Nov 08 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING NOV 8 2015.
IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
WIA ANZAC 100 program is extended. -
WIA news from the office. -
WIA navigates 'perfect storm' in the spectrum. -
WIA representative on the IARU team at WRC-15 gets down to work.
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA 2015 AND FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 08
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DO NOT FORGET WHAT DAY IT IS.
It's our countries "National FunFlight Day", Sunday, November 8 which reaches
out to disadvantaged kids by giving them wings to fly:
Pilots and flying clubs provide free flights and access to the planes for
youngsters at the event.
You will recall earlier this WIA year we brought you the details from the
Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club who will be putting kids ON the air
- using radios instead of airplanes. They're setting up an amateur radio
station at the Bendigo Flying Club and by tuning into 40 meters, other radio
clubs will be connecting with the FunFlight station and the kids.
For more information on FunFlight, go to www.funflight.org
(reminder via ARNewsLine)
ANZAC 100 program is extended
The Wireless Institute of Australia ANZAC 100 commemorative program, with its
9-ANZAC suffixed callsigns and about 50 events, has been extended eight days
to reflect the naval departure from Gallipoli.
Originally the WIA had chosen December 20, the date in 1915 when Australians
and New Zealanders were withdrawn from Gallipoli after eight months of battle.
However, Michael Charteris VK4QS has submitted that the Royal Australian
Navy departed from Suvla Bay, some eight days later, on December 28.
Michael, VK4QS, ex-Able Seaman Royal Australian Navy, has the last ANZACs to
leave Gallipoli as the Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train.
He describes them as ANZAC Sailors, dressed as Light Horsemen, but nonetheless
ANZACs. So the WIA has now extended its ANZAC 100 program.
So far VK100ANZAC, VI3ANZAC, VI4ANZAC and VI6ANZAC are listed for December,
with further requests invited from VK1, VK2, VK5, VK7 and VK8.
The 'last hurrah' closure of the ANZAC 100 program is in December - the
military evacuation genius from Gallipoli, and the Royal Australian Naval
Bridging Train last days at Kangaroo Beach, Suvla Bay.
Before that date, in fact next Wednesday the 11th but back in 1918, the
Armistice was signed to end WWI. It took effect at 11 o'clock in the morning,
on the 11th day of the 11th month. Since then at that time we pause for a
minutes silence to remember those involved in that war, and all and subsequent
conflicts.
This year as part of the WIA ANZAC 100 program is VI8ANZAC, to be put on air
on Remembrance Day by Stuie Birkin VK8NSB.
More details can be read on the WIA website.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
Collecting Intelligence - the United Kingdom during WWII
The series of articles appearing in Amateur Radio magazine reflecting war-time
efforts in this Centenary Year of ANZAC, are coming to an end.
The latest is a very interesting piece by David Pilley VK2AYD, who tells of
both how radio amateurs in the United Kingdom gathered intelligence during
WWII, and it then it reflects on the Cold War.
His introduction to clandestine radio started in 1947 when joining the
Royal Navy. He spent many years in the 'Y' service, as a specialist in
Electronic Warfare. While not personally part of the WWII era, he was involved
in the Cold War that followed.
What inspired him to write this piece were books such as "The Secret Wireless
War" and "Edgar Harrison" the personal radio operator of Winston Churchill,
both written by Geoffrey Pidgeon.
The words 'gathering intelligence' generally invoke thoughts of spies and
covert operations, and in the current era satellite surveillance, electronic
eavesdropping, facial recognition, and powerful telephoto lenses - but these
tools did not exist in the early days.
Before WWII intelligence was gathered by the Secret Intelligence Service
around the world.
Just prior to WWII, wireless telegraphy became popular as a means of getting
intelligence quickly back to base in London for further analysis.
Bletchley Park in the UK dedicated itself solely to Code Breaking.
