JULY 31 - 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 JULY 31 2016. IN OUR 21st YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS What is immediately facing the WIA? THIS STORY AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 2016 AND FOR WEEK OF JUL 31 HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. VK1 CRARC committee members had a dinner meeting with WIA President Phil Waite VK2ASD prior to their general meeting this week. At that meeting Phil VK2ASD made a presentation to Dale Hughes VK1DSH for his service to the WIA and to Gil Hughes for his service as an assessor. Following the Awards Phil gave a presentation about the WIA. VK3 web service:- http://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/ If you're an amateur planning to operate from a remote snowbound location in Victoria, what could be more important than having a good dipole? Try a good ski pole! A group of adventurous amateur radio outdoorsmen, led by Gerard VK3GT and Stephen VK3SN, have been ready for this kind of winter action for some time. For four days, beginning Friday the 29th of July, the team is embarking on their annual cross-country ski trip that will not only cover the remote Bogong High Plains but also cover the bands -- 160m all the way to 70cm. They'll be operating QRP using lightweight solar-powered rigs and homebrew antennas. In some spots, the trip promises to be a slippery slope indeed. Actually, it is expected there will be several slippery slopes: team members will ascend at some points to more than 1800 meters above sea level. If you're hoping to contact them, be listening on 40m in the afternoons, and on 80m in the evenings, and even on local repeaters. The team is hoping to "break the ice," so to speak, with other radio operators while calling CQ. ( KD2GUT Caryn Eve Murray) VK4 - QNEWS Send your stories for news. SCRIPT to qnews@wia.org.au send audio to http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/upload/ get local audio news www.wiaq.org.au/ftp/vk4_qnews_64.mp3 get local news emailed qnews-vk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com TARC WIA Exams Information Exam sessions in the North Queensland region are held on demand with WIA Assessors and assessment packs available for all 3 levels of licensing. Contact theTARCinc Assessment Co-ordinator Roger/VK4CD on email vk4cd@wia.org.au Further information also available at theTARCinc website and as with all WIA affiliated clubs just go to the club link when you stop off at wia.org.au ( http://www.tarc.org.au ) VK5 Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club and "SCIENCE ALIVE EVENT". Good morning this is Allan VK5MAK for the Elizabeth Amateur Radio Club. EARC is again hosting Amateur Radio for the “Science Alive Event” at the Wayville Showgrounds for the 5th to 7th August. There will be 54 exhibitors including Amateur Radio. This will be the 6th year that we have presented Amateur Radio (not just this club) to approximately 26,000 visitors over the three day period. Friday 5th August approximately 8000 school students from years 7 to 11 and others are expected to attend for careers week. Saturday and Sunday 6th and 7th are the public viewing days. Frequencies in use will be 7.100 MHz, and 14.200MHz, +/- our noise floor. In Previous years the event has been attended by “The World Wide Science Delegation.” We would like to see or Hear from you. This is a great event to showcase Amateur Radio. VK6 The SES Communications Support Unit is holding an open night on Wednesday 3rd August 2016 at 6:30PM. 91 Leake Street, Belmont. We are an active volunteer SES unit that fall under the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. Much of the work we do involves fires and searches so unlike other SES units, we are generally most active over the fire season assisting the fire crews on the ground with reliable and efficient communications equipment and temporary repeater installations as well as providing subject matter experts to give communications advice during times of need. We deal with a wide range of radios including Vertex, Philips, Motorola, Tait, Codan, Q-Mac and more. We setup cross band repeaters as well as Spectra VHF repeaters, Clark Masts (PU12 is the most common), Yagi antennas, Folded dipoles, C-linears, Inverted V's and many other type of antenna arrangements. Please call or SMS 0429 113 834 or email