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SEPTEMBER 25 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
Oh... and to contact us with your news because
If It Matters To You It Matters To Us!
Email nationalnews@wia.org.au
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING SEP 25 2016.
IN OUR 21st YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
WIA / ACMA Amateur Reciprocal Qualifications Review. -
WIA meets the ACMA over the LCD. -
WIA Merit Award presentation to a most worthy recipient. -
WIA Director visits Queensland radio club
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA 2016 AND FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 25
Amateur Reciprocal Qualifications Review
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has reset the qualification
equivalency of the US Technician Licence for new applications to that of the
entry level Australian Foundation Licence.
The majority of submissions to the ACMA inquiry fully agreed that the
Foundation Licence was the most appropriate for reciprocal licensing purposes.
Before the review it was set at the highest Advance Licence.
The ACMA said a report prepared by the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA)
indicated that the US Technician Class Licence was no longer equivalent to the
Advanced Licence. The WIA sought to lower the level of reciprocity to the
Foundation Licence. It also reflected the ACMA's confirmation by independent
inquiry that the basis on which the US Technician Class Licence was conferred
had changed over time.
The ACMA review asked:
Do you support the ACMA and the WIA's stance that the US Technician Class
licence is no longer equivalent to the Advanced Licence and that the Foundation
Licence is the most appropriate for reciprocal licensing purposes?
A total of 23 submissions received, 15 agreed, seven disagreed and one neither
agreed nor disagreed with the proposal.
Among those agreeing was the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) that stated
that the US Technician Class Licence was very close to the Foundation Licence,
but not higher. (It was downgraded in 1999)
Four respondents who agreed to the downgrade believed existing licensees should
have their licences reviewed and possibly downgraded to Foundation Level.
However five submissions who agreed to the downgrade, also felt that existing
reciprocal licences already issued should remain, and that the downgrading
start from the date of the ACMA decision.
Those against the downgrading felt that the US Technician Licence was more
aligned to the Australian Standard Licence than the Foundation Licence.
The ACMA said what must be assessed was the relative levels of each
qualification - what level of knowledge was the best fit for each class of
licence. Based on this test, the US Technician Class licence aligns best with
the Foundation Licence.
However, the ACMA ruling was not retrospective.
Existing licensees who obtained their Advanced Licence based on the US
Technician Class Licence were grandfathered and may continue to operate
at the Advanced Level.
(Phil Wait VK2ASD)
WIA meets the ACMA over the LCD
Over the last couple of weeks you have heard WIA Spectrum Strategy
Committee member, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, describe the various elements
of the WIAs suggestions for changes to the Amateur Licence Condition
Determinations.
The Wireless Institute of Australia has recently met with the Australian
Communications and Media Authority to further discuss the WIAs suggested LCD
changes.
The WIA Regulatory Counsel Peter Young VK3MV and the WIA President Phil Wait
VK2ASD met with the ACMA to discuss those suggestions.
The meeting went through each WIA suggestion to discuss them in detail.
As a result, the WIA is now in a position to put a higher priority on those
areas which have a greater chance of being adopted early.
The WIA will be making a further submission to the ACMA, and will place that
information on its website.
A major DATV repeater is to be relocated.
The digitised amateur television repeater serving greater Melbourne and Geelong
has been told it has to move as the site on Mt Dandenong will no longer be
available.
The VK3RTV repeater is licensed to Amateur Radio Victoria and run by the
Melbourne ATV Group. The digitisation of VK3RTV with its first digital test was
on 7 June 2009, just as commercial and government TV broadcasters in Australia
we're finding their way with the new medium.
The transformation to DATV followed substantial funding by Amateur Radio
Victoria and a grant from the Wireless Institute of Australia club scheme.
Other amounts, equipment and voluntary time went into the project.
It has had a remarkable history which began with black and white transmission
in 1977, then came colour television.
A driving force behind it was been Peter Cossins VK3BFG, who now reports that
the tower and site at Mt Dandenong east of Melbourne is lost.
Peter VK3BFG received a WIA President's Commendation at the AGM last May for
his work over many years including holding five annual World Digital ATV QSO
Party events.
He bring us news is that the lease on the site is not being renewed, with the
tower and building to be demolished. Now the VK3RTV station consisting of
racked mounted DVB-T Exciter, Controller, multiple receivers and feeding
antennas, are to be retrieved and temporarily stored.