At the same time the RSGB suggested that the radio amateur could play a vital
role - already being proficient in Morse code. They were recruited as
'listening posts' around Great Britain, able to monitor HF and detect ground
wave key clicks that may occur from illicit stations such as spies.
The work of 1,500 radio amateurs was kept very secret.
Their task included looking for enemy agents that may have landed in the
United Kingdom.
Wireless also had its sad side. A hundred plus agents and radio operators
were dropped in war-torn Europe, provided vital intelligence, and many paid
with their lives.
This detailed and interesting story, that includes radio signal
'fingerprinting', will appear soon in the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine.
It also would be great if Hams who served in Korea/Vietnam and since were
able to send the WIA some bit of history.. were you licensed when you went?
Were you involved in communications in one form or another?
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WIA BOARD TALK
President Phil Wait VK2ASD vk2asd@wia.org.au
V President Fred Swainston VK3DAC vk3dac@wia.org.au
Secretary David Williams VK3RU vk3ru@wia.org.au
Treasurer (Position Vacant)
News from the WIA office
It has been a particularly busy time for the Wireless Institute of Australia
office in Melbourne's east suburban Bayswater, which has benefitted from
recently introduced efficiencies.
Members are receiving improved services, particularly the bookshop with its
new stock control and there are already a few orders for the 2016 callbook
which is expected in a week or two.
The financial affairs are healthy, the banking, bill paying and accounting
system have been streamlined.
The WIA Exam Service is recording a good level of activity, while the time
taken to process assessments has been slightly reduced. In the past month
there have been 54 certificates of proficiency issued and 81 callsign
recommendations issued.
Causing a little extra work has been difficulties with some aspects of the
SPECTRA system, but the ACMA is working quickly to find solutions. As with the
early stages of the now redundant RADCOM system, SPECTRA is expected to take
sometime before the bugs are ironed out. All apparatus licences are involved
with the software issues, not only radio amateurs but the land mobile licences
too.
As a reminder, it is the licensee's responsibility to renew on time, just as
it is to keep driver and other licences and permits current. If the ACMA does
not have your correct details, it can't send its notifications. You will be
found to be not current 60 days after the licence expiry date, and will lose
your callsign. This will mean re-applying to the WIA for a valid callsign and
going through the new licensing process.
Still at the office, the WIA is looking for an Executive Administrator based in
in Melbourne, here is our President Phil Waite VK2ASD
"The WIA is looking for an Executive Administrator in the WIA Office in
Bayswater, Melbourne.
Do you have strong communications skills, a commitment to excellence, strong
analytical and problem solving, an ability to think conceptually as well as
creatively, and work within a team environment.
Proven administrative skills are required, including proficiency in using a
range of software applications, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint,
and databases. It's also desirable, but not necessary, that you have some
understanding of the WIA and Amateur Radio, and have experience in either a
not-for-profit organisation, community service, other membership organisations,
or the armed forces.
The tasks to be undertaken include supervise and coordinate activities of
staff, payroll, training, budget and inventory control, review and answer
correspondence, and provide executive services for the Board of Directors.
The full-time contract position answers to the WIA Board of Directors through
the WIA President.
If you think you have these skills, and administrating the day-to-day
functions of the WIA appeals to you, we would very much like to hear from you.
The full advertisement is on seek.com applications close 4pm (AEDT) on
November 30. More information about the position appears on the WIA website.
Inquiries can be made to Fred Swainston on 03 9729 0400."
WIA navigates 'perfect storm' in the spectrum
The pace of reform to radio communications is staggering. With other factors
on the political agenda it can be described in the language of ocean fishing
as being like a 'perfect storm'.
The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) has gained the support of others who
rely on the spectrum, by being a receptive, flexible, and a workable player in
the reform process. It likely means more sharing of the finite resource of
spectrum, the use of which is growing as new applications are constantly
developed.
The WIA has gathered its specialists to look at what is ahead, and has been
doing so for more than a year, reports its activities in the 'Hot Issues'
section of the WIA website.
