----------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK Oh... and to contact us with your news because If It Matters To You It Matters To Us! email nationalnews@wia.org.au http://www.wia.org.au (click news in member area) Submit your audio news Please.. If you are only submitting text and not audio, write your story as you would expect to hear it being read back and NEVER send just links & url's. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WIANEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING MAY 09 2010. New radio museum to be QTH for WIA Centenary special callsign VK100WIA ACMA have released their white paper on the “400MHz band” Digital radio trial to begin in Canberra SHANGHAI BANS TWO WAY RADIO NEAR WORLD EXPO 2010 SITE Physicists Locate Long Lost Soviet Reflector on Moon Special Event Callsign - CG3ADML First ROS contact on 500 kHz ALL UP AND COMING IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING MAY 9 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- New radio museum to be QTH for WIA Centenary special callsign VK100WIA Members of Victoria’s Central Goldfields Amateur Radio Club are ready to put VK100WIA on air from the Talbot Radio Museum. The club has already lined up some local news media which is keen to publicise both the Centenary of Organised Amateur Radio in Australia and the new museum. There’s a variety of interesting historical radio, telephone and television on display. There’s even a mock-up of commercial radio station 3CV Maryborough. There’s a variety of transmitters, Morse code keys and other equipment is certain to be of interest to visitors. The museum is the proud owner of a vibrator power supplied Traeger radio used by the Flying Doctor Service. Alf Treager VK5AX was born in the Dimboola area of Victoria, who with John Flynn of the Flying Doctor Service, also a local from Moligal just north of Maryborough, did so much to open up outback Australia with radio communications. Central Goldfields Amateur Radio Club President, Peter Rafferty VK3CC tells us that VK100WIA will be operating from the Talbor Radio Museum on Camp Street, Talbot, 10am to 4pm on the third, fourth and fifth of August. Planned to be used are the major HF bands, plus SSB, FM and IRLP on 2-meters and 70-centimetres. ARISS Contact One significant way in which Radio Amateurs can share their hobby with the community is through the ARISS program. ARISS provides today’s youth with an opportunity to speak directly with the astronauts aboard the international space station by way of amateur radio and with the assistance of local radio amateurs and radio clubs. As part of the Centenary dinner program we will be making contact with the International Space Station via amateur radio and we will hear from the astronauts on the ISS. Ten students will have an opportunity to ask questions of the astronauts. ACMA NEWS ACMA have released their white paper on the “400MHz band” Which covers 403MHz to 520MHz. As this covers the 70cm band we use (420MHz to 450MHz as a secondary service) this paper will effect we amateurs. As the ACMA puts it “The way ahead – Decisions and implementation options for the 400 MHz band consultation paper outlines a number of final decisions for the future use of the band and proposed implementation plans.” In the original ACMA proposal was for 403MHz to 430MHz for exclusive use of federal, state, and territory governments. This would seem for amateurs, the loss of the bottom 10MHz of the 70cm band. These exclusions can be found on page 28 of the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1997. WIA has asked for a comment on this by our board, at time of broadcast we had had no comment. As one VK3 said on a UK news service, "Unfortunately this document doesn’t really tell us as amateurs what will be happening to the 440-450MHz part of the 70cm band at all". (sourced to acma news release and southgate) Digital radio trial to begin in Canberra The number of commercial and SBS radio stations available to listeners in Canberra is set to increase with an announcement by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) and multicultural and multilingual broadcaster SBS that a regional trial of DAB+ digital radio would begin in Canberra early July 2010. Commercial Radio Australia chief executive, Joan Warner said the first regional trial of DAB+ is the next step in making digital radio services available to all Australians. “The radio industry is committed to ensuring all Australians are able to access free to air radio broadcasting via digital technology. People living in regional Australia must have the same rights of access to digital radio as do those living in the five big cities. We do not want to see a nation of metropolitan digital 'haves' and