AUGUST 4 2019 - 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 TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA Please... If you are only submitting text and not audio, NEVER send just links & url's but write your story as you would expect to hear it being read back and then when you upload audio also email us the txt version. ---------------------------------------------------------------------* NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUST 4 2019 IN OUR 24th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS WIA RECEIVES SUBSTANTIAL DONATION IN AID OF WRC-19. - WIA SECRETARY VK8ZZ AND AMATEUR LICENCE CONDTIONS. THIS & MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA 2019 AND FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 04 2019 July 28 - Amateur Radio New South Wales held their regular bi-monthly Trash and Treasure event at VK2WI Dural which was well attended on a fine mild winter’s day. Part of the proceedings was a report to those assembled on the forth coming WRC 2019 conference to be held November this year. Those providing the talk were ARNSW President Mathew VK2YAP and WIA President Greg VK2GPK. They were able to inform the gathering of the benefit that the WIA has in having an Amateur Radio amateur representative in the Australian delegation. At the end of the presentation Mathew, on behalf of ARNSW, presented Greg with a cheque donation for the WIA to put towards some of the expenses incurred in attending the WRC conference. Mathew explained that the Trash and Treasure operation raises a small return which enables ARNSW to provide the free BBQ held on the day. It was also an opportunity to help with a donation towards an important aspect of our hobby. While this donation was from the trading provided by the small number of Amateurs attending these Trash and Treasure days - there is still an opportunity for all Australian Amateurs, either through their clubs or as individuals to make a contribution towards these important international activities. The future of the hobby depends upon all being involved. [text version only] The donation from ARNSW was $5,000. (Tim VK2ZTM) Hi this is WIA Director, Peter VK8ZZ. Amateur Radio exists for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations. To accomplish these broad objectives, amateurs must be afforded reasonable access to the spectrum from the lowest frequencies to the highest. Yet, spectrum access is an increasingly valuable commodity. Commercial interests are willing to pay millions of dollars for access to those frequencies so they can on sell them as telecommunications providers. The radio spectrum is so valuable that even government and military users worldwide are under great pressure to relinquish frequencies for commercial exploitation. The Australian regulatory body, the ACMA, are currently calling for submissions in relation to proposed changes to Amateur Licence Conditions. The ACMA have taken on board the extensive WIA proposals to amend the Licence Conditions which were submitted in mid 2018 ( https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2018/20180612-1/ ) and is seeking final comment and submissions on the following proposed changes: Access to digital modes by foundation Licensees Relaxation on the use of commercially manufactured equipment Internet connected repeater use by foundation Licensees. Relaxation of permitted bandwidths Increased power limits for licensees Access to more bands for foundation and standard licenses The ACMA are proposing to withdraw part of the 3.6 Ghz band amateur allocation. The ACMA have already sold off this band to telecommunications providers to be used for the 5G expansion. The sale realised millions of dollars for the Australian Government. Full details of the proposed changes are available on the WIA web site. ( https://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2019/20190628-1/ ) The WIA is finalising submissions in support of the original proposed Licence Conditions Determinations submissions in 2018. This has been WIA Director Peter VK8ZZ ---------------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, RAC, NZART AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE & the World Wide sources of the WIA. GERMANY Why you need a 'BIRD' meter in the shack Our first story this week is about EME, and for the details it's to National News Editor Graham VK4BB "Hams recently welcomed back the 10 GHz WSJT EME Beacon in Germany, which had been off the air for quite some time. The beacon is a treasured resource among hams who engage in weak-signal microwave communications using moon bounce. So return of the DL0SHF beacon was heralded on Moon-Net, an email reflector reserved for discussion and announcements by moon bounce enthusiasts. Not so fast, however: This was a happy return that almost didn't happen. After repair work was completed by Charlie G3WDG, Per Dudek PE1ITR part of the group who provides a fantastic facility for the microwave EME community, made an attempt to turn the beacon on but the water-cooling system wouldn't work. Yes, there was a reason: Five good reasons. Actually, SIX good reasons. After removing the cover from the beacon box Per discovered a mother bird had nested in there with five of her chicks