SEP 24 2017 - 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 SEPTEMBER 24 2017. IN OUR 22nd YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS WIA and the remake of the Amateur Service LCD. - WIA Director VK5WTF. - WIA it serves and protects. THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 2017 AND FOR WEEK OF SEP 24 How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? Well the hams across the Carribean and SE USA are using their expertise to help in this newest of Hurricans.. Hurricane Maria. The Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW, has suspended its regular bulletin transmissions in order to help support its partners for both HF and long-haul communications response for Hurricane Maria. W1AW will be monitoring the Hurricane Watch, SATERN, and Caribbean Emergency Weather nets; checking Winlink2000 e-mail; checking into the VoIP Weather Net, and providing interoperability support by keeping various frequencies open for hurricane traffic. All W1AW visitor operations are suspended for the time being. If it isn't raining - it's shaking! Following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Tuesday the IARU member society, Federacion Mexicana de Radio Experimentadores or FMRE, had its National Emergency Net activated. This is on 7.060 MHz, 3.690 MHz and 14.120 MHz as well as IRLP reflector 9200, channel 08. The epicenter in the central Mexico state of Puebla at 1814 UTC on Tuesday was southeast of Mexico City, which felt it. Reports have people killed as 'in the hundred's' the ‘quake toppled buildings and rescuers are searching the rubble for survivors. Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee says FMRE President Al Tomez XE2O reports the National Emergency Net has been handling traffic to make up for the loss of some mobile phone networks. He noted that the latest earthquake was on the anniversary of the 1985 magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck the Mexico City, killing some 9,500 people. Since then Mexico has prepared for seismic events. A week ago, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off Mexico’s southern coast. It's killed in the hundred's and caused considerable damage. “Their is a place in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun.” Now we learn “there is a place in VK6 they call the Rising Moon.” Who better knows this place than a 'VK7ner' who visited and from there set a brand new 'out of this world' world record Details in Special Interest Group News today with Robert Broomhead. Remake of the Amateur Service LCD The Amateur Licence Conditions Determination the LCD specifies Australian conditions such as the licence grades, frequency bands, modes and maximum permitted powers. The underlying purpose of the WIA's initial proposals was to enable greater self-determination for the amateur service, along with updates to the conditions for all licence grades in order to ensure Amateur Radio remains relevant in the digitally-connected age. The WIA then had further consultation in May 2017 open to the amateur service, both members and non-members. Preliminary results show strong support for the WIA's proposed Amateur licence conditions reforms. Results from the three-phase consultation process are being to be incorporated with updated documentation to underpin the case for LCD reform with evidence. This will be submitted when the ACMA indicates it is ready to prepare a new Licence Condition Determinations. Hello, this is VK5WTF with this week's board comment Life is always filled with tough decisions, and sometimes it can be hard to see the good. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The latest actions from the board to revitalise the committees is the way we can keep the WIA moving forward. Don't just think about today or tomorrow, but also keep in mind what's happening next month. And even today, the WIA has the future of ARMag in mind, thinking about what it might look like in two years' time. We want ARMag to succeed, just as much as the WIA. We all know, like most things in Amateur Radio, ask 100 Amateurs and you'll get 200 answers. And the board is working hard to make sense of those 200 ideas, refining them, distilling and getting them into achievable goals. Just like the suggestions from the Open Forum. At the same time, we need to find the positives in the change that is always happening around us, and turn them in to opportunities for the hobby in Australia. The new Radiocommunications Bill is a perfect example of this with pressure on existing spectrum. And don't worry, as a board, we don't have a monopoly on ideas, and look forward to the board asking for your input in the future on a number of topics. This is the organisational structure we are working to build, adaptive and member focussed. This has been Marcus, vk5wtf, 73. INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART, WIA Local News Service VK7, VK3PC and the WW sources of the WIA. Amateur Radio Community Goes on Alert for Maria Caribbean Island residents and the Amateur Radio community have hardly had a chance to catch a breath from Hurricane Irma as recovery operations continue, but now Hurricane Maria is knocking on the door. