SEPTEMBER 22 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 SEPTEMBER 22, 2019 IN OUR 24th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS Feedback called for on proposed changes to safety of navigation and radio equipment. The latest on last Wednesday's ARISS contact with the International Space Station. THIS & MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA AND FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 22nd 2019 In WIA front page news .... that's on the home page of wia.org.au, we see that AMSA seeks input on radio & navigation changes. "Critical coms" news says that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is calling for feedback on proposed changes to safety of navigation and radio equipment. Marine order 27 provides information about: radio equipment and communications, navigation safety measures and equipment, danger, urgency and distress signals and messages. A proposed new Marine order 27 (Safety of navigation and radio equipment) will amend the order to allow other approved operators to provide mobile satellite services within the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. The consultation is open until Wednesday, 2 October 2019. Following the consultation period, it is proposed amendments will come into effect on 1 January 2020. criticalcomms.com.au/content/public-safety/news/amsa-seeks-input-on-radio-navigation-changes-443137021#ixzz5zOyrbl5V ET CAN'T CALL HOME Phone jamming trial, the real 'cell' phone story. Contraband mobile phones should be useless if Goulburn Correctional Centre's mobile phone jamming trial is going to plan. The trial which began on 26 August saw a mobile phone jamming system installed around the facility and activated in High Risk Management Correctional Centre 2. The system, which will later be rolled out in the rest of the facility and Supermax, is designed to not penetrate beyond the complex's boundaries, leaving the community's mobile devices unaffected, according to the New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice. The ACMA allowed for the phone-jamming trial by making an exemption to the Radiocommunications Act 1992, the DoCJ said. The technology will make a significant improvement to the centre's security because any phones that do get smuggled in won't be able to connect to the network and, therefore, can't be used for communication. Phone-jamming technology was first trialled at Lithgow Correctional Centre in 2013 where it remains in operation, and has since been upgraded. criticalcomms.com.au/content/industry/news/phone-jamming-trial-begins-at-goulburn-correctional-centre-1527558221#ixzz5zP0b2YvE ---------------------------------------------------------------------* WIA 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 WIA board minutes can be found on wia.org.au click WIA Information. Directors heard usually as follows Greg VK2GPK (President), Peter VK8ZZ (Secretary), Mike VK8MA, Aidan VK4APN, Harry VK6YBZ No Board Comment 22nd September 2019 ... sorry! ---------------------------------------------------------------------* ARISS ISS Last Wednesday evening at Templestowe College near Melbourne in VK3, the latest ARISS ISS contact took place. Using the magic of Amateur Radio, students spoke with astronaut Nick Hague KG5TMV on board the International Space Station as it did one of its approximately 16 orbits of Earth a day. ARRIS and ISS .... you can find out MUCH more about this fascinating event by going to the YouTube streaming link advertised in the news release on the WIA website, and watch the video. A great way to catch all the best bits is to fast forward to the 1 hour 5 minute mark, the beginning of the evening's formalities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS with thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, RAC, NZART, AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE & the World Wide sources of the WIA. NORTH KOREA Radio World reports North Korea has returned to digital radio broadcasting after an absence of nearly two years. The latest Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) shortwave transmissions began mid August. The country has had periodic DRM broadcasts for many years. It appears unclear at this time however whether the current series of transmissions will soon end or be the start of a regular service. Thus far, all of the latest test transmissions have taken place on 3560 kHz, which of course is actually allocated for amateur radio use. According to radio enthusiasts in the region, the signal has been clear and very audible. CHINA After years of construction, China’s new radio telescope is in action. The telescope, called FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope) has double the collecting power of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, which has a 305 meter dish. Until now, Arecibo was the world’s largest radio dish of its type. BULGARIA Bulgarian radio hams gain limited access to 50 MHz IARU Region 1 reports radio amateurs in Bulgaria have obtained temporary access to the digital portion of 50 MHz band Thanks to the effort made by Bulgarian Federation of Radio Amateurs, the Communications Regulation Commission has provisionally authorized use OF the 50.310 MHz to 50.335 MHz segment. This band is provided free of charge to all Bulgarian radio amateurs to be able to work and experiment with the new modes of operation in recent years. BFRA is actively working with institutions involved in extending the 6 meters band. Source IARU Region 1 https://www.iaru-r1.org/ HOLLAND DUTCH RADIO UNION REPLACING DISCONTINUED GROUP The Dutch Kingdom Amateur Radio Society has been dissolved. The new Dutch Amateur Radio Union (DARU) is now about to replace the five-year-old foundation, and according to various reports, it is to carry forward its predecessor's objectives. The Dutch Kingdom group was discontinued in June. The Netherlands Antenna Placement Support Office had functioned under it, but now will operate as a part of the new radio union. AFRICA - WEST Mysterious signals from West Africa on 28 MHz The latest IARU-R1 Monitoring System newsletter reports mysterious signals from West Africa on 28250.6 kHz AM with a rising carrier and dots every 76 seconds The signal is thought to originate from the area of Gabon and has been observed in previous years but the purpose is unknown. The International Amateur Radio Union Monitoring System (IARUMS) Region 1 August 2019 newsletter can be read at the link in this weeks text edition iarums-r1.org/iarums/news2019/news1908.pdf USA ARRL and International Amateur Radio Union President Emeritus Larry E. Price, W4RA, died September 10. An ARRL Life Member, he was 85. W4RA was first licensed as WN 5 TIA at age 16 and subsequently held several other call signs before becoming W 4 RA. After earning BSEE, MBA, and PhD degrees, he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army Signal Corps and honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. Elected as ARRL Southeastern Division Vice Director in 1973, W4RA became Director later that year and was elected as an ARRL Vice President by the Board of Directors in 1980. In 1983 he became First Vice President following the death of ARRL President Vic Clark, W4KFC, and was elected President by the Board the following year. He served four 2-year terms as ARRL President, serving simultaneously as IARU Secretary from 1989 until 1992, and continuing as IARU Secretary and ARRL International Affairs Vice President until his election as IARU President in 1999, a post he held for 10 years. The IARU Administrative Council named him President Emeritus upon his retirement in 2009. The ARRL Board named him ARRL President Emeritus in 2011. In 2014, Dayton Hamvention® honored Larry as Amateur of the Year. At the ARRL Centennial Convention that same year, he was awarded the ARRL Medal of Honor. "HANDI" MONTANA Montana's Havre and Hill County Local Emergency Planning Committee intends to take up a Department of Justice offer of amateur radio equipment. The Emergency Planning Committee passed a motion to allow Hill County Health Department Public Health Nurse Bridget Kallenberger to look into getting the emergency operation center, located in the Hill County Detention Center, a handheld ham radio. “I think it would be a good addition, something good to have on hand,” committee Chair Sheriff Jamie Ross said. If the committee wanted one, they would need an antenna and possibly a second power source to power the radio, as well as a ham radio operator. Department of Justice is offering the radios with no strings attached. Read the full story at the link in the text edition of this news. havredailynews.com/story/2019/09/11/local/local-emergency-planning-committee-picking-up-a-ham-radio/525335.html USA-CANADA Hurricane Watch Net volunteers set a new record for total hours activated during a single storm. The net was active for 157 hours, 139 of which were continuous. During this marathon activation, members of the Hurricane Watch Net collected and forwarded countless surface reports to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. After devastating Abaco and Grand Bahama islands with winds clocked at 200 MPH or more, Dorian made its way slowly toward Florida, before sliding up the southeastern US coast and making a second landfall on North Carolina. It wasn't over however. Dorian veered