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March, 22 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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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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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING March 22 2015.
IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
WIA ANZAC CONTINUES
WIA AGM ON LINE REGISTRATION OPEN
WIA VIA ROGER HARRISON VK2ZRH REPORTS ON ACMA CONSULTATION 9cm BAND
WIA CONTEST FIELD DAY THIS WEEKEND
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA 2015 AND FOR WEEK OF March 22.,.
Vanuatu cyclone recovery has lack of immediate emergency communications
Tropical Cyclone Pam caused severe damage when it hit the Pacific nation
of Vanuatu last weekend.
Recovery from the Category 5 cyclone in the archipelago will take a very
long time and more bad news can be expected as rescue and recovery teams
reach many islands.
The idyllic location is a haven for tourists and DXpeditioners, with all
who had been there struggling to recognise damaged landmarks now being shown
on TV news.
No organised emergency communication system has stepped in to fill the gap
left by the loss of telecommunications, with responders and the community
short of vital details.
Like some other Pacific countries very few local radio amateurs exist, and
no communication has been heard from many islands.
Ironically Vanuatu President Baldwin Lonsdale was in Japan at the UN World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction when the cyclone struck his country.
He made an emotional plea for humanitarian assistance and has since returned
to Vanuatu. Here he found some villagers survived Pam by sheltering in a kiln
used to dry coconuts and make copra, one aid official said.
People in the capital Port Vila prepared by weighing down corrugated tin roofs
with cinder blocks, sandbags or logs. On small isolated islands, stock piles
of coconuts, fruit and water were buried to enable villagers to survive
several days.
Latrines were dug ahead of storms and lined with palm fronds to prevent
contamination of water supplies.
Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee
said during that UN Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Sendai,
IARU R3 was represented on a panel organised by the International
Telecommunication Union Development (ITU-D) Sector. The panel also included
delegates from Japan, the Philippines, and Uganda.
IARU Region 3 Secretary Ken Yamamoto JA1CJP, explained how Amateur Radio
can contribute to Disaster Risk Reduction. Warnings or rescue requests can
be the emergency communications traffic in the early phase of a disaster.
Philippines Deputy Executive Director, Information and Communications Technology
Office, Department of Science and Technology, Nicolas D. Ojeda Jr, told the
panel that Amateur Radio was very helpful in maintaining communication between
communities and disaster relief organisations following Typhoon Haiyan in
November 2013.
In most major disasters electricity is cut, normal communications are overloaded
or out of service, while Amateur Radio with its alternative power can provide
vital messaging to help the responders and their community.
The outcome at Sendai is another example of the ongoing work being done by
the IARU to further emergency communications provided by skilled and trained
radio amateurs.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3001809/South-Pacifics-Vanuatu-provides-lessons-cyclone-survival.html#ixzz3Usl3VNsF
In some extraordinary eavesdropping, scientists from the Australian Antarctic
Division have managed to listen in on blue whales singing up to one thousand
kilometres away.
The giant whales were monitored during a six week voyage in the Southern
Ocean.
An international team of scientists on a New Zealand research ship tracked
the whales' songs, soon after they left the Belaney Island, all of a sudden
the blue whales started singing a lot.
The sound can actually bounce of layers within the ocean, so if it gets to a
certain depth it actually propagates horizontally and therefore can travel
through the ocean quite large distances.
(sourced to abc news)
Management of radiocommunications interference at major events
Last weekend's F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne can be fraught with RF problems
for not only the host broadcaster but all the racing teams involved.
When a major event is held in Australia, it puts the country on the world
stage and attracts international visitors. The level of organisation,
preparation and planning that goes into holding one of these significant
events is enormous and challenging. As part of their risk management strategy,
the organisers of such events will request, in a majority of cases, the
assistance and the services of the ACMA, to provide regulatory support for
communications used in the lead-up to the event and during its staging.
A case study of the F1 is great reading on the ACMA website, best read at
http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/About/The-ACMA-story/Meeting-our-standard/management-of-radiocommunications-interference-at-major-events
No doubt when Sydney take over this event ACMA will be there keeping the
air waves free!
This is VK1WIA from Canberra.
Extracts of this program are now broadcast across Europe using the 10 kilowatt
output 49 metre broadcast transmitter owned and run by radio amateurs.
Channel292 on 6070 KHz.
