June 14 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING JUNE 14 2015.
IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
WIA President looks at our new Band Plans
WIA Contesting with Roger VK2ZRH and Allan VK4SN
VK2DIK gets Queens Birthday honour
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA 2015 AND FOR WEEK OF JUNE 14
Philanthropist, businessman, aviator and activist, Dick Smith VK2DIK is now
a Companion of the Order of Australia, the highest honour, for his eminent
service to the community.
He joined the more than 700 Australians who were recognised for their
achievements in the Queen's Birthday honours.
The 71-year-old began working in a factory, set up a small car radio
installation business and eventually created a multi-million dollar retailer,
Dick Smith Electronics, which he has sold.
Dick has supported a range of humanitarian, social welfare and conservation
organisations, medical research and the arts. Describing the new honour, he
describes himself as being lucky to have the resources that enabled him to
assist people.
Among his other awards he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in
1999, and was Australian of the Year in 1986.
Dick Smith VK2DIK was Patron of the Wireless Institute of Australia's
100th Anniversary, including being the major speaker at the annual general
meeting in Canberra 2010. The next day he hosted a BBQ at his recreated
aero-club property near Gundaroo, New South Wales.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
BALLOONING
Record distance Australian balloon keeps floating.
The pico party-type balloon PS-46 from Victoria is still afloat after going
once around the world.
On last week's VK1WIA broadcast we reported that the balloon and its Amateur
Radio pay-load launched by Andy Nguyen VK3YT, circumnavigated the southern
hemisphere after 12 days on Thursday June the 4th.
Since then, it has been tracked on a second trip to South America, over Chile
then Argentina, and was near Africa.
Earlier, PS-41 in the same series was the first to circle the southern
hemisphere. It too continued to travel, but sadly disappeared when over the
Southern Ocean around April 21 - a shorter distance than the current flight.
On next week's broadcast we plan to report more about the travels of this
latest helium filled solar powered balloon, which is being tracked through
its 25mW transmitter.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
War secret mission remembered.
In the latest WIA ANZAC 100 event, the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society
led by Paul Simmonds VK5PAS activates VK100WIA for 48 hours on June 17-18,
to commemorate the '75th Anniversary of RAAF Secret Mission'.
This is when an amphibious Walrus aircraft took off from near Plymouth in
England. It had an Australian pilot and navigator, and two British crew members,
one on the wireless and the other an intelligence officer.
Their mission was to rescue Madam Yvonne de Gaulle and her three children; the
family of General Charles de Gaulle the leader of the Free French forces.
On reaching London he asked that his family be rescued from advancing troops.
However, Madam de Gaulle had fled on board the last boat to England.
The secret mission came to an abrupt end with a crash and fire that took all
four crew, two from the 10 Squadron RAAF, the first RAAF members to die in
action.
The locals buried them in the town cemetery. The War Graves Commission later
put headstones on the graves. Townspeople continue to remember them on
All Souls' Day and other times of remembrance.
Keep abreast of ANZAC 100 activity right here with YOUR WIA, there are lots
more ANZAC 100 stations in coming months and if you have an appropriative
event please discuss your plans by contacting WIA Director Fred Swainston
VK3DAC at trainsafe@silvertrain.com.au
The ANZAC Centenary Award
This limited issue operating Award is available to commemorate the ANZAC
Centenary. The rules for any radio amateur or SWL to qualify have been
slightly modified to make them clearer to understand, and a little easier
to obtain.
The rules still need 10 qualifying contacts to be logged, but have been
loosened up to make the ANZAC Centenary Award even more popular.
The 10 contacts can be any ANZAC-suffixed callsign or combination of them.
However one contact only allowed for each of VK100ANZAC or the VI state or
territory callsign event listed on the WIA website.
Your award application may also include contacts with TC100-prefix stations
in Turkey, the OP0PPY stations Belgium, the special callsigns such as VI4AE2,
ZL100ANZAC and others that are relevant, so long as each contact logged was
from a unique callsign activation
Check out the full rules and claiming requirements on wia.org.au which also
lists all individual events in the ANZAC 100 program.
