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2020 MARCH 22 - 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!
THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYaqjM0J64B7W_FUGfpkzNF0O_21cu__
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING MARCH 15 - 2020
IN OUR 25th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
Due to concerns raised over the Covoid-19 virus, many events in
the forthcoming weeks are being cancelled or postponed. Please
check before travelling to any event.
THIS & MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA
Due to concerns raised over the Covoid-19 virus, many events in
the forthcoming weeks are being cancelled or postponed. Please
check before travelling to any event. Tasmania has closed its
borders, so what of our WIA AGM?
WIA Vice President Aidan joins us shortly
One event that would have gone over the 100 'guest rule' as to
take place just north of Brisbane in VK4 so REDFEST 2020
has been cancelled.
"Greetings from the Redcliffe & Districts Radio Club VK4RC, right
here in south East QLD. Robert Thomson VK4TFN here, with a
REDFEST 2020 update.
This is indeed a sad turn of events. However, the Executive has had
no choice but to cancel REDFEST 2020, due to the current public
health concerns.
Next year, there will be a REDFEST 2021, circumstances permitting.
We will be participating in the John Moyle contest as individual
operators.
We wish to extend our gratitude to the broader Amateur Radio
community for your support.
We hope we can depend upon your support in the future.
Go to: Triple w dot redcliffe radio club dot org dot au.
We're also on Facebook.
Bye for now and 73s from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club
VK4RC.
Thank you
Robert Thomson "
Along with the many other cancellations of events throughout the
country where there are a number of people likely to attend them
Amateur Radio New South Wales has done likewise and cancelled the
scheduled Sunday March the 29 th Trash and Treasure event along with
the Experimenters Group lecture which would have been held later in
the day ..Other ARNSW activities of members at the Dural site are
under review. Interested parties are reminded to listen to the
Sunday VK2WI News sessions for updates.
Notice of cancellation of The Urunga Radio Convention
The Urunga Radio Convention Committee advises that the Field Days to
be held at Easter weekend, 11 and 12 of April 2020 has been
cancelled due to the restrictions and conditions placed upon the
Convention by the various government authorities in the light of
COVID-19 pandemic.
It is the first Urunga Convention that has failed in 72 years
and it is a personal blow to the organising committee.
We wish to thank all our supporters and we will return at Easter in
2021.
(Ken Golden, President - TEXT EDTION)
VK3 - EMDRC Committee after due consideration, have decided to
cancel/postpone 2020 EMDRC HamFest on Sunday 29 March.
VK3 - GippsTech 2020 has been cancelled
VK6 - Bob VK6POP in a phone hookup has told how PerthTech at
Bassendean is to be cancelled, more of that in the local
NewsWest
VK7 - Meet the Voice organiser Dani VK7FREQ also has made the
decision to cancel the Meet the Voice gathering.
ZL - For our Kiwi friends your Conference 2020 is cancelled.
NZART Council has made the decision to cancel the Conference
in Shantytown this year. This is due to the COVID-19 situation
and taking on board all the advice for doing so. NZART Council
expresses its thanks to the Conference 2020 Organising
Committee for all the hard work put in to run this event, and
the preparations done to date. Those who have registered to
attend in Shantytown, contact Debby at HQ advising a bank
account for registration payments to be refunded to.
The world’s MAJOR Ham gathering has of course been cancelled, Dayton
Hamvention Executive Committee advised their patrons late Sunday.
Due to concerns raised over the Covoid-19 virus, many events in
the forthcoming weeks are being cancelled or postponed. Please
check before travelling to any event.
WIA
Not a WIA Member? details email nationaloffice@wia.org.au
OR the link on bottom right of wia.org.au
wia.memnet.com.au/MemberSelfService/NewMemberForm/WIA/NewMemberForm.aspx
WIA board minutes can be found on wia.org.au click
WIA Information.
Directors heard usually as follows
Greg VK2GPK (President), Peter VK8ZZ (Secretary),
Mike VK8MA, Aidan VK4APN, John VK4JJW
Arguably one of the most important Special Board Meetings in our
110 years took place, electonically, Wednesday night.
Our Vice President chaired, and is here with us now on one of
the issues:-
This is Aidan, VK4APM with this weeks board comment.
