WIANEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUG 22 2010. Documents show aviation fears over power line networks WIA Centenary Update Tune-in to the world - Amateur radio gets people talking Central Highlands AGM stop press date change Hams play role in welfare and recovery efforts after Pakistan's floods SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2010 ALL UP AND COMING IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 22 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- WIA Centenary Update Award A total of 90 award claims have been checked and verified, and award certificates issued. Japan and New Zealand each have two awards with other DX stations qualified being in Finland, Russia and the USA. Each Australian state, the Northern Territory and the ACT are represented in proportion to their numbers of radio amateurs. Clearly many more will have already qualified for this limited time operating award and are yet to make their claim. Another from the WIA Centenary Media File: An article in the Macedon Ranges Leader Newspaper in Victoria gives the local club a great publicity boost. The story, like so many that are appearing across the nation, is about the celebration of the centenary of organised amateur radio in Australia. The Macedon Ranges Amateur Radio Club is the newest such club in Victoria. Pictured and quoted in the article is the club secretary Graeme McDiarmid VK3NE who has held a licence for more than 30 years. He says he continues to find it an interesting hobby and is often on air for about 90 minutes each day. The club hopes that the publicity and its use of the special callsign VK100WIA will generate new local radio amateurs and members. VK4's Locker Valley club news item a big website hitter The Gatton Star newspaper ran an article on the 4th of August headlined '100 years of amateur radio' and on its website and for the past three week's it has been the third most read news item. The Lockyer Valley Radio and Electronics Club Treasurer and promotions guy, Alan Shannon VK4SN also reports that Brisbane's Channel 7 is also continuing to promote the club and its participation in the WIA centenary celebrations. This is being done over a four week period in the TV station's community notice board each morning This weekend Lockyer Valley Radio Electronics Club in Queensland continues to do great things with the special callsign, and its associated public display at the Laidley Youth Centre, William Street, Laidley. The online log already records the contacts being made for VK100WIA by this club which is rostered until Monday. On earlier broadcasts mention has been made of the local media publicity achieved by the Lockyer Valley Radio Electronics Club and we hope to have a wrap-up report on its activities in the future. In fact all clubs rostered for VK100WIA are encouraged to file their activity reports to the WIA Centenary Committee via email centenary@wia.org.au Now looking ahead to Tuesday through to Thursday this week it will be the Mid South Coast Amateur Radio Club planning a DX operation on SSB and CW on the 80m 4om and 20m bands. This relatively small club does not have clubrooms, never the less it's getting right behind VK100WIA with a roster of enthusiastic club members. The special callsign then moves across to South Australia and the North East Radio Club for Friday the 27th through to Sunday the 29th of August. VK100WIA will be operating at Ardtornish School in St Agnes on HF - 80m, 40m, 20m bands ? plus 2-metres FM and D-STAR. The online log of the special callsign clearly shows that D-STAR has been chosen by a number of clubs and it's certainly playing a role in giving overseas radio amateurs an opportunity to snare a VK100WIA contact. The North East Radio Club is inviting visitors to its activity at the Ardtornish School and will be heavily promoting the Foundation Licence training that is available. Then into next week, the Redcliffe And District Radio Club will operate HF, 2m and 70cm from its club rooms in Klingner Road, Redcliffe ? Monday the 30th of August through to Wednesday the first of September. Club President Trevor Quick VK5ATQ says visitors are most welcome come to and see a display of amateur radio equipment and learn more about the hobby. WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI president@wia.org.au Vice President Ewan McLeod VK4ERM vk4erm@wia.org.au Secretary Geoff Atkinson VK3AFA secretary@wia.org.au Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz@wia.org.au Tune-in to the world - Amateur radio gets people talking The WIA National Field Day - Saturday the 23rd of October As part of its program of Centenary Celebrations, the WIA is asking that clubs, groups and individual radio amateurs to get on air for this inaugural promotional event taking amateur radio to the public with the aim of attracting new members and new radio amateurs. There will be two categories: A Public Station is a station run by three or more radio amateurs operating on a single callsign from a public place, or clubrooms open to the public for the duration of the event. A Private Station is a station, which is an individual operating portable, mobile or from a private residence. Highly important is that Public Stations actually engage members of the public rather than just having them look on, and then walk away as often happens with displays of all types. That means Public Stations need plenty of planning to work