2021 March 7 VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA ------------------------------------------------------------* THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos ------------------------------------------------------------* NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING MARCH 7 2021 IN OUR 26th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PORTAL Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest news, key facts and figures, contacts and answers to your questions. www.health.gov.au/ WIA BOARD CANDIDATES IN THIS WEEKS NEWS ARE, VK4EA, VK3FN, VK2TSG and VK8ZZ. - WIA POLL hear from WIA Secretary VK8ZZ. THIS & MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA Who Listens To Radio... Many listen but don't 'check in' and in this case we understand why. The TV show's "worlds greatest car crashes' and available on YouTube actually shows what a VK ham saw, thru his dashcam whilst listening to us one Sunday morning. If you are viewing Bevans VK5BD's video version of the WIA National nes..buckle up. youtu.be/pHaW3PB545c Check out at the 4:40 mark of this video. We'd love to hear from this VERY luck WIA listener and Driver! WIA JOIN THE WIA tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y WIA BOARD MINUTES www.wia.org.au/joinwia/wia/minutes/ WIA BOARD NEWSLETTERS (older) Giving members to have a better awareness of Board activities. www.wia.org.au/joinwia/wia/newsletters/ WIA Director and Secretary Peter VK8ZZ:- The latest WIA Poll which concerns the ACMA consultation paper looking at moving the Amateur Service to a class licence should now be in your hands. We encourage members and others who have registered to carefully consider the discussion paper that has been produced by the WIA Spectrum Strategy Committee who have spent many days producing the document. We sincerely thank the members of the Spectrum Strategy Committee for their hard work and contributions. Based on the result of this poll the WIA will produce a submission for the ACMA to consider. The WIA submission to the ACMA will be published later this month and we would encourage anyone and everyone to make a similar submission to the ACMA. This has been WIA Director and Secretary Peter VK8ZZ Call-sign processing times back on track After meeting recently with the AMC to discuss the delays in call-sign processing, ACMA are reporting that processing times are back to normal. While demand for new call-signs remains high, the AMC has confirmed that it has cleared the backlog of applications. Now fellow inhabitants of Ham Kingdom... it's time to phone a friend and let them know the first 4 candidates as listed on the WIA Ballot paper will each give a 90 second plug on why we would vote for them. Tell your friends they'll be on air hear in about 20 minutes! EDUCATION. (text version) QUEENSLAND ALL USA grades of licence will be held at the Sunshine Coast Amateur Radio club March 13. All details on vk4wis.org or contact Trent vk4ts@wia.org.au TASMANIA REASTs next Foundation Training and all licence assessment day will fall on Saturday 27th March. Grab your copy of the Foundation Licence Manual from the Caltex Service Station, Amy and Main, Moonah for $35 cash and please let Reg VK7KK REAST Learning Organiser know ASAP that you will be coming along by phoning 0417 391 607 www.facebook.com/events/718404075716863/ WIA NATIONAL NEWS AND OUR 3 W's. WASH YOUR HANDS WEAR A MASK WATCH YOUR DISTANCE (1.5 metres) www.health.gov.au/ ------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, RAC, Southgate AR Club, ARRL, NZART, AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE & the World Wide sources of the WIA. IARU REGION ONE 23cm band in the spotlight with regulators During week 1519 February, the preparatory work for WRC-23 agenda item 9.1b continued in ITUR Working Party 4C The WRC agenda item has initiated technical studies on coexistence between the radio navigation satellite service and the amateur services in the 23cm band. As usual, the IARU participated in the meeting and delivered key information on amateur activities in this important microwave band. This information is vital to ensure the amateur services are realistically represented in the studies as they move forward. It remains vital that national amateur communities present their views on the importance of this band to their national regulators in a consolidated and consistent manner. To assist with this the IARU-R1 is developing supporting material that member societies can refer to when addressing the topic with their national regulator. The work on this topic will continue throughout the year and beyond both in ITUR and in the regional telecommunications organisations and the IARU is committed to ensure every organisation understands the amateur position on this important microwave band. FRANCE Their new Amateur Radio Callbook is available for download and contains listing of the more than 13,000 radio amateurs in France at the end of 2020 and it's a FREE download. The callbook is available on the Radio Amateurs France website and is produced from the data provided by France's National Frequency Agency). 