recruitment@csu-ses.com.au to RSVP for our open night on Wednesday 3rd August 2016 at 6:30PM Best regards Ante Kapuralic (Q34) Email Address : training@csu-ses.com.au VK7 vk7 local news, email vk7regionalnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vk7regionalnews/ REAST Members are advised that a Special General Meeting has been called to modify the Rules of the Association on Saturday 6th August at 1.00pm. If you did not receive a DIRECT email about this, please contact secretary@reast.asn.au Also, following on from the recent successful visit to the Moonraker factory by members of R EAST, an offer has been presented for a limited time to members for purchasing Moonraker antennas. (Sean REAST Secretary & Public Officer) WIA BOARD TALK 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 DISCUSSION POINT AMSAT NA ALL AT SEA Full marks to AMSAT NA for thinking outside the square and coming up with something special for their Space Symposium and Annual Meeting (AGM). This idea could certainly be pursued by the good folk at our WIA who have had many interesting and novel destinations for our own AGM's AMSAT NA are boarding the Carnival Liberty on November 10, 2016 in Galveston, Texas for 4 Night cruising the western Caribbean. And costs start at just an amazing $400. ************************************************************************ What use is an F-call? Recently I spoke about digital voice communications. I made mention of the CODEC2 project developed by Dave Rowe, VK5DGR. I also made reference of the kinds of things that digital voice improves, battery life, channel separation and bandwidth. One of the things I didn't mention, mainly because I still had to learn what it meant, is that CODEC2 has an estimated 13dB gain over Analogue FM. To explain what that actually means, you might recall that an S-point is 6dB, that means that if you use CODEC2, you gain more than two S-points, that's a little like turning up the transmitter power from 10 Watts to 200 Watts. If you look at it another way, if you have a Yagi and you install the same Yagi next to it, and connect it up properly, you've doubled the power and gained 3dB. If you do that again, you have 4 antennas and 6dB, if you do it again, you have 8 antennas and 9dB, again, 16 antennas or 12dB gain. So, the performance that we're talking about is something that you can either visualise as turning up the power from 10 Watts to 200 Watts, or using an antenna array with 16 antennas. So what is this magic thing called CODEC2? Well, as I said previously, a CODEC is a piece of software that encodes and decodes stuff. An example that you might be more familiar with is an MP3 file. You open your sound file, and save it as an MP3. The new file is much smaller but it retains most of the fidelity of the original when you play it back. The same is true for other things in use. Your mobile phone uses a GSM CODEC to make your voice travel across the airwaves as bits, rather than raw audio, like the old analogue phones we used to have. The aim of all of this is to reduce data use, to increase availability of channels and to deal with error correction. CODEC2 does all that, for us, here, in Amateur Radio Land, and of course, it can also be used in the rest of the world, for example for mobile phone communications, making it possible to use less power to transmit the same signal and thus use less battery, making your phone last longer. I'm looking forward to a CODEC2 mode on my radio to go with the AM, FM and SSB modes already there. 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. Turkey crisis: State of emergency announced Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has declared a state of emergency for three months. Conflicting reports in almost daily as to Ham Band Status. A post put on a Yaesu FT817 site says the Supreme Council of Radio and Television of Turkey (RTUK) has cancelled the licenses of over 20 radio and television broadcasters as well as ham radio operators. Then it was reported that restrictions against radio and TV operations had not yet affected that nation's amateur licensees. Tevfik, TA1HZ, reported to RSGB in an email on the 21st that, as of then, there was no curfew imposed on amateur radio in Turkey. The country is now under extraordinary circumstances law but the Communications Authority has not released any announcement about amateur