Please check the broadcast schedule at channel292.de for times of the English
amateur radio news program. Reception reports are very welcome.
73 this is Ed DD5LP / VK2JI from near Munich in Germany.
To commemorate ANZAC 100 a series of articles is appearing in Amateur Radio
magazine. Lloyd Butler VK5BR has written on one of our pioneers, and this
is a summary of that article.
Doug Whitburn VK5BY delivered a speech to the WIA South Australian Division
annual general meeting in 1928, was the Secretary, in charge of its VK5WI
operation, and President from 1931.
In 1929 he supervised radio communication in the Centenary Air Race from
Sydney to Perth. The RAAF Reserve provided communications on the occasion
of the first public performance of the newly formed RAAF Wireless Reserve.
For some years leading up to World War II the RAAF Reserve had attracted
radio amateurs.
During the air race, what must rank as an outstanding achievement, was
carried out by Doug, who was in charge of the biggest and most difficult
section - Adelaide to Kalgoorlie.
The planes were single-engine, open cockpit, and all communication was by
Morse code. He coordinated 20 radio amateurs and devoted 100 hours during
the six day race.
When World War II started, many radio amateurs, including those in the RAAF
Reserve, served and made use of their pre-war operating experience to train
Wireless Operators.
Among them was Sergeant Doug Whitburn and others. After the war, Doug
continued his activity within the South Australian WIA Division.
ANZAC 100 joined by OP0PPY
Many who left the shores of Australia to serve in WWI did not return.
The same happened during WWII. One of the war graves and memorials for fallen
Australians is Polygon Wood in Belgium.
There are many overseas sites of significance including those in France,
Malta, The Philippines, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea.
At Polygon Wood a large mound known as the Butte used for training by the
Belgian Army before WWI, now stands a memorial to the 5th Australian Division.
Polygon Wood was destroyed in the battle. It has been re-built with walking
tracks, and to honour those who served the Great War, it has a large cemetery.
It contains the graves of many soldiers, in fact 2,103 burials have been
conducted with full honours, and 428 are identified.
Work on the cemetery by Australians began at Polygon Wood soon after the
Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918.
Many Australians now visit Polygon Wood, its 'Brothers in Arms' memorial
and stop at the ANZAC Rest Cafe, often tracing the footsteps of family members
who served in the area in WWI.
To honour those at Polygon Wood, a commemorative callsign OP0PPY will be
activated on April 25, ANZAC Day.
Philippe Haverhelst ON8PV reports that a lot of remembrance occurs at that
time, that will be joined by OP0PPY using an ICOM 7400 feeding a Hexbeam
on CW and Phone.
ANZAC callsign deadline looms
All applications by clubs or individuals for use of an ANZAC commemorative
callsign must be received and processed by the WIA by March 31 - even though
the appropriate event is to be held much later.
The event has generated a lot of interest both here and overseas. All those
who have been granted an ANZAC commemorative callsign have read and understood
the purpose and obligations that are on the WIA website.
A remember that individual radio amateurs may substitute the normal VK in
their callsign with the alternative prefix of AX, for 48-hours on April the
25th and 26th. If you do so, it's recommended that a QSL card with the AX
callsign be issued.
(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
This is WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH with news about remaking the
licence conditions
Listeners might recall that the Amateur Licence Conditions Determination will
"sunset" on the first of October this year and has to be re-made if amateur
licences are to continue beyond October.
We'd all like our licences to continue beyond October first, wouldn't we?
The Australian Communications and Media Authority - the ACMA - is responsible
for remaking the licence conditions - the L-C-D, for short - so, here's what's
happening.
On Friday the 13th, the ACMA published on its website a draft of the proposed
re-make of the LCD, along a draft of the proposed re-make of the Class licence
enabling overseas amateurs visiting Australia to operate here.
The ACMA is seeking comment from the amateur radio community on these drafts.
As the WIA has advised previously, the proposed changes are of a minor nature,
generally administrative 'tidying-up', with no significant changes.
However, before you reach for the blow torch, this is not the "last gasp" at
improving our licence conditions for some time to come - in previous
discussions between the WIA and the ACMA over the log of claims concerning
licence conditions we sent last June, the ACMA indicated that, later, there
will be an extended review and public consultation process to address issues
raised by the WIA.
When you download the draft remake of the LCD from the ACMA website - it's a
Microsoft Word document - you will see all the proposed variations in Track
Changes. You will get the sense that there's quite a bit of tidying up
proposed.
