June 21 - 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 JUNE 21 2015. IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS A well-known voice in the Amateur Radio news media has gone silent. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, of Santa Clarita, California, died June 11 following a period of ill health. He was 73. THIS STORY AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 2015 AND FOR WEEK OF JUNE 21 A well-known voice in the Amateur Radio news media has gone silent. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, of Santa Clarita, California, died June 11 following a period of ill health. He was 73. Pasternak was co-founder (with Jim Hendershot, WA6VQP) of Amateur Radio Newsline(tm) (formerly The Westlink Report) ham radio news webcast and a frequent presence at Amateur Radio conventions. Pasternak served as Newsline's managing editor and occasional newscaster for the program. Even while hospitalized earlier this year, he kept his ear to the ground for news from the Amateur Radio community, so he could pass it along to those who had taken over Newsline during his illness - discovered after he broke two ribs in a fall. ARRL Rocky Mountain Division Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, got acquainted with Pasternak at the Albuquerque hamfest and in 1997 was named Newsline's "Young Ham of the Year" (YHOTY). "An incredible man, ham, and one of Amateur Radio's too-few giants, who woke up every day to make the hobby better for everyone, especially its legacy - youth," Mileshosky said. "I've enjoyed the energy he put into keeping hams informed via Newsline, and have been honored to give back to his Newsline Young Ham of the Year Award program, since being asked by him to sit on its judging panel well over a decade ago." ARRL Public Relations Committee Chair Katie Allen, WY7YL, said Pasternak would be missed by those within and outside the Amateur Radio community. "He truly was one of the good ones," she remarked on Pasternak's Facebook page. "Thank you for sharing your light with us, Bill." A Brooklyn, New York, native, Pasternak became a radio amateur in 1959 as WA2HVK and once was very active on 6 meters. "I love the hands-on approach to ham radio and built my very first transmitter using parts salvaged from an old Dumont television set," Pasternak recounted in an online biography. "It was a modification of a design by Bill Orr, W6SAI, published in his famous Novice and Technician Handbook. A crystal-controlled, low-power 6 meter AM transmitter that doubled in the final, was screen grid modulated, and put out almost no output power." He eventually got into broadcasting and made his career in television engineering and production. He retired as a broadcast engineer with KTTV in Los Angeles in 2012 but continued as a broadcasting consultant. Pasternak was the spark plug behind the all-volunteer Amateur Radio Newsline bulletin - which was relayed on repeaters around the US and elsewhere - as well as the creator and administrator of the annual YHOTY. He was the author of three books and served as a writer/producer on several educational films and videos, including the award-winning "Amateur Radio Today." In earlier years, he wrote the "Looking West" column for 73 Amateur Radio Today Magazine for 26 years and penned a "VHF, FM and Repeater" column for WorldRadio. He also contributed to broadcast trade publications as well as to CQ. In addition to the ARRL, Pasternak belonged to the Radio Club of America and the Quarter Century Wireless Association. He also enjoyed flying, including stints getting on the air from thousands of feet up. He was the only person ever chosen to receive the Dayton Hamvention Special Achievement Award (1981) and Radio Amateur of the Year Award (1989). In 1995, the League presented him with an ARRL National Certificate of Merit in recognition of his contributions to the "furtherance of the goals of the Amateur Radio Service." Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Sharon, KD6EPW. (ARRL) Aussie balloon still floating on its record trip. The pico foil party-type balloon PS-46 that has already gone around the southern hemisphere is east of Africa. We told you on this broadcast last week how the balloon, launched by Andy VK3YT from Victoria, moved easterly over South America and then nearly to Africa. Well, after days of slow progress it went towards Angola on Tuesday, before making a sudden turn to zig-zag ever so slowly about 500 kms parallel to the African coast. The balloon then edged closer and with a warmer air-mass, came ashore at Namibia, drifted over Botswana, South Africa and exited Mozambique on Wednesday heading north. Up to five ZS stations tracked its 25 mW data transmitter. At last report PS-46 was on Africa’s east coast. It needs to go over the Indian Ocean to claim circumnavigation status for a second time. On next week’s