---------------------------------------------------------------------* NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING Mar 3 2019 IN OUR 24th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS WIA BOARD COMMENT from Secretary Peter VK8ZZ THIS & MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 2019 AND FOR WEEK OF MARCH 03 2019 The 2019 WIA Annual Conference and AGM is being held at the ParkRoyal Hotel 150 Day St Sydney over the weekend 24th to 26th of May. All details on WIA web under the heading WIA Information https://www.wia.org.au/joinwia/wia/2019agm/ We currently have a visitor to Australia from the Colombian Amateur Radio League. Oscar HK 6 O is currently in Melbourne. Oscar is the IARU Region 2 Liaison Officer. Welcome to Australia. Oscar will meet with the WIA at our national office in Bayswater in the next week. He is using the callsign VK 3 ZZX while he is in Australia. So if you hear him around show a bit of Aussie hospitality and say hi. SOMETHING DIFFERENT This week on WIA National News we're going to look at the Social Scene now, at the top of the bulletin. Reason? A lot of news plus social activity to try and fit into 30 minutes so as a safe guard to those running events we'll bring that to you first up. Also a reminder when you are submitting material, don't put 'all your eggs in one basket' in other words plan ahead and take a leaf out of the Wyong Field Day announcements, something short but different each week many weeks out from the event. We really are geared to 60-90 seconds when you submit material so instead of a 5 minute piece we'll try and fit in, why not 3 4 or 5 shorter announcements on the lead up. So with that..Social Scene 2019 VK6 - PerthTech March Two (vk6pop) VK - RAOTC ON AIR MEET (vk6csw) RADIO AMATEUR OLD-TIMERS http://www.raotc.org.au This is Clive VK6CSW reminding you that the Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club of Australia’s March bulletin goes to air tomorrow. As well as the latest Club news, this month we have some comment on the transfer of exams and licencing to the Australian Maritime College, an item on Police VHF radio in 1945, and a piece on the rural power transmission system known as Mandeno’s Clothesline. Everyone is most welcome to tune in and to join in the call backs afterwards. The broadcast originates in Melbourne on the VK3REC 2m repeater at 10 am Melbourne time with a simultaneous relay on 160 metres on 1825 kHz AM. Also at 10.00 am Victorian time, 9.30 am South Australian time or 0100 UTC, Hans VK5YX will transmit the bulletin from Adelaide on 20 metres on 14.150 MHz and 40 metres on 7146 kHz.. At night the broadcast is repeated in Melbourne at 8.30 pm local on 80 metres on 3650kHz, and in Tasmania at 7.30 pm on the VK7RAA and 7RTC networks, plus at 8.30 pm via the VK7AX video stream.. In Western Australia the program is transmitted at 9 am local on 3620 kHz, repeated at 10.00 am local time on 7088 kHz together with a simultaneous transmission via the News West linked repeaters. Each Tuesday night the Geelong ARC transmits the latest bulletin via repeater VK3RGL on 147.0 MHz. Full details of all relays as well as membership can be found on the Club website at www.raotc.org.au including how to download the audio file if you cannot listen via radio. Tune in tomorrow for the March RAOTC bulletin. 73 from Clive VK6CSW. VK7 - Meet the Voice event at Ross March 23-24 (vk7news) VK4 - Redfest 2019 April 13 (vk4tfn) VK6 - HARGfest April 14 (vk6zms) Hills Amateur Radio group present HARGfest Martin Stretton VK6ZMS says it runs 10am till 1pm Sunday 14t of April at Lesmurdie Hall 96 Gladys Rd Lesmurdie. VK5 - BRL Radio Group Annual Gathering, Overland Corner, S.A April 6 (vk5la) Hi, I’m Andy, VK5LA on behalf of the Riverland Radio Club. The Riverland Radio Club is once again holding its annual BRL Gathering weekend on Saturday The 6th of April, 2019 , at the Overland corner hotel, Goyder Highway Overland Corner, near the town of Barmera, South Australia. This event is a yearly get together for the participants of the very popular BRL net. The net is heard twice weekly, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 0830 Local South Australian time on 7.115 Megahertz plus or minus qrm. It’s also heard on Tuesday evenings, 3.610 megahertz, plus or minus qrm at 2000 local. The BRL Gathering is an ideal opportunity to get away for an extended weekend and visit South Australia’s beautiful Riverland, on the picturesque River Murray. The friendly and informal BRL gathering starts from 7:30 am Saturday with a bacon and egg sandwich and coffee breakfast, and is an ideal time to meet and greet with those on air friends both old and new. The Gathering attracts Hams and their partners from all over Australia, and is the ideal way to put a name to the faces we hear on the air. Steve, VK5SFA, will be demonstrating his internationally recognised award winning loop antenna on air for the mornings’ BRL net. Ron, VK5MRE will run the net using Steve’s loop from the grounds of the