licensed with the correct
associated receiver record, there is no regulatory issue.
Read the Presidents full WIA Front Page item here..
wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2013/20130919-3/index.php
WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, again writing on WIA Front Page News
tells how membership applications continue in a steady stream - month in,
month out - and it is noted that among the applications there's a good number
of previous members re-joining after a period of absence.
The Board has noted that licence exam applications over this year to the end
of August are up in numbers compared to 2012.
The good news in this is that the Foundation licence remains the most popular
among the three grades. There were 362 new Foundation licenses issued in
2012. Latest figures from the ACMA reveal that new FLs are on track to
perhaps beat that figure for 2013.
While income from subscriptions and exam operations is holding up, income
from other Institute activities this year is concerning the Board, and a
shortfall of overall income compared to expenditure has emerged again this
year.
The Institute has money in interest-bearing deposits to cover modest
deficits, but the Board cannot allow losses to continue year on year. Hence,
the Board has decided to make a number of changes to reduce expenditure,
where possible.
The Board has decided to postpone the Club Grant Scheme this year. The
Scheme has cost around $6000 a year previously, and the Board felt that this
is another place to make savings. Rest assured, the Scheme has not been
abandoned as it has served a worthwhile role within Australia's amateur radio
community to date.
Facing circumstances where the WIA's fixed costs rise year-on-year, and where
personal expenditure on the hobby is soft, the Board believes that now is not
the time to raise membership fees, and trusts that the measures outlined here
serve to delay any necessary increase.
Other steps the Board is considering include bolstering the promotion of
those functions and activities that generate income and bring more people
into the hobby.
Read Rogers full WIA Front Page item here..
wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2013/20130919-4/index.php
Now it's quiz time
The question is: .... "Explain amateur radio?"
Seems to be a pretty simple question, but think about it, do you have the
right answer or answers?
Dare say most of us would not be able to succinctly give an answer. That
is, without saying what we did, and even a few who would slip into jargon
and ham-lingo to give some sort of a reply.
As every good salesperson learns it is essential to know about the product
or service on offer to have a hope of clinching a deal with a customer.
So it should be with amateur radio, if we are to be successful in recruiting
new people into our ranks.
Unless we have the right messages and can communicate them, true success
is not realised.
The WIA in the lead-up to its PR4AmateurRadio Expo in April will help clubs
or groups maximise their involvement in this publicity drive.
And as an 'explain amateur radio" Ed VK2JI says it's time to
"Wake up and smell the roses!" it's a kind of Ham Radio 101 primer.
How often do we hear each other saying this or that was good "Back in the day"?
Well I've been around the traps a few times and agree the 70's and 80's were
great for Amateur Radio and its importance in the world.
But STOP and take a look around. You may not have realised it but it's GREAT to
be in Amateur Radio again.
With regular contacts to the space station
With Amateur Radio providing an essential service in many, many disaster
situations around the world.
With great contests and DXpeditions in many cases to places not possible before.
With new construction kits letting even a newcomer build a complete stable
transceiver in a few nights work.
With portable operation being at its highest for a long time with Summit and
Park activation award schemes.
With the use of QRP both portable and with new data modes that were never
around "Back in the day" allowing communications below the noise level.
With Digital and Analogue repeaters allowing a handy talkie to talk around the
world.
With tracking and data comms via APRS.
With balloon launches to the outer layers of the Earth's atmosphere.
We are seeking more young people to join our fantastic hobby - we now have so
many more things to offer them than we had "Back in the day".
So PLEASE the next time someone says to you - "So what's this ham radio thing
about" Don't say "well it used to be good but now it's just a bunch of us old
folk chatting to each other" - while that's important there are so, so, many
other facets to the hobby today that simply didn't exist years ago.
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES!
The Amateur Radio hobby is BACK IN BLOOM and leading technology as always.
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK3
web service:- http://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/
EMR/EMI
Does your station comply with the current EMR/EMI regulations.
One way to find out is to use the VK3UM EMR/EMI calculator.
Have you tried the program but still not sure where you stand. Well if you
live in the Melbourne area and are free Friday October 4 you are in luck.
Doug VK3UM will be giving a presentation to the EMDRC where he will explain
how to use the calculator and determine the results.
This meeting will be held in our Nunawading venue and visitors are always
welcome. Doug along with Peter VK3MV who were part of the WIA/ACMA Liaison
team will also be taking questions on the night. We plan to video the
presentation and upload it to the internet so that others not able to attend
the Nunawading meeting will not miss out.