This re-location may mean that the current system has to be re-designed, with
the possibility that the receivers may be installed in a different location to
the transmitter . There is also the possibility of a new installation high
above the western suburbs of Melbourne with links to the main system.
Whatever is the case, it is envisaged that the shut down time will be as small
a time scale as possible with proof of design activity over that period.
Amateur Radio Victoria maintains a network of repeaters provided to all as a
part of its service to the amateur community and is committed to its
maintenance. While VK3RTV is being re-designed, it is also an opportunity to
operate simplex or re-design your own ATV station . Further information will
be provided as plans are realised.
(Jim VK3PC / Peter VK3BFG)
Button battery code adopted in Australia
The danger of swallowing a small button battery by youngsters is well known,
and now some major retailers and a battery maker have got together to reduce
child injuries and deaths.
The batteries are in TV remotes, cameras, watches, calculators, greeting cards,
scales, torches and novelty items.
They are finding their way into young mouths, get stuck, and can leach out
their poisonous contents.
The new code includes safety measures such as designing consumer goods where
the battery compartment is secure and needs two or more independent or
simultaneous actions to remove its cover. The voluntary Industry Code comes as
20 children are hospitalised each week after swallowing a battery.
(Jim VK3PC)
Just when you thought powerlines could not carry broadband
A new internet access method called AirGig that uses electricity cables has
been revealed by US telecom giant AT&T.
Broadband over Powerlines or BPL was discredited a long time ago due to the
flawed technology used being prone to RF interference. However, while
acknowledging the problems of the past with BPL, AT&T plans to deliver
high-speed internet around power lines, and not through them.
AirGig will use plastic antennas that deliver data signals, and stick them on
already existing power lines, which will create an electromagnetic field to
guide the signals across the wires. Instead of tapping into the power lines
like former BPL, the licence-free spectrum wireless signals hitch a ride along
the outside of the wire to their destination.
AT&T is hoping to roll out AirGig by next year, having tried the experimental
system on its own properties, and hoping for further success in laboratory
tests.
The Amateur Radio community and other radio users will be watching developments
closely.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
5 NEW HAMS
Last weekend Canberra and Region Amateur Radio Club ran a foundation course
with five candidates.
How many of the 5 were successful?
ALL FIVE.
Congratulations to Tim, Brian, Gerard, Stephen and David for their efforts.
CRARC look forward to catching up with them at their club meetings or on air
when their licenses come through.
CRARC Next Foundation Course is scheduled for November.
(vk1 news eletter)
Out of VK4 to the rest of VK and the world!
Cooby Creek Special Event Oct 1st to 31st 2016
Callsign VI50CC has been obtained and approved by WIA & ACMA:
Bill VK4ZD is the designated "owner" on behalf of the club
Do we have set times and Frequencies and do we have someone in charge of a
roster?
Wayne VK4ARW has offered to manage the Roster:
There is a link on the NEW club website www.ddrci.org.au to book a time slot:
This should be done about a week before you want to operate.
We can have multiple operators on the same day and time as on long as they
aren't on the same band or mode, so the need to register your intent is
important
The PDF of the current roster will be updated on the website as it changes.
Uploading to Club Log:
Bill VK4ZD is happy to do this provided all logs are done electronically and
emailed to him as an ADIF file. If any member wishes to participate and hasn't
used an electronic log Bill is happy to assist in showing you how it's done.
Logs to be emailed to vk4zd@mainlink.net.au at least once every 2 days to allow
the master log to be kept current.
QSL's:
Diane VK4DI is happy to be the QSL manager: It will be managed via OQRS. We
will order QSL cards after the event once we have an idea of how many cards
are required.
Clublog online & OQRS have been set up.
We will get some pics of the onsite activity to put on the card.
Activation on site is on the weekend of the 19th- 23rd. More info will be
supplied as it becomes available.
Publicity : This very WIA Broadcast and DX news distribution: has been done,
Merv has put info on the ISS page. The QRZ page and the club web page have
been updated. As has the Southgate News.