regional digital 'have nots'." Ms Warner said. The second phase of the Canberra trial will be a retransmission of the trial signal into Parliament House to allow Federal politicians to experience digital radio first hand. Stations that will be available on the DAB+ digital radio trial transmission: • 2CA - Capital Radio Network • 2CC –Capital Radio Network • Capital Radio Network - 2 additional commercial services to be announced • Mix 106.3 FM - Canberra FM (Austereo/ARN) • 104.7 fm - Canberra FM (Austereo/ARN) • Canberra FM (Austereo/ARN) - 2 additional commercial radio services to be announced • SBS Radio 1 – News & Information Network • SBS Radio 2 - News & Information Network • SBS Pop Asia • SBS Chill HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. VK4 - QNEWS web service local news:- www.wiaq.com/qnews/upload/qnewsbcast.htm local news email qnews-vk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com VKR Roundup http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/Media+Releases/ I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I've been thinking about the Institute's AGM. In one of those serendipitous remarks, a certain well known politician from VK4 commented a few days back that "Canberra is not the source of all knowledge." At the end of the month our Wireless Institute of Australia is holding its annual General meeting , in Canberra. As a group (should I say a net of amateurs) it is to our benefit to get our collective heads around what is needed to grow and sustain our hobby. Just as our licensing is part of the system of Australian administrative structure, our place in the world community is defined by structures such at ITU and IARU. Even intruder watch services operate eventually on a government to government level internationally. We have our representative body in the WIA and that body knows it is not the fount of all knowledge. The Institute is comprised of hobbyists just like you and I and they give their time as part of their enjoyment of amateur radio. If we want to each make a difference and make our voices heard in the policy areas of the hobby, we need to participate. Like the cockatoo on the biscuit tin, of days gone by, remaining on the outside never makes you part of the feast on the inside. Please come and join through your radio club or by becoming a WIA member. Then as was heard to be said, it will be the "cat's whiskers". I'm Geoff Emery and that's what I think.....what about you? Central Highlands in Central Queensland http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/charc/ The date for the famous and popular Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club AGM at Camp Fairbairn near Emerald has been announced. CHARC Secretary Gordon VK4KAL has advised that the AGM will be on from 4pm Friday 17th to Midday Sunday 19th September 2010. Find out more by contacting Gordon on vk4kal@wia.org.au GLADSTONE AR CLUB "Radio_Active". IRLP Node 6246 President John Hinde VK4JWH gladstone_ar_club@yahoo.com.au The Gladstone Amateur Radio Club would like to invite all interested parties to our AGM, to be held Monday night 10th of May at 7:30 PM at the SES Headquarters, Lammington Drive Gladstone. This will be followed by our regular monthly meeting. 73's from VK4XMC TABLELANDS RADIO AND ELECTRONICS CLUB vk4wat@wia.org.au www.treclub.org.au VK4WAT ON AIR FOR THE “AM ON ANZAC DAY” EVENT. G’day I’m Dale VK4DMC for the Tableland Radio and Electronics Club with news from TREC. Last Sunday Week or so, ANZAC Day, our club set up a station for the “AM on ANZAC Day event” using the club call-sign VK4WAT. The idea for the “AM on ANZAC Day” event was originally conceived by Mike Patterson VK4MIK as a way for amateur radio operators around Australia and New Zealand to recognise and honour the service of returned serviceman and women who served in the many conflicts that Australia has been involved with down the years. TREC first went on air from the Rocky Creek War Memorial site at Rocky Creek, near Atherton, where a few radio contacts were made on 40 metres AM. We then moved to the Atherton War Cemetery and set up a field station again using radio transmitting modes that were used by the armed services in many early conflicts. We contacted many other amateur radio stations who were also on air using both AM and CW on the 20, 40 and 80 metre bands. Stations as far a field as Hawaii, San Francisco, were worked as well as many Australian stations including a special station that was set up at the Mareeba War-Birds at the Mareeba airport where three TREC members along with Mike VK4MIK and other amateurs made many contacts with other stations set up around Australia. The event was a great success with many amateurs supporting it. Mike has indicated that “AM on ANZAC Day” may well become an annual event. - LEST WE FORGET - TOWNSVILLE vk4wit@wia.org.au 4773 1196 or 0408 001142 po box 333 Garbutt East, QLD 4814 www.tarc.org.au GREETINGS ! AND TO ALL THE MUM'S LISTENING... "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY"... THIS IS DON VK4FNQA, WITH NEWS FROM NORTH QUEENSLAND... WITH A REMINDER THAT THE FAMOUS TARC PROJECT NIGHT IS HAPPENING THIS TUESDAY EVENING FROM 7-30PM AT THE CLUB ROOMS, ON TOP OF SES HEADQUARTERS, GREEN STREET WEST END... ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME ALONG AND WORK ON A LATEST ELECTRONIC PROJECT, OR HELP OUT WITH A CLUB PROJECT. JUST REMEMBER TO SAY 'EUREKA' WHEN THE MAGIC SMOKE ESCAPES. NOW, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A TIME LORD TO KNOW THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT ! IT IS NOW ONLY FOUR WEEKS AWAY UNTIL THE FAR NORTH AND NORTH QUEENSLAND AMATEUR RADIO GATHERING HAPPENING FROM 11TH TO 14TH JUNE OVER THE LONG WEEKEND AT CARDWELL VILLAGE BEACHCOMBER MOTEL AND TOURIST PARK. IT IS THE YEARLY GATHERING FOR THOSE FROM CAIRNS, ATHERTON TABLELANDS AND TOWNSVILLE REGIONS PLUS LOTS OF PLACES IN BETWEEN AND FAR AWAY. ATTEND FNNQARG! AND HAVE A RELAXING TIME IN IDYLIC SURROUNDINGS WITH HAM FRIENDS AND SUPPORT CREWS. PARTICIPATE IN THE GREAT TREC TRIVIA CHALLENGE AND HAVE A GO IN THE SUNDAY MORNING FNQ VS NQ CRICKET MATCH... IT IS ADVISABLE TO RING RECEPTION AT THE PARK ON 1800 005633 TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS THE LONG WEEKEND IN JUNE IS A VERY POPULAR TIME. A WIDE MIX OF ACCOMMODATION FROM MOTEL TO VILLA TO CAMPING IS AVAILABLE HOWEVER IT IS RUNNING OUT FAST. HERE IS A MESSAGE NOW FROM THE REGION'S COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT CO-ORDINATOR. GAVIN VK4ZZ IS AFTER OPERATORS TO HELP OUT WITH THE MOUNT STUART KING OF THE HILL HILLCLIMB HAPPENING ON SUNDAY MAY 30TH. IF YOU CAN HELP OUT THEN PLEASE CONTACT GAVIN VIA MOBILE PHONE 0427 182469 OR AT ONE OF THE NETS OR MEETINGS DURING THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. WELL, TIME HAS FLOWN AND THAT'S ALL FOR QNEWS FOR THIS SUNDAY NINTH OF MAY. THIS HAS BEEN DON VK4FNQA IN BALMY TROPICAL PARADISE FOR THE TOWNSVILLE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB INC. EDUCATION YOUTH AND ADVANCEMENT OF AMATEUR RADIO www.hamcollege.com.au Persons in the N/West Area of VK7 interested in Training and Assessment for all classes of Amateur Radio are advised that the NW ATV Club can provide all these requirements and in addition provision of Facilitators via the Radio and Electronics School if candidates so desire. For more information contact the Club's Learning Organizer Tony VK7AX, or the Club DIRECT. Contact details can be found on the Club Web Site or the WIA site under VK7 Clubs., http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup/ (Tony VK7AX, News Officer NWT-ATV Group) ALIEN-1 balloon success The flight of ALIEN-1, built by three pupils at Reading School, in the UK, proved a success. The 434.075 MHz beacon worked well and some great pictures were taken. The hard work of the pupils certainly paid off with the payload proving to be reliable. Over 3000 pictures were taken during the flight and they now face the task of organising all those pictures. Due to the 434.075 MHz telemetry messages being sent at just 50 baud the payload could only send down one telemetry string every 15 seconds. Highest altitude achieved was 33.158km: It is believed this altitude is the third highest in UK records. ALIEN-1 Pictures on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/alienhab/ INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to RSGB, Southgate AR Club, the ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA. SHANGHAI BANS TWO WAY RADIO NEAR WORLD EXPO 2010 SITE Shanghai city leaders say that the city is to impose controls on devices capable of transmitting radio waves from 12 pm on April 30th through 12 am on May 2 and again on October 1st and 30th. This, to ensure the proper operation of facilities inside the 2010 World Expo site. During these periods, items such as walkie-talkies, industrial remote controls, amateur radio stations and even school broadcasts will be banned within 500 meters of the Expo site. The only exception will be for cellular mobile phones which officials say will not be affected. Transmitter stolen while on air! Maybe worthy of our weird and wonderful segment comes a report sourced to the UK's Daily Record newspaper that thieves stole the transmitter of Lanarkshire's radio station L107 WHILE IT WAS ON AIR! The report says Mike Smith's "Log In To Lunch show" was being broadcast when the airwaves went dead. The owners said the transmitter had been "unlawfully taken" from the 17th floor of an office block. Read