2025 JANUARY 19 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 JANUARY 19 2025
IN OUR 29th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
THIS WEEK:-
WIA DIRECTORS CHRIS VK3FY AND PETER VK4EA. -
ALSO WIA AFFILIATED CLUBS COORDINTOR ANGELO VK2NWT . -
AND THE EXCITING NEWS OF THE WEEK - AUSTRALIA AND OUR 4TH SPACEMAN
SET FOR A MID MARCH LAUNCH.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA.
I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB
Reception Reports
WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a
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news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would
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callbacks@wia.org.au
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Oh... and to contact us with your news because
If It Matters To You It Matters To Us!
Click the links below to download the most recent edition of
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WIANEWS backup thanks to Brendan VK4BLP can be found on
wiaq.org.au
BACKUPS OF THE BACKUP!! thanks to Tony VK7AX
www.vk7ax.id.au/wianews/
wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/ (This is the link
to the original text version and original audio on wia site)
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The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of
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Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who
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WIA
JOIN THE WIA
tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y
WIA Director Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY:-
The Wireless Institute of Australia wish to advise members that the
2025 Annual General Meeting will be held on the Saturday 3rd May 2025
in Bendigo Victoria.
The AGM is to be held in conjunction with an Amateur Radio and Technology
Expo to be hosted by the Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club.
A program for amateurs, partners and the general public is currently being
developed by the Bendigo Club and announcements detailing the event and
the program will be advertised shortly.
Much work has recently gone into the membership system and issues with
renewal notices being misdirected into junk email folders seem to have
been resolved. Members who have not received a renewal notice should make
contact with the secretary of the WIA Peter Clee VK8ZZ as soon as
possible. Similarly, work on upgrading the WIA Web site has commenced and
is expected to be completed in time for the AGM in May.
This has been WIA Director Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY for
WIA National News.
Happy New Year to all listeners this is Peter VK4EA, WIA Vice-President.
It is pleasing to see Five Director nominations lodged before the due
date. Our returning officer has accepted the nominations and with more
than 4 nominations in play, there will be an election this year.
Notification of the nominees are due in the next AR Magazine along with
details of the new electronic voting system.
For the information of members the Common License for WIA News
Rebroadcasters is about to go into place to protect the WIA branding.
No huge change for anybody doing the good work of rebroadcasting.
Shout out for WIA Awards nominations, if you feel anybody deserves
recoginition here is your chance. We need those nominations before the
AGM to be held in Bendigo, Victoria early in May. Please go to the WIA
website for Award details.
wia.org.au
Cheers for now, this has been Peter, VK4EA, on behalf of the WIA Board of
Directors.
This is Angelo VK2NWT, WIA Affiliated Clubs Coordinator and today I want to talk to you about the WIA Club Events Calendar.
Now I'm sure most of you know that the WIA Webpage has a Club Events Calendar which is a simple yet very effective tool to advertise your club's activities. Disappointingly, however, very few clubs actually take advantage of this facility creating the impression that nothing happens at amateur radio clubs which we all know is far from the truth.
Just because its an activity at your individual club it doesnt mean that other clubs or anybody looking at the Events Calendar wouldnt be interested in what your club is up to. After all, we are all trying to increase interest in Amateur Radio aren't we, so I strongly urge you all to spruik your club events to the world via as many platforms as you can starting with the WIA Club Events Calendar and showcase what your club activities are and hopefully entice newcomers to Amateur Radio and your club.
So, if your club has a weekly or monthly activity, an upcoming Contest Field Day, a POTA expedition, a Balloon experiment day, a Club Field Day, technical presentations, a BBQ, or any other club event what the point in keeping it to yourselves? Tell the world!
Logging your club activity on the WIA Club Event Calendar is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you have monthly activities then why not enter them in for the coming months whilst you're there. Simply navigate to the News & Events section at the top of the WIA Home page, Select News & Events then select Submit a Calendar Event and fill in the details of your Club event. Ive included the direct link in the text version of this news segment to help you along:
wia.org.au/newsevents/events/submit/index.php
Club Event registrations lodged via the WIA website are automatically sent to the Calendar Manager and will usually be posted to the Club Events Calendar within 48 hours.
