Nov 22 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING NOV 22 2015.
IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
WIA's Dale Hughes says the IARU-team faced firm opposition at Geneva
on the 5 MHz proposal.
We explain how it gained support for a 15 kHz-wide secondary allocation,
which gives amateurs a new global 60m band
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA 2015 AND FOR WEEK OF NOVEMBER 22
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A new 60m allocation at WRC-15
The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) in Geneva has agreed on a
secondary allocation of 5351.5-5366.5 kHz for the Amateur Service, with
regional power limits of 15 watts to 25 Watts measured in effective isotropic
radiated power (EIRP).
Dale Hughes VK1DSH said that on November 18, 2015, during the plenary meeting,
regulatory text for a new secondary allocation to the amateur was approved
without comment.
He said: "This was the outcome of many meetings during the current WRC-15
conference, regular ITU-R Working Party 5A meetings and regional Asia-Pacific
Telecommunity meetings, which started in early 2012.
"Some estimates of success for this WRC-15 agenda item (on the 5 MHz issue)
were as low as 20 per cent. "So achieving this successful outcome was very
much a team effort and the result of a great deal of work by individual
national delegates, national amateur societies, the IARU and supportive
national administrations."
The new regulatory text part of the updated ITU Radio Regulations is expected
to come into force in January 2017.
"If and when Australian radio amateurs might get access to the new 60m band
remains unknown, as there will need to be WIA discussions with the Australian
Communications and Media Authority to address local issues
"It has been a privilege to be part of this work; the efforts and support of
the WIA, the ACMA, Australian Department of Defence representatives and other
Australian WRC-15 delegates must be positively acknowledged," Dale VK1DSH.
Generally 15 Watts EIRP is permitted in the ITU Regions 1 and 3, however
Region 2 has 15 Watts for the USA, 20 Watts for Mexico, and 25 Watts in
Central America, South America and most of the Caribbean area. USA has
channelised access for radio amateurs on 5 MHz, and this is to change to the
normal frequency agility.
The breakthrough for the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on the 5 MHz
issue came as the result of years of preparation, trials and talks.
The IARU team went to the WRC-15 not at all confident on getting a new 60
metre band allocation. The 18 member IARU-team, co-lead by President Tim Ellam
VE6SH and Vice-President Ole Garpestad LA2RR, includes Dale Hughes VK1DSH
partly funded by the WIA and IARU, and about 10 others with their
country-based delegation. It also engaged on a number of agenda items that may
impact the amateur and amateur satellite services - and is keeping a watch on
future proposals.
The IARU-team faced firm opposition against a wide sharing spectrum slice at
5 MHz.
The IARU had pressed its case at the spectrum marathon, but through a
considered strategy, with careful listening, compromise and negotiation, found
a way. The first big hurdle came from major countries including Canada,
Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, who felt such an
allocation was too generous.
To persuade some to abandon their no-allocation position, a 15 kHz-wide slice
compromise was agreed.
The other hurdle was the power limit, with it being lower than originally
proposed, and now has measurement at EIRP, or Effective Isotropic Radiated
Power, rather than transmitter output in watts. The limit sought by some was
designed to protect existing in-band and adjacent band services at 5 MHz from
perceived harmful interference, and that compromise gained even more support.
On the next WRC-19 agenda are proposals for 50-54 MHz, the amateur service and
amateur satellite service band at 47-47.2 GHz, and small non-amateur,
non-geostationary satellites that are looking for VHF and UHF allocations,
possible threats to the 144 MHz and 430 MHz allocations.
A proposed agenda item to align the 160 metre allocation throughout the world
is no longer on the table.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
The legacy of AMSAT OSCAR 6 & 7 in demonstrating satellite based Doppler
location of ground transmitters for search-and-rescue operations in the 70s
set the stage for the Cospas-Sarsat system which is now entering into the next
stage of evolution.
