WIANEWS - DECEMBER 29 - 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. When you upload audio email us the txt version. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WIANEWS WEEK COMMENCING DEC 29 2013. PROPOSED AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ACTIVITY TO COMMEMORATE GALLIPOLI UP TOWERS IN VK2 VK5 SCOOP POOL IN WIA CONTEST THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING DEC 29 2013. PROPOSED AMATEUR RADIO CLUB ACTIVITY TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY OF GALLIPOLI Alex VK4TE contacted our WIA with a tremendous idea of us honouring the original ANZACs this at no cost to WIA but rather drawing on Australian Government funds allocated for community involvement from EVERY Federal seat in Australia. Unfortunately at the WIA Board meeting November 19 the WIA as a body will not be as actively involved as Alex would have liked BUT Club Committee man Ted Thrift of WIA HAS issued the following to all club Secretary's. "We are trying to put together a widespread activity to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing throughout Australia. At this stage, the idea is that we try to encourage one amateur radio club in each Federal electorate (150 in Australia) to establish an HF/VHF station to operate for a day from the premises of the local RSL sub-branch if appropriate and then for the next twelve days (it may extend out to twenty six days) to operate on a roster basis from ARC member’s home QTHs. Anzac day in 2015 falls on a Saturday and with memorial services and marches and associated club activities on the 25th, that is why the start date for the activity has been provisionally set for the 26th. (Any activity before 0000Z on the 26th is obviously on Anzac day itself.) A special call sign VI?CANZAC/P Federal electorate has been proposed. The explanation of this call is as follows - VI Amateur Radio Club ? State numeral C Roman letter for 100 ANZAC Self explanatory /P Federal electorate - whatever the electorate is that the ARC is located in. One of the initial steps is to ask every ARC to send us an Email advising us of their Federal electorate. The Email address for this information is shown at the bottom of this request. A special QSL card is proposed and the suggestion has been made to help reduce the overall cost of the exercise by printing one QSL card with a space after the VI to allow the state numeral to be manually inserted and a space after the /P to insert the appropriate electorate name. It has also been suggested that a Gallipoli Centenary Award could form part of this exercise with various levels of achievement e.g. Bronze, Silver, Gold and possibly Diamond dependent on the total number of electorates worked in the period of activity of the award. Do you feel your club could be interested in supporting such a commemorative event? Although it is some time away (16 months) forward planning has to start. Does your club have any suggestions on how the proposed activity could be made more attractive to fellow amateurs? All suggestions for changes, additions, improvements are welcome in the hope that the celebratory event proceeds successfully on this unique centenary occasion. Please Email your club Federal electorate and any suggestions etc. to the following addresses adbeales@iinet.net.au and a1985@ozemail.com.au " (Andy VK4KCS Alex VK4TE 23/12/2013 via WIA club email listing x vk2ara) HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. VK2 web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm From 22 February 2014, amateurs across VK2 will have the freedom to put up masts, antennas and dishes unfettered by development restrictions previously imposed by local councils, which varied widely across the state. Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, the Hon Brad Hazzard MP, has announced a range of changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) on exempt and complying development, which enables minor developments that meet set standards to proceed without having to get development approvals passed through local councils. The changes of interest to amateurs concerns aerials, antennas and communication dishes that can be put up as ‘exempt development’. Highlights are summarized on wia front page news, www.wia.org.au In the summary Roger Harrison VK2ZRH says "If your property is not subject to certain environmental or heritage restrictions, you can erect up to 3 aerials, antennae and communication dishes on a lot. A ground mounted aerial or antenna can be attached to a mast that is no more than 10m in height and located at least 5m from a side or rear boundary. VK3 A new beacon planned for Mildura Listen for a new beacon at 473 KHz on the new 630 Metre band from Mildura in north-western Victoria. Built by Noel Fergusson VK3FI it has a 70-watt transmitter under test. Based on the Drew Diamond VK3XU circuit it has changes made mainly for available components and uses homebrew boards. A burst of hot weather has slightly delayed the installation of a basic inverted