radio restrictions. “There is no ham radio license revoked in Turkey, and ham radio operators are operating normally,” said Aziz Sasa, TA1E, the president of Turkey’s International Amateur Radio Union member society TRAC. ARRL news say 3 stations in Turkey were reported heard on 10 meters during an opening to Central Europe on July 21 — TA1BM, TA1PB, and YM7TEN/B. TRAC the IARU member society has not been closed, nor has its website been blocked or shut down. Post about Turkish amateur radio licenses http://yaesuft817.com/wp/turkey-gouvernement-revokes-19201-ham-radio-licenses/ First Thai Advanced Ham Radio exam 125 candidates passed Thailand's first Advanced Class amateur radio examination supervised by RAST and conducted at the NBTC Secretariat Office The Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) reports on June 18, 125 candidates passed the two-hour exam, out of the total of 151 Intermediate Class operators who participated and they will be able to upgrade their amateur radio licenses to Advanced Class which, among other things, allows output power on the HF bands to be up to 1 kW. ( Source RAST http://www.qsl.net/rast/ ) Although the Advanced license class has been provided for in the regulations since 1987 it had until now never been available to the public, it has not been possible to sit an Advanced exam. The King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej HS1A was issued with an Advanced license in 1987. In their submission to the 15th IARU R3 conference the RAST reported that in May 2012 Thailand had close on 250,000 radio amateurs holding the Basic entry level license yet just 717 Intermediate and Reciprocal HF license holders. Region 3 Director gives IARU Presentation to HARTS Annual Dinner Director Peter Young, VK3MV, at the invitation from HARTS (Hong Kong) gave a presentation on the International Governance Arrangements and the Role of the IARU at the HARTS Annual dinner held this year. In his presentation VK3MV covered how the ITU addresses the arrangements for upcoming World Radio Conference (2019) and how the IARU organizes its response through participation in various Study Groups and conferences. Peter went on to provide an overview of what the Regional Directors are currently engaged in since the last R3 Conference in Bali. The HARTS annual dinner is very well attended by some 300 members of the Society as well as invited guests and technical presenters. Belarus radio hams get 50 watts on 5 MHz The Dutch National Society VERON is reporting that Belarus now has the new 5 MHz amateur radio allocation agreed at WRC-15 60 meter band (5 MHz) as follows: 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz (continuous band) 50 Watt CW, SSB, Digital Are you lucky enough to be off to JA in August? The JARL Ham Fair 2016 will be held at Tokyo Big Sight, Ariake, Tokyo on August 20th (Saturday) and 21st (Sunday). Last year, they had about 36,000 participants for the two days. JARL looks forward to the 2016 visitors, manufacturers, retailers, clubs and volunteers at HAM Fair 2016! Who and Where are our broadcast stations? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ OPERATIONAL NEWS 2016 IOTA Contest The annual Islands On The Air contest is taking place this weekend, for 24 hours from 12:00 UTC on Saturday 30th July. This is one of the most popular international contests. Among the announced operations for this year's contest, the Papa Lima DX Group have indicated that they will be operating from Little Saltee Island, off the Wexford coast, using the call sign EJ 1 Y (echo-juliet-one-yankee). For IOTA chasers, this contest provides a great opportunity to work some new IOTA references, with the added attraction that credit for QSOs that are matched in uploaded IOTA Contest logs can be claimed without the need for QSL cards. (sourced to IRTS) 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 6 - 7 Remembrance or RD Contest August 13-14 The 19th International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend Aug 20-21 36th ALARA Contest is on the last full weekend in August, Aug 27-28. September 23-25 D-STAR (Digital Amateur Radio) QSO party. The global event will take place between September 23rd at 0.01 and September 25th at 23.59 UTC. The format of the party will be the same as in previous years with the goal of encouraging D-STAR operators to communicate with as many other