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2024 NOVMBE 03 VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN
tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING NOVEMBE 3 2024
IN OUR 29th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
THIS WEEK:-
WIA President, Scott Williams VK3KJ. -
WIA Returning Officer, Pete Cherry VK2LP. -
WIA YOTA Committee Chairman, Steve VK6SJ.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA.
I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB
WIA
JOIN THE WIA
tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y
This is WIA President, Scott Williams (VK3KJ) and welcome to all listeners to the National News Broadcast this week.
Last week both Peter Clee and myself had the pleasure in attending RadComms in Melbourne. RadComms is the ACMAs Spectrum management conference that brings together government, industry, researchers and those people that are interested in spectrum reform and innovation.
The conference was held over two days, and I was able to attend the Thursday sessions and Peter Clee the Friday sessions.
It was wonderful to hear from the Minister of Communications (The Honourable Michelle Rowland MP), who opened the conference and gave a keynote address.
It was an informative couple of days and there was considerable discussion around the future of satellite direct -to-mobile communications and the future of the 6G network.
There was also a great presentations on the future delivery of TV, interference, AI connected networks, wide area consumer networks and a great discussion on what international regulatory developments mean for us.
It was also wonderful to catch up and network with so many different ACMA staff and great to see Peter Young VK3MV and Brian Miller VK3MI in attendance.
This is the second time I have attended the event representing the WIA and it was the first time Peter Clee had attended. We both enjoyed the event and the key take away for us both is that the Spectrum is a hot and valuable commodity and as amateurs we will need to continue to fight to persevere what we have.
Also this week, the ACMA published the Application Process of Amateur Beacons and Repeaters. Frequency Assignment Practices or FAPs as they are known provide guidance on specific issues for frequency assignments. Under Guideline 10, the new Application process has been published on the ACMA website.
This now brings to a close several years of work by the WIA to document the entire process for Beacons and Repeater frequency assignment.
I would like to especially thank Grant Willis VK5GR who has worked tirelessly to document this process. It was a huge undertaking and like everything that Grant does, it was done professionally and with open consultation.thank you Grantand good luck Grant in your travels to Cocos Keeling Islands this week to be active as VK9CV.look out for Grant and the Team who should be on the bands as this broadcast goes to air.
The WIA will also publish the Application Process of Amateur Beacons and Repeaters on our website. We have just set up a landing page and will populate the necessary documents shortly. Keep an eye out on our news items and social media, which will announce its release.
Finally, we wish Peter Young VK3MV safe travels to Thailand this week to represent the WIA for Region 3 at the IARU conference in Thailand.
The WIA Board met with Peter Young this week to discuss our position on several matters and Peter will advocate and represent the interests of the WIA as a participating member society of the International Amateur Radio Union.
The 40 m Band Plan Harmonisation will be one of the topics on the agenda which will I am sure there will be robust discussion.
Finally, I want to wish WIA Director Steven Green VK2TSG all the very best and for a fast recovery. Steven has been unwell for several months which has seen him spend considerable time in Hospital. Get well Steven and hopefully we will see you back on board soon.
Thats it for me this week and this has been Scott Williams, WIA President on behalf of the WIA Board
Best Wishes to you all.
Call for Nominations as a Director of the WIA
Pursuant to the Constitution of the Wireless Institute of Australia,
The Board has determined that the election of directors shall be
conducted by ballot. Nominations opened on 1st November 2024.
Four directors retire at the conclusion of the next Annual General
Meeting which will be held in May 2025, namely Scott Williams VK3KJ,
Peter Clee VK8ZZ, Giles Kirby VK5GK and Peter Schrader VK4EA.
Each retiring director is eligible for re-election.
Nominations are called for from persons seeking election as a director
of the WIA.
A director must be a voting member of the WIA, must hold an Australian
amateur radio license and a Company Director Identification Number.
Any person wishing to nominate as a candidate for election as director
of the WIA must deliver or cause to be delivered to the Returning
Officer a WIA nomination form by not later than 2.30pm on 16th
December 2024. The forms are available on the WIA web site or you may
telephone the national office to receive a nomination form.
tinyurl.com/mr4cabfv
Candidate information will be posted online and emailed to members.
Members are requested to ensure that their email address is correctly
recorded on the WIA membership register.
Nominations received by facsimile or by electronic means cannot be
accepted.
This has been Pete Cherry VK2LP
WIA Returning Officer
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to ARRL, DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday,
IARU, ICQPodcast, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC, Radioworld.com, RSGB,
SARL and the World Wide sources of the WIA.