For more information head to www.emdrc.com.au
Looking forward to seeing you there on Friday October 4th.
This has been VK3WWW Jack.
Home brewers monthly gathering
The next Homebrew Constructors meeting will be on Saturday of October the
5th at 2pm.
All are welcome to attend at Amateur Radio Victoria, 40g Victory Boulevard,
Ashburton.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
VK6
VI6WA100 a special event callsign will be used to celebrate the centenary of
organised Amateur Radio in Western Australia. In October 1913, the Perth Radio
Club (then changed to WIA VK6 Division a few years later) held their first
meeting.
The call VI 6 WA 100 will be on air October 1 till years end.
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an F-call?
Amateur Radio is as much about radio as it is about community. If you've only
just received your license there is a vast treasure trove of information
available on the Internet.
Of course you'll find other amateurs online, search by callsign, since it
seems that most amateurs include that somewhere in their post - seems like a
badge of honour - seriously, there are billions of web pages around and
finding those pertaining to amateur radio are greatly helped by the inclusion
of your callsign.
The Internet is used for all manner of things, information about choosing a
radio, places to buy said radio and places to avoid. Information about buying
or building antennas, information about propagation, online shacks with video
streams, online receivers, clusters of computers sharing DX information,
contests, logs and QSL information. There's software, maps, operation guides,
buy and sell markets, discussion Fora, even what use is an F-call is online.
One thing you might want to consider is to set-up your Amateur Radio
"home page" on QRZ.com. It's a website that allows you to create your
callsign account and after activation, you can update your QTH information,
your QSL info and any other details that seem pertinent to you. Other
amateurs and some software use it as a means to find information about
stations they're talking to on-air, so you can use it as a source and share
your own information while you're at it.
The Internet is a whole other source of Amateur Radio Information and
Interaction.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART, ARVictoria and the WW sources of the WIA.
GERMANY
DARC report that Kurt DL3UXI has written an open letter to the German
Minister of Justice about the increasing pollution of the radio spectrum
In it DL3UXI notes that increasingly our vital radio spectrum is contaminated
by electromagnetic interference. In urban areas, the concentration of
electrical devices that do not or no longer comply with the Essential
Requirements of the EMC Directive is so great that reception of Long, Medium
and Short-wave radio transmissions may no longer possible. Technologies such
as PLC / PLT even use electricity networks for data communication and thereby
radiate electromagnetic interference.
Read the open letter of Kurt Rhlig DL3UXI
http://www.df8th.de/PLC/Offener_Brief_17_09_2013.doc
GLOBAL
International Air Ambulance Week 2014
The intention of this event will be to help support the many donation funded
flying medical services around the world, by operating your special event
station during at least some of the 9 days during which the event takes place.
Nine days to include two weekends, so everyone can get an opportunity to take
part.
The primary rule is that no radio amateur should accept any donations.
Donations and offers of funding should be made directly to which ever service
you nominate when you complete the registration form to take part in the
event. Registration will be mandatory and all stations taking part will be
issued a registration number.
Jon M 0 HEM says the event is intended to commence on the fourth weekend of
September annually and is to be run by the same team which operates the well
established International Museum Weekends.
=============================================================================
Amateur Radio Newsline
US RESEARCH PROBE HEADS TOWARD THE MOON
More than 40 years after the last Apollo astronauts left the
moon, NASA has launched a small robotic spacecraft to
investigate Earths primary satellite. The Ladee spacecraft,
which is charged with studying the lunar atmosphere and
dust, soared aloft aboard a Minotaur launch vehicle rocket a
little before midnight on Friday, September 6th with its
destination being the moon.
Ladee is an acronym for the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust
Environment Explorer mission. It is using the so-called
sling-shot effect of Earth's gravity to propel it to moon.
This by it making three increasingly larger circuits around
our home planet before getting close enough to transfer into
a lunar orbit. Because of this the spacecraft will require
a full month to reach Earth's closest neighbour.
Ladee, which is the size of a small car, is expected to
reach the moon on October 6th. Researchers hope to use it
to learn the composition of the moon's weak atmosphere and
how it might change over time. Another puzzle, dating back
decades, is whether dust rises of its own accord from the
lunar surface.