The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters activation of popular ZL100ANZAC
callsign is now closed. In its month-long commemoration 11,217 QSOs were
logged worldwide. Speaking of the NZART.
The close relationship between the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) and
the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters includes an alternative
visit to each other's annual general meeting.
This year it was the WIA's turn to send representatives to Hamilton,
New Zealand. They were the WIA Vice President, Fred Swainston VK3DAC and
Director Rowan Dollar VK2OE.
Held on the Queen's Birthday long-weekend (May 29 to June 1), there were
various presentations. Rowan VK2OE attended forums on Amateur Digital Mobile
Radio, an update on the KiwiSAT project, and strategies to encourage new
entrants into Amateur Radio.
Fred VK3DAC addressed the conference on the Australian experience of 10 years
of Foundation Licence, the changes including more portable activity, the
remake of the Licence Condition Determinations, the Spectrum Review and the
ANZAC 100 Commemoration.
There was an obvious strong relationship between emergency services and the
Amateur Radio community in New Zealand. The Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications Forum held its own AGM at the venue.
A report to the WIA Board included a range of mutual issues as a result of
them being discussed during the weekend.
The WIA representatives were invited to the NZART Council Meeting AGM weekend.
Led by the newly elected NZART President, Stuart Watchman ZL2TW, it further
considered the role of office staff, development strategies for the website,
and the future of Amateur Radio.
The WIA and NZART representatives discusses regional and global matters - with
the IARU Region 3 triennial conference to be held in Bali Indonesia in
September, and the World Communications Conference, in Geneva, Switzerland
early November.
Comments welcome on two draft Band Plans says WIA President.
Have you seen the new draft Bandplans for the 2 metre and 70 cm bands.
These are the most extensive changes affecting those bands for almost 40 years
and we need to hear from any users or special interest groups that are
adversely affected.
You can see the new draft Bandplans in the Hot Issues section on the WIA
website. They follow extensive input from interested parties, but we need to
make sure everyone is fully up-to-date on the changes.
You can make comments or lodge submissions until the 15th of July.
The aim of all Band Plans is to minimise interference between often
incompatible transmission modes and technologies. As technology progresses,
the patterns of usage change. Band Plans are periodically reviewed and updated
to meet current needs, and also that, as much as possible, band usage remains
internationally harmonised.
The 630m, 40m and 6m Band Plans went through a similar WIA process earlier
this year.
Some new terminology is in the draft 2m and 70cm Band Plans, for example
'Internet Gateways' covers IRLP/Echolink nodes. The move is to replace modes,
existing and yet to emerge, with a generic term. So, don't look for old mode
names or types, rather look for where your usage fits in to the Band Plan.
Also mentioned are 'Legacy fixed amateur licences' - which are the existing
fixed amateur station licensees in the 144.7 - 145.8 MHz allocation made under
previous Band Plans. They can remain active, or elect to change frequency to
one of the new allocations.
There will be no compulsion for anyone to change.
Should legacy stations block the development of new systems, the operators of
the incumbent and new proposed licensee will be asked to find a mutually
agreeable resolution.
The draft Band Plans for 2m and 70cm are issued until the 15th of July - check
them out on the WIA website www.wia.org.au
(Jim Linton VK3PC / Phil Wait VK2ASD)
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK4 - QNEWS
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Central Highlands ARC AGM Weekend
The famous and popular Central Highlands Amateur Radio
Club AGM weekend at Camp Fairbairn, approx. 20km south of Emerald, is on
from 4pm Friday 25th to Midday Sunday 27th September 2015.
Caravaners please book into Lake Maraboon Holiday Village, as soon as possible.
Sleeping on site in the dorms ? Get your numbers in as soon as possible.
CHARC Secretary Helen needs to know from you if you are attending,
so she and Steve/VK4SM can plan catering for the acclaimed Saturday Night
Gastronomic Feed Up, arrange the troops to get enough chairs and treasure
together for the coveted AGM Monster Auction, divvy up the available beds
in the on-site dormitory and ensure there is
enough grub for the Sunday Recovery Breakfast and Saturday Sausage Sizzle.
Got questions?
Want to get your numbers in?