No news presentation seem complete these days without some mention
of the COVID-19, the Novel Coronavirus that has driven panic and fear
into the worlds economic and social engines.
And this broadcast is no exception
The health and well being of the Amateur cohort and our members is of
the highest priority. Out of an abundance of caution, consideration
for the health and wellbeing of our members, and in an effort to
deliver certainty to the Amateur community (not to mention a federal
government mandate), the board of the WIA met last Wednesday and
endorsed the recommendation of the 2020 WIA Conference Organising
committee to cancel this event.
The 2021 WIA Conference will take place in Hobart.
The organising committee has recommended, and the board has agreed,
that the 2021 conference be arranged at a date and time such that
those who receive credits for flights and accommodation are in a
position to use them within the 12 month time frame that has been
announced by all Australian airline carriers.
The organising committee will make information regarding the
2021 WIA conference available in the near future.
We would like to thank the organising committee for the enormous
amount of work put into the 2020 WIA Conference and the large number
of people who have already subscribed. We apologise for the
inconvenience caused. These are extraordinary times and they
require extraordinary measures.
All those who have paid registrations will receive a full refund
over the coming days.
The Annual General Meeting is a legal requirement stipulated by the
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The board has sought advice from
Australian Securities and Investment Commission and will provide an
update to members in due course.
The WIA board would like to encourage all operators to practice
social separation, wash and dry your hands regularly and promptly
seek advice if you feel you are affected by COVID-19.
Stay safe,
Thats all from me
VK4APM
Thanks Aidan, I did ask the board again about when we will
be given the result of the WIA Poll on callsign makeup and
Aidan has said " Poll for inclusion next week, I didnt want
to have 2 messages in the market (ie: corona virus and the poll))
Hopefully also next week the result of our January call for
new Directors.
WIA Director John VK4JJW here with some info on the Amateur Radio
Exam Service conducted by the Australian Maritime College,
University of Tasmania.
AMC Exams are OFF, as from Monday 23rd of March.
The AMC has contacted all registered assessors and advised that it
will TEMPORARILY suspend the Exam service with no further face to
face examinations to be conducted, and to monitor the AMC Website
for updates as the situation progresses.
Of course, this is because of that pesky COVID-19 virus problem again
Under direction from the University of Tasmania policy, all face to
face teaching and related activities are to cease, and this will
include the AMC Amateur Radio assessors. Furthermore, no examination
papers will be issued from the office. New developments, including
the 2x1 Callsigns will be on hold until the situation has resolved.
You can check on the detail of this as posted by our WIA President
Greg VK2GPK, on the WIA Website under the News Releases section.
I'm John VK4JJW.
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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
Although, as previously announced, DAYTON will not go ahead due to
COVID-19, the Dayton Hamvention has named the recipients of its 2020
awards.
Steve Franke, K9AN, Bill Somerville, G4WJS and Nobel Laureate
Joe Taylor, K1JT have been awarded the Technical Achievement Award.
This next international story has its roots right here in VK.
Unfortunately due the our newsrooms browser attack on Editor Grahams
PC it did not make it to the Aussie news BUT here's the story as
I filed to ARNewsLine:-
AUSTRALIA CHANGING TERMS OF RECIPROCAL LICENSES
The Newswest broadcast team in Western Australia have alerted that
Amateurs holding a licence in Australia, which was obtained under a
reciprocal licencing arrangement, have now had their licence term
shortened to one year and they are no longer automatically renewable.
The ACMA, Australia's national regulator's action impacts the
apparatus licence for Hams wishing to operate in Australia for more
than 3 months but has no impact on the 3-month allowance given to
operators on holiday in Australia operating under the CEPT agreement.
ACMA states on their website that they now require holders of any
licence issued under a reciprocal agreement to sit the Amateur
Operator's Certificate of Proficiency examination before their
licences can become annually renewable. The examination is taken
through the Australian Maritime College at a cost of 90 Australian
dollars.
I'm Jason Daniels VK2LAW.
PLEASE NOTE:-
The ACMA has since updated its position on "grand-fathering-in" of
existing licensees. Those in Australia who obtained their
Australian license based on a foreign qualification before
19th September 2019 will be able to continue renewing their license
each year.
The 12-month limit only applies to reciprocal licenses issued since
September 2019.
NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE GETTING NEW HF RADIOS
In New Zealand, the military is relying more than ever before on
HF radio.
Underscoring his faith in the reliability of HF radio communications,
Ron Mark, the Defence Minister of New Zealand, has announced that
the engineering company Babcock NZ Ltd. will be replacing the HF
radio capability of the New Zealand Defence Force.
The official's announcement was an acknowledgement of HF radio's
ability to provide coverage when conventional communications do not
work and in areas unreachable by satellites.
The infrastructure to be replaced was installed in the 1980s and is
now outdated, he said. He expects it to be in place by August of
2023.
In the USA their Army is rethinking its use of radios and has asked
Congress to approve $3 billion to pay for tactical network radios
that will enable more secure battlefield communications.
The radios are expected to be a combination of handhelds and Manpack
radios and they would be acquired during the next four years and
include a 2-channel Leader radio and a Rifleman radio.
According to budget documents quoted, the Army plans a test of
two-channel radio technologies but will also evaluate use of
single-channel radios that make use of advanced networking waveforms.
AMSAT-Brazil QO-100 FT8 QRPp experiment
AMSAT-BR is organizing a reverse beacon FT8 QRPp experiment / contest
via the QO-100 geostationary amateur radio transponder
The first 10 spotted stations with lower SNR will receive a
Certificate of Accomplishment. The dead line will be May 1st 2020.
To qualify, the Signal to Noise Ratio must be lower than -18 dB
as measured by the ft8 decoder.
The receiver will be active on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 UTC
to 24:00 UTC and will be tuned to 10.489540 GHz with a 3.5 kHz
bandwidth. All stations calling CQ will be logged.
The objective for the project is to raise low power experimentation
through the QO-100 narrow band transponder. Stations participating
in the experiment are welcome to send a brief description of their
setup, including information about RF power output, hardware and
software setups, antenna type and gain, photos, etc. to the email
address in this weeks WIA text edition.
py2sdr@gmail.com
You can listen to the QO-100 transponder downlink online at
eshail.batc.org.uk/nb/
QO-100 information
amsat-uk.org/satel
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HAM RADIO OPERATIONAL NEWS - IT'S A CONTACT SPORT
This is Denis VK4AE WIA Contest Manager for the John Moyle Memorial
Field Day 2020.
This year’s contest is nearing completion as you hear this message,
so to all who have taken part or are taking part, thank you for
taking the extra time and effort to participate.
The weather this year has been far less than fair, with many perfect
operating sites destroyed by fire or flood. With the added
complexity of the virus pandemic, this contest has added complexities
undreamed of previously.
As the aim of the field day contest is to encourage familiarisation
with portable operation and to provide training for operations in
emergency situations. Simply setting up and operating a station is
the ideal of the contest.
Previously, we had a number of club statins wanting to claim portable
operation from their clubrooms as they were not keen to operate
portable. In addition, there were club stations who felt that
operating in the local caravan park, using mains power was also
‘portable’ operation. Of course, none of these club stations were
operated according to the rules or to the spirit of the contest.
No matter how you took part in the contest, after the activity is
all over and the radio equipment has been packed away, there is one
task that must be completed by all stations. They must submit their
log for the contest for the validation of those contacts for the
other stations. There is sufficient time allowed after the contest to
actually complete and submit their log to the WIA. However, because
of the altered publishing lead time of AR Magazine, Logs must be
postmarked no later than 5th April 2020, and as the post is now so
slow and unreliable, logs despatched even on the last day may not
arrive in time. Electronic versions of the log will only be
received until midnight 12th April 2020. Any logs received after
this date will be returned as ineligible.
So, there are not many excuses today for not sending in your log as
it can be kept electronically while the contest is under way using
one of the many logging programs such as VK Contest Log (VKCL) by our
own Mike VK3AVV. Then you simply have to submit the print file from
this program to me via one of the e-mail addresses shown on the
contest page on the WIA website.
Of course, submitting your log you automatically enter the contest
and you never know you might even get a certificate?
