OCTOBER 9 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING OCT 9 2016.
IN OUR 21st YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
WIA opt-out system for digitised Amateur Radio magazine. -
WIA Treasurer vacancy applications are closing. -
WIA Oceania DX Contest CW This weekend on a band near you. -
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA 2016 AND FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 09
AMATEUR RADIO PROVES ITS WORTH IN TIME OF EMERGENCY
From Haiti, the USA, Indonesia and here in VK just last weekend.
WICEN SA conducted a communication exercise on Sunday 2nd October 2016. -
The exercise was conducted as a result of severe weather activity across
South Australia during the previous few days including a state wide power
outage.
A test for call-out capabilities was called by the WICEN SA committee and was
to be conducted in a way similar to a possible real event with little advance
notice. Secretary Andrew VK5FMAC sent an E-mail for people to read on Sunday,
and Charlie VK5KDK provided a segment on the local 5 Sunday morning broadcast.
The information was basic, to cover the popular HF bands and also the main
Adelaide repeater VK5RAD commencing at 08.00 UTC which is early Sunday evening
South Australian time.
Several interesting events were occurring. It was the first day of Daylight
savings, the IPS reports indicated very depressed conditions on HF, in-fact
40 % depressed to the predicted levels with no NVIS support. A number of the
committee are also involved with the State Emergency Service and the Country
Fire Service so are aware of the very high number of incidents occurring
around the State prior to and during the time of the test.
A number of WICEN members are also involved with relaying the WIA Sunday
morning broadcast. Every Sunday morning we conduct callbacks on 160, 80, 40,
6, and 2, and 70 cm repeaters, including FreeDV. This provides a high level of
knowledge of propagation distances, times, and frequencies along with Amateurs
who are capable and available for communications.
Amateurs who are involved with WICEN SA events such as the Rally of South
Australia are also highly likely to be called as they have recently proved
they are available, can operate portable, are flexible to changes in response
needs, and Charlie VK5KDK has up-to-date contact details for all involved.
The plan was to make calls on popular HF bands and the Adelaide VHF repeater
VK5RAD. The calls were to commence at 08.00 UTC or 6.30 pm local time, and
allow 5 to 10 minutes per band, with net control shared between VK5ATQ and
VK5KDK. Calls were made to various geographical areas of the state such as the
Riverland, Barossa Valley, Eyre Peninsula, and the South East, with greater
Adelaide via the 2 metre repeater.
There were about 20 stations worked on HF, and 20 on VHF.
I believe the exercise was very successful under the conditions. Sorry to
anyone who missed the fun due to various commitments and it was done with
little lead time to emulate a possible real time event. Lessons learnt include
the difference in propagation for the time of day, and the solar activity at
the time.
Thanks to all Amateurs who managed to make the test a success.
This is Charlie VK5KDK for One WIA
From 'Charlie' to 'Matthew.'
Hurricane Matthew leaves trail of mayhem.
The biggest and most deadly storm to hit the Caribbean in almost a decade,
Hurricane Matthew, made landfall at Haiti killing close to 400 as it moved
to Cuba, Dominica, the Bahamas and now eastern USA.
Houses were damaged leaving the occupants homeless, crops destroyed, roads
blocked, with rain causing flooding and landslides.
EMCOR for IARU Region 2, Cesar Pio Holy HR2P, reported that radio amateurs in
Cuba and part of Dominica were activated. Emergency traffic is on VHF,
80 metres and 40 metres.
The monster storm generated six metre waves, had 220 kilometre an hours winds,
and heavy torrential rain.
Many people had been made homeless already, and in the US evacuations could be
up to a million. The Red Cross moved much needed relief supplies.
While rescue and recovery work continues, attention is now on Florida, Georgia,
and Virginia in the US. The Hurricane Watch Net earlier swung into
'Catastrophic Response Mode', gathering update weather information from radio
amateurs. Throughout the stricken area regularly the net had English and
Spanish messages on 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications
Openradio Mini-Conference January 2017
Here's one to put in your diaries people! Next year, Linux Conference
Australia will be making its way to Hobart and as part of the week-long
event there will be a 1 Day mini conference on Open Radio!
The miniconference has been running a number of years now and will showcase
talks and demonstrations on software defined radio, amateur radio activities,
open source radio protocols & modulation schemes, Design of telemetry
transmitters for embedded systems and adding radio to your internet-of-things
projects.