Contact Helen and Steve
vk4wch@wia.org.au
VK6
For the next 3 months, VK6MB and and VK6MMB will be engaged in the great
VK6 Parks, Peaks and Shires DXpedition.
The plan is to activate as many as 30 National parks and various SOTA peaks.
Check 7.144, 14.244 & 28.344 mostly.
They will 'spot' and alert when able.
SOTA frequencies shall be utilised.
APRS look for VK6MMB-9.
VK6MMB asks that we remember , and I quote, " Western Australia, having only
recently discovered electricity and the wheel, has limited mobile phone
coverage, so spotting, alerting and tracking will be governed by that."
visit http://www.parksnpeaks.org and SOTA sites.
VK9
And just a quick reminder for those interested in attending the proposed
WIA 2016 AGM to Norfolk Island (VK9), if you have not already done so
could you please add your name to the list of 130 people who have expressed
interest in attending this proposed WIA AGM weekend of activities on Norfolk,
simply go to wia.org.au and click on link to register.=
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.
A program to assist new and inexperienced radio hams
Etienne Naude, ZS6EFN, approached SARL President Fritz Sutherland, ZS6SF, with
a proposal of starting a Rookie Radio Amateur Program in South Africa.
The SARL President tabled this proposed initiative at the next available
committee meeting which was held on May 13.
It was accepted unanimously.
The SARL President said that this proposal directly addresses a problem the
SARL has had for years, i.e. that the majority of RAE candidates that pass,
disappear and only come back to amateur radio years later (or never).
The RSGB Board has agreed that next year's AGM should be held in Scotland.
Whilst the venue has yet to be agreed, it is likely to be in
Edinburgh or Glasgow. The date of the AGM will be Saturday 23rd
April 2016. Details of the venue will be published later and all
paperwork for the 2016 AGM will appear in the March 2016 RadCom.
The iSemaphore Project
On Saturday, June 20 artist Philippe Druez ON1PHD will perform at the
Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent, Belgium with the iSemaphore installation
using Chappe semaphore, Morse code and Twitter
The initial messages will originate from a mechanical installation based
on the Chappe semaphore, and will be communicated along a network through
history. The optical messages produced during the performance of the artist
will be transformed by image recognition software and transformed to
Morse code and Tweets. The Morse code will be broadcast by short wave
transmitters reaching the outskirts of the world for everyone with a
short-wave receiver, as will the Tweets over the Internet.
Post your personal message to @The_iSemaphore Twitter account and it will be
transmitted worldwide on short-wave radio during the next performance from
13:00 to 17:00 CET on Saturday, June 20
Twitter http://twitter.com/The_iSemaphore
Listen on Short Wave - SSB CW 3.565 kHz and 14.065 kHz
Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) is pleased again to announce that in 2015
they again will offer scholarships to young Amateurs who are enrolled at
the post-secondary level in Electrical, Electronic and Software engineering.
Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs
will be considered on a case by case basis.
In 2014 RAC gave out three Education Scholarships of $500 each to
Sonja Anderson, VA7SAA who is graduating from British Columbia Institute of
Technology in the Electronics Technician Program, Brad Lane, VE9BML who is
also graduating from the Electrical Engineering program at the University of
New Brunswick and Thomas Walter, VA3WTR who is attending Sheridan College
Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Oakville, Ontario.
Further detailed information is also available on the brand new RAC Website
You can use this link: www.scholarshipscanada.com
Who and Where are our broadcast stations?
http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
OPERATIONAL NEWS 2015
This is WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH with a final reminder about the
Winter VHF-UHF Field Day.
Only six more sleeps to go !
The action on the 2015 Winter VHF-UHF Field Day opens at 0100 UTC on Saturday
June the 20th in all states except Western Australia, where it starts at 0400
UTC.
And all the fun and games comes to an abrupt end at 0100 UTC on Sunday the 21st -
except for VK6 - where the hammer falls at 0400 UTC.
Get out there with a rig - or rigs - and give it a go. It could even be fun !
You'll find the final word on the Field Day Rules on the WIA website, in the
Contests section, under VHF UHF Field Days. It's easy to find.
