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AUGUST 18 2019 - 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 AUGUST 18 2019
AND READ BY ALARA MEMBER.
WIA's Aidan VK4APM with this weeks board comment.
THIS & MORE IN ALARA THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA
AND FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 18 2019
VK3DX active for International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
The Warrnambool Standard newspaper reports Warrnambool radio amateurs
are operating VK3DX from Portland's Whalers Bluff lighthouse
this year as part of International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
Greg McNamara VK3UT said the event being held this weekend will see
Warrnambool Amateur Radio Group members spending the two days
chatting to enthusiasts from more than 400 stations.
The amateur radio station worked out of a room next to the lighthouse
at Warrnambool's Flagstaff Hill for 14 years but a dispute with
Warrnambool City Council about 12 months ago saw the group leave
their beloved "hut" and withdraw from the 2018 International
Lighthouse Weekend.
A council spokesman said the amateur radio group could continue to
run out of Flagstaff Hill, as long as all members of the group
signed in and out of the maritime museum. Council had also requested
that the group consult first with Flagstaff Hill management to ensure
all the necessary permits and consents were in place prior to making
modifications to Flagstaff Hill buildings," he said.
About 10 members of the amateur radio group are expected to attend
over this, the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
So listen and work VK3DX - they'd love to hear from YOU!
(Internet sources)
EDUCATION
'Ham in a Day' returns
In the USA the complete training course and exam for the 1.5 kW
Technician amateur radio license can be done in just 7 hours with
a 95% pass rate
WHTC-1450 AM News reports:
The Holland Amateur Radio Club held the second of three "Ham in a Day"
sessions this year [August 10]. Tom Bosscher and other club members
had a lengthy list of questions that prospective ham radio operators
must have answered during the five-hour study session before the
actual two-hour test took place.
"It's a cram memory session. Remember what you used to do at school,
where you'd study on the bus for the test in first hour? That's
basically what this does. We have a 95% pass rate, and then the
people get their license. That's just an introduction of what they
can do. Once they got your license, that's when they start learning
about what's it's all about. All this and just 25 dollars".
While the Holland Amateur Radio Club say two hours is allocated for
the test it only takes 30 minutes to complete. The extra time
allocated allows the candidates to immediately do free retakes of the
exam should they fail on their first attempt.
(SouthGate)
WIA DIRECTORS COMMENT
Welcome everyone to this special ALARA edition of the National
News, this is Aidan, VK4APM for this weeks board comment.
A short while ago the ACMA released a series of proposals for
changes to the Amateur Radio Service.
These were presented as an "omnibus" Licence conditions update.
The WIA's response to this was made available to Affiliated Clubs
this week and we would like to thank the many who, despite the very
short time frames, were able to deliver expressions of support on
behalf of their clubs, for the proposals contained within our
response.
As we have expressed in the past, our community must act with
one voice. Without cohesion and solidarity, the threat to the
service is real.
We have seen over the years reduction in spectrum access as
technology improves and the commercial value of the spectrum that
was, at a time, deemed valueless increase.
These spectrum access rights are a privilege and we must collectively
defend them - for without spectrum the Amateur Service will cease to
exist. Consider, thanks to our never ending demand for more
bandwidth for the, literally billiions, of mobile devices and IoT
devices around the world, the losses of spectrum in the 3-4GHz band
is more than than the entire HF, and VHF bands combined.
Perhaps users in the Amateur Service needs to expand our thinking and
find useful, global applications for this enormous spectrum asset
that we have access to. (and it is an asset - something that many
seem to only appreciate when it is gone...)
By the time this segment goes to air the WIA response will be in the
hands of members and the broader community. We encourage all
operators, WIA member or not, to submit to the ACMA letters of
"in principle" support for the proposals contained therein.
Thats all from me, Aidan, VK4APM
Remember, WIA board minutes can be found on wia.org.au click
WIA Information.
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WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
DIGITAL
FreeDV via geostationary satellite ham radio transponder
Gerhard OE 3 GBB is transmitting the digital voice mode FreeDV
through the amateur radio narrowband transponder on the
Es'hail-2 / QO-100 geostationary satellite
Gerhard says "I am frequently sending test transmissions and calling
CQ at around 10,489.650 MHz. Having adjusted my signal to 10 dB
over transponder noise I am getting back at SNR 4-5 in mode2020."
