WIANEWS - April 22 - VK NATIONAL NEWS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA 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 WEEK COMMENCING APRIL 22 2012. Hobby farm death not suspicious. SUMMITS ON THE AIR VK ACTIVATION Spectacular explosion on the Sun VK100WIQ THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING APRIL 22 2012. Hobby farm death not suspicious. Police are investigating the death of a man who fell from his vehicle onto an antenna at his hobby farm. The 51-year-old man is believed to have suffered fatal injuries after he fell onto the 20-metre high metal antenna at the Cunderdin property in WA. Police spokeswoman Ros Weatherall said the antenna was used for surveying services, and had been removed by the man from the roof rack of his Landcruiser utility before the incident. Initial investigations reveal that he may have slipped from the top of the car and fallen onto the antenna. Read more: watoday.com.au/wa-news/hobby-farm-death-not-suspicious-20120416-1x2ed.html#ixzz1sA3VujOO (Trevor VK4BAT) Spectacular explosion on the Sun On April 16th around 17:45 UT, magnetic fields curling over the sun's north-eastern limb rose up and erupted, producing one of the most visually-spectacular explosions in years. The event, which also produced an M1.7-class solar flare and a coronal mass ejection, was not Earth-directed. Nevertheless, it confirms suspicions that a significant active region is rotating onto the Earth-side of the sun. Visit http://spaceweather.com for movies and updates. The blue mountains ( www.bmarc.org ) Amateur radio club’s May meeting will be its AGM. The meeting is on Friday 4th May and will be held at the new club house 4 Moore Street Glenbrook at 8pm. There is a $2 fee for anyone attending the club. All are welcome. (Danny Clark VK2FDCA Blue Mountains Amateur radio club) PADDLE FOR LIFE - LISMORE TO BALLINA BY RIVER. 14-16 Apr. About 40 canoes took part to complete the second stage, no adverse incidents. Lismore, Coraki, and Woodburn six boats, and two civvy boats gave safety cover. Comms assistance provided by WICEN with five operators with good comms. Lions and other service clubs provided feeding and assistance at the stops, with no accidents, everyone completed the courses with sometimes a little boat help. Pics on the Album page http://www.ourphotos.net.au/albums.php?album=3473 BLACKHAWK DOWN A Blackhawk Pilot will be down at Paluma in NQ, active during AM and CW on ANZAC Day. Chris VK4FR has advised that he will be leaving the chopper in the hangar and travelling to Paluma by road with a vehicle equipped with HF gear and portable internet to activate a site near the old World War 2 Radar Bunkers and is excited about Joining The Gang on AM and CW. (sourced to theTARCinc) SUMMITS ON THE AIR VK ACTIVATION www.sotawatch.org www.sota.org.uk You have heard of Islands on the Air. Now think tops of hills and mountains instead of islands, and you will be thinking of Summits on the Air or SOTA. SOTA commenced on the 1st of February in VK3 with six hundred and nine summits. Operators around all of VK can participate by chasing activations on these summits, or any other SOTA summits around the world. Indeed some VK operators are already well on their way to the entry level SOTA awards for both activators and chasers. For chasers, there are SOTA activations in VK3 on most weekends, and many of these are on either 20 or 40 metres. Activations can be on any amateur band using any mode, so an activation can be as simple as carrying a handheld FM rig to a summit top. Don't miss out on your chance to be the first VK Shack Sloth or Mountain Goat. This is Allan, VK4FABR , from the Queensland Centenary Committee. On behalf of Mike Charteris VK4QS, and members of the Committee, we can announce that June 1st, 2012, will see the official launch of “VK100WIQ” on the airwaves to celebrate the Centenary of the establishment of the Wireless Institute in Queensland. Our Centenary has its origins at a meeting organised in 1912, by Mr Sydney Victor Colville, a Broadcast Radio Engineer, who held the Amateur Call Sign “XQF” in Queensland. From this meeting in 1912 came the establishment of the Wireless Institute in the state of Queensland. Therefore, we, the members of the Queensland Centenary Committee would like to invite all amateur radio operators in Queensland and the rest of Australia to embrace this once in a lifetime opportunity to work “VK100WIQ . Those Radio Clubs of Queensland wishing to participate, will be required to seek a three day block by way of an on-line roster currently being established. VK100WIQ will be on air during the period June 1st to July 31st , from Radio Clubs of Queensland, operating on HF, VHF, UHF, and most other amateur modes. They will be looking forward to working stations all over Australia and the rest of the world during their individual three day blocks. The Centenary Committee, is currently organizing a special QSL Card and Centenary Certificate for those making contact with VK100WIQ. Details will be posted on the Centenary Website at www.wiaq.org.au by June 1st 2012. One of the highlights will be the holding of the Centenary President’s