and had decided to call the box home. Per decided the beacon would have to stay off the air until Mom and chicks opted to change residence. Having had their secret nest uncovered that's just what they did, one day later. So as Mom and family took flight, so too did the beacon. The transmitter can be found at 10.368,025 MHz. The location of Mom and babies is hopefully a little less obvious." CANADA Exploding Asteroid. Material from the asteroid belt landed on Earth July 24th, when a small space rock exploded over Ontario, Canada. The resulting fireball was a bright as the full Moon and probably scattered meteorites over the countryside near the town of Bancroft, Ontario. Now the hunt is on for samples of matter from beyond Mars. Visit the July 24 edition of Spaceweather.com USA RTTY enthusiasts and hams familiar with digital / packet communications might remember HAL Communications. Their cofounder has become a Silent Key. Yes the cofounder of a business known as a steady supplier of RTTY and digital communications modems, as well as terminal units and software was one George Henry Jr. K9GWT, later became president of the company HAL Communications, which he ran with business partner George Perrine. George, who was known by the name Bill - for his middle name - launched the company formally as a corporation at the University of Illinois. According to the company website, the business had previously been known as HAL Devices. George eventually sold his stock in the business to Barrett Communications here in Australia in 2012. Bill Henry, who died on the 17th of July, was 78. Millions of AMPRNet Internet Addresses Sold to Fund Grants and Scholarships The proceeds from the sale of some 4 million unused consecutive AMPRNet internet addresses will fund operations of the non-profit Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), establishing a program of grants and scholarships program in support of communications and networking research — with a strong emphasis on Amateur Radio. The addresses sold came out of a block of some 16 million internet addresses obtained nearly 40 years ago and “devoted exclusively to Amateur Radio” for TCP/IP ham radio networking. Ownership of the addresses passed on to an informal group of hams that included KA9Q, WA6JPR (SK), and WB6CYT. “It was our unanimous decision to place one-quarter of the AMPRNet address space on the market and to prudently invest the proceeds of that sale in what we hope will be a perpetual endowment from which each year we will award grants and scholarships to qualified recipients who will use the funds to advance the state of the communications arts,” ARDC said in its statement. CHILE AMSAT-Chile developing CESAR-1 FM / digital satellites AMSAT-CE is designing and building five satellites, to be used by radio amateurs around the world, which will allow a series of scientific experiments in the field of digital communications, as well as gravimetric and orbitgraphic studies. Of these five satellites, one will be the engineering prototype, three will be flight units, and the remaining one will be used to check or replicate on the ground the operation of the units that are in space. CESAR-1 is of microsat technology (cube shape, 23 cm per edge). The satellite reception frequencies will be in the 145 MHz band (5 channels) and 1,575 MHz (GPS). The satellite transmission frequencies will be in the 436 MHz band (2 channels). The modulation will be FSK (AX.25 9.6 kbps) or narrowband FM. The estimated useful life is 10 years. --------------------------------------------------------------------* 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 HI This is Alan VK4SN with the results of the 2019 Trans-Tasman Contest. Congratulations go to 1st place winners... VK5SFA SOHP VK2MT SOLP VK2MG SOQRP VK2GGC MO STx. Ops Cleeve and Matt and VK3KJ MO MTx. Ops VK3's AWG BNR GK KJ and MH Most operators reported having lots of fun and will be there again next year. Thanks to all who sent in logs, and it was good to see several ZL logs entered. Seems that a lot of city dwellers are noticing a rise in QRM hindering the fun slightly. Someone even commented on hearing the neighbours washing machine spin cycle on 40m. A few logger errors were noted, but nothing that couldn't be sorted by the log checker site. The biggest problem was the use of old versions of VKCL Logger that are not compatible with the latest trends and logs were then sent to me because they were rejected at the upload site. A quick fix and upload had an updated log sent to the operator in the correct format. So please remember to grab the latest version of VKCL logger before the upcoming Remembrance day contest on the 17th and 18th of this month. All the results and certificates can be downloaded from the WIA contest pages. Yes, everyone gets a certificate. Best 73 from Alan VK4SN -------------- Sven HB 9 DXB will be in Vietnam signing XV 9 DXB until at least early August. Look for him on 7019 and 14019 CW. QSL manager is EB 7 DX. -------------- 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) -------------- SP 3 PS is QRV from his holiday home in the Gambia till 5th August. His Gambian callsign is C 5 SP and he operates 20 – 6m on SSB and FT8. QSL via the home call, SP3PS -------------- A