QO-100 is in geostationary orbit at 26 east and provides
radio amateurs with continuous coverage from Brazil across to
Thailand.
Post by Gerhard OE3GBB
https://sourceforge.net/p/freetel/mailman/message/36734483/
(SouthGate)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
FUNcube-1/AO-73 Entering Continuous Sunlight
The operations team have decided to set the satellite to education
mode full time. This means full power beacon with no transponder
and no eclipse auto switching.
One of the effects of this is that the temperature of the satellite
will increase. This will allow the FUNcube operations team to
follow the effects of continuous sunlight more easily and, in theory,
should keep the satellite cooler as more energy should be radiated
from the structure as RF.
They predict that the satellite will start experiencing eclipses
again on approximately 7 May 2020. The team may put the satellite
back into transponder mode while it is in continuous sunlight, and
will make an announcement if they do so.
(ANS)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FT4 and FT8
The FT8 Digital Mode Club is commemorating its 2nd anniversary and
eight special event stations are on air in a number of countries
until the 24th of August.
An F T D M C Anniversary Award can be earned, with various levels
to the award. Full details of the participating stations, and the
awards, are on ft8dmc.eu
(rsgb)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ILLW
https://illw.net/
ILLW another 'new' light.
On now is the 22nd International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend and
Germany has led the field with 57 entries closely followed by the
USA with 56.
The new light AND new country in the event is the US Virgin Island
with Buck Island Lighthouse being registered for the first time.
It is a typical example of the main objective of the ILLW which is
the preservation of lighthouses. This lighthouse was built by the
Danish government shortly before the islands became a U.S. territory
in 1917.
(SouthGate)
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
Last Sunday, August 11, 80 youngsters from 28 countries met near
Sofia, Bulgaria, for the YOTA Summer Camp hosted by the Bulgarian
Federation of Radio Amateurs.
It was a camp full of many great activities like operating the
camp station LZ 19 YOTA, building kits and antennas, sight seeing
tours around Sofia and enjoying time with new friends in the
accommodation.
An initiative of IARU Region 1 youth teams under the age of 26
were from 28 countries including from our own region 3 a team from
New Zealand sure have enjoyed the week.
(SouthGate)
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - VHF AND ABOVE (The Plumbers Delight)
432 MHz station on Cape Verde Islands
So far in 2019, the D4C contest team off the west coast of Africa
have made some pretty amazing contacts on 144 MHz using the call
D 41 CV.
Many of these contacts to the Caribbean and Europe were well in
excess of 4000 kms in distance. The team have recently announced
they are now active on 432 MHz (70cms).
They already have worked, SSB, locator square IM66 for 3000 km
dx which now raises the possibility of new records being set on this
UHF band.
(SouthGate)
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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
HI This is Alan VK4SN with a Sunday morning reminder for the
RD contest.
There are approximately 3 and a half hours left to fire up and make
a few contacts to those bleary-eyed operators who have been up
all night chasing triple points. Yes, triple points make for that
lead advantage that may put them in a top 3 placing in their chosen
categories.
Hopefully operators have used the latest version of RD Logger,
VKCL or N 1 MM loggers so the logs are easily uploaded to the
log checker site. If not, the log will be rejected and will have to
be sent to me for a bit of a fix up and then uploaded.
No matter how small you think the log is, it is vital that you submit
it. Please support your state by submitting your log as it will add
to your state totals.!
Thanks to everyone for making this a successful RD, especially
Peter, VK1PE for his outstanding work in organising the pre contest
speeches.
73 from a bleary eyed VK4SN.
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G'day, this is Peter VK2PR with the WIA Contest Champion results
for 2018.
The WIA Contest Champion is awarded annually for the best combined
effort in WIA Sponsored Contests. It recognises those who have
participated in multiple WIA contests and submitted logs throughout
the year. There were a total of 373 entrants during 2018, just 2
short of the record of 375 entrants in 2012.
So without further ado, the winner of the Peter Brown VK4PJ trophy
for 2018 is... Lawrie Mew VK5LJ with a record score of 660 points.
Lawrie entered 7 out of the 9 eligible contests and won 1st place in
all but 1 of the contests he entered. Congratulations to Lawrie, an
amazing effort!
2nd place went to Gerard Hill VK2IO with a score of 420 points.