At the same time - but as a separate issue - the ACMA proposes to restrict
access to two segments of 25 MHz and 50 MHz bandwidth in the 9cm band at
3.4 GHz for Advanced licensees, where spectrum access may be required by the
National Broadband Network (NBN).
To allay the fears that we're losing yet another band, we understand that the
impact will be limited to relatively small areas around the fringes of the
main metropolitan cities and some regional areas that are hard to access for
the technologies being generally deployed by the NBN to provide wideband
internet services.
If you look at the current WIA band plan for the 9cm band, you will see that
there are some blocks of spectrum not available for amateur use in some
geographic areas within Australia. This has been the case for some years.
So - the ACMA wants to hear from you. So do we.
You will find a link on the WIA website home page, near the top of the Latest
News list.
Should you have questions for us, or want to send your thoughts, address
them to the Spectrum Strategy Committee via the National Office email
address, PO Box or fax number.
This has been WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for VK1WIA News.
The ACMA's consultation paper is available via the link on WIA Front Page News
http://www.wia.org.au
The Board of the WIA at its discretion makes awards to members for their
contribution to Amateur Radio. These awards are usually presented at the
WIA's Annual Conference and AGM.
The Board is now calling for nominations.
When completing the survey, you are not required to suggest which award
should be made. The Board will assess each nomination, and decide which
awards, if any, it will make. Clearly it's best to include as much
information as you can so as to inform the Board, and please do keep it
in some sort of chronological order. Also include information about any
other awards they may have received. It's important to recognise the work
done within the hobby, so please do give some thought to nominating someone
you know of.
Nominations close on 31st March, and awards will be announced and where
possible presented at the WIA's 2015 AGM and Conference in Canberra May 9-10.
(wia front page news)
Onliine registrations are now open for the 2015 WIA AGM weekend in Canberra.
This is your opportunity to join in the fun of this annual event. For those
arriving in Canberra on Friday evening an informal dinner and get together
is being held at King O'Malleys Hotel 131 City Walk Canberra, then Saturday
morning we will be holding the WIA Annual General Meeting and Open Forum
followed by an afternoon program celebrating 10 years of the Foundation
Licence and looking to the future of Amateur Radio in Australia.
For the partners not attending the AGM a partners tour is being provided by
Canberra Day Tours the same company who provided the Centenary weekend
partners tours.
Sunday will of course be an excellent opportunity for all attending the
weekend to visit the many local Canberra attractions and to celebrate the
ANZAC centenary.
Dont delay - register today.
Look under news and events menu on wia.org.au or click the link in Whats On
section of the home page.
See you in Canberra, this is Robert VK3DN
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
Next Sunday, 29th of march, the great Eastern and Mountain district radio
club Melbourne annual Hamfest is the place to be.
We have a great selection of new and old gear, commercial traders and hams
from around Australia with wares to browse
Paul VK3KHZ Has Donated one AM tuneable Loop Antenna for the Raffle. Paul
will have his collection of AM loop antennas, filters, and other items.
Peter VK3FPSR from http://www.radiobooks.com.au/ Cobram has Donated a
$50- voucher to use in his Ham Radio bookstore for the raffle. Peter will
have a very comprehensive collection of ham books for sale.
John VK3WR Has donated a Nagoya 2m/70cm Base antenna and a Nagoya 2m/70cm
Mobile Antenna/Base/Lead for the raffle. John provides radio and
communications to the mornington peninsular and beyond.
RF Solutions are pleased to announce they will attend our Hamfest this year.
They sell a range of high quality Ham products from beams to rotators,
morse keys to amplifiers. Have a look at the RF Solutions website and see
what they offer. http://www.rfsolutions.com.au/ RF Solutions has donated a
$75 voucher for use in their shop for the raffle.
Rob from http://www.bushcomm-online.com/ will be joining us at the event. He
is Donating a Wire Antenna from he Bushcomm range for the raffle. Bushcomm
build HF wire antennas for land mobile, reds and ham applications.
The VK3 Dstar Users Group plans to have a table with information on Dstar and
the new Dstar users group/club.
Tony VK3TZ from Rippletech will have some of his most Popular Items for sale
on the EMDRC club trading Table. If you are after something in particular.
Head over to http://www.rippletech.com.au/ and chat with Tony.
