May 24 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING May 24 2015. IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS Balloons galore attract trackers Launch of the solar powered party-type balloons from Melbourne Australia is continuing. At least one, by Andy Nguyen VK3YT, is flying with a payload of a 25mW transmitter to give position, speed, altitude, temperature, and battery condition. These balloons are being followed flying at high altitudes by their WSPR, JT9 signals and sometimes Olivia signals on the 30m and 20m bands, with trackers in VK, ZL and throughout the world. After circumnavigating the southern hemisphere the balloon PS-41 went south towards Antarctica, then headed east to the southern end of South America. That balloon disappeared in the Southern Ocean around April 21 and is believed to be the first flight on its kind in the Antarctic region. While PS-42, put up by Andy VK3YT during the PS-41 record distance flight as part of a multiple-balloon tracking test, quickly crossed the International Dateline but then slowed down and headed north to go down mid-way between New Zealand and South America. PS-44 after travelling down the Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula to leave the mainland at Cape Schanck was last known to be in slow flight over Bass Strait. Earlier and out-of-sequence PS-45 went from Melbourne westerly to Adelaide before turning inland heading towards north-east to exit at the Gold Coast in Queensland and out to sea. The weather has been very unfavourable, which is to be expected at this time of the year in the southern hemisphere, but future flights in the series are planned. (Jim Linton VK3PC) WIA BOARD TALK President Phil Wait VK2ASD vk2asd@wia.org.au Vice President Chris Platt VK5CP vk5cp@wia.org.au Secretary David Williams VK3RU vk3ru@wia.org.au Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz@wia.org.au WIA AGM About 120 members attended the Institute’s Annual General Meeting, held over the second weekend in May. A bus tour of our national capital saw partners enjoy some of the city’s highlights and they joined in the dinner on the Saturday evening. The AGM segment of the day began with a moment’s silence, to remember the silent keys of the past year. This was followed by the usual business reports, a financial statement and other annual general meeting formalities. With the business over, President Phil Wait VK2ASD went on to present the annual awards recognising the achievements attained by worthy amateurs. More about the awards in a moment. Once the clapping subsided, the fun began with the “Open Forum”, featuring lively presentations from a variety of presenters. The Forum allows WIA members to speak, comment, ask questions and make suggestions on any topic. Dale Hughes VK1DSH led the charge, with a short, stimulating talk titled “the importance of being involved”, highlighting his advocacy work for amateur radio on behalf of the Institute at World Radio Conferences and many associated Working Party meetings. What’s that they say on social media? – it’s complicated! The central theme of the Forum this year was the tenth Anniversary of the Foundation Licence. From a position of steady decline before 2005, the reshaping of the licence system into the Advanced, Standard and new entry point Foundation Licence, has seen that downward trend turned around. Foundation Licence is due for review The 10th anniversary of the new entry level licence in Australia has seen a great turnaround with Amateur Radio being made more accessible to a greater number of people. When it was proposed as part of the Australian Communications Authority "Big Review", the Foundation Licence was embraced by radio amateurs as the way forward for Amateur Radio. The Foundation Licence has transformed us from a worrying declining interest in Amateur Radio, to one of growth with new people entering the hobby and most upgrading to the Standard or Advance levels. Designed more than a decade ago, it gave entrants a taste of Amateur Radio, inspiring many to explore the multi-faceted hobby, and encouraged some to go further and upgrade their qualification. Since 2005 over 5,000 Foundation Licence assessments have held, but with a decline in the number of candidates, more needs to be done to promote the hobby and review the attractiveness of it as the entry point. While the Foundation Licence is now 10 years old and due for a review to reflect new technology of the last decade, and provide a better taste of a modern Amateur Radio, it remains a popular entry point into the hobby. At the Forum, each current WIA assessor who’d been with the scheme from the start was recognised with a special framed certificate to mark their 10 years of service. Further presentations across the Saturday afternoon featured a range of speakers covering the many details of Assessment and Education in Amateur Radio and the WIA’s Role in the System. This included one talk on special needs and remote assessments, in which the WIA has been particularly successful. To relieve the seriousness, Andrew Morsley VK1NAM and Simon Pearce VK1FAAS conveyed their passion and enthusiasm for Summits on the Air, known as SOTA an activity that combines bushwalking, hill climbing and