To accomplish its mission the Ladee spacecraft carries three
scientific research instruments. And in addition to
traditional radio gear it is also carrying a. experimental
Laser communications package that could revolutionize data
relay. NASA wants to experiment with this system to see if
it might eventually be able to replace its traditional RF
based communications with coherent modulated light
transmission that might afford greater bandwidth using
significantly less power and smaller devices. For now, data
gathered by Ladee will reportedly be sent back to Earth
using both systems.
The $280 million moon-orbiting operation will last six
months. It will end when the spacecraft is commanded to
make a final plunge to the surface of the moon. More about
Ladee mission is on the web at tinyurl.com/back-to-the-moon
ARMY MARS INVITES PARTNERS TO COLLABORATE IN HOMELAND SECURITY OPERATION
Army MARS Headquarters has invited the Chiefs of
Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps MARS to join in a
National Communications Exercise. One that will
measure the auxiliary force's capabilities in the
event that normal communications are disrupted throughout North America.
The test will run for 48 continuous hours from
November 3rd to the 5th and will be closely
monitored by a Joint Command responsible to the
Defence Department for homeland security. This
exercise culminates a year-long series of
escalating preparations by Army MARS for
responding to all types of complex
emergencies. These could be anything from a
natural phenomenon or terrorist attack that might
render the Internet, long distance telephone, and
national news and media networks unusable across the United States.
=============================================================================
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
UK FUNERAL INTERRUPTED BY RF
We have all heard of RF getting into PA systems, but this one truly has to
take the prize for the unusual. Amateur Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek,
K9BIK, has the rather strange details:
--
Can you imagine being at a funeral service when the sound
coming out of the loud speaker system is suddenly
interrupted by airline stewardess' message to her
passengers? Well it actually happened recently in the
United Kingdom when what's been described as a mysterious
voice was heard through a church's public address system during
a funeral service telling passengers on a plane to "prepare for landing."
The story goes this way. Friends and family of Brendan
Duffy had gathered at St Edward's Church in Windsor,
Berkshire, to pay their final respects after the Dublin-born
grandfather-of-four died on August 8th, at age 78. But as
his nephew Joe Duffy was reading the eulogy, everyone was
suddenly told to fasten their seat belts and for the other
flight attendants to prepare the aircraft's doors for landing.
While some might have thought it could have been a sign from
the heavens above a more rational explanation is that the
church's wireless microphone system and the two-way radio
system on the aircraft were on the same frequency. But that
would not explain how the announcement made using a closed
loop in-cabin public address system could get transmitted
outside the airplane unless perhaps someone pushed the wrong
button on the flight deck.
That said, as we go to air, the mystery of the RF signal
from on-high remains unexplained.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline. I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in
Zion, Illinois.
--
Joe Duffy is a local personality radio. He told a news
reporter that everyone at the service was looking around and
up to heaven, trying to figure out where the voice was
coming from.
OPERATIONAL NEWS - DATELINE 2013
WIA Spring VHF-UHF Field Day weekend of November 23/24.
2014
WIA Summer VHF-UHF Field Day 11/12 January (to be confirmed)
WIA VK Harry Angel Memorial Sprint May 3
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 2 - 3
WIA REMEMBRANCE DAY (THE RD) CONTEST Aug 16 - 17
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX and BEACON AND NET ADVICE
9N2 YY Nepal between October 2-5th.
Callsign 9N2 YY final confirmation will take place upon arrival in Kathmandu.
This license in Nepal will cover bands 17-10 meters,
QSL via OH2 YY, by the Bureau also LoTW.
A52 YY Kingdom of Bhutan October 6-10th,
Active on 40-10 meters using SSB.
QSL via OH 2YY, by the Bureau also LoTW.
The VK5 National & Conservation Parks Award celebrates its 6 month
anniversary on the 14th April this year.
In its short history the Award has become very popular with over 70
South Australian National Parks and Conservation Parks being activated.
A total of 42 certificates have been issued to VK3 & VK5 operators for their
participation.
To celebrate the 6 month anniversary, a special activation weekend will be
held on Saturday the 19th & Sunday the 20th October, 2013.
All amateurs are encouraged to dust off their portable equipment and get out
into the open air and operate portable from a VK5 National Park or
Conservation Park.
Already a large number of amateurs have indicated their intention of
operating portable from a park over the weekend. And a reminder that if you
do intend to activate a park, please notify Paul VK5PAS who is compiling a
list of participants.