operators across the world via D-STAR repeaters. For more information visit the D-STAR QSO PARTY 2016 website: www.icom.co.jp/world/dqp (sourced to SouthGate) DX ADVICE VC2Q Nine Canadian amateurs are operating from CQ Zone 2 to 1st August. They have the special callsign VC 2 Q and on all bands CW, SSB and RTTY. XR 1 T The Chilean DXpedition Team, XR1T from Santa Maria Island, SA-069, is on air now till 1st August, this weekend’s IOTA Contest included. XR 1 T will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on all bands. QSL via CE3OP, direct or bureau using O QRS. 9 A 8 CV Krk Island, IOTA EU-136, till August 3. This includes an entry in the RSGB IOTA contest. QSL via 9 A 8 CV's instructions. JD 1 JG8NQJ/JD1 from Marcus Island for a couple of months while there to service the weather station. Activity on 20, 15, 10 and 6 metres using CW and RTTY. QSL to JA 8 CJY. The Japan Amateur Radio Development Association (JARD) was established in 1991，and are celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year. To commemorate the event, station JD 1 YBV will be on the air. JD1YBV from Chichijima Island (AS-031) between August 23th and August 28th. Activity will be on 40-6 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via the Bureau Back to the Contest Zone and VK4KG will be operating in the RD Contest Wayne/VK4WDM wants it be known that the RAAF Museum Memorial Station VK4KG would be operating for the 2016 Remembrance Day Contest. Due to Base Security restrictions the Station will be operating on Saturday 13th Aug from 1pm to 6pm and then on Sunday 14th Aug from 9am to 1pm. 'Hurry up and wait' for RD station VK4KG. No waiting no delay--- RESULTS ARE IN FOR OUR Harry Angel Memorial 80m Sprint Contest 2016.... for thse it's to Kevin, I'm Felix VK4FUQ in Ingham Phone Section (29) VK2SR 61 *1 Chris CARROLL VK4YZ 56 *2 Charlie STRONG VK4NM 54 *3 Andrew MUNSON MIXED Section (9) VK4SN 89 *1 Alan SHANNON VK3VT 86 *2 Greg WILLIAMS VK4BZ/P2 69 *3 John SAUNDERS CW Section (7) VK7CW 50 *1 Steve SALVIA VK2KJJ 44 *2 Knud Joergen Olesen-Jensen VK3AUQ 38 *3J Kevin Phillips SWL section (4) Marcus BERGLUND 34 *1 John RAMSEY 33 *2 Alexandra HEATHCOTE 10 *3 Full listing of all entries will shortly be available from WIA Contest Page on the WIA website WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FEMALES IN RADIO ALARA - AUSTRALIAN LADIES AR ASSOCIATION http://alara.org.au Net is held each Mondays on 3.570± MHz, commencing at 1030 UTC. (1000utc during daylight saving) INDIA CULTIVATES A CROP OF FUTURE YLs In India, a group of undergraduate women recently got an introduction to ham radio that included a history lesson as well as a look to the future. Nearly 4 dozen students from St. Francis College for Women in Hyderabad, India, accompanied their lecturers on a visit to the National Institute of Amateur Radio in Hyderabad, to learn more about ham radio and to tour the Amateur Radio Museum there. They were given a live demonstration of operating on the VHF bands, and got to watch videos as well as a Power Point presentation about other aspects of the hobby. The museum, which houses artefacts that tell the history of wireless from the earliest inventions, regularly presents these kinds of awareness programs to schools and other organizations who want to know more about the technology behind all modes of modern ham radio. So while the 43 undergraduates who attended the program may be studying to earn their B.Sc degree, it's likely some of them may also end up getting their "YL" calls too. (Amateur Radio Newsline) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA http://rsgbiota.org OC-233. Yes right in our own 'backyard' so to speak we find Tony, VK3VTH, who will once again be active as VK3VTH/7 from King Island, Bass Strait, Tasmania, between August 18-22nd. Activity will be on 40/20 meters using SSB. QSL via the Bureau Oh and as Felix said earlier in this bulletin of news from YOUR WIA, "The annual Islands On The Air contest is taking place this weekend, for 24 hours from 12:00 UTC on Saturday 30th July. This is one of the most popular international contests.' 