You can choose to participate under any of four Sections -
Portable, single operator
Portable, multi-operator
Home station, or
Rover
And there are four Sub-sections -
Single band only - pick a band and go at it hammer and tongs!
Four bands - use any of two or more - from 6m 2m 70cm and 23cm
All bands - working on VHF from 6m through UHF to the microwave bands
AND
Digital - contacts on any band or bands using non-voice digital modes.
As before, there are two Divisions for scoring -
The "traditional" grid-square scoring, and distance-based scoring.
You can enter a log for either 24-hour operations, or 8-hour operations.
Pick your strategy.
Part of the purpose of the four sub-sections is to provide something for
newcomers to amateur radio as well Field Day newbies and to cater specifically
for Foundation and Standard licensees.
Marshalling the requirements for a single-band operation, or perhaps two,
three or four bands, is not a daunting task.
A founding principle of the Field Days is to go out and have fun, so these
categories can provide a taste of that.
To pace rolling along, the repeat contact period has been reduced to two hours,
from three hours previously.
Electronic logs in ASCII text format are required. You can enter your log via
the WIA website log upload facility.
If you're new to this, you can download a free, locally developed, electronic
log program by Googling VKCL, developed by Mike VK3AVV.
One last thing - you can advertise your participation and your Field Day
location online!
Go to www.contest radar.com and enter your callsign and grid square.
Contest Radar is a neat little application developed by Lou VK3ALB and
Andrew VK3MIX.
This is WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for VK1WIA News.
The Remembrance Day contest will soon be with us.
August 15 and 16th will mark 70 years since the end of the war in the
South Pacific. In this special year of celebration and remembrance it
is expected to be one of the best RD's for many years. Starting at 0300z
or 1 pm AEST, it gives you half a day each day to do your own thing and
time to dedicate to the 24 hour contest. No changes have been made to the
rules, although two weeks is now the maximum time available to send in your
logs.
Hope to work most of you during the RD weekend.
73, this is Alan, VK4SN RD contest manager.
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.
2016
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 6 - 7
2017
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 5 - 6
2018
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 4 - 5
Museums on the air.
Both this weekend and next Saturday and Sunday museums take part via Amateur
Radio in the annual International Museums Weekend. The Melbourne Museum in the
Carlton Gardens will be activated on both by Joe VK3YSP and Julie VK3FOWL,
while only today, the Wireless Hill Museum VK6WH at Applecross is on air,
courtesy of the Western Australian VHF Group.
Apart from the two in Australia, most of the 70 museums are in the
United Kingdom, with others from Europe, Canada, and South Africa.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE
4 U 20 B.
This station is located in Brindisi, Italy and commemorates the
20th anniversary of the UN Logistics Base there.
4 U 20 B will be used until July and the QSL manager is 9 A 2 AA.
W 5 JON will be on the air as V 47 JA from St. Kitts from June 13 until
July 22nd. He plans to be active on 160 through 6 meters SSB.
QSL W 5 JON
HE200GE commemorates the 200th anniversary of Geneva's entrance
into the Swiss Confederation. The beginnings of modern Switzerland
go back to the year 1291, when the three German language Alpine
forest areas signed the Federal Charter. Over the centuries more
cantons allied themselves to the original three and among the last
was the Republic of Geneva on 19th May 1815. HE200GE will be
active on all amateur bands throughout 2015 and contacts will be
valid for the Diploma of Genve. QSL via HB9AOF.
OZ 90 IARU
On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of IARU Danish radio amateurs will be
active with a special event call, OZ9IARU, in the period now until
December 31, 2015
EGYPT, SU.
Ivan is active as SU 9 IG from Cairo until next June i.e. the 15 June 2016!
Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY.
QSL to home call, OM 3 CGN
Cambodia eager to work Australia
On a visit to the Indo-China nation of Cambodia is Jarrad Mitchell VK3HXT
who is signing XU 7 AGA and is looking for VK contacts before June 27.
His main bands 15m, 17m & 20m. Often to be found on 21070 kHz using PSK31.
Email a QSO request to him at vk3hxt@outlook.com
He has tried 40m, but says it's full of fishing boats illegally using the band.
