WIANEWS - APRIL 13 - 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!
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WIANEWS WEEK COMMENCING APR 13 2014.
OUR 19TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
WIA PR4AmateurRadio Expo going well.
WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH membership survey.
WIA 2015 ANZAC Commemoration Event planning.
WIA Coordinator Denis Johnstone VK4AE on John Moyle Memorial Field Day.
Isle of Muck to be activated!
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING APRIL 13 2014.
TRENDING ON VK1WIA TWITTER ACCOUNT
http://twitter.com/VK1WIA
#MH370andHam Radio
#VK1WIA
#WICEN ITA
By way of Brisbane Area WICEN:
On 10/04/14 11:18, "Dale McCarthy" wrote:
With the impending arrival of Tropical Cyclone ITA I propose that a
listening watch be held on the following frequencies.
HF : 0600-1800 local time 7.088 MHz. 1800-0600 local time 3.588 MHz.
VHF: 146.500, Ch.50 simplex
UHF: VK4RBK repeater 439.900 neg split.
(Stuart Longland (aka Redhatter, VK4MSL)txt editions and twitter)
The PR4AmateurRadio Expo going well
The Wireless Institute of Australia is now holding its Expo to showcase the
many benefits of a diverse yet easily assessable Amateur Radio - enjoyed
by those who know it exists.
Coinciding with World Amateur Radio Day, the Expo is on April the 11th to
the 13th, with early reports of "CQ Expo" demonstration stations answering
questions from the attending public and on the air.
We have at least:
The Adelaide Hills, Summerland, Orana and Region, Bundaberg, Ipswich, Central
Queensland, The RadioActives, EMDRC, Yarra Valley, Shepparton & District,
and The Melbourne Electronics radio clubs, plus Robert Broomhead VK3DN at
a Kilsyth boot sale, with Julie & Joe Gonzales VK3YSP in South Oakleigh.
WIA President Phil Wait VK2ASD, plus WIA Directors Roger Harrison VK2ZRH,
Fred Swainston VK3DAC, Robert Broomhead VK3DN and others, are to be on air
to contact Expo demonstration stations.
Anyone hearing "CQ Expo" can listen and learn, or join in this concerted
publicity for Amateur Radio.
Also for the Expo and World Amateur Radio Day are the Victorian Amateur Radio
Direction Finding having a public come n' try at Templestowe, and the Radio
and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania displaying and presenting
630-metre band reception.
The Townsville Amateur Radio Club Inc. was to be operating VK4WIT on HF, VHF,
UHF all modes from a portable operation located at Jaycar Townsville on
Saturday April 12th.
Through the week the decision was taken reluctantly to cancel participation
as the local weather is forecast to be a bit cyclonic over the weekend.
On Friday night at 10.51pm howling winds battered Cooktown as severe tropical
cyclone Ita crossed the far north Queensland coast.
Members and Committee of The Townsville Amateur Radio Club Inc. wish all
other groups and individuals participating in this most worthwhile event
success !
One of Australia's largest banks will next week begin offering a 'tap to pay'
service for owners of certain Samsung mobile devices, The Australian
Financial Review reports.
The arrangement will see the bank offer its customers the capability of paying
via their Galaxy S4 device. It will also be available on the Galaxy S5 when
it is released this month and on the Note 3 after a software update.
Apple iPhone users, however, will not be given the option of a tap to pay
service as the phones are not equipped with near-field communications
technology.
Late last year here on WIA National News we called for applicants for the
Southern Cross Austereo Apprenticeship Program.
We have just learnt, thanks to radiotoday.com.au that 11 new apprentices
will join others who are already halfway through their program.
They will undertake a 4 year, full-time, paid apprenticeship at one of
SCA's stations and will work alongside existing experienced engineers.
SCA Director of Engineering and Technology Raoul Prideaux said:
"I am proud to lead and support a program that not only gives young men and
women a real chance to gain a long term career in this exciting industry but
also to continue to develop a pool of talented engineers that will serve
broadcasting well into the future.
"We hope our fellow industry broadcasters follow our lead, if we don't
provide these opportunities to act as a mentor or coach for the next
generation, we are going to lose much of what has already made this
industry successful."
radiotoday.com.au/news/whats-new/4477-sca-s-engineer-apprenticeship-program-2014.html#sthash.1QZx9Ps7.dpuf
More on Radio Stations mentoring new staff later in International News.
