|
|
AUG 27 2017 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
http://www.wia.org.au (click news in member area) Submit your audio news
TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA
Please... If you are only submitting text and not audio, write your story as
you would expect to hear it being read back and NEVER send just links &
url's. When you upload audio email us the txt version.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 27 2017.
IN OUR 22nd YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
This week's WIA News is an ALRA presentation.
ALARA President VK5YK Shirley is joined by Alizah VK4FOXE, Di VK4DI,
Tina VK5TMC and Lyn VK4SWE
NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 2017 AND FOR WEEK OF AUG 27
This week's WIA News is an ALRA presentation.
Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association (ALARA) was formed in 1975
The membership has now grown to over 200, with many Australian members
sponsoring overseas YLs into ALARA. The term "YL" stands for "young lady" -
regardless of age.
The Associations mission is to encourage women's interest and active
participation in amateur radio.
ALRA wweb page is
http://www.alara.org.au/
To join or find out more email
president@alara.org.au
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club ( http://www.ntarc.net/ ) report they
have recently been experiencing intermittent interference on the VK7RAA 2m
repeater.
It seems to be originating from aircraft transmissions possibly in the
Devonport area or adjacent to Mt Arthur.
As the originating signal is AM, when received on an FM receiver it sounds
distorted.
From investigations carried out so far, it seems to be from one particular
aircraft. Flights involved occur about 3 times a day to Launceston and
Devonport, however, it is not always the same aircraft being used. Aircraft
also may have two or three transceivers which makes the job of identifying the
source even more complicated.
This interference is being investigated by several amateurs in the Launceston
area. In the meantime if you are listening to this news from that area, please,
do not attempt to reply on the repeater to distorted calls which do not seem to
be by amateur operators.
(vk7news)
WIA
The Wireless Men & Woman at War book
A copy of this historical Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) publication is
now available to those researching war history in Canberra.
The Australian War Memorial Acquisitions Officer, Elise Horspool, said it was
with delight that a copy of the Wireless Men & Women at War book was donated by
the WIA for the collection.
Earlier, a complimentary copy went to all of its 19 contributing authors, who
through their stories and pictures told of how radio amateurs contributed to
the war effort and its aftermath.
Each copy had a covering letter written by the WIA President Justin Giles-Clark
VK7TW, thanking them for their fine contribution.
The Wireless Men & Woman at War book is available from the online WIA bookshop.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
IARU happenings get increased exposure
The WIA website ( wia.org.au ) has expanded its coverage and explanation of how
the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is working for the Amateur Radio
and Amateur Satellite Services.
For a number of years the WIA representative dealing with those matters has
been Dale Hughes VK1DSH, who is well respected and chairman of the ITU Working
Group 5A. WP 5A is responsible for the Land Mobile Service, and the Amateur and
Amateur-Satellite service. It works with all stakeholders and includes
frequency sharing studies to show how radio amateur activities can be
compatible with other users of the spectrum.
Dale VK1DSH also attends a number of Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Preparatory
Group (APG) meetings in the lead up to the ITU World Radiocommunications
Conference due in 2019.
There is enormous pressure on spectrum usage, things are changing, making the
work of our IARU volunteers even more important.
The WIA has negotiated with the IARU that due to the importance and
effectiveness of the role, the majority of its funding be from the IARU's
budget. Dale VK1DSH and all volunteers are mindful of expenditure and find
themselves out of pocket financially, including taking employer leave or using
their accrued holidays to the benefit of radio amateurs.
The WIA has set a budget for the vital expenditure and is fully aware of
developments as it makes representations to the Australian Communications and
Media Authority (ACMA).
The WIA board and the WIA Spectrum Strategy committee receive reports from him.
To further raise awareness of the IARU purpose, structure, and reports from
Dale VK1DSH, the WIA website's IARU section has been updated and expanded.
Keep an eye on the IARU webpages, and the IARU Liaison Report in Amateur Radio
Magazine, which contain information that affects us internationally and
regionally now, and in the future.
Select the IARU option under the MEMBERS ONLY dropdown menu of the website
WIA Director Brian Clarke, VK2GCE.
Great to be with you again, especially on this the annual ALARA presentation
of WIA National News.
I'm Brian Clarke, one of your new directors.