broadcast will be a further report on what has been a truly remarkable flight and outstanding achievement. (VK3PC) ANZAC 100 lots of interest as more events happen The Moorabbin and District Radio Club had 12 members at its VK100ANZAC commemoration adjacent to Mentone RSL, marking the end of Gallipoli campaign's first phase. Headed by Ron Cook VK3AFW it made nearly 300 QSOs. Each member involved in the first weekend of May event was given a club certificate of participation. The Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club as VI5ANZAC was at the Elizabeth RSL for the Vietnam 50th anniversary of Australian forces at Vung Tau, landed by the Royal Australian Navy. Good public relations resulted from VI5ANZAC on June 6, with photographs and words taken for the RSL to feature in its newsletter. Another involved VK100WIA that logged in CW mode well over 1000 QSOs into more than 100 DXCC entities June 4-10, thanks to Tommy VK2IR and Alan VK2GR. The Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society had VK100WIA on June 16-19, to commemorate the ‘75th Anniversary of RAAF Secret Mission’. It included a symbolic flypast of a P-3 Orion four-engine aircraft. The rescue mission was for Madam Yvonne de Gaulle and the family of General Charles de Gaulle. It ended when the plane crashed, killing its four crew. However, Madam de Gaulle managed to escape by boat. All ANZAC 100 event are on the WIA website and summarised for this broadcast. If you have an appropriative event then please contact the WIA VP Fred Swainston VK3DAC at trainsafe@silvertrain.com.au (Jim Linton VK3PC) HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. VK2 web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm Hi this is Frank VK2BFC with news from the Albury Wodonga amateur radio club The Albury Wodonga amateur radio club will be holding their annual general meeting on the Tuesday July the 7th at 7.30pm at the 1st Lavington scout hall in Mutsch St Lavington. Elections of office bearers for the next year will be held at the meeting and a report on the plans of the club for the next year will be given. The next financial year will be a busy one for the club as a new multi-band analogue / digital repeater is being installed. This will cover the greater Albury/Wodonga area on 6 metres , 2 metres and 70 centimetres. D-Star facilities will be available on the repeater also. The new 2 metre repeater will also be carrying the weekly WIA News every Sunday morning. The club has 3 weekly nets which all are welcome to participate in. Monday at 8pm local on the VK3RNE repeater 147 MHz . Tuesday at 8pm on 7.047 MHz for digital enthusiasts. Thursdays at 830pm on 3.555 MHz . So if you're in the Albury Wodonga area pop along to the 1st Lavington Scout hall in Mutsch St Lavington on Tuesday July the 7th for the AWARC Annual general meeting. full details are also on our website at www.awarc.org This is Frank VK2BFC VK3 From Morse to Magnetron,… that’s the title of an Exhibition assembled by the Geelong Amateur Radio Club, to be held in Geelong during July this year. The exhibition is of Military Communications, Signalling and Navigation technology from World War One, approximately, to the Vietnam era, and is part of our nations’ centenary commemoration of Gallipoli. Free to the public, the Exhibition includes interactive displays and Educational areas for students, as well as the Real Hardware which chronicles the rapid development in communications over the years. All are welcome to come and see this unique collection of Equipment, spanning from the Trenches through Early Airborne Radar to the Space age. The collection includes A Spy and Coastwatch section as well as some Australian Designed and built Equipment. A reminder of when we had an Electronics Industry. The Exhibition is at Osborne House, Swinburne Street North Geelong, it is open from 10am to 4pm each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday commencing July 2. Want to know more? Go to the GARC Website at WWW.VK3ATL.ORG (Text news only this week) DISCUSSION What use is an F-call? Recently I received an email from a fellow amateur who pointed out a curious phenomenon that was being taken up by new amateurs with little purpose or necessity. He pointed out that on air some amateurs, myself included, are referring to local companies indirectly, saying things like the Green Hardware Store, the J-store and the Blue Furniture Warehouse, meaning Bunnings, Jaycar and Ikea. Gasp, horror, I've just said three company names on air. Bunnings, Jaycar and Ikea, and I did it again. The world didn't come to a sudden and laborious stop, reversed direction and made a big mess. We don't think twice about saying Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, Elecraft and any other brand, so what's going on? As was pointed out to me, the Amateur License Conditions prohibit commercial use of the