L-antenna, with the earth cross connected to the main mast plus seven radials and some 27 earth stakes. Mildura is roughly equal distance from Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney - making its signal ideal for those listening or working on the new band. The beacon keys QRV de VK3FI Mildura followed by 20 seconds of carrier. Reception reports to vk3fi@wia.org.au will be appreciated. Actual transmission times will be detailed on VK3BWI and elsewhere, but it maybe there tonight, so listen. (Jim Linton VK3PC) VK6 The team at News West will be hosting a special edition of the news celebrating 100 years of organised amateur radio in VK6 today Sunday the 29th of December to close off the centenary year in VK6. The news will be available for download from the News West website at vk6.net News West can be heard on 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 6m, 2m, 70cm, 23cm, via download on the information beacon VK6RIB and it's also available on demand in QLD on Toowoomba repeater VK4RDD. See vk6.net for details of broadcast frequencies and times. DISCUSSION POINT What use is an f-call? When I speak with different amateurs it often strikes me that they come from all different kinds of backgrounds and experiences. Behind a foundation licence often is an individual who has experience which relates to amateur radio in some passing way. To grab a random collection, I know a foundation call who builds commercial antennas for a living, one who managed a large mobile phone network, one who maintains repeaters for his employers. My point is this. Just because an amateur has an entry level license does not mean they're always clueless. The corollary is true too. Just because an amateur has the highest level of qualifications doesn't make them an expert on all things amateur. In my search for knowledge and experience I've learnt to socialise with my local amateur community, find online groups who share my interests and interact with enthusiasts who are building and playing. Go outside once in a while and make some new friends. I'm Onno VK6FLAB INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA. OUT OF THIS WORLD - DEEP SPACE Former radio amateur Jeff Garzik ex-KB4UZB plans to develop a CubeSat to distribute block chain data for the digital currency Bitcoin Jeff in recent years during his spare time has been a Bitcoin core-developer, contributing to the core Bitcoin protocol. He says that a satellite node could help defend the Bitcoin network from a Sibyl attack, which is where malicious computers flood a node on the peer-to-peer network with bad data. It is reported that so far he has raised 37 Bitcoins (about $32,000) in funding for the project. Read the Wired Magazine article Bitcoins in Space: Hacker to Fire Digital Currency Into Orbit http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/12/bitcoin_space/ SPAIN Following steps taken by URE, the Spanish national amateur radio society, SETSI, their regulator, has issued a resolution authorizing use of the following frequencies during the first half of 2014: 5268, 5295, 5313, 5382, 5430 and 5439 kHz. 3 kHz bandwidth, Power Limit 100W, CW/SSB UNITED KINGDOM FIRST NOVEL ABOUT CUBESATS AND PERSONAL SPACECRAFT PUBLISHED A Pyramid of Tiny Skulls by Andy Thomas, G0SFJ, is reported to be the first novel to find inspiration from CubeSat and the new wave of personal spacecraft such as Sprites. In, the story a character named Jack Malik, who is an entrepreneur and nightclub operator, carries a letter from murdered dancer home to a Russian enclave at Kaliningrad. There he agrees to collect a secret parcel from Shanghai. What he brings back will attract the City Leader's attention, and echo through the Cosmos. Thomas has dedicated the new book to those whom he describes as the visionaries of CubeSat and personal spacecraft. Availability is at www.createspace.com/4548329 ============================================================================= Amateur Radio Newsline NEW HAM RADIO EDUCATIONAL INTEREST VIDEO There’s a new ham radio promotional and educational video now on the Internet that may be of use to those trying to interest non hams in joining the fraternity. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Hal Rodgers, K8CMD, tells us a bit about it: -- Amateurs interested in spreading the good word about their hobby now have a new tool. A video entitled “Discovering Amateur radio” has just been released. Written and narrated by David Anderson, K1AN, the production describes an extraordinary technology that in just 100 years has transformed our lives in, as Anderson says, “the most amazing ways.” Available in a condensed version as well as a half hour program, the well-paced video can be viewed on line or used in group presentations. The producers say it was created for anyone who wishes to encourage youths and adults to discover amateur radio. The production is one of many educational programs administered under the auspices of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization through partnership with the World Genesis Foundation. “Discovering Amateur Radio” is on the project website at www.radioqrv.com For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Hal Rogers, K8CMD CONVICTED KILLER OF RADIO AMATEUR AND WIFE GETS LIFE SENTENCE A federal jury deliberating the sentence for Arizona inmate John McCluskey failed to reach a unanimous verdict on Wednesday, December 11th meaning the judge will sentence him to life in prison for murdering a retired Oklahoma ham radio operator and his wife. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has more: -- John McCluskey was convicted of the brutal murder of Gary Haas, N5VGH, and his wife Linda. Their bodies were found in their burned out travel trailer in Santa Rosa, New Mexico on August 4th, 2010. During the four-month trial, the defence argued that McCluskey should not be executed because brain damage, abuse and addictions made him incapable of controlling his impulses and making reasoned decisions when he shot the Hazes. Prosecutors asserted that the only fitting punishment was to put McCluskey to death because he was a dangerous and remorseless, cold-blooded killer and a danger to society. The victims were making their 11th summer trip to Colorado when they were killed three days after the prison break funded by a drug smuggling ring McCluskey allegedly ran in the prison. At that time, McCluskey was serving 15 years for attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharge of a firearm when he and two other prisoners staged a daring escape from a medium-security jail near Kingman, Arizona. This with the help of his cousin and fiancée Casslyn Welch. Jurors deliberated for nearly four days before deciding they couldn't agree on the death sentence making mandatory that McCluskey serve the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale, Arizona. -- The Haas family left the courtroom quietly saying that they didn't want to comment on the jury's decision. A sentencing date has yet to be set. SUN'S CURRENT SOLAR ACTIVITY CYCLE IS WEAKEST IN A CENTURY Although there have been numerous theories presented by solar researchers, many have come to the simple conclusion that Solar Cycle 24 is the most anaemic in 100 years. Amateur Radio Newsline’s Heather Embee, KB3TZD, has the details: -- While our home star the Sun is now at its 11 year solar maximum it has already been compared with earlier poor solar maximums including the very weak Solar Cycle 14 in the early 1900’s. That cycle began February 1902 and ending in August 1913. The maximum smoothed sunspot number observed during that cycle was 64.2, and the minimum was 1.5. There were a total of approximately 1019 days with no sunspots during cycle 14. Leif Svalgaard is a researcher at Stanford University. On December 11th he told reporters at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union that none of us alive have ever seen such a weak cycle, noting that the learning has already begun. For example, scientists think they know why the solar storms that have erupted during Solar Cycle 24 have caused relatively few problems here on Earth. They say that the sun often blasts huge clouds of superheated particles known as Coronal Mass Ejections into space. Powerful CME’s that hit Earth squarely can trigger geomagnetic storms, which in turn can disrupt radio communications. But such effects have rarely been seen during Solar Cycle 24, even though the total number of Coronal Mass Ejections hasn't dropped off significantly. The explanation, researchers say lies in the reduced pressure currently present in the suns heliosphere. Nat Gopalswamy of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre asserts that this lower pressure has allowed CME’s to expand greatly as they move through space. As such Solar Cycle 24 Coronal Mass Ejections are, on average, 38 percent wider than those measured during the last cycle. In other words, less pressure from these CME’s is hitting here on Earth. And when the CMEs expand more, the magnetic field inside of them has lower strength. So when you have lower-strength magnetic fields, then they cause milder geomagnetic storms. Scientists also think they know why relatively few super-fast solar energetic particles, or have been measured in Earth's neighbourhood during the current cycle, which began in early 2008. They say that this has to do with a weakened interplanetary magnetic field which appears to be another characteristic of Solar Cycle 24. Also quite significant is the fact that the polar field was weak during Solar Cycle 23, so researchers kind of suspected that Solar Cycle 24 would be similar. For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I’m Heather Embee, KB3TZD, in Berwick, Pennsylvania. -- Stanford’s Leif Svalgaard says that predictions about Solar Cycle 25 should start coming in two or three years. ============================================================================= RSGB's G4NJH 60m PSK31 beacon in South Africa A 60m beacon is transmitting PSK31 from South Africa on 