2 versions are available, one by callsign the other by District or Department number. Download PDF callbook in callsign sequence at tinyurl.com/t5j9r2pd PDF listings by Name or District (Department), see www.radioamateurs-france.fr/nomenclature-raf/ IARU REGION TWO SAINT BARTHELEMY This French-speaking Caribbean island commonly known as St. Barts was the landing spot for the F4GOH beacon. Maurice f6ciu has messaged "Yes we did it!" WSPR Rowed the Atlantic Ocean My very good friend, Guirec Soudee, after 74 days at sea and over 2,900 nautical miles of lonely rowing, between Canary Isl & the Caribbean Islands, arrived February 26th in St Barthlemy to a welcome and huge fanfare. On board there was an experimental WSPR beacon (F4GOH), less than 1 watt on 10 MHz. and the antenna a shortened mobile Diamond. The design of F4GOH & F6CIU worked wonderfully throughout the crossing despite two capsizes, antenna and beacon being submerged for several minutes. The experience should be repeated in next summer between Cape Cod USA axis to Brest in Brittany, France. twitter.com/f6ciu www.guirecsoudee.com/blog?lang=en IARU REGION THREE INDIA A radio set shaped like a globe, a Crown Talking Machine made in 1907... These and 100 other unique radio sets, of which 80 per cent are in working condition, are at the newly-opened Short Wave Radio Museum and Knowledge Centre in Bengaluru (also called Bangalore) in the centre of India's high-tech industry, the city is also known for their 19th-century Bangalore Palace, modelled after Englands Windsor Castle, But to the "Wireless Museum" which is the brainchild of 56-year-old Uday Kalburgi, whose love for radio began wayback when he was 9 or 10 years old. Ive listened to them since childhood and now, I want to showcase this bygone technology to todays younger generation, says the telecom engineer, who has dedicated an entire floor of a four-story building to his museum. Each radio set carries a short note with its name, country of origin and description. The museum opened Feb. 13, World Radio Day. tinyurl.com/4asw2pfs NEW ZEALAND The countries Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) says the RF spectrum "has become an important economic resource, but its usefulness is diminished by pollution" RSM has produced a Compliance Guide to give radio spectrum users and suppliers of electrical and radio products information about compliance requirements compliance audits enforcement See the Radio Spectrum Management Compliance Guide www.rsm.govt.nz/about/publications/compliance-guide RSM has also produced an information leaflet regarding unrestricted two-way radios. The leaflet can be downloaded on the Radio Spectrum Management website under Products and equipment you cant use in New Zealand tinyurl.com/vm3ampzj This is part of an ongoing campaign to stop people from using prohibited equipment in particular unrestricted two way radios. Read Beware the Illegal Two-Way Radio tinyurl.com/48dj2t3c ------------------------------------------------------------* HAM RADIO OPERATIONAL NEWS - IT'S A CONTACT SPORT -------------- This weekend is International DX Phone Contest March 6 - 7 -------------- Tomorrow, Monday, will see the International Women's Day Contest. Finlands S.R.A.L. reports International Women's Day will be celebrated in the spirit of a relaxed race on March 8 on the HF bands using CW or SSB modes with up to 100 watts output. Shortly we'll hear from ALARA and Linda for Int. Womens Day. -------------- Commonwealth Contest (BERU) 13/14 March. --------------- WIA John Moyle Field Day 2021 March from UTC 0100 on Saturday 20 to 0059 Sunday 21nd. -------------- the CQ World Wide SSB WPX Contest March 27-28 the CQ World Wide CW WPX Contest May 29-30 -------------- April 25 AM / CW ANZAC Day, Mon 25th from 9am on 7125kHz AM. -------------- Harry Angel Sprint will be May First 2021. 10:00 - 11:46 UTC. -------------- The VK SHIRES June 12-13 in 2021 -------------- WINTER VHF-UHF Field Days - June 26 - 27 -------------- IARU HF World Championship July 10-11 -------------- TRANS TASMAN LOWBAND CONTEST Next contest - JUL 17 2021 - and has the aim of encouraging Low Band activity between VK and ZL on 160 80 and 40M using SSB, CW and RTTY OR PSK -------------- RD or Remembrance Day Contest will be August 14-15. -------------- ALARA CONTEST A Combined phone and CW run over 24 hours starting on Saturday 28th August at 0600 hours UTC finishing Sunday 29th August at 0559 hours UTC -------------- OCEANA CONTEST www.oceaniadxcontest.com/ VOICE from 0800 UTC Saturday 2 October to 0800 UTC Sunday October 3 CW from 0800 UTC Saturday 9 October to 0800 UTC Sunday October 10 -------------- SPRING VHF - UHF FIELD DAYS November 27-28 -------------- December 4-5 160 Meter WW -------------- DECEMBER 11 - 12 10 Mtr World Wide -------------- -------------- DX WINDOW -------------- -------------- Many