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WIANEWS - JANUARY 12 - 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 JAN 12 2014.
WIA Summer VHF-UHF Field Day On This WEEKEND! ( 11/12 January )
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING JAN 12 2014.
There have been some remarkable and memorable special event call signs issued
over the years by various authorities but to me this one takes the case.
The callsign EI 3 T (Echo India Three Zero Tango) has been issued to
Justin EI 3 CTB as a special callsign to use during 214 to commemorate
the 3th Anniversary of his amateur radio licence issued in 1984!!
This is the first time the prefix EI3 has been issued.
Wondering if Justin has friends in high places!
Whatever full marks for letting the world know how proud he is of his
Ham Radio Licence.
(sourced to irts)
International Air-ambulance Week 2014
An Amateur Radio 9-day Special Event - taking place on the weekend commencing
28th September, 2014 to help support the many donation-funded flying medical
services around the world.
Operating your special event station during at least some of the 9 days during
which the event takes place.
Nine days 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
The event is intended to commence on the fourth weekend of September annually
World Wide and is to be run by the same team which operates the well
established International Museum Weekends.
(Jon M0HEM http://www.qrz.com/db/m0hem)
VK3, and scientists there are working with the US Air Force to develop
light-bending technology to camouflage military hardware in war zones.
Light-bending technology could be used to help make planes, tanks and even
soldiers effectively 'invisible' on the battlefield.
The Victorian scientists are using modelling based on mother-of-pearl to work
out how to control the direction of light.
The theory is that light could be bent around objects, making them disappear.
(sourced to ABC)
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK2
web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm
The CCARC are very proud to announce that after a few years away from
the event, ICOM Australia will be exhibiting at this year's Wyong Field Day
on Sunday February the 23rd.
Please also remember that the CCARC will be running a full day foundation
class licence training course on Saturday the 22nd. and licence assessments
for all classes of licence on the Field Day itself.
For full details about registering for either the course or an
assesment, or both, as well as all information about the
field day, please go to the club website at CCARC.ORG.AU
Whether it's seeking that bargain from the flea market, grabbing that
discounted new item from the traders stands, educating yourself at the
seminars and exhibitors stalls or even taking that licence upgrade assessment.
The place to be on February twenty three is undoubtably - The CCARC Field Day
at Wyong!
73 'til next week, this is Ed VK2JI, Publicity Officer of the Central
Coast Amateur Radio Club.
Next weekend ARNSW will have the first Foundation course for the year
with assessments for all license grades on Sunday at the VK2WI Dural site.
Bookings are required by an email to education@arnsw.org.au
The first Trash and Treasure will be at the VK2WI site on Sunday morning,
the 26th January.
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.org.au/ftp/vk4_qnews_64.mp3
get local news emailed qnews-vk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
RADIO CALLS OUT FOR HELP
The Gladstone Observer newspaper this week say that the Local Amateur Radio
Club knew after flooding last year that communications in the Boyne Valley
were less than adequate during natural disasters.
Approaching its first anniversary, this non-profit, community organisation
is operating from the summit of Kroombit Tops to ensure residents can access
alerts and assistance in the event of a repeat.
"The government pledged to improve communications, but nothing has happened,"
president Paul Beales said. "We need assistance to have permanent hope of
maintaining our licence and this service."
(Gladstone Observer)
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an F-call?
Using a Foundation Call in Amateur Radio puts a number of restrictions on your
on-air activities. The most bemoaned of those restrictions is the limit of
10 Watts output power.
There is nothing like the experience of almost having completed a contact
when a deaf lead foot stomps all over your signal and drowns you out.
In the past I've pointed out that a group of Amateurs shares that experience
and power restriction and more. The community I'm referring to is the QRP
fraternity, who restrict their power to half that available to us and often
make contacts with even less power.
What I didn't think of at the time was that this community is also an
excellent source of information and knowledge. Their drive is to do more
with less and as a Foundation licensee, you cannot help but be in the
same boat.
So, look around you, search the web, find projects, bands, frequencies,
antennas, radios, power supplies and activities that the QRP community
engages in and you'll find common ground.
I know that there is a slice of the Amateur Radio community who have the
slogan, "life is too short for QRP", but as a Foundation licensee, perhaps
it's time to wear your low power budget on your sleeve.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.