3 STRIKES AND THEY'RE DOWN.
A tower broadcasting a Missouri AM station is the third to be
destroyed in October, after the 75-year-old structure collapsed
on October 24. A snapped guy wire caused the tower for Joplins
KRMO-AM 990 to fall to the northwest, narrowly missing the
transmitter hut.
According to the Lawrence County Record, Eagle Broadcasting co-owner
Dewayne Gandy was mowing near the site when he witnessed the towers
sudden fall. The structure, built in 1949, had recently undergone
maintenance.
The Gandys say they will rebuild the tower on the same site.
The collapse is the latest in a string of incidents leading to the
destruction of broadcast towers in the USA.
A helicopter crash near downtown Houston on October 20 resulted in
four fatalities and caused the collapse of a tower broadcasting two
TelevisaUnivision stations. They were struck off air when the private
touring helicopter made contact with the structure.
A hot-air balloon participating in the Albuquerque International
Balloon Fiesta collided with and destroyed a 650-foot AM radio tower
October 11. The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office reported that the
balloon, carrying three passengers, landed safely in a nearby field.
FELIX VK4FUQ told you about it, and that special event DX has now come
and gone.
October 18 the RSGB, Mill Hill School and a team of radio amateurs in
New Zealand marked the centenary of the first successful two-way
trans-global communication between radio amateurs in the UK and
New Zealand.
The original contact between Frank Bell, 4AA in New Zealand and
Cecil Goyder, 2SZ in Mill Hill School in North London was re-enacted
at the school on a wavelength as close as possible to the original.
Members of 2SZ's family watched the re-enactment and chatted to
pupils. As part of wider celebrations for the day, the school put on
activities including a build-a-radio workshop.
RSGB Life Vice-President Don Beattie, G3BJ said that he was delighted
by the success of the event and that it had given pupils the
opportunity to learn how ground-breaking that first radio contact was
with New Zealand.
Call sign G2SZ was operational for four days surrounding the
centenary, during which operators achieved approximately 1,250
contacts.
A CONTEST A LIL DIFFERENT
SWL Contest 2025
For SWLs interested in medium and shortwave broadcast DX, you may be
interested to learn about a dedicated SWL contest taking place next
year. The contest will start on the 1st of January 2025 and finish on
the 28th of February 2025.
The categories include the 522 to 1710 kHz medium wave band only,
the 2.300 MHz to 26.100 MHz shortwave bands, or a combined
medium and shortwave band category.
You can use a real radio or a web-based software-defined receiver.
Further information may be found via a web search for
"SWL Contest 2025".
swling.com/blog/2024/10/frank-provides-swl-contest-2025-updated-rules/
Administration Eases Restrictions On Space-Related Exports
The Biden administration has eased export restrictions on U.S.
commercial space companies to ship certain satellite and
spacecraft-related items to allies and partners.
The changes are intended to make it easier for the growing U.S.
commercial space industry to expand sales while also protecting
national security and foreign policy interests.
Certain items involving remote sensing spacecraft or space-based
logistics assembly, and servicing spacecraft will no longer need
licenses for shipment to Australia, as an example, the Commerce
Department said.
Some less sensitive satellite and spacecraft parts and components will
no longer require licenses for shipment to over 40 countries. The
countries include Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and most of
the European Union.
Singapores 4300 km Undersea Transmission Line With Australia
Clears Regulatory Hurdle.
Recently Singapores Energy Market Authority (EMA) granted Sun Cable
conditional approval for its transmission line with Australia.
Singapore has been faced for years now with the dilemma that its
populations energy needs keep increasing year-over-year, while it has
very little space to build out its energy-producing infrastructure,
least of all renewables with their massive footprints. This has left
Singapore virtually completely dependent on natural gas-burning
thermal plants.
With no nearby countries to obtain excess power from as is common in
e.g. the EUs integrated energy market, an idea was floated in 2020
by Australian company Sun Cable for the project, called the
Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPL). This would entail two transmission
lines:
The 800 km long DarwinLink to a yet-to-be-built multi-GW, 12,400
hectares solar farm in the Barkly Region of the Northern Territory.
This link would be rated for 4 GW of transmission capacity.
The 4300 km long SingaporeLink HVDC line from Darwin to Singapore,
rated for 2 GW (1.75 GW after losses).
The current planning for the whole Sun Cable project is set for
completion by 2035, with construction yet to begin on all components.