VI50CC Call Frequencies
Band
SSB
CW
PSK31/63
RTTY
160m
1850 kHz
1825 kHz
1807 kHz
1830 kHz
80m
3.645 / 3.795 MHz
3.510 MHz
3.580 MHz
3.750 MHz
40m
7.095 / 7.145 MHz
7.010 MHz
7.040 MHz
7.045 MHz
30m
10.130 MHz
10.110 MHz
10.135 MHz
10.138MHz
20m
14.195 / 14.250 MHz
14.010 MHz
14.071 MHz
14.085 MHz
17m
18.130 MHz
18.090 MHz
18.125 MHz
18.110 MHz
15m
21.250 MHz
21.010MHz
21.071 MHz
21.085 MHz
12m
24.950 MHz
24.895 MHz
24.920 MHz
24.930 MHz
10m
28.450 MHz
28.010 MHz
28.120 MHz
28.085 MHz
Australia Remembers: The Battle of Long Tan 50th Anniversary
As the nation marked the Battle of Long Tan; one of the most well-known
Australian engagements of the Vietnam War when 108 ANZACS won against a
large enemy force, the Wireless Institute of Australia had four commemorative
Amateur Radio stations.
For up to 30 days the stations were VI6BLT50 in West Australia,
VI1BLT50 the Australian Capital Territory, VI4BLT50 Queensland and
VI8BLT50 the Northern Territory.
They paid their total respects to those young ANZAC's who made the supreme
sacrifice. If they were alive they would be very proud of this Commemorative
Event Station.
Some comments received were very complimentary of the Diggers at Long Tan,
and how they overcame unbelievable odds.
In the west VI6BLT50 was operated by Phil VK6GZ, Steve VK6OZ, Martin VK6RC,
and Craig VK6VCK, with Mal VK6LC on phone, CW and digital modes.
In the end, VI6BLT50 made 2,066 QSOs to 91 DX entities and 7 Continents.
Full reporting is expected to be in the November edition of Amateur Radio
magazine.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WIA BOARD TALK
WIA Treasurer applications are now open
This voluntary position is still being advertised and maybe YOU can offer YOUR
expertise in serving the WIA Board of Directors. Position includes
yearly budgets, overseeing the independent auditing, insurance and
ACMA deed of agreement matters.
While the WIA, through M.Y.O.B. maintains the bookkeeping and banking records,
the Treasurer has requirements that should be familiar to Certified Practicing
Accountants.
Further details can be found on the WIA website www.wia.org.au
WIA Merit Award presentation to a most worthy recipient
The Chris Jones Award for 2016 has been presented to Jenny Wardrop VK3WQ, for
her consistent support of the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) including
its journal Amateur Radio magazine.
The prestigious award is named after the Chris Jones the National WIA's
secretary, an inspirational and passionate individual, who passed away in 2006.
WIA Director Robert Broomhead VK3DN made the presentation on behalf of the WIA
Board and Jenny VK3WQ said she was very honoured to be given the award that was
announced at the WIA annual general meeting on Norfolk Island.
The WIA Board in making the award mentioned her latest contributions of
articles in 2014 and 2015 for the ANZAC Centenary.
Jenny and her partner Peter Wolfenden VK3RV are now in Britain for the
International Young Ladies Radio Convention, and the RSGB Convention - with
visits to two museums on the itinerary.
WIA Director visits Queensland radio club
An update on the Wireless Institute of Australia has been given to those at
the Tablelands Amateur Radio Club annual general meeting.
WIA Vice President, Fred Swainston VK3DAC VK4FE gave an overview of the
WIA Operations.
The meeting raised a number of interesting questions including the responses
to some claims made about the WIA.
The club was very interested in the STEM program and the potential role of
some radio amateurs. Among other issues were licence condition reforms, and
these have been passed to the WIA Spectrum Strategy Committee to be considered
as part of the WIA submission to the ACMA.
The Tablelands Amateur Radio Club at its AGM on Saturday September 17,
appreciated the presentation and expressed its continued support for the WIA.
As a result of further talks, the club has identified two members who will seek
to qualify as WIA Exam Service Assessors, and support the existing Assessor
Dale McCarthy VK4DMC. Training and the accreditation is expected to occur in
the next few weeks.
Meantime the Sydney-based St George Amateur Radio Society will have a
presentation by WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH at its October meeting.
This is Roger Harrison VK2ZRH from the WIA Spectrum Strategy Committee with a
further instalment on the WIA's licence conditions submission to the A C M A.
Having covered the proposals for the Foundation licence last week, this week
will be about proposed future conditions for Standard and Advanced licensees.