NBS Antennas and Masts will be attending with their truck full of masts, pipes
wire and all kinds of things to get you on the air, they will be able to
deliver special/larger orders. visit their website at
http://www.nbsantennas.com.au/ and have a look at what they have to offer.
They have donated a VHF antenna for the Raffle.
ALARA's mission is to encourage women's interest and active participation in
amateur radio. They will have a table at the hamfest. ALARA was formed in
1975 by a small group of Australian ladies interested in amateur radio.
Membership has now grown to over 200, with many Australian members sponsoring
overseas YLs into ALARA. The term "YL" stands for "young lady" - regardless of
age.
The WIA bookshop and Information table will be in attendance at that hamfest
again this year. They have donated a book for the raffle.
Andrew Scott goes on to advise Jack will be cooking up a storm on the world
famous BBQ for breakfast and lunch out the front
We will have plenty of space to sit and chat with olds friends and new
Entry is $6 and doors open at 10am
The Great Ryrie Primary School in Heathmont is where it will be , head to
"www.emdrc.com.au for more details
Thanks EMDRC
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
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Hi, it's Ray from the Redcliffe and Districts radio club incorporated.
It is coming closer, that is REDFEST 3 which will be held on 11 April at
St. Michael's School Caboolture, near the Abbey Museum.
Doors open at 9 am.
There will be plenty of second hand items for sale as well 7 commercial
traders present during the morning.
So until then, its 73 from Ray, VK4CF and the Redcliffe Club.
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an F-call?
As you might know, I'm a great fan of contesting. I know that you may think
that this is not for you and I respect that, but I'd like to share why I think
contesting is a fantastic way to learn about operating in difficult conditions.
If you're an athlete, you try and expose yourself to different environments,
you subject yourself to harsh weather, adverse conditions, strong competition,
as much as you can, so when you actually compete, you'll be prepared.
We like to think of Amateur Radio as a hobby, that in case of emergency is
able to step in and help out. It's true, Amateurs have been helping in
emergencies for a century, it's one of the conditions of your licence, it's a
given that this is something that you need to know about.
We do portable field days, we test our kit in field conditions with batteries,
temporary antennas, weather and other non-standard environments. Sometimes we
even do a contest and get extra points for portable operation.
That's all well and good, but contesting in itself is also a test of adverse
conditions. The bands are crowded with traffic, there is lots of noise
around, interference is rife, the pace is high, adrenaline is rushing and
it's a wonderful playground for education.
I know that contesters are out to win their contest. I do that, because I've
been bitten by the bug, but that's not the only aspect of a contest.
If you're a pilot, you use simulators to learn about surprises. As an
Amateur, you can use a contest as a simulator of the bands, so when you're in
an emergency situation and every letter counts, you're equipped to deal with
it.
Contesting, it's a way to train yourself for free.
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.
Success! Scientists have achieved wireless energy transfer across 55 meters.
Scientists in Japan have announced that they've successfully managed to
transmit energy wirelessly with high accuracy. It's a game-changing
achievement for electricity generation that could one day allow us to place
huge solar sheets in space and beam the energy back to Earth.
The researchers from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced
that they had used microwaves to deliver 1.8 kilowatts of power - just enough
to power a jug - through the air to a receiver 55 metres away, with pinpoint
accuracy.
"This was the first time anyone has managed to send a high output of nearly
two kilowatts of electric power via microwaves to a small target, using a
delicate directivity control device," a spokesperson for JAXA said.
Every April 18, radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration
of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on that day in 1925 that the International
Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris.
Since its founding, the IARU has worked tirelessly to defend and expand the
frequency allocations for Amateur Radio. Thanks to the support of enlightened
administrations in every part of the globe, radio amateurs are now able to
experiment and communicate in frequency bands strategically located throughout
the radio spectrum. From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the
IARU has grown to include over 160 member-societies in three regions.
IARU Region 1 includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Asia.
Region 2 covers the Americas, and Region 3 is comprised of Australia,
New Zealand, the Pacific island nations, and most of Asia.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recognized the IARU as
representing the interests of Amateur Radio.
Today, Amateur Radio is more popular than ever, with over 3,000,000 licensed
operators!
World Amateur Radio Day is the day when IARU Member-Societies can show our
capabilities to the public and enjoy global friendship with other Amateurs
worldwide.