About 19,000 homes and businesses in 15 towns across Australia face having
their phone and internet services cut off when copper lines that connect
them are switched off in 45 days, National Broadband Network Company chairman
Ziggy Switkowski warned on Tuesday.
At a speech at the CommsDay conference in Sydney, Dr Switkowski said
19,000 premises still hadn't switched to an NBN fibre service and would face
having no phone or internet from May 23.
The switch off is dictated by a clause in the national broadband network
contract that states Telstra's copper must be disconnected 18 months after
fibre is deployed to an area.
Tasmania (VK7) has the most number of towns - including Deloraine,
George Town, Kingston Beach, Sorell, St Helens and Triabunna - on the NBN
footprint of any state as it was the first to begin the installation in 2010.
They will face disconnection from copper first.
Other areas include: Armidale, Minnamurra and Kiama Downs in NSW;
South Morang and Brunswick in Victoria;
Townsville, Aitkenvale and Mundingburra in Queensland;
and Willunga in South Australia.
(VARIOUS PRESS STORIES)
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
This is WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH with a quick reminder about the
membership survey.
IT CLOSES ON THIS COMING MONDAY, 14th APRIL.
If you haven't already completed the survey online - DON'T DELAY !
You will find the link to the survey on http://www.wia.org
in the right hand panel, right under the News Broadcast link.
If you can't - or don't want to - complete the survey online, you should have
already filled out and posted the form in the centre of the February issue
of Amateur Radio magazine.
Time to get cracking on the survey ! It won't take you long. Have your say !
BUT FIRST - you will need your six-digit membership number.
You will find it on the address label that comes with your AR magazine. You
didn't throw that out, did you ?
If you did, delve into your files and dig out your last renewal notice. Your
membership number is on that.
If the worst comes to the worst - just phone the WIA Office on Monday morning
our talented and hard working staff will set you straight . . . once they
know who you are.
We have already received an extraordinary response to the Survey and the
Board thanks all those who took the time and made the effort to complete it
online and on paper. The online Survey responses outnumber paper responses
by more than ten to one, so far!
The Board is looking forward to sharing the preliminary results with members
at the WIA Annual Conference on the Queensland Sunshine Coast over
16 - 17 and 18 May.
GET CRACKING !
This is WIA Director, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for VK1WIA
2015 ANZAC Commemoration
The WIA Board is in the planning phase for radio activities to commemorate
the 100th year since Australian and New Zealand Forces landed at Gallipoli.
Events will commence on April 25th 2015 and will continue throughout the
year until the 20th December 2015, the date when the last ANZAC forces were
extracted from the Gallipoli Peninsula.
The activities will involve Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and likely some
the other Commonwealth countries that were involved in the Gallipoli campaign.
The Department of Veteran Affairs has given permission for the WIA to use
the ANZAC name in special event amateur callsigns between the two dates, and
the ACMA is expected to issue the WIA with licences and callsigns, for use
nationally.
( Sourced to WIA Front Page News and Fred Swainston - VK3DAC )
Still on an ANZAC theme, for the second year, WICEN SA are supplying
radios that organisers of the 'ANZAC Youth Vigil in the South' will use
to provide a safety and co-ordination radio network.
The UHF radios will utilise the WICENSA Commercial repeater output frequency
in a simplex mode.
Signs and posters will be setup during the youth vigil to advertise amateur
radio.
The youth from many organisations are in a shift roster to stand guard at
the war memorial from dusk to dawn service. The hundred plus youth plus the
adult leaders, use the Morphett Vale Football clubrooms to rest, hold
activities and sleep.
The radios provide a link between the locations and St John Ambulance who
provide first-aid support.
( Andrew Macmichael VK5FMAC )
ELECTION
WIA Returning Officer Geoff Atkinson VK3TL has declared the results of the
recently held election for directors to be an accurate presentation and
record of the ballots received and declared Chris Platt VK5CP, Rowan Dollar
VK2ELF and Phil Wait VK2ASD to be elected as Directors of the WIA.
Full story on WIA Front Page News.
http://www.wia.org.au
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK2
web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm
Urunga Radio Convention 2014
Another reminder that the Urunga Radio Convention is on again Easter,
19 20 April, the Saturday and Sunday.