If you have any questions about the Club Events Calendar or anything to do with WIA Club Affiliation matters, please dont hesitate to contact me via email on vk2nwt@wia.org.au
This has been Angelo VK2NWT for VK1 WIA National News.
AUSTRALIANA
Earlier in 1977, Qantas flew the first commercial tourist overflight of
coastal Antarctica. Dick Smith VK2DIK conceived and initiated these
airline flights over Antarctica with his first flight made by a chartered
Qantas aircraft on 13 February 1977.
The coastal overflights have continued ever since...but on 27 November
2022, a Qantas 787 Dreamliner did the first overflight that ventured all
the way to the South Pole
NOW TAKING STEPS (GIANT LEAAP FOR MANKIND KIND) ...
Space Mission specialist Eric Philips OAM of Australia is set for an
Antarctic flyover on board something rather special .
Fram2
The Fram2 mission is set to become the first human space flight in polar
orbit flying over the BOTH North and South poles.
Named after the famous polar exploration ship Fram, which completed
voyages to both the Arctic and Antarctica, Fram2 want to showcase
pioneering spirit, wonder and technological innovation through the ages.
The Falcon 9 rocket will launch four astronauts from Europe and Australia
into orbit for 3-5 days, targeted launch is set for March 2025 (soon!).
On board the Dragon spacecraft are mission commander Chun Wang of Malta,
vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, pilot Rabea Rogge of
Germany and as I mentioned, mission specialist Eric Philips of Australia.
Eric is no stranger to these polar regions, back in 98-99, together with
Jon Muir and Peter Hillary, he skied from McMurdo Station in Antarctica
to the South Pole via the Ross Ice Shelf and Shackleton Glacier. This
84 day, 1425 km ski expedition utilised traction kites to harness the
wind.
During the Fram2 mission Rabea Rogge, LB9NJ and KD3AID Norwegian and
American callsigns will be operating the on-board amateur radio system
sending SSTV images during her mission.
Eric Philips OAM, will become only the fourth "Australian" in space.
Philip Chapman, Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas are the other 3 Aussies
but they became NASA astronauts as US citizens.
Read more about Fram2 and its crew here:
f2.com
And ABC News story here:-
tinyurl.com/2t78yjzp
nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7615
(ard/wikipedia)
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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.
Mobile phones have made communication easier for everyone, especially if
your friends and family are living in remote rural areas. But what if you
aren't able to reach your family living in these remote areas in times of
crisis like natural disasters?
That's when ham radio stations installed at the Government Residential
Schools and Colleges in Karnataka can come to your rescue.
As a part of this initiative, Dr S Satyapal, Director of the Indian
Institute of Hams, along with his team of ham operators, travelled across
the state to install Digital Mobile Radio stations at residential schools.
Dr Satypal says, "We have covered approximately 5,500 kilometres by
installing these DMR base stations at schools. The idea behind installing
these was to help children communicate with institutions, researchers and
scientists across the globe via ham. Most institutions and organisations
can be connected through ham radio."
IIH, the Indian Institute of Hams has promised free training to these
school students interested in writing the Ham exam, he added. The
institute also conducted exams for these teachers and students. Those who
were able to qualify for the exam were provided with an Amateur License
by the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing of the Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology.
A ham radio operator in Idaho USA must pay a record 34,000 US dollar
penalty for causing interference with communications during a fire
suppression effort.
That's the ruling from the Federal Communications Commission when they
issued its notice of liability 2-1/2 years ago.
Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote: "You can't interfere with public
safety communications. Full stop. So today we propose the largest fine of
its type for this interference ( on fire frequencies ed )that put fire
suppression and public safety itself at risk." The defendant acknowledged
that he operated on a frequency without authorization but argued that he
did not interfere with government communications and was trying to help.
He had asked for a cancellation or reduction but the commission has
rejected his appeal.
Hundreds of FM transmitters have been shut down by Switzerland's public
broadcaster, as radio programming there continues to move to different
modes of distribution.
FM radio broadcasting continued its vanishing act when in Switzerland
the 31st of December, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation shut off an
estimated 850 analogue FM transmitters, leaving listeners the options of
either Internet radio or DAB+ for stations SRF1, SRF2 Kultur and SRF3.