portable amateur radio. What’s not to like? Simon highlighted SOTA activities as ideal for providing successful on-air experience for Foundation operators – better than calling “blind” into the aether with 10 watts. Paul Simmons VK5PAS backed this up with an engaging presentation on the World Wide Flora and Fauna awards system that mixes amateur radio with drawing attention to the importance of protecting nature, flora and fauna. A presentation on amateurs’ obligations concerning their electromagnetic emissions, given by Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, drew some questions and comments from the floor. Tongue in cheek, Roger led the audience in chanting “What do we want? A thousand watts! When do we want it? Now!” Comments and suggestions from the floor of the meeting included issues on band planning, the perennial query on licence fees, Intruder Watch activities, the handling of correspondence, membership of committees, a suggestion for plastic wallet-sized amateur licences, donations and club equipment insurance, amongst others. All of the issues and suggestions were logged for consideration by the Board. Touched on during the Forum, and at the dinner held that evening, members heard more about the ACMA being in a state of change over recent times, including the introduction of a new online digitised licence handling system for all radiocommunications licensees – not only amateurs, but broadcasters, commercial users and others. The Saturday night guest speaker at the annual dinner was Mr Mark Loney, who heads ACMA’s Spectrum Operations and Services Branch. He opened with a travelogue about his recent trip to Mongolia, studying how a third-world country tackles the challenges of spectrum management. Having softened-up his attentive audience, Mr Loney explained that there had been a delay in the advised shut-down of the current licence system in preparation for a switch-over to a you-beaut new one. Apparently, it was judged to be not quite ready to go live. No doubt we’ll hear more about this from the ACMA in coming weeks and months. Mr Loney went on to highlight that the current three radiocommunication licence types now available – Apparatus, Spectrum and Class licences – are likely to be changed or amalgamated under a review of how the spectrum is managed here. Mr Loney hinted at this brave new world, with many challenges likely to be waiting in the wings. The WIA Board sees the coming changes as positive, has already made submissions to the reviews announced, attended briefings and information sessions, published reports on what’s transpired so far and is preparing to respond to the many challenges ahead. The Board sincerely thanks all who helped to bring together the 2015 AGM and Open Forum, in particular – Amanda Hawes VK1WX and members of the Canberra Amateur Radio Club, our office staff Mal Brooks VK3FDSL and Diane Ashton VK3FDIZ, the many members who turned up at the Friday night meet-and greet at King O’Malley’s pub, and assorted bodies who assisted during Saturday. We apologise for the remaining two items not having text associated but do direct you to the story from WIA on her awards issued at AGM by going to http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2015/20150521-2/index.php And for the WIA Board report from the meeting held the Sunday in Canberra to:- http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2015/20150520-20/index.php Continuing Board Talk from the WIA VK3PC Jim Linton reports on a friendship contact between TC100GP and VI8ANZAC. A meeting by two commemorative stations - TC100GP for the Centenary of Gallipoli at Canakkale, and VI8ANZAC at the North Darwin Return Services League symbolise the enduring respect held by both sides of the WWI battle. The 15m band ANZAC weekend QSO is one of occasion when Turkey’s TC100- prefixed stations and the ANZAC-suffixed callsigns in Australia, made contact via Amateur Radio. Coscun Pinar TA3CX of Team Papa that was TC100GP at Gallipoli later wrote: “We Turks are highly respectful to our ancestors, very similar to you. Therefore, we admire the ANZAC spirit and fidelity. Our ancestors sleep in peace in Gallipoli together and we wish peace for the living world forever.” VI8ANZAC coordinator, Stuie Birkin VK8NSB replied: “My friend, thank you very much for activating TC100GP. I was very happy to have worked you guys on ANZAC Day. It was a pleasure to have met you, and this QSO will stay with me for ever.” Stuie VK8NSB, now in his 28th year with the Royal Australian Air Force, is very proud and honoured to have activated the VI8ANZAC callsign. He was in Gallipoli for the ANZAC Day 1988 service, and has never forgotten the friendship that the Turkish people showed at the time. The Gallipoli campaign was one of the greatest Ottoman victories and a major allied failure. Both the Turks, then under the Ottoman Empire, and allied forces suffered heavy losses in that WWI conflict. It became a defining moment in Turkey's history. The Turkish War of Independence raged soon after WWI with freedom from the crumbling Ottoman Empire, and formation of the Republic of Turkey. Meantime a marathon VI2ANZAC commemoration by the Manly Warringah Radio Society over 7-days has ended with about 3,000 QSOs in the