You may recall my mentioning several weeks ago that through the new Strategy
Advisory Committee, the WIA would actively seek your views about what you would
like to see as the Vision and Mission for the WIA.
Let me remind you of my starter Vision - for the WIA to become the world's best
amateur radio association.
I suggested that one Mission Statement could be to build the best nurturing
system for radio amateurs in the world, where we mentor newcomers and then
convert them into mentors. I noted that Australian radio amateurs are seeking
licences for other jurisdictions - let's reverse the flow.
How could we do this?
By offering really exciting learning pathways - not just one.
Presently, we expect the most junior candidates to learn about Bohr's theory of
atomic structure and then gradually add layers of encumbrance, carefully
forgetting Heisenberg and Einstein. In our rush to fill candidates with early
20th century physics and chemistry that very few will ever use, where do we end
up? Around Level 2 to 3 in the Australian Qualification Framework, just about
1st year at TAFE. Where's the fun in that?
My view is that candidates should start with actual, not simulated radio
communications, using real HTs and HF transceivers out of sight of each other.
Have you seen first-time operators' faces light up after overcoming microphone
shock, for instance, at JOTA events? Then we would go on to reveal what is so
special about Earth - our ionosphere. No other planet in the Solar System has
an ionosphere.
Layer by layer, I want our candidates learning how to 'peel the (electronics)
onion' till we get to the levels required by the ACMA. Going this way, there
can be many entry pathways and many different exit gateways -candidates only
need to demonstrate competence along their chosen pathways.
This was essentially my second Mission Statement: that we put quick-silver on
the pathways for radio amateurs to turn their hobbies into vocations and
vice versa.
Do you know that astronauts - American, Australian, British, Chinese, Japanese,
Russian ... - are recommended to hold a radio amateur licence? (Recall our own
Dr Andy Thomas, VK5MIR?)
Some of you work in industry and you've met Safe Work Method Statements; you've
probably heard of Workplace Health and Safety legislation and regulations. You
may know that to work in the 'safety' bubble, for instance, to give Toolbox
talks, you must demonstrate 100% WHS competence. We do the very same with our
Practical assessments - we demand 100% competence. The Practical assessment
provides a great impetus to getting on air that didn't exist before 2004;
before then, people got licences and then ... nothing. But, in reality, of the
20 assessment items there, some are reading tests, and only 5 approach
life-threatening safety issues.
Why do we create such an unnecessary hurdle when the theory and regulations
assessments require 70% to show competence? I would like to see this change,
too.
Many of the approximately 14,000 potential respondents demonstrated before
Hahndorf that they wanted their voices heard. We've given you that opportunity.
On the WIA webpage is our first survey seeking all stakeholders' views about
new directions for the WIA. So far 260 have responded - 70% were WIA members.
In terms of the shape you would like the WIA to have, you are the experts.
Would you depend on your doctor's strategic advice for your future health if it
was based on fewer than 2% of experts responding?
I know that some of you don't have Internet access. We are planning other ways
of getting the survey to you, via radio clubs or as a loose-leaf inclusion in
AR mag.
Just to entice you further, here are some preliminary findings:
Unsurprising stuff:
Age range - 18 to 84+ with a bubble at 55 to 65
Favourite bands - 80 and 2 m
Level of licence - 80% Advanced
Practical stuff - 75% built HF antennae
Preferred modes - SSB then FM, with digital coming a poor third
Surprising stuff:
Main entry point - electronics (note: - not radio) then CB
Gender - 2.3% female - c'mon you ALARA girls, you can do better than that
Worked DX - 65%
Contesting - over half participated in the last year
WIA membership fee - about right
Equipment used - 87% use commercial off-the-shelf -- but compare with this:
Would you buy a WIA-sponsored kit - 80% said yes
And most welcome - the majority of you saw the WIA's representation of
Australian amateurs to international bodies as the most important value of the
WIA. Please say 'Thank you' to Messrs Hughes and Young.
There were many more questions. The Strategy Advisory committee will be getting
volunteers to do further analysis on the way toward our Vision and Mission
statements.
If you feel you are different, please access the survey, have a go and put us
right.
Once again, great to be with you on this ALARA presentation of the WIA news.
73 from Brian, VK2GCE.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL,
Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART, WIA Local News Service VK7, VK3PC and the WW
sources of the WIA.