Some amateurs look on the Standard licence as the Cinderella - meaning
something given less attention than is otherwise deserved.
The Standard licence came about as a carryover from the old Novice licence in
the amateur licensing regime before the reform of 2004.
In terms of operating privileges, the Standard licence sits between the
entry-level Foundation licence and the Advanced.
This three-tiered licensing system was devised to provide incentives to upgrade
from one level to another, to gain more privileges - access to more bands, the
ability to use more transmission modes, and the ability to operate with more
maximum transmitter power. These stages provide the opportunities to explore
new things.
Now - before we go any further - I think we need to reiterate the three
principles behind future amateur licensing adopted by the WIA.
Firstly - it should not limit or hinder experimentation with, or adaptation of,
emerging technologies and applications - particularly digital
transmission technologies - including those not yet invented.
Secondly - future amateur licensing is not reduced or downgraded from the
current principles embodied in Apparatus licensing; and
Thirdly - future licensing must incorporate flexibility for licensees to
pursue their interests in communications technologies and
applications as a self-regulating service within the framework of
the licensing privileges and conditions.
For Standard licensees, the submission addresses three key issues:
Access to more bands
More permitted bandwidths, and
Increased power
As noted last week, having more bands provides a wider range of opportunities
for licensees to learn and gain experience across the radiofrequency spectrum.
The current Standard licence's permitted bands are quite restricted when
viewed in the context of the intermediate level licences in other countries.
Hence, the WIA is seeking access to more bands for Standards.
A table in the submission compares the 10 bands available to intermediate-level
licensees in other nations.
The UK Standard licence offers 25 bands across the spectrum, for example. It is
noted that no evidence of complaints or issues has emerged in the UK, nor is
there evidence that this has acted as a disincentive to upgrade.
Likewise with Argentina, Canada, Japan, the UK and the USA, which also provide
wide access to bands across the spectrum for their intermediate-level licensees.
When it comes to permitted transmission bandwidths, the WIA seeks a relaxation
of the permitted bandwidths for the Standard licence. The general principle is
to avoid Standards being "stuck" with using legacy modes only, and to open up
opportunities for them to use a range of digital and image transmission modes -
including wideband along with narrowband modes.
The development of technology moves ever forward. No licence grade should be
left behind with a limited number of defined modes.
And so to the question of permitted maximum power.
The WIA notes that the permitted power of 100 W pX for Standard licensees was a
carryover from the former Novice licence. The WIA suggests that, for the
future, a permitted power of 200 watts pX would be a sensible, pragmatic
provision for the Standard licence.
As all amateur licensees in Australia have to be aware of their
responsibilities regarding electromagnetic emission levels, raising the
permitted power to 200 watts does not create any particular or new issues.
As noted with entry-level licences around the world, the WIA notes that there
is wide disparity in permitted powers for intermediate level licences in
different nations. This is illustrated in a table in the submission. Powers
range from 50 watts, through 500 watts to one-and-a-half kilowatts.
That said, the submission notes that the suggested 200 watt power does not
create any additional safety issues in managing compliance with electromagnetic
emissions (EME) prevailing now, and the experience of similar intermediate
level licensee operations in other countries tends to support this.
Now for future conditions for the Advanced licence.
The WIA recommends in the strongest terms that future conditions for Advanced
licensees should represent 'light touch' regulation, balanced with responsible
use of the radiofrequency spectrum and respect for other stakeholders.
As with the Standard licence, the WIA submission addresses the three key areas
bands, bandwidths and power.
Noting the loss of access on parts of some bands over the past decade or so,
the WIA is seeking continuing access to bands, to avoid whole-sale loss of a
band or bands, along with more frequency allocations.
As you have heard in previous broadcasts, the Institute is advocating access to
the new 60 metre band at the earliest opportunity, and seeks extending the 160
and 80 metre bands in addition to new allocations at 70 MHz and 900 MHz.
The WIA advocates relaxation of permitted bandwidths for Advanced licensees on
all the amateur bands from 1.8 MHz to 430 MHz, with the aim of enabling the
exploration and use of emerging and newly developed technologies.
Future developments in technologies and applications are undefined, so somehow,
this has to be accommodated with some innovative specification.
The growth and popularity of digital modes on all bands over the past decade or
so has been nothing less than phenomenal.
