Aug 30th - 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 AUG 30 2015. IN OUR 20TH YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS WIA Calls for Special Purpose Grant Proposals. WIA ANZAC 100 commemoration program for September. WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH and ACMA Spectrum Review. THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 2015 AND FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 30 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Aussie balloon ends in ocean After floating off the coast of Chile pico balloon PS-49 from VK3 has been lost due to poor weather. It was brought down near South America after a week of tracking. The last signal report came from Bob ZL1RS at his well-equipped station. Meantime the earlier balloon PS-48 launched on August 8, reached Brazil, but a suspected antenna fault has since made tracking virtually impossible. The balloons launched by Andy VK3YT have Amateur Radio sending HF data on JT9 and WSPR via a solar powered 25 mW transmitter. The latest, PS-50, put up on Sunday August 23, headed well south of New Zealand, across the International Dateline and at last report was likely to head for South America. (Jim Linton VK3PC) To commemorate ANZAC 100, a series of articles appear in the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine. In one, Jim Linton VK3PC writes about ‘The ANZAC Hostel Receiver’. Many radio amateurs contributed their skills directly during WWI and WWII, but here we can see that members of the Wireless Institute of Australia applied their knowledge and time to help others less fortunate than themselves. At a time when radio broadcasting was relatively new, ANZAC casualties recovering in a nursing hostel were given a new state-of-the-art wireless set, so they could listen in and enjoy. The supply and installation of this multi-point wireless listening network was no mean feat in 1925! The WIA Victorian Division, with money raised from its various sections, donated a broadcast receiver to the ANZAC Hostel at Brighton in bayside Melbourne. The fundraising was a card night attracting more than 350 players, and a wireless equipped car that attended concerts, picture nights, and various radio demonstrations. The Repatriation Department opened a mansion as the ANZAC Hostel in July 1919, with seven nurses and an occupational therapy centre to care for severely incapacitated soldiers. The Radio Broadcast magazine reported that the 6-valve receiver was the best possible, plus the installation included an aerial, wiring and headphones to 28 points in the building. A look at what is expected in the WIA ANZAC 100 commemoration program Due on air this weekend August 29-30 is the postponed commemoration by VI0ANZAC. Operator Doug VK0DMV is proud to be able to use VI0ANZAC from a very cold Casey Station in the Australian Antarctic Territory. This event will go ahead provided the Antarctic weather permits. A commemorative program of ANZAC-suffixed callsigns by the Wireless Institute of Australia is marking the 100th anniversary of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or the ANZAC battle at Gallopili, Turkey, in WW1. During this week it has been windy at Casey and a webcam had the temperature at minus 22 degrees, expected in this polar climate. Hopefully weather won’t get in the way again, having already postponed the event. WIA Vice President and ANZAC 100 Coordinator, Fred Swanston VK3DAC, reports that brief tests of equipment and propagation have been made recently in preparation for VI0ANZAC. The tests between Australia and Antarctica proved both the gear and propagation are working well. Suggest you make a late check of expected times and frequencies, with these on the website wia.org.au Looking ahead in the ANZAC 100 program, there’s worldwide expectation building around that on September 11-12, the Amateur Radio Experimenters Group of Adelaide will use VK100ANZAC, on the digital voice mode FreeDV. Among them will be David Rowe VK5DGR, an architect of FreeDV who was awarded the WIA Technical Innovation Award for the achievement. A digital voice VK100ANZAC commemorates the 26th Infantry Battalion arrival at Gallipoli and its deployment to Taylor's Hollow. See more details of the FreeDV QSO Party Weekend on the AREG website Also in September - we have Operation Jaywick that sunk seven enemy ships in Singapore 1943, the 11th Light Horse Regiment WWI Battle of Samakh in Palestine, the Victoria Cross medal that ended up in the Adelaide City Council Chamber, and HMAS Stirling facility in Perth on the air. All ANZAC 100 commemorations issue eQSLing and are listed on the WIA website. (Jim Linton VK3PC) WIA BOARD TALK President Phil Wait VK2ASD vk2asd@wia.org.au V President Fred Swainston VK3DAC vk3dac@wia.org.au