The Malta Communications Agency has authorised a Secondary allocation covering
5,351.5 to 5,366.5 kHz with 15W EIRP, adding to the growing number of countries
with a 60m allocation.
Another country about to go on 60 is Canada, where they propose to both ADD
5 MHz plus KEEP five existing domestic channels
( wp.rac.ca/proposed-revisions-to-the-canadian-table-of-frequency-allocations/ )
The Government of Canada has just released a consultation document to implement
the changes from World Radio Conference 2015 including 60 metres. Note that
these are in addition to continuing the domestic allocation of five channels
congruent with the United States.
The consultation is but the first step in the process for regulatory changes.
After the 60-day period, responses are tabulated, made public and the regulator
" Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada " then determines how to
proceed - with no fixed schedule it can be months or much longer.
Please note that even when these are added to the Canadian Table of Frequency
Allocations, until RBR-4 - Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the
Amateur Radio Service is updated to include them, they would not available for
Amateur use.
Anomalous call signs issued
Ofcom has informed the RSGB that a small number of two-letter suffix call signs
have been issued in error recently. These short-form call signs are anomalous
and stem from an IT problem, which Ofcom is addressing.
We understand that although these call signs are not invalid, per se, licensees
who have been issued with one should contact Spectrum Licensing at Ofcom
to discuss changing it for a normal UK formatted callsign.
Ham radio operators monitor roadways
Forty amateur radio operators provided three days of volunteer service
which began LAST Saturday morning and concluded when Monday's outbound traffic
rush subsided following the Great American Solar Eclipse
Independent-Enterprise reports:
At public information presentations covering issues surrounding the eclipse,
State of Idaho emergency officials acknowledged that cell phones were likely to
prove unreliable at times in the Western Treasure Valley if the expected crush
of visitors indeed materialized.
Amateur radio, regarded as a reliable alternative to other communications
technologies stepped up to 'fill the void.'
Julie Bunker KV7JB, Payette County emergency coordinator for the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service, said the amateur radio operators were positioned in locations
selected by emergency managers for Payette and Washington counties.
A HAM WITH A HIGH-FLYING ANTENNA
From Amateur Radio Newsline, this story of a ham in the British Isles who likes
to get his signal out no matter which way the wind is blowing.
That's because Nigel Utting GJ 7 LJJ, sometimes uses a portable kite antenna
so if the wind is blowing it takes his wire straight into the sky.
Clearly his antenna doesn't fly as high as the signals he hopes to be
transmitting but recently the Jersey-based ham got a little extra on-air help:
He became part of a televised broadcast report by ITV news weather.
Although Nigel told ITV that on that particular day, he was able to copy plenty
of other stations but wasn't really having a good day getting his signal out.
Think again, Nigel!
In those few moments, everyone who was tuned into ITV News knew exactly who you
were - and gave you and your kite antenna a 5 by 5.
Who and Where are our broadcast stations?
http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
HAM RADIO OPERATIONAL NEWS - IT'S A CONTACT SPORT
All major Australian contests, rules and results, are on the
Contest Section of the WIA website.
wia.org.au/members/contests/about
2017
Jan 1 - Dec 31 The Victorian Local Government Award 2017 Challenge
Aug 26 ALARA Contest Start Time 1600 this is a 24 hour Contest for YL's
Aug 26 FISTS CW Contest 1000 - 1159 UTC
The 2017 DATV QSO Party is scheduled for Friday the 26th August and Saturday
27th August.
73 Peter VK3BFG
IARU High Speed Telegraphy world championships are 8th to 12th September.
October CQ WW DX / SSB CONTEST (always Octobers Last full weekend)
November CQ WW DX / CW CONTEST (always Novembers Last full weekend)
The SSB weekend is October 29-30. The CW weekend is November 26-27.
Running ALL year 'til Dec 31 Victorian Local Government Award 2017 Challenge
The 2017 DATV QSO Party is scheduled for Friday the 26th August and Saturday
27th August.
Our ALARA Contest ON NOW - Saturday 26 August to Sunday 27 August
The ALARA contest is now in its 37th year and its aim is to "encourage YLs in
the use of amateur radio"
It's not a fast paced contest but does have some interesting aspects to it.