log, and many HF contacts used the CW mode. Patrick VK2PN who ran the event with mainly Allan VK2GR and Tommy VK2IR, thanked all for the opportunity and their support. Looking ahead, the VK100ANZAC callsign will be activated for three days from May 30 by the Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club, to commemorate the local ANZACs. The club station with also have audio visual presentations, photographs and posters. A reminder that those allocated the WIA commemorative ANZAC-prefixed callsigns to ensure that digital logs are uploaded promptly, so they appear on the eQSL system. ANZAC 100 logs milestone The number of QSOs generated by the WIA ANZAC 100 program and now uploaded as digital files has exceeded 5,000 according to a tally of logs sent to an on-line uploader. Logs from the national callsign VK100ANZAC, and all VI state and territory callsigns, are being checked and sent by Trent Sampson VK4TS to eQSL, Logbook of The World and ClubLog. Many logs are expected soon from recent activity. ANZAC-suffixed callsigns will continue until December the 20th. Meantime the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters ZL100ANZAC callsign goes QRT this weekend. It looks to maximise its already substantial commemorative log. INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA. We commence International News with a timely reminder of the disclaimer we have (and have had for close on 12 years) in the text edition of WIA National News and do from time to time read here in the audio services. That is:- 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." Yes we at the news desk don't "make up the stories"... why start with this this week? Well a story last week seemed to upset one or two by being quite 'unbelievable' I'll remind you this was the story on the "Hall Thruster" from NASA, something which almost sounded like the Holy Grail of perpetual motion. Some say the small lab under NASA’s umbrella claims its fuel-less rocket works. But the thing is, according to 99.999% it doesn’t. Look at it this way. If you sit in a shopping cart in your local Woollies with all your limbs inside the basket, you’re pretty much immobile. By thrashing around violently, you might get the cart to shift a few inches one way or another, but unless the floor is uneven, your thrashing will typically result in no real motion. If you really want the cart to move, you have to exert a force on the outside of it—such as the floor or the wall of the store—not the inside. That’s a simplified version of a fundamental law of physics, known as the conservation of momentum. That law governs all sorts of phenomena, including rocket engines, collisions between electrons, and car wrecks. It’s well established by a huge number of experiments, so it’s not something you can jettison lightly. Yet, that’s what this new proposed thruster is supposed to do, and while no reputable physicists are taking it seriously a small semi-independent lab under the NASA umbrella has given it an official stamp of approval. US scientist, Guido Fetta built his own propellant-less microwave thruster and managed to persuade NASA to test it out. The test results were presented at the 50th Joint Propulsion Conference in Ohio. Astonishingly enough, they WERE positive. The Nasa team based at the Johnson Space Centre gave its paper the title "Anomalous Thrust Production from an RF Test Device Measured on a Low-Thrust Torsion Pendulum". And with that, like when Chris Columbus proved the earth was NOT flat, is the end of this thread! wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-07/31/nasa-validates-impossible-space-drive thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/04/dear-nasa-fuel-free-rocket-thruster-is-literally-too-good-to-be-true.html Sarah Brightman has announced she is postponing her plans to launch aboard the upcoming Soyuz TMA-18M spaceflight mission expected for September. Ms. Brightman said that for personal family reasons her intentions have had to change and she is postponing her cosmonaut training and flight plans at this time. Region One Intruder watch say a strong Russian noise floor cantered on 14.120 MHz with width of the signal covered from 13.960 to 14.260 MHz is believed to be located in Moscow and has been disturbing Nepalese emergency communications on 14.205 MHz More is on the web in PDF format at tinyurl.com/intruder-watch-spring-2015 The might of Thailand's military appears to have successfully defended its right to the 6 meter band. Under the original master plan proposal, 50 to 54 MHz was to be re-designated for radio amateurs. The revised master plan instead will give hams in Thailand an additional one megahertz by expanding the 2 meter allocation upward to 147 MHz but 6 meters will remain with the military. Who and Where are our broadcast stations? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ OPERATIONAL NEWS 2015 Trans-Tasman contest 18th July from 0800utc 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 1 - 2 Remembrance Day Contest August 15 and 16 Oceania DX contest Voice First full weekend in October Oceania DX contest Continuous Wave Second full weekend in October. 