Fox hunts and convention activities on both days, quizzes, raffles,
trade tables available, pre loved gear, etc.
Take a break from your busy lifestyle and slow down a bit at quiet restful
"Urunga where the rivers meet the sea." This is the longest running
"foxhunt convention" in Australia.
The social gathering for the Saturday night dinner at the Bowling Club is
always well attended, ( see Ken VK2DGT at the convention for bookings)
Venue: the "Senior Citizens" hall Bowra street Urunga
Ken Golden VK2DGT
krgolden46@hotmail.com
02 66523177
http://www4.tpgi.com.au/goldy2/
(Via vk2ara)
The Hornsby and Districts Amateur Radio Club will be operating VK2IMD, the only International
Marconi Day station in Oceania, in two weeks' time.
This year IMD is on the UTC day of Saturday 26th April, meaning mid-morning Saturday in the
various VK timezones, to the same time on Sunday morning.
The event is restricted to the MF and HF bands.
Links:
IMD: http://g4usb.net/IMD/award-stations/
HADARC: http://www.hadarc.org.au
Twitter: @VK2MA
(Julian Sortland VK2YJS / AG6LE the HADARC Publicity Officer)
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 news emailed qnews-vk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
The following extract from QNEWS can be heard on
http://www.wiaq.org.au/ftp/vk4_qnews_64.mp3
It's just weeks away from the Wireless institute of Australia Annual General
Meeting. This year the event is being hosted by the Sunshine Coast Amateur
Radio Club with events staged around venues in this scenic tourist area. Want
to know more, then log onto the WIA web site or follow the links on p.5 of
this month's Amateur Radio magazine.
Yes, the April issue of Amateur Radio is either delivered or at your
newsagent. Editor, Peter, VK3PF, gives a reminder that the number of articles
is reduced and now would be a good time to send that article in. Both the
Editor and WIA President, Phil, VK2ASD, also give a reminder to complete the
membership survey.
Ross, VK3CE, has continued his series with Foundation Corner No. 25 and this
time delves into getting familiar with IRLP and other internet protocols.
This, I might add, is an article for anyone wanting to get their head around
these forms of internet linking.
For the technically minded, regular author, Drew Diamond, VK3XU, has a new
project; a 100W CW transmitter for long waves and if you are less likely to
play in the KHz band then Peter Parker, VK3YE, has a knobless sideband
transceiver for 40m. Think about it!
The audio oscillator using a 555 resurfaces as does another diy dummy load.
As well as the technical there are the regular columns covering the world
of amateur radio.
Look for the healthy looking Suzanne, VK3FSZI, striding across the cover of
the April issue.
I'm Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that's what I think....how about you?
(ABOVE IN TXT AND AUDIO IS ON THE QNEWS SITE ONLY)
VK7
vk7 local news, email vk7regionalnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vk7regionalnews/
REAST as part of the PR4AmateurRadio Weekend have a presentation to showcase
amateur radio experimentation and ingenuity.
Advanced amateur's gained access to the 472-479kHz band a year ago and there
is an active band of experimenter's around VK and ZL.
This presentation will touch on a little bit of history as there a many
amateurs who have and are experimenting with this band in VK7.
It will mainly cover common antennas used, tuning antennas (safety!),
amplifiers, receivers, propagation and the modes commonly used.
It will also touch on the current activity in VK & ZL and sources of
information about this fascinating band.
REAST are trialling the presentation on a Sunday to allow those members who
cannot drive at night to attend. It will get underway after this broadcast
starting at 11am and will be followed by a BYO BBQ with hot plate fired up.
Today Sunday 13 April from 11am at the Queens Domain Clubrooms.
(Justin, VK7TW)
EDUCATION YOUTH AND ADVANCEMENT OF AMATEUR RADIO
www.hamcollege.com.au
Miles VK6MAB has constructed a web site for those who are considering taking
up Ham Radio as a hobby, or for those who have recently got their license.
That's not to say seasoned operators with years of experience under their
belts can't take something away from his site also.
http://www.enjoyhamradio.com
A neat little bit of "PR4AmateurRadio."
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
International SW Disaster Test
Members of the shortwave listening community can pencil in their logbooks
an extremely exciting upcoming date. June 4-5. Listeners can attempt to log
an international test being organized by the High Frequency Coordination
Commission of the International Radio for Disaster Relief project.