There are still many uncertainties to be resolved, as the 1.75 GW that
would be provided 24/7 to Singapore would have to be backed up by
significant grid-level storage on both sides, which is not an easy
problem to solve.
If completed, it would be the worlds longest electricity transmission
line.
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OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION
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NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2024
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THIS WEEKEND NOVEMBER 2-3
The International Police Association Radio Club has invited all radio
amateurs around the world to take part in its contest which takes
place every year on the first complete weekend in November.
This year, the CW section Saturday 2 November from 0600 to 1800UTC.
The SSB section Sunday 3 November from 0600 to 1800UTC.
More information about the contest and the award programme are
available at iparc.de
(rsgb)
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INTERNATIONAL EARTH - MOON - EARTH CONTESTS
0000 UTC on Saturday through 2359 UTC Sunday.
50 to 1296 MHz November 16-17.
Work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth
path on any authorized amateur frequency in the bands for the specific
weekends.
EME Logs due back to the ARRL December 17.
(arrl)
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VHF UHF Field Day
Spring 2024 - 0100 UTC Saturday 23 November through 0059 UTC Sunday
24 November (0400 / 0359 in VK6).
wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/
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ARRL 160 METER CW
December 6-8 is the date this year but it is ALWAYS the first full
weekend of December.
Begins 2200 UTC Friday, ending 1559 UTC Sunday.
This is a forty-two hour period with no time limitation.
Logs MUST be returned within seven days
(arrl)
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10 METER ARRL CONTEST
For Amateurs worldwide to exchange QSO information with as many
stations as possible on the 10 meter band.
Second full weekend of December. Starts 0000 UTC Saturday; runs
through 2359 UTC Sunday (December 14-15)
Again as in most ARRL Tests logs are to be completed and returned
within 7 days.
(arrl)
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YOTA CONTEST
Youth on the air test 3 of 3 will be from 10:00 to 21:59 UTC on
29 December on the five classic bands CW and SSB.
(yota)
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DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD.
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Special callsign PH 80 LIB will be in use from various locations
until the 10th of November to commemorate the 80th anniversary
of the liberation of southern Netherlands in the autumn of 1944.
PH80LIB will be on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB, CW and digital
modes. QSL special station PH80LIB via the Bureau.
(rsgb)
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Maurizio, IK2GZU is active as 5H3MB from Tanzania until 11 November
while doing volunteer work at a local school.
In his spare time, he is operating SSB, CW and digital modes on the
80 to 10m bands. QSL via Club Logs OQRS, Logbook of the World, eQSL,
or direct via IK2GZU.
(rsgb)
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OL 80 C.A.R.B.O.N. is active until the 30th of November to mark the
80th anniversary of Operation Carbon during World War Two. This
operation involved the dropping of paratroopers in the Protectorate of
Bohemia and Moravia.
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexed
territory of Nazi Germany that was established in 1939 after the
German occupation of the Czech lands
A team of operators is active using call OL 80 CARBON on CW, SSB and
digital modes on the HF bands.
More information is available on QRZ.com
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Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Radio Belgrade, the Belgrade
Amateur Radio Club is active as YT 100 RB and YU 1924 RB until
November 30. For details of a certificate that is available, see
yu1ano.org
(rsgb)
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WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM
2024 VKFF National Get Together in Bendigo in central Victoria.
Over fifty enthusiastic VKFF Parks activators and hunters converged on
Bendigo over the weekend of October 25th to 27th, for the VKFF
National Get Together.
One of the participants was Graeme, VK3GRK who writes
The weekend started off with a well attended dinner at the historic
Shamrock Hotel, where participants were given their VKFF 'showbag' and
pre-ordered merchandise.
Saturday presentations at the Quality Hotel Lakeside included tips for
Activators and Hunters, mapping, satellites, software and websites, CW
and digital modes, antennas and power supplies, and a very interesting
presentation about snake awareness and safety by Tameeka from Greater
Bendigo Snake Control. There was a selection of excellent raffle
prizes, with the proceeds donated to Trees for Life. The Saturday
evening dinner featured guest speaker Jordan Crook, Parks and Nature
Campaigner from the Victorian National Parks Association. Jordan gave
an overview of the VNPA, and their efforts to encourage more funding
for programs and organisations that look after our parks.
Sunday breakfast was hosted by the Bendigo Amateur Radio and
Electronics Club at their club rooms. This was followed by a number
of activators heading out to various parks in the area. As a result,
the bands were very busy, and some took the opportunity to activate
new parks that have recently been added to VKFF. The weekend also
provided an opportunity to catch up with Amateur Radio friends, and to
'put a face to a voice and callsign'.