Secretary David Williams VK3RU vk3ru@wia.org.au Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz@wia.org.au This is WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH The Australian Government has announced its response to the Spectrum Review. Return to your seats folks, and buckle your seat belts, we anticipate turbulence ahead ! The Government will implement all the recommendations of the Spectrum Review conducted over 2014 and 2015 by the Department of Communications together with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Announced on Tuesday last, the 25th of August, a tight program of changes to legislation and regulations will be carried out over the next two years, commencing in October and running through to mid-2017, when the new regime is intended to start. As expected – a single licensing system – is the principal feature of what the Government is calling the new spectrum framework. The current apparatus, class and spectrum licensing regimes will disappear, to be replaced with licences that set out the conditions of use for spectrum access detailed in a set of key parameters. Known as parameters-based licences, the core conditions to be included in a licence will be set out in the proposed new radiocommunications act, with the detail on these parameters to be developed by the ACMA in consultation with users and set out in subordinate instruments – a suite of regulations. The Spectrum Review recommended that likely core parameters might include frequencies, geographical details, rights to renewal, and terms for variation or revocation, together with price and payment methods. Broadcasters, commercial, defence and other government users, scientific, aeronautical, maritime, private, amateur and other not-for-profit users, as well as type-approved wireless devices, will all be affected by the new spectrum framework. The Department of Communications has advised that a review of pricing for spectrum access is to commence immediately and continue until mid-2016. New pricing arrangements are scheduled to commence in mid-2017, along with the start of the new licensing system. We are assured that the regulatory burden of the new spectrum framework will be simpler and faster. I might remind you that the next federal election may be held sometime over late-2016 to early-2017. On the WIA website, you can find out what the Minister for Communications, the Honourable Malcolm Turnbull MP, had to say about it in his media release, along with the timetable for implementation put out by the Department of Communications. Visit wia.org.au This is WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for VK1WIA News. What is immediately facing the WIA? The ‘Current WIA Hot Issues’ section on its website spells out the major issues it has on its busy agenda, as part of the service it provides to Amateur Radio. A few of the items need further action or submissions. Some invite input from members. Others are longer away or have an indefinite time-frame. These are identified and watched by the WIA board. To be informed and aware, check out the ‘Current WIA Hot Issues’ section of the website www.wia.org.au WIA Calls for Special Purpose Grant Proposals The WIA Board has allocated up to $6,000 for the next round of WIA Special-Purpose Grants. Special-Purpose Grants are available to affiliated clubs and individual members. They are also open to non-members and non-affiliated organisations, so long as the project is for the benefit of amateur radio and the non-member or non-affiliated organisation contributes at least 50% of their own funds. We are looking for projects which are push the boundaries, and which are new, realistic, achievable within 12 months from the date of the grant or partly achievable through a staged process, and should broadly benefit amateur radio in Australia. Complex projects with developmental risk can be staged over several years with ongoing funding dependant on meeting staged targets. Each project will be vetted by an independent committee comprising Peter Freeman (Committee Leader and your AR Editor) VK3PF, Scott Watson VK4CZ, Gary Beech VK2KYP, Drew Diamond VK3XU and Peter Hartfield VK3PH, bringing a diverse range of skills and perspectives. The committee will evaluate proposals based on criteria set by the Board, and accordance with the strategic direction set by the WIA Board. This year’s strategic direction is: The advancement of amateur radio in Australia through innovation, experimentation and education. More detailed information on the WIAs Special Purpose Grants and the evaluation procedure has been placed on the WIA website. The closing date for receiving proposals is the 18th December 2015. We look forward to some interesting projects in the years ahead. Please send your project proposals to: Special-Projects Grants Committee Wireless Institute of Australia Unit 20, 11-13 Havelock Road Bayswater, Vic 3153 Or Email your proposal to: nationaloffice@wia.org.au This is Phil Wait, VK2ASD for the WIA. HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. VK1 The next foundation course in the ACT is scheduled for the 19/20th of September. If you know of anyone that may be interested in participating please let them know and encourage them to apply for the course no later than 13th September. VK2 web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm Lismore area has their Summerland Amateur Radio Club and September looks a busy month in their logbook. 