AUGUST 25 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 25 2019 IN OUR 24th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS WIA BOARD COMMENT 25 August by Peter VK8ZZ THIS & MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA AND FOR WEEK OF AUGUST 25 2019 WIA WIA board minutes on wia.org.au click WIA Information. Roster of Directors heard on this newscast usually as follows Harry VK6YBZ, Greg VK2GPK (President), Peter VK8ZZ (Secretary), Mike VK8MA, Aidan VK4APN Not a WIA Member? details email nationaloffice@wia.org.au OR the link on bottom right of wia.org.au https://wia.memnet.com.au/MemberSelfService/NewMemberForm/WIA/NewMemberForm.aspx BOARD COMMENT 25 August by Peter VK8ZZ Good morning all The Wireless Institute of Australia is keen to find some Editors to assist Harry VK6YBZ, The WIA Editor in Chief . The Editorial roles will be for both Electronic and the more traditional types of media. The WIA would like to find say three or four sub editors so as to share the workload of the responsibilities held by those positions. So if you fancy you could assist in this regard then please put your hand up to assist. Please send any expressions of interest to Secretary@wia.org.au The WIA has finalised its submission to the ACMA and details have been published to members. The submission will also be available on the WIA web site, wia.org.au THE ITALIAN JOB - LOSS. If you always wanted to broadcast on 2GO’s old frequency (801 kHz AM) it might be up for grabs right now. Jose Auditore of the "Radio GreenRoom" facebook site says 'Rete Italia is abandoning 21 of its services in NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Might be a good chance to run a real radio station. Wollongong is also available on 1575 which used to be 2 Double 0. Italian Media Corporation’s Board of Directors has made the immediate publication of the following statement: “We regret to inform the Italian communities of Australia – in particular the listeners of Rete Italia – that, due to the high cost of broadcasting and technical maintenance across all of Australia, it has become necessary to reduce the number of frequencies which transmit Rete Italia.” This means that, as of Thursday, August 22, 21 frequencies will no longer transmit Rete Italia programs. ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/ausbroadcast/ ) The 21 frequencies are: Victoria: Mildura 89.1FM New South Wales: Newcastle/Gosford 801AM; Wollongong 1575AM; Griffith 90.5FM ACT: Canberra South 1638AM Queensland: Gold Coast 1620AM; Atherton 99.1FM; Ingham 96.9FM; Mackay 1611AM; Rockhampton 1611AM; Gladstone1620AM; Toowoomba1620AM South Australia: Mount Gambier 1629AM West Australia: Perth 657AM; Esperance 1611AM; Kalgoorlie 1611AM; Albany 1629AM North Territory: Darwin 1611AM Tasmania: Launceston 1611AM; Devonport 1611AM; Hobart 1611AM The seven frequencies which will continue to transmit Rete Italia programs are: Victoria: Melbourne1593AM; Shepparton1629AM; Swan Hill 87.6FM; Wangaratta1620AM New South Wales: Sydney1539AM Queensland: Brisbane 1620AM; Sunshine Coast 1620AM This a painful decision made by the Board of Directors, but a necessary one to safeguard the future of the company, which this year celebrates the 60th anniversary of the foundation of Il Globo and the 72nd birthday of La Fiamma. Sourced to the Wireless Institute of Australia anf the "Green Room" wia.org.au https://www.facebook.com/groups/ausbroadcast/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, RAC, NZART AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE & the World Wide sources of the WIA. IARU prepares for Key CEPT meeting The final CEPT Conference Preparatory Group meeting prior to WRC-19 takes place from tomorrow, Monday 26th of August. In a report from the Radio Society of Great Britain they say most of its papers are now available, including on current hot topics in the 6m, 2m and 23cm bands, where RSGB volunteers have been working hard to support the IARU. In summary, at 50MHz IARU hopes that the European Common Proposal for WRC-19 will be supported, with as many administrations as possible signing the optional footnote to allow amateurs Primary access on a national basis in the lower part of the band. The 144-146MHz band is subject to the French proposal for a WRC-23 agenda item for aeronautical use. IARU and its Member Societies have been busy in recent weeks. IARU has submitted a paper to the meeting that includes background on amateur usage and regulatory concerns. It also includes a basic technical analysis showing the impracticality of such a proposal and believes there are much more appropriate parts of the spectrum for such an application. Turning to 23cm, there has been concern about a few cases of interference from amateur signals to the Galileo navigation system, specific to its E6 sub-band at 1260-1300MHz. It is IARU's firm view, and stated in the paper it has submitted, that this should be properly studied within CEPT, rather than proposed as an agenda item for WRC-23. IARU experts will be present in the CEPT meeting to explain on these topics and other agenda items of interest, including other microwave bands and wireless power. You can read more at www.rsgb.org/wrc-19 INDIA The BBC World Service has stepped up shortwave broadcasts to Jammu and Kashmir states in northern India