out who is best within a club to 'greet' visitors to the stations, talk to them in plain language (avoid jargon), hand out the WIA's Calling CQ brochure, and where possible get their contact details for later follow up. And of course encourage them to give amateur radio a try by taking part in a radio contact. The WIA has display posters available and calling CQ brochures should clubs require additional stocks, it is recommended to request stock well in advance. Will you or your radio club be involved? Check out www.wia.org.au for more information including the rules of the WIA National Field Day all happening on Saturday the 23rd of October. Amateur Radio Gets People Talking / (this is the catchphrase for the National Field day .. we are using the catch phrase used at the main highlight (heading) for publicity for this event and the words national field as the sub heading. Unfortunately National field day has little meaning to the public and tends to send the wrong message to we amateurs, it is not a field day where you and set up in the field, rather it is a public day where you set up in public somewhere, a bunnings car park eg) Prepare now for your participation now. See the complete rules, check-lists and other information on the web page, simply click the following Link www.wia.org.au/members/contests/tuneintotheworld/ Details will also be published in the September edition of Amateur Radio magazine. TIME GENTLEMAN TIME Peter 4OD our RD manager is trying to find out the significance of the RD Starting at 08:00 utc as the Official document was signed at 09:00 to 09:23, He suspects that would have been Japanese war time? Any help to rd@wia.org.au Also if you DID take part in the RD send your log in today.. to either vk4od QTHR or rd@wia.org.au HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. VK4 - QNEWS web service local audio news:- www.wiaq.com/ftp/vk4_qnews_64.mp3 local news email qnews-vk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com VKR Roundup http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/Media+Releases/ Welcome to QNews from VK4WIA. I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP and I've been thinking about running our radio clubs. Over the years the format of club meetings has had a certain consistency based on traditions of debate and management as detailed in a recognised handbook. These days more of our clubs have taken advantage of the provisions of the incorporated associations acts, around the country. One feature of club management is that, if the Model Rules have been adopted, the management committee or executive have a more formal responsibility for running the day to day activities. Perhaps this is a good feature but it does place much responsibility on the secretary, who is also the public officer, to ensure compliance with the constitution, Act and Regulations. If you are like most of us, the thought of lengthy formal meetings is a turn off. In the dark days, before colour was added to TV pictures, most of us were familiar enough with the rules of meeting procedure. Now most of us prefer not to know. Back then it was important to argue the point and not, like parliament today, attack the person. I think we need to remember to deal with process not personality. After all, we want our clubs to grow not wither..... and that the radio amateur is considerate..... I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP and that's what I think.....what about you? ZCZC Calling All Hams ! Calling All Hams ! Be on the lookout for a stolen ICOM 706MK2G all mode HF/6m/2m/70cm transceiver belonging to Lorne VK4TLB Serial Number 1501240 Last seen Wednesday Evening August 11th in vehicle at Home QTH VK4TLB Aitkenvale, Townsville QLD. Theft might have been opportunistic and culprits might not know the value of what they have taken. Report any sightings to Lorne VK4TLB on email lorne@osmotion.com.au Central Highlands AGM stop press date change The date for the famous and popular Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club AGM at Camp Fairbairn near Emerald has been CHANGED ! Due to unforeseen circumstances, planetary alignments, solar eruptions, magma displacements and plasma flaring the AGM will now be held from 4pm Friday 24th to Midday Sunday 26th September 2010 G'day all, this Dale VK4DMC with news from the Tablelands Radio and Electronics Club (TREC) in Far North Queensland. As the news goes to air this week TREC members are at the Archer Point Lighthouse approximately 150 kilometres north of Cairns in Far North Queensland for the International Lighthouse/Lightship weekend event. We are operating with the club call-sign VK4WAT and are getting many contacts with other lighthouse stations all around VK and overseas. It is a very exposed and windy location but the antennas are standing up well. Have a listen around 14.188 or 7.088 and if you hear VK4WAT say G'day. Last weekend saw TREC members and friends at the VP Day memorial which was held at Rocky Creek near Atherton. It was a great day with many displays of wartime memorabilia including WW2 military radio equipment. This has been Dale VK4DMC. ACMA NEWS In May, the Nine Network, SBS and WIN sought ACMA authorisation for temporary trials of 3D TV in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The ACMA authorised trials for only a limited, two-month period this allowed the authorisation of transmission in 3D of the State of Origin series