Luncheon at the Hervey Bay RSL Club, on Saturday July 21st 2012. Special guests include WIA President, Mr Michael Owen, VK3KI, and WIA Director, Mr Ewan McLeod VK4ERM. If you will be attending, this very special luncheon, then please contact Norm Greenaway VK4NP at nwg46@bigpond.com President of the Hervey Bay Club, He would love to hear from you. The next day, Sunday July 22nd will see the Hervey Bay Amateur Radio Club hosting a free BBQ at the Hervey Bay SES Buildings, on Old Maryborough Road Pialba. What better way to top off the President’s Luncheon on Saturday, then to go out for dinner Saturday night, and stay for the Sunday Free BBQ and make a weekend of it in beautiful Hervey Bay. Hervey Bay will be hosting VK100WIQ, and will be on air with it from the SES Buildings on the day of the BBQ. So that’s all from the centenary committee for now. Be sure to check your calendar, mark the dates in July, and check out our website at www.wiaq.org.au We look forward to seeing you at the Presidents Luncheon and working you on air. What use is an f-call? The annual National WIA conference is just over a month away in Mildura. This year I'll be participating in my first and I wondered if there are any f-call's who'd like to go, but have some trepidation on the idea of attending an event with lots of strangers. Perhaps you might like to come along and share a room. I've got a large family suite with spare beds available and if you're hesitant to be there because you know no-one, perhaps this might help you. I'm sure that we'll find something to talk about - amateur radio perhaps - hi hi. If you'd like to take me up on this offer, get in touch - contact details in the text edition. email: vk6flab@harg.org.au phone: 04 1219 8888 People are inventive, continually trying new things, solving problems, discovering new ones, making and breaking things, scratching an itch. Amateurs are no different. Well they are, but in essence they're no different from people. Amateurs just like to invent more stuff than the average person on the street. Meet any group of amateurs in the wild and before long you'll be embroiled in a discussion about how to solve a problem that is bugging one of you. There will be hand-waving, charts, calculators and good cheer to fill up the room. If you're new to Amateur Radio, you might find yourself overwhelmed by all this interaction. All you did was get your shiny new license and turn up. Now all these experts are jabbering on about stuff you know next to nothing about. Ironically, if you stop and think about it for a moment, you'll quickly come to the realization that this is true for everyone in the room. Some people did this yesterday, others last year, and some have been around since before you were born. The only trick in interacting with these people is to ask questions. Hearing a new Amateur on-air is a similar experience. What do you talk about and how do you avoid looking silly? I can't help with looking silly, but wearing a clown-costume on air is generally not a problem, since we're really only working with audio. More seriously, looking silly is in the eye of the beholder, if your intent is to learn, there can be no place for looking silly. So, my advice to you is to walk into the room or push your talk button and have a go. Ultimately, this hobby contains many different people, some of whom are going to share many of your interests. I'm Onno - VK6FLAB INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART, ARVictoria and the WW sources of the WIA. João Alberto Costa CT1FBF brings news of an extension to the amateur radio 6m band. He writes: The National Communications Authority of Portugal (ICP-ANACOM) welcomes the proposal of 2 amateur radio colleagues, José Carlos CT1DHM and João Costa CT1FBF, in order to amend the upper range limit of 50.5 MHz on the 6 metres band, from next April 26, 2012; the date of the complete switch-off of the analogue TV broadcasting transmissions to digital terrestrial television. The new limits of the band allocation for Portugal will be from 50 MHz to 52 MHz. Such opening, regarding the new upper limit for Portuguese ham radio 6 metres band, was possible thanks to the end of the old analogue signal TV broadcasting transmissions, on the lower VHF band (channels 2 to 4) after that date. UK C5 Discussion Group (VHF/UHF/Microwave matters) http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/ukc5discussion/ Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP) in Google English http://tinyurl.com/PortugalREP Portugese Regulator Anacom http://tinyurl.com/PortugalCommsRegulator World Amateur Radio Day On 18 April 2012, radio amateurs celebrated World Amateur Radio Day, on the 87th anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union or IARU. This year's theme was "Amateur Radio Satellites: Celebrating 50 Years in Space" in remembrance of the launching of OSCAR 1 on 12 December 1961 and the launch of OSCAR 2 on 2 June 1962. Nothing was heard after our initial notification here on VK1WIA News from any society/organisation in Australia of any celebration in VK. In 1924, ARRL President Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, had scheduled