team of American operators are activate from St Paul Island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada until – 8th August. St Paul Island is a separate entity for the DXCC Award and the callsign to be used is CY 9 C. Activity will be on all bands CW, SSB and FT8. -------------- Liberian update The Italian DXpedition Team will be active from Liberia between September 28th and October 11th using two callsigns: A 82 X for CW and SSB; A 82 Z for the Digital modes. Activity will be on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8. (SouthGate) -------------- JAPAN, JA. Special event station 8 N 7 JAPAN is QRV until October 31, 2020 to commemorate the Olympic Games 2020, the Paralympics 2020, and the World Cup Games 2019. QSL via bureau. (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. -------------- Happy Birthday Mr President Hiram Percy Maxim's 150th Birthday Celebration The ARRL is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of ARRL’s first president and co-founder Hiram Percy Maxim), W 1 AW, born on September 2nd, 1869. The ARRL will hold an operating event to celebrate his legacy from August 31st, and continue until September 8th. It IS open to all radio amateurs. W1AW and all ARRL members will append “/150” to their callsigns during this event and even operators who are ARRL members but reside outside of the USA may operate as /150, IF permitted by their country of license. -------------- Prefix hunters may be interested in working the special event station TM 500 LV. The station is on the air until 6th October and commemorates the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. QSL manager is F 1 IOZ. (irts) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS DIGITAL New Raspberry Pi 4 Problem Reported with Certain USB-C Cables TechRepublic reports that the Raspberry Pi Foundation has confirmed that the recently released Raspberry Pi 4 will not work when powered using certain USB-C cables. The economical, single-board computer is the first Pi board to use a USB-C power connection. Pi co-creator Eben Upton has confirmed that not every USB-C cable will work. “The Pi 4 doesn't receive power when used with electronically marked or e-marked USB-C cables — the type used by Apple MacBook’s and other laptops,” the article quotes Upton as saying. “ A smart charger with an e-marked cable will incorrectly identify the Raspberry Pi 4 as an audio adapter accessory, and refuse to provide power. ” (ARRL) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER On July 25, 2019, CAMSAT's CAS-7B satellite was successfully launched on the first orbital launch of iSpace's Hyperbola-1 rocket. CAS-7B is in a very low earth orbit with an apogee of 296 km and a perigee of 278 km. The inclination is 42.7 degrees. At this altitude, decay is expected by August 11th. CAS-7B carries a 100 mW CW telemetry beacon at 435.715 MHz and an FM transponder with an uplink of 145.900 MHz (16 kHz bandwidth, no tone required) and a downlink of 435.690 MHz (100 mW). [ANS] WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FT4 and FT8 Cuban FT8 user CO8LY records more than 60 000 contacts Cuban radio amateur Eduardo, CO 8 LY has made more than 60 000, yes, sixty thousand FT8 contacts, and requested applications for many awards and diplomas using the log of his FT8 contacts.. This may be a Guinness Record of a single radio amateur receiving more than 220 awards and diplomas, and more are coming, The Radio Society of Great Britain Contest Committee has announced a series of contests using the new digital mode FT4. The 3 short-duration events on 80 meters (dial frequency 3575 kHz USB) are aimed at offering experience to FT4 newcomers. “As this series is experimental, there are likely to be changes as we develop experience with this mode, so please check the rules prior to each event,” the announcement said. The first contest will take place on Monday, September 2, 2019 (ARRL) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR OLD-TIMERS http://www.raotc.org.au Hallo everyone. This is Clive VK6CSW reminding you that the Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club of Australia’s August bulletin goes to air tomorrow. As well as the latest Club news, this month we have four items for you: two short talks on Amateur Radio in the Marine services, by Bruce VK3UV, Moving to Music - by Ian Godsil VK3JS, and Operating WSJT-X - by Bruce VK3UV. This is a very interesting article about openings on 6 metres between America and Australia earlier this year. Full details of morning and evening broadcast times and frequencies are published on the Club website, www.raotc.org.au where you will also find information about the RAOTC and membership. Everyone is most welcome to tune in and to join in the call backs afterwards. If none of the broadcast times suit you, you can download the audio file from our website at any time as from tomorrow morning. As well as this month’s file you can also download the files for the previous five months. If you do listen via the audio file, would you please take a moment to email some feedback to us. Once again, check the website www.raotc.org.au for your local transmission schedule, tune in tomorrow or download the file for the August bulletin, and we look forward to hearing your call sign in the call backs afterwards. 