and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The ACMA is now considering applications for further short-term free-to-air trials and more generally expects to release a paper in the next few months on the future of 3D trials. INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to RSGB, Southgate AR Club, the ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA. LEBANON REPORTEDLY ARRESTS GERMAN HAM Lebanese army intelligence has reportedly arrested a German engineer and amateur radio operator in eastern Lebanon on suspicion of spying for Israel. This, according to several on-line media reports. The Nahar Daily said that the army raided the "Liban Light" cheese factory in the town of Talya and arrested an individual. He was identified in several reports as the engineer in charge of maintenance of the factory's machines. The reports says that the army is questioning the 58 year old over his use of radio transmitters. According to several other postings the actual identity of the person reportedly detained may be DL6SN. Hams play role in welfare and recovery efforts after Pakistan's floods The medical and food support being provided to the many people affected by the flood disaster in Pakistan affecting six million people is being assisted by the combined efforts of radio amateurs, a group of four wheel drive enthusiasts and the Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP). Around a quarter of the country has been affected by the floods over the last three weeks that were triggered by intense summer monsoon rainfall swelling the Indus River into Pakistan's worst ever flood. The United Nations estimates 20 million have been affected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces and 1600 lives lost. One of those involved with the Pakistan Amateur Radio Society (PARS) emergency communications effort, Asad Marwat AP2AUM reports that more than 20 hams are keeping lines of communications open and the plan is to increase this to 30 in a week's time. With both landlines and mobile phone services failed in the flood affected areas, he said that most of the radio traffic is through a 2-metre band repeater which is now linked to two homebrewed 2m/70cm cross-band repeaters or translators extending coverage to a radius of almost 300 miles. A few stations are monitoring 7.040MHz but due to poor propagation is currently of little use, but should be kept clear for disaster use. Asad AP2AUM advises that PARS has teamed up with the Islamabad Jeep Club which is a group with members who own and drive 4WD sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Their expertise in driving on most difficult terrains is proving to be of great assistance to deliver essential relief supplies and medical help immediately after the flood. They are also working in collaboration with the Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians. PARS President, Nasir Khan AP2NK expresses its thanks for the offers of support that have been received from the amateur radio community. Pakistan's national radio society is seeking to finalise arrangements including those from neighbouring countries to contribute to and help sustain the emergency communications that will be required for a considerable time to come. OPERATIONAL NEWS - SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2010 Oct 23 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 Aug 21-22 International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend. did you register on website illw.net ? Record year for lighthouse weekend Australia has achieved a record 58 registrations for the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend - which is currently underway. The enthusiasm by VK radio amateurs has steadily grown from the beginnings in 1998 when there was only four Australian registrations. In the early years the parks authorities in New South Wales were very sceptical about having radio amateurs set-up at lighthouses. These days, in most cases, doing all they all they can to make sure the weekend is a success. Also at the beginning lots of people in initially doubted that the event would get support during the southern hemisphere winter - but it has indeed become very popular. The uptake of this fun but not contest activity has also been strong in other countries too. In second place on this year's country tally is Germany with 57, the USA 53 and the United Kingdom 39. As this broadcast was being compiled there were 430 registrations from 46 countries, and there was a chance of breaking the record of 443 set last year. Throughout the remainder of today have a listen around the bands, particularly the 40-metre band and see how many lighthouses you can work. (Jim Linton VK3PC) Waitakere Sprints 2010. This year's Waitakere Sprints are now over and I thank all who participated. Forward your logs to prc@ihug.co.nz For more on logs and rules see our qsl.net/zl1vk site. Numbers were a little down on previous years but I did have more than 70 emails returned undelivered. If you did not receive advice please send an email to prc@ihug.co.nz with 'Sprints' in the subject line so your address can be correctly added to the list. Next year I will send notice out a couple of months earlier so we can get the info into club newsletters. Thanks David ZL1DK Hi I'm Marilyn VK3DMS on behalf of Lesley VK5LOL, Alara's Contest Manager. We would like to remind everyone that the Alara Contest is on again next weekend August 28th & 29th. The rules can