The Mini conference is currently seeking proposals for topics, and more
information on the conference will be available in coming weeks. If you would
like more information on the Mini Conference or are interested in participating
by submitting a topic proposal, drop an email to Scott VK7LXX
jsbragg@scriptforge.org
https://linux.conf.au/schedule/presentation/12/
Flying boats and communications
The 8th annual Rathmines Catalina Festival this month celebrates the rich
history WWII RAAF Base of Catalina flying boats that were based there in 1941.
The Festival has many and military displays, and radio amateurs will show off
war-time radio communications.
Volunteers from the Westlake's Amateur Radio Club run the equipment and answer
questions from the public.
The Rathmines Catalina Festival, Sunday October 30, from 9.30am to 3pm - it's
well worth a visit.
Australians turn to technology
In this digital age comes research that 75 per cent of adults use mobile
technology to make all sort of payments.
A recent study by PayPal and conducted by Roy Morgan Research found that apart
from buying things, we pay bills online for the phone, utility, insurance and
other accounts. The demography comes to play here with a third making a mobile
payment every week, with that figure jumping to just under half for those under
35 years old.
Future jobs will come from digitisation and innovation, now placing an
emphasis in school curriculum of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics.
The WIA is looking at the STEM program to see what role a few radio amateurs
can play.
WIA BOARD TALK
WIA opt-out system for digitised Amateur Radio magazine
The Wireless Institute of Australia has begun its new scheme for members not
wanting to receive in the post a paper magazine, and read only the digitised
version.
The move is in response to members who no longer want to receive a paper copy,
and prefer to read it online. It will also save the WIA in rising postage costs.
Members who don't want to receive the magazine in the post, should use the
tick-box in MEMNET Member Self-Service Portal, or the Contact Form on the
WIA website - the URL and some added information is in the text edition of
this broadcast.
Remember, this is an Opt-out system - those members who still value and want
the paper copy will not be affected, and do not have to do anything.
www.wia.org.au/joinwia/wia/emailwia/
On the Contact Form select 'National Office' and request the 'AR Opt Out'.
Please include your member number to verify the name on the web form - that is
the log of all requests.
WIA Treasurer vacancy applications are closing
Inquiries have been received for the Treasurer position with a resume provided
and preliminary discussion held. A further release on this volunteer position
is now on the wia.org.au website.
This follows earlier broadcast announcements and the vacancy being in the
October edition of Amateur Radio magazine.
The WIA Board reminds applicants of the close-off date of October 21.
All WIA Directors are expected to review the applications and make their
decision the following week.
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an F-call? - WELL it's the FOUNDATIONS of Amateur Radio
Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a contest that was
specifically set-up for QRP. That is, 5 Watts or less. There was an hour
for digital modes, including Morse, but I don't yet speak that, so I sat tight
for the second hour, for phone.
This particular contest was a single band only contest, 80m.
When I planned for the contest, I set my watch wrong by an hour, so I almost
didn't make it, but fortunately my XYL queried my delayed departure and I was
out the door in the nick of time.
I headed out to the beach, only to be confronted with S8 noise from the
local housing estate, so I retreated rapidly back into the bush and found
myself a lovely little nook where I could park the car without causing any
disruption and start twiddling the dial.
I immediately learned that my vertical was very, very narrow in bandwidth,
that is, there was a limited range of frequencies I could use which curtailed
the activities somewhat.
Undeterred I hunted up and down the workable range, heard lots of stations
and even made one contact. I almost tickled the eardrum of a station on the
other side of the country, but he was being bombarded by other noise makers,
so that didn't eventuate.
I got my ear drums belted by some locals who hadn't heard that it was a QRP
contest, but all in all, there was lots of fun to be had.
My take home was that I should prepare better. I should have scouted a
location earlier, used a more suitable antenna and considered if the locals
would be pulling out of a side-road, shining their headlights on me parked
in the bush on a continuous rotation.
The contest was easy to do, reminded me that prior planning prevents piss poor
performance and that I should really think about a better way to log contacts
on the road in a contest situation.
So, every outing is a learning opportunity. If you don't think back about the
experience, how do you go about learning from it?
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.
The New Zealand communications regulator has announced that ground-based
radiolocation including automotive radar will be permitted to use 77-81 GHz
The Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Short Range
Devices) Notice was updated to include a new provision covering the frequency
range 77-81 GHz. This provision is for the purpose of ground-based
radiolocation use, including automotive short range radar technology.