A lot of work is still ahead. The reform process is expected to be completed
in 2016, with implementation over the subsequent years.
The WIA needs to meet the challenges and opportunities that will arise from
this reform.
A full version of this story will be published in the WIA journal,
Amateur Radio magazine.
WIA representative on the IARU team at WRC-15 get down to work
The International Telecommunications Union has registered delegates for its
World Radiocommunication Conference 2015, being held in Geneva, Switzerland.
The four-week conference began last Monday, with the first day mostly taken up
with formalities and registration of 3,800 delegates, representing 162
administrations and 136 organisations.
The importance of the WRC-15 may be evidenced by an additional 1,000 delegates
this time, when compared with the same event in 2012.
The International Amateur Radio Union Team met last Sunday to review the
latest information and discuss tactics.The IARU-team consists of 18 members,
with many of them embedded with government delegations.
The latest news is that Agenda Item 1.4 proposing an amateur secondary
allocation for 5 MHz has been considered at committee level. Further talks are
scheduled on that item and other matters that may impinge on the amateur
service or the amateur satellite service. Regulatory aspects for nanosatellites
and picosatellites, and possible agenda items for future conferences have also
been discussed.
The WRC-15 work is now underway, and we will have more news next week.
During the recent International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 3 meeting
in Bali Indonesia (October 12-16), WIA representatives Phil Wait VK2ASD and
Peter Young VK3MV informally discussed funding for the international work of
Dale Hughes VK1DSH.
Dale is Chair of the ITU Working Party 5 (WP-5), which deals with issues
concerning the amateur and amateur satellite services.
He has attended a series of five meetings by Asia-Pacific Telecommunity in the
lead up to the current World Radio Conference (WRC-15), which is held in
Geneva (November 2-27), and which will be discussing a proposed new secondary
allocation for the amateur service around 5300 kHz.
The work of Dale as Chair of WP-5 has occurred mostly behind the scenes and
has been half funded by the WIA members and half funded by the IARU. The IARU
and the WIA have now come to a new arrangement where the international amateur
community, through the IARU, will provide a greater share of funding, and will
also fund Dale's attendance at WRC-15.
The financial load to WIA members is now significantly reduced.
The head of the Australian Delegation to WRC-15 said that Dale is valuable
member of the Australian Delegation. He has been doing an excellent job, and
both the IARU and the WIA are very appreciative of his valuable time,
expertise, and ongoing commitment to the maintenance and expansion of our
operating privileges.
Dale Hughes VK1DSH follows the international work follows that done by many
others from the WIA, including David Wardlaw VK3ADW and the late Michael Owen
VK3KI (sk).
At the IARU Region triennial conference held in Bali last month were the
WIA President Phil Wait VK2ASD, and delegate, now IARU regional director,
Peter Young VK3MV.
This is Phil Wait, VK2ASD for the WIA.
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an F-call?
I've recently purchased four verticals, one for each of the HF bands I'm
allowed to use. I installed them and started playing, only to be confronted
with some interesting results.
The 80m and 40m verticals have a very high Q, that is to say, they resonate on
a particular frequency and you can make contacts at those frequencies with
about 22 kHz variation. This is as expected. My antenna analyser picture looks
just like the one on the box. This is great. In theory all I should need to do
is trim them a little bit and have them resonant at the frequency I want to
operate on. I did hold off on the trimming, since cutting antennas longer is
pretty hard to do, and because I got some weird results for the other two
verticals.
On 10m and 15m the antennas are resonant outside the band.
On 15m it's below the band and on 10m it's above the band.
I could just cut the 15m antenna shorter, but there is something strange going
on here. I tried using different mounts, even a magnetic - not recommended,
mount and still got strange things happening.
I consulted some amateurs with more experience, one suggested that I remove
the stinger and see if the result was in keeping with what was expected, that
is, would it move the resonant frequency by the amount of shortening that
removing the stinger would mean. Another explained that the roof of my car was
getting in the way and that it was changing the characteristics of my antenna.