It will take place at a Media Summit on Climate Change, Information and
Communication Technologies, and Disaster Risk Reduction in Jakarta.
The IRDR will simulate a major disaster occurring in Southeast Asia, and
multiple international broadcasters will be cooperating to support
coordinated humanitarian coverage for the impacted region.
ReliefAnalysis.com
US Navy personnel helping to look for missing Malaysia Air Flight MH370 are
using the signal-processing and analysis package 'Spectrum Laboratory' by
Wolf Buescher, DL4YHF, to analyse recently detected 3"pings" that may be
from the missing plane's "black box."
The software began as a simple DOS-based FFT program, but it is now a
specialized audio analyzer, filter, frequency converter, hum filter,
data logger and more, and it is available for download from DL4YHF's
Amateur Radio Software site.
http://www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/spectra1.html#download
ARRL say Australian Defence Vessel (ADV) Ocean Shield is home currently to
these US Navy personnel guests aboard the Australian ship.
VLF experimenter Warren Ziegler, K2ORS, said the software is the same package
Amateur Radio experimenters used recently to detect transatlantic signals on
29 kHz.
'PINGS' detected earlier in the week, after analysis, determined that a
very stable, distinct and clear signal was detected at 33.331 kilohertz,
and that it consistently pulsed at a 1.106-second interval.
They therefore asses that the transmission was not of natural origin, and
was likely sourced from specific electronic equipment. They believe the
signals to be consistent with the specification and description of a
flight data recorder.
A spokesman for the Black Box manufacturers, Honeywell, said it is not known
whether the acoustic beacons would change their frequency characteristics as
their batteries run out after end of the federally-mandated 30-day period.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he is 'very confident' signals
detected in the search for missing MH370 jet are from the plane's black boxes.
In a press conference in China, Abbott said the 'series of detections' from
the towed pinger locator aboard the Australian search vessel ADV Ocean Shield
had enabled authorities to narrow the search area significantly.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, soon after Abbott's press conference,
Air Chief Marshal (ret) Angus Houston, the head of the search's Joint Agency
Coordination Centre, revealed that an initial assessment of the possible
signal detected by a RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft on Thursday afternoon were
related to an aircraft underwater locator beacon.
GLONASS gone... then back
In an unprecedented total disruption of a fully operational GNSS
constellation, all satellites in the Russian GLONASS broadcast corrupt
information for 11 hours, from just past midnight until noon Russian time
April 2.
This rendered the system completely unusable to all worldwide GLONASS
receivers. Full and correct service has now been restored.
According to one source, a GLONASS fix could not take effect until each
satellite in turn passed back over control stations in the Northern
Hemisphere to be reset, thus taking nearly 12 hours.
( http://gpsworld.com/glonass-gone-then-back/ )
ISS HamTV moves to 2369 MHz
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, ARISS Europe chair says the Digital Amateur TV station in the Columbus
module of the International Space Station has changed frequency to 2369 MHz
Presently, Ham Video is transmitting permanently a "blank" image and no audio in configuration 5:
* ARISS antenna 43
* Frequency 2369 MHz
* Symbol rate 1.3 Ms/s
Reports on reception of blank transmissions are very welcome.
Reports can be filed via:
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_FSTV/submit.php
=============================================================================
RSGB's G4NJH
Extended opening for National Radio Centre
The RSGB National Radio Centre, at Bletchley Park is now open
five days per week from Wednesday to Sunday from 10.30 until
16.30 as well as bank holiday Mondays throughout the year.
The volunteers look forward to meeting interested amateurs as
well as members of the public. If you wish to operate the state
of the art GB3RS station, please take your licence with you when
you visit. For more information, please go to
www.nationalradiocentre.com
BYLARA 35th anniversary
The British Young Ladies Amateur Radio Association, BYLARA, is
celebrating its 35th anniversary on 29th April.
The callsign GB35BYL will be on the air from Chapmanslade Village
Hall, High Street, Chapmanslade, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 4AP.
Operation will be on 40m around 7,175kHz.
The organisers hope to work as many people as possible from 08.00
GMT and welcome visitors to the village hall.
3C0BYP approved for DXCC credit
DXers will be interested to know that the recently completed
3C0BYP operation from Annobon has been approved for DXCC credit.