McMurdo's next-generation MEOSAR satellite ground station system installation
in New Zealand will reduce rescue times in one of the world's most active
search and rescue regions.
McMurdo has announced that it has completed the installation of a six-antenna
next-generation Medium-Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) satellite
ground station system in New Zealand.
The project is part of a joint initiative with Maritime New Zealand and the
Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
This New Zealand MEOSAR system, and another being installed in VK6, West
Australia, will cover one of the largest search and rescue areas in the world,
from north of Australia/New Zealand to the Equator and south to the South Pole,
east to half way across the Pacific, and west half way across the Indian Ocean.
The systems will undergo rigorous testing before being officially brought
online in late 2017.
(ANS NA)
Satellite broadband coming to regional and remote Australia
A launch date for the first of two new nbn satellites has been announced.
The satellites will provide high-speed broadband to even the most remote areas
of Australia, bringing with it more options for broadcasters to interact with
their online audiences and provide streaming and podcast audio (once the PPCA
dispute is settled although the major Networks are now streaming their
provincial stations.)
Blasting off from French Guiana on 1 October 2015, the launch date is
"a huge step forward for those living in regional and remote Australia,"
according to the Communications Minister.
The second satellite will be launched later next year to ensure there is
sufficient capacity to meet the needs of users in regional and remote areas.
Read more at:
radioinfo.com.au/news/satellite-broadband-coming-regional-and-remote-australia Radioinfo.com.au
Skippable songs now available on UK Radio
Capital Xtra, Global's national Urban radio station, launched a new version of
their app a few weeks ago, with a new feature: a skip button.
If you're listening to the live radio station, and hear a song that you don't
like, you can now skip the song you're listening to.
The listening experience sounds intriguing.
It's only available on iOS at present (and unavailable in the Australian app
store, where my iPod thinks is home even though it isn't quite home for me yet)
so I've been unable to try it out: and anyway, to this old Baby Boomer,
Capital Xtra mostly sounds like a noise. But the theory sounds great.
Skip the song currently playing live, and the app goes to the next song
scheduled on the station. It's genuinely skipping.
The radio presenters record bespoke breaks for the app as well as the
radio station (voice tracking slightly ahead of time). So the experience with
the app is similar to the experience with radio.
Read more at:
radioinfo.com.au/news/skippable-songs-now-available-uk-radio Radioinfo.com.au
Make way for speeding emergency vehicles
The uses of the radio spectrum continue to grow, and among the latest is an
Australian device that over-rides FM broadcast stations to warn motorists of
emergency service vehicles.
While overseas interest has been shown in it, regulation barriers need to be
overcome to gain the Australian, New Zealand and USA markets.
When fitted, ambulances, fire engines and police cars transmit a pre-recorded
voice message heard over any FM car radio up to 200m away. Adaptions also give
the device a 3km range with the latest information for a disaster prone area,
or to be strategically placed on freeways augmenting other warning signage.
(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)
The ANZAC Centenary 'last hurrah' attracts attention
The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) is planning to commemoratively draw
a closing curtain on its ANZAC 100 program over two weekends from December 12
to 20.
This ending is timed with the departure of Australians and New Zealanders on
December 20, 1915, from Gallipoli, when Colonel J Paton was in charge if the
'rear-guard'. That came after eight months of heavy losses of life on both
sides of the conflict.
The 'last hurrah' already has five ANZAC-suffixed callsigns involved. The
VI3ANZAC activity will be on Phone, CW and Digital, the VI4ANZAC event
'Sailors in Khaki' concentrates on the role of the Royal Australian Naval
Bridging Train, VI6ANZAC is mounted to be by the Ham College, while VI8ANZAC
plans a top end event.
All ANZAC-suffixed events will load their electronic log files to eQSL.
As WIA President, I'll make a closing statement to be broadcast throughout
Australia through VK100ANZAC. That WIA statement will be on December 20,
but before the official closure of the ANZAC 100 event - more details next
month.