be found in the August edition of AR on page 46. It has always been known as a girly contest and we look forward to hearing from everyone, YLs and OMs, during the weekend. IARU Region 3 ARDF Championships head downunder Planning has begun for this Biennial event to be held in late 2011 in Australia and hosted by the IARU member society the IARU, the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA). Fond memories remain of the event held in Ballarat Victoria in 2003 which was a great success attended by 100 ARDF competitors from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan and the USA. The event in 2011 will be held in regional Victoria (VK3) although a location and venue is yet to be announced. With the knowledge and experience gained from the 2003 championships held at Ballarat, and there been a strong following including ARDF competitors at an international level living in Victoria it is certain to be another success. WIA ARDF Coordinator and an International Class Referee Jack Bramham VK3WWW has taken on responsibility for the organisation and management of the event, assisted by the resources of the Victorian ARDF Group (www.ardf.org.au) with the WIA (www.wia.org.au_ providing administrative support. The event held at Ballarat in 2003 had the assistance of a number of amateur radio groups not normally involved with ARDF with volunteers needed for a range of basic but essential tasks. Organisers have indicated the same approach will be taken when the ARDF Championships return to Australia in 2011. (Jim Linton VK3PC) SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, REPEATER BEACON DX AND NET ADVICE hf nets ON the net, www.timroberts-vk4yeh.id.au/ THIRD ANNUAL ASIA PACIFIC DX CONVENTION NOV. 5 - 7 The 3rd Asia Pacific DX Convention or APDXC will be held at the Osaka International House in Osaka, Japan, between November 5th and the 7th. Presentations will be conducted in English and will include discussions on some recent DXpeditions along with technical discussions. There will also be an opportunity to join a tour to visit the Icom factory and participate in a technical session led by the Icom High Frequency radio design team. Program details and updates will be posted on www.apdxc.org 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. Amateur exclusive frequencies where any non-amateur signal is definitely an intruder. Amateur HF Spectrum world wide 7.050 to 7.100 14.000 to 14.250 14.250 to 14.350 No broadcasters 21.000 to 21.450 24.890 to 24.990 28.000 to 29.700 The US Military is on the RF nose in Japan United States military forces in Japan have caused havoc by transmitting illegally -- in Japan -- using US-bought baby monitors. The monitors are on the same frequencies as local mobile telephones and radio communications, which is against the law. The devices had disrupted local taxi and lorry companies' communications near bases in in Okinawa, Tokyo, Kanagawa, and other areas. It could be called a "cultural thing", except that it is also an "interference and legal thing". Interference is not funny if you're on the receiving end. You can contact the WIA about any issues you have. For National Radio news, Peter Ellis VK1PE Churches and Chapels on the Air Not to be confused with the annual Churches and Chapels on the Air event Saturday 11 September. Amateurs and SWL's across Europe are being asked to keep an ear on or about 28.265 FM. This for transmissions believed to be coming from churches with transmitters capable of delivering a signal strength well over S-9. Reception reports and all other information should be sent to the IRTS Intruder Watch Coordinator Ger McNamara, EI4GXB. His e-mail address is ei4gxb@gmail.com Documents show aviation fears over power line networks The Register reports that both the BBC and the Civil Aviation Authority are concerned that power line networking will damage their services. Earlier this month the UK regulator Ofcom hosted a meeting on Power Line Telecommunications (PLT). At that meeting PA Consulting presented its latest study into the risks associated with the use of power line networking (PLN) equipment. But the minutes show that the study came under attack from the BBC and the CAA, and that evidence was presented that PA's proposals would lead to greater interference, not less. Read the full article by Bill Ray at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/12/power_line_networking/ RETREAD A paper showing how vehicle wireless tire pressure monitoring systems may compromise privacy and pose a security threat has been issued by a team at South Carolina University in the USA It is understood that tire pressure systems operate on 315 MHz in the USA & on 433.920 MHz in the 70cm Amateur Radio band in the British Isles and Europe. The team intercepted signals more than 30 feet from cars using a simple antenna. They were able to analyse the radio signal and reverse-engineer the code using common laboratory instruments. With that knowledge, they built a transmitter that spoofed a sensor's wireless message. The researchers were able to send false signals from one car and trigger a "low tire pressure" light in another while driving next to each other at 35 miles per hour. They were also able to trigger the dashboard "check tire pressure" light while driving next to each other at 65 miles per hour. At least one tire pressure system could be damaged through spoofed wireless signals. Read the full Science Daily