Historic Overland Corner Hotel. Steve will also include a formal presentation on the theory of operation and the development journey of the antenna for those at the gathering. Lunch is served and the Hotel is famous for its beautiful food, cold beer and hospitality. The afternoon will feature the annual BRL awards, and Grant, VK5GR, one of Australia’s top contest operators will give a talk on his recent and up and coming island DX activations. There will also be a home brew competition, open to all participants at the Gathering. If you have a radio or related item of interest that you’ve made, please bring it along and enter the competition for a chance to win some very nice prizes, either the people’s choice award or the coveted constructors award. For those that wish to bring items for sale, there will be free trading tables available to display your wares on the Saturday For those that wish to attend, There will be an evening meal at the Award winning Mallee Fowl restaurant famous for its bush theme and sensational menu. For more information, such as getting there, accommodation options and up to date info, please visit our website, www.rrc.org.au You will find everything you need to know about the BRL Gathering as a pinned post to the front of the home page, or use the contact us link to email or telephone the secretary. If you Register on line, you go in to the draw for a chance to win a complimentary lunch for you and your partner at the Hotel on the day. That’s www.rrc.org.au I’m Andy, VK5LA, on befall of the Riverland Radio Club, thanks for listening, and see you at the gathering. VK3 - Moorabbin & District Radio Club HamFest 2019 Saturday 11th May. Doors open at 10am in the refurbished Southern Community Centre, Rupert Drive, Mulgrave (Melways map ref 80 F4). The Moorabbin Radio Club’s annual HamFest is proud to be Victoria's biggest with displays and sales of new and preloved equipment. A must come must see event for anyone interested in Radio Communications and Electronics. Major door prizes, free tea and coffee, light refreshments and a sausage sizzle will also be on offer. Trader table bookings and general enquires can be made by emailing Graeme Lewis VK3GL vk3gl@bigpond.com or by phoning mobile 0418 171601. VK 2019 WIA Annual Conference Sydney weekend 24-26 of May. (wia) VK5 - South East Radio Group 2019 Annual Convention and Australian Fox Hunting Championships 8-9 June (vk5hcf) VK3 - GippsTech 2019 13'14 July (vk3pf) Peter Freeman VK3PF says the Eastern Zone Amateur Radio Club Inc. host this 2 day Annual Gippsland Technical Conference. GippsTech is an annual amateur radio technical conference, focussed on weak-signal communications on the VHF, UHF and microwave bands and any related topic of interest. More details can be found at http://www.vk3bez.org/ VK3 - Yarra Valley Amateur Group HamFest, 13th October (vk3cnw) Colin Winger VK3CNW says Yarra Valley Amateur Group's HamFest runs 10 till 2 at the Gary Cooper Pavilion 16 Anzac Av. Yarra Glen. Victoria ( Melway 274 K 1 ) Contacts: Craig - vk3war@gmail.com Col - vk3cnw@wingersoftware.com web site www.yvarg.org.au VK3 - Ballarat Amateur Radio Group, BARG Hamvention Oct 27 (vk3kqt) BOARD COMMENT from WIA Secretary Peter VK8ZZ Well things are now starting to settle after the Australian Communications and Media Authority made their long overdue decision and awarded the certification tender to the Australian Maritime College. We wish AMC well for the future and have offered to assist them in the transition. The WIA has fulfilled all of the requirements under the previous deed and all material which was required to be handed over at the conclusion of the deed was provided to ACMA. This information was handed directly to the ACMA before any contract with AMC had been signed. This process was done in a timely and orderly manner and in accordance with the now expired Deed. The WIA even offered the ACMA the use of the Foundation Examination material which was developed by the WIA, but that offer has been declined. The WIA AGM this year will be held in SYDNEY. The event is advertised elsewhere in this news broadcast but just a reminder that it will be held on the last weekend in May and registrations are open, see the WIA website for details and to register for this event. Thinking ahead, we have been asking for expressions of interest in holding the 2020 AGM and Conference for a few months now. If your club is interested in conducting this event then contact the secretary immediately as the closing date for submissions is March 15. Clubs have indicated that they are keen to support WIA initiatives to promote new membership in the clubs and to encourage new amateurs into our hobby. To this end the WIA has decided to provide Foundation Manuals to Affiliated Clubs free of charge in order to promote new membership. Clubs will need to cover the cost of freight and handling of the manuals. The Foundation Manuals can be offered by affiliated clubs to support their activities and to promote a membership drive. Now