Foreseeable development in the mid-term, for example, will likely involve
low spectral density transmissions of wider bandwidth, or dynamically variable
bandwidths, able to co-exist with other transmissions in overlapping spectrum
spaces while providing robust information exchange.
Bandplans will likely have to be "layered".
The question of maximum power for Advanced licensees is a vexed one.
It is unfortunate that the regime for regulating electromagnetic emissions
(EME) in Australia has conflated the compliance accountability with regulatory
responsibility for the radiocommunications sector.
In this, Australia is unique in the world.
EME compliance is dictated by the Apparatus Licence Conditions Determination
2015.
Given this, the WIA is committed to working with the ACMA to develop a protocol
to enable those Advanced licensees who wish to experiment with transmitter
powers above 400 W pX provide suitable documentary evidence demonstrating that they have addressed compliance with the Apparatus LCD 2015.
To reduce the regulatory workload on the ACMA, and to streamline the process
for Advanced operators, the WIA proposes conducting an application and
validation process on behalf of the ACMA and then make a recommendation to the
ACMA.
The approval for high power would then become part of the Advanced licensees'
individual licence conditions.
When considered and compared one to the other, the proposals for future
conditions for all three licence grades there are clear distinctions between
them in terms of privileges, access to frequency bands and permitted maximum
powers, which preserve and maintain the original principle of incentives to
upgrade.
Before finishing, I would like to emphasise that the Institute's submission is
about making amateur radio attractive to future generations, while preserving
the attainments of the past.
As a result of this series of broadcasts, we have received some excellent
feedback expressing a wide range of views.
In response, we will be seeking formal feedback and comments from all and sundry
via the WIA website. Shortly, you will find a link to a newly created
"Have Your Say" page.
Look out for it.
This has been Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for VK1WIA News.
The WIA's submission on licence conditions can be downloaded from:
http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2016/20160413-4/index.php
INTERNATIONAL NEWS WITH JOHN VK4JJW and With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL,
Southgate AR Club, ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources
of the WIA.
Blue Hydra can expose the all-too-unhidden world of Bluetooth
Sean Gallagher writing in arstechnica.com says " My new neighbour was using
AirDrop to move some files from his phone to his iMac. I hadn't introduced
myself yet, but I already knew his name.
Meanwhile, someone with a Pebble watch was walking past, and someone named
"Johnny B" was idling at the stoplight at the corner in their Volkswagen
Beetle, following directions from their Garmin Nuvi. Another person was using
an Apple Pencil with their iPad at a nearby shop. And someone just turned on
their Samsung smart television.
I knew all this because each person advertised their presence wirelessly,
either over "classic" Bluetooth or the newer Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE)
protocoland I was running an open source tool called Blue Hydra, a project
from the team at Pwnie Express.
Blue Hydra is intended to give security professionals a way of tracking the
presence of traditional Bluetooth, BTLE devices, and BTLE "iBeacon" proximity
sensors. But it can also be connected to other tools to provide alerts on the
presence of particular devices.
Read more at:
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/09/hands-on-blue-hydra-can-expose-the-all-too-unhidden-world-of-bluetooth/
Drone flies on wireless power
Hackaday reports that researchers from Imperial College London have
demonstrated a drone powered by a 13.560 MHz radio signal
Read the Hackaday story and watch the video at the links we like when you
read this week's text edition of this broadcast, on wia.org.au
http://hackaday.com/2016/09/17/drone-flys-12-cm-on-wireless-power/
eevBlog post
http://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/mhz-power-electronics-and-its-application-to-wireless-power-for-drones/msg1027532/#msg1027532
Oh and the distance it flew? 12 CENTIMETERS...
Guess we all have to start somewhere!
Morse code at Eurovision?
A report suggests Morse code may be used between the Heliport and the
Kyiv International Exhibition Centre during the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest
in Ukraine
A ESCKAZ website report on the success of Kyiv in beating rival cities of
Dnipro and Odessa to host the contest says: "There is an idea to make a
connection between locations using a type of Morse code. Guests of the
Eurovision will be able to communicate from the roof of the heliport with
flashing lights, waving flags with those who will be in IEC and in this way
supporting their countries", say in the IEC."
http://esckaz.com/2017/
https://www.facebook.com/OGAE.RoW/posts/10153894867106305
Historic medium wave band digital contact
Experimentation and pushing the boundaries paid off for two radio amateurs
Steve McDonald VE7SL in Canada and Roger Crofts VK4YB Queensland, who made
a two-way digital contact in the JT9 mode.