amateur bands. The people who were on the air before me were using strange constructs, so I copied them. People keep copying from what they hear and so it continues, until at some point the original person who said it in the first place, is no longer on air and their legacy continues. Sometimes this is a good thing, but in this case it's just plain silly. There's nothing preventing you from naming names, pointing people to a purchase you made, or making suggestions about where to buy a particular part or component. You're not allowed to start making a 30 second spot that starts advertising the wares of a supplier or starting to sound like Pete Smith with the Sale of the Century, but short of that, you're pretty much good to go. So, thanks for pointing this out to me, and I hope that I'm able to pass on the knowledge. I wonder what other bad habits I've already picked up in my blossoming amateur activities. 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. ARRL Kids' Day If you hear the call CQ Kids Day it will be part of the ARRL's Kids Day Sunday 21st June. Kids Day is a way to introduce young people to the magic of amateur radio in the USA by getting them on the air and this year it's on Father's Day on both sides of the Atlantic. Young people will be getting on the air from amateur stations all over the USA, so please give them a call and help these potential new recruits into the hobby. New high-end transceiver from Icom Icom UK have announced the latest generation of high end HF transceiver, called the IC-7851. It has a host of new features and upgrades and you can read full details on Icom UK's website at http://www.icomuk.co.uk/News_Article/3508/18475/ Twin Cubesat Mars Flyby Will Support NASA InSight Landing When NASA launches its next mission on the journey to Mars - a stationary lander in 2016 - the flight will include two CubeSats. This will be the first time CubeSats have flown in deep space. If this flyby demonstration is successful, the technology will provide NASA the ability to quickly transmit status information about the main spacecraft after it lands on Mars. The twin communications-relay CubeSats, being built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California, constitute a technology demonstration called Mars Cube One (MarCO). CubeSats are a class of spacecraft based on a standardized small size and modular use of off-the-shelf technologies. Many have been made by university students, and dozens have been launched into Earth orbit using extra payload mass available on launches of larger spacecraft. The basic CubeSat unit is a box roughly 4 inches (10 centimeters) square. Larger CubeSats are multiples of that unit. MarCO's design is a six-unit CubeSat - about the size of a briefcase -- with a stowed size of about 14.4 inches (36.6 centimeters) by 9.5 inches (24.3 centimeters) by 4.6 inches (11.8 centimeters). MarCO will launch in March 2016 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on the same United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) lander. Insight is NASA's first mission to understand the interior structure of the Red Planet. MarCO will fly by Mars while InSight is landing, in September 2016. Help needed to receive NanosatC-BR1 The first Brazilian CubeSat, NanosatC-BR1, has been experiencing battery issues for the last several months and it now seldom emits a beacon in CW on 145.865 MHz The ham community is asked for assistance particularly our northern hemisphere readers and listeners to see if NanosatC-BR1 is still transmitting any signals. Any help will be much appreciated by Edson PY2SDR http://amsat-uk.org/2014/02/23/brazilian-cubesat-nanosatc-br-1/ Help record the 2015 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast on June 21 Every year, the BBC broadcasts a special program to the scientists and support staff in the British Antarctic Survey Team, music requests and special messages to the small team of 40+ located at various Antarctic research stations. This year, Thomas K4SWL is calling on all shortwave radio listeners and Hams to make a short recording (say, 30-60 seconds) of the show and share it on the URL of the Short Wave Post. Now it IS today.. so random wires and mp3 recorders at the ready! Please follow the tag: Antarctic Midwinter broadcast http://swling.com/blog/tag/antarctic-midwinter-broadcast/ http://swling.com/blog/2014/06/shortwave-radio-recordings-bbc-to-the-2014-british-antarctic-survey/ Hit the record button and get ready for some cool solstice fun! Thomas K4SWL ============================================================================= ARNEWSLINE GOOGLE X RESEARCH LAB DEVELOPING SOLID STATE BATTERY Google X Research Labs is said to be working on several new battery technologies one of which is a solid-state power cell in the form of a thin-film. Solid-state batteries could be a technology that would change our portable