article at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100812093422.htm WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ATV (Every pixel tells a story) - Video arvideonews.com hamradiotube.com youtube.com qdg.com.au CHANGING TECHNOLOGY: NZ ATV TO BE FORCED TO GO DIGITAL Digital Amateur Television is coming to New Zealand, but not necessarily because the Kiwi ham community wants to make the change. ZL Hams will soon be forced to go digital if they wish to continue Amateur Fast Scan Television operations. This after government regulators announce that all analogue modulated TV transmissions in the VHF and UHF broadcast bands, which include Channel 39 used by ham radio, will close down in March 2015, or at some earlier date. At that time the upper end of the New Zealand UHF television allocation will be cleared of television, so that the vacated spectrum can be used for next-generation mobile communications. One consequence of these decisions is that the existing television transmissions will need to convert to digital so as to fit into about half of the present spectrum, requiring that their transmission parameters need to be more closely defined than at present. For the Amateur Television service this means that each Radio License for analogue-modulated TV needs to be replaced by a Spectrum License for analogue-modulated TV. As part of the process, our government telecommunications regulator has cancelled all of the existing Radio Licenses for Channel 39 TV Repeaters. Operators of Channel 39 TV Repeaters need to close them down to avoid receiving an Infringement Notices from the regulatory agency. Those wishing to operate their analogue-modulated Channel 39 ATV repeaters between now and the 2015 Digital TV Switch-Over, will be required to apply for a Spectrum License. However this Spectrum License for analogue ATV transmitters will only exist until the Analogue shut down date. Ham Radio access to New Zealand Channel 39 which runs from 614 to 622 MHz was made by footnote to the nations telecommunications regulations many years ago when a chunk of the 432 MHz band was taken from the amateur radio service. At airtime, its not known how many of the nations Amateur Television Repeaters will apply for a new Spectrum License to at least temporarily keep their analogue systems operational and on the air. 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 FIRST TUBSAT TO BE MUSIC SAT National Public Radio says that one of the first of the do it yourself low orbit satellite kits from Interorbital Systems has been purchased by professional astronomer. Alex Antunes says that he will use it to create natures own music from space. As reported a few weeks ago here on Amateur Radio Newsline, California-based Interorbital Systems, is offering a personal satellite kit for $8000 called TubeSat that includes a ride into space. Now in an N-P-R interview Antunes says that the sun interacts with the Earth's magnetic field in the ionosphere and causes all sorts of activity. He says that his goal is to use his satellite to put something in orbit to convert that interaction directly to sound data so we can hear it. The first TubeSats along with an amateur radio CubeSat are currently slated to launch on an Interorbital Neptune 30 rocket from Tonga at the end of this year. You can listen to the NPR interview with astronomer Alex Antunes tinyurl.com/musicsat AO-51 BACK IN SERVICE AFTER OUTAGE AMSAT Vice-President of Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, reports that after a brief outage aboard AO-51 the ham radio satellite had been restored to service. The 145.92 slash 435.300 repeater was set to run with the 67 Hz tone required to activate the satellite. Power output was reported as 740 milliwatts. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES IARU REGION 3 3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz MONTGOMERY ALABAMA BANS NON EMERGENCY MOBILE COMMS Hams operating mobile in Montgomery, Alabama, have won a rather narrow partial exclusion to the city's tough new distracted driver law, but only during emergencies. This after the Montgomery City Council passes an ordinance making hand-held cell phone use, including texting while driving a secondary offence. Once the distracted driving ordinance takes effect in the coming weeks, a driver would have to violate one of the primary rules of the road, such as speeding or running a stop sign while using a cell phone before he or she could be cited for distracted driving. The ordinance does allow for some exceptions. These include someone using their cell phone to report a traffic accident or a crime. Emergency personnel, employees of utility companies and an operator of an amateur radio are also excluded from the new ordinance, but only as long as their communications devices are being used during an actual emergency. What is not clear is whether the new ordinance applies only to cellular and texting devices or to other two way radio gear as well. In other words, would charting on your local repeater with a mic in your hand while driving be considered a distracted driving practice and subject to the new law? And if it does, how would a police officer be able to determine if the ham radio was or was not of an emergency nature let alone what constitutes an emergency in any given instance. SOCIAL SCENE Oct 23 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... 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