I tried all manner of things, but trimming the stinger was not one of them.
I'm glad I didn't.
Yesterday I removed the 2m vertical from my house and as an experiment put the
15m antenna in its place. They're within 5cm length of each other, so the
neighbours won't actually notice.
I hooked up the analyser and found that it was perfectly resonant on 15m,
worked with the same high level of accuracy that the 80m and 40m antennas
represent.
I also took the analyser for a spin up and down the band and found that my
15m antenna is also good for 2m and 70cm, so I don't have to pull it down
every week while I experiment.
I've yet to hear a strong enough signal on 15m to work anyone, but I'm not yet
sure if that is because my antenna isn't working or because propagation is up
the creek. I'm crossing my fingers it's the latter.
I've not worked out what my car is doing to this antenna, but now at least I
know that it's unlikely to be the antenna itself, which is great news. Off to
do some more reading and consulting of fellow amateurs. Who knows, one of them
might have some ideas.
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.
12 student satellites to launch
Five satellites built by Indian students have already been launched by ISRO,
12 more are expected to be in orbit by the middle of 2016
Better India report:
"Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has given many educational
institutions a chance to venture into space technology by guiding students
towards making experimental satellites. By next year, the space agency is set
to launch 12 more satellites designed by students of different academic
institutions.
According to ISRO Chairman, A.S. Kiran Kumar, they are focusing on lighter
satellites as lifting them into space is easier. Thus, students are being
given the opportunity to design light-weight experimental satellites, and
12 of them are expected to be launched by middle of next year.
Read the full story at
http://www.thebetterindia.com/37469/student-satellites-by-isro/
French AM station to shutdown
From January 1, 2016 France Bleu Elsass will cease broadcasting on the
Medium Wave AM band
In a DNA article the director of France Bleu Alsace, Emmanuel Delattre,
said the station will be available over the Internet and via Apps for
mobile devices.
It is understood that transmissions on 10 French MW/LW frequencies will cease
by the end of 2016.
Blue Plaque for radar pioneer
The BBC report a blue plaque has been unveiled recognising the work of
Edward Bowen who built a transmitter in 1920 when aged just 9
Professor Bowen managed to miniaturise radar, from a nationwide network of
15m tall masts in 1935, right down to something which by 1943, could be fitted
into the noses of planes during the Battle of the Atlantic. This meant that
while Allied fighters could detect Nazi U-Boats from a range of up to 160 km,
the U-boats were unaware of their presence until the planes were virtually
on top of them.
The breakthroughs which Prof Bowen made during his career led directly and
indirectly to a string of other developments:
Modern air-traffic control systems
Cathode ray tube television sets
Microwave ovens
Insulated electrical cable
Rain-making
The radio telescope which received the first images of the Moon landing in
1969 from Australia.
Read the BBC story at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-34660799
OPERATIONAL NEWS 2015 - 2016
WIA Spring VHF-UHF Field Day the weekend of 14th and 15th November.
2016
Harry Angel 80 mtr sprint (WIA) provisional date Saturday 7th May.
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 6 - 7
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE
North Korea P5 is planned
As regular listeners would be aware we are very wary when it comes to pre
promoting some major, and even minor, DXpeditions as over the years we
have been caught out "big time."
BUT from Jim VK3PC comes word that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
MAY have Amateur Radio activity in January or February 2016.
Dom Grzyb 3 Z 9 DX of Poland, a DXer since mid-1980s, plans a five-day trip
to the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, and will set-up in a government
secured location.
He claims all permits are in his hands granting permission for P5/3Z9DX on the
20m, 15m, and 10m bands - but he'll concentrate on 20m SSB using 100 watts
into a GP7 vertical antenna dipole.
The type of transceiver is unknown. On past experience it may be never leave
North Korea.
Others trying to operate from P5 report that they have been unsuccessful
getting written approval from both the government and military. North Korea is
a most wanted DX entity.