3rd place went to Rob McKnight VK2MT with a score of 340 points.
4th place was Trent Sampson VK4TS with a score of 328 points.
Equal 5th place was Hilary Bridel VK2AZ (who was the 2017 trophy
winner) and Alan Shannon VK4SN, both with scores of 320 points each.
Full results can be viewed at
www.wia.org.au/members/contests/contestchampion.
73 from Peter VK2PR
Good luck in the contests!
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ALARA contest August 24/25
The ALARA contest is on next weekend.
It starts on Saturday 24th August at 0600 hours UTC and ends Sunday
25th August at 0559 UTC. The aim is to contact YLs.
All the details are on the ALARA website. ALARA.org.au
We encourage all YLs to get on the air, and OMs to come and talk to
us.
(Linda VK7QP)
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BARTG GB60ATG special event
Members of the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group (BARTG) will be
active as GB 60 ATG until June 2020.
The BARTG is celebrating their 60th Year Diamond Jubilee anniversary
with this callsign and special awards are available for contacts with
GB 60 ATG using any Data Mode.
More information can be found on the BARTG Web site on
bartg.org.uk
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OMG - Operation Market Garden - special event
Look for special event station PA75OMG to be active between
September 12 - 22
Activity is to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary of freedom.
As part of Operation Market Garden in World War II, paratroopers of
the allied forces, such as American, British, Canadian, Polish and
Dutch landed in the Nijmegen region on September the 17th, 1944
and the region was soon liberated after four years of German
occupation.
During the 10 days of activity, PA7OMG will try to work as many
amateur radio operators across the world as possible.
QSL via the info on QRZ.com
For more details and pictures, see:
https://pa75omg.nl
(SouthGate)
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NAURU, C21.
Operators Yuris YL2GM
Jack YL2KA
Kaspars YL1ZF and
Kristers YL3JA
will be active as C 2 1W from September 16 to 25.
Activity will be on 160 to 6 meters, and possibly 60 meters
using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8.
QSL via YL 2 GN direct or via ClubLog.
(SouthGate)
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EI 100 YXQ is active until the end of 2019 on all bands and modes.
This is a special call to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the
first East to West voice transmission across the Atlantic from
Ballybunion to Louisberg, Nova Scotia.
Kerry Amateur Radio Group (KARG) is QRV from Cromwell Point
Lighthouse this weekend for the 16th year in a row of operating
in the International Lighthouse Weekend using this special call
EI 100 YXQ.
(SouthGate)
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club,
ARRL, RAC, NZART AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE & the World Wide sources of
the WIA.
Our IARU Secretary, David Sumner, K1ZZ, has contributed to the latest
edition of ITU News Magazine, published by the International
Telecommunication Union. The issue is devoted to "terrestrial
wireless communications," which includes the Amateur Radio and
Amateur Satellite services.
David's article, "Self-training, intercommunication and technical
investigations: the amateur service in the 21st Century,"
discusses Amateur Radio within the context of a global network of
experimenters and communicators who, in his words, "expand the body
of human knowledge and technical skills that are essential to
development and offer a resource that can literally save lives when
natural disasters disrupt normal communications channels."
"Amateur licensees are grateful that ITU member-states continue to
recognize the benefits of providing direct access to the radio
spectrum to qualified individuals," said David.
The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is an ITU sector member.
He points out that access to frequency bands "spaced throughout the
radio spectrum" is critical to Amateur Radio's future. He notes that
the initial pattern of amateur allocations dates back to 1927 and the
International Radiotelegraph Conference. Allocations have been
expanded at subsequent conferences, most recently at World
Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15), when amateur radio
obtained a tiny secondary band near 5,3 MHz. An earlier WRC was
responsible for the Amateur Service's two lowest-frequency
allocations, 135.7 - 137.8 kHz and 472 - 479 kHz.
The 1979 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) extended
terrestrial allocations above 40 GHz to include amateur allocations.
ANTARCTIC
AMSAT-DL is hurriedly building a ground station for Antarctica that
will link to QO-100. The purpose for the installation is to provide
a scientific platform to engage students in studying climate change
and its effects in the polar regions.