That DXpedition ran from 26th February to 6th March.
ARNEWSLINE
CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS INTRODUCE RADIO ENGINEERING MENTORING PROGRAM
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has announced its intention
to mentor a new generation of radio station engineers.
Jeff Littlejohn is Clear Channel Executive Vice President of
Engineering and Systems Integration. He says the company is
making a strategic investment in the future of broadcast
engineering. Littlejohn says that the company hopes to
attract and expose new talent to the ever-changing world of
radio while also fostering the growth and development of our
existing employees.
Clear Channel says the new mentoring program was created in
response to a decline in the number of engineers choosing to
go into radio broadcasting, coupled with a spike in those
retiring or close to leaving the industry. This new program
is in addition to an electrical engineering co-op program
the company created three years ago. Currently the
broadcaster has more than 400 engineers.
COPPER THIEVES TAKE WASHINGTON STATION OFF THE AIR
Listeners to KLOG radio in Kelso, Washington tuned into dead
air early on Wednesday March 12th. This after thieves stole
a small amount of copper wire from the stations transmitting
site situated along Interstate Route 5.
Station Owner Joel Hanson said he found out about it at
around 3:30 a.m. Hanson found wire cutters at the site and
evidence that someone may have gotten a rather nasty shock.
KLOG was off the air for about 12 hours but station was able
to heard online. Kelso police are investigating but so far
they have no suspects.
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an F-call?
New Amateurs arrive on the scene every day. They turn up because they bump
into the hobby in unexpected ways. From all walks of life, with infinite
variation in experience and outlook, they come to journey along the path
of Amateur Radio.
It's easy to see the lure, a technically challenging hobby with fingers
in all manner of pies, with a long and lauded quest for invention and
development, a history in firsts, making the impossible happen, achieving
daring feats of wizardry.
I've been on this journey since November 2010 when I first heard about
Amateur Radio. I achieved my license a month later and have not looked back,
though I should admit that the original purpose of joining the fraternity
was to build something that's still on my to-do list today. Not because it's
unachievable, but because there are so many other fun things to learn and do.
There have been some mile-stones, for example, this marks the 100th edition
of "What use is an F-call?", but it's one of many exciting things I've done
in the intervening time, from making my first contact with a station in
Japan, through making several QRP or low power contacts with stations around
the world, participating in and even winning contests, socialising with
Amateurs, building antennas, camping out, eating good food and laughing a lot.
The Amateur Radio creed, written in 1928 by Paul 9EEA, still as relevant
today as when it was penned considers a Radio Amateur to be Considerate,
Loyal, Progressive, Friendly, Balanced and Patriotic.
There are many people from many backgrounds in Amateur Radio. Some would say
that the population is as varied as a random sampling of people in the main
street of your local shopping district.
I like to think of Amateurs as a group of people who go about communicating
with others. You too can do this. I took a month to get my license;
it doesn't matter if it takes you longer. I'm still learning Morse and I've
been at it for some eight months; I know amateurs who did it in a fortnight.
Everyone is different.
Take part. Don't be shy. It's your hobby too.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB
OPERATIONAL NEWS -
This is Denis Johnstone VK4AE, WIA Coordinator for the John Moyle Memorial
Field Day.
Firstly, I would like to thank all of those people who have taken the time
to prepare and submit their log as entry to this years contest. So far there
has been a significant increase in the number of logs submitted when
compared with last year. However, it has been observed that quite a number
of club stations who took part in the contest have not yet made the effort to
submit a log on behalf of their club station.
A timely reminder is necessary as time is running out.
The weather has clearly made a significant influence this year in South
Eastern Australia with many stations reporting thunderstorms, strong winds
and heavy rain. Operating in storm conditions is risky at any time, but in
a portable situation it could be downright dangerous. This is a real pity
about field day operations, your planning can cope with most things, but you
have to take whatever it is that nature throws at you.
Do not forget that the closing date for entries this year is the 19th April,
so you really must put in the effort in the next few days to get your logs
to me in good time.
Thanks for listening and back to Felix.
DATELINE 2014
WIA VK Harry Angel Memorial Sprint May 3
SGARS 80 METRE TROPHY CONTEST July 26
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.