The changeover by the nation's public broadcaster does leave about 24
private stations still transmitting their programmes over broadcast FM
however, they are expected to follow the SBC's move, completing the
transition no later than the end of 2026.
The Swiss Federal Office of Communications reports that the popularity of
DAB+ and Internet radio has been growing consistently since 2015 while
only 10 percent of the nation's radio listeners still tune in to broadcast
FM - most whilst driving in their vehicles.
The German regulatory office for telecommunications has granted temporary
access for 6 metres for Class E licence holders at 100 watts between
50 and 50.4 MHz and using reduced power of 25 watts between 50.4 and
52 MHz on a non-interference basis.
The trial period lasts until December of 2025 for Class E amateurs.
According to the regulator's announcement, full licence holders are
receiving extended access to 6 metres at the same power levels and
70.150-70.210 MHz in the 4-Metre band at 25 watts of power on a trial
basis until December 2026.
Modern remote control radios are capable of incredible range, but theyre still only made for line-of-sight use. What if you want to control a vehicle thats 100s of kilometres away, or even on the other side of the planet? Mobile phone is an option, but is obviously limited by available infrastructure good luck getting a signal in the middle of the ocean.
But what if you could beam your commands down from space?
Thats what Aussie YouTuber "Thingify" was looking to test when he put together an experimental RC boat using a Starlink Mini for communications. Physically, there was no question it would work on the boat. After all, it was small, light, and power-efficient enough. But would the network connection be up to the task of controlling the vehicle in real-time?
During early ground testing, the Mini version of the Starlink receiver worked very well. Minis power consumption peaked at around 33 watts, compared to the monstrous 180 W for the larger receiver.
On the water, there was even more good news. The bandwidth was more than enough to run a high-resolution video feedback to the command centre. At the same time, the boat moved autonomously between waypoints, and when "Thingify" switched over to manual control, the latency was low enough not to be a problem. We wouldnt recommend manually piloting a high-speed aircraft over Starlink, but for a boat thats cruising along at 4 km/h, the lag didnt even come into play.
youtube.com/watch?v=Fjy1hcLf2_M
twiar.net/?p=27218
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OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION
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NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2025
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VHF UHF Field Day ON NOW
Upcoming Contest Date & Time
Summer 2025 - 0100 UTC Saturday 18 January through 0059 UTC Sunday 19
January (0400 / 0359 in VK6).
wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/
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CQ 160 METER CONTEST
CW January 24 - 2200Z January 26.
SSB February 21 - 2200Z February 23.
(cq)
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AUSTRALIA DAY CONTEST JANUARY 26.
The Australia Day contest is on again in a couple of weeks.
Start time is 22 hundred UTC 25th January to 10 hundred UTC 26th January.
Amateurs here in VK will endeavour to contact other amateurs around the
world and some VK operators will be using the AX prefix to celebrate
Australia day, as AX is wanted by many amateurs around the world.
Scoring is distance based and calculated using 4-character grid squares.
Bands to be used are 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands only.
Please note VKCL is not suitable for logging this contest, N1MM is able to
be used with the files & instructions on VK4SN.com
Single & Multi Op stations are allowed
Modes are SSB, CW FT8 & FT4
The Complete Rules are on the WIA.org.au website
wia.org.au/members/contests/australiaday/
Completed logs can be uploaded to the VKLogchecker.com website or you can
email the adi file to axlogs@wia.org.au
(Diane Main VK4DI Australia Day Contest Manager 2025)
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CQ 160 METER CONTEST
SSB February 21 - 2200Z February 23.
(cq)
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The IARU CQP will be held for nine days, beginning Saturday 12 April and
ending Sunday 20 April. This event will celebrate 100 years of the IARU
(sarl)
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HARRY ANGEL MEMORIAL 80 Meter Sprint, Saturday May 3. (vk4uh)
wia.org.au/members/contests/harryangel/
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VK Shires Contest 7th - 8th June 2025
wia.org.au/members/contests/wavks/
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NZ Straight Key Night
Next New Zealand Straight Key Night will be held Sunday 8 June
from 9pm to 10pm NZDT (0800 to 0900 UTC) on 80 metres.
(Neil ZL1NZ, SKN Manager)
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DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD.
-------------------
Thierry, TK1CX is active in Cameroon until February.