WORLD-WIDE
Wi-Fi's popular but has its techno-detractors
The applications for wireless technology continue to grow with industries
like automotive, healthcare and retail embracing it as they chase market
share.
Already we see people on free Wi-Fi communicating via laptops, tablets and
smartphones, using it like the air they breathe.
As can be expected with Wi-Fi being open to anyone there are fears that hackers
will cause mayhem, and the old argument of electromagnetic radiation is again
raising its head.
The power industry has efficient smart meters to provide consumption feedback
every 30 seconds from a consumer, and there's no more the need for manual
readers.
Although they revolutionise energy distribution the fear is the wireless
devices gives hackers a way to cause havoc on power grids. The same fear
exists over traffic control signals in VK4 when it hosts the
Commonwealth Games and the G20 Leaders Summit.
In New Zealand it's claimed to cause nausea, headaches, digestive problems
and even cancer. Only last week I made mention here of the ZL School 'ditching'
Wi-Fi and over in Canada at least one case there has been a call for
the technology that links student computers to be banned.
In Denmark, some students found cress growing near Wi-Fi routers went brown.
The experiment was dismissed by most as unscientific, but it got picked up
by a tabloid newspaper.
Despite the doomsayers, Wi-Fi as an enabling technology is making our modern
lives easier and the transformation continues.
WORLD WIDE SOUNDS
2013 DX Sound Bites!
Tom, K8CX, has done it again. He has provided DXers with 156 memorable rare DX sound
clips from 2013.
Visit Tom's famous "HAM GALLERY" Web at: http://hamgallery.com/dx2013
While there also check out some of the other features on his Web page,
such as: 16 years of "Rare DX Sound Clips" of the past (as well as some
clips from the 1960's and 1970's), QSL Card Museum, Dayton Photo Galleries
and his Tribute to Silent Key Ham Operators.
Tom states, "If anyone has any old HF recordings, I would be interested in hearing
from them."
His E-mail address is: k8cx@hamgallery.com
CANADA
CQ-QC
IARU President and RAC member appointed Queen Counsel.
The province of Alberta has announced, that Mr Timothy S. Ellam, VE6SH
was one of the lawyers appointed to the province's Queen Council status.
Mr Ellam is the current IARU President and has been a member of Radio
Amateurs Canada for several years.
POLAND:-
Ham Radio Kids Day in Poland
SP3POW for Amateur Radio Kids Day took place last weekend, January 5
The Amateur Radio Kids Day is an event initiated by the ARRL that unites
radio amateurs in the USA. The concept of this event has been followed
in the other countries as well.
In Poland, the Amateur Radio Kids Day was celebrated with students from
primary and junior high schools who were mostly members of the ARISS
group and who are preparing this group for the school radio contact with
an astronaut at the ISS Station.
Besides providing the radio station they also organized for children an
ARDF competition.
It's said the Polish children very liked taking part in those kind of events
it is an unforgettable experience for them every time.
And it is like that all over the world where the Amateur Radio Kids Day is
celebrated.
=============================================================================
SARL
CLOSE TO THIRTEEN THOUSAND RADIO AMATEURS HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH ZS9MADIBA
ZS9MADIBA obtained a WAS (Worked All States) award within the first 2 weeks of
being on the air which is a remarkable achievement and is close to achieving a
DXCC in all the modes of operation, SSB, CW and Digital. At the time of writing
SARLNEWS, ZS9MADIBA had achieved the following number of contacts and
confirmations 12 846 QSO records and 4 370 QSL records. The DXCC mode status is
as follows: Mixed 93, CW 80, Phone 65 and Digital 65.
The WAS mode status is as follows:- Basic 50, CW 49, Phone 45, Digital 39.
SARL Vice President, and Contest Manager, Geoff Levey, ZS6GRL, thanks the 12
local amateurs who have given their time and effort to make this event an
success. The radio amateurs who operated ZS9MADIBA are as follows:- ZS6RJ, ZS2EC,
ZS1AU, ZS1SA, ZS1VV, ZS1ZC, ZS6A, ZS6WN, ZR6K, ZR6O, ZS6OB, ZR6DX, ZS6C, ZS6APT,
ZS1S, ZS6AKU, ZS5MAX and ZS6GRL. The radio amateurs who have achieved over a 1
000 contacts are as follows:-Roger Jones (ZS6RJ) 6 628 contacts, Theunis
Potgieter (ZS2EC) 1 367 contacts, Dennis Wells (ZS1AU) 1 092 contacts, Karel
Bezuidenhout (ZS6WM) 1 059 contacts. Including ZR6K and ZR6O.