This path is the longest two-way QSO on the 472-479 kHz band, which was granted
as a secondary allocation to the amateur service at the World
Radiocommunication Conference in 2012.
The JT9 contact in the WSPR QSO mode was at 1319z on Thursday 15 September,
about 30 minutes before Canada's sunrise with the sky surprisingly bright.
Steve VE7SL says he and Roger VK4YB worked each other on 630m, the exact
frequency being 475.300 kHz. He says: "This is the first-ever two-way QSO
between North America and Australia on the relatively new 630m band. It
presently represents the furthest two-way contact on this band, worldwide,
but I don't expect this record will last very long once the United States gets
the band."
The distance using the latitude and longitude values of each station rather
than Maidenhead locators, the precise distance is 11,822 km.
The Canada end of the contact was at Mayne Island, British Columbia, and had
to travel over a distance before reaching the open Pacific. Steve VE7SL
predicts that the station at the VK4YB is very capable of reaching much further
afield. With his new antenna, transverter and amplifier it seemed that with
Roger VK4YB, full advantage of Trans-Pacific propagation could be realised,
although the path has not been at its best yet.
Ironically the transverters used at both ends were of the VK4YB design, made
in Queensland, and will be reviewed by Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW, in Amateur
Radio magazine. The pair showed persistence by watching the pre-dawn
Trans-Pacific propagation. Roger VK4YB used an experimental 630m band antenna
at his QTH in Moorina, a small rural suburb 39 kilometres north of Brisbane
in the Moreton Bay Region.
Before the two-way contact he seemed to be the only VK on 630m WSPR mode seen
in Canada. Roger VK4YB says propagation had been doubtful but on the last
attempt on the day the historic contact with Steve VE7SL was achieved.
Others had made earlier contacts over shorter distances on the 7-kHz-wide band
just below the broadcast AM band, using mainly digital techniques although
there have been some SSB, CW and beacon activity occurring.
Writing on his blog http://ve7sl.blogspot.ca/search/label/630m Steve VE7SL
hoped the historic contact will inspire new interest in the band. His advice,
particularly to new users, is that it seems that the main mode of two-way
communications is CW or JT9, and a simple transverter would allow both modes
as well as the use of the WSPR beacon mode.
OPERATIONAL NEWS 2016
September 23-25 D-STAR (Digital Amateur Radio) QSO party.
September 23-24 WORLD DIGITAL ATV/DATV QSO Party
September 24-25 CQ WW RTTY DX CONTEST (Always Sept 4th full weekend)
October 8th is the Radio Amateurs Old Timers QSO Party
October first two full weekends sees the WIA's Oceania DX Contests
Phone 1 and 2 and then CW 8th and 9th of October.
Oct 15-16 it's the New York QSO Party with logs due Oct 31
Oct 29-30 CQ WW DX / SSB CONTEST (always Oct Last full weekend)
November 11-14 The Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award Activation
November 26-27 WIA VHF/UHF Spring Field Day
Nov 26-27 CQ WW DX / CW Contest Always the last full weekend in November)
2017
January it's the WIA's Ross Hull Memorial VHF/UHF Contest
Ham Radio On The Ferries 12th of March
WIA's John Moyle Memorial Field Day 18th-19th March 2017
WIA's Harry Angel Memorial 80 meter sprint Saturday May 6 10:00 -11:46 UTC
May 13-15 Mills On The Air
VK SHIRES June 10 and 11.
Trans-Tasman Low-Band Contest 160/80/40 Saturday night July 15 and Start Time
is 08:00 UTC and finish time is 14:00 UTC
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 5 - 6
WIA's Flagship contest the Remembrance Day Contest 12th & 13th August
Mills event to come down under
Until now the Mills on the Air weekend in May has been confined to Europe,
but an attempt is being made to include Australian mills.
Soon to be officially announced is a mill activation in Victoria and
encouragement for others in VK to be involved.
The weekend of May 13, 14 and 15 will celebrate mainly the heritage aspects
of old mills. In Australia these can include woollen mills, flour mills,
sugar mills, paper mills, cotton mills and timber mills.