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 "Starlight to Vampire Base." Dale McCarthy VK4DMC has you covered! Atherton Tablelands Region, the Tablelands Radio and Electronics Club and Co-ordinator Dale McCarthy VK4DMC has lots of community support happening. Sat 13 to Sun 14 Aug - FNERA Gemstone Moonlight Horse Endurance Ride Tepon Sat 24 to Sun 25 Sept - FNERA Cordillera Trail Endurance Rides Tepon Sat 15 to Sun 16 Oct - FNERA Brooklyn Horse Endurance Rides Tepon That's all up on the Tablelands. (TARC newsletter) SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ROTA ROTA Recipes On The Air The World Wide Recipe Swapping Net 20m, 14.183MHz, 0630 UTC Mondays. Fun on the air swapping information about recipes or favourite ingredients . Listen for the gastronomic cue from Lyn/VK4SWE. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- WIRELESS WEATHER http://spaceweather.com/ Strongest flare of 2016 The Space Weather site reports sunspot complex AR2565-AR2567 erupted July 23, twice, producing two strong solar flares in quick succession The first at 0211 UT registered M5 on the Richter Scale of Flares. The second at 0516 UT registered M7.6, making it the strongest flare of 2016 so far. Pulses of radiation from the two flares ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a blackout of shortwave radio transmissions over the Pacific side of Earth. People who might have noticed the fading signals include ham radio operators, mariners and aviators. The explosions hurled an impressive CME into space. (SouthGate) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR OLD-TIMERS http://www.raotc.org.au Hallo everyone, this is Clive VK6CSW with the usual reminder that tomorrow, Monday August 1st the Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club of Australia’s monthly News and Information bulletin goes to air. This month as well as all the usual Club news, we feature Part 1 of a 2-part talk on the development of the Overland Telegraph in Australia. Part 2 will follow in September. Everyone, RAOTC members and non- members alike, is most welcome to listen to the program and join in the call backs afterwards. There are several ways to hear this broadcast. At 0100 UTC Bill VK3BR will beam the program northwards from Melbourne on 20 metres on 14.150 upper sideband for eastern states listeners. An hour later at 0200 UTC there will be a 40 metre transmission from Perth on 7088 kHz lower sideband with a simultaneous transmission via all linked NewsWest repeaters. Additionally, local relays also place. Please visit our website at www.raotc.org.au and click on VK3OTN Broadcasts for details. As from Tuesday you can download the audio file our website. Once again, the RAOTC monthly bulletin is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday August 1st and we look forward to hearing your call sign during the call backs. 73 from Clive VK6CSW. Rewind, a look back on our history BBC's detailed plans for nuclear war The BBC's Nuclear War plan included broadcasts from Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker in Essex which is now home to the D-Star repeater GB 7 KH and special event station GB 0 SNB For the first time, the BBC has given detailed access to the plans it drew up in the Cold War for a Wartime Broadcasting System to operate in the event of nuclear war. Paul Reynolds, a former BBC diplomatic and foreign correspondent, has been studying the secrets of what was known as the "War Book". Read the BBC story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36865345 Visit the Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker http://www.secretnuclearbunker.com/ SOCIAL SCENE 2016 Aug 7 VK6 NCRG HamFest 9am Cyril Jackson Community Hall Ashfield (vk6rk) Aug 28 VK2 Summerland (Lismore) HamFest at Clubrooms. (vk2src) Sep 18 VK2 Westlake’s AR Club field day Teralba (J Green) Sep 23-25 VK4 Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club AGM weekend Lake Maraboon Holiday Village, near Emerald. (theTARCinc) Sep-Oct 30-3 VK4 Cardwell Gathering Long Weekend, Beachcomber Motel(theTARCinc) Nov 6 VK5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society HamFest 8am (VK5KC) Nov 26 VK3 Rosebud RadioFest 9:30 am till 2pm (vk3pdg) Nov 26 VK7 Miena HamFest Saturday 26th. (vk7wi txt) 2017 March 26 VK3 EMDRC HamFest, Great Ryrie Primary School, Heathmont (VK3BQ) May 19 VK WIA AGM Hahndorf some 25km from Adelaide (vk5kc) Aug/Sep date to be advised - ALARAMEET 2017 in Cairns (vk4swe) 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. 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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. . -------------