If the latest plan works, then approval is needed of the DXCC desk that can
verify and accept as valid the P5/3Z9DX operation.
All the best is wished to Dom 3Z9DX and his plans to operate from North Korea.
More detail may appear closer to the event on the VK1WIA broadcast.
VIET NAM, 3W.
An international team of Merditerraneo DX Club members will be QRV as 3 W 3 MD
from Da Nang, while some operators will also be QRV as 3 W 3 MD/p from
Cham Island, IOTA AS-162, to November 9. QSL both calls via IK 2 VUC.
To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of becoming a member of the Council of
Europe on 9 November 1995, The Council of Europe Radio Amateur Club,
TP 2 CE, in cooperation with the Amateur Radio Operators of Macedonia,
will put Z 38 CE on the air between 7 and 13 November.
QSL via F 5 LGF.
MADAGASCAR, 5R.
Eric, is QRV as 5R8IC from Sainte-Marie Island, IOTA AF-090, till December 12.
Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW with some SSB, RTTY and PSK.
QSL to F 6 ICX his home call.
How are your "decoding skills."
Earlier today our Editor, Graham Kemp VK 4 BB brought us news of the collection
of Intelligence during WWII and the Cold War Era.
On Hackaday website, radio amateur Al Williams WD 5 GNR writes about secret
number stations and how to receive them. There are actually several types of
number stations, but the proto-typical one is simply someone on the air
reading lists of numbers (or sending them via Morse code.
Some read off other coded messages (like phonetic alphabet letters) or have
sounds in the background that may or may not be digitally-encoded messages.
One even used a sound clip from a Yosemite Sam cartoon to separate bursts of
data.
There are dedicated groups that try to locate them and even decode what they
are saying. However, it is thought that most of them use some form of one time
pad cryptography which makes trying to decode them a very long shot.
It is pretty widely accepted, though, that the purpose of most (if not all) of
these stations is to deliver clandestine messages.
Read the full story at hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2015/10/29/secret-radio-stations-by-the-numbers/
(SouthGate)
IARU 90th birthday - more VK stations needed
The Wireless Institute of Australia is receiving expressions of interest
from its members who can activate the special VI 90 IARU callsign.
So far one avid VK5 DXer has expressed interest in the callsign to celebrate
the International Amateur Radio Union jubilee, more stations are needed.
Can you put VI 90 IARU on air until the end of December?
Please contact the WIA office via email, nationaloffice@wia.org.au
AWARDS
The Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award - activation period
All is set for the 5th annual portable activation of Victoria's National Parks,
that starts this Friday the 13th and runs until the following Monday.
The rules are simple for Activators and Chasers. So far nearly 30 National
Parks are registered.
As an added incentive, those who venture into the National Parks and make at
least five contacts can register to obtain a free participation certificate.
As a Chaser why not get on air and see how many you can contact?
Keep a watch on the Amateur Radio Victoria website for the latest list of
dates, times and frequencies for the National Parks - on air Friday 13th
until Monday 16th November.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
ARISS nearing its 1000th event
The International Space Station (ISS) orbiting the Earth has carried humans
since November 2, 2000 - or for 15 years.
Now it's headed also for the 1000th contact through the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) program.
Space agencies try to have at least one ham in the crew on board.
The ARISS program had put many schools and youth groups in contact with space
travellers as part of the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and
radio communications experience. At last count there has been more than 970
successful ARISS contacts.
The 1000th school will not be identified until it has almost happened, because
of last moment changes or the unavailability of the ISS crew. When it does
happens however, details will be on the VK1WIA broadcast.
A contact in the hi 900's was helped by a Radio Ham here down under to students
at Eleanor Palmer Primary School in Camden, London who had the opportunity to
speak to an astronaut in space thanks to an Amateur Radio Telebridge link via
Australia. Martin Diggens VK6MJ in Western Australia.
The International Space Station school contact had been planned with
participants in contact for about 9 minutes.