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) activated on 14.325 MHz, with plans to maintain operations on that frequency during the day and on 7.268 MHz after dark. “As propagation dictates, we may operate using both frequencies at the same time,” HWN Secretary Stan Broadway, N 8 BHL, said in making the announcement. More to come during our 'Rescue-Radio' slot further down this bulletin. New Radio Spectrum Pollution Threat The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Administrative Council (AC) held its annual in-person meeting on 15 and 16 September in Landshut, Germany, just before the IARU Region 1 Conference. It has addressed High Power Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles, seen as having a significant potential for interference to radiocommunications. The AC consists of the three IARU international officers and two representatives from each of the three IARU regional organisations, is responsible for the policy and management. The meeting reviewed its priorities and positions on the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The agenda includes, along with WPT and several other items of potential concern to radio amateurs, a possible allocation in Region 1 of 50-54 MHz to the Amateur Service to harmonise with the allocations in the other two regions. The IARU budget, based on anticipated financial contributions from Member Societies, was also reviewed to minimise expenditure, and adopted. The theme for World Amateur Radio Day, 18 April 2018, was confirmed as “Celebrating Amateur Radio’s Contribution to Society.” Tunisia legalises individual licences The Ministry of Telecommunications of Tunisia has approved and issued a decree organising amateur radio activity in Tunisia. It is now possible for Tunisian amateurs to apply, pass an exam and get their own amateur radio licences. Those who already have a foreign licence can be granted licences without passing an exam. Resident foreigners can also apply. See iaru-r1.org for full details. FCC Opens 630 and 2200 Meter Bands The FCC has announced that the Office of Management and Budget has approved, for 3 years, the information-collection requirement of the Commission’s March 29 Report and Order (R&O) that spelled out Amateur Radio service rules for the two new bands 630 meters and 2200 meters. Notice of the action appears in the Federal Register. Before using either band, stations must notify the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) that they plan to do so, and if UTC does not respond within 30 days, they may commence operation. Last March 27, the FCC adopted the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference implementation Report and Order (ET Docket 15-99), amending its Amateur Radio rules to — in the FCC’s words — “provide for frequency-sharing requirements in the 135.7-137.8 kHz (2200-meter) and 472-479 kHz (630-meter) bands.” World Radiosport As preparations are under way for the next World Radiosport Team Championship event — WRTC 2018 in Germany next July — the WRTC Sanctioning Committee is already looking ahead to potential locations for WRTC 2022. Yes 2022. The committee is responsible for evaluating requests to host a WRTC event and selecting the winning applicant. It’s hoping to announce the host for WRTC 2022 at the WRTC 2018 closing ceremonies. “Like the international Olympics, it is important to provide continuity for the WRTC program and give the radiosport community as much time as possible to prepare for each event,” Sanctioning Committee President Tine Brajnik, S50A, said in a news release. “Thus, it is appropriate at this time to begin the process of considering where WRTC 2022 will be held and who will make up the organizing committee.” To begin the evaluation process, the WRTC Sanctioning Committee is requesting written letters of intent, identifying the group's primary leaders and contact information, along with the general time frame and event location. The announcement said the committee will then respond with the WRTC requirements document, “from which a formal proposal can be created.” The deadline to submit a letter of intent is December 31, 2017. Letters of intent should be directed to Tina Brajnik Velike Lipljene 24, 1311 TURJAK, Slovenia. Who and Where are our broadcast stations? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ HAM RADIO OPERATIONAL NEWS - IT'S A CONTACT SPORT All major Australian contests, rules and results, are on the Contest Section of the WIA website. wia.org.au/members/contests/about 2017 October CQ WW DX / SSB CONTEST (always Octobers Last full weekend) November CQ WW DX / CW CONTEST (always Novembers Last full weekend) The SSB weekend is October 29-30. The CW weekend is November 26-27. Running ALL year 'til Dec 31 Victorian Local Government Award 2017 Challenge 2018 John Moyle Memorial Field Day will be held over the weekend of the 17th-18th March 2018 and will run from UTC 0100 on the Saturday until 0059 on the Sunday. IARU HF Championship event on 15 and 16 July. The 21st International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is on August 18 to 19, 2018 Portable operators in Victorian National Parks So far 14 locations have been named in the Keith Roget Memorial National Parks four-day activity period in November, with two of the hard to find ones being the latest to register. Peter VK 3 TKK will be at Wilsons Promontory the southernmost part of Victoria on the Friday, and then travelling to the French Island National Park on Westernport Bay. The School Radio Club VK 3 SRC with Joe and Julie have added Churchill National Park on the Saturday and Sunday. Paul VK5PAS/3 is on a road trip in eastern Victoria to activate the Alfred, Coopracambra, Croajingolong and Lind National Parks. The other major activators are Warren VK3BYD and Tony VK3XV. With eight weeks to go more will register for the