2 Sep - Morning tea at the Rous Hotel, that's from 1000L this Wednesday. Corner Zadoc and Keen Streets, Lismore (opposite the cinema). There is off street parking and ramp access. 12-13 Sep -'Paddle for Life' down Richmond River, WICEN comms tasked here to assist. 14-18 Sep - Standard Amateur Radio License Course planned to run, contact Duncan VK2DLR draymont@bigpond.com VK3 web service:- http://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/ Homebrewers in VK3 look at the Arduino computer A special workshop ‘Getting started with Arduino for Amateur Radio’ will be held Saturday 5th September by the VK3 Homebrew Construction Group. Julie VK3FOWL and Joe VK3YSP will present the topic that will show how easy it can be to use the Arduino computer. The workshop will include how to select Arduino hardware, installing software, writing and debugging your first Arduino program, and the applications and ideas for Amateur Radio. The popular Arduino is an inexpensive way for hobbyists to apply digital techniques to their projects. Arduino boards are either preassembled, or as do-it-yourself kits. The session will have a hands-on show of Arduino and is sure to generate plenty of questions and answers. There will be four new Arduino Pro Micros (ATmega32U4 5V 16MHz) to give away as prizes - all open-source software is provided. Don’t miss this Arduino presentation, at the Homebrew Construction Group meeting, 2pm on Saturday September 5, at Amateur Radio Victoria, 40G Victory Boulevard, Ashburton. (Jim Linton VK3PC) DISCUSSION POINT What use is an F-call? When I started recording this weekly segment, there were lots of things I didn't know. I was apprehensive about how my contribution to Amateur Radio might be received, about what I should talk about, how long it should last, what tone I should set, how technical I should be and all manner of other considerations. When I started in Amateur Radio itself, not long before I started this segment, I had similar concerns and considerations, things I was worried about and skills I was unsure about. Today that is still the case, but of course in time, the what's and the how’s have evolved. I still question the things I know to be true, just to make sure that I understood what I was being told, or that I had completed the procedure correctly. I speak to new Amateurs almost every week. I also speak to senior members of our community regularly. One thing is clear is that human frailty is universal. There is one thing that sets the experienced members aside from the new members, that is how they react to this uncertainty. New members almost universally defer to their seniors, to the point of being silent when a senior member speaks out and says or does something wrong. In an aeroplane, such circumstances can lead to planes crashing, in Amateur Radio, the consequences are less likely to be quite that catastrophic. Nonetheless, if you're a new Amateur, it doesn't mean that you're wrong or what you might know is something that the other person didn't know, or, might have forgotten. So, don't let your newness to the hobby prevent you from speaking up and asking questions. There's nothing wrong with asking someone to explain something, perhaps you'll learn something or perhaps they'll learn something from you. Communities like ours can only thrive if all members participate, so, new or old, go out, get on air, play during field days and participate in contests. Have fun! I'm Onno VK6FLAB SILENT KEY http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/about/ Silent Keys are best sent to AR Magazine and your local state or club news rather than this WIA National News Service. INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA. Innovative Transceiver launched at Tokyo Ham Fair 2015 Icom Inc. had a huge amount of interest on its stand at the just held Tokyo Ham Fair with the unveiling of the IC-7300 HF/50/70MHz Transceiver. The launch, which caught most people by surprise, saw the manufacturer introduce a new base station transceiver incorporating the latest RF direct sampling system, a first for an Amateur radio transceiver*. IC-7300 