This is Phil Wait, VK2ASD for the WIA.
Australian Radio Amateur Callbook now at the printers
The Callbook for 2016, after a delay that has been unavoidable, is now signed
off and in the hands of the printers. The annual publication comes with a CD
that has a host of additional information including copies of Amateur Radio
magazine, Great Circle Maps, and material for the vision impaired.
Stocks are not yet available to meet the strong demand, going by the orders
already received. We will let you know of further progress with the Callbook
2016 on next week's broadcast.
Recording our history in this ANZAC Centenary Year
Limited access to information about some of our original ANZAC radio amateurs
didn't stop WIA Historian Peter Wolfenden VK3RV.
Wireless in Australia, effectively the 1914 Callbook, lists 401 licenced
experimenters. Peter VK3RV says it's fair to say that many of those early
radio amateurs went to war, often played significant roles - particularly with
the new science of wireless communications.
They were at sea, on land, and in the air. It is appropriate to note that of
those who volunteered their services, many played pivotal roles within the
embryonic WIA. Names like Walter Hannam XQI, one of the 1910 founders, and he
helped Lt. George Taylor with the first Army wireless communication experiments
There were others like David Garland Jr. of Queensland, apparently not a
licenced radio amateur, but definitely a keen member and officer bearer of
what became the Queensland WIA.
Other significant WWI radio amateurs include Walter Witt XKW an office bearer
of the Victorian Division, who loaned his spark coil transmitter to the Navy
for the first fleet of Australians and New Zealanders to set sail for
Gallipoli.
Howard Kingsley Love 3BM, and later VK3KU, was surprisingly discovered to be a
WWI fighter pilot who unfortunately became an enemy prisoner of war. Howard was
a dynamic figure in the Victorian Division of the Institute, but perhaps more
importantly, a protagonist for the formation of a Federal WIA during the 1920s.
Through his company, Kingsley Radio, he also played important roles during WWII
supplying radio products to the services, both here in Australia and in allied
countries.
Each of these men returned safely to Australia, and all except for Witt,
continued to contribute to experimental wireless and the WIA.
It was the radio amateur - still officially known as experimenters - that
became a source of skilled or semi-skilled individuals of value to the
services.
At the outbreak of WWII, in December 1939, the Naval Board Secretary contacted
the Institute, seeking CW operators capable of 20 wpm for the Navy - many
responded.
Those stories and more have been told through Amateur Radio magazine.
Next week on VK1WIA we will again look at the host of historical material that
has been uncovered.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
SILENT KEY
http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/about/
Silent Keys are best sent to AR Magazine and your local state or club news
rather than this WIA National News Service.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.
IARU reinforces broadcaster ban
A few shortwave broadcasters are at 7200 kHz, on the edge of the exclusive
Amateur Radio allocated 40-metre band with their emissions intruding below
frequency to cause interference.
The International Telecommunications Union in its Radio Regulations do not
permit shortwave broadcasting stations in the segment 7100-7200 kHz. The IARU
Region 3 Conference in Bali resolved to draw attention to incidents of
broadcasters using 7200 kHz, contrary to the ITU regulations.
If sufficient observations are made of such intrusions, firm action will be
made to try and move them higher in frequency above the band edge.
WRC-15 allocates flight tracking spectrum
Following the loss of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in March 2014, the World
Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) has agreed to allocate spectrum for
global flight tracking
The frequency band 1087.7-1092.3 MHz - currently being utilized for the
transmission of ADS-B signals from aircraft to terrestrial stations within
line-of-sight - has been allocated to the aeronautical mobile-satellite
service (Earth-to-space) for reception by space stations of Automatic
Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) emissions from aircraft transmitters.
Read the full story and interview with Don Thoma, President and CEO of Aireon
http://newslog.itu.int/archives/1146
Licence fees review underway in New Zealand
As John Maisel's reported here on VK1WIA National News last week, The Radio
Spectrum Management of New Zealand is reviewing its Radio Spectrum Fees
Framework and invites public submissions to the process.