The main one being that YL's can work anyone, but the OM's can only work YL's.
You are not restricted to working inside VK, and there are DX YL members of
ALARA who often get on air to make contacts during the contest.
The contest is a combined SSB & CW Contest and runs for 24 hours from
0600 UTC Saturday 26 August to 0559 UTC Sunday 27 August.
You can operate for as long or as short a time as you are able.
The scoring system is a bit complicated so I recommend using the current
VKContest log, also known as VKCL.
The rules and information are on the website, alara.org.au
The last of the three SARL HF Contests, the HF CW Contest, will be on the air
August 27 from 13:00 to 16:30 UTC with CW activity on 20, 40 and 80 metres.
The exchange is a RST report and a consecutive serial number starting at, you
guessed it.. Zero Zero One.
The Flagpole Challenge a fun contest
The Manly-Warringah Radio Society invites all to participate in its annual
Flagpole Challenge in September.
This is a fun contest and not to be taken too seriously.
So dust off your rig, get your flagpole assembled with antenna attached, try
out some different modes and make some new friends.
Full details of the Flagpole Challenge Saturday the 16th September can be found
on the Manly-Warringah Radio Society url.
mwrs.org.au/flagpole-challenge/
Prefix hunters may be interested in the special event station ZY 158 CAT which
is active from Brazil until 30th August.
The station commemorates 158 years of the city of Catalaos.
QSL manager is PP 2 BO.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Malaysia's independence (August 31, 1957),
look for many special event stations using the special prefix 9 M 60.
Activity started on August 15th and will end on August 31st:
Doug, W 6 HB, will be active as E 51 DLD between Aug. 27 and Sept. 8 from
Rarotonga Island. Listen for Doug on 160-10 meters SSB.
Send QSLs via his home callsign W6HB.
In French Polynesia, listen for Heinz, DF 1 YP, operating as FO/DF 1 YP from
Moorea Island between September 6th and October 1st.
Activity will be on 20/17/15 meters using SSB and the Digital modes.
Send QSLs via his home callsign, DF1YP by the Bureau.
Mt Macedon UHF repeater gets DMR
The VK3RMM UHF facility serving central Victoria has been upgraded with a new
Multi-Mode FM and Digital Mobile Radio, or DMR repeater.
The repeater was donated by Peter Brennan VK3TE, who assisted Amateur Radio
Victoria volunteers install and commission it.
FM analogue mode users of VK3RMM UHF can program the CTCSS 91.5Hz tone in and
out, and not to hear the digital signal when the repeater is running in digital
mode.
These changes only effect the operation of the 70 centimetres analogue repeater.
They do not change the VK3RMM DSTAR repeater on 70cm, or the VK3RMM 2-metre
repeater 147.250MHz.
WIRELESS WEATHER
Ham Hoping to Crowd-Fund Experimental Time at HAARP Facility
Another Luxembourg Effect experiment could take place at Alaska's High-Frequency
Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility during its September research
campaign.
Jeff Dumps, KL4IU a self-described construction worker, electronics
technician, and radio enthusiast wants to purchase 12 minutes at the HAARP
controls to carry out his investigation, which he's hoping to fund with
donations.
KL4IU told ARRL that if he doesn't meet his funding goal, he'll donate whatever
money has been contributed to the Arctic Amateur Radio Club, KL 7 KC and HAARP.
His experiment will attempt to answer some questions about how audio
frequencies transfer between radio stations during the Luxembourg Effect
(Ionospheric Cross Modulation).
MEDIA WATCH
Who and Where are our broadcast stations?
http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
Amateur Radio magazine makes good reading in September. On the cover is a
cheap magnetic loop antenna and inside an article by our own Shirley VK5YL's
OM Jim Tregellas VK5JST on how to build this plastic wonder cheaply.
OH and much much more as Barry VK3PV tells us:-
"A review of the LD-5 HF QRP Transceiver is from James Hannibal KH2SR, while
the setting up for the JT65 digital mode is explained by Joseph Kasser VK5WU.
All you need to know about being involved in the JOTA and JOTI in October is
covered by the event National Coordinator Brett Nicholas VK2BNN.
There are two articles on the Gippstech 2017 - including its two annual awards
the VK3UM Award in memory of Doug McArthur which went to Tim Dixon VK5ZT, and
the Microwave Enthusiast Award given to Rex Moncur VK7MO.