5,250kHz at 5 minute intervals. Should you hear this beacon please send a signal report to beacon@zs6kts.co.za and a copy to propresearch@sarl.org.za Include your locator number with the report. Operated by the Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society, it is hoped to add CW and WSPR in the near future. Thousands say "Hi" to Juno Thousands of amateur radio operators around the world were able to say "Hi" to NASA's Juno spacecraft as it went past Earth on its way to Jupiter. The "say Hi" project was made possible by the fact that Juno passed within 350 miles of the Earth's surface on 9th October in a manoeuvre to gain momentum for its July 2016 encounter with Jupiter. Juno did not return the greeting or even directly decode the messages but the Juno team evaluated the Waves instrument data containing the messages when the spacecraft was still over 37,000 kilometres from the Earth. ============================================================================= ============================================================================= WEIRD AND WONDERFUL In our world of Radio Communications over the years maybe the Weirdest you may have come across are what are known as "The Numbers Stations." Many have heard of the Cuban numbers being read by a female, but here in VK Cherry Ripe was the nickname of a mysterious, powerful shortwave numbers station that used several bars from the English folk song "Cherry Ripe" as an interval signal. The station was believed to be operated by the British Secret Intelligence Service and to have emanated from Australia. It is likely that the station was used to communicate messages to undercover agents operating in other countries, to be decoded using a one-time pad. Cherry Ripe had a more famous and much more active Middle-Eastern cousin, the Lincolnshire Poacher, which also used several bars from the English folk song of the same name as its interval signal. Lincolnshire Poacher had long been suspected as being operated by Britain and had been detected as emanating from Cyprus. Apart from the interval signal, the format and voice of these two stations was identical, though as of July 2008 the Lincolnshire Poacher appeared to no longer be active and December 2009 Cherry Ripe also went off air. somethingelsereviews.com have in their December issue a great story complete with many recordings. Though most governments probably don’t want to go on record admitting this, shortwave counting stations were set up to enable one-way communications to a spy embedded in an area. Secret messages are encoded as numbers and are transmitted, after a short and (sometimes) snappy musical preamble, via the human voice. Since they probably change the cipher for each message, and because it’s nearly impossible to locate the consumer, this method of information broadcast is supposed to be highly secure. So why would a person want to listen to this stuff? Well back in the cold war period, late 50's late 70's you couldn't really tune too far out of band without hearing "Numbers Stations." Also Cherry Ripe was active as we said until almost 2010. Would you believe you can now actually buy a 4 cd set of NUMBERS. Again check out somethingelsereviews.com and I'll leave you with arguably the most infamous numbers racket of them all.. The Lincolnshire Poacher (audio) OPERATIONAL NEWS - DATELINE 2014 AMSAT STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT JANUARY ONE WIA Summer VHF-UHF Field Day 11/12 January WIA John Moyle Field Day weekend March 15-16 WIA VK Harry Angel Memorial Sprint May 3 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 2 - 3 WIA REMEMBRANCE DAY (THE RD) CONTEST Aug 16 - 17 Manly-Warringah Radio Society's Flagpole contest September. AMSAT SKN on OSCAR 2014 in Memory of W2LV You are cordially invited to participate in Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2014, sponsored by AMSAT for all radio amateurs throughout the world. Operate CW through any amateur satellite from 0001 through 2400 UTC on 1 January 2014, using a manual, non-electronic key. Note that bugs are now allowed. There is no need to send in a log, but please nominate someone you worked for Best Fist. Your nominee need not have the best fist of those you heard, just of those you worked. Send your nomination to w2rs@amsat.org This year's event is being held in memory of Robert Morris (1902-1997), W2LV. Bob's amateur and professional career in radio literally spanned the era from spark to satellite. One of the first to work across the Atlantic in 1923, he also received Satellite DXCC No. 2 in 1979. (AMSAT) Spring VHF-UHF Field Day Results Although we have not been notified by the WIA or our WIA contest department, listening to last weekend’s VK7WI News from Hobart I heard that this year VK5 logs outnumbered other call areas by a country mile and VK5 stations won four of the six sections. Would seem main winners were : VK5AKM, VK5KK, VK5LA and VK5ZD SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE PAØRRS is once again active as 9 M 2 MRS from