the full story http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/05/01/thieves-nick-radio-transmitter-while-station-is-on-the-air-86908-22225555/ CEPT considers future of FM A CEPT working group will be considering the future of broadcasting in FM Band II (87.5 – 108 MHz) at its meeting on May 17-24. The 69th meeting of the CEPT Frequency Management Working Group takes place in St Petersburg and among the items being considered are Digital Broadcasting on the current FM Band II and frequencies below 80 MHz. European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) http://www.cept.org/ Amateur radio exhibition at European Parliament An amateur radio exhibition in the European Parliament organised by the IARU Region 1 EUROCOM working group has started successfully. The exhibition focuses on Emergency communications and Education & Space, with the aim to raise awareness amongst European politicians. The exhibition is sponsored by MEP Mrs Brigit Sippel and was opened by IARU Region 1 President, PB2T. Photos of the event and further details are available on the IARU Region 1 website, www.iaru-r1.org. ============================================================================= RSGB NEWS FROM G4NJH Romania amateurs gain access to 70MHz All radio amateurs in Romania can now apply for access to the 70MHz band. They can run up to 20 watts output between 70.0 and 70.3MHz on a Secondary basis with a maximum emission bandwidth of 12.5kHz. It is understood that individual requests must be made to the regulator prior to operation. May and June will be the last chance for anybody to work GB50ATG, the Golden Jubilee station representing the British Amateur Radio Teledata Group, BARTG. For both May and June the station will be operated by Arthur Bard, G1XKZ. Arthur will be very active during the last two months so look for him on all HF bands. Special QSL cards will be available and also plaques and certificates for reaching certain targets. The special call will cease operations on 30th June. Arthur will try to use both RTTY and PSK for those that would like contacts on both modes. Finally, as has been widely reported, the new Solar Dynamics Observatory is now fully operational and beaming many exceptionally sharp and detailed pictures of the Sun back to Earth. It promises to make a major contribution to our understanding of the dynamics of the Sun, which affect radio propagation in so many ways. We look forward to drawing on this additional source of information over the years ============================================================================= NEWS FROM ARNEWSLINE WISCONSIN CITY CHALLENGES 10 YEAR OLDS TOWER AND ANTENNA A Wisconsin's pre-teen ham who suffers from cerebral palsy could loose his tower and antenna system over a dispute with the city. But the family of 10 year old Samuel Markstrom, KC9POP, is fighting back by saying that their sons hobby has changed his life by building his self confidence. Village leaders say the Markstrom's didn't have the proper permits to build 62 foot tower that sits in their backyard in Mount Pleasant. But his mother Catherine Markstrom, KC9EOW, says that everything had gone in, to their knowledge very legally. She also notes that there are days when her son cannot get outside to play and he gets really depressed and upset. Now she is worried her son will have to give up his indoor hobby as well. But the tower is opposed by at least one neighbour. News reports quote Eric Scott lives directly next door to the Markstrom's. He claims that he is worried that the tower could topple over while his own child was playing in his yard. KC9POP's parents counter by saying the tower is rated to withstand hurricane force winds and that there isn't a danger. In his on-line bio on QRZ dot com, Samm as he calls himself says that he is active in Boy Scouts as well as volunteering at WI9VCR, which is the Volunteer Centre of Racine County. He says that his favourite bands are 10 and 6 meters but he is also active in repeaters in the Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee repeaters. And according to one news report, the fifth grader has also been active in public service by spreading the word about last summer's Kenosha tornadoes. For that effort he was presented an award by the volunteer centre. The future of the Samm Markstrom's tower will be decided by the Village of Mount Pleasant's zoning board in June. COPPER THIEVES TAKE KC TV STATION KMBC OFF THE AIR Copper thieves were responsible for taking Kansas City television station KMBC off the air last weekend . Police responding to a burglar alarm Sunday evening April 25th found a large section of 2 inch conduit cut away from the side of the transmitter building and green coolant spilled across the adjoining