during the media shutdown in the region. The Director of the BBC World Service, Jamie Angus, says: “The provision of independent and trusted news in places of conflict and tension is one of the core purposes of the World Service. "Given the shutdown of digital services and phone lines in the region it’s right for us to try and increase the provision of news on our short wave radio services. Audiences in both India and Pakistan trust the BBC to speak with an independent voice, and we know that our reporting through several moments of crisis this year has been popular and valued by audiences who turn to us when tensions are highest.” BBC News Hindi radio output (9515 and 11995kHz) will be extended by 30 minutes, BBC News Urdu will launch a 15-minute daily programme, at 12.30pm local time on 15310kHz and 13650kHz. BBC World Service English broadcasts (11795kHz, 9670kHz, 9580kHz, 7345kHz, 6040kHz) will be expanded, with the morning programming extended by an hour, ending at 8.30am local time; and the afternoon and evening programming starting an hour earlier, at 4.30pm local time. SWEDEN Alexanderson Alternator station SAQ says it received 438 listener reports — “an incredible amount” — for its June 30 Alexanderson Day transmissions from Sweden including 8 'super' DX reports, five from the USA and three from Canada. The historic electro-mechanical transmitter, which dates back to the 1920s, is fired up periodically throughout the year on 17.2 kHz. “We are very thankful for all your enthusiastic and positive feedback, with images, recordings, videos, and even Morse ink writer strips,” SAQ said. The station is a World Heritage Site in Grimeton, Sweden and SAQ’s June 30 message commemorated the 100th anniversary of the first east-to-west transatlantic voice transmission from the Marconi station in Ireland to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. SAQ has posted an interactive map showing the locations of all received listener reports from recent transmissions and video of the Alexanderson Day transmission event has been posted to its YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/AlexanderSAQ/videos BELGIUM Belgium's Flemish broadcaster VRT falsely said radio amateurs were likely responsible for the transmission of fictional traffic information to vehicle dashboard screens VRT News published the story on August 13, a Google translation of what they said reads: "The burglars are most likely radio amateurs. These are people who have equipment with which they can pick up on an FM frequency. You listen to national channels via different masts that are scattered in Flanders. A radio amateur can then actually connect to a local transmission tower, and in that way forward the false traffic information. That can be seen on the dashboard for a maximum of 15 minutes, until your car is no longer connected to the transmission tower." This incorrect story was clearly damaging to the reputation of radio amateurs and Belgium's national amateur radio society, the UBA, was quick to respond, contacting VRT and issuing a press release. VRT have since corrected their story. It is not the first time that local traffic information has been disrupted in Belgium. At the beginning of March, drivers between Brussels and Ghent were also given false traffic information. USA Through Saturday, August 24, USA time, time stations WWV and WWVH will transmit a US Department of Defence message in conjunction with the COMEX 19-3 interoperability exercise taking place in Tennessee. The broadcast also urges listeners to complete a survey on WWV/WWVH listenership and listening habits. The messages are being broadcast on WWV at 10 minutes past the hour and on WWVH at 50 minutes past the hour. WWV and WWVH transmit on 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 MHz. In this week’s WIA Operational News, VK4FUQ Felix will bring us details on a very special station and event in association with these 'time of your life' stations, so, "keep it here". What happens when hams team up with the military in a communications exercise that envisions a major earthquake? Well 7 San Diego area hams using Winlink were part of the United States Navy's recent preparedness exercise known as Citadel Rumble 2019. The two-day earthquake response and recovery exercise at Navy Medicine West in San Diego was designed to sharpen the Navy's ability to respond to disaster by following established response plans. With the help of seven San Diego area Winlink operators, Navy Medicine West checked in with Naval Hospital Bremerton Naval Health Clinic Oak Harbor, U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa and U.S. Naval Hospital Guam. They operated four Winlink stations simultaneously ( 3 VHF and 1 HF) with minimum mutual interference. This was the second year that they participated in Citadel Rumble with the Navy Medical focus being an earthquake scenario north of Seattle. --------------------------------------------------------------------* 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 This weekend it's the ALARA contest August 24/25 -------------- ITS NO CONTEST: CHICK MAKES GENEROUS GIFT TO FOUNDATION There seems to be no limit to the spirit of giving that can be found in the ham radio community. Heather Embee KB3TZD shares an example. "Delaware amateur Chick Allen NW3Y