energy consumption with its high energy density. By using solid electrodes, solid-state batteries are much safer and even human implant application might be possible. In the past several years, Google has been venturing out to many other technologies that utilize batteries. Developing its own in-house battery technology could shape and mould how the energy source behaved. You can read more at tinyurl.com/google-battery INTERNATIONAL RADIO SERBIA TO CLOSE ON JUNE 30 Another shortwave broadcaster is making ready to shut down. The Bulgarian DX Blog reports that International Radio Serbia is going to close all operations on June 30th after 79 years of broadcasting. Serbian International Radio currently has programming in 12 languages, including Italian and English. More than 70 employees of the station recently protested the announced termination of the operation in front of the Serbian government building in Belgrade. Who and Where are our broadcast stations? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ Submitting news items 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. OPERATIONAL NEWS 2015 Dr Kevin Johnston VK4UH and Charlie Strong VK4YZ, Managers for the Harry Angel Memorial 80m Sprint Contest, have announced the results of the 2015 Harry Angel Memorial 80m Sprint. The Harry Angel is an annual event commenced in 1999 to commemorate the life of its namesake who on his passing was the oldest licenced VK amateur. The contest runs for 106 minutes, one for each year of Harry’s life. The contest is run in four sections. Phone, CW, Mixed (Phone and CW) and new this year was SWL/Listener. The contest is particularly suited to those new to contesting as well as seasoned operators. Certificates are awarded to the three highest scoring entries in each section. Point gained in the Harry Angel also count towards the WIA Peter Brown Champion Trophy. This year the contest was run on Saturday May 2nd and attracted 40 log entries across the sections. The certificate winners in all sections will be first announced on the WIA Sunday Morning Broadcast and a full listing of all scores and entries will be posted on the Contest section of the WIA website immediately after the broadcast has gone to air. The Contest Managers thank all operators who participated in the 2015 Contest and those who submitted logs. The provisional date for the 2016 event will be Saturday 7th May Kevin Johnston VK4UH (Redcliffe and Districts radio Club & WIA) “ Next month is the 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. War exhibit and Amateur Radio at Museum. The annual International Museums Weekend is held over this and next weekend. Setting up a solar-powered Amateur Radio station on the lawn next to the Melbourne Museum at Nicholson Street Carlton are Julie VK3FOWL and Joe VK3YSP. There will be regular on-air demonstrations including CW, SSB and all digital modes and displays of WIA posters, magazines and brochures. They can be heard 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays on 80m, 40m, 20m and local repeaters. So if you hear them please call in, or better still, visit the Melbourne Museum and see the World War 1 Centenary Exhibition - details of it can be found at the url in todays text edition and don't forget you can register on the WIA site for the text edition to hit your email in tray' automatically. Details on wia.org.au (vk3pc) Audio logs in CQ World-Wide DX Contests A wheel is a wheel yet far to often we see folk trying to re-invent it. A new requirement in the CQ World-Wide DX Contests requires the top entrants to audio record all contacts they make for possible later verification. The rules for the SSB Contest on October 24-25 and CW Contest November 28-29, asks that any single operator seeking a top three finish in certain categories, to record what is heard – in other words, an audio log. Some claim this rule is an onerous impost. Others just a sign of the times. A technical solution is offered which captures QSO audio only, and remains silent otherwise, thus reducing the length of the audio file. The CQ World-Wide DX Committee can ask for such a recording, and if none is made available, it may reclassify or disqualify the entry. Will the audio requirement catch on to other contests - time will tell. (sourced to Jim Linton VK3PC) New RD3000 repeater in Malta A new DR3000 repeater has gone on air in Malta. The repeater forms part of the 9H1BBS repeater system, which consists of two analogue Kenwood repeaters running on VHF and UHF each with a dedicated EchoLink System and now joining the setup is a DMR repeater which is directly linked to the UK c-Bridge. (SuthGate) Russian Yeti Expedition Between June 11-16th and September, there will be a complex seasonal research of cinema-radio expedition using the callsign UE44Y and known as the Russian Yeti Expedition. The expedition UE 44 Y will be active from