area. The tubing was part of KMBC’s transmitter system that circulated coolant around two final amplifier tubes valued at close to $40,000. A sensor that detected the sudden loss in pressure shut down the transmitter. Whether the shutdown happened in time to save the tubes is a question that KMBC Director of Engineering Jerry Agresti said won’t know until repairs are made to the cooling system and a thorough evaluation of the transmitter is done. One thing Agresti says that he is sure of. Either the robbers knew exactly what they were doing or were incredibly brazen. The coolant used for the transmitters final amplifiers gets very hot and the burglars could have easily been scalded by it. DX And talk about a long tongue twister of a callsign. SP2QCW, is operating as HF2010WECK in all modes on all bands during the World Enduro Championships off-road motorbike race. He will be active until June 30th. QSLs SP2QCW either direct or via bureau. ============================================================================= WEIRD AND WONDERFUL Physicists Locate Long Lost Soviet Reflector on Moon VK7News say a laser reflector placed on the moon almost 40 years ago has been located. Of interest is the sensitivity of the measurements of the return signal: The return signal from the reflector was measured as a collection of individual particles, or photons, of laser light. The researchers who discovered this long lost space artefact said "We quickly verified the signal to be real and found it to be surprisingly bright: at least five times brighter than the other Soviet reflector, on the Lunokhod 2 rover, to which we routinely send laser pulses," they went on to say "The best signal we've seen from Lunokhod 2 in several years of effort is 750 return photons, but we got about 2,000 photons from Lunokhod 1 on our first try. It's got a lot to say after almost 40 years of silence." www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100426203545.htm https://lists.ozlabs.org/listinfo/vk-vhf OPERATIONAL NEWS - SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2010 May 8 WIA VK Trans Tasman 80m Phone Bruce Renn vk3jwz@wia.org.au May 15-16 NZART Sangster Shield http://www.nzart.org.nz/contests/index.html Jun 12 WIA VK Trans Tasman 160m Phone Bruce Renn vk3jwz@wia.org.au Jun 12-13 WIA Worked All VK Shires contest@vkshires.info Jun 19-20 WIA WINTER VHF-UHF Field Day John Martin VK3KM tac@wia.org.au Jul 3- 4 NZART MEMORIAL CONTEST http://www.nzart.org.nz/contests/index.html Jul 10tbc WIA Jack Files Contest John Spooner vk4ajs@wia.org.au Aug 14-15 WIA Remembrance Day Contest Peter Harding vk4od@wia.org.au Aug 21-22 International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. register on website illw.net Oct 2 WIA WIA National Field Day nfd@wia.org.au Oct 2- 3 WIA Oceania DX Contest Phone Tony Burt vk3tz@wia.org.au Oct 9-10 WIA Oceania DX Contest CW Tony Burt vk3tz@wia.org.au NOV 20-21 WIA Spring VHF-UHF Field Day John Martin VK3KM tac@wia.org.au Denis Johnstone vk4ae tells us the John Moyle National Field day results for 2010 are on the WIA website. The 80 odd certificates will be issued later in the year. There are two sets of results on the website, a headline one in the contest text, and a full set of results as a downloadable PDF. Worked All VK Shires contest@vkshires.info Audio by vk4ti. It was a great start to the VK Shires and I am sure that many that entered had a great time. We have only got to look through the logs to just so how many contacts were made and how many countries were racked up by the guys that got serious about it. I am sure that this year we are going to find that even more will be on board A couple of very exiting things - the JAs have introduced their own logger for VK Shires a Japanese language logger and we also have VKCL giving us great support along with EI5DI and W3KM So its been a great start for a new contest its been a very proactive arrangement with all the guys getting in there especially the keen operators. The contest is basically for anyone whether you are a foundation call or a standard call or a full call. There are a couple of minor differences with the VK Shires - you can't operate in the DX window and 160 is also out - of course the warc bands are out. Strategy wise - look for the JAs in the contest and make sure you work the 80 and 40 intra VK in the evenings. SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, REPEATER BEACON DX AND NET ADVICE hf nets ON the net, www.timroberts-vk4yeh.id.au/ VK1 After 25 years of service the Black Hill repeater VK1RAC on 146 900 MHz has been decommissioned. The repeater started operation on MT. Majura and was subsequently moved to Black Hill the colimination tower for the NASA Tidbinbilla Deep Space tracking station. The site has