IARU has provided a downloadable poster for World Amateur Radio Day 2015.
Any group may download it and have it printed locally for promoting WARD
in their area.
http://www.iaru.org/uploads/1/3/0/7/13073366/ward2015-61x91cm.pdf
http://www.iaru.org/uploads/1/3/0/7/13073366/ward2015-a4.pdf
This note in to ZL Hams.
"Hi, I run the NZ registered charity www.oceanswatch.org
(Charity Commission number CC23092).
We have been supporting very remote communities in north Vanuatu and the
Temotu district of the Solomon Islands for the last 7 years.
As you know cyclone Pam has just been through Temotu and North Vanuatu.
I am in communication with a few people up there by mobile phone text and
have learnt that some HF radios have been smashed up or ruined by water.
These communities, and the health clinics that support them, some of which
have no mobile phone network rely heavily on Ham radio. They need to
communicate with agencies that can help them, including hospitals,
maritime services and Aid organisations such as ours, Red Cross and World
Vision.
I am appealing to Ham operators to see if anyone has a working Ham or
Maritime band radio that is not being used that they would like to donate.
It can be sent to OceansWatch and we shall arrange onward shipping and
installation.
Contact Chris Bone on 094344066 or
email chris@oceanswatch.org
Cyclone Pam relief fund http://givealittle.co.nz/cause/cyclonepamrelief
Chris Bone is the Managing Director of OceansWatch
www.oceanswatch.org
GAREC 2015 details announced
The only international conference on Amateur Radio Emergency Communications
will be held in June at Tampere, Finland, with the theme of 'Cooperating
with Authorities'.
Tampere saw the birth of the annual Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference
(GAREC) in 2005.
This vital conference has returned to that city, with all involved in emergency
communications throughout the world being invited.
Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee says
a prestigious keynote address will be given during the conference that is
hosted by the Finnish Amateur Radio League (SARL) and organised by Finland's
national emergency communications society Suomen Radioturva (SRT).
The third largest city in Finland, Tampere has a lively engagement in providing
emergency communications through SRT to the authorities.
Program Committee Chairman Dr. Seppo Sisatto OH1VR will review GAREC from
2005 to 2015, along with a non-government emergency relief agency.
The IARU Regional 1 Emergency Communications Coordinator, Greg Mossop G0DUB
will chair a very interesting discussion on 'Cooperating with Authorities
- What have we done?'
The 'Tools for Amateur Radio EmComms' will be discussed, along with a 'Long
Range Provincial EmComm Repeater' to be introduced by Juha Hartikka OH7HJ.
Reports are to be delivered from the IARU Regions 1, 2 and 3, in a session
chaired by Jyri Putkonen OH7JP the SRT President.
Among the GAREC 2015 moderators are Merja Koivaara OH1EG, SRAL President,
and a National Emergency Supply Agency Representative.
GAREC 2015 will be in the Hotel Cumulus, Koskikatu 5, Tampere, Finland on
June 23-24. Many delegates can also travel to Friedrichshafen, Germany, and
enjoy Europe's largest Hamfest that starts on June 26.
A preliminary GAREC 2015 program, accommodation and registration are available
at http://www.radioturva.fi/garec-2015/
OPERATIONAL NEWS DATELINE 2015
John Moyle Memorial Field Day 21st-22nd March from UTC 0100 Sat to 0059 Sun.
To HEAR our WIA Field day managers report click
http://wiaq.org.au/ftp/moyle.mp3
Denis VK4AE, coordinator for the WIA John Moyle Memorial Field Day 2015
reminds us all while you have left YOUR run just a bit late as a portable
station for this year's field day, there is nothing to stop you from taking
part as a home station.
You still have a bit of time left to go and make a few contacts, give out
some numbers and most of all complete and submit your log to verify those
contacts.
Those portable stations that are still out in the field may be too busy to
hear this news service as it goes to air, for they will still be flat out
making contacts and logging the many stations whom they have contacted during
this year's field day.
While the contest activities will soon be over, the next parts of the field
day activity will soon commence. I think personally the hardest parts.
When the contesting actually ends and the rigs are powered down, the task of
dismantling the station commences. This is not a lot of fun as everyone is
exhausted by the long effort of taking part. However careful dismantling of
all of the field day station is not just desirable, but essential as done
carefully, it makes setting up for the next contest that much easier.