Club Liability Insurance details have been coming in over the last month, however the time for submitting these details is over, if your club has not submitted their numbers then it’s too late. Invoices for the Public Liability Insurance are being issued and payment is due now. The WIA recently requested expressions of interest to fill vacancies on the WIA Standards Committee. Some nominations have been received so far. If you have an interest in assisting the WIA in this area then please write to the Secretary. Nominations close on March 15. The WIA Board have recently filled a Board vacancy previously created by a resignation. The Board warmly welcome Dr Harry Edgar VK6YBZ as a director of the WIA. Harry was one of the Education Group. So, congratulation Harry and welcome aboard. This has been WIA Director Peter VK8ZZ, Good DXing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, RAC, NZART AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE & the World Wide sources of the WIA. NEW ZEALAND The Radio Frequency Users Association of NZ Inc. (RFUANZ) is a not-for-profit organisation with members who hold radio licences in New Zealand as well as those who have an interest in the radio communications industry. Established 23 years ago, RFUANZ’s main purpose is to unite the industry with one voice, and to lobby government for more spectrum at a lower cost. They recently held two successful breakfast forums, one in Christchurch and the other Auckland, Some of the challenges they face in 2019 include: policing the importation of illegal radios; overcoming the obstacles of using these cheaper radios within the industry; access to more spectrum; encouraging the uptake in the newly released G Band (174–184 MHz) in New Zealand; and encouraging uptake in the newly released NZQA Training program. criticalcomms.com.au/content/industry/article/uniting-the-new-zealand-radio-community-1699883#ixzz5gfzL1zvS INDIA Hams in India spent two days recently preparing for the cyclone they hope will never come. The gathering of hams in the Indian state of Odisha was part Field Day and part amateur radio camp. Members of the Amateur Radio Society of Odisha spent two days on an uninhabited island unreachable by conventional communications and simulated a scenario of natural disaster. The exercise was designed to sharpen the operators' readiness in case of such calamities as cyclones, which are not uncommon in that region. The drill did not go unnoticed by public officials. Officials from the Puri district administration visited the island to observe the hams in action. They had a stake in the outcome of the exercise too: During Cyclone Titli in October of last year, Gajapati district was cut-off from the outside world for a few hours but communications stayed intact because of ham radio. Meanwhile, the hams had a very proud showing by the end of the exercise. Using solar power and their radios, the eight operators were able to contact 130 hams - many from elsewhere in India but also in Denmark, Russia, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia. (Amateur Radio Newsline) SOUTH AFRICA Andre Botes, ZS 2 ACP reports that it took him but 55 minutes to work the 50 US States on 60 metres using FT8 for his Worked All States award. And ZS2ACP is the first South African amateur to achieve WAS on 60 metres. Well done Andre! BULGARIA IARU Region 1 Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) Bulgarian Camp Announced The Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) program is an IARU Region 1 initiative aimed at engaging youngsters in amateur radio, as well as supporting amateurs under the age of 26. The YOTA program is jointly led by Lisa, PA2LS and Tommy, ON2TD, and organizes a number of projects, including YOTA Month, the IARU Youth Contesting Program, and the YOTA summer event—which is held in a different IARU Region 1 country each year. The 2019 Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) summer camp will be held in Bulgaria, close to the capital city of Sofia. The Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs (BFRA) will be hosting the event, which will take place from 11-17 August 2019. Find out more at: https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/yota/yota-2019/ (ams) UNITED KINGDOM Tate Gallery features Ham Radio as art The impressive artwork 'Ten Minute Transmission', featuring the amateur radio Kenwood TS-2000 transceiver and the International Space Station, is once again on display at the Tate Gallery in London Ten Minute Transmission is a sculpture by Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla modelled after the International Space Station. Made of wire and attached to a ham radio transmitter, this sculpture receives radio signals from the airwaves and transmits them into the gallery space. The title of this work, Ten Minute Transmission refers to the period of time when the International Space Station can be contacted via radio as it flies past. The ISS orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, but