been declared redundant by NASA and is to be returned to its natural bush state. As a result the repeater has become homeless. No plans have been formulated to either reinstate the repeater on another site or replace it at this time. The final QSO on the repeater took place between Peter VK1NPW and Rob VK1ZQR, after a subtle click the repeater passed into retirement at 1345 Hrs on the 4th may 2010 VK4 Dalby's VK4RET 146.675 is off air for a while so no news broadcasts. There is a major reconstruction happening on Mt Kiangrow. New tower, new antennas etc, repairs to building. No idea how long all this will take and then when that part is all done they need obtain and attach a suitable antenna to be able to receive the news again by RF from Brisbane. Special Event Callsign - CG3ADML Planned Modes of Operation - SSB, PSK31. 144mhz demonstration of email over amateur radio and IRLP Date of Event - One day 15 May, 2010 (0900 - 1700) Location - Royal Canadian Legion Branch 231, Portland Ontario GENERAL INFORMATION: The purpose of this event is to celebrate the 100 Anniversary of the RCN and highlight the contribution of Admiral, Sir Charles E. Kingsmill in the establishment of the Royal Canadian Navy. The second objective is to introduce Navy League Cadets, the Vice Admiral Kingsmill Corps, to amateur radio. Admiral, Sir Charles E. Kingsmill is buried in the Anglican Cemetary just outside Portland. (73 George VE3GXW) INTRUDER WATCH - ENFORCEMENT ZONE Region III IARUMS Coordinator Peter Young VK3MV VK IARUMS reflector email to subscribe intruders@wia.org.au INTRUDER NETS Friday 0730 UTC 7.065.5 with VK4CEU David. SouthGate AR Club news service reports a radio amateur, Irene Levy KJ6CEY has been arrested after allegedly making threats on Police and Fire service frequencies. The report says: Police investigators seized 11 radios, seven radio frequency scanners, radio frequency lists, computer equipment, and other miscellaneous radio equipment from Levy’s home. Police also seized Levy’s Ham radio technician’s license issued to her by the FCC in September of 2009. Read the full Southwest Riverside News Network (SWRNN) report at www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2010-05-03/news/ WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- DIGITAL Australian Coordinator for TCPIP domains is Indy vk2xb@wia.org.au Telephone DSL speed increases Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs say they can now send data rates of up to 300mbps down telephone lines. They achieved 300mbps over at a distance of 400 metres and 100mbps over 1km by making use of "DSL Phantom Mode". This involves the creation of a virtual or “phantom” channel that supplements the two physical wires that are the standard configuration for copper transmission lines. The increase in transmission capacity arises from the use of analogue phantom mode technology in combination with industry-standard techniques: vectoring that eliminates interference or “crosstalk” between copper wires, and bonding that makes it possible to take individual lines and aggregate them. DSL services make use of the HF radio spectrum to send data over telephone lines. There is no mention in the Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs press release of how much radio interference this new development could cause. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER AMSAT-VK UNOFFICIAL HF Net. 2nd Sunday each month. April through October 1000 UTC 3.685 MHz November through March 0900 UTC 7.068 MHz AMSAT-NA VP Operations Drew KO4MA provides an update on the Amateur Radio satellite AO-51. On the AMSAT bulletin board he writes: "AO-51 has now re-entered a period of eclipses that will reach almost 20 minutes by July. Since we've been in an extended period of continuous illumination and very warm spacecraft temperatures, the next few weeks will be spent determining what the batteries capacities are now. Currently we are running 1.01 watt on 435.300 only, with the new PL mode on. For this summer eclipse season, we are fortunate that the eclipsed periods are while AO-51 is over mostly unoccupied Antarctica and surrounding areas. This means when the batteries alone are supporting the transmitter, there are not likely to be any users. We have a downlink power management routine that we'll be implementing over the next week or so. Downlink power may range from 2 watts in illumination, to maybe as low as 300 milliwatts in eclipse. Using this, combined with the PL, should mean we can protect the batteries from over-discharge, while still providing the strongest possible downlink. I'd like to encourage everyone to use the excellent reporting resource at http://oscar.dcarr.org/ WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES IARU REGION 3 