2016 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 6 - 7 2017 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 5 - 6 2018 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 4 - 5 HEARD ISLAND NOW NOMINALLY MARCH 16 - APRIL 8 2016 Fraught with danger of announcing DX peditions early we learn that due to the inability of Heritage Expeditions to deliver on its earlier promise of providing a safe and supported operation at Heard Island using the Russian vessel Akad Shokalskiy things have changed. A new vessel means the schedule will require adapting team and project activities, but the major goals of the expedition remain unchanged. The nominal 21-day stay at Heard Island will still enable amateur radio using the call sign VK Ø EK. While the radio operation is the primary goal, the team will also carry out a limited scientific program. AWARDS Two more Merit Awards for working 45 under the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award (KRMNPA) have been issued. These went to Andrew Davis VK1DA and Tim Hann VK5AV, adding to the rapidly growing list of Merit Award recipients now at eight. Andrew VK1DA made his first contact with Wayne VK3WAM who was activating Terrick Terrick National Park in September 2011, and finished 45th on May 3, with Paul VK5PAS/3 who was at Murray-Sunset National Park. Another achiever in portable working Amanda VK3FQSO, alerted Andrew of Paul's activation during a trip to the Riverland region, and Andrew very quickly finished working all 45 VK3 Parks. Well done to Tim VK5AV who has submitted an eligible log for the KRMNPA Merit Award. His first KRMNPA contact was with Amateur Radio Victoria's Centenary station VK100ARV during the first KRMNPA activation weekend in November 2011. Since then Tim VK5AV has been adding the balance of stations slowly but surely, culminating in the final contact number 45 with VK3VTH in Greater Bendigo National Park on April 17. (Jim Linton VK3PC) SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE In DX, word that DL1HRN is currently operational as 3 W 9 HRN from Hanoi in Vietnam. His length of stay is not known, but activity is mainly CW on the HF bands. QSL via DL1HRN, his home callsign. Mildura medium wave signal is back again The popular Mildura 473 KHz beacon is again operational - this time on a 24 hour continuous basis while local field strength testing is being carried out. The beacon in the next couple of weeks will only be interrupted by local adverse weather such as heavy rain or lightning storms. After that test period it’s expected to return to a fixed night time schedule. The initial series of tests - first on straight CW then with a short run of QRSS3 proved very successful with over 100 reception reports. Those tests were only terminated when Noel Ferguson VK3FI decided to improve the transmitting antenna - result, one destroyed 630 metre antenna. But thanks to assistance from Graham Kenny VK3FTEC a new antenna was then assembled and finally installed. The propagation characteristics of the 630 metre band are generally known to many in the aeronautical and broadcast world, and also several amateur experimenters. The Mildura beacon in north-west Victoria gave others the opportunity to look for the signal with less than optimum equipment. And for many it proved to be their first opportunity to receive a distant signal on the newly allocated low frequency amateur frequency allocation. Interestingly reception reports were received from stations using all types of antenna, from a simple wire through to dedicated 630 meter antennas. Reports even including one from a radio amateur using an “earth dipole”. Again reception reports, even if you have previously heard the beacon go to vk3fi@wia.org.au (Jim Linton VK3PC) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- CW FISTS Club - East Asia www.feacw.net FISTS Club - Australasia www.fistsdownunder.org FISTS Club - UK & Europe www.fists.co.uk FISTS Club - Americas www.fists.org On the 12th and 13th of June members of the Tableland Radio Group over in VK4 will be putting on a display of morse equipment and World War 2 military radios at the Cooktown Historical Society in Cooktown. The display should be well noticed as it will be staged in the main street. The Historical Society building has a link to morse - it is the original Telegraph Office which was built around 1876 when a Telegraph Line was run through to Maytown and Palmerville. This linked up with a line which headed north from Junction Creek Telegraph Station, near the present Mt Surprise, to Tate Telegraph Station thence Walsh Telegraph Station, near Wrotham Park and thence to Palmerville. However for some months a section from Walsh to Palmerville was operated by pony express, carrying the telegraph messages to be re transmitted each way. (theTARCinc) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA http://rsgbiota.org Willis Island DXpedition An international team of amateur radio operators hopes to activate DXpedition station VK9WA from Willis Island, November 12-21st, 2015. Willis is currently #34 on the ClubLog's most wanted list and has not been activated since 2008. The team will depart Cairns, Australia, on the "MV Phoenix" vessel for the 30 hour trip to Willis. The island is only 4 acres in size and uninhabited. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ILLW Just under three months to the Lighthouse Weekend So far 240 registrations for the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend in August have been received from 28 countries. One of recent registrations is Spain’s Corrubedo lighthouse that is near a large beach and dune national park complex. Although somewhat small, it casts a very imposing view from a highly elevated position. An activation is expected under the callsign EG1LWC. In Algeria, the Cap Tenes lighthouse stands tall on a headland with its' square cylindrical stone tower, rising majestically from a 2-storey keeper’s house. It will be activated by Club Station Berrouaghia 7X2BDX. Germany is taken the lead in registrations with 57, Australia on 44, USA 28, England 23, followed by Argentina, Portugal, Puerto Rico and Scotland. The fun event, the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is August the 15th and 16th. For its simple guidelines, past activity reports or to make a registration online, see the dedicated website www.illw.net (Jim Linton VK3PC WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO IARU REGION 3 Emergency Centre of Activity (CoA) frequencies 3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz NATIONAL CAPITAL RALLY A BIG thank you to everyone who assisted with the rally communication in the field or headquarters. It was pleasing to see new licensees and F-calls giving it ago. Despite some not having assisted before, the communication procedures were followed well. Although there was an experienced team in HQ it was noted that some of the newbies gave it ago and did well. This WICEN event generates significant funds that go towards the club finances supporting repeater licences and such in VK1. SOCIAL SCENE 2015 All are welcome to the WICEN SA Annual General Meeting. This will be held Friday evening the 29th May from 1930 at the Tranmere Sea Scout Hall. Bob Stevenson from SA Emergency Management will give a presentation, then supper will be served allowing for discussions and catchup. After being well fed, the AGM will be held. WICEN SA have received donations, purchased radios and obtained repeater frequencies this financial year. The equipment has been used by SAVEM for two weeks after the Sampson Flat bushfire. In addition the equipment and amateur radio volunteers assisted Venturer Scouts at Car Rallies, at Horse Trails, the ANZAC Vigil in the South, at True Grit event and conducted Displays with the CFS. Please consider assisting in the continuing expansion of WICEN SA by nominating for a Committee position. RSVP to Andrew Macmichael, VK5FMAC via secretary@sa.wicen.org.au or 0403 791488 (Andrew Macmichael) June 5- 7 VK4 Central Highlands ARC & Theresa Creek Campout, Clermont. June 6- 7 VK2 Queens Birthday 40th annual Oxley Region Field Day June 6- 7 VK5 51st South East Radio Group Convention / Australian Foxhunting Championship July 1 VK4 Caboolture HamFest July 11-12 VK3 GippsTech 2015 July 18 VK3 Gippsland gate Radio & Electronics Club HamFest @ Cranbourne July 25 VK3 ALARA 40th Bday Lunch, Novotel Glen Waverley vk3vip@wia.org.au Sept 12 VK4 SUNFEST Woombye Sept 25-27 VK4 CHARC AGM Weekend Camp Fairbairn near Emerald Oct 2-5 VK4 Cardwell Gathering, Beachcomber Motel and Tourist Park Oct 25 VK3 Ballarat Amateur Radio Group Hamvention Greyhound Track Oct 25 VK4 Gold Coast HamFest Broadbeach Nov VK3 QRP By the Bay details from VK3YE held 2nd Saturday 2016 Feb 28 VK3 EMDRC HamFest Great Ryrie Primary School Heathmont. Ap-May 29-2 VK4 Clairview Gathering check Mackay ARS website Submitting news items A reminder when supplying HamFest info we obviously can't plug commercial traders "on air", but we at the WIA will put your supporters in this text edition "no worries." 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 and don't JUST send url's links but take the time to pen YOUR contribution. To submit audio read "how to submit items" in the weekly news page on http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/ 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. Who and where are they? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ 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... Who listens to radio? A weekly 'tally sheet' is sent to all rebroadcasters and interested listeners, to get your free copy send a blank email to:- wiabroadcasters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.au Put the word subscribe in the title or subject field How do I join this National News List? (subscribe for an automatic weekly feed.) Email to vk1wia-news-join@lists.wia.org.au from the email account that you wish the emails to go to. How do I leave this National News List? (unsubscribe your weekly feed) Open mail program which sends mail from the address you want to unsubscribe. Send mail to the list unsubscribe address vk1wia-news-leave@lists.wia.org.au You will be sent a confirmation mail and must follow the instructions given in that mail to complete the unsubscription. Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably receive another message confirming your unsubscription from the list, and at that point you should stop receiving messages. National News compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA. . -------------