Best of luck to you all in the field day, for those still working
in the contest and I look forward to receiving your log entry after
the event
Thanks for listening
This is Denis VK4AE
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AM and CW on ANZAC Day, 25th April 2020
While news is coming in about ANZAC Day Ceremonies in 2020 sensibly
being cancelled to restrict the spread of COVID-19 and to protect
veterans health, one event will be going ahead regardless as it meets
all the requirements for social distancing whilst still honouring
all who have served both fallen and alive.
The AM and CW on ANZAC Day event will again take to the air for the
9th year to honour those modes used by service personnel in earlier
wars.
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March 28-29 the CQ World Wide WPX Contest for amateurs world-wide to
contact as many amateurs and prefixes as possible during the contest
using SSB.
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Harry Angel Sprint Saturday May 2nd 2020. 10:00 - 11:46 UTC.
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May 30-31 the CQ World Wide WPX Contest for amateurs worldwide to
contact as many amateurs and prefixes as possible during the contest
using CW.
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The VK SHIRES the June long weekend, which is the weekend prior to the
second Monday of June each year.. making it June 6 - 7 in 2020
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IARU HF World Championship July 13-14
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TRANS TASMAN LOWBAND CONTEST
Next contest - 17 JUL 2020 - and has the aim of encouraging
Low Band activity between VK and ZL on 160 80 and 40M using
SSB, CW and RTTY OR PSK
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RD or Remembrance Day Contest will be August 15 - 16
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OCEANA CONTEST
VOICE from 0800 UTC Saturday October 3 to 0800 UTC Sunday October 4
CW from 0800 UTC Saturday October 10 to 0800 UTC Sunday October 11
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CQ WW DX SSB OCTOBER 24-25
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CQ WW DX CW NOVEMBER 28-29
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December 6 - 8 160 Meter WW
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DECEMBER 14 - 15 10 Mtr World Wide
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TED POWELL MEMORIAL DX CHALLENGE
4 award periods, each of 3 months starting in January of each
calendar year and 2 categories in the contest,
MOST WANTED and TOP 5.
Top 5 you try and work the 5 most wanted DXCC entity's
Most Wanted you work the most wanted DXCC entity.
The dx entity's in play are those most wanted DURING those
3 month windows.
Complete details can be found at contest.fgarc.org.au/
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All major AUSTRALIAN contests, rules and results, are on the
Contest Section of the WIA website.
wia.org.au/members/contests/about
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THROUGH THE DX WINDOW and due to the COVID-19 situation, please
check these expeditions with a quick 'google' for up-to-date
status information.
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Mike VE7ACN from Easter Island till 30th March.
He will use mainly CW on 80 " 10m and the callsign will be
CE 0 Y / VE 7 ACN.
QSL via Club Log OQRS.
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VU 4 R on Neil Island in the Andaman Islands until 31st March.
They plan to be active on all bands 160 " 10m using CW, SSB, RTTY
and FT8. QSL manager is M 0 OXO.
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AK 4 JK has been reported as active from Somalia using the callsign
6 O 0 /AK 4 JK on 40 and 20m CW around 1700z. QSL to the home call.
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YI / IU 5 HWS Iraq from 20th March for four months.
He is with the Italian army and will not be able to QSL
until he when he returns home.
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G3TXF is in Mauritius until the 27th of March using callsign 3 B 8 XF.
concentrating on 80 and 160m. QSLs go via Club Log OQRS and
logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World.
JUST REPEATING
For those with an interest in the VHF and UHF beacons - please note
that the 23 cm VK2RSY at Dural - normally on 1296.420 MHz is off air
pending a relocation to a new mounting - , as yet to be determined.
Some of the VK2WI News HF frequencies have also been off air while
their antennas were relocated. All this has been brought about when
the former repeater tower was demolished.
The VK2RWI - 6 - 2 and 70 - repeaters now operate from the new
mono-pole. The 23 cm repeater will follow after some antenna
mounting adjustments. .
( ARNSW by Tim VK2ZTM )
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WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org
A CUBESAT WITH DREAMS OF MEMES
It's still a work-in-progress but there's a first for everything,
even in the now-familiar realm of CubeSats.
Meet MEMESAT-one, designed to be the world's first CubeSat to
transmit memes. That's right - no scientific data, no Morse Code
message - but memes, those addictively appealing, infinitely
shareable bits of content that young people typically enjoy most
especially on social media.