The review process is outlined with proposals and cost pressures it faces in
efficiently and effectively managing the radio spectrum.
Among the proposals are a single fee for all licence types, instead of a
current regime to recover the cost of individual licences.
NZART President Stuart Watchman ZL2TW describes the review as having the
potential to significantly increase Amateur Radio repeater, beacon and link
fees.
The NZART is to make a submission, and encourages individuals to make one too.
Written submissions should be sent to the review by no later than December 7.
A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH EACH YEAR
The ARRL DXCC Department has announced a name change for ZL9, which will
switch from "Auckland and Campbell Islands" to "New Zealand Subantarctic
Islands."
This will not include The Snares or any islands claimed by New Zealand south
of 60 S. Specifically, the Antipodes of New Zealand and the Bounty Islands
of New Zealand will count for ZL9, the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands entity.
This is not a new or changed entity but a clarification of which islands count
for the entity previously known as Auckland and Campbell Islands.
Manhattan Project Sites Now Eligible for USA National Parks On The Air Event
The US departments of Energy (DOE) and the Interior have signed an agreement
making the three sites of the Manhattan Project a National Historical Site
and the 409th official unit of the National Park Service.
The Manhattan Project was the name given to the secret World War II effort to
develop the first atomic weapon. The agreement makes the new NPS unit eligible
for the ARRL 2016 National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event, celebrating the
centennial of the National Park Service.
"A visit to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park will be different
from a visit to many other national parks," the National Park Service has
pointed out. "Many of the properties included in the park are located in areas
that are still part of the active DOE mission. Because of safety and security
issues some facilities may not be immediately open to the public, and others
may only be visited on organized bus tours.
As a result, the new unit will be flagged as "extremely sensitive" on the
NPOTA listed by NPS.
GOING GOING GONE
The 10th Annual ARRL On-Line Auction went off without a hitch last month.
In addition to hundreds of browsers, the auction saw 284 individual bidders
vying for product review equipment, vintage books, one-of-a-kind finds, and
even "mystery junk boxes" from the ARRL Lab.
1383 bids were recorded.
After all was tallied, this year's auction grossed more than $41,000. Proceeds
from the yearly On-Line Auction benefit ARRL education programs. These include
activities to license new hams, strengthen Amateur Radio Emergency Service
training, offer continuing technical and operating education, and create
instructional materials.
SPIDER BEAM?
Radio amateur Dean Rogers 2E 0 CZR featured in the Kent Messenger newspaper
after discovering a tube-web spider while doing his washing. The Kent
Messenger reports the massive spider, Segestria Florentina, is thought to be
the largest species in Britain.
Read the full story at
kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/britains-biggest-spider-found-in-46184/
Who and Where are our broadcast stations?
http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
OPERATIONAL NEWS 2015 - 2016
2016
"All aboard" the Sydney Ferries. VHF/UHF 'contest' Sunday March 13, 10am to 4pm.
WIA John Moyle Field Day 19-20 March 2016
Harry Angel 80 mtr sprint (WIA) provisional date Saturday 7th May.
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
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE
Mildura beacon QRT - for now
The main purpose of the 473 kHz beacon at Mildura in far north-west of
Victoria was to create interest in that part of the spectrum - it has
certainly achieved that goal.
More than 100 reception reports of the VK3FI beacon on 630 metres were
received.
The home-brew CW beacon feeding a Marconi L-antenna was heard in all VK states
and a few reports from New Zealand too.
A recent visitor to Mildura was Don Bainbridge VK3IT who reported the beacon
loud and clear while he was on a trip to the remote inner corner of the
continent.
The 473 kHz beacon is now turned off due to the early onset of lightning
storms, but if there's sufficient interest it may return in winter.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
IARU is 90!
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of IARU several countries have special
event stations running to the end of the year.