The provision is in line with the outcomes of the World Radiocommunication
Conference that concluded in November 2015.
Indonesian floods helped by emergency communications
The flooding in West Java, which has caused landslides and killed about 20
people, remains a disaster scene with recovery work continuing.
This time of the year is usually drier in Indonesia, but a combination of
La Nina Southern Oscillation weather pattern and warm seas caused the heavy
rainfall.
Chief of Organisation & International Affairs of ORARI, Gjellani Sutama YB1GJS
said that early on September 21, emergency communications began after heavy
rain and the Cimanuk River burst its banks.
ORARI (Organisasi Amatir Radio Indonesia) is the IARU member society, and its
Garut District set up the emergency station at a base camp for one of the worst
hit areas.
Gjellani YB1GJS reports that it had an HF net on 7.110 MHz, with a VHF repeater
for Operation and Coordination to support the government and search and rescue
team.
The height of the drama included a report that two houses were buried by
landslides and a mosque destroyed. About three dozen were injured and villages
in low lying areas were evacuated. Among the work was looking for the 22 people
who were listed as missing.
Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee told
VK1WIA National News that the ORARI Garut District was due to be stood down as
the flooding eased, after providing service to the government during the
recovery phase.
Royals tweet in Morse code
In a case of the old meeting the new, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on a
recent trip to the Yukon Territory in Canada used a Morse code telegraph
machine to send a tweet.
William and Kate signed a virtual visitors' book with a Morse code tweet using
a nifty piece of technology. A local IT expert Seamus Bernasse came up with
'telegraph to tweet' technology, and had 90-year-old former Commissioner of
Yukon and WWII radio operator, Doug Bell, on the Morse key.
Doug tapped out the message, and Kate and William pressed a lever to send the
tweet from the tiny historic Whitehorse Telegraph Office in Northern Canada.
South Africa's Secunda Amateur Radio Club will launch B.A.C.A.R. 4 on Saturday
15 October.
This is a Balloon, Carrying Amateur Radio Equipment.
This is the fourth year Secunda Amateur radio club will be presenting the BACAR
programme to interested schools in the Govan Mbeki Municipal area. The
programme entails the launch of a high altitude balloon carrying small
satellites built by learner teams from the participating schools and an
amateur radio parrot repeater.
The programme is designed to stimulate interest in STEM (science, technology
, engineering and mathematics).
Who and Where are our broadcast stations?
http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
OPERATIONAL NEWS 2016
October 8 Radio Amateurs Old Timers QSO Party
October 8 -9 WIA Oceania DX Contest CW
October 15-16 it's the New York QSO Party with logs due Oct 31
October 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)
Dec 1 - 31 Annual Youngsters on the Air (YOTA)
2017
January it's the WIA's Ross Hull Memorial VHF/UHF Contest
Jan 1 AMSAT CW Activity Day 24 hours. All forms of CW are welcome.
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
2018
10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 4 - 5
In the world of DX, Polish operators will be operating from Central Kiribati
starting on 4th October for about 4 weeks. The callsign will be T31T and they
will be on all bands 80m to 6m. They are also hoping to train local residents
in the use of Emergency Radio Communication systems.
Send QSL cards via Club Log OQRS.
The ongoing DXpedition by Tom, KC0W next moves to Western Kiribati where
he will operate as T30COW until 24th October. This is a CW only operation
and QSLs go directly to KC0W.
Aaron, VA1AXC is active as CY0/VA1AXC from Sable Island, NA-063, until
early November. In his limited spare time he operates SSB only mainly on
20 metres. QSL via JE1LET, direct only.
Patrick, FO5QS has been active from Huahine, OC-067, in French Polynesia
for seventeen years. He is now moving to Hiva Oa, in the Marquesas
Islands, which is OC-027, and will remain there for several years.
Now to mark the 150th anniversary of a wireless experiment will be 2 special
event stations K6L and K1T. They will be on the summit of Bear's Den Mountain
in Virginia from October 14 to 16, where a Dr. Loomis demonstrated his 'Aerial
Telegraph' or wireless telegraphy.
The third period of the Ted Powell Memorial DX Challenge for 2016 is now
closed and entries are open until the 14th of October.
If you have worked any DX over the past 3 months, head over to
www.vk2au.org and submit an entry. There are several easy ways to enter.