INTRUDER WATCH - ENFORCEMENT ZONE
Region III IARUMS Coordinator Peter Young VK3MV
VK IARUMS reflector email to subscribe intruders@wia.org.au
INTRUDER NETS
Friday 0730 UTC 7.065.5 with VK4CEU David.
Amateur exclusive frequencies where any non-amateur signal is definitely an
intruder.
Amateur HF Spectrum world wide
7.050 to 7.100
14.000 to 14.250
14.250 to 14.350 No broadcasters
21.000 to 21.450
24.890 to 24.990
28.000 to 29.700
RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONAL SPLATTERING ON 40 METERS
The latest Region 1 International Amateur Radio Union
Monitoring System Newsletter carries a report that Radio
France International on 7.250 MHz has been producing strong
splatter down to 7.185 every evenings at about 2100 UTC.
Wolfgang Hadel, DK2OM, is the Region 1 coordinator for the
service. He says that he has informed the German department
of Post and Telecommunications which in turn sent an
official complaint to France. Peter Jost, HB9CET, the Vice
Coordinator confirmed Hadel's observations.
THE QNEWS WORK BENCH - the nuts and volts report - Measure Twice cut Once.
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
Eddystone Users
Work has been going on updating the Eddystone Users website and it
has now gone live.
The content has not changed, it is still the same invaluable
library of information as it was before, but the layout is updated
to give it a more modern feel.
The URL is still the same, eddystoneusergroup.org.uk and don't
forget to press F5 in case your cache needs updating to view the
new pages.
FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW
New Firmware Update for the IC-7600 HF Amateur radio Transceiver
Icom have announced a significant firmware update for the IC-7600 HF Transceiver
at the Dayton Hamvention 2015. The update provides a new range of functions
including waterfall screen for the band scope, amongst many!
For more information, google IC-7600 Information for Firmware version 2.00.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ATV (Every pixel tells a story) - Video
arvideonews.com
hamradiotube.com
youtube.com
qdg.org.au
DATV date announced
The 5th World Digital Amateur TV Party is planned on Friday 21st and Saturday
22nd of August.
Anchor Peter Cossins VK3BFG is asking those taking part this year to prepare
a one or two minute show and tell video to add a bit of interest. He will be
assisted by Neil VK3BCU.
Sounds like it will very interesting.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- CW
FISTS Club - East Asia www.feacw.net
FISTS Club - Australasia www.fistsdownunder.org
FISTS Club - UK & Europe www.fists.co.uk
FISTS Club - Americas www.fists.org
CW is alive and well.
Judging by the number of Morse code exhibitors at the Dayton Hamvention this
year, it's a mode that will be around for a long time to come.
The June editorial in The Keynote magazine of the FISTS US Chapter by
Dan KB6NU, mentions he saw many vendors selling keys. Indicating by them
showing up that CW is not a dying part of the hobby.
The CW clubs including FISTS were there too. A booth even offered a QLF
certificate.
For those uninitiated, QLF is Q-Code for poorly sent Morse code - which means
the sending sounds like it comes from a left foot on the key.
Not only in Dayton but in FNQ good publicity for Morse code and Amateur Radio.
A display of old Morse code equipment at the Cardwell Telegraph Office in
North Queensland has been a huge success, and even got a write up with two
pictures in the local newspaper, the Tully Times.
The Tableland Radio Group with the Cardwell Bush Telegraph Museum had
equipment displays on the weekend of May 29 and 30.
People flocked to see the Historic Post Office, Telegraph Station, Old
Shire Hall, Courthouse and Lock-up in Victoria Street, Cardwell, for its 150th
anniversary. Built in 1870, the Cardwell Bush Telegraph is one of North
Queensland's oldest buildings. Communications were vital to development of
the area, and the Morse code display showed what it was like in a by-gone era.
Among the exhibits were over 70 Morse code keys, bugs, paddles, telegraph
sounders and ex-military radios.
Mike Patterson VK4MIK from the Tableland Radio Group thanked the many radio
amateurs involved in the ANZAC centenary themed event.