So once the station has been dismantled and transported safely home, put away
in a sensible fashion, aside from sleep there is not more to do.
However, you must remember that the job is not done until the paperwork is
completed. Your log is vital to your effort by recording all of the contacts
you have made during those long hours, but just as important in verifying all
of the contacts made by the other stations. So the log is a two part document
not just for you, but for everyone else you have contacted. So please do not
forget to complete you log and submit it either electronically or by snail
mail, but remember the closing date will be the 19th April 2015.
I am looking forward to receiving your logs this year. Last year there was
well over 1,000 stations taking part and only 180 took the time and effort to
bother to submit a log. This meant most contacts by most stations were not
verified, such that the rules require that if you worked any station more than
5 times on any mode, or any band, if you do not submit a log any additional
contacts you made may not count for the other station. So you owe it to the
other station to submit your log to verify your hard work.
I hope everyone enjoys the field day and as soon as the logs are all received
the results will be published as soon as possible after that date.
Don't forget to HEAR our WIA Field day managers report click
http://wiaq.org.au/ftp/moyle.mp3
More contesting news, who can forget that it's Tablelands Radio Group's
AM and CW on ANZAC Day 25 April
Harry Angel sprint 80 metres May 2.
Trans-Tasman contest 18th July from 0800utc
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 1 - 2
Remembrance Day Contest August 15 and 16
Oceania DX contest Voice First full weekend in October
Oceania DX contest Continuous Wave Second full weekend in October.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE
EI 90 IARU
The Irish Radio Transmitters Society has been issued with the call sign
EI90IARU to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the
International Amateur Radio Union in Paris in 1925.
The call sign is available for use by any EI station in the 26 counties
holding a current amateur station licence. And to make sure no duplication
of the call by operators Dave O'Conner EI6AL is the co-ordinator.
4S7KKG
DC0KK will active as 4S7KKG from Sri Lanka through until April 10th.
He operates mainly using CW and the digital modes.
QSL via DC0KK via the bureau.
To mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the South African
Radio League, ZS90SARL is 'in the ether' until the end of April.
TURKEY, TA.
Special event station TC 100 GLB is QRV until April 30 to commemorate
"Gallipoli" 100 years ago. Activity is on the HF bands using SSB, RTTY
and PSK. QSL via TA 1 CM.
AWARDS
To HEAR the following story from VK5PAS click
http://wiaq.org.au/ftp/parks.mp3
It is now just a week away before the 2nd anniversary activation weekend for
the VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award. This very special weekend is
to be held on Saturday the 28th March and Sunday 29th March 2015.
The VK5 Parks award encourages portable operation from South Australia's
21 National Parks and 269 Conservation Parks, and has been running since
April 2013. In that 2 year period, a total 169 certificates have been
issued to amateurs in Australia and overseas.
So on the 28th and 29th March a special activation weekend is being held to
celebrate the 2nd anniversary.
At this stage a total of 54 unique Conservation Parks and National Parks will
be on air throughout South Australia. This includes parks in the Adelaide
Hills, Kangaroo Island, the South East, the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Yorke
Peninsula, the Eyre Peninsula, the Mid North, the Murray Mallee, the Barossa,
the Far North, and the Adelaide metropolitan area.
There is still time and certainly plenty of parks if you decide to venture
out and take part that weekend. If you do intend to activate a park, please
send an email to vk5pas@wia.org.au, as a master spreadsheet is being
maintained of all the planned activations for the weekend.
Most activity will be on the 40m band on SSB, but there will also be some CW
operators out and about during the weekend. Many of the activators will
also try some of the DX bands such as 20m, as park activity is very popular
particulary in Europe.
For more information on the 2nd anniversary activation weekend and the VK5
Parks award program in general, please visit our webpage at
www.vk5parks.com
Or you can drop an email to vk5pas@wia.org.au
Happy activating & best 73 from
Paul VK5PAS
Don't forget to HEAR VK5PAS and his report click
http://wiaq.org.au/ftp/parks.mp3
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
Hi there, whats happening in the world of ARDF I hear you ask. Well, plenty.
Zamosc Poland is the venue for the Region 1 youth ARDF Championships. They
will be in June and in August the Region 1 ARDF Championships will be
contested in the Marianske Lazne region of the Czech Republic. Also in August
will be the Region 2 ARDF Championships they will be contested in the Elbert
area in the US state of Colorado.