If there was an award for the most enthusiastic radio amateur it would go to
Theunis, ZS2EC. Theunis just keeps on going day and night. Well done Theunis. A
special word of thanks to Roger, ZS6RJ. His tally of contacts says it all.
ZS9MADIBA is still needing 8 ZS6 stations to obtain a WAZS 100. Thank you for
your support.
ZS9MADIBA will be active till today only, 11 January 2014. More on
www.sarl.org.za
=============================================================================
Amateur Radio Newsline
NZART ISSUES A CORRECTION ON 6 METER OPERATION
The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters or NZART which is that nation's
national ham radio society has issued a correction to its recent news release
regarding the availability of 6 meters. It says that that a small error was
made in its bulletin number 286 that stated the nations six meter allocation
was 50 to 54 MHz.
This says the NZART is not correct.
Rather the 6 meter band for operational use is from 50 to 53 MHz for all modes
at up to the full legal power limit. It notes that New Zealand does have
limited use of the band from 53 to 54 MHz but only for approved individually
licensed 6 meter repeater outputs. 53 to 54 MHz is not available for general
amateur operation.
2014 WRTC REFEREES APPOINTED
The World Radiosport Team Championship committee has announced the list of
those who will serve as referees for the 2014 competition.
According to an announcement from the games coordinating committee a referee
will be on site at each of the 59 competing stations to verify compliance with
the rules and make decisions on any rule questions by the teams.
All of the referees will be top level contesters because they must
simultaneously listen to the audio from both operators for the entire 24 hours
of the competition, which takes place in July 2014 in the North-Eastern United
States.
A complete list of those selected to act as referees is on the web,
wrtc2014.org Also, a short video explaining the upcoming World Radiosport
Team Championship is on YouTube at tinyurl.com/wrtc-2014-usa
CANADA
RETIRED ASTRONAUT CHRIS HADFIELD VA3OOG PREDICTS MOON BASE WITHIN 70 YEARS
Retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, VA 3OO G has predicted that
humans will have a colony on the moon within the next 30 to 40 years
and establish a base on Mars within the next 70.
In a recent interview with the Telegraph newspaper, Hadfield said that this is
a pattern we have been following for the last 70,000 years. He noted mankind
gradually made its way around the world. In the last 100 years we have gotten
to Antarctica and now there are people who live there for months at a time.
VA3OOG went on to say that he thinks that within his lifetime we will see a
permanent lunar base. Also that the setting up of a permanent habitation on
the Moon will help to improve space exploration.
Hadfield gained fame for tweeting pictures of space and performing his own
version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" during his command of the
International Space Station this past year. He retired from the Canadian Space
Agency last June and is currently on tour promoting his new book
"An Astronaut's Guide To Life on Earth."
You can read the entire interview with Chris Hadfield, VA3OOG on the web
tinyurl.com/Hadfield-Moon-Future
MORE ELECTRONICS BUT LOWER POWER USE
The average amount of electricity consumed in
U.S. homes has fallen to levels not seen in more
than a decade. This is likely due to the
introduction of more energy efficient appliances
and other consumer electronics leading to overall
power usage being on track to decline by the end
of 2013 for the third year in a row.
According to the Energy Information
Administration the end of 2013 level expected is
around 10,819 kilowatt-hours per household. That
is the lowest level since 2001, when households
averaged 10,535 kilowatt-hour.
And even more interesting is that this decline
has occurred even though we now use more electric
and electronic devices in our daily lives. You
can read one of several in-depth reports on this
phenomenon at tinyurl.com/less-electric-use
STUDYING HOW A RECHARGEABLE BATTERY WORKS
And finally this week, have you ever wondered
what happens inside a rechargeable battery? If
so you are not alone as we hear from Amateur
Radio Newsline's Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK:
--
Scientists are still searching for clues to the
processes that takes place inside rechargeable
batteries. This as part of the ongoing quest to
create more powerful, longer-lasting and cheaper energy storage devices.