More details on what appears to be an interesting development will be on a
future broadcast.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
VK 9 LN from Lord Howe Island only until 27th September and mainly CW on 40m
to 10m. QSL to his home call NI 1 L
XW 4 XR Bruce is in Laos until 30th September.
QSL Manager for XW 4 XR is E 21 EIC.
Norman Conquest Anniversary
The 950th Anniversary of the Norman Invasion of England - the Norman Conquest -
will be commemorated by the Phoenix Amateur Radio Club in September and October
The commemoration starts with the Battles of Fulford and Stamford Bridge
through to 26th September. This will be followed by a Battle of Hastings
commemoration on 14th to 16th October.
Call signs are MX 0 PHX and MX 0 YHA and operations will be subject to
prevailing conditions on the HF bands.
A very special high resolution downloadable certificate is available on the
PARC website for all contacts.
More information about the activities can be found at
http://www.phoenixarc.org.uk/
https://twitter.com/M0PHX
BELGIUM, ON.
Lions Clubs International Belgian Amateur Radio operators are QRV as OR 100 LCI
until March 2017 to mark its 100th anniversary.
Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and RTTY.
QSL via ON 8 ZL.
We often mention LoTW.. or LOG BOOK OF THE AIR
Well as of 1400 UTC on January 16, 2017, ARRL's Logbook of The World (LoTW)
no longer will accept contacts that have been digitally signed by versions of
T.Q.S.L. earlier than version 2.0.
Users of earlier versions are encouraged to upgrade as soon as possible, as
older T.Q.S.L. versions contain uncorrected defects and display inaccurate
error messages. The current versions of T.Q.S.L. for Windows, OS X, and Linux
are available online.
To date, LoTW has confirmed some 135 MILLION contacts for its 90,000 users.
AWARDS
Victorian National Parks on the air
The Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award activation period is only
seven weeks away with 18 unique portable activations registrations so far.
More registrations are expected in coming weeks giving an excellent opportunity
for activators and chasers alike.
The 6th annual KRMNPA activation period is Friday 11th until Monday 14th
November, 2016 - put those dates in your calendar now.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- DEFENCE
We may not yet be able to TRANSMIT on 60 meters here in VK but the opportunity
exists to hone our SWL skills by LISTENING.
An Amateur Radio-military interoperability exercise will take place October 31
and November 1. The event will begin at 1200 UTC on October 31 and continue
through 2359 UTC on November 1 on 60 meter channels
5.3305 MHz
5.3465 MHz
5.3570 MHz
5.3715 MHz
During this exercise, military stations will attempt to make radio contact
with stations in as many of the 3143 US counties as possible. Radio amateurs
providing "county status" information will receive a US Department of Defence
"interoperability QSL card."
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING
http://www.scouts.com.au
http://www.scout.org/jota
http://www.international.scouts.com.au
Sam VK6KSA is National Jota Coordinator.
CALLING FREQUENCIES
Please QSY off the calling frequency after establishing communication.
Australian voice calling frequencies:
3.650, 7.090, 14.190, 21.190, 28.590, 52.160
World CW calling frequencies:
3.570, 7.030, 14.060, 18.080, 21.140, 24.910, 28.180, 50.160
World voice calling frequencies:
3.690 & 3.940 MHz, 7.090 & 7.190, 14.290, 18.140, 21.360,
24.960, 28.390, 50.160
Calling frequencies for Slow Scan TV (SSTV):
3.630, 7.033, 14.227
Calling Frequencies for PSK31
14.070
Jamboree-on-the-Air or JOTA is on third weekend of October
Worldwide more than a million Scouts and Guides will soon take part in JOTA
via Amateur Radio.
JOTA stations are controlled by radio amateurs, although they may not always
be heard on microphone. Some Scouts, Guides and their leaders have their own
stations, but many take part through local radio clubs and individual radio
amateurs.
The 59th JOTA will be on October 14 to 16, and may also use vision or
digital modes.
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
Search continues for missing aircraft
A regular WICEN (NSW) event with the Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad and
several others is a search of the Barrington Tops National Park, about 200 kms
north of Sydney, looking for the missing aircraft VH-MDX.
WICEN (NSW) President Steven Heimann VK2BOS says this exercise searches for
the Cessna 210 missing with five people on board in stormy night in August 1981.