Congratulations should go to the VKFF organising team, for a well
organised weekend, and no doubt they look forward to seeing you all
at the VKFF National Get Together next year - in Canberra.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org
Intelsat Satellite Explodes In Orbit
An Intelsat communication satellite built by Boeing has exploded and
broken up in geostationary orbit.
Intelsat confirmed the news, declaring the satellite a total loss.
The U.S. Space Force said it is tracking around 20 associated pieces
but has observed no immediate threats to other satellites so far
(Roscosmos said it was tracking 80 fragments). The cause of the
explosion is not yet known, but the news is another blow for Boeing
following Starliners failed crew test flight, problems with the
737 Max and delays to the 777x.
Intelsat said its working to move customers to its other satellites
or third party spacecraft. A Failure Review Board has convened to
complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause, the company wrote.
The satellite was uninsured, a spokesperson told SpaceNews.
(ans)
FUNcube (AO-73) is now in Autonomous mode, meaning high power
telemetry when in daylight, and transponder in when the satellite
is in eclipse.
Controllers are watching the effect on its 11 year old batteries.
If the batteries suffer badly they will revert to Eclipse mode.
All telemetry will be gratefully received
see data.amsat-uk.org/ui/fc1-fm for details.
(ANS)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - MILITARY
Recordings of military transmissions can be found on the
Signal Identification Guide Wiki at
sigidwiki.com/wiki/Category:Military
George, MM0JNL is active as GB0GTS until the 18 November to raise
awareness of homeless military veterans in association with
The Great Tommy Sleep out organised by The Royal British Legion
Industries.
The station operates on the 80 to 10m bands using SSB.
GB0GTS will operate at least one full night roughing it outside
as part of the Great Tommy Sleep out.
(RSGB)
Could Satellite Signals Un-Stealth Stealth Aircraft?
A recent Chinese study shows that Starlink satellites could provide
a means for detecting stealth aircraft. Stealth technology is devoted
to developing aircraft shapes and surfaces that reduce the radar
signature and deflect radar beams. But Chinese researchers have found
that aircraft including stealth aircraft cause interference in regular
satellite signals that can be analysed to detect their presence, even
when they are invisible to radar.
This technology would have the added advantage over radar of not
requiring easily detectable radar emissions. And as more Starlink
satellites are placed in orbit, more opportunity exists for
piggybacking on their transmissions for this purpose.
Though they noted that their research is still in the experimental
stage, the Chinese scientists are already considering using other
similar satellite constellations, including those from the Chinese
Thousand Sails program.
avweb.com/aviation-news/analyzing-interference-in-satellite-beams-could-detect-stealth-military-aircraft/
(VK7WI NEWS)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR OLD-TIMERS
qcwa.org
raotc.org.au
Lots of focus on the recruitment of new radio amateurs these days
seems to focus on the youth. So good to see an initiative which could
easily be adopted here in VK in this era of "over 50's villages"..
OK OK I am aware of some with antenna restrictions BUT
In the US Homestead Village Amateur Radio Club was invited to set up
a display for the county-wide open house for retirement communities
and with that the hope to attract some new members for our club.
The Homestead Village Amateur Radio Club (HVARC) has an established
station in the Homestead Barn, and operates public service events and
training for those interested in obtaining their Amateur Radio
License.
They are equipped to provide direct communications to the Lancaster
County Emergency Management Agency offices, as well as the County-Wide
Communications 911 centre.
The station operates in voice and digital modes and has had contacts
globally. Amateur radio has many facets, and the club invites anyone
who is interested to explore why they might enjoy it, too, including
making new friends not only in their respective villages and
retirement facilities but right around the world.
shorturl.at/WEB0H
(the villager)
Hallo everyone, this is Clive VK6CSW reminding you that tomorrow is
the first Monday of the month, time for the Radio Amateurs Old Timers
Club of Australia's November bulletin to go to air.
This month, instead of the usual broadcast, we offer an historical
broadcast from years past by Allan Doble, VK3AMD from August 2002.
The usual news and information will be broadcast next month.
Everyone, RAOTC members and non-Members alike, is most welcome to
listen to the program and join in the call backs afterwards. Full
details of all transmissions times and modes can be found on the
RAOTC website, raotc.org.au or just Google RAOTC broadcasts.