out into the Atlantic, affecting New England before hitting Maritime Canada, where it knocked out power and downed trees. During its lengthy initial activation, the HWN attempted on numerous occasions to raise stations in the Bahamas but was unable to contact anyone in the most-affected area. Poor propagation plagued net operations throughout the activation. The ARRL Headquarters Emergency Response Team convened early on to closely monitor the situation. ARRL officials were in regular communication with partner agencies, particularly FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. W1AW, which had already planned to be in operation for the Hiram Percy Maxim 150th birthday event, remained ready to assist with emergency communications. --------------------------------------------------------------------* 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. 2019 OCDX contest coming soon! This year’s OCDX phone event is on 5-6 October. The OCDX CW event takes place the following weekend. With more, here's Rob: (Audio from Rob .....) The F-Call Challenge. Hi I am Rob, VK4HAT There has been a lot of debate about F-call privileges on social media since the ACMA accounted in its LCD proposal that it might consider giving all license classes 400w. My motto in ham radio for a long time has be JUST DO IT, so rather than debate the pros and cons of all the arguments, I have decided to throw open a challenge to everyone to operate under F-call privileges for the Oceania DX Contest. What better way to know what can be achieved with an F-call than to run at 10w on 80, 40, 15 and 10m for the duration of the contest and see how good you can do. You wont win anything other than personal satisfaction and some bragging rights that you did better than your friends. But that's OK right? If you are interested, shoot me an email, you can find it on QRZ.com. The participate in the contest, submit your log and send me your score and I will report back how well everyone did. May the best 10 watts win. See you on the bands. Robert Powell vk4ffab@robs-blog.net -------------- NEW CALEDONIA, FK. QRV is FK 8 CJ from Noumea, IOTA OC-032, until the end of 2019 on 30, 20 and 17 meters. QSL to F 6 EYB. (arrl) -------------- Laurent F 8 BBL is on an IOTA DXPedition to Corsica set sail the 6th – until 22nd September. His callsign will be TK 19 IOTA and he will be QRV from the main island of Corsica IOTA EU-014 as well as the smaller offshore islands EU-100, EU-104 and EU-164. (irts) -------------- St. Pierre & Miquelon Eric, KV1J, will be operating from the Island of Miquelon as FP/KV1J between September 24th and October 8th. Activity will be on 160-6 meters (no 60M as it's not authorized) using CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8 and the satellites. He will generally be on the highest frequency band that is open (favoring 12/10m). He will be active in the CQWW DX RTTY Contest (September 28-29th). Eric will try to be on as many Satellite passes as he can when the WX is good, generally favoring the FO-29, XW-2x, AO-7, and possibly the FM birds. -------------- A group of Latvian amateurs were active from Nauru last week using callsign C 21 WW. If you worked them, QSL via Club Log OQRS. (irts) -------------- Seychelles DXpedition Lance, W7GJ, will be active as S 79 GJ from AF-024, Seychelles, between September 20th and October 5th. This is primarily a 6m EME DXpedition, but he's packed a 20m dipole and may also get on 20m FT8 during the first few days of October. Full details are on his website, best read at wia.org.au in this weeks text edtion. bigskyspaces.com/w7gj/Seychelles%202019.htm -------------- (Pronounciation of eSwatini is "Ez-wah-TEENY") The well-known DXpeditioner Istvan HA 5 AO is QRV as 3 DA Zero AO from the Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) til September end. All bands 80 – 10m CW, RTTY and FT8. Then, following on from his time in eSwatini, Istvan will travel on to Lesotho where he will reactivate his 7 P 8 AO callsign from October 1 to 9. (IRTS) -------------- Harry JG 7 PSJ is in Saipan in the Mariana Islands until today, 22nd September. He is "workin' on da wireless" from Club station WH 0 RU and QSLs go via his home QTH which is JG7PSJ (irts) -------------- Starting back on Monday, September 16, WWV and WWVH are now broadcasting a US Department of Defense message, marking the centennial of W W V and to announce the W W 0 W W V special event from September 28 until October 2 at the transmitter site near Fort Collins, Colorado. (arrl) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* ALARA, the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association, is offering a limited number of grants to