This is a fun and relaxed challenge run by the Fisher's Ghost Amateur
Radio Club where you work DX in your own time over a 3 month period. The
challenge is to work the most wanted entity based on its ranking in
Clublog's Most Wanted list.
See the website for more details. Good luck!
www.vk2au.org
(from vk2pr)
VK7 Takes out the RD!
The Remembrance Day Contest 2016 was the latest version of a contest that has
been around for over 70 years. Each year State vs. State battle it out on the
bands to see which state can lay claim to the most radioactive, and this year
the VK7s proved they were worthy of the title. Tasmania has won the 2016
Remembrance Day Contest.
The challenge from VK6 proved to be little more than a whimper although some
booming signals came out of the West! VK6POP Bob with his new 2 element 40 m
delta loop was like a beacon and the Sandgropers Team (VK6ZRW, VK6QS and
VK6AXB) grabbing first place in the teams category certainly show that VK6
we're gearing up for a chase for the title.
But full credit must go to Tasmania the VK7 effort lead by VK7OO and a host of
other operators show what can happen when a team pulls together. A noticeable
decline in logs and operators may be due to the preparation for the ILLW that
followed on the following weekend.
(vk7wi news)
VI4SEA
VICTOR INDIA 4 SYDNEY EMDEN ACTION
1st Nov ~ 9th Nov ~ 2016
DURING THE GREAT WAR OF 1914~18, AUSTRALIA AND THE GERMAN EMPIRE WERE
ADVERSARIES. TODAY OUR COUNTRIES ARE THE BEST OF FRIENDS. OUR COMMEMORATION
WITH VI4SEA DOES NOT SEEK TO GLORIFY WAR. RATHER WE SEEK TO COMMEMORATE THE
BRAVERY OF THE OFFICERS AND SAILORS OF BOTH LIGHT CRUISERS DURING AN ACTION
THAT WAS THE FIRST EVER NAVAL ENGAGEMENT FOR THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY & THE
GALLANT END OF A RAIDER'S REIGN
"HOW WIRELESS TELEGRAGHY LEAD TO A RAIDER'S DEMISE"
THE SYDNEY ~ EMDEN ACTION
At about 0620 on 9 November, wireless telegraphy (W/T)
operators in several transports as well as in the escorting
warships received signals in an unknown code followed by a
query from the Cocos Island W/T station, 'What is that code'?
It was in fact the German cruiser Emden under the command of
Captain Karl von Mller, ordering her collier Buresk to join
her at Point Refuge to coal. Shortly afterwards, the Cocos Island
telegraphists signalled 'Strange warship approaching' followed
later by the same message prefixed by 'S.O.S.' - the international
distress call.
As Von Mller patiently awaited the return of his landing party,
smoke was sighted on the horizon which was at first assumed to be
the Buresk. Soon afterwards the masts of the approaching ship were
recognised as those of a warship. The ship Von Mller had spotted
was Sydney which, as the nearest warship to the Cocos group, had been
ordered by Captain Silver in Melbourne to proceed at full speed
to investigate. By 0700 Sydney was 'away doing twenty knots'
and at 0915 had simultaneously sighted the island and the Emden
some seven or eight miles distant. At first Captain Glossop could
not tell whether the ship sighted was Emden or the Knigsberg, both
of which were thought to be at large in the Indian Ocean at that time.
THE REST IS HISTORY
CHECK OUT VI4SEA ON QRZ.COM FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF THE EVENT
Thanks to the Royal Australian Navy's Sea Power Centre and Mr. Duncan Perryman
for the information above.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE WIA AND THE ACMA FOR APPROVAL OF OUR SPECIAL EVENT
CALL SIGN
(VK4QS)
BROADCAST MONITORING SWL AND SCANNER NEWS
The Manly-Warringah Radio Society, in Sydney Australia, is pleased to announce
that its new WebSDR is now online.
This web-accessible Software-Defined Radio receiver covers five Amateur bands
(160m, 80m, 40m, 20m and 15m), so you can easily check from anywhere in the
world if your HF signal is reaching VK2.
It's also handy if you're away from the shack and just want to do some shortwave
listening through your mobile phone or other portable device. You could even
listen in through your computer at work just don't annoy your boss!
This project has been supported by a generous development grant from Amateur
Radio New South Wales, for which the club would like to express its heartfelt
thanks.
The receiver may be used by anyone, whether a licensed Amateur or not. Simply
go to the Manly-Warringah Radio Society web site at www.mwrs.org.au, and
click on the WebSDR link in the top menu. Give it a try and let the club know
how it works for you all feedback will be most welcome. Happy listening!