In his spare time, he is QRV as TJ/TK1CX on the 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m
bands mainly using FT8 with a solar power supply.
QSL via Logbook of the World, eQSL or via EA5ZD.
(rsgb)
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Kenya:-
Scott, WA 5 A, is currently on the air as 5Z4/WA5A from Ruaka on 40 - 10
meters mostly on SSB.
The duration of his stay is not known at present.
QSL via home call which again is WA5A
(SARL)
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Don, KW7R is active as V73KW from the Marshall Islands in the northwestern
Pacific Ocean. He is there on a work assignment until September and in his
spare time, he operates CW and FT8 on various bands.
QSL V73KW via Logbook of the World.
(RSGB)
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Y
The Czech DXpedition Group will be using the callsign C 8 K from
Mozambique the 17th of January through to the 2nd of February. Find them
on 160 through 6 metres and via the QO-100 satellite for our overseas
viewers. C8K will be using CW, SSB, FT8 and RTTY.
(newsline 2462)
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Y
Rwanda 9 X 2 AW and be on the air from the 27th of January through to the
15th of February, holiday style on 10 through 160 metres.
(newsline 2462)
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Y
PC 80 TT is the special callsign for members of VERON Leiden to celebrate
the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during
World War II (5 May 1945).
Look for activity now until June One
QSL PC80TT via the bureau to PI4LDN.
The special call sign honours the memory of Rudolf Tappenbeck (PCTT),
a pioneer of Dutch amateur radio who died in Neuengamme concentration
camp 1944.
(425dxn)
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y
Our I.A.R.U. celebrates its centenary this year (2025).
Since its founding in Paris, France, IARU has worked tirelessly to
promote innovation in amateur radio and to encourage the growth of
the service in communities throughout the world.
VI 100 IARU is a special event callsign transmitting from VK3 to help
celebrate the IARU Centennial.
qsl via MO 0 OXO
(qrz.com)
----------
y
During 2025 the SARL will be on the air with special event callsign
ZS 100 SARL, as well as the permanent callsigns ZS6SRL and ZS9HQ and
possibly other special event callsigns.
(sarl)
----------
y
8 R 1 TM from Georgetown, Guyana, now until the 8th of February.
CW, SSB and digital modes on all bands.
(newsline 2461)
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WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
SUMMITS ON THE AIR, WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM,
PARKS ON THE AIR and other ADVENTURE GROUPS.
hema.org.uk/index.jsp
minesontheair.com/about-mota
parksontheair.com/
sota.org.uk
sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/
facebook.com/SotaAustralia/
wwffaustralia.com/
HB20SOTA is the special callsign for the Swiss SOTA Group (HB9SOTA)
to celebrate its 20th anniversary throughout 2025.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org
Launch of NASAs Blue Ghost Mission 1
Firefly Aerospaces Blue Ghost Mission 1, part of NASAs Artemis program
and Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, was scheduled to
launch last Wednesday, January 15, carrying cutting-edge science and
technology to the Moon.
After the launch, Fireflys Blue Ghost lander will spend approximately
45 days in transit to the Moon before landing on the lunar surface in
early March. The lander will carry 10 NASA science investigations to
further our understanding of the Moons environment and help prepare for
future human missions to the lunar surface, as part of the agencys
Moon to Mars exploration approach.
Science investigations on this flight aim to test and demonstrate lunar
subsurface drilling technology, regolith sample collection capabilities,
global navigation satellite system abilities, radiation tolerant
computing, and lunar dust mitigation methods. The data captured could
benefit humans on Earth by providing insights into how space weather and
other cosmic forces impact Earth.
(SciTechDaily)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - IOTA
iota-world.org/
SAGAR - AS-153.
A Team of West Bengal Radio Club members are active from Sagar Island,
West Bengal now until the 20th of January.
Special Event Callsign is AU 2 WBRC
The adventure schemes being participated in are:-
Islands On the Air AS-153;
All contacts will be verified through QRZ.com only
(ard)
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IOTA Number AS-161 SACRIFICE ROCK
Writing in the December 2002 issue of the old 73 Magazine, Sri, VU2SBJ,
called Sacrifice Rock - a harsh, unwelcoming island off the coast of
Kerala [KEH-ruh-luh] in southern India - "a plain solid rock in the middle
of nowhere."