any YL applying for a Foundation Licence or upgrading to a Standard or Advanced Amateur Radio Licence. The grant is equal to approximately half the cost of the fees for assessment, licence and callsign AND gives a complimentary membership to ALARA for one year. More info on the ALARA website. http://alara.org.au (from Jen VK3WQ) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ATV NO-104 camera will be 'live' this week Controllers for NO-104 (PSAT-2) have commanded the camera to take a picture and store it into memory every 10 minutes. The transmitting counter, which selects a picture for downlink, is not sychronized with the camera, so there is an uncertain delay between acquiring a picture and its transmission, up to a maximum of 64 minutes. Every picture will be downlinked just once so every reception counts. Further info from the link in our text edition. https://github.com/alpov/PSAT-2/blob/master/README.md (sourced to southgate) WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- DIGITAL Raspberry Pi for Ham Radio An article by Karl-Heinz DL1GKK describes how to install amateur radio software on the Raspberry Pi to provide the popular data modes, SSTV, satellite tracking, SDR, rig control and logbook. The English language article is available on the site of Indonesia's national amateur radio society ORARI. Karl-Heinz says "I am a big friend of the small Raspberry Pi and use this gladly for amateur radio. With version 4 it is fast enough to fulfill all tasks. There are many ways and much software to make the Pi fit for Ham Radio. My choice of programs has the advantage that they are compatible with each other", he says Read the article at the link in this weeks text news orari.or.id/index.php/2019/09/02/setup-raspberry-pi-for-ham-radio/ WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FEMALES IN RADIO YL SETS RECORD, COMPLETING SOLO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD You may remember the YL sailing solo around the world hoping to set a new record? Well, she did it. Jeanne {pronounced "JAN"} Socrates VE0JS {V E ZERO J S} sailed jubilantly into Victoria, British Columbia Saturday September 7th ending her 339-day journey and beginning her new status as record-holder: 77, she has become the oldest person to sail solo around the world nonstop and unassisted. During the journey that began on October 3rd 2018, the retired university mathematics professor made hundreds of QSOs on HF and blogged about her daily challenges and activities. Sea swells, two cyclones and equipment malfunctions were formidable but temporary obstacles and she savoured her four months later than planned arrival home - "all the more because of them". Jan has been sailing since the age of 48, and now has beaten the record previously held by a Japanese yachtsman who was 71 when he accomplished the challenging circumnavigation in 2005. (arnewsline) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER Chinese transponder launched, Australian Amateur reports "good signals." Taurus-1 carrying an amateur radio FM to Codec-2 transponder was launched on a CZ-4B rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center and is a CubeSat project developed by Aerospace System Engineering Research Institute of Shanghai for youth education and amateur radio. The transponder is similar to that used on LilacSat-1, receiving FM with 67 Hz CTCSS on 145.820 and retransmitting it as Codec-2 9600 bps BPSK digital voice on 436.760 MHz. The telemetry downlink is on 435.840 MHz. In addition to the transponder the satellite also carries a Drag Sail. According to SouthGate Amateur Radio News, Mark Jessop VK5QI tweeted on the 13th "Good signals from #Taurus-1 on 435.840 MHz! Doesn't look like the FM/Codec2 Transponder is enabled yet though (no response on 436.760 MHz when transmitting on 145.820 MHz)" https://twitter.com/vk5qi/status/1172505034551988225 K 0 FFY documented how to receive the similar Codec-2 Digital Voice transponder using the FUNcube Dongle Pro+ SDR. There's a link to more info about that in our text edition. Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has awarded a very generous grant to ARISS for the Next Generation radio system. ARDC is the owner and manager of the Internet network known as the AMPRNet. In June of 2019, ARDC initiated a philanthropic endeavor to provide monetary grants to organizations, groups, projects, and scholarships which have significant potential to advance the state of the art of Amateur Radio, and digital communications in general. The ARISS Next Generation radio system (or Inter Operable Radio System) will support easier radio mode transition, to enable new, exciting capabilities for hams, students and the general public. There will be new amateur radio communication and experimentation modes, including an enhanced voice repeater and updated digital packet radio capabilities. There will also be Slow Scan TV (picture up and downlinks) in both the US and Russian segments of ISS. (amsat na) TO THE MOON - BUT NOT BACK India's space agency has located the lander from its failed lunar mission. India's crashed Vikram lunar lander, part of the nation's failed Chandrayaan-2 mission, was located on the lunar surface, according to reports from the Indian Space and Research Organisation, ISRO. ISRO reported that it was attempting to make contact with the lander, which had been photographed via thermal image from the orbiter. The mission had entered lunar orbit on August 20th and its lander separated on September 2nd to prep for its eventual descent. The goal was to make a soft landing and deploy a robotic lunar rover to search for water near the south pole of the moon. The space agency said, however, that communications were lost at the last minute. Officials said the spacecraft had a normal descent until about 2 km from the surface of the moon. India has said it hopes to send a trio of astronauts into space by 2022. (ARNEWSLINE) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FT4 and FT8 RSGB Contest Committee has released the results of the first ever 80m FT4 one hour contest held September 2; 65 logs were received. The next 80m FT4 contest takes place October 7 from 1900-1959 GMT. (SouthGate) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS YOTA 2019 Summer Camp in Bulgaria has spawned sub regional camps. Most of those attending the recent Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) summer camp in Bulgaria were first-timers, observed Monty Schebesta, OE3VVU, a participant this year. Some 80 young radio amateurs from 27 countries convened near Sofia between 11 and 17 August to, as he put it, "connect and learn from each other." Monty said the successful 2019 summer camp demonstrated that YOTA is growing quickly, noting too that 40% of the YOTA Summer Camp attendees were young women. Sub regional camps such as those held in Finland, Italy, and Germany in recent years are becoming more common in Region 1, with the next set for late September in the Czech Republic (OL19CAMP), followed closely by a camp in the Netherlands in December. Monty anticipates many other youth teams will want to stage sub regional YOTA camps of their own. (sarl) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING JOTA ON THE WAY In VK7, NTARC will be hosting JOTA atthe NTARC Club Rooms, formerly known as the Rocherlea Scout Hall. Activities will start on Saturday 19 October at noon and on Sunday from 10.00am. As usual it will be split over their two halls with JOTI being set up in the bigger one. As in past years NTARC will be offering a BBQ, with the usual sausages and onion in bread available at a donation of $2.00, and drinks, either hot or cold for a similar $2.00 donation. If you're in the Northern part of Tasmania and are able to assist on either or both days, please contact NTARC’s JOTA Coordinator Peter VK7KPC (vk7wi news) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO RF for Phones - or "FOOD" for THOUGHT While Duncan VK2DLR and Lachlan VK2FOOD were travelling through the Northern Territory where there are hundreds of kilometres of highway without mobile phone reception, they saw a great solution in use at a few roadside rest areas. The VK8 solution? Set up a satellite TV style dish aimed horizontally towards a remote mobile phone tower. Erect a post with a rudimentary holder for a mobile phone at the focus of the dish. Follow the official signs on this innovation, erected at many rest areas, and you're away. Our travellers can confirm that they improved mobile phone reception "by a bar or two" making all the difference between marginal, or, non existent service and a workable service. Self powered, low cost and minimum maintenance. (sourced to SARC news letter) ---------------------------------------------------------------------* 2019 Social Scene 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) And a special one for 2020: ALARAMEET 2020 Bendigo Thanks to Jen VK3WQ for pointing this out: October 2 - 5 in Bendigo Victoria and it's a once in every three year event, so not to be missed. I'm sure they possibly needed to have the extra couple of days we mentioned last week, in order to get through everything, however the REAL dates are well worth putting in your diary.... October 2 - 5, NEXT YEAR! -------------------------------------------------------------------* 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------*