a business trip to Europe. While in Europe, Maxim was asked by the ARRL Board of Directors to represent the ARRL in fostering international relations between amateurs. Following an informal meeting in 1924, representatives from France, Great Britain, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Canada and the United States formulated a plan to hold an International Amateur Congress in Paris, France, in April 1925, for the purpose of founding the IARU. Representatives from Europe, North America, South America and Asia attended the congress, adopting a constitution for the IARU on April 17. At a closing assembly on the following day, officers were elected and the actions of the congress ratified by representatives from 25 countries. Thus, April 18 became the official "birthday" of the IARU and is now designated World Amateur Radio Day. There were HOWEVER several special event stations from OTHER IARU's Member Societies active on different dates during April: South Africa - ZS6IARU, was active 18 April. QSL via ZS4BS. Bulgaria - LZ1WARD, by the Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs, active throughout the month of April. QSL via bureau. Switzerland - HB9WARD by Union Schweizerischer Kurzwellen-Amateure, active 18 April. QSL via HB9JOE. Poland - HF87WARD, by members of the SP-CFF will be active from 17 to 30 April. There is an award for this operation. QSL via eQSL.cc and WFF LogSearch. Liberia - EL2RL, by the Liberia Radio Amateur Association active 18 April. Direct QSL to EL2BA. Mexico - 6H6IARU by the Federación Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores who were active from 13 to 18 April. QSL via LoTW and N7RO. Chile - 3G87IARU by the Radio Club de Chile, active throughout the month of April. QSL via CE3AA. ============================================================================= NEWS FROM ARNEWSLINE USA NZART CHANGES ITS REPEATER LICENSE FEE METHODS A decision from the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters will have an impact on several of its branches. Those where repeater and beacon licenses currently held in the name of NZART will be handed back to them. The current system of invoicing and renewals means a heavy administrative workload for society's resources at a time when subscription renewals are also being processed. This will mean that this coming November when the individual licenses are up for renewal, each branch will receive the license renewal invoice direct from the government telecommunications regulatory authority. This in turn means that branch secretaries will need to be aware of this and ensure that payment is made by the date due. Failure to do so may result in the license being cancelled. Unlike the United States where individual hams own and hold license to repeaters, in many nations it is the national society that is the repeater and beacon licensee. Those hams involved merely build and maintain repeaters. In fact, in some nations these hams are known as repeater keepers rather than as owner operators of such devices. NEW 50 MHz EME DIGITAL SARL DX RECORD Derek Gravette, ZS5Y, in Scottburgh, South Africa established a new 50 MHz South Africa Radio League Earth-Moon-Earth record. This, by making contact with Mike Staal, K6MYC, in northern California in the United States. On April 4th, the two completed a QSO on E-M-E using the JT65a digital mode. JT65 was developed by Joe Taylor, K1JT and released in late 2003. It is intended for extremely weak but slowly-varying signals, such as those found on tropo-scatter or of coarse E-M-E paths. (SARL) N0BYH GIVEN AWARD FOR AIDING HAM RADIO SCOUTING In the United States, Tim Arimond, N0BYH, has been awarded the Boy Scouts' District Award of Merit. This for his work in promoting amateur radio with the Boy Scouts in the Minneapolis and St Paul area. The award recognizes Airmond’s extraordinary service to youth that has included instruction to help prepare scouts to take the amateur radio exam as well as his service as a merit badge councillor for Electricity, Electronics, and Radio. It was also noted that he was also one of the adult leaders behind the local K0BSA. (KD0NYS) RADIO SPORT AND OPERATIONAL NEWS TITANIC EVENT IN VK4 The Redcliffe club’s brightly coloured tent stood out among the old maritime relics in a pristine area on the banks of the Brisbane River and as Bevan reports, the tent was not in the best position for radio communication but the operators persisted. There were many visitors to the radio tent including families as a result of media advertising with many asking questions about Morse code, and the role radio played in the Titanic disaster. Most visitors were fascinated at actually seeing the operators sending and receiving CW and many visitors were able to send morse themselves with keys attached to audio oscillators. The club had 3 operators until about 1100Z and one from then until the station closed at about 2230Z. Bevan also said that that the QSL cards for the event were printed last Wednesday as soon as the logs are collated the task of sending QSL cards will begin. (Ray vk4cf) SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN - D A T E L I N E 2012 