various locations of "Mountain Shoria, Kemerovo Region," until September 16th. Activity will be on various HF and VHF bands of different types of mode communications. For QSOs/SWL with the expedition UE44Y headquarters (HQ) Russian Yeti Expedition, there will be issued special paper 3 diplomas classes and an original ethnic Plaque. Complete details, as well as pictures of the QSLs, Logo and diplomas, can be seen on QRZ.com Tour de France PA15TOUR From the 1st till 28th July clubstation PI 4 UTR will be on the air with a special Tour de France call PA 15 TOUR. Not sure if QSO's will be drug tested! hihi. WWW.PI4UTR.NL WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER Panoramic Tour of ISS ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti has been cataloguing her home of six months to create panoramic images you can rotate and explore. Each section of the Space Station required around 14 fisheye photos stitched together. Areas of interest can be clicked on for more information in another browser window. Eventually, the entire Station will be available to explore right here on this page – follow us to receive updates. http://tinyurl.com/ANS165-ISSTour Can you find the HAMTV transmitter on the floor? [ANS Thanks European Space Agency for the above information] WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS A Youth Net meets Saturdays at 0100 UTC on IRLP Reflector #2. Young Hams Net 3.590 - 7:30pm Victorian time. Youngsters On The Air, YOTA http://www.ham-yota.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/youngstersontheair The SARL would like to thank everyone who contacted Etienne, ZS6EFN, for the feedback received following last weekends announcement here that the SARL will kick-off a Rookie Amateur Radio Program. The first draft of the manifesto document has been forwarded to the SARL Vice-President, Nico van Rensburg, ZS6QL, who represents the program at league level on behalf of Ettiene The document highlights the mission, objectives and structure in which the program will be functioning and will be discussed during the next SARL committee meeting. Ettiene is aiming to have the final document ready by the end of July Keep an eye out for further developments by watching SARL news over the next few weeks. RadCom Basics launched Following the launch of the RSGB's technical e-Supplement, RadCom Plus in May, the RSGB is delighted to announce that the electronic New Starters' Newsletter has been re-branded as RadCom Basics. Designed to help newly-qualified amateurs get started in amateur radio, RadCom Basics is currently sent to the 2,300 Members who have subscribed to it. If you are not on the circulation list but would like to receive RadCom Basics please sign up on the web page rsgb.org Over 4000 RSGB Members have downloaded the first edition of RadCom Plus. If you would like to be notified when the next edition is available, planned for September, go to rsgb.org PU2WPX is the youngest radio ham in Brazil The Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Radio Emissão (LABRE) reports that 9 year-old Leonardo PU2WPX is the youngest radio amateur in Brazil Other members of Leonardo's family who are radio amateurs include his 14 year-old brother PU2KAG, parents Marcelo PY2FN and Elisangela PU2YLJ and cousins PU 2 TSE and PU 2 TOB, both 15 years old. Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Radio Emissão (LABRE) Web http://www.labre-sp.org.br/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/labresp 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 WICEN in Victoria at the cross-roads The two people who have lead WICEN Victoria for many years are to resign, leaving the organisation in need of filling those top positions. The State Secretary Mark Dods VK3ZR has been in the job for 14 years and decided to take a break. The State Coordinator John Kerr VK3BAF has also tendered his resignation, and Minutes Secretary John Brown VK3FR is stepping down also after many years. In a statement John VK3BAF said the three had been in the chair for many years and new blood is needed for the organisation. He reminds all that those positions must be must be filled, if WICEN Victoria is to continue as an Incorporated body. The issue will be finalised at the upcoming WICEN Victoria annual general meeting. (VK3PC) WICEN SA will be having a fundraising BBQ at Bunnings Mt Barker on the 19th of July 2015. They are officially able to sell sausages and soft-drinks from 0900-1600hrs. The Mt Barker Bunnings is located at the Princes Highway & Mt Barker Road, Little Hampton SA. Michael VK5FMSB says this is a major fundraising event for WICEN SA and an opportunity to become visible in the community. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- SUMMITS ON THE AIR www.sotawatch.org www.sota.org.uk VK7 Seasonal Bonus Reminder We welcome Alan VK7BO to the SOTA honour roll – Alan has been quietly activating many summits around Northern Tasmania. This is also a quick reminder that the seasonal bonus for the VK7 SOTA Association has started What does this mean? Between the 15 June and the 14 October inclusive you get 3 extra points for activating summits that are greater than or equal to 1200m ASL. So for a summit like Mt Wellington or Mt Barrow you get 10 points and 3 seasonal bonus points – an easy 13 points! http://sota.org.uk/docs/ARM-VK7.pdf (73, Justin, VK7TW) SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - LOW DOWN Sub 9 kHz Yahoo Group:- https://groups.yahoo.com/group/sub9khz/ The Mildura beacon receives more reports The medium wave 473 kHz beacon VK3FI in north-western Victoria has been heard in New Zealand, with a report from Con ZL2AFP at Wellington. He reports that CW beacon was clearly audible. There was quite a bit of QRN but this seems to occur when propagation is good. The best reception was at about 2330 hours New Zealand time. Con ZL2AFP in his report had reception at -100 dbm, or S1 on a TS 440S via an active antenna up about more than 10-metres above ground. Night time reports also come from Western Australia, and John VK4TJ had good reception of it near Toowoomba. The upgraded home-built beacon CW beacon is at Nichols Point Mildura feeding an L-antenna plus radials. It had its day-time field strength measured at being about 500kms. A report by Don VK3BIG at Geelong detected the beacon, while Phillip VK3ELV at Mount Bruno in Victoria’s north-east reported it at some 8 dB above the noise floor during daylight. Further reports both on day or night reception of the 473 kHz beacon from anywhere are most welcome and can be sent to vk3fi@wia.org.au (Jim Linton) REWIND a look back at history Another Mayday story but this time not from south West WA but for the atlantic and obtained from the Engineering and technology wiki at ethw.org The earliest use of radio aboard ships was as an extra service to wealthy passengers who wanted to monitor their stock investments and run their businesses while at sea. It was not until after the Republic and Titanic disasters that radio evolved from a luxury to a necessary safety device. Early in the morning of 23 January 1909, 80 kilometers south of Nantucket Island the Italian ocean liner Florida was off course in dense fog. Suddenly there was a crash—the Florida had collided with another liner, the White Star liner Republic. The Florida’s bow drove deep into the port side of the Republic, near the ship’s engine room. The resulting gash was below the waterline. To keep the boilers from exploding, Republic’s crew shut them down. This saved the ship, but without generators, there was no electric power for lights or radio. The Florida whose engines were still functioning, was not equipped with a radio, so despite the heavy damage, it was up to the Republic to send a distress call. Jack Binns, the Republic’s 25-year old radio operator, rushed to his radio cabin which had one of its walls ripped away in the collision. Fortunately, the antenna was still intact and emergency batteries supplied enough power to transmit a signal 95 kilometers. The nearest land receiving station on the island of Nantucket was just about that distance away. Binns transmitted the Morse code distress signal of the day, CQD, the D stood for urgent. A Nantucket station retransmitted the message and several ships in the area steamed towards the ships in peril. It was clear that injuries to the Republic were serious, and passengers and crew began evacuating to the damaged Florida, at best a stop gap measure. The lives of more than 1,650 people were in jeopardy. Binns stayed aboard the sinking Republic, trying to direct nearby ships toward them. One, the Baltic, headed over. In the dark and fog, however, the Baltic had trouble finding the lightless Republic and proceeded slowly to avoid accidental collision. The crews of Baltic and Republic listened carefully for each other and then sent radio messages back and forth to determine their relative positions. Finally, at 7:20 p.m., after more than twelve hours of Jack Binns working his telegraph key in the freezing cold, the Baltic came into sight and rescued the remaining crew of the Republic. Radio had proven itself as a life-saving device at sea. Binns testified before the United States Congress on the importance of radio at sea, but unfortunately, his advice went unheeded. For his bravery, the French government awarded him a medal. His employers rewarded him, three years later by offering him the most prestigious radio operator assignment in their fleet—aboard their brand new ship Titanic. Luckily for him, Binns turned down the offer. This is Andrew VK6AS SOCIAL SCENE 2015 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 13 VK3 MERC Hamfest 10am at Werribee Masonic Centre 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. . -------------