Links:
- Manly-Warringah Radio Society: http://www.mwrs.org.au/
- WebSDR direct link: http://websdr.mwrs.org.au:8901/
- WebSDR Project info: http://www.mwrs.org.au/2016/10/04/mwrs-websdr-build-completed/
For WIA National News, I'm Richard Murnane VK2SKY
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
ISS getting ready for an upgrade
The International Space Station is in the final stages of getting donated
Amateur Radio gear and significant funding that is needed for its safe
readiness testing and delivery.
Fundraising is critically important at almost $200,000 to meet the rigid but
necessary standards of NASA.
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station or ARISS contacts with schools
continue to inspire young people to study science and technology.
The URL for fundraising is www.amsat.org
NEW to OLD
It appears that AO-7 switched to Mode A between 0400 and 0600 UTC SEPT. 30.
That suggests that the satellite is now in constant sunlight and receiving
enough power from the solar cells for the 24 hour timer to stay on throughout
it's entire orbit. Expect daily mode switches between Mode A and Mode B to
occur for the next three months or so.
As AO-7's orbit processes and the periods of constant sunlight become fewer
and fewer, there will be less of an opportunity to use Mode A on a yearly
basis, so enjoy it while it lasts!
So resurrect that old 10 meter antenna of yours.
[ANSAT-NA Secretary]
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR OLD-TIMERS
http://www.raotc.org.au
CELEBRATING MAINE'S FIRST YL AT 108
It's a happy birthday to Mary Cousins.
Happy birthday to the woman once known as W 1 GSC.
These wishes come a few days late but then, turning 108 as the Maine resident
did this past Sept. 20 has likely cultivated a lot of patience for this retired
librarian.
Mary Cousins was the first woman in the State of Maine to become a licensed
radio amateur, a feat she accomplished in 1933, when her name was Mary Sibyl
Wallace and she was 24 years old. The licensing authority back then was the
Federal Radio Commission, an entity that did not even exist in 1908, the year
she was born.
Even though it has been some time since she operated as W1GSC, Mary did enjoy
a sweet moment with her old call sign: the likeness of her license decorated
the dessert at her party in Deer Isle, Maine. In fact, you might say it was
the "icing on the cake.'
(ARNEWSLINE)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS
A Youth Net meets Saturdays at 0100 UTC on IRLP Reflector #2.
Young Hams Net 3.590 - 7:30pm Victorian time.
http://www.ham-yota.eu/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/youngstersontheair
http://www.arrl.org/youth-nets
NASA Next Magazine for Teens and Educators
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland, recently released
the second issue of its new online news magazine for teens and educators
called "NASA Next."
"NASA Next" breaks down complex science and brings its audience the latest
news on Goddard science, including studies of Earth, the sun, our solar
system and the universe. "NASA Next" is interactive with clickable links to
other NASA web pages, so readers can learn more about the missions and
technologies they come across.
The magazine includes articles, fun facts, activities and a For Educators
page filled with lesson plans to help incorporate "NASA Next" into the
classroom. Educators and scientists review all lesson plans to ensure that
the content is accurate and useful in an educational setting and that it
meets national and state standards of learning.
For more information and to download the latest issue, visit
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-announces-new-issue-of-nasa-next-online-news-for-teens-educators.
If you have questions about "NASA Next," please email your inquiries to
Sarah Schlieder at sarah.schlieder@nasa.gov
(ARNEWSLINE)
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
JOTA takes to the airwaves next weekend
The largest scouting event, the Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) held annually in
more than 150 countries, is on the 14th, 15th & 16th of October.
JOTA uses Amateur Radio to link Scouts and Guides around the world, the nation
or just locally.
From New Caledonia comes news that Sam Torope FK8DD, with help from the
Association Radio Amateur en Nouvelle Caledonie, has the special event
callsign TX 8 JOTA. He says each QSO on the HF bands will last a while, and
those who make contact should be patient and courteous.
Some of the Francophone scout group will become radio amateurs themselves
one day. They are anxious at taking to the microphone of TX 8 JOTA that will
use a 100 watt transceiver feeding a Spiderbeam - with Sam FK8DD at the
controls.