In the interesting Contests column is the Contester of the Month, Tony Burt
VK3TZ, who tells a little of his history from 1984.
The WIA journal issued as a membership service 11 times a year also has the
regular columns on DX, SOTA, ALARA, Awards, Microwave, and regional reports
I'm Barry Robinson VK3PV, and you're listening to VK1WIA."
Queensland newspaper promotion
The Gladstone Amateur Radio Club has scored some worthy publicity in the
Observer newspaper.
It reports that the club is 50 years old with about 40 members who talk to the
world via shortwave radio and satellites.
A great photograph of WIA News rebroadcaster Michael Buchanan VK4LNB with a
young lass hell bent on getting into the NAVY and Geoff Bonney VK4GI tells
how he entered the hobby as an apprentice electrician back in the 1960s.
Although he notes things have changed in Amateur Radio it's still enjoyed
throughout the world.
Geoff VK4GI added that anyone interested must sit a licensing exam, then with
their own callsign can talk to other radio amateurs and enjoy what the hobby
has to offer.
WIA NEWS 20 METERS BCAST LIVE FROM DENMARK
Nigel got 5 callbacks, 3 VK6's and 2 VK2's in Central Australia last Sunday
when he, VK6NI, sent our signal hopping , yes, from DENMARK.
Well...not the land where their Prince who was refused admission this week to
a Brisbane city night club, but, from WA itself.
Denmark is a coastal town located on Wilson Inlet in the Great Southern region
of Western Australia, 423 kilometres south-south-east of the state capital of
Perth.
Still, DENMARK looks good on our log. Thanks Nigel.
INTRUDER WATCH - ENFORCEMENT ZONE
Region III IARUMS Coordinator Peter Young VK3MV
VK IARUMS reflector email to subscribe intruders@wia.org.au
SUBMITTING a report? go to
http://www.wia.org.au/members/protecting/intruderreport/
Ham experts sniff out illegal radio sets.
The Times of India reports amateur radio experts, engaged by security agencies
to monitor cross-border radio chatter in the Darjeeling Hills region, have
helped in the detection of at least 4 transceivers operating illegally.
The monitoring, which started soon after the first round of violence in June,
also confirmed security agencies' suspicion that unidentified receivers were
tapping into police wireless communication.
The government in Bengal has already alluded to "external help" for the
Gorkhaland agitation and suspected links with underground outfits from the
north-eastern states.
The HAM radio experts, who were engaged by security agencies, told TOI that
they had succeeded in picking up communication between "a senior pro-Gorkhaland
leader" and unidentified persons from across the Indian border.
Their services were requisitioned in Darjeeling as well. The initial chatter
that was picked up from two sets operating from the Hills was innocuous. But,
before long, it was realised that those were just decoys to throw authorities
off track.
Read the full story at
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/ham-experts-sniff-out-illegal-radio-sets-in-darjeeling/articleshow/60127090.cms
When 'dings' go wrong.
When Wendy Macbean discovered customers at her gym in Londonderry were unable
to lock or unlock their car doors she called Ofcom
Ofcom responded by sending two engineers from the Spectrum Management Centre
in Hertfordshire, to Londonderry, NI to investigate.
Ofcom describe the investigation on their website:
Engineers broke out their spectrum analyser - a clever piece of kit that scans
the airwaves and detects anything out of the ordinary. On this occasion it
didn't, but they asked Wendy to keep a log. Sure enough, the problem reoccurred
and this time they traced the problem to a particular bit of the
electro-magnetic spectrum - 433.92 MHz.
In the UK this is a licence-exempt part of the UHF spectrum known as the
short-range device frequency and the kind of devices that use it are things
like car key fobs, oil watchmen (that tell you when heating oil is running
low), and remote controls used by building site crane operators.
"For the most part, these devices are only used in short bursts," explains
Ofcom. The problem comes when one of these becomes faulty and they remain on
permanently. When that happens, they can interfere with other nearby devices,
like car key fobs, using those same radio waves, which is what happened here.
They traced the problem to premises nearby. Once inside, they quickly found
the cause of the problem - a faulty wireless doorbell. It was switched off
and normal service was resumed for motorists out on the street.