passes close enough to the antenna just twice a day. Usually the radio only picks up sounds of encrypted data packets sent back to Earth from the station. Two-way voice communication with the astronauts is now rare and needs to be requested in advance. www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/allora-calzadilla-ten-minute-transmission-t13698 USA TWR (Headquartered in North Carolina) marks 65 years in ministry Trans World Radio, which strives to share God’s Word through mixed media, has marked 65 years in ministry. TWR’s first-ever broadcast aired from Tangier in Northern Africa 1954. TWR says this first broadcast reached across “the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain, where Protestants were a vanishingly small minority” facing governmental bans on evangelism and even discrimination. Then, when Morocco gained its independence and Tangier was reunited with the country, TWR was asked to leave. The organization moved to Monte Carlo and shared a facility with Radio Monte Carlo. During the day, Radio Monte Carlo went to work, and at night TWR took over. It was here where TWR really began to have a global influence. Ten years after the first broadcast, TWR was reaching most of Europe and expanding further into the world. Through radio, the ministry slipped into areas no Christian worker could, like the Iron Curtain. Radio has a way of providing information regardless of governmental regulations. It has been key in TWR sharing across the globe, expanding to the ends of the earth. Article continues here: https://www.mnnonline.org/n Golden Globe Race: Penalty given for ham radio use My Sailing reports a sailor in the Golden Globe around the world race has been given a penalty after using amateur radio to ask for weather routing information Third placed Estonian skipper Uku Randmaa has escaped disqualification from the Golden Globe race after breaching the strict rules forbidding outside assistance, but has been handed a 72-hour penalty for asking and receiving weather routing information during radio contact with a Ham radio operator. A 16-minute recording of the radio communication was received at Race HQ. The first five minutes covers a legitimate publicly available weather information, but at -9:15, Randmaa asks: “I have a question… How can I say it… I’m heading 90°. Can I be sure that I can take the wind if I’m sailing east?" Race Chairman Don McIntyre explained: “This is a retro race with skippers restricted to using a sextant, paper charts and wind-up chronometers just as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston used in the first Sunday Times Golden Globe Race 50 years ago. All digital equipment is banned, including sat phones and GPS. Skippers can only communicate via Single Side Band (SSB) radios and amateur Ham radio net, which the whole world can listen in to if they wish. Read the full story at www.mysailing.com.au/offshore/more-dramas-in-golden-globe-race-broken-tiller-and-penalty-for-weather-routing --------------------------------------------------------------------* 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 2019 Sydney’s Amateur Radio Ferry Contest - Sunday March 10th (VK2GZ) W.I.A. John Moyle Memorial Field Day 16-17 March 2019 (vk4ae) Good Morning, This Denis VK4AE, WIA coordinator for the John Moyle Memorial Field Day 2019. This year the contest will occur over the weekend of Saturday the 16th to Sunday 17th March, 2019, the duration of the contest will be from UTC 0100 Saturday to 0059 on Sunday. The aim of the field day contest is to encourage familiarisation with portable operation and to provide training for operations in emergency situations. During the contest the field (portable) stations appreciate the support from home stations. However, in order to make the whole even a lot fairer, those field (portable) stations actually take part in effectively a separate event to home stations. In this way home stations are not given an unfair advantage, when compared the portable stations that do not have the advantages of a permanent antenna installation, mains power and the comfort of operating from their own home QTH. Home stations are only single operator stations and multiple operators are not allowed. Club Stations operating from their club premises are not operating portable. Last year we had a number of club stations wanting to claim portable operation from the clubrooms as it was likely to be raining during the contest and they were not keen to actually operate portable. In addition, there were club stations who felt that operating in the local caravan park using mains power was also ‘portable’ operation. Of course, none of these club stations were operated according to the rules or to the spirit of the contest. No matter how you plan to take part in the contest, after the activity is all over and the radio equipment has been packed away, there is one task that must be completed by all stations. They must submit their log for the contest for the validation of those contacts