devotes himself to contesting at his QTH in this mid-Atlantic State as well as his QTH in the New England state of Vermont. Chick notes on his QR Zed page that he's devoted to CW operation, a member of the Frankford Radio Club and sends and receives paper QSL cards. He is also devoted to the future of amateur radio and recently made that known through a donation of $25,000 to the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation, a non-profit organization that cultivates skilful contesting and other radio activities. Chick noted that he hoped his gift would be used to train and encourage the youngest hams among us to pursue creative contesting and carry the hobby into the future. For Amateur Radio Newsline (and WIA) I'm Heather Embee KB3TZD. -------------- On air is 9 U 3 TMM from Burundi August 31 to 17th September. Listen for 9U3TMM on 60 – 6m on SSB, RTTY and FT8. QSL 9U3TMM via Club Log OQRS. (irts) -------------- Members of the Russian Robinson Club will activate Sledge Island in Alaska from 28th August – 2nd September. This one counts as NA-210 for the Islands on the Air Award and the callsign to be used again is KL 7 RRC / P. QSL via Club Log OQRS. (irts) -------------- The Royal Amateur Radio Association of Morocco is active using the special event callsign 5 E 6 A for their National Celebrations until September 29th. QSL direct to EA 7 FTR. (ARNewsLine) -------------- WW-ZERO-WWV The WWV Centennial Committee is conducting a trial run of special event station WW 0 WWV this weekend, August 24 – 25 and is set up adjacent to the WWV transmitter site in Fort Collins, Colorado. WWV turns 100 years old on October 1. “We are testing band and notch filtering in an attempt to reign in the extreme RF environment created by WWV and WWVB,” said Dave Swartz, W0DAS, of the Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club. The WWV Centennial special event itself is set to run from September 28 through October 2, and round-the-clock operation will take place on CW, SSB, and digital modes. Operations will shift among HF bands following typical propagation and will include 160 meters as well as satellites (SO-50, AO-91, and AO-92) and 6-meter meteor scatter. (arrl) -------------- ARRL has incorporated changes to the rules for all ARRL-sponsored contests and DXCC, prohibiting automated contacts. These changes also apply to the Worked All States, VHF/UHF Century Club, and Fred Fish, W5FF, Memorial awards. ARRL had pointed to “growing concern over fully automated contacts being made and claimed” for contest and DXCC credit. The rules now require that each claimed contact include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may be either local or remote. Contemporaneous means 'existing at or occurring in the same period of time.' (arrl) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS FEMALES IN RADIO. 'QSL QUILT' GIVES BLANKET COVERAGE What's better than a QSL card? Try 50 QSL cards, all combined into a unique quilt. Margie, KK 4 AGN has been taking comfort in good old fashioned QSL cards since she started receiving them in 2011 as a new ham -- but there's another time-honoured symbol of comfort Margie also loves, quilts. With the help of a talented relative she was able to combine those two worlds last year. In a symbol of perfect unity, all 50 United States are represented in the replica QSL cards stitched together by a beloved aunt into something Margie calls her QSL quilt. There are squares stitched together representing the special event station she contacted in Utah, her 13 Colonies contact from Delaware and the Marconi station in Wellfleet Massachusetts. That's just for starters. The images of each card were transferred by inkjet printer to cotton fabric and with Margie's aunt working diligently, the quilt was QRV in less than four weeks. Since then she's been taking the quilt on tour to hamfests - most recently to the big one this month in Huntsville, Alabama - and she's even visited a couple of quilting clubs. A QSL quilt like this is the perfect example of what our hobby is all about - stitching together far-away places and far-away friends acknowledging ham radio's role in the real fabric of our lives. (ARNewsLine) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER The 14-month journey of China's microsatellite Longjiang-2 ended on July 31 with its intended crash onto the lunar surface. Weighing only 48 kilograms, it spent 437 days in lunar orbit, studying solar radiation and conducting radio astronomical observations. While it was in orbit, amateur radio operators had partnered with scientists at China's Harbin Institute of Technology to uplink commands to the tiny craft and receive data the satellite was transmitting. One of the images it captured was of the moon and Earth during the total solar eclipse on July 2nd. The final commands given to the satellite came from Reinhard Kuhn, DK5LA, whose ongoing work with Longjiang-2 since its launch in May 2018 made him the first radio amateur to communicate with a satellite in lunar orbit. His greatest challenge may well have come on the day the tiny craft was set to end its journey: A nearby lightning strike prompted him to unplug all his cables but he needed to reconnect a bit later - and he did - just before the tiny satellite passed behind the moon. Scientists believe 