(VK4MIK, theTARCinc News and Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
Radio hams asked for LightSail reports
Jason Davis reports that LightSail, call sign KK6HIT, started deploying its
solar sail at 1947 UT on June 7, 2015
A fully deployed sail would result in LightSail's orbit decaying rapidly with
the satellite burning up in the atmosphere very soon!
Amateur radio operators around the world are encouraged to listen for
LightSail on 437.435 MHz AX.25, 9600 bps FSK and submit data.
Details can be found at http://sail.planetary.org/missioncontrol
If you wish to try catching a glimpse of LightSail as it soars across the sky
there are viewing tips at
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2015/20150607-lightsail-deployment-initiatied.html
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- INTERNET --- THE HAMS DOMAIN
TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA
www.HamRadioNation.com
websdr.org
Buyers or sellers be aware
A trap of buying or selling online can be fraudulent activity.
It seems fraudsters try every trick in the book to get their hands on your
money or assets.
There are lots of good offerings online and most transactions go smoothly.
However, always verify, not just simple details, this can save you a lot of
pain and suffering.
That's the warning from Brenton VK3CM, who shares his experiences through a
popular free online classified site.
Recently he saw a radio for sale, and asked if the unit had, and we quote:
"The heat seeking missile GPS attachment to the radio and was that an
extra cost."
The response received was that it certainly had that equipment - a heat
seeking missile GPS - at no extra cost, making it a real bargain.
Revealed was an obvious scam, because GPS missile tracking is a nonsense
attachment, which a genuine seller would readily identify.
Want to know more? Then visit the Australian Communications and Media Authority
website for details on spam legislation, and how to report incidents of it.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
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 Northern Rivers Region will be holding a meeting and training
today, Sunday June 14, at the clubrooms of the Summerland ARC in Richmond Hill.
1000 hrs for 1030 start.
The training will be on theory and setting up of antennas for short-distance
HF communications, using high-incidence sky wave ('NVIS'),
All interested people in the area are welcome.
Rockhampton
The Rockhampton and District Amateur Radio Club recently ran radio comms for
the Central Queensland Motor Sporting Club car rally at the small township of
Wowan in Central Queensland.
The RADAR club had supported the rally club for a number of years when this
event was held in the Byfield State Forrest and hosted at the Rydges
Capricorn Resort but a change of hotel operator saw the event suspended
for a couple of years.
But last year the event was embraced by the small country community of
Wowan about an hour from Rockhampton. The shire council and local graziers
agreed to close roads and the show grounds were turned into rally HQ.
A temporary Channel 1 CB repeater and the club WICEN 438.625MHz 70 cm
repeater were erected for the weekend on top of a 2000 foot mountain on
one of the cattle stations, by Mike VK4LMB and Shaun VK4NSP complete with
antenna masts, batteries and solar panels.
An enthusiastic team of 14 radio operators and a couple of their non-radio
friends was assembled, drawn from RADAR Club members in Rockhampton and
Yeppoon and supported by other local amateurs from Biloela and Gladstone.
Real old fashioned shin digs were held at the Wowan pub on Friday night
before the rally and again on the Saturday night at the show grounds after
the event and presentations. It was very clear that the local community of
Wowan would like to see the rally continue as an annual event, a sentiment
echoed by the rally and radio clubs.
Club president Leon VK4KLL who operated Rally base said all the radio
operators wanted to come back next year for a fun day of radio and some more
good old fashioned country hospitality.
(Submitted by Leon VK4KLL RADAR President and read by Brian VK4LH RADAR Club)
SOCIAL SCENE 2015
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 40th Bday Lunch, Novotel Glen Waverley vk3vip@wia.org.au
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
Oct 25 VK4 Gold Coast HamFest Broadbeach
Nov VK3 QRP By the Bay details from VK3YE held 2nd Saturday
2016
Feb 13 VK3 MERC Hamfest 10am at Werribee Masonic Centre
Feb 28 VK3 EMDRC HamFest Great Ryrie Primary School Heathmont.
Ap-May 29-2 VK4 Clairview Gathering check Mackay ARS website
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be broadcast once, if you want a couple of mentions, please submit different
slants to keep your event 'fresh 'and always if the news room is to read your
item write in the 3rd person.
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WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide.
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National News compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.
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