The St George Amateur Radio Society tells us the 2014 80 METRE TROPHY CONTEST
takes place Saturday 26th July.
Members of the St George Amateur Radio Society will be holding this
80 metre contest and the victor will join the legion of SGARS 80 metre
immortals.
When you hear the call of CQ Contest from a VK2, 26 July that will probably
be them!
Listen out on 80 metres and enjoy a QSO with a fired-up SGARS contest member!
More information and rules at www.sgars.org
All enquiries to the SGARS contest manager, Ken VK2BBQ@WIA.ORG.AU
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE
For several years ANZAC Day has had an event begun by Mike 'Banjo' Patterson
VK4MIK, involving members of the Tableland Radio Group, the Townsville
Amateur Radio Club. It invites military sites plus HMAS ship museums around
Australia.
QSL News
French Flood Disaster!
Rick VK7RI explains:-
QSL cards received in the Victorian Head Office Bureau from France were completely soaked in
the box. The water had permeated through the whole consignment (not just Tasmania).
Head Office has done its best to save most of the cards.
Unfortunately some are so bad that they are being returned to France to see if new cards can be
organised. Tasmanian QSL cards will be despatched in the very near future and those amateurs
who receive cards from France, please do not shoot the messenger!!
Hopefully you will be able to obtain enough information from the card to allow you to ascertain
who your contact was with.
This is the first time cards have been received in the Head Office Bureau in such a heavily water
logged condition. Perhaps they were sent SEA MAIL...HIHI!!!!
This is an extract from a message (with some poetic licence by vk7rt) from Geoff VK3TL,
Inwards QSL Manager Head Office, Victoria
(John Bates VK7RT, VK7 QSL Manager)
This story sounds as if it's from "needle nydle noo" land but it is advice the
Isle of Muck is about to be activated!
Andy M 1 LOL and Ray M 1 REK will be active from the Isle of Muck (EU008)
from 24-31 May 2014 on 10 metres to 80 metres - SSB and Data modes.
They will be using the call sign MM 1 REK/p.
QSL direct or via the bureau
More details can be found at www.m1rek.co.uk
(SouthGate)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- DIGITAL
Randy Hall K7AGE has released a video showing how to decode amateur radio
PSK-31 transmissions on an iPad by placing the iPad mic. near the radio's
speaker.
All you need do is download a $2.99 app from the iTunes store, it's called
PSKer
A similar application is available for Android, Droid PSK.
Watch Receiving PSK-31 on an iPad search YouTube.
(sourced to SouthGate)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
NASA invites you to guess when LADEE will complete her Luna mission and
crash to the moon's surface.
socialforms.nasa.gov/ladee.
Winners will get a personalised commemorative certificate, NASA said
The science spacecraft launched from Virginia's coast last year has been
orbiting the moon for months. With its primary scientific mission completed
and its fuel almost exhausted, the intricate package of instruments is being
lowered gradually into an orbit as little as a mile or two above the pocked
and cratered surface of the moon.
NASA said it expects the craft to crash, crumple and break apart
"on or before" April 21.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/nasa-spacecraft-to-crash-on-moon-soon-20140407-zqrmq.html#ixzz2yFpW098n
How to build your own personal satellite
Have you ever wanted to build your own personal satellite but your last name
isn't Gates or Branson? Well, now there's good news. For the price of a car
you can now build, test and launch your own personal satellite at home.
Dr. Sandy Antunes, author of DIY Satellite Platform, talks about building
his own personal spacecraft Project Calliope.
The best part (besides having your own satellite) is that you can now do
some serious science.
Find out what kind of satellite Dr. Antunes is building and how he's running
the same kinds of tests the large Aerospace companies do, but for a fraction
of the cost.
http://www.diyspaceexploration.com/how-to-build-your-own-personal-satellite/
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
WICEN SA have been asked to create a radio safety and tracking net for the
State level Horse Endurance event Saturday 13th July in the Monarto area.
Everyone is welcome to assist even for a few hours or the whole time period.
The radio net will use amateur 2m simplex or the Murray Bridge repeater.
The WICEN SA Commercial frequency UHF repeater will be deployed and the
associated radios will be used by clerk of the course, base and the horse
recovery unit vehicles. Radio equipment can be supplied, so do not let this
restrict you.