uses a technology normally seen in Software Defined Radios. RF signals are mostly processed through the Field-Programmable Gate Array, rather than by physical devices, enabling high performance real-time spectrum scope in a compact body. 2015 IARU Region 3 Conference, October 12-16. STARS report decline in requests Support to the Amateur Radio Service (STARS) have reported to IARU Region 3 (Our own Asia/Pacific zone) that only Nepal has requested assistance in the past 3 years The work of STARS is specifically directed to those areas of the Region where amateur radio activity is low or non-existent. The STARS paper submitted for the 2015 IARU Region 3 Conference says that only the Nepal Amateur Radio League responded to a 2013 STARS Questionnaire sent to Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iran, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar and Nepal. They had a requirement for handheld radios, but it was not realized due to the high import custom duty of 43%. In their report for the conference the ARRL says regarding 5 MHz, at WRC-15 'the best we can hope for in the U.S. position is a 25 kHz secondary allocation' The ARRL say: While the United States is generally supportive of the amateur and amateur-satellite services at WRCs and in other ITU venues it has been difficult to gain support from the federal government side for agenda item 1.4, the 5 MHz allocation. The best we can hope for in the U.S. position is a 25 kHz secondary allocation, and only then if this becomes the CITEL Inter-American Proposal (IAP) which is currently for a 175 kHz secondary allocation. Regarding Membership they say: While the trends in both licensing and ARRL membership in the U.S. territories in Region 3 are downward, overall ARRL membership is growing slowly but steadily. Membership increased each year from 2006 to 2014 and continues to increase during 2015. The main factors contributing to growth are: A similar rate of growth in the number of licensed radio amateurs, mainly because of continuing interest in emergency, disaster, and public service communications; Improvements in membership services and no increase in the basic dues rate of $39 per year since 2001. (A dues increase is likely in 2016.) A different story in Korea. The Korean Amateur Radio League (KARL) has submitted their report to the 16th IARU Region 3 conference which will take place October 12-16 They say the total number of amateur radio stations has fallen from 2009 to 2015, a massive drop of 22%. However, In 2013, a new 4th Class Amateur Radio License was introduced to promote the hobby in Korea. To obtain this licence it is necessary to participate in eight hours of lectures designed to introduce amateur radio to beginners. Holders are permitted to use 10 watts output on the VHF/UHF bands. In the two years since its introduction 5669 people have taken the new licence. The KARL also describes how the introduction of a mountain-top 144 MHz repeater with a 500 km range has boosted amateur radio in the country. IARU Region 3 conference documents iaru-r3.org/16th-triennial-conference-of-the-iaru-r3-documents/ For our Kiwi friends, YOUR Next NZART Official Broadcast will be made on Sunday 30 August. The broadcast is made on 3900 kHz, and on the National System and local VHF repeaters. The broadcast is made at 2000 hours (8:00 pm), with a repeat at 2100 hours (9:00 pm). Who and Where are our broadcast stations? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ OPERATIONAL NEWS 2015 ALARA YL CONTEST Saturday 29th August 0400 UTC – 1359 UTC Sunday 30th August 0400 UTC – 1359 UTC Oceania DX contest Voice First full weekend in October Oceania DX contest Continuous Wave Second full weekend in October. 2016 Harry Angel 80 mtr sprint (WIA) provisional date Saturday 7th May. 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 6 - 7 WIA Spring VHF-UHF Field Day the weekend of 14th and 15th November. Microwave exponent at a look-out Another example of portable operation, this time using microwaves, comes from Peter Westgarth VK3APW who set up on a look-out at Cape Horn Loch in Victoria’s South Gippsland. In the WIA VHF-UHF Winter Field Day in June he contacted other operators on the 2.4GHz, 3.4GHz, 5.7GHz and 10GHz bands in Section 2, for single operator portable stations, winning with 2516 points. He told the Loch Express, bi-monthly newsletter, that he believes this elevated location is one of Victoria’s best kept secrets. A radio engineer around Australia, Peter VK3APW of Sommerville on the Mornington Peninsula enjoys Loch, a thriving historical village with craft markets, cafes, antiques and galleries. Peter VK3APW will be back again at the vantage spot for the VHF-UHF Spring Field Day on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November - and