Eleven months earlier, this treacherous bit of terrain was activated for
the first time by Sri and his DXpedition team, who were challenged by its
difficult access and changeable weather. No hams have been there since.
That is, until now:
IOTA Number AS-161, Sacrifice Island is about to become base camp for
Team AU 2 V, six amateurs who are among many to consider it a holy grail.
DXpedition website calls it "a dream come true for chasers."
Sara, VU2RS, says planning and preparation have been intense in advance
of the hoped-for visit in the second week of February, when the three
month seasonal window for access closes. The team will have two CW
operators and four using SSB and digital modes and is still working out
logistics for its hours of operation.
If it is not possible to arrive safely by boat, the team will need the use
an airplane.
(newsline)
---------------
Neumayer [NOY MY URR] III, Antarctica, IOTA number AN-016
On air until the 25th of February mainly CW on the HF bands but will use
some SSB and digital modes is DP 1 POL.
QSL station DP1POL via DL 1 ZBO.
(newsline 2463)
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IOTA Honour Roll & Annual Listings
It would appear many may mis-out by "forgetting" to submit applications
for the 2024 awards, SO, LISTEN UP.
The last date for submitting applications or score updates to checkpoints
for inclusion in the Honour Roll and Annual Listings is 31 January 2025.
If submitted after that date, they will be processed in the normal way,
but the scores will be held over to the following year's listing.
Where packages with cards are involved, these need to be posted/dated
before 31 January.
Those who have not logged into their record for more than two years, will
need to revalidate their registration through info@iota-world.org
Do not leave it to the last moment as you may run out of time.
[SARL]
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - MILITARY
Recordings of military transmissions can be found on the
Signal Identification Guide Wiki at
sigidwiki.com/wiki/Category:Military
Special event station PA 25 MC will be on the air January 23rd to
introduce members of the Royal Army to amateur radio it's sponsored by the
Royal Netherlands Army Signal Regiment, and the event will utilize
military equipment using as many bands as possible on SSB.
You will recall last year we mentioned the ham activity of this regiment
as they were on jungle manoeuvres in Suriname, well that netted some 4,000
QSO's.
This event, PA25MC, is an HF activity on January 23 for just one day
to introduce Marines to the world of ham radio. They will try to use as
many HF-bands as possible on SSB. They remind you to please remember that
Amateur procedures are new to them, but will do everything to get up to
speed quickly. Marines are used to speaking English but naturally keep
their communications short. The organizers would really appreciate it if
you contribute to a successful event by connecting with them!
PA25MC is organized and supported by PI 4 VBD, the club station of the
Royal Army. Their station will always comply with the user regulations
and regulations for radio amateurs and has no military function.
PI4VBD Royal Netherlands Army Signal Regiment on air
verbindingsdienst.nl/
instagram.com/signalregiment_pi4vbd/
QSL info for PZ5JT
Read carefully - send your card with return address, and without anything
extra direct to:
PI4VBD / Verbindingsdienst,
Barchman Wuytierslaan 198,
3818 LN Amersfoort,
The Netherlands
(ard)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA
(Youngsters On The Air)
WIA committee:- Steve VK6SJ, Alec VK2MV and Pete VK2LP.
ham-yota.com/category/yota-region-3/
facebook.com/groups/YOTAOC/
youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA
NEW YORK STATE
The Binghamton Amateur Radio Association hosted an amateur radio Kids Day
at Vestal Fire Department Station #2 on January 6.
Kids had the chance to use radio stations set up at the event to make
calls to amateur radio operators across the world and organizers said the
event was a big success, with about forty people in attendance.
Twice a year, ARRL offers an event designed to promote amateur radio to
youth. On ARRL Kids Day, which the next will be Saturday June 21 is where
Hams can share the excitement with your own kids, grandkids, a Scout
troop, a church, or the general public! ARRL Kids Day is designed to give
on-the-air experience to we young people and to foster interest in getting
a license of their own.
It is also intended to give older hams a chance to share their station and
love for amateur radio with their children.
ARRL Kids Day always runs from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC.
JUNE 21 IS NEXT
(FOX40 / ARRL)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING
On 15 February 2025, Girlguiding members celebrate World Thinking Day on
the Air.