MEMESat-one, however, plans to do it from space, something its
developers at the non-profit letsgo2space.com have said could
probably happen next year.
The MEME-Sat will transmit the images stored in flash memory via the
70cm band for those waiting on earth below.
We hams, by the way, are also part of this scenario: The CubeSat will
also be available for traditional amateur radio use with an
FM repeater on UHF and VHF.
(ARNewsLine)
IARU R2 Emergency Communication and Satellite Workshops to be online
With the travel restrictions and self-isolation requirements of many
countries due to COVID-19, the May 30 and 31 workshops will be
online and the format will be 3 hours for each workshop to be held
on the same dates starting at 1400 local time AST/ET, 1800 UT.
Access will be via Zoom, an easy to use online conference tool
available on a number of platforms.
Attendees will get an agenda for each workshop and information
on how to participate in mid-May.
Please continue to sign up at
iaru-r2.org/workshop-2020
(SouthGate)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- MILITARY
WWII VETS HONORED DURING FLORIDA SPECIAL EVENT
The nearly 48,000 World War II veterans who got their training at
the Buckingham Army Airfield in Florida are being honoured by hams
operating a special event station from March 24 through March 26.
The Fort Myers Amateur Radio Club will be on the air from the former
airfield from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those three days, marking the
site's importance. Today it is privately owned and is known as
Buckingham Field.
It has a proud history as a flexible gunnery training base for
United States soldiers who defended against bombers during the
Second World War.
QSL cards and a commemorative certificate will be available for
successful contacts.
(ARNewsLine)
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This is Peter VK8ZZ, the secretary of the WIA.
As advised elsewhere in this broadcast by vice president Aiden
VK4APM, the 2020 AGM has been cancelled. This is because of the
issue with CoVID-19.
The Board has also decided to postpone the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to
a date to be determined later this year
I will advise more details in the next few weeks
This has been Peter VK8ZZ
2020 Social Scene
Due to the COVID-19 situation, please check these events'
direct for up-to-date status information.
Outdoor events of LESS than 500 attendees can proceed if these
proceedures are followed.
Consider the size of the space, the number of people in it, and how
much room people have to move around safely " as a general rule,
people should be able to keep 1.5 metres apart
Make hand hygiene products and suitable rubbish bins readily available.
Conduct frequent cleaning and waste disposal
AND we would ask all clubs who have posted details of their
events on the wia calendar to make any alterations NOW
EVENTS NOT NOTIFYING NATIONAL NEWS THEY ARE CANCELLED:-
VK6 - HARGFest Sunday the 19th of April at Lesmurdie (wia)
VK3 - Moorabbin & District Radio Club HamFest (vk3gl)
VK4 - CHARC Theresa Creek Campout Friday 29 til Sunday 31 May (wia)
VK5 - South East Radio Group Annual Convention and
Australian Fox Hunting Championships. June 6-7 (vk5hcf)
VK3 - Gippsland Gate Radio and Electronics Club HamFest Sat July 11
Cranbourne Public Hall (vk3qx)
VK4 - Caboolture Radio Club HamFest July 11 (vk7jea)
VK6 - NCRG HamFest Sunday 30th August (vk6ya)
VK4 - CHARC Inc. AGM Weekend Sept 25-27 at Fairbairn Dam (wia events)
VK - ALARAMEET 2020 Bendigo October 2 - 5 (vk5yl)
VK7 - VK7 biennial HamFest November (vk7tw)
SO Due to the COVID-19 situation, please check these events'
direct for up-to-date status information.
Submitting news items
If you would like to submit news items for possible inclusion in the
VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to
nationalnews@wia.org.au and don't JUST send url's links or posters,
but take the time to pen YOUR contribution.
To submit audio email nationalnews@wia.org.au and ask for the current
password then read "how to submit items" in the weekly news page on
wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/
We would appreciate items certainly no longer than 1.5 minutes in
length as we only have a half hour.
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 it in the 3rd person. (First if YOU are reading your own item)
A reminder when supplying HamFest info we obviously can't plug
DEALS from commercial traders "on air", but we at the WIA will put
your supporters 'goods' in this text edition "no worries."
We cannot give blatant 'plugs' to raffles.
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WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide.
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Thanks to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize
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Who and where are they?
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
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Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who submit
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