More information on the VK5 Parks award, including rules and what parks
qualify, can be found on the home page of the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio
Society at.
www.ahars.com.au
Again, the special activation weekend is Saturday the 19th and Sunday the
20th October.
Thanks for listening, I am Paul, VK5 Papa Alpha Sierra on behalf of the
Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society.
CHINA VS. THE PHILIPPINES OVER SCARBOROUGH REEF
DXpeditions to Scarborough Reef and other
locations in that region could become a lot
harder if not impossible if China makes good on
it's expected move to occupy a disputed chain of
shoals in the South China Sea. This according to
a top Philippines' diplomat who says that China
may act to expand China's territory before
regional rules on maritime behaviour comes into effect.
Albert del Rosario is the Philippines Foreign
Affairs Secretary. On September 4th he said that
his nation believes China's incursion into the
area known as the Scarborough Shoal is a threat
to peace in Southeast Asia. But in Beijing, a
foreign ministry spokesman described the shoal
area as China's inherent territory.
Scarborough Shoal or Reef, also known as Huangyan
Island, is a shoal located between the
Macclesfield Bank and Luzon Island of the
Philippines in the South China Sea. It is a
disputed territory claimed by the People's
Republic of China, by Taiwan and the
Philippines. The shoal's status is often
discussed in conjunction with other territorial
disputes in the South China Sea such as those
involving the Spratly Islands or the Paracel
Islands. Since the 2012 Scarborough Shoal
standoff access to the territory has been
restricted by the People's Republic of China.
Tension in the South China Sea has risen of late
as China uses its growing naval might to assert
extensive claims over the oil and gas rich waters
more forcefully. This in turn has been fuelling
fears of a military clash for some time.
The last major operation from Scarborough was in
2007 where the BS7H team made over 45,000
QSOs. Currently Scarborough is listed as number
21 in the Club Log Most Wanted List and number 7
in the latest most needed list published by the DX Magazine.
(ARNewsLine)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
The ARISS educational school contact for Scuola Media Statale
"Salvo D'Acquisto" in Cesano Maderno, Italy, planned for last Tuesday
September 24 was cancelled, due to the Cygnus berthing delay.
The contact will be re-scheduled.
(Gaston Bertels - ON4WF ARISS-Europe chairman)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING
http://www.scouts.com.au
http://www.scout.org/jota
http://www.international.scouts.com.au
CALLING FREQUENCIES
Please QSY off the calling frequency after establishing communication.
Australian voice calling frequencies:
3.650, 7.090, 14.190, 21.190, 28.590, 52.160
World CW calling frequencies:
3.570, 7.030, 14.060, 18.080, 21.140, 24.910, 28.180, 50.160
World voice calling frequencies:
3.690 & 3.940 MHz, 7.090 & 7.190, 14.290, 18.140, 21.360,
24.960, 28.390, 50.160
Calling frequencies for Slow Scan TV (SSTV):
3.630, 7.033, 14.227
Calling Frequencies for PSK31
14.070
Peter VK2PR from Fisher's Ghost Amateur Radio Club is super pleased that
members of the Club will be at 2 locations during JOTA 2013.
Cataract Scout Park for the Scouts and Kentlyn for the Girl Guides.
--
The St George Amateur Radio Society will operate the largest Jamboree On The
Air radio station in VK and is seeking assistance with operating club Station
VK2LE during JOTA 2013.
Operators with any class of license are most welcome and best of all no
previous experience with JOTA is essential as there will be experienced
operators on hand for support.
For more information or to offer your assistance contact Paul VK2GX
jota@sgars.org
(VK2EMU via VK2WI News)
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
The recent 'battery only' power training exercise in Malaysia, aimed at
passing messages and testing day-time propagation paths, involved around
30 radio amateurs who were assisted by five shortwave listeners.
IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee's Johnny Tan 9M8DB noted
that some drove 800km from Kuching to Miri for the exercise that tested paths
between west to east Malaysia, and most certainly prepared everyone involved
for disaster communications.
The Emcomm message handling exercise on voice was a success. Due to some
missing connectors lost in transportation the use of PSK31 had to be postponed
to a later date.
However Johnny 9M8DB said an officer from the Malaysian Commission for
Multimedia and Communications Gidah Menon 9W2GM was very impressed with the
ability to conduct the training and to achieve the results.
Propagation between West Malaysia and East Malaysia proved to be best on
20 metres. The Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) exercise proved to
be a great success with the low slung wire antennas.