Ding Dong the bands now dead!
ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/features-and-news/doorbell-investigation
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
CubeSats Deployed During Russian EVA
News on the AMSAT-UK web described the hand-deployment of three Russian
CubeSats during a spacewalk:
Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN 3 FI and his Flight Engineer
began the schedule of extravehicular activities with the manual deployment
of five nanosatellites from a ladder outside the airlock.
The satellites, each of which has a mass of about 11 pounds, have a variety of
purposes. The satellites are thought to include Tanyusha-SWSU 1 & 2 and
Tomsk-TPU-120
One of the satellites, with casings made using 3-D printing technology, will
test the effect of the low-Earth-orbit environment on the composition of 3-D
printed materials.
Another satellite contains recorded greetings to we people of Earth in
11 languages.
A third satellite commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Sputnik 1 launch.
http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?cat=325
TOMSK TPU-120 (RS04S) 437.025 MHz digital voice
Tanusha-SWSU-1 (RS-6S) 437.050 MHz 9k6 FSK, digital voice
Tanusha-SWSU-2 (RS-7S) 437.050 MHz 9k6 FSK, digital voice
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA
http://rsgbiota.org
IOTA chasers will have the opportunity to work 3 Estonian islands between now
and the end of the month. Eugene RX 3 AMI will be active as ES/RX 3 AMI from
EU-034, EU-149 and EU-178.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ILLW
ILLW thanks all
The 20th annual International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend last Saturday
and Sunday had about 450 registrations from more than 40 countries.
Some of them have already registered to be portable in the third weekend of
August 2018.
The most came from the USA with 67, closely followed by Germany 64 and
Australia 61.
Organisers were surprised at getting 150 registrations in the last ten days up
to the weekend.
Congratulations to those who mounted portable stations at the old maritime
navigation, dealt with many public inquiries, and the many who made on air
contact with them.
Reports from those in last weekend's event can be read on the website illw.net
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
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
Listen to ICQ podcast YOTA special
There is a special ICQ Podcast about YOTA 2017.
It can be downloaded from the link in this week's WIA National News
Among other things you'll hear interviews with some of the young people
who took part, sharing their infectious enthusiasm for amateur radio.
If you worked the special event station GB17YOTA then you may be eligible for
an Award.
Check out tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0818b for award details.
For a quick summary of what happened www.rsgb.org/yota-dd
Podcast tinyurl.com/GB2RS-0818a
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
Plane Crash Drill Turns to Major Fire Response
Over the course of a single day, ARES Los Angeles Northwest District operators
pivoted from a plane crash mass-casualty drill to a real major fire response.
With the area suffering under record 108 heat, the ARRL LA Section's
ARES Northwest District Emergency Coordinator Roozy Moabery, W1EH, had no idea
that an actual emergency would erupt just 6 hours after his ARES team finished
a full-scale mass casualty drill that morning.
The mass casualty drill scenario involved numerous hospitals and agencies
responding to a private plane crash at a busy freeway junction in the Encino
area.. Moabery said the drill provided an excellent example of how ARES
interfaces with other disaster-focused Amateur Radio organizations.
The real emergency happened about 12 hours later an explosion and fire at a
City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 230-kV receiving station in
the San Fernando Valley's Northridge area. While firefighters fought flames,
electric power was cut for up to 11 hours to some 147,000 homes and businesses,
already suffering from the searing heat.
Five hospitals ARES LAX-Northwest serves, including major trauma centre
Northridge Hospital Medical Centre, switched to emergency back-up power.
ARES quickly established a net, and Moabery immediately deployed to the
409-bed Northridge Hospital, remaining there until nearly 6 AM the next day.
Moabery reviewed lessons learned from the drill and the emergency during his
latest Northwest meeting. Among his points:
Members can never have enough batteries;
some ARES members were recharging depleted batteries following the morning
hospital drill when the early evening power outage occurred. The hospital drill
served as another reminder that repeaters cannot always be relied upon, and
that a simplex back-up plan is essential.
In extreme weather and heat situations, ARES members need to be prepared and
bring their own food and water. Finally, ARES LAX-Northwest learned that
hospitals may need up to 24 hours to fully recover from a lengthy power outage
because of required post-outage procedures.