The contact, made via a Telebridge between astronaut Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS,
using the callsign NA1SS from the amateur radio station in the ESA ISS
Columbus module, and Martin VK6MJ in Western Australia.
The contact was audible over portions of Australia and adjacent areas on the
145.800 MHz FM downlink.
(VK3PC/SouthGate)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - LOW POWER
Minimum QRP - a new eBook
How to do more with under five watts is a challenge embraced by a growing
number of radio amateurs around the world with success on the HF bands.
A new guide is released aimed at helping get the most from a QRP station.
Called 'Minimum QRP' the 200-page eBook contains tested strategies, equipment
and antennas. It has been written by Peter Parker VK3YE, and the related URL
is in the text edition of this broadcast.
www.alphalink.com.au/~parkerp/miniqrp.htm
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING
http://www.scouts.com.au
http://www.scout.org/jota
http://www.international.scouts.com.au
Kennedy Region Scouts Nighthawk activity.
Your chance to make a real difference and show the youth of today how useful
Amateur Radio can be. Team tracking and a chance to set up portable at a spot
you would not normally go to.
Now don't panic if you are in the region, this event does not take place
until June, but isn't it great to see a club so well prepared they already
have much of their 2016 agenda laid out!
Well done Townsville Amateur Radio Club.
For details ask on the call-backs or the "RAT-REPEATER."
WICEN in Victoria to change guards
WICEN Victoria is an organisation of mostly radio amateurs providing
communications to emergency response agencies in times of need, and will hold
its annual general meeting on Saturday.
The State Secretary Mark Dods VK3ZR who has been in the job for 14 years, and
the State Coordinator John Kerr VK3BAF, both announced their registrations
earlier this year. Minutes Secretary John Brown VK3FR is also stepping down
after many years.
We wish the trio well for their future. The positions are to be filled at the
WICEN Victoria annual general meeting to be held on Saturday November 14, at
2pm, WICEN HQ, 34 Alexander Street, in Box Hill.
REWIND a look back at history
The first female radio amateur in Australia was Florence Violet McKenzie OBE
in 1922, initially as 2GA then changed to VK2FV - born 125 years ago.
The Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association, formed 40 years ago, awards
its contest winner the Florence McKenzie Trophy.
She set up an electrical business called the 'Wireless Shop' in Sydney in 1918,
and apprenticed herself, to meet the requirements of the Diploma in Electrical
Engineering at Sydney Technical College, which she gained in December 1923.
Her long career included being founder of The Wireless Weekly magazine,
starting the Electrical Association for Women, and writing the first
'all-electric' cookbook. A biography records that she established the Women's
Emergency Signalling Corps in 1939, and when WWII broke out, was responsible
for training in excess of 10,000 Morse code operators.
A motivated person she campaigned successfully to have some of her female
trainees accepted into the then all-male Navy, thereby originating the Women's
Royal Australian Naval Service.
In June 1950, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
for her work with the Women's Emergency Signals Corps. Other awards included
being a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Navigation (1957), Patron of the
Ex-WRANS Association (1964), a Member of the Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society
(1979), and a plaque celebrating her skills, character and generosity, was
unveiled at the Missions to Seamen Mariners Church (1980).