Penang Island from Dec 31 until February 3rd. His operation will be on 40 through 10 meters using CW, RTTY and PSK. QSL via his home call PA Ø RRS Sovereign Military Order of Malta An international team of amateur radio operators led by Francesco, IK 0 FVC, will be active as 1 A 0 KM from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta between January 2-7th QSL via IK 0 FTA. Log will be uploaded to LoTW. ACT 2M BEACON After an absence of many years ACT now have an operational 2M beacon in the region on 144.410 using the call sign VK 1 RSB. It currently running in the Belconnen area of the ACT into a temporary antenna at 10Watts. It is planned to install its permanent 6db stacked clover leaf 360 degree horizontally polarised antenna early in the new year. The 433/1296 MHz beacons and antennas will be installed at the same time on the site. Reports would be welcome. Send reports to committee@crarc.ampr.org (Alan VK1WX and Rob VK1KW Canberra Region Amateur Radio Club) First activation of lighthouse USA-1407 Activating Mount Dora Lighthouse USA-1407 on the 140th Anniversary of the first settlers to Mount Dora, Florida - Feb 15-Feb 16 40 20 15 10 meters; CW, SSB & PSK31. Mount Dora Lake Lighthouse-USA-1407 is the only inland freshwater lighthouse in Florida. It is a working navigational lighthouse for the Port of Mount Dora on Lake Dora in Lake County, Florida. See qrz.com webpages for N4N or KA4WJR- follow instructions for qsl. website: 146970.com/lighthouse. QSL via eQSL (SOURCED TO SOUTHGATE) AWARD TREKKING VK3 A portable and mobile trek around Victoria Husband and wife team, Joe VK3YSP and Julie Gonzales VK3FOWL are on the road aiming to activate areas covered by no less than four operating awards. The pair had mapped in four circle trips, all 45 areas they plan to activate under the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award (KRMNPA). They will work also under the World Wide Flora and Fauna (WWFF) Award, visit three peaks for Summits On The Air (SOTA), and while mobile outside the parks be available for the Local Government Award (LGA) on simplex. Listen for them during this holiday season from 19 National Parks in Western Victoria, on a frequency of 7090 MHz All contacts are planned to be logged on qrz.com, with activations on the KRMNPA and WWFF Yahoo Australia groups, and spots on the SOTA database. BROADCAST MONITORING SWL AND SCANNER NEWS websdr.org Voice of Russia closing Only days remain on air for a signature station on the shortwave broadcasting bands, the Voice of Russia which was previously Radio Moscow. The end of its transmissions comes on the 1st of January, and in part is blamed on rising costs and to make the country's state media more efficient. On October the 29th, 1929, Radio Moscow became the first to have a broadcast to the world, followed three years later by the BBC, and then the Voice of America in 1942. By 1939 Radio Moscow was broadcasting in the Arabic, English, French, German and Italian languages and warned about the growth of fascism. Mussolini ordered Radio Moscow be blocked. Hitler did so also when WWII began. During the so-called Cold War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev used Radio Moscow to broadcast an open letter to President John F. Kennedy that saw an end of that conflict and a threatened war. The state-owned broadcaster has primarily included propaganda for foreign listeners. Those who tuned into the favourable broadcasts and interviews following the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident of 1986 were in no doubt of the true facts. The Soviet Union acknowledged in those broadcasts that there had been an accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine, but downplayed its importance. A decree recently signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, puts an official end to the shortwave broadcasts. (Jim Linton VK3PC) 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 Hi everyone, its Ray, VK4CF from the Redcliffe Club. Thanks to those who monitor the club’s repeater as both Ken, VK4FKEN and Scotty, VK4NUT, have heard a possible pirate station on the 2 metre repeater. This person is broadcasting music on the repeater frequencies. It is requested that all amateurs that either listen to or use the Redcliffe 2 metre repeater and hear this person please log the time and date, the type of interference, your location and if possible the signal strength of the up-link frequency. If you then could email John, VK4YJV via the club’s web or notify the club secretary also via the club website. Previous pirate stations who have tried to use the repeater have suffered heavy penalties and loss of their equipment. Protecting our bands from any intruder is a responsibility that each of us share so your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER Saudisat 1C, SO-50, Eleven Years in Orbit Now known as SO-50, Saudisat 1C is a Saudi Arabian picosatellite that was launched on December 20,2002. SO-50 features a "Mode J" FM amateur repeater operating on a 2M