3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz Tasmania's Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club has been invited to join WICEN (South) to provide communication coverage for an equine endurance Riders 24 hour event coming up at St Helens, midnight Friday the 21st of May. (David VK7DC) THE LOWDOWN COLUMN INCLUDING PRECISION BEACON TRANSMISSIONS BEACONS www.qsl.net/zl1bpu/micro/Precision First ROS contact on 500 kHz Graham G0NBD and Gary G4WGT have achieved the first contact on 500 kHz using the data mode ROS. The contact between Graham and Gary took place over a 30 mile path. Initially they used ROS 500/16 mode and then the ROS "eme" mode. During the contact power was reduced from 3 watts output to 30 mW. The antennas were 35ft top loaded whips. Practical Amateur antennas for this band are very inefficient due to the wavelengths involved. It can require 50+ watts transmitter output just to get 100 mW ERP. Efficient weak signal modes such as ROS can help extend the range that is achieved. Later in the evening, Jim M0BMU called Graham G0NBD using ROS 500/8 over a distance of 200 miles. they had a 30 minute contact with 100% copy. Download the latest version of ROS from http://rosmodem.wordpress.com/ REWIND - A LOOK BACK IN HISTORY Rewind a look back at our history through the serialised written history by WIA Centenary Committee member Peter Wolfenden VK3RV with assistance of others, that is being published in the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine. New regulations favour experimenters The year 1922 saw the Australian Prime Minister William Hughes, regarded as a good friend of the amateur experimenters, stated that a new regulatory regime would be introduced. In line with the approach adopted in other parts of the world, no restrictions other than those to prevent interference, would be imposed. Also rather than commercial interests having influence in enforcing the laws, and the Navy controlling the spectrum, it would be the sole responsibility of government officials. The Wireless Weekly in reporting this development, comments that it was one of the best bits of news the experimenters have ever heard, making their outlook very much brighter. The experimenters began using phone or voice transmissions that generated much public interest and led to the dawn of broadcasting. In September 1922, the Sydney Metropolitan Radio Club organised Australia’s first Radio Exhibition where the President, R.C. Marsden, demonstrated telephony reception. Various forms of ?un-official? broadcasting by experimenters, including ?Radio Dances?, entranced the public and many of those involved in these transmissions were destined to play important roles in ?professional broadcasting?. 2010 MAY 8 VK3 10am Moorabbin @ District Amateur Radio club Hamfest at Brentwood Secondary College. MAY 8 VK4 Brisbane Amateur Radio Club's "Barcfest", Mt Gravatt show grounds 9,30am. JUNE 12 VK2 Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club's 35th Annual Field Day. JULY 17 VK3 GGREC Hamfest Start Time : 10:00 AUGUST 1 VK6 Northern Corridor Group Hamfest Cyril Jackson Sports Centre Ashfield Oct 2 WIA WIA National Field Day nfd@wia.org.au Oct 29 - 31 VK1OOWIA Westlakes ARC during our WIA centenary celebrations. NOV 7 VK5 2010 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Hamfest Rosa St Goodwood 2012 15TH IARU REGION 3 CONFERENCE hosted by V.A.R.C. in Ho-Chi-Minh City, Vietnam. JAN 23-FEB 17 YEAR 2012 World Radio Conference WRC-11 Geneva 23rd January TO 17th February 2012 MAY 4-7 2012 VK5 YL International 2012 Australia (vk5tmc@bigpond.com) ============================================================================= WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide. Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed prior to the actual broadcast date, e-mail nationalnews@wia.org.au Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers you may lodge a quick reply to let us know you read it, who knows, you might even get a "cheerio call". Thanks to to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize their time and equipment in bringing you this weekly broadcast. The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to active amateurs residing in Australia and the globe. We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of Australia and participation in the activities of local clubs. Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who submit material and do not necessarily reflect those of the rebroadcasters, nor the National WIA, but are broadcast in the spirit in which they were submitted. Material may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, a credit to WIANews wouldn't go astray... Compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.