Contacts with these stations go towards a diploma celebrating this IARU
milestone where you need to contact 10 special IARU call signs before the
end of 2015.
Members of the Malta Amateur Radio League are using 9 H 90 IARU, QSL 9 H 1SP.
EV 90 IARU is on the air from Belarus and you QSL via EW 1 I.
The Radio Club of Haiti will be using HH 90 IARU and the QSL manager is W 3 HNK.
Sicilian station, II 9 IARU, is 'on the wireless' now until 31 December.
The Mongolian national society is putting JT 90 IARU on air, QSL via JT 1 KAA.
UP 90 IARU is from Kazakhstan with RW 6 HS acting as QSL manager.
And of course your WIA is now active with its VI 90 IARU callsign under a
roster of its members.
Both clubs and individual Advanced licence holders are encouraged to apply.
The St George Amateur Radio Society in Sydney's south began the celebration
last weekend with VI 90 IARU heard delighting all on both Phone and Digital.
On Tuesday, Bill VK4ZD and Diane VK4DI at Gatton in South East Queensland were
given VI 90 IARU, and got down to the business of working many DX stations.
Even an appearance on the DX ANZA net and spotted by DX For Me.
The pair is still due to be air until today, Sunday November 22.
Those rostered are given the requirements of the VI 90 IARU callsign,
including the need to file an electronic log. QSL is via the Bureau.
Nominate the UTC dates and times planned to be used.
Email your expression of interest to the WIA National Office at
nationaloffice@wia.org.au
Another special event call which ends in December is PD 15 XMAS
The Special Event Station PD 15 XMAS will be on-the-air from December 5 to
January 1 and Raymond Smit PD 7 DX is QSL route
Today, Sunday 22 VI 0 ANZAC from Casey Base in the Antarctic will hold another
activation as part of the Wireless Institute of Australia ANZAC 100 program.
At this stage, depending on the weather and availability, VI 0 ANZAC is trying
to re-activate on Sunday November 22, starting at 0200UTC. It will start on
14.250MHz and QSY if necessary.
Other possible frequencies are: 40m 7.135, 7.100 and 7090, 7.105, and
15m 21.250, 21.255, 21.260, 21.265, 21.270 USB.
AWARDS
National Parks event reports on the successful outing
With 29 of Victoria's National Parks made active by 17 radio amateurs,
including a swag of interstaters, the weekend event was worthwhile.
The focus last weekend was on the 5th annual Keith Roget Memorial National
Parks Award activity period, with seven from VK5 and one from VK2, joining the
rest from VK3.
All Activations are eligible for VKFF Award, with National Parks in that
program too.
During the event Mick VK3PMG achieved the KRMNPA Merit Award of 45 Parks
worked, and also activated Grampians and Little Desert National Parks. Well
done. The log book showed VK3PMG contacted Peter VK3TKK in Greater Bendigo,
Col VK5HCF & Tom VK5EE at Mt Richmond and finally Tony VK3VTH in the Snowy
River - to qualify at Merit status.
Two husband and wife teams were active - Lesley VK5LOL and Hans VK5YX at
Wyperfeld, and Joe VK3YSP and Julie VK3FOWL at French Island - both duos
operating for two days.
On the Saturday the control station VK3WI manned by Terry VK3UP was active
from the Brisbane Ranges.
Norm VK3XCI and his XYL Bernadette headed for Hattah - Kulkyne, to achieve a
log marking a number of 'firsts', including a voice contact on HF, portable HF,
and a debut for an award. He learnt a lot in a great experience, like throwing
ropes over Mallee trees for an antenna. Norm VK3XCI was stuck with digital
modes at his home QTH due to noise, but bitten by the portable experience is
certain now to go portable more often.
Mark VK3OHM expressed a big thank to all activators, with the Snowy River
lifting his KRMNPA tally to 38, giving extra encouragement to push for the
extra 7 needed.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
Popularity growth in WIA Awards
Already this year, there have been more WIA awards claims than last year.