activation period from Friday November 10 to Monday November 13 inclusive. (Jim Linton VK3PC) Chris EI6HZB has been reported active on SSB from Cairo, Egypt in the past couple of weeks using the callsign SU/DM4DX. Logs are uploaded regularly to Logbook of The World. Rod EA7JX will be in Djelfa, Algeria till 25th September and will operate as 7U1X on all bands. He will also be taking part in the CQ WW RTTY contest on this weekend, 23rd - 24th September. QSLs go via his home call. EA7JX David, G4NRT will be on the air as Z21NRT in Zimbabwe until the 29th of September. He will be on the 80 to 6m bands using SSB, CW and digital QSL to his home callsign. G4NRT Al, K7AR will be operating as 5W0RA from Apia, Samoa, IOTA OC-097, from the 19th to the 29th of September. Activity will be on the HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and possibly FT8. QSL to his home callsign. K7AR. Another DXpedition QRT before it begins. Members of the Argentinian DXers Group, who were expected to be active as PJ 7 T from Sint Maarten (NA-105) between October 24th and November 4th, have cancelled their operation due to the damage done by Hurricane Irma. The group sent out the following : "Irma destroyed 95% of infrastructure on the island and it will be impossible to arrive and live there for a long time." WIRELESS WEATHER At the 36th annual ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference held September 15–17 this year in St. Louis, HamSCI members presented preliminary evidence that the August 21 solar eclipse had a significant effect on HF propagation. In their presentation members showed initial results of the Solar Eclipse QSO Party and other HamSCI eclipse experiments. Their presentation demonstrated that the number of 14-MHz Reverse Beacon Network spots decreased, while the number of 1.8 MHz and 3.5 MHz spots increased during the eclipse totality. The researchers say this suggests a decrease in both maximum usable frequency and D-layer absorption during the eclipse. WIA - It serves and protects. Want to know what the WIA is doing to encourage Amateur Radio and members engagement? Wish to be informed on the latest developments that may affect you? Then regularly visit the material on its website, read the WIA journal “Amateur Radio magazine” - and listen to the weekly VK1WIA broadcast. The WIA website, which includes the text edition of this broadcast, is at www.wia.org.au MEDIA WATCH Who and Where are our broadcast stations? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ Plenty of good reading in Amateur Radio magazine for October On the cover is a dramatic sky photograph at Cape Leeuwin taken by Hans Fairhurst VK6XN during the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, and inside are reports on various activities for the 20th annual fun event. The Editor Peter Freeman VK3PF in his editorial talks about the recent history and the next steps towards having a bi-monthly printed magazine from 2018. The winner of the Remembrance Day Contest 2017 is VK7. Well done! RD Award Manager Alan Shannon VK4SN has his full report. The technical articles this month are on programming cables, Mini Satellite-Antenna Rotator MkII, and a revisit to the FT8 digital mode. Mark VK3XB has an interesting story on Kenya. Also Amateur Radio magazine, a WIA membership service, are regular columns on regional and special interests. I’m Barry Robinson VK3PV and you are listening to VK1WIA. INTRUDER WATCH - ENFORCEMENT ZONE Region III IARUMS Coordinator Peter Young VK3MV VK IARUMS reflector email to subscribe intruders@wia.org.au SUBMITTING a report? go to http://www.wia.org.au/members/protecting/intruderreport/ INTRUDER NETS Friday 0730 UTC 7.065.5 with VK4CEU David. Amateur exclusive frequencies where any non-amateur signal is definitely an intruder. Amateur HF Spectrum world wide 7.050 to 7.100 14.000 to 14.250 14.250 to 14.350 No broadcasters 21.000 to 21.450 24.890 to 24.990 28.000 to 29.700 Not All “Intruders” on Ham Bands are Illegal — But a Lot of Them Are The monthly newsletter of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 Monitoring Service (IARUMS) typically makes for some interesting reading. While the reports that come from more than two dozen contributors in Europe and Africa can be a bit visually dense, the content conveys the impression that that there are myriad intruders on the Amateur Radio bands. However, not all of them are illegal, as IARUMS points out, but a lot of the signals heard are not supposed to be where they were monitored. The individual reports can be a bit humorous too. “Get the grub, and I’ll talk to you later this evening,” was a snippet of a conversation between two fishermen that an Irish Radio Transmitters Society monitor overheard on 3.570 MHz and reported to the IARUMS. The IRTS said the chatter was accompanied on both sides by “loud motor noise,” and, if that were not sufficient detail, it pointed out that both men had Galway accents. Intruding signals from fishing crews throughout IARU Region 1 are commonplace. More blatant are the repeat offenders, such as the “Chinese foghorn” over-the-horizon (OTH) radars on several frequencies in the exclusive Amateur Radio 20-meter allocation, as well as on 15 and 40 meters. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER Two Radio Amateurs are Among Three New ISS Crew Members After a 6-hour flight, astronauts Mark Vande Hei, KG5GNP, and Joe Acaba, KE5DAR, with cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin arrived at the International Space Station on September 12. The trio launched aboard the Soyuz MS-06 spacecraft from Kazakhstan, orbited Earth four times, and then docked at the space station. Their arrival restores the station's crew to six. The new Expedition 53/54 crew members will spend more than 4 months aboard the ISS, conducting approximately 250 science investigations in fields such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development. Once they've settled in, Acaba and Vande Hei are expected to average one or two and possibly as many as four — Amateur Radio on the International Space Station contacts a week. One such ISS contact last week was with the Beenleigh State High School south of Brisbane, a late night chat with Italian astronaut and engineer, Paolo Nespoli IZ 0 JPA who is till on the ISS with the new arrivals. The ARISS contact happened at 11pm Queensland time, before students, parents and educators. The evening started at 9pm with telescopes in the school grounds and an informative tour through the solar system. Nick McClean of Gilmore Space Australia, explained the development of reusable space delivery vehicles, followed by science teacher Chris Meagher with an inspirational video of Paolo IZ0JPA. ARISS Coordinator Shane Lynd VK4KHZ set up a portable satellite tracking station with antennas and auto-doppler correction. This emulated the ground station K6DUE telebridge in the Goddard Space Flight Centre, Maryland USA, with students very interested to see the antennas begin tracking. Paolo IZ0JPA answered all 13 students explaining passionately each response in great detail. The excited students, parents and educators then sent a burst of applause to the ISS just before K6DUE closed the link. (Jim Linton VK3PC) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING http://www.scouts.com.au http://www.scout.org/jota http://www.international.scouts.com.au Brett Nicholas VK2BNN Scouts Australia National co-ordinator for JOTA. Lorraine O’Hare VK2FICQ Girl Guides Australia National JOTA-JOTI Co-ordinator. 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 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 Caribbean Emergency Weather Net Activates; FEMA Announces Interoperability Nets Jeff, 9Y4J, Emergency Coordinator Advisory Group, IARU Region 2, Area E, reports that the Caribbean Emergency Weather Net activated at 1030 UTC on 3.815 MHz. The net will use 3.815 and/or 7.188 MHz as propagation dictates. The CEWN will provide 24-hour coverage during the passage of Hurricane Maria and in the storm’s immediate wake, in case there is a need to pass health-and-welfare traffic. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will activate 60-meter interoperability nets for Hurricane Maria. These will remain active until the storm has passed and the need for these nets no longer exists. The frequencies to be used are Channel 1, 5.331 MHz (primary voice traffic) and Channel 2, 5.346.5 MHz (digital traffic). SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - VHF AND ABOVE (The Plumbers Delight) New 10-GHz Earth-Moon-Earth World Record Set A new 10-GHz EME or moon bounce world record was set September 9, when Rex, VK7MO, and Jim, WA3LBI, completed a 18,949.4 kilometer contact using QRA64D. This extends by approximately 600 kilometres the previous world record held by DL7FJ and ZL1GSG, who used CW. The participants said the key was to find locations with nearly 0° take-off, which essentially means across water. VK7MO operated from OF76nk at Meelup in Western Australia; WA3LBI operated from FM28io in Delaware. Coincidentally, “Meelup” is aboriginal meaning “place of the rising Moon.” GET YOUR HAM LICENCE Visit the WIA website, wia.org.au To find A Club And Course Near You http://www.wia.org.au/licenses/foundation/learningorganisers/ To make a general enquiry https://www.wia.org.au/discover/sendinfo/publicenquiry/ CANBERRA email education@crarc.ampr.org for further information. AMATEUR RADIO NEW SOUTH WALES:- ARNSW 63 Quarry Rd Dural, email for details on education@arnsw.org.au Bookings can be made by phoning the office on 02 9651 1490 and leaving contact details. AMATEUR RADIO VICTORIA CONTACT:- Amateur Radio Victoria 40G Victory Boulevard, Ashburton, vk3pv@amateurradio.com.au or phone Barry on 0428 516 001. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- On next week’s VK1WIA broadcast we will report on the book launch about Australis OSCAR 5 - the story of when Melbourne University Students Built Australia's First Satellite. Recalling those historic events back when the amateur radio satellitet was launched on 23 January 1970, is Dr Owen Mace who has written a definitive book – the WIA was at the book launch by invitation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SOCIAL SCENE 2017 Sep29-Oct2 VK4 Cardwell Gathering (tarc) Oct 29 VK3 Yarra Valley Amateur Radio Group HAMFEST 10:00am at the Gary Cooper Pavilion, Yarra Glen. Nov 5 VK3 BARG Hamvention greyhound racing track, Ballarat. (wia events) Nov 12 VK5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society HamFest 8am (vk5kc) Nov 12 VK3 Rosebud's annual celebration of all things Amateur Radio (wia) 2018 Feb 25 VK2 Wyong Field Day (VK2AOR) March 25 VK3 EMDRC HamFest - Great Ryrie Primary School, Heathmont. (VK3BQ) May 4 -7 VK4 Clairview Gathering ( between Rockhampton and Mackay ) (TARC) 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/ We would appreciate items no longer than 2 minutes in length as we only have a half hour time slot window. 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. . -------------