GET YOUR HAM LICENCE - EDUCATION
Foundation Licence training plus a Standard Bridging course
Amateur Radio Victoria has training for the entry level Foundation Licence
and those already qualified at that level can join a Standard Licence Bridging
Course.
Both in September at 40G Victory Boulevard, Ashburton, in Melbourne's inner
east.
The Foundation Licence session is on the weekend of September 9-10.
A targeted Standard Licence Bridging Course runs on six Wednesday evenings
starting September 6, with assessments on Sunday 15 October.
To obtain further information and enrol please contact Barry Robinson VK3PV
the Education Team Leader vk3pv@amateurradio.com.au or phone 0428 516 001.
Visit the WIA website, wia.org.au
To find A Club And Course Near You
http://www.wia.org.au/licenses/foundation/learningorganisers/
To make a general enquiry
https://www.wia.org.au/discover/sendinfo/publicenquiry/
CANBERRA
Next scheduled Foundation course is to be held on the 9/10th of September.
email education@crarc.ampr.org for further information.
AMATEUR RADIO NEW SOUTH WALES:-
ARNSW 63 Quarry Rd Dural, email for details on education@arnsw.org.au
Bookings can be made by phoning the office on 02 9651 1490
and leaving contact details.
AMATEUR RADIO VICTORIA CONTACT:-
Amateur Radio Victoria 40G Victory Boulevard, Ashburton,
vk3pv@amateurradio.com.au or phone Barry on 0428 516 001.
SOCIAL SCENE 2017
Aug 27 it's VK2 SACRCfest SHOW, TELL & SELL day.
Sep 9 VK4 SunFest held at the Woombye School of Arts building 09:00.(vk4vp)
Sep 9-10 VK4 ALARAMEET Cairns. Listen for VI4ALARA from July (vk4swe vk3pc)
Sep 10 VK3 Shepparton HamFest St Augustine's Hall, Orr St. (vk3fnqs)
Sep29-Oct2 VK4 Cardwell Gathering (tarc)
Oct 29 VK3 Yarra Valley Amateur Radio Group HAMFEST 10:00am at the
Gary Cooper Pavilion, Yarra Glen.
Nov 5 VK3 BARG Hamvention greyhound racing track, Ballarat. (wia events)
Nov 12 VK5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society HamFest 8am (vk5kc)
Nov 12 VK3 Rosebud's annual celebration of all things Amateur Radio (wia)
2018
Feb 25 VK2 Wyong Field Day (VK2AOR)
March 25 VK3 EMDRC HamFest - Great Ryrie Primary School, Heathmont. (VK3BQ)
May 4 -7 VK4 Clairview Gathering ( between Rockhampton and Mackay ) (TARC)
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/
We would appreciate items no longer than 2 minutes in length as we only have
a half hour time slot window.
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
=============================================================================
WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide.
TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA
Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed prior to
the actual broadcast date, e-mail nationalnews@wia.org.au
Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers you may
lodge a quick reply to let us know you read it, who knows, you might
even get a "cheerio call".
Thanks to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize their time
and equipment in bringing you this weekly broadcast.
Who and where are they? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to
active amateurs residing in Australia and the globe.
We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of Australia
and participation in the activities of local clubs. Opinions expressed in
"WIANews" are those of the writers who submit material and do not necessarily
reflect those of the rebroadcasters, nor the National WIA, but are broadcast
in the spirit in which they were submitted."
Material may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, a credit to
WIANews wouldn't go astray...
Who listens to radio? A weekly 'tally sheet' is sent to all rebroadcasters
and interested listeners, to get your free copy send a blank email to:-
wiabroadcasters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au
Put the word subscribe in the title or subject field
How do I join this National News List? (subscribe for an automatic weekly feed.)
Email to vk1wia-news-join@lists.wia.org.au
from the email account that you wish the emails to go to.
How do I leave this National News List? (unsubscribe your weekly feed)
Open mail program which sends mail from the address you want to unsubscribe.
Send mail to the list unsubscribe address vk1wia-news-leave@lists.wia.org.au
You will be sent a confirmation mail and must follow the instructions given
in that mail to complete the unsubscription.
Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably
receive another message confirming your unsubscription from the list,
and at that point you should stop receiving messages.
National News compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.
.
-------------
|
|