for the other stations. There is sufficient time allowed after the contest to actually complete and submit their log to the WIA. However, because of the altered publishing lead time of AR Magazine, Logs must be postmarked no later than 12th April 2019, and as the post is now so slow and unreliable, logs despatched on the last day might not arrive in time. Electronic versions of the log will be received until midnight 21st April 2019. Any logs received after this date will be returned as ineligible. So, there are not many excuses today for not sending in your log as it can be kept electronically while the contest is under way using one of the many logging programs such as VK Contest Log by our own Mike VK3AVV. Then you simply have to submit the print file from this program to me via one of the e-mail addresses shown on the contest page on the WIA website. Of course, by submitting your log you automatically enter the contest and you never know you might even get a certificate? Now is the time to carry on with your planning for the field day as there are only a few weeks to go before the event. There is still time to make sure that everything is in order and operating and all of the little bits and pieces that are needed to put your station onto the airwaves are all in the desired place. Make sure that the location you had chosen is still accessible after the summer onslaught from flood and bushfire and the roads into the place have not been closed – in the interests of public safety – and that the trees that were so useful for string aerials and tent ropes in the past are still in good condition and safe to be around. Best of luck to all in the field day and I look forward to working a few of you on the day and most of all receiving your log entry after the event Denis VK4AE, WIA coordinator for the John Moyle Memorial Field Day. CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest over the March 30 - 31 weekend. 20th Harry Angel Memorial Sprint May 4 Trans-Tasman Low-Band Contest July 20 VK Remembrance Day Contest is August 17-18 -------------- National Inwards QSL Bureau Volunteers sought/sort. The WIA National Inwards Bureau, located at the WIA offices in Bayswater, is seeking expressions of interest from WIA members who would be willing to assist in the sorting and distribution of incoming QSL cards received at the Bureau. This assistance would only be required on one or two days per month, generally on a Monday morning, dependant on QSL cards received from overseas Bureaus. To minimise travel, ideally applicants should come from the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. To express your interest, or for more information, please contact John Seamons, VK3JLS, on vk3jls@wia.org.au THRU THE DX WINDOW Kazu, will be on the air as MJ 0 CFW from Jersey between the 15th and 17th of March and especially during the Russian DX Contest on the 16th and 17th of March. In that contest, listen for him using the call sign MJ 5 Z. QSL via M 0 CFW Andre ON7YK is active from his station in Gambia using the callsign C 5 YK. He will be there until early March 2019. QSL to his home call ON7YK Active is 3 W 9 JF from the island of Phu Quoc, (said Foo Kwok) AS-128, to the 6th of March. Mainly on 80, 40, 20 and 17m bands. QSL via eQSL or direct to EA 5 GL. (rsgb) Roland F 8 EN is back in Gabon until mid-March. He is using his TR8CR callsign on 40 – 17m on CW and SSB. QSL manager is F6AJA. (irts) Members of Radio Club F 6 KMB will be active as TM 6 C until 24 of March during the traditional Dunkirk Carnival. QSL via F 6 KMB. (rsgb) SENEGAL Willy, ON 4 AVT, is on the air as 6 W 7/ON4AVT from Senegal, till March 30th, operating on 40/20/10 meters using CW, SSB, PSK31 and PSK63. He is possibly on 60 meters as well. QSL via his home callsign, ON4AVT (ARNewsLine) BRAZIL ZW 85 LABRE celebrates 85th anniversary of the League of Brazilian Amateur Radio Transmitters. LABRE, has obtained the special event callsign ZW85LABRE which is valid until March 31, 2019 The Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Rádio Emissão (LABRE) was founded February 2, 1934. (SouthGate) CANARY ISLANDS, EA8. Erich, HB9FIH is QRV as EA8/HB9FIH from El Hierro, IOTA AF-004, until the end of March. Activity is on the HF bands using:- CW, SSB, and various digital modes. QSL to HB 9 FIH (SouthGate) HS 55 RAST is active until the 31st of March in celebration of the 55th anniversary of the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand. QSL via H S5 NMF. (RSGB) SRI LANKA, 4S. Peter, DC 0 KK is QRV as 4 S 7 KKG from Moragalla, IOTA AS-003, until April 1, 2019. Activity is on the HF bands using mainly CW and various digital modes. In South Sudan, Diya, YI 1 DZ, is active for the next six months as Z 8 1D. He will be on 80 through 10 meters using SSB and some Digital modes. QSL via OM 3 JW. He will also use ClubLog and LoTW. DF13, German special event Look for special event stations with Prefix's DF13 to be active until June 30th, 2019. This to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the