VK/ZL AM/CW on ANZAC DAY April 25 VK/ZL Trans Tasman Contest 80metres Phone May 12 VK Shires Contest June 9-10 VK Winter VHF-UHF Field Day June 23-24 ZL NZART Memorial Contest July First full weekend VK/ZL Trans Tasman Contest 80+160metres July 21 VK Remembrance Day Contest August 11-12 WW International Lighthouse Lightship Wknd August 18-19 VK Spring VHF / UHF Field Day November 24-25 AM CW FOR ANZAC DAY The SA Repatriation General Hospital will be on-air for AM and CW on ANZAC DAY - Andrew VK5CV has advised that a team of operators will be activating Adelaide's Repatriation General Hospital during the event as part of the hospital's 70th year celebrations. Andrew has confirmed that special event call VI 70 RGH has been issued for this historic activation. (THETARCINC) SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX and BEACON AND NET ADVICE First activation of Botley Flour Mills for Mills on the Air weekend Botley Flour Mills near Southampton in the UK is one of the oldest known milling sites and is listed in the doomsday book and is believed to have been a mill site in pre-Roman times. The Mill will be activated for what is believed to be the first time with the callsign GB 0 BFM for Mills on the Air weekend on the 12/13th of May from 10:00-1600 BST with an NoV for 80m, 40m, 2m & 70cm. The station will be run by M 0 IED and father G 6 FRT and other members of Itchen Valley Radio Club with added assistance from Southampton University Wireless society. Itchen Valley Radio Club: http://www.ivarc.org.uk/ Southampton University Wireless society: http://www.suws.susu.org Botley Flour Mills: http://www.botleymills.co.uk/heritage.htm In DX, EA3OW is now active through May 12th as EA 3 0W/HH8 from Southern Haiti. Listen out for him on 40 through 10 meters using SSB, RTTY and digital modes. QSL via his home callsign, EA 3 OW DJ 9 RR will be on the air as S 79 RR from Mahe Island between May 15th and the 23rd. Activity on 40 through 10 meters using CW and RTTY. QSL via his home callsign, JJ 9 RR. Members of the Jersey Contest Group will be active as GJ 2 A from the Isle of Jersey during the Radio Society of Great Britain’s’ Islands on the Air Contest July 28 and 29. QSL direct to GJ 3 DVC. Mozambique operation ZS6JR and ZS6DJD will be operating from Mozambique for seven days starting the 3rd of May 2012. QTH is Shai Shai, Mozambique, 400 km north of the capital and they will operate all vertical antennas with the earth wires in lake water. 40m to 10m. The 2012 Asian Weightlifting Championships is being held this month in South Korea. To celebrate the event the special callsign DT 12 AWC is activated until 30th of April. QSL Manager is DS 2 GOO. REWIND Radio Ham established Broadcasting Amateur radio operator Frank Conrad 8XK established the concept of radio broadcasting. Frank first became interested in radio in 1912 when, in order to settle a bet on the accuracy of a watch, he built a radio in order to hear time signals from the Arlington, Virginia Naval Observatory. He then constructed, in his garage, a new transmitter, licensed in 1916 as 8XK, whose signal could be heard throughout the Pittsburgh area. In response to popular demand, Frank began broadcasting for two hours each Wednesday and Saturday night. Watch Frank Conrad Invents Broadcasting by doing a youtube google. (SouthGate) SOCIAL SCENE 2012 APR 28 VK6 HARGfest (Hills ARG) MAY 3-18 VK5 YL International 2012 Australia (vk5tmc@bigpond.com) MAY 5- 6 VK4 RADAR and MARC Clairview Gathering MAY 25-27 VK3 WIA Annual Conference Mildura MAY 26 VK4 BARCFEST (a hamfest) Mt Gravatt Showgrounds 9am. JUN 8-11 VK4 FNNQARG! QLD Cassowary Coast JUN 9-10 VK5 South East Radio Group Convention, Mt Gambier. JULY 14 VK4 Wide Bay Hamfest. West Maryborough Scout Hall JULY 21 VK3 Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club Hamfest @ Cranbourne JULY 21 VK4 WIA VK4 CLUB PRESIDENTS LUNCH Hervey Bay AR Club NOV 4 VK5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society HAMFEST @ Goodwood NOV 11 VK3 Yarra Valley Amateur Radio Group Hamfest NOV 25 VK3 SPARC HAMFEST AT ROSEBUD WIA Annual Conference Mildura May 25th, 26th and 27th 2012 Details for the WIA 2012 Annual Conference being held in Mildura are on wia.org.au Host club is Sunraysia Radio Group, led by Garry Briant VK3KYF and Noel Ferguson VK3FI. WIA Members who register for the event will be able to participate in a range of fascinating and memorable activities. Submitting news items If you would like to submit news items for inclusion in the VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to nationalnews@wia.org.au to submit audio read "how to submit items" in the weekly news page on wia.org.au Remember the sooner you submit material the more the likelihood of it being broadcast in the very next edition of WIA National News. Each item will only be broadcast once, if you want a couple of mentions, please submit different slants to keep your event 'fresh'. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============================================================================= WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide. 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