Now a team of researchers with the Department of
Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in
cooperation with other research centres have
discovered how to unlock some of the secrets
hidden within rechargeable batteries.
So far most of the research into batteries has
focused on studying the electrolyte interphase
layer. This is a coating that accumulates on an
electrode's surface and dramatically influences
battery performance. But until recently the
research has been limited because most
high-powered microscope work is done under dry
conditions while most batteries contain
liquids. As such the liquid has slowed the
ability to conduct this type of research.
To overcome this, researchers have created a
special dry battery for their tests. The battery
contains one dime size silicon electrode and one
lithium electrode sandwiching a bath of solid
electrolyte. This configuration permits the flow
of ions but still allow microscopic study which
in turn has allowed the team to study the electrodes behaviour.
The researchers say this new study could be the
next step in the ongoing quest to create longer lasting
rechargeable batteries.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Cheryl Lasek, K9BIK, in Zion, Illinois.
--
The work was published in a recent issue of The
Journal Nano Letters, could eventually lead to
better rechargeable batteries. More is on line
at tinyurl.com/new-battery-research
=============================================================================
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
WHITE TEETH - BLUE TOOTH
How do you improve the humble electric toothbrush?
By adding Bluetooth and an app of course!
The Kolibree toothbrush has an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer
inside which it uses to record how long you brush your teeth for, and how
you brush them.
It can show you live information on how you're doing so you can adjust your
brushing technique, or simply brush for longer. Or it can sync that
information with a phone app to give you a running total of how well you've
brushed.
You end up looking at a screen that gives you a score out of five that's
based on how long and well you've cleaned your teeth.
Jason Jenkins, of CNET says 'It sounds silly and gimmicky, and of course it
mostly is, but there is one way I could see this being useful: for kids.
You have the ability to set up different family members in one app and track
them separately, with the app generating a graph showing how well you brush
compared to everyone else.'
It's coming from a French company with the same name as the product, and will
start at $99 from the third quarter of 2014.
(Credit: Jason Jenkins/ CNET)
OPERATIONAL NEWS - DATELINE 2014
WIA Summer VHF-UHF Field Day 11/12 January
WIA John Moyle Field Day weekend March 15-16
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
Manly-Warringah Radio Society's Flagpole contest September.
Amateur Radios International Air-ambulance Week, 9 days from Sep 28.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE
In DX, word that the only two stations in the
South Sudan are off the air due to the current
internal political strife. These are Z81B and
Z81D and indications are that there will not be
any further ham radio signals from that new
nation until conditions stabilize. More on this
as information becomes available.
DX-World.net reports that WA5A will be on the air
stroke 5Z4 from Kenya until about January
28th. His operation will be holiday style on the
High Frequency bands. QSL via his home callsign.
W100AW active for ARRL's Centennial Year
A reminder that the FCC has authorized the Maxim Memorial Station W 1 AW to
also use the call sign W 100 AW during 2014, the ARRL's centennial year.
Contacts made from the Maxim Memorial Station in Newington, from regional
Centennial conventions, and during the IARU HF Championship will use W 100 AW,
with portable designators as appropriate.
The "W1AW WAS" operations throughout 2014 from each of the 50 states will use
W1AW, not W100AW.
Bulletins and code practice transmissions during 2014 also will still use
W1AW. Contacts with W 100 AW are worth 100 points in the ARRL Centennial
QSO Party.
Information on the ARRL Centennial QSO Party may be found on the web,
http://www.arrl.org/centennial-qso-party
(SouthGate)
Hunting Lions-in-the-Air
The event takes place this weekend, always the weekend closest to 13 January,
the birth date of Melvin Jones, the founder of the Lions organisation.
It will not be a contest but merely a means for Lions to exchange greetings
with other Lions and Lions Clubs.
Radio amateurs and members of the various Lions Clubs get together and the
Lions are allowed to exchange greetings with other Lions under supervision
of the radio amateur. Normally the name and number of the Lions Club is the
exchange.
AWARDS
Portable trek to Western Victoria
Travelling by road for seven days recently husband and wife team Joe VK3YSP and
Julie Gonzales VK3FOWL made the very best of their portable Amateur Radio trip.