The aim of this event is to encourage Girlguiding members to make
friendships with those in other units, using amateur radio as the means of
communication. On this day, Crawley Amateur Radio Club will be hosting
special event call sign GB 1 SCG, which relates to Sussex Central Guides.
Girlguiding members of all ages will have the opportunity to celebrate by
communicating via the amateur bands.
VK information might be available from Lorraine, VK 2 FICQ who is
Girl Guides Australia National JOTA-JOTI Co-ordinator.
(rsgb)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO
Ham Radio Operators Serving During California Firestorms
As the firestorms across Southern California continue to threaten millions of residents, trained amateur radio operators are serving critical volunteer roles to help officials spot fires before they get out of control. Dry conditions and wind gusts of 100 miles per hour have fuelled days of devastating wildfires. Entire neighbourhoods have been levelled by infernos.
The Eaton fire burned to the top of Mount Wilson, a critical logistical post for broadcast radio and television stations, as well as communications across the Southland. Federal agencies, air traffic control, local emergency responders, radio amateurs, and others all share tower space on the mountain.
While the main fires have been burning north and northwest of the central section of Los Angeles, just to the south, hams are standing watch. Orange County Fire Watch (OCFW) is a program locally organized by the Orange County Parks Department and the Irvine Conservancy.
ARRL National Instructor Gordon West, WB6NOA, is among the deployed volunteers. He said hams are stepping up. Were all over the ARRL Orange Section on hilltops, reporting the wind and humidity, ash seen coming down, scanning for spot fires (none so far), smoke from the LA fires, guest activity at the parks, and being a presence at trailheads with reflective vests and vehicle signs indicating Fire Watch, he said.
Radio amateurs are also ready and able to serve at evacuation centres, providing support as needed.
Members of ARRL Headquarters staff have been in touch with ARRL volunteers and other ham radio groups around the affected area, and are offering material support for any activations.
ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, has been on calls with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other served agencies, offering ARRL resources. Efforts are being coordinated locally by Emergency Network Los Angeles (ENLA), the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) group in Southern California.
Johnston urges hams in the affected regions to be ready to take care of themselves and their families before needing to deploy. He points to resources shared by ARRLs Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) during National Preparedness Month. These are stressful events for everyone, and being a ham volunteer is really second to keeping yourself and your family safe, said Johnston.
(arrl)
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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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2025
VK7 - REAST CAR BOOT SALE Today, January 19 @ 11 am (vk7news)
VK3 - BARG HamFest the 2nd of February ate Ballarat Polo-Crosse Pavilion
next door to the BARG clubrooms at Ballarat Airport. (wiacal)
VK6 - PARGFEST PEEL AMATEUR RADIO GROUP held February 15 9AM at
Mandurah Bowling Club 89 Allnutt Street ( parg.org.au/ )
VK4 - Redcliffe & Districts Radio Club REDFEST April 12 at
Deception Bay North State School. (wiacal)
VK - WIA AGM May 3 - 4. Hosted by Bendigo Amateur Radio & Electronics
Club and their Technology Expo (vk3gtv/wiacal)
VK5 - SERG Convention and Fox Hunting Championship June 7 and 8
At Scout Hall in Mt. Gambier (vk5dj)
This is John VK5DJ for the South East Radio Group.
Will there be a 2025 SERG Convention?
Absolutely.
Following the success of the 2024 Convention and Fox Hunting
Championship the club made a unanimous vote to do it again in 2025.
Details still to come, but it will be on the Kings Birthday Weekend
in VK5, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th of June in our usual venue at
the Scout Hall in Mt Gambier and environs.
Our foxes will be planning their usual challenges did we hear
The more mud the better?
Time to make accommodation bookings, the Kings birthday weekend
is a popular tourist weekend in Mt Gambier.
See you there.
VK - Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association 50th anniversary
Glen Waverly July 26 president@alara.org (vk2ayl)
VK4 - GOLD COAST AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY 2025 HAMFEST NOV 9 (vk4dmh)
Country Paradise Parklands 231 Beaudesert Nerang Road.
VK3- Rosebud RadioFest, Eastbourne Primary School, Rosebud (wiacal)
November Sixteen.
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