is certain to have challengers seeking those VHF-UHF Field Day certificates and Grid Squares. (Jim Linton VK3PC) If you are hearing a little more than usual CW this weekend, maybe it's due to the fact that the South African Radio League HF CW Contest will take to the air on Sunday afternoon 30 August from 13:00 to 16:30 UTC with activity taking place on 80, 40 and 20 metres. SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE Optimism for North Korea DXpedition Persistent optimism continues to prop up the hopes of several individual radio amateurs and groups to mount a DXpedition to the most-wanted and elusive DXCC entity on the globe – the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, P5. The RSGB report EA 5 RM and EA 7 AJR met with North Korean officials earlier in August and are hopeful that permission will be granted. The process has, so far, taken two years. Other groups and individuals are also due to meet officials looking for permission to operate from North Korea. Jim, W 2 JHP is operating as V 31 TA from the Turneffe Atoll in Belize, Central America to the 4th of September. This island counts as NA-123 for the Islands on the Air Award. A reminder that a group of UK operators will be activating Niue island, OC-040 as E 6 GG from the 16th to the 29th of September. They will be on 160-10 metres. The Bolivian Amazon Jungle is a rare location to hear on the air. Antonio as CP 1 XRM will be there from 29th August to 15th September. He is working on an NGO project installing solar powered HF radios for medical purposes in isolated small villages. During his spare time he will operate as CP 1 XRM. BUT QSL to Antonio's home call, EA 5 RM. A Sicilian station, II 9 IARU, will be on the air from 1st September to 31st December to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ATV (Every pixel tells a story) - Video arvideonews.com hamradiotube.com youtube.com qdg.org.au The 2015 DATV QSO Party The 2015 annual DATV QSO Party sponsored by Amateur Radio Victoria and the Melbourne ATV Group was a huge success with a record number of ATV stations participating and viewers watching direct from ATV Repeaters, on the British Amateur TV Club streamer and on the high definition U tube stream provided by courtesy of Ralph VK3LL which was a spectacular success. Over the period of the 25 hour event Ralph reports that we had a total of 655 people on the U Tube stream with a peak number of concurrent users at 39. We had viewers from Antigua, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, China, France, Great Britain, Ireland, South Korea, New Zealand, Peru, Sweden, Slovenia, Turkey, and the United States. It truly was a worldwide event. We had some technical troubles with Skype and may look to other means next year. What is required is a system that is easy to use and universally available. We may try some of the other options to see if they provide a better service. Friday night saw most of the current Melbourne ATV Group participate through VK3RTV and with contacts through the Sydney ATV Repeaters VK2RTS and VK2RTV, and the Brisbane ATV Repeater VK4RMG. A short video was played provided by Winston, VK7EM showing a trek to a disused mine in northern Tasmania Contacts were made to VK5 and VK7 by Skype as well. In all cases, Skype was routed by net controller VK3BFG by 23 cms DATV to VK3RTV. The source for the U Tube streamer was a Set Top Box tuned to VK3RTV at the QTH of Ralph, VK3LL. Saturday saw contacts to WR8ATV, the DATV Repeater in Columbus Ohio and also through the W6ATN Network in California. A feature of the cross to W6ATN was a tour of the commercial TV Station on Mount Wilson conducted by W6SVT. Saturday night saw contacts in the UK vis GB3HV in the Home Counties, an ATV Repeater with direct Skype access. Peter would like to thank Peter VK4EA for acting as net controller in Brisbane, Gary VK2CRJ as net controller in Sydney and to David VK5DMC for his efforts to get the Port Pirie repeater VK5RMC up and running. As usual Art WA8RMC in Columbus Ohio and Don KE6BXT in Mission Vieja in Southern California were the international net controllers. Over the period of the event a total of approximately 700 people participated, as net controllers, ATV stations and viewers, an outstanding success. A very special thanks to the guys from the Melbourne ATV Group who always provide me great support. ….. best 73 Peter VK3BFG. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER Send your name to Mars Mars enthusiasts around the world can participate in NASA’s journey to Mars by adding their names to a silicon microchip headed to the Red Planet aboard NASA's InSight Mars lander, scheduled to launch next year. "Our next step in the journey to Mars is another fantastic mission to the surface," said Jim Green, director of planetary science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "By participating in this opportunity to send your name aboard InSight to the Red Planet, you're showing that you're part of that journey and the future of space exploration." Submissions will be accepted until Sept. 8. To send your name to Mars aboard InSight, go to: http://go.usa.gov/3Aj3G Launch Date for AMSAT Fox-1A Jeru Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering advises that AMSAT has been informed that the launch of Fox-1A is now scheduled for October 8. No other details are available at this time. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING http://www.scouts.com.au http://www.scout.org/jota http://www.international.scouts.com.au CALLING FREQUENCIES Please QSY off the calling frequency after establishing communication. Australian voice calling frequencies: 3.650, 7.090, 14.190, 21.190, 28.590, 52.160 World CW calling frequencies: 3.570, 7.030, 14.060, 18.080, 21.140, 24.910, 28.180, 50.160 World voice calling frequencies: 3.690 & 3.940 MHz, 7.090 & 7.190, 14.290, 18.140, 21.360, 24.960, 28.390, 50.160 Calling frequencies for Slow Scan TV (SSTV): 3.630, 7.033, 14.227 Calling Frequencies for PSK31 14.070 JOTA early plan announced for a Melbourne Scout Region A plan that if supported could see scouts in the Melbourne suburban municipalities of Boroondara, Yarra, Stonnington, Glen Eira, Bayside, Port Philip and Melbourne involved in Jamboree on the Air in October. The Cub Scout Commissioner for Melbourne, Murray Taylor VK3MJT, wants help from radio amateurs to run possible activity bases for communication planned exercises. The proposal includes scouts involved in a simulated disaster scenario, ARDF direction finding, map reading, a museum look at telephone communications development, and an historical display of radio equipment. Murray VK3MJT does not have sufficient support yet, but remains hopeful the multi-site event on the JOTA weekend October 17 and 18 will occur. Can you assist? email to cubs.comm.melbourne@vicscouts.asn.au please put JOTA somewhere in the subject line or 0417 319 256 (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 Shoreham plane crash and RAYNET The South Sussex RAYNET group, assisted by members of South Kent RAYNET, provided communications support for the organisers and the User Services at the Shoreham Air show on Saturday, August 22 At about 1:20pm a Hawker Hunter aircraft crashed into vehicles on the A27 during a flying display. Later that afternoon the following was posted to the South Sussex RAYNET Facebook page: "South Sussex RAYNET group are currently assisting the emergency services, other voluntary agencies and RAFA with a major incident. All of our team are safe and will continue to help with the recovery late into the evening." On Monday, August 24 the South Sussex RAYNET group posted: "South Sussex will again today have a team on site at Shoreham Airport. For us this tragic event is drawing to a close and is now more about recovering hired and our own equipment from the site. Today’s team will be much smaller, most having returned to their day jobs this morning. The group's committee of management will be working with national and other agencies to support its members as they come to terms with the details of the weekend’s events." South Sussex RAYNET https://twitter.com/G1SSR https://www.facebook.com/Sussex.RAYNET (via SouthGate) WICEN ACTIVITY With the usual upswing in WICEN supported activities shortly VK1 are planning a WICEN equipment maintenance and information session on Saturday 12 September. The primary intent of the event is to test the equipment in their pool of gear to make sure it is all in good working order before they try and put it into service, but will also have some programming and testing equipment present to assist with programming of radios for WICEN events. The rough plan for the WICEN(ACT) day is to test/fix existing and construct a number of additional feed lines, test/reprogramme WICEN radios (and members personal radio equipment if desired), check repeaters, filters, antennas masts and bolts/ fasteners as well as taking a stock of additional equipment/consumable items needed. Matt VK1MA and Phil VK1PL from WICEN ACT also tell us the next scheduled WICEN Field activity is on the 27th September, The Brookvale Horse Enduro. (vk1 email news) SOCIAL SCENE 2015 Sep 12 VK4 SUNFEST Woombye Sep 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. (theTARCinc) June 11-13 VK5 VK Foxhunting Championship & SERG convention Mt Gambier (VK5HCF) July 19 VK3 GippsTech 2016 Churchill vk3pf@wia.org.au 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." 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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. . -------------