Please note that the 10 metre transmission will now start earlier,
at 00 hours UTC. If none of the transmission times suit you, you can
download the audio file at any time from today, Sunday, from the club
website.
Members and Friends of the RAOTC in Perth are reminded that the next
lunchtime meeting at the new venue, the Woodbridge Hotel, East
Guildford, is on Tuesday November 12th. All are welcome, full details
are published on the clubs website.
Once again, tune in tomorrow for the November RAOTC bulletin, enjoy
the program and please join in the call backs afterwards.
73 from Clive VK6CSW.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA
(Youngsters On The Air)
WIA committee:- Steve VK6SJ, Alec VK2MV and Pete VK2LP.
Hi, Im Steve VK6SJ from the YOTA Committee at the WIA.
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of going to PARGFest down in Mandurah, south of Perth. Big thanks to the Peel Amateur Radio Group for holding it. It was a great event with lots of vendors, clubs showing their wares, raffles and door prizes, great food etc.
It was great to see just about, if not all the clubs in the greater Perth area supporting the event as well.
Another thing that I thought was really interesting was the amount of young people attending the event, both licensed and not yet. Peel Amateur Radio Group are actively encouraging new young hams into the hobby and I saw a few others being taken under an experienced wing from other clubs also, and afterwards, in my capacity at Ham College, also received a few expressions of interest in our courses from the same kids.
I see quite a few new hams come into the hobby from Ham College, from all walks of life. I think our youngest Foundation License attendee was 8 years old (but I may be wrong could be a younger one still a few years back), and we have had quite a few attendees in their 70s come through the college successfully.
As the proud father of a couple of hams also, I see that what interested me both now and as a younger ham in the late 70s and early 80s is completely different to what interests our younger generation. And it is different, not better or worse. For us children of the 70s, without the internet, when the world was about the size of the city you lived in, and talk to your Grandma in the eastern states (where-ever that is) was something you did on Christmas Day and Birthdays, talking to someone on the other side of the world was just wonderous. Now, this is old hat, although I and plenty of others still get a real kick out of talking to someone in the EU with a piece of wire and 100W. To younger people, I could imagine this is less wonderous but talking to the Space Station, or bouncing a signal off the moon, or exploring a new digital radio technology is much more fun. Coupled with the fact that younger people tend to use text more than voice calls on a phone, so using a radio with low power and a simple antenna on FT8 is something they find very cool. Funnily enough, most of the younger hams I have met seem to have far more interest in the technical side of the hobby than I had at that age.
While I spent my career as a radio technician, on amateur radio, Ive always been more of a communicator, more interested in getting a card from Clipperton Island than about exploring a new modulation technique etc.
I think these differences are something to be celebrated. Instead of our hobby becoming less and less relevant to society, new people coming into the hobby are finding lots of ways to explore the technology and have fun. The sheer volume of different ways to enjoy our hobby compared to what we had in the 70s is just breath taking and part of why, I think, the amateur population in WA is actually growing (or not shrinking at least).
So how do we attract more people to the hobby? Lets face it, once we middle aged hams like myself are in our 70s, if we are still the youngsters in the hobby, who is going to help us put up a new yagi or tower? Better start recruiting some new slaves (sorry, I meant new members! :D ). Well, most of us have families, so there is a start. Maybe there is a neighbour who is curious about the funny looking antenna in your yard. Maybe clubs could start doing some work on their web sites to attract more local members from the general public? Most clubs have at least one or two web gurus. Maybe look at some Search Engine Optimisation to increase the audience of your web site. Is it a good advert for your club?
Scouts and Guides are another great source of new members. JOTA is the perfect time to show younger people the fun of the hobby and encourage them to think about getting a license. Most if not all clubs here have at least a few people who are registered examiners. Talk to your local scout groups about running a Foundation course. Great way to recruit new members.
Instead of dragging all your old radios to yet another ham fest, think about giving it to a newly licensed ham in your club.
There are lots of things we can do in our own worlds to increase interest in the hobby. I encourage you all to think about this and maybe even bring it up as a discussion point at your next club meeting.
Thanks for listening. This is Steve, VK6SJ.
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2024 IT'S A DATE
Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section
Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found
on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links.
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VK7 - Tasmanian Ham Conference November 2 and 3 Hobart is in full swing right now.
VK3 - SPARC Rosebud RadioFest November 17 at Eastbourne Primary
School, Allambi Ave. Rosebud Now NEXT week, the 10th we'll have
Andrew, VK3CAH, from the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club
with the Up To Date news for their 17th event.
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