WICEN was involved in the original search and in the 35 years since.
The pilot of VH-MDX took off Proserpine in Far North Queensland, refuelled
the last time at Coolangatta in Queensland for Bankstown in New South Wales.
Over Barrington Tops he radioed that his aircraft was unstable, losing altitude,
may have had a lightning strike and ice on the wings.
Steven VK2BOS says about 50 were involved last weekend, but unable to find a
trace. In many places they had to cut through thick vines while avoiding
Gympie Gympie stinging trees that can result in severe pain for humans that
last days or even months.
Some 12 from WICEN (NSW) met the communication challenges posed by the
extremely rugged terrain. Each volunteer has rain-proof communications and in
contact with WICEN (NSW) at several command posts.
A Bush Walkers Wilderness Rescue Squad team along with WICEN (NSW) have been
conducting a review to narrow down the search area. It also uses LIDAR, a
surveying technology of laser scanning or 3D imaging.
The plan is to solve the mystery disappearance of VH-MDX - Australia's only
unsolved aircraft crash.
Steven Heimann VK2BOS told WIA News and Jim Linton IARU Region 3 Chairman,
Disaster Communications Committee that those WICEN members present expressed
a desire to return next year and continue to chip away at the huge potential
search area while developing and maintaining their skills.
If you want some more information about the search for VH-MDX check out
vhmdx.com.au.
If you want some more information about WICEN NSW check out
nsw.wicen.org.au.
Disasters - are you prepared?
One in three Australians will experience a natural disaster, but the Red Cross
in launching its national campaign of awareness wants us to all have a written
disaster preparedness plan.
While emergency services do all they can to help, the Red Cross says the person
most responsible for your wellbeing before, during and after an emergency, is
you.
It has found that those with an updated plan have thought about the
consequences, are more confident, and have less stress and anxiety if an
emergency occurs. More details are on the Red Cross website
(www.redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/be-red-cross-ready)
Meantime, National Disaster Preparedness Month in the United States is October,
with the focal point of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Simulated
Emergency Test being on October 1 and 2.
This is when radio amateurs show that they can serve the community with
emergency communications and technical expertise, working with many other
volunteer groups. They are trained beyond the required minimum to get their
licence and can assist disaster responders and welfare agencies.
Across the border in Canada about October 8 is a very simular Simulated
Emergency Test to prepare for disasters with radio amateurs there also heavily
involved.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, IARU Region 3 Chairman, Disaster Communications Committee.)
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - VHF AND ABOVE (The Plumbers Delight)
Transatlantic tests on 144 MHz conducted between Namibia and Brazil with
Marcos Turbo, PY1MHZ.
Marcos went down to the sea early in August, but while testing the wind picked
up very strongly, trees were uprooted, and he had to pack up and move inland.
So no signals were received during the early tests.
They are going to try again in January 2017 when weather conditions would be
a lot better.
(sarl)
SOCIAL SCENE 2016
Sep 23-25 VK4 Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club AGM weekend
Lake Maraboon Holiday Village, near Emerald. (theTARCinc)
Sep-Oct 30-3 VK4 Cardwell Gathering Long Weekend, Beachcomber Motel(theTARCinc)
Oct 16 VK3 BARG HamFest Ballarat (ARMAG)
The Ballarat Amateur Radio Group is holding their annual Hamvention on
Sunday, October 16, same as last year -- the greyhound racing track facilities,
Rubicon Street, Redan Ballarat.
Full details are on the website www.barg.org.au
Nov 6 VK5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society HamFest 8am (VK5KC)
Nov 26 VK3 Rosebud RadioFest 9:30 am till 2pm (vk3pdg)
Nov 26 VK7 Miena HamFest Saturday 26th. (vk7wi txt)
2017
Feb 26th Central Coast Field Day, WYONG enter at 8:30am (vk2dls)
March 26 VK3 EMDRC HamFest, Great Ryrie Primary School, Heathmont (VK3BQ)
Ap 28- May 1 VK4 Clairview Gathering between Rockhampton and Mackay (TARC)
May 19 VK WIA AGM Hahndorf some 25km from Adelaide (vk5kc)
Aug/Sep date to be advised - ALARAMEET 2017 in Cairns (vk4swe)
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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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
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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
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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
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Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably
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and at that point you should stop receiving messages.
National News compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.
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