Please confirm your attendance NOW to Nic McLean on 0417 822 728 or
president@sa.wicen.org.au
Big earthquake in Chile - Amateur Radio at hand
A powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale late on April 1,
struck some 85 km offshore in the northern region of Chile near Whose, between
Arica and Iquique.
Dino Besomi CE3PG, Emcomm Director of Area G of the IARU Region 2 reported
that the preparation and seismic culture the country coped well. Regrettably
six people died.
As earthquake sirens sounded, mobile phone texts and Twitter announced
mandatory evacuations of low-lying coastal areas, a tsunami alert was issued
with high waves hitting part of Chile.
Regular community exercises do happen following the 2010 magnitude of 8.8
quake which left more than 500 people dead and 220,000 homes washed away
by a massive tsunami.
This time, authorities quickly gathered reports from emergency responders
of limited damage, a few roads blocked by landslides, closed airports and
a few fires.
Dino CE3PG said "The operation of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, led
by Radio Club de Chile, lived up to expectations."
It was activated in collaboration with ONEMI, the National Emergency Office
of the Ministry of Interior and Public Security. The net to handle emergency
traffic were set up on 7.050 and 14.255 MHz, but was not greatly used.
Across the Pacific Ocean Amateur Radio volunteers in Hawaii immediately opened
a tsunami radio watch net that carried the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre
warnings. The tsunami advisory was cancelled after about three hours later.
The Great Chilean Earthquake of 9.5 magnitude near Valdivia southern Chile
in May 1960 - the world's worst - killed thousands of people and sent
damaging tsunami waves across the Pacific.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee
text editions only)
REWIND a look back at history
HOW DID ROSS A. HULL, VK3JU, DISCOVER TROPPO PROPAGATION?
Ross A. Hull, VK3JU, ex-editor of Wireless Weekly, emigrated from Australia
to the USA where he joined the staff of the ARRL and became Associate Editor
of QST magazine.
As a foreigner he was not allowed by US law to apply for an amateur radio
licence, but as a member of the ARRL headquarters staff he could operate under
their call sign. He developed new equipment for the ARRL and produced many
constructional articles for the early ARRL Radio Handbooks, and showed a
particular interest in the "Ultra High Frequency" (UHF) 5 metre (56 - 60 MHz)
band.
At the time all the experts believed that the "UHF" spectrum above 30 MHz
were only suitable for short distance line-of-sight communications, but in
1934 Ross Hull proved them wrong.
He was resident at West Hartford, Connecticut, and decided to conduct some
tests on 60 MHz with amateurs in Boston, Massachusetts, about 160 km away.
At first the Boston amateurs did not hear anything at all until Ross changed
his vertical antenna to a beam consisting of four quarter wave radiators
fed in phase with four reflectors. Signals varied from morning to afternoon
or day to day from weak to very strong. Ross soon realized that this
phenomena was weather related and caused by temperature inversions; he
discovered refraction of VHF radio waves in the troposphere! Soon other
amateurs started using beams on 5 metres too and extended the range to 500 km.
Unfortunately Ross Hull came to a sudden and sad end when he reached for a
switch underneath his desk, and touched the 6000 Volt contact of the
transformer supplying power to his cathode ray TV tube; he died instantly.
(SARL)
SOCIAL SCENE 2014
Apr 13-15 VK PR4AmateurRadio Expo on THIS weekend.
Apr 18 WW Amateur Radio Day: Your Gateway to Wireless Communications.
Apr 19-20 VK2 Urunga Convention Easter 2014
Apr 25 vk3 ANZAC Day event Ballarat Showgrounds (johnkarr@bigpond.net.au)
May 2- 4 VK4 Clairview Gathering ( 0429 632 815 )
May 10 VK3 Moorabbin and District Amateur Radio club Hamfest 10am
May 10 VK4 BARCFEST: Salvation Army Hall Calamvale.
May 16-18 VK4 WIA Conference presented by SCARC ( vk4ts@wia.org.au )
Jun 7- 9 VK2 Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club field day Port Macquarie
Jun 7- 9 VK5 South East Radio Club's (SERG) 50th annual Convention and
Australian Foxhunting Championship.
Nov 2 VK5 HamFest Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society
Nov 15 VK7 Hamfest (Venue to be advised)
Nov 30 VK3 SPARC HamFest at Rosebud ( howardjones155@gmail.com )
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