uplink and a 440 downlink. "Most hams already own the necessary equipment to work SO-50," reports long time AMSAT Area Coordinator Clint Bradford, K6LCS. "It is preferable to work SO-50 in true, full-duplex mode - so you can hear the downlink as you transmit. This means - for most - using a second radio. SO-50's repeater is available to amateurs worldwide, and it uses a 67.0 Hertz PL tone on the uplink. SO-50 also has a 10 minute timer that must be armed before use. If you know the satellite is there - but there is nothing heard - you may need to shoot it a PL tone of 74.4 to turn it ON! (AMSAT) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ILLW ILLW continues to grow Germany has taken the lead in the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend held in August with 32 marine beacons already registered, stepping up the pressure on its usual rival Australia that has 30 registrations. Club station DL0SY on Germany's northern-most Sylt Island is to activate four lighthouses - List-west, List-east, Kampen and Hornum - that helped navigate early ships around the distinctively shaped coast. In Australia, the virgin registration of the Griffith Island Lighthouse, which guided ships into Port Fairy in south-western Victoria in its long gone whaling era - has been made by Peter Fraser VK3ZPF. Formal permission is being sought for Griffith Island which attracts birdwatchers to see the many nesting birds, including the shearwater's that migrate from the northern hemisphere each year. Also husband and wife Joe VK3YSP and Julie Gonzales VK3FOWL will be at the Queenscliff White Lighthouse that hasn't been activated since 2002. In other registrations England has 10, the USA 8, Argentina 5, and Canada & Ireland 4 - these among 23 countries with a total of 120 registrations so far. To see previous activity reports and pictures, or register on line for the next International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on August the 16th and 17th, visit the website www.illw.net (Jim Linton VK3PC) SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ROAR ROTARIANS OF AMATEUR RADIO website: www.ifroar.org email: webmaster@ifroar.org facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/RotariansROAR/ International President 2012 -2015: Bill Main VK4ZD secretary: Dr Elwood Anderson, AE5EA ANZO VP: Peter Lowe, VK3KCD 0645z - 0730z Anzo Net 7.118 (varies due to propagation) 0730z - 0830z International net 14.293 (varies due to propagation) Rotarians Of Amateur Radio are one of the original Rotary fellowships, 47 years young. This year was Rotary's 108th birthday. Next year will be the 109th birthday and 2015 will bring up Rotary's 110th birthday. As the ROAR International President for 2012 - 2015I am encouraging ROAR members to participate in a yearly on air event using special POLIO call signs (where possible) to help celebrate Rotary's birthday by highlighting Rotary's goals and achievements in the fight against polio. This will be a coordinated effort on the weekend closest to Rotary’s birthday - February 23. In 2014 this will be a worldwide event with ROAR members operating stations with special POLIO call signs from many countries around the world. In Australia we expect the following stations active; VI2POLIO (Noel VK2IWT), VI3POLIO (Peter VK3KCD), VI4POLIO (Diane VK4KYL and Bill VK4ZD), VI6POLIO (Wally VK6YS) and VI7POLIO (Reg VK7KK). So far, other ROAR members who have indicated that they wish to participate are W9UHL, VE3BGG, KB6NU, OH6SM, YO9BC and YO9BGR. Many more are expecting to obtain special event call signs for the event. Why POLIO? Rotary International and its many partners are on the verge of eliminating Polio worldwide. It has been a long haul but even war torn countries like Syria are cooperating in the effort to rid the world once and for all of this scourge. (Bill Main, VK4ZD ROAR President 2012-2015) SOCIAL SCENE 2014 Jan 24-27 VK4 TARC Australia Day Long Weekend Family Radio Camp at Girl Guides Campsite Bluewater. (vk4zz@wia.org.au) Feb 01 VK4 Redcliffe Radio Club "Car Boot Sale" 9 am. ( secretary@redclifferadioclub.org.au ) Feb 23 VK2 Wyong Field Day and it is on come rain hail or shine. Apr 13-15 VK PR4AmateurRadio Expo. Apr 18 WW Amateur Radio Day: Your Gateway to Wireless Communications. Apr 25 vk3 ANZAC Day event Ballarat Showgrounds johnkarr@bigpond.net.au May 2- 4 VK4 Clairview Gathering Clive VK4ACC 0429 632 815 Nov 2 VK5 HamFest Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Nov 30 VK3 SPARC HamFest at Rosebud (howardjones155@gmail.com) 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 ‘and always if the news room is to read your item write in the 3rd person. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============================================================================= WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide. TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA 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 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. -------------