73 from Clive VK6CSW. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - VHF AND ABOVE (The Plumbers Delight) Unusual opening from Australia to Europe on 50 MHz Over the last few weeks, there have been some really good openings from Europe to Japan on 50 MHz with many stations being worked by the FT8 digital mode. During the morning of the 24th of July 2019 however, conditions were exceptional as there was a highly unusual opening on 50 MHz from Europe to Australia. The best confirmed contact on the day seems to have been between VK3ZL Victoria to EI 3 KD in Ireland with a distance of some 17,375 kms. Contacts of this type on 50 MHz are usually only thought to be possible at the peak of very good sunspot cycles like back in 1989. To have it happen at the bottom of the current solar cycle is highly unusual. The standard explanation for long distance openings like these on 50 MHz during the European Summer months is that it is because of multi-hop Sporadic-E. However, the requirement for 8 to 9 hops to line up in a row does perhaps challenge this assumption. More info... ei7gl.blogspot.com/2019/07/unusual-50-mhz-opening-from-australia.html Also on 50 MHz. openings, in tomorrow, the August 5th edition of the Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club of Australia's news service, Bruce VK3UV will have an interesting story about openings on 6 metres between America and Australia earlier this year (SouthGate / WIA News) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* 2019 Social Scene VK2 - SUMMERLAND AMATEUR RADIO CLUB'S SARCFEST 8:30am Aug 25 (wia) VK4 - Sunshine Coast Amateur Radios Sun-Fest 9AM, Saturday Sept 14 @ Woombye School of Arts. (vk4an) VK4 - Townsville Amateur Radio Club's Cardwell Gathering 4 days commencing October 4 (vk4zz) VK3 - Yarra Valley Amateur Group HamFest, 13th October (vk3cnw) WW - JOTA 2019 Friday 18th, Sat 19 & Sunday 20 October (vk2gx) VK3 - Ballarat Amateur Radio Group, BARG Hamvention Oct 27 (vk3kqt) VK5 - AHARS Buy and Sell Marion RSL Nov 3rd (Phil Storr) This years famous AHARS buy and Sell, will be on Sunday the 3rd of November and this year it is being held at the Marion RSL. Advanced bookings for a table can be made with: Roy Gabriel vk5nrg@wia.org.au Mobile: 0438 362 049 Trevor Wrigley vk5tw@wia.org.au Cost of a table is $10.00 and public entry is $5.00 and includes two raffle tickets. The address is 31-39 Norfolk Road, Marion SA 5043 We are planning to have a car boot sale in the car park on the RSL clubs ground. To sell in the car boot sale you will have to have a SELLERS wrist band and to buy from these sellers you will have to have a BUYERS wrist band. Also you will have to sign in and pay your fees. (Phil Storr) VK3 - ROSEBUD RADIOFEST November 17 (wia) 2020 Social Scene ALARAMEET 2020 Bendigo (vk5yl) October 2 - 8 in Bendigo Victoria. "Planning for next years ALARAmeet in Bendigo, from the 2nd to the 8th of October, is progressing well and ALARA is now looking for Attendance Expressions of Interest. This is not a binding booking but ALARA need an idea of numbers who may attend so that they can start appropriate planning of venues etc. Visit Website alara.org.au and click on ALARAMEET ( http://www.alara.org.au/alarameet/index.html ) ALARA Webmistress, Lyn VK4SWE has put up some great pictures, with the aid of Dot VK2DB, showing the activities and places of interest that may be included in the weekend's events. Bendigo has so many things to see and do, that it's more a case of what to leave out, rather than what to include! You will find all the information you need on the Website alara.org.au 73/33 Jennifer VK3WQ ALARA Publicity Officer Submitting news items If you would like to submit news items for possible inclusion in the VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to nationalnews@wia.org.au and don't JUST send url's links or posters, but take the time to pen YOUR contribution. To submit audio email nationalnews@wia.org.au and ask for the current password then read "how to submit items" in the weekly news page on http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/ We would appreciate items certainly no longer than 2 minutes in length as we only have a half hour. 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 it in the 3rd person. A reminder when supplying HamFest info we obviously can't plug DEALS from commercial traders "on air", but we at the WIA will put your supporters 'goods' in this text edition "no worries." We cannot give blatant 'plugs' to raffles. (new Jan 2019) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* ===================================================================== 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 WIA affiliated clubs and 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 IF broadcast, are done so 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... If you have call-backs to contribute to the National News call back tally then please send through your call-backs to callbacks@wia.org.au 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:- callbacks@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 from. Send unsubscribe 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------*