The dramatic increase in WIA awards is due to the quicker application and
processing times.
All you need to do is upload your ADIF log - there are no forms to fill in.
Most awards only take a few days to be approved.
Currently there are 650 and we may reach 800 by year's end.
The program has been opened to DX users, and the WIA has arguably the best
award program of its type in the world. All award applications are online,
free to WIA members, who must be registered Memnet users. The system is also
available to DX users who pay the cost.
Using data extracted from the uploaded award logs, the WIA maintains for VK,
a DX Leader board, the top 30, which are displayed on the website.
Competition for the top spot has been furious this year. There is also a
separate section for Foundation Licence holders.
The DXer of the year awards are announced at the WIA annual general meeting.
Check out the Award program on the WIA website, and a direct URL is in the
text edition of this broadcast.
http://www.wia.org.au/members/awards/about/
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
RERUNS IN SPACE OR..RADIO REDUX?
It seems that old jokes, unlike radio waves, have an uncanny ability to bounce
back and return to earth.
Amateur Radio Newsline have reminded us of a news prank the BBC staged a
few years ago. A fictional radio astronomer at an observatory in Puerto Rico
happened upon some old broadcast signals floating out in space, while
attempting to track extra-terrestrial signals from his lab.
Or so the story goes.
He then identified those surprise signals as the transmissions from old
TV broadcasts - identifying them even to the point that he could name the
very TV shows the signals were carrying.
Well, the story, like the signals, got very decent air play for the
April Fool's Day prank the British broadcasters pulled a couple of years ago.
It was theorized at the time that the signals likely bounced off some far-away
asteroid cloud and thus returned to earth.
TV shows he identified were said to be 50 years old - or more.
Well, it didn't take 50 years but something has apparently bounced back to
earth for real - and it's the old story about these ancient reruns. Twitter
feeds, and other forms of social media, have come alive with this bizarre tale
that old radio waves don't die, and don't even fade away. All of which makes
for very poor science - but a very good joke - even if it's not April Fool's.
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
Whitsunday Region Endurance Riders Association given a helping hand by
Townsville Amateur Radio Club (TARC)
All these VK4 rides happen on the verdant slopes of Euri Gold Farm, just out
of Merinda north of Bowen Fri 25th to Mon 28th March.
You are able to camp out early at Ride Base from Thursday onwards.
The ride starts up on Friday afternoon and will mainly run into the evening.
This is your chance to get out into some lovely countryside, set up camp with
a portable station or three and communicate in a relaxing fashion as horses
and riders go by, day and night.
Hey Mackay and Bowen horse operators - you can join in the fun too with TARC
as well, contact VK4ZZ.
(tarcnews letter)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR
A Youth Net meets Saturdays at 0100 UTC on IRLP Reflector #2.
Young Hams Net 3.590 - 7:30pm Victorian time.
Youngsters On The Air, YOTA http://www.ham-yota.eu/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/youngstersontheair
The sixth Youngsters on the Air summer camp will take place next year, from
16 to 23 July 2016 in Wagrain, south of Salzburg (OE2) in Austria.
The Austrian society, OeVSV, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2016 and
will host the YOTA camp as part of the celebrations.
Seventy-five youngsters, between the ages of 15 and 25, will be invited to
travel to the Austrian Alps to enjoy a programme with many new elements
compared to previous years.
(SARL)
LICENSE CHANGE FOR SOUTH AFRICA'S YOUNGEST HAMS
New regulations from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa
now allow amateur radio applicants who are younger than 20 and who pass the
Class B exam to hold a ZU or Class B license until age 25. After that, they
must upgrade by taking the Class A exam in order to receive a Class A license,
designated by a ZS or ZR call sign.
The authority's decision had been based on its belief that the Class B license's
primary role is to serve as an introduction to amateur radio.
As a result, the authority has declared that, effective April 1, 2017, all
amateurs older than 25 will become ineligible for ZU license renewals.