Read the complete article at
https://amsat-dl.org/en/wie-wird-die-antarktis-auf-qo-100-qrv/
INDIA
Ham radio in Maharashtra floods relief effort
The 'Republic World' reports amateur radios and drones have been
brought in to assist rescue operations in the aftermath of the
Maharashtra floods as rescue and relief operations in Western
Maharashtra are in full swing as several places are battling a
severe deluge that has engulfed the place.
For past 5 days, Narsoba Wadi Village has been submerged following
which multiple teams from the NDRF and Indian Navy have been summoned
to transport supplies and relief material to the 5,000 people who are
stranded in different locations. Apart from the food and medicine
supplies, doctors have also been brought in.
One of the officials present on site said that boats have been sent
for a recee and in addition, the rescue teams are also using Ham
radios in order to establish proper communication channels.
The teams have set up a base station from where information is
channelled and connected with all Ham Radio Networks there.
Read the full story on
republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/maharashtra-floods-ham-radios-and-drones-brought-in-to-ass
AUSTRIA
Ham radio banned!
Austria's communications regulator B M V I T has banned the carrying
or use of Amateur Radio equipment at the Airpower 19 event taking
place in Zeltweg on September 6-7
Within the military areas, which are accessible to the visitors,
the operation of radio reception and radio transmitters, in
accordance with house rules of the air base, is strictly prohibited!"
"If persons within the military area are encountered with radio
equipment that has not been authorized by the Airpower 19 project
organization, then the radio equipment will be temporarily removed
by military personnel."
Source VSV story with link to full BMVIT statement
https://tinyurl.com/AustriaOeVSV
UNITED KINGDOM
Les Barclay, G3HTF, of Chelmsford, a radio wave propagation expert
and academic who was well known in International Telecommunication
Union circles, has died at age 85.
"Les was Chairman of ITU-R Working Party 3L from 2012 until 2016 and
provided key input into the technical discussions for
World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 that resulted in the
international 60-meter secondary amateur allocation," said former
ARRL Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, who attended
WRC-15 and the June 2016 meeting of Working Party 3L.
"His expertise in ionospheric propagation was sought and valued
by ITU delegates working on a variety of HF issues across several
radio services, and he conducted the proceedings of his Working
Party with skill and efficiency."
In 1993, Barclay received the ITU Silver Medal for chairing the
first Radiocommunication Assembly. Other awards included an
Institute of Engineering and Technology Lifetime Achievement Award,
the Order of the British Empire, the Polar Medal for Antarctic
propagation research, and the IGY Gold Award. He was a Fellow of
the Royal Academy of Engineering and authored more than 50 technical
publications.
USA
The FCC has issued a $39,000 + Forfeiture Order against a man from
North Carolina, for intentional misuse of a local public safety radio
communications network, in violation of the Communications Act.
He is said to have impersonated first responders in unauthorized
radio communications on Surry County's licensed public safety
frequency," the FCC said.
Officials, responding to a fire alarm triggered at a local residence,
transmitted a request for a unit from the Westfield Volunteer
Fire Department. Shortly thereafter, the culprit, posing as
'Westfield VFD Unit 7331,' responded, using the mobile radio in his
personal vehicle and stated that he was en route to the scene of the
alarm. Approximately 4 minutes later, he cancelled the call from the
real responders.
As a result of these two transmissions, no real first responder
investigated the triggered residential fire alarm. Fortunately,
no fire actually occurred at the scene of the alarm.
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2019 Social Scene
VK2 - SUMMERLAND AMATEUR RADIO CLUB'S SARCFEST 8:30am Aug 25 (wia)
VK4 - Sunshine Coast Amateur Radios Sun-Fest 9AM, Saturday Sept 14
@ Woombye School of Arts. (vk4an)
VK4 - Townsville Amateur Radio Club's Cardwell Gathering 4 days
commencing October 4 (vk4zz)
VK3 - Yarra Valley Amateur Group HamFest, 13th October (vk3cnw)
WW - JOTA 2019 Friday 18th, Sat 19 & Sunday 20 October (vk2gx)
VK3 - Ballarat Amateur Radio Group, BARG Hamvention Oct 27 (vk3kqt)
VK5 - AHARS Buy and Sell Marion RSL Nov 3rd (vk5srp)
VK3 - ROSEBUD RADIOFEST November 17 (wia)
2020 Social Scene
ALARAMEET 2020 Bendigo (vk5yl)
October 2 - 8 in Bendigo Victoria.
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