More closer to home our Region 3 Championships will be held in the
Shibukawa-shi, Gunma-ken area of Japan. This event will be from the September
6 until the 12th. Normally there are only 2 classic ARDF events during the
championship but this time 2 extra events have been added they are a Foxor
and Sprint event. So there will be plenty of Radio transmitters to locate.
Currently the WIA team for Japan consists of 5 competitors and if you are
interested in joining the Australian team bound for Japan please let the WIA
ARDF Coordinator Jack VK3WWW know. Jack's email is vk3www@wia.org.au
Good Hunting
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
IARU Emergency Telecommunications Guide now available
At the 2014 IARU Administrative Council meeting, the Council approved the
IARU Emergency Telecommunications Guide and the Guide is now available on
the IARU web site
This emergency telecommunications guide was developed to provide IARU
member-societies with materials suitable for training their members to
participate in emergency events. It is also designed to provide guidance
to the individual amateur radio operator who has little or no experience in
handling emergency communications but desires to enhance their ability to
participate in such events or to simply have a better understanding of the
process.
IARU member-societies have been encouraged to distribute this guide among
its membership and, if necessary, to provide a translation into a language
used within their own country.
This guide can also be used in conjunction with other training materials by
leaders within the emergency communication community to train radio operators
in the basic theory and practice of handling emergency communications traffic.
The IARU Emergency Telecommunications Guide PDF can be found at:
http://www.iaru.org/emergency-telecommunications-guide.html
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- SUMMITS ON THE AIR
www.sotawatch.org
www.sota.org.uk
Kerry VK7PAK has been bitten by the SOTA bug and has activated VK7SC-017
Mt Mangana on Bruny Island. From what he said he had a good walk up the
mountain accompanied by his partner Lynn and made 11 contacts."
So if you like bush walking why not combine that with radio and give it a go?
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - VHF AND ABOVE
Prestigious UK Fraser Shepherd Award Awarded to VK7MO
Congratulations to Rex Moncur VK7MO who has been awarded the prestigious
Fraser Shepherd Award by the Radio Society of Great Britain Board.
This award recognises research into microwave applications for radio
communication and in Rex's case the board cites "the new 2700km terrestrial
10GHz distance record and a range of other highly creditable DX/EME
achievements, JT-modes Doppler compensation and many more achievements in
this field."
SOCIAL SCENE 2015
March 21 VK3 Dstar Users Group 9am Woodend RSL Anslow St. vk3tq@bigpond.com
March 28 WW Arduino Day, celebrate in VK3 with Geelong AR Club 10am
March 29 VK3 EMDRC Hamfest
April 5 VK2 Urunga Radio Convention ( krgolden46@hotmail.com )
April 11 VK4 REDFest (Redcliffe Radio Club Event)
April 12 VK6 HARG swap meet 10am Lesmurdie Hall 96 Gladys Road.
18 WW World Amateur Radio Day
April 25 VK3 ANZAC Day Radio Afternoon Ballarat Showgrounds ( vk3fmpb )
May 1-3 VK4 Clairview Gathering contact RADAR's VK4ACC 04 2963 2815
May 9 VK3 Moorabbin & Dist. Hamfest Southern Community Centre Mulgrave
May 9 VK4 BARCFEST Salvation Army Hall Calamvale
May 9-10 VK WIA AGM Canberra
June 6-7 VK2 Queens Birthday 40th annual Oxley Region Field Day
June 6-7 VK5 51st South East Radio Group Convention / Australian
Foxhunting Championship
July 1 VK4 Caboolture Hamfest
July 11-12 VK3 GippsTech 2015
July 18 VK3 Gippsland gate Radio & Electronics Club Hamfest @ Cranbourne
July 25 VK3 ALARA's 40th Birthday Lunch, Novotel Glen Waverley.
Sept 12 VK4 SUNFEST Woombye
Sept 25-27 VK4 CHARC AGM Weekend Camp Fairbairn near Emerald
Oct 2-5 VK4 Cardwell Gathering, Beachcomber Motel and Tourist Park
Oct 25 VK3 Ballarat Amateur Radio Group Hamvention Greyhound Track Redan.
Oct 25 VK4 Gold Coast Hamfest Broadbeach
Nov VK3 QRP By the Bay details from VK3YE held 2nd Saturday
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