The three battery-operated remote sites were about 50km away by road from
the Miri Operations Centre which was operating on 5 watts PEP and using NVIS
antennas.
The event assessors, the MCMC officer and two senior Malaysia Amateur Radio
Transmitters' Society (MARTS) members gave the exercise high marks overall.
This was based on the speed at which the three teams located and accessed
their remote sites given GPS coordinates only, installation of the antennas,
general station setup and the efficiency of message handling.
More exercises will be organised giving more people the chance to be involved
with special emphasis on the efficiency of message handling.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee).
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- SUMMITS ON THE AIR
www.sotawatch.org
www.sota.org.uk
As announced in earlier broadcasts the Summits on the air SOTA
programme is now operational in vk2 and vk4, with over 1000 summits
in vk2 and over 500 registered so far in vk4 with some large regions
still to go. All regions of VK2 are registered so there are summits
all over the state. In VK4, the two southeast regions and the
Capricornia and Wide Bay & Burnett regions are registered at this
point. I can also pass on the news that VK6 is being surveyed at
present and I will leave detailed announcements to those doing the work.
To mark the launch of SOTA in vk2 you are invited to join in a SOTA
QSO party on Sunday 13th October. If you can, activate a nearby or
distant summit yourself. If you prefer to operate from your home or
other portable location as a chaser, do join in. The activators need
to make at least 4 contacts to qualify their activation.
SOTA is not a contest but is an operating award programme. You can
record your contacts in an online log and claim points for your contacts.
A major benefit of participating in the SOTA programme is that to
activate a summit you must do at least some walking (the last 25m of
altitude). As many mountains have no vehicle access anywhere near
the top, this sometimes means you and your fellow activators need to
walk 1, 2 or more km, carrying your radio station, food and water,
navigation and safety equipment. Many radio amateurs around the
world are now enjoying this combination of amateur radio with some
level of bushwalking. It is good for the health.
For more details about the award, the summits already registered,
activators' guides and online maps and spotting websites, start your
search at SOTA.org.uk.
73 from Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH, association manager for SOTA in VK2.
SOCIAL SCENE
SEP 27-29 VK6 HARG Spring RF Camp-out Bald Hill Campground, Avon Valley
Oct 3- 7 VK4 North Queensland Amateur Radio Convention Charters Towers
Oct 5 vk4 REDFest St Michael's College, Caboolture, 9am
Oct 6 VK5 VK5 ASSOCIATION OF SOTA Activity Day
Oct 20 VK3 Ballarat Amateur Radio Group Hamvention
NOV 2 VK4 Gold Coast ARS HamFest at Albert Waterways Hall.
NOV 3 VK5 HamFest Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Goodwood.
NOV 10 VK2 ARNSW Radio Fest Dural
NOV 10 VK3 Microwave Test and Tune day (EMDRC)
NOV 15-17 VK3 Victorian National Parks Weekend
Nov 24 VK3 Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club Rosebud RadioFest
2014
Feb 23 VK2 Wyong Field Day and it is on come rain hail or shine.
WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT ?
I have seen chocolates and decorations appearing already in the shops for
Christmas!
In that case, it's probably time for all good Radio Amateurs to plan to be at
the biggest amateur radio event of 2014, The CCARC Field day at Wyong on Sunday
February 23rd.
Local motels fill up early so if you want to be there for the 6:30 opening of
the flea market you'd better get your accommodation booked as soon as possible.
We'll be running the courtesy bus from the railway station and main car park
again in 2014 as it was a great success this year.
New for 2014 will be both local and national radio clubs presenting themselves
and looking for new members at this premier event.
Seminars are being booked in as are traders and exhibitors and it already
looks like 2014's event will be bigger and better than ever.
Remember the event goes ahead, "rain or shine".
Over the next couple of months I'll be updating you on the exact traders and
exhibitors that we will be welcoming to the event as well as the seminars and
raffle prizes but please remember if you're traveling to the event and need
accommodation now is the best time to book it for both price and choice.
73 this is Ed VK2JI Publicity Officer of the Central Coast ARC.
Apr 13-15 VK PR4AmateurRadio Expo.
Apr 25 vk3 ANZAC Day event Ballarat Showgrounds johnkarr@bigpond.net.au
May 2- 4 VK4 Clairview Gathering Clive VK4ACC 0429 632 815
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item write in the 3rd person.
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