12 minutes after it went silent, it hit the lunar surface. (ARNewsLine) A new source of space radiation. As if astronauts didn't have enough to worry about. Researchers at UCLA using NASA's THEMIS spacecraft have identified a new source of space radiation. A natural particle accelerator embedded in Earth's own magnetic field is shooting "killer electrons" at satellites and departing spacecraft. Their research is highlighted on the August 10 edition of Spaceweather.com (SouthGate) Ideas sought for the next FUNcube satellite In November FUNcube-1 CubeSat will have been in orbit for 6 years and the FUNcube team are now soliciting suggestions for the next satellite The team are looking for suggestions for: • Confirmation of the satellite (2U / 3U) • Orbit (LEO / MEO) • STEM Outreach • Amateur Radio Payloads • Research Payloads Please email your ideas to: funcube-next@funcube.org.uk If you would like to join the team, please email: operations@funcube.org.uk (SouthGate) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FT4 and FT8 World's first recorded FT8 contact on 122 GHz The ARRL reports VK 4 FB and VK 4 CSD, completed what is being claimed as the world’s first FT8 contact on 122 GHz during the August 11 contact over just under 100 kilometres. Signals were –17 dB on one end, and –20 dB on the other. arrl.org/news/australian-radio-amateur-reports-first-ft8-contact-on-122-ghz WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS A Youth Net meets Saturdays at 0100 UTC on IRLP Reflector #2. Young Hams Net 3.590 - 7:30pm Victorian time. http://www.ham-yota.eu/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/youngstersontheair http://www.arrl.org/youth-nets NETHERLANDS CAMPGROUND PREPARES FOR YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR What's better than summer camp? How about winter camp? It's even better with ham radio, as John Williams VK4JJW tells us. "If you're a young radio operator - or even a prospective radio operator - it's not too early to start thinking about spending part of your winter in the Netherlands. Winter-YOTA, a sub-regional Youngsters On the Air Event, will open its radio camp on Thursday the 12th of December at a full-service forest campground near Oosterhout {pronounced OO-ster-OWT). Campers will enjoy a full agenda of radio activities as well as camping activities until Sunday, December 15th. The date coincides with December being declared again as YOTA Month, when young amateurs around the world will be on the air using call signs with the suffix Y-O-T-A. The winter campers themselves will be using the call sign PA 6 YOTA. It's important to note that the camp is open to prospective hams as well as licensed hams. Newcomers to the hobby - and young people who hope to get their license - all are welcome. The only requirement is that campers be between the ages of 16 and 25 and belong to one of the member societies of the IARU. If you have questions, send an email to winteryota@ham-yota.com In the Northern Hemisphere, winter will arrive before you know it! That's when those of us Down Under can start enjoying warmer temperatures again. I'm John Williams VK4JJW WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING http://www.scouts.com.au http://www.scout.org/jota http://www.international.scouts.com.au http://jotajoti.info/ Brett Nicholas VK2BNN Scouts Australia National co-ordinator for JOTA. Lorraine O’Hare VK2FICQ is 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 Its official, VK7HSD now has a shack! Huon Scout District club station, VK7HSD along with the Q store, have been officially opened on the 17th of August at the Huonville Scout & Guide Hall. 50 Joey’s, Cub’s, Scout’s & Venture youth, plus leaders, State Commissioner of Scouts Tas along with the Huon Valley Mayor attended the ceremony. The Q store was rightly named “THE KAAPORT” in recognising of Mark’s Norris’s 25 years of scouting in the Huon Valley. “CAR” as it is pronounced, is his scouting name. The moto "ENSPIRING OTHERS TO ACHEIVE A LIFE TIME HOBBY" has been adopted by VK7HSD to encourage young people to participate & hopefully gain their Amateur radio license. Huonville scout troop already boasts 1 youth member & 2 leaders with their Foundation licenses currently. Currently radios include an Icom 706Mk2G with an AH4 tuner for HF operations as well as 2m & 70cm radios. The tower along with radio equipment have been kindly donated by many operators from around Australia. VK7HSD’s echo link node number 913668 & DMR id 5057118 will be active for scouting activities as well as for JOTA. They look forward to making contact from the southernmost Scouting District of Australia. 73 from Michael, vk7mrs Huon District JOTA coordinator. ---------------------------------------------------------------------* 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 (vk5srp) VK3 - ROSEBUD RADIOFEST November 17 (wia) 2020 Social Scene ALARAMEET 2020 Bendigo (vk5yl) October 2 - 8 in Bendigo Victoria. 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? 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Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably receive another message confirming your unsubscription from the list, and at that point you should stop receiving messages. ---------------------------------------------------------------------*