Closer to home, the Melbourne Region Scouts and the School Amateur Radio Club
Network (SARCNET) will join together in the Jamboree On The Air. Joe Gonzales
VK3YSP says the VK3SRC station for the 100 years of Cub Scouts will be on air
next weekend from Victoria's Churchill National Park in Lysterfield.
Cub Scouts is open to all children aged about seven to 12 years.
The event at Churchill Park will cater for both Scout Badges and SARCNET Awards
enabling children to gain proficiency with skills best practiced outdoors.
Joe VK3YSP explains there will be plenty of activity for all. This will include
the VK3SRC station, a short Amateur Radio-assisted Nature walk, a VHF/UHF
Communications activity, chasing Summits On The Air and WWFF Parks, emergency
communication, fox hunting, satellite demonstration, and more.
Any radio amateur interested in seeing the SARCNET kids and Cub Scouts in
action, including a sausage sizzle lunch, must register first by emailing the
organisers at event@sarcnet.org
Like this month's Amateur Radio magazine cover story, the Churchill National
Park event is certain to appear in print too. Meantime, the WIA has had a
flurry of new JOTA callsign applications to recommend.
Listen for them using callsigns in the S-suffix block, and some girl guides
only groups may use the G-block.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO
IARU REGION 3
Emergency Centre of Activity (CoA) frequencies
3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz
Emcomm tests in South Australia and East Malaysia
We heard earlier from WICEN-SA now from the Malaysian Amateur Radio
Transmitters' Society (MARTS) we learn that last Sunday it too had a
training exercise.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) asked for an
Amateur Radio emergency communications exercise on October 1, at Sarawak in
East Malaysia. IARU member society MARTS and the Amateur Radio Club Sarawak
jointly ran the exercise with participation from telecommunication companies
and the Malaysian Civil Defence.
IARU Region 3 Disaster Communication member, Johnny Tan 9M8DB, says the
exercise used 40 metres on all modes, with emphasis on the PSK31 digital mode,
using near vertical incidence skywave propagation.
It avoided the frequency used by ORARI (Organisasi Amatir Radio Indonesia) in
Java during the flooding and landslide disaster vk4jjw told us of earlier in
this WIA NewsCast.
The exercise tested the local and East to West Malaysia paths, and gave
authorities a better understanding of Amateur Radio message handling
capabilities looking at the accuracy and speed of traffic.
The use of NVIS propagation, PSK31 and the IARU message format has been
practised by local radio amateurs should they be needed for a real event.
Similar emergency communications exercises are now occurring in Canada, and
later this month in parts of the USA.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee)
Rewind, a look back on our history
Who had the first radio communication?
Hertz, Marconi and Fessenden are among the names that come to mind when you
think of early radio experimenters, but Loomis is also in the mix of inventors.
Exactly 150 years ago, Dr Mahlon Loomis, a dentist, used his wireless
telegraphy on Bear's Den Mountain in Virginia USA. In October 1866, he claimed
to have transmitted signals between two mountaintops using kites as antennas,
but without having named independent witnesses.
He actively promoted his idea of charging a layer of the atmosphere for
telegraph communication, and in 1872, received a US Patent for a wireless
telegraph, although it's only words and no diagram.
In 1868 he showed some US Congressmen and scientists his wireless communication
system.
In January 1873, he addressed the US Congress, stating that his proposal caused
electrical vibrations or waves to pass around the world, with one wave circlet
following another, from the point of the disturbance.
Sounds like basic theory of radio propagation?
The Congress declined to use the Loomis Aerial Telegraph Company.
Working a generation before Marconi, some historians consider him to be the
first wireless telegrapher. However, one view is that rather than using the
atmosphere to carry continuous waves, the kites used were of the same height,
and the antennas the same length, resulting in conduction and not radiation.
Now to mark the 150th anniversary of that experiment will be two special event
stations K6L and K1T. They will be on the summit of Bear's Den Mountain in
Virginia from October 14 to 16, where Loomis demonstrated his 'Aerial
Telegraph' or wireless telegraphy.
More details on that activity can be found on qrz.com
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
SOCIAL SCENE 2016
Oct 16 VK3 BARG HamFest Ballarat (ARMAG)
Nov 6 VK5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society HamFest 8am (VK5KC)
Nov 20 VK3 Rosebud RadioFest tickets on sale 8am (vk3pdg)
Eastbourne Primary School tickets on sale and outside
displays on show from 0800 hours. Enquiries to Mark,
VK3PDG at 0407844063 markybradio@gmail.com
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)
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