Two days before she became a silent key in 1982 aged 91, she said "...I have
proved to them all that women can be as good as, or better than men"
Mrs Mac, as she was so warmly known, was an amazing woman who today inspires
many radio amateurs around the world.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
SOCIAL SCENE 2015
Nov 14 VK4 Gold Coast HamFest Broadbeach (vk4py)
Nov 14 VK3 QRP By the Bay details from VK3YE held 2nd Saturday (vk3ye)
NOV 29 VK3 ROSEBUD RADIOFEST 9am in Allambi Avenue Rosebud (vk3pdg)
2016
Jan 22-26 VK4 TARC Australia Day Long Week Family Radio Camp
Girl Guides Campsite, Bluewater (vk4zz)
Feb 13 VK3 MERC HamFest 10am at Werribee Masonic Centre (wia)
Feb 28 VK2 Central Coast Field Day (vk2ztm)
Feb 28 VK3 EMDRC HamFest Great Ryrie Primary School Heathmont. (wia)
Ap-May 29- 2 VK4 Clairview Gathering check Mackay ARS website. (theTARCinc)
June 3- 5 VK4 Central Highlands Social Gathering Theresa Creek dam (wia)
June 11-13 VK5 VK Foxhunting Championship & SERG convention Mt Gambier(VK5HCF)
July 19 VK3 GippsTech 2016 Churchill (vk3pf@wia.org.au)
Sep 23-25 VK4 Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club AGM weekend at
Lake Maraboon Holiday Village, near Emerald. (theTARCinc)
FINAL FINAL
So what use is an F call.
There has been much to and froing on social media this week, that could have
been taken as Foundation licence bashing, well maybe worse than that, almost
to the level of bullying.
It would appear that a vociferous minority would really rather not have had
the Foundation licence introduced 10 years ago. They have the opinion that
only the Advanced call should allow individuals to get on the air, forgetting
that many of them became advanced licensees by a stroke of a bureaucratic pen.
How is it that these people can make up restrictions for foundation licensees
that are not actually in the regulations. For some years a myth about
supervision of a station prevented Fcalls from helping out alone at the
Jamboree of the air, at least that has been resolved, although the urban myth
persists.
After 10 years isn't it time to recognise that the Foundation entry level has
been a huge success, it has kept the hobby alive. Yes there are restrictions
on the licence, some sensible, others not and yes it maybe a path for some to
obtain licences with greater privileges, but lets stop treating F calls as
third class citizens.
They are fully authorised to use their stations and they should be welcomed
and encouraged to full participation in our hobby and not be subject to abuse
and discrimination.
This is Andrew who wasVK6FACS and is now, after making his own personal
decision to study radio theory, VK6AS.
Thread Closed with a timely reminder "Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are
those of the writers who submit material and do not necessarily reflect those
of the rebroadcasters, nor the National WIA, but are broadcast in the spirit
in which they were submitted."
Submitting news items
A reminder when supplying HamFest info we obviously can't plug commercial
traders "on air", but we at the WIA will put your supporters in this text
edition "no worries."
If you would like to submit news items for inclusion in the
VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to nationalnews@wia.org.au
and don't JUST send url's links but take the time to pen YOUR contribution.
To submit audio read "how to submit items" in the weekly news page on
http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/
Remember the sooner you submit material the more the likelihood of it being
broadcast in the very next edition of WIA National News. Each item will only
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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Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed prior to
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Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers you may
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even get a "cheerio call".
Thanks to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize their time
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Who and where are they? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to
active amateurs residing in Australia and the globe.
We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of Australia
and participation in the activities of local clubs. Opinions expressed in
"WIANews" are those of the writers who submit material and do not necessarily
reflect those of the rebroadcasters, nor the National WIA, but are broadcast
in the spirit in which they were submitted."
Material may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, a credit to
WIANews wouldn't go astray...
Who listens to radio? A weekly 'tally sheet' is sent to all rebroadcasters
and interested listeners, to get your free copy send a blank email to:-
wiabroadcasters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Put the word subscribe in the title or subject field
How do I join this National News List? (subscribe for an automatic weekly feed.)
Email to vk1wia-news-join@lists.wia.org.au
from the email account that you wish the emails to go to.
How do I leave this National News List? (unsubscribe your weekly feed)
Open mail program which sends mail from the address you want to unsubscribe.
Send mail to the list unsubscribe address vk1wia-news-leave@lists.wia.org.au
You will be sent a confirmation mail and must follow the instructions given
in that mail to complete the unsubscription.
Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably
receive another message confirming your unsubscription from the list,
and at that point you should stop receiving messages.
National News compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.
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