The pair activated 19 Victorian National Parks for the Keith Roget Memorial
National Parks Award and the World Wide Flora and Fauna Award.
They also made their debut for the Summits On The Air program by activating
three SOTA peaks along the way - making a total of over 300 QSOs each.
Combining touring, camping and bushwalking with portable operation is definitely
the best way to experience National Parks. Another round trip is planned
by them to cover the rest of Victoria.
They extend thanks to all who made contact with about a dozen popping up
regularly at nearly every stop. During the 2500 kms trip VK3YSP-1 was tracked
by the Automatic Packet Reporting System APRS.
Acknowledgement is also made to the Parks Victoria staff and the Aboriginal
traditional owners of the land.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ARDF
WIA ARDF COORDINATOR VK3WWW Jack vk3www@wia.org.au
http://users.mackay.net.au/~ron/
http://www.homingin.com
http://www.ardf.org.au
The Indian National Institute of Amateur Radio reports that 550 people
have just participated in an Amateur Radio Direction Finding event.
NIAR say:
The "FOX HUNT" (DF) event was a grand success, around 550+ participants with
nearly 140 on-spot registrations and 64 online registrations which contributed
around 200 teams.
National Institute of Amateur Radio
http://www.niar.org/
(SouthGate)
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
News from Austravel-Safetynet
The Frank Sleep Memorial HF Base needs your help.
Roy Watkins VK6XV from Austravel-Safetynet has asked for help in finding a
new site to house the fully automated Frank Sleep Memorial HF Base as the
current location at Rasmussen North Queensland is about to change hands.
The Frank Sleep Memorial HF Base is part of a network of HF Bases run
primarily by Radio Amateurs involved with Austravel-Safetynet to provide
reliable communications and skeds for those travellers who are equipped with
a HF Outpost Mobile transceiver.
Roy is hoping that someone within North Queensland can help with a site
to rehouse the facility, named in memory of Frank Sleep VK4CAU, to a more
permanent location.
If you can help please contact Roy/VK6XV on email
vk6xv@bigpond.com
(tarc news)
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - LOW DOWN
LOWBANDS AND WARC BANDS FROM NORTHERN EUROPE
Capitalizing on the current season of almost
total darkness in northern Europe, a sub-group of
the Z81X and OF9X teams are in the Aland Islands
to activate OG0A on low bands and WARC bands
and you can try until tomorrow, January 13th.
The OH0X contest site is being used as the base camp with 160 Meter
slopers and a 2 element 80 meter beam atop a 140 foot rotating tower.
Main activity will be on CW, but there may be some SSB and RTTY used
occasionally. QSL OG0A via OH2BH. And as a side note, planners say that
this operation is dedicated to the next Youth on the Air summer camp
due to be held in Finland next July 15th through the 22nd.
(Southgate via ARNewsLine)
SAQ transmission heard in Connecticut
The 17.2 kHz transmission from Sweden on Christmas Eve 2013 was picked up in
Connecticut USA.
They were using thee Alexanderson alternator on VLF 17.2 kHz.
This time they received 50 more reports than before. This transmission was one of the
best received ever.
Also listen to a recording from Connecticut in USA.
An up-dated version of the Summary Report can be seen on website
http://www.alexander.n.se/ later on
(SM6NM/Lars)
SOCIAL SCENE 2014
Jan 24-27 VK4 TARC Australia Day Long Weekend Family Radio Camp
at Girl Guides Campsite Bluewater. (vk4zz@wia.org.au)
Feb 01 VK4 Redcliffe Radio Club "Car Boot Sale" 9 am.
( secretary@redclifferadioclub.org.au )
Feb 23 VK2 Wyong Field Day and it is on come rain hail or shine.
Apr 13-15 VK PR4AmateurRadio Expo.
Apr 18 WW Amateur Radio Day: Your Gateway to Wireless Communications.
Apr 25 vk3 ANZAC Day event Ballarat Showgrounds johnkarr@bigpond.net.au
May 2- 4 VK4 Clairview Gathering Clive VK4ACC 0429 632 815
Nov 2 VK5 HamFest Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society
Nov 30 VK3 SPARC HamFest at Rosebud (howardjones155@gmail.com)
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