maiden flight of the Junkers F-13, The first all-metal built airplane, was introduced to civil aviation and is the mother of all commercial aircraft. All QSOs will be automatically confirmed after July 15th, 2019, with a QSL card via Bureau. If you do not need a QSL card, let them know. Send direct QSLs via DM2TO -- shipping starting after August 1st, 2019. For more details and info on awards, see QRZ.com Panama special event Look for special event callsign H 31 A to be active until August 15 to commemorate 500th anniversary of the foundation of Panama City. Activity will be on most HF bands using SSB and the Digital modes (RTTY, PSK31 and FT8). QSL manager is HP 1 AVS (SouthGate) Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany Look for special event stations DM 70 GER and DL 70 BRD now active until December 31st, 2019 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany which was established on May 23rd, 1949. Operations will be on CW and SSB. (SouthGate) Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Sweden's National Society for the Active Visually Impaired is active as SF 50 CG throughout 2019. QSL via SM 0 BYD. (RSGB) Special call EI 19 RE active for 2019 The special call sign EI 19 RE will be active for the duration of 2019 to commemorate the establishment of the first Irish parliament. It first met in January of 1919 following a landslide victory for Irish nationalists in December 1918. https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2019/01/special-call-ei19re-active-for-2019.html (SouthGate) Scouting’s Gilwell Park is being honoured through 2019 with GB 100 GP. (vk6pop) In the World of DX, amateurs in Turkey are using the special call sign TC 10 GITRAD to mark the 10th anniversary of the radio group G.I.T.R.A.D. They are on the air all year through the 31st of December. No cards are required. However, if you need a paper QSL card please mail yours directly to TA 7 AZC and include a stamped self-addressed envelope and money for postage. ---------------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS DEFENCE Navy simulator trains comms sailors The Royal Australian Navy has implemented a new learning system simulator to help sailors prepare for the challenges of operating at sea. This simulator will be deployed at the Defence Force School of Signals Maritime Wing at HMAS Cerberus. It is designed for the benefit of training new communications and information systems sailors. The learning system simulator was developed by Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems, an Australian-owned and operated small to medium enterprise. The successful delivery of this system is a demonstration of the capability within Australia to develop and engineer complex simulation technology to support the ADF. Minister for Defence Christopher Pyne said the simulator would significantly enhance the Royal Australian Navy’s ability to conduct complex operations. criticalcomms.com.au/content/radio-systems/news/navy-simulator-trains-comms-sailors-183874021#ixzz5gfzxra6p WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FEMALES IN RADIO. BRITISH YLS SEND INVITATION TO YEAR-LONG PARTY You only turn 40 once in a lifetime and so members of BYLARA, the British Young Ladies Amateur Radio Association, are inviting YLs to sign up for a year-long party. BYLARA members are marking their 40th anniversary with a special event station To participate in the special event, YLs must be a full licence holder or have a partner or husband who has a full call and plans to be present while the YL is on the air (sourced to ARNewsLine) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER For the first couple of days after KickSat-2 was deployed last November, nothing was heard from the satellite, but in February, Nico, PA 0 DLO reported receiving several short but weak telemetry bursts on 437.5077MHz. KickSat-2 was scheduled to deploy up to 104 tiny Sprite satellites into low Earth orbit. The Sprites then would transmit on 437.240MHz at 10mW. The Sprites, which are less than 2 square inches, are expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere within weeks. (rsgb) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- INTERNET, THE HAMS DOMAIN. New LoTW config file from ARRL The ARRL has released version 11.7 of the Logbook of the World configuration file. This has added the ability to confirm QSOs made through the JO-97, FO-99 and QO-100 satellites. Users should receive a prompt to update their configuration file when opening recent versions of TQSL. The file can also be downloaded from https://lotw.arrl.org/lotwuser/config.tq6 (rsgb) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* Social Scene See at the top of this bulletin this week for all events ---------------------------------------------------------------------* ===================================================================== WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide. ---------------------------------------------------------------------*