(arnewsline)
USING MICROWAVES AS A MAGNET
Speaking of young hams, the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society of
the IEEE is seizing the opportunity to attract students to amateur radio
during its flagship conference in India in early December.
The International Microwave and RF Conference in Hyderabad will be
hosting a special event station, AU2MTT, that will be operating for two
weeks in conjunction with the gathering.
One society member, Jim Rautio, AJ3K, told the ARRL: QUOTE "The special
event is intended to draw attention to ham radio, STEM, and MTT, both
from conference participants and any and all active hams in India." In
addition to encouraging them to pursue their licenses, organizers want
to see more youngsters consider careers in engineering, science,
technology or mathematics.
Rautio said the effort's emphasis will be on amateur radio's role in
disaster communications and addressing humanitarian needs. This is being
done through a program known by the acronym, SIGHT, for Special Interest
Group on Humanitarian Technology.
(IEEE, ARRL)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- CW
CW Enthusiasts may be interested in joining in the VK CW Net each week night
at 8:30 UTC or 7:30pm Sydney time.
It is held on 7051.2kHz and is run like a simple traffic net.
The net controller will invite stations to check-in.
Stations wanting to participate would simply respond with their callsign.
After all callers are acknowledged the net controller will go around the group.
At this point the caller can ask for a QSO with another station or just
checkout with the QNX signal.
Stations wanting a QSO with another station are asked to QSY to another
frequency.
After all stations have been dealt with the net is closed with the QNF signal.
It is intended to be as time efficient as possible. So overs are short and no
long winded chit chat is allowed. So far the nets have been running for about
15mins.
Tuesday and Thursdays are for slow speed ops, where the net controller will
slow down to match the slowest operator.
For more information see VKCW.net/nts
Twitter #VKCW
REWIND
There is always talk and involvement of amateur radio at times of disaster
and catastrophe, but commercial broadcasters and the Government also make
plans.
BBC newsreader Peter Donaldson, who has died aged 70 was chosen in the 1980s
to voice the pre-recorded warning that would be broadcast in the event of a
nuclear attack on Britain. This secret work was released by the National
Archives, which outlined plans for a wartime radio service - casting Donaldson
as "the voice of doom".
He epitomised the tradition of received pronunciation of polished BBC English
and the starting words were
"This is the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This country has been attacked
with nuclear weapons. Communications have been severely disrupted, and
the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known."
But how eerie is this eerie is this.
<recording>
This is Andrew VK6AS
SOCIAL SCENE 2015
NOV 29 VK3 ROSEBUD RADIOFEST 9am in Allambi Avenue Rosebud (vk3pdg)
Hello,
This is Tim VK3TJC from the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club (SPARC)
reminding you that there is only 1 week to go to the Rosebud RadioFest to be
held on Sunday the 29th of November.
Yes, Sunday, the 29th November is when the Rosebud RadioFest is on at the
Eastbourne Primary School, Allambi Avenue, Rosebud. For more details Google
SPARC RadioFest 2015.
If you have pre-loved equipment to sell, tables are still available at $10
and can be booked on-line at www.rosebudradiofest.com
But be quick as there is only a few left.
The technical forums being held this year have wide appeal as per previous
years and are very educational to all amateurs.
The event has full catering, there is plenty of off street parking, great door
prizes and the entry fee is only $6 with under 12's free. Outdoor displays
will be open from 8 am and the new-and-used equipment sale area in the main
auditorium will be open from 9.30 am until 2 pm.
If you need help to find the venue, a talk-in will be conducted on VK3RSP
146.675 MHz and VK3RPU 439.850 Mhz.
Don't miss the fastest growing RadioFest and enjoy the tourist sights of the
Mornington Peninsula with your family.
See you in Rosebud on Sunday the 29th of November.
73 from the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club. Tim, VK3TJC.
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)
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National News compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.
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