special Event stations prefer Buro QSL cards via the OQRS system. This system, it is where you go online, request a QSL Card via the Buro and one is sent to you for free. No sending of a QSL card from you as the operator is required. OQRS saves we amateurs and organisations money as the Special Event station is usually NOT interested in receiving a card. So OQTS.. request online -- receive for free. (vk8nsb) -------------- Pride Radio Group are on air with special event callsign VI 2021 PRIDE throughout the Sydney Mardi Gras which ends March 7th then again during Midsumma, April 19th to May 5th and Pride month, 1 to 30th of June. "This is Luke VK3UKW with a last-minute announcement for Sunday only. VI2021PRIDE will be on the air today, March 7, with your last chance to snag the limited edition QSL card for Sydney Mardi Gras. We will be back for Midsumma, April 19 to May 5, and for June Pride Month, June 1 to 30. Unique QSL cards will be issued also for both of these events and an award is available for those who work VI2021PRIDE for all three events. Operation will be on HF SSB and HF FT8. QSL direct via VK4XSS, for details see the website prideradio.group/ or look up VI2021PRIDE on QRZ.COM. Pride Radio Group is an international group that aims to further acceptance and inclusion for underrepresented groups in amateur radio. For Pride Radio Group VK3PRG this has been Luke VK3UKW." -------------- THE RAAF is flying high to celebrate it's 100 years on March 31.. The Royal Australian Airforce call signs to 'target' are VI 100 AF March 1 - 29 May VK 100 AF March 1 - 31 August (vk8nsb) -------------- NETHERLANDS. PC 19 HOPE is QRV until March 10 to support efforts in containing the COVID-19 pandemic. QSL via PA7HPH. (arrl) -------------- This next special event call sign I am sure needs no explanation as to its meaning or purpose. It's on air for ONE MONTH only. Oh the call? GB2 V A X GB2VAX is operational from the QTH of Andy, G4ISN of the Welland Valley ARS from the 1st to the 28th of March. Modes will be SSB / FT4 / FT8 on HF bands. (RSGB) -------------- GREECE. On air is SZ 21 AD, SZ 21 GK, SZ 21 LB, SZ 21 PF, SZ 21 TK and SZ 1821 P all this month only, March, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Revolution of 1821. QSL via LoTW. (SouthGate) -------------- Coventry is The City of Culture in 2021. GB 1 C O C is being operated on behalf of Coventry ARS by Brian, G 8 GMU. He will be mainly on the 80m band using SSB but also 2m FM and digital speech modes. Operation now until the 13th of March. (rsgb) -------------- DENMARK. Special event station OV 0 JUTLANDIA is QRV until the end of March 2021 to commemorate the humanitarian mission of the Danish hospital ship Jutlandia during the Korean War. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. (ARRL) -------------- Austria special event The Cornish Radio Amateur Club's official International Marconi Day (IMD) Award program was cancelled due to the Corona virus situation. However, special callsign OE 21 M will operate between April 24-26th, 0000-2400z to commemorate the anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi's birthday (April 25th, 1874). QSL by the Bureau via OE1WHC. (SouthGate) -------------- POLAND. Members of the SEDINA Contest Club are QRV with SQ 0 MORSE until the end of April commemorating the 230th birthday of Samuel F. B. Morse. QSL via SP1EG. (arrl) -------------- That Madeira is almost at the last drop! Madeira Island operation Active till Saturday March 6 is CT9/DD8ZX and CT9/DJ9KM from Madeira Island (AF-014) which is an autonomous region of Portugal, off to the northwest of Casablanca and Marrakesh North Africa. Activity on 40-10 meters using mostly the Digital modes QSL via their home callsigns, by the Bureau, direct or LoTW ------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS FAITH. Baptist Disaster Relief The amateur radio communications team of the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief has created a multi-site radio communications exercise dubbed Whirlwind Boom, designed to bring together volunteers and local agencies across northern Florida and throughout the south-eastern US. The 2-hour drill is set for Friday, March 19. Volunteers taking part in the 2021 Florida Baptist Disaster Relief on-site training the following day have been invited to exercise with a scenario which involves tornadoes, coupled with the terrorist bombing of the telephone system, and large numbers of displaced residents seeking shelter. Now THAT'S a scenario, especially when we learn ONLY radio remains. During the exercise, volunteers will practice transmitting formal reports about the utility, water, and safety situations in their counties. Many participants will communicate across hundreds of miles using portable radio gear powered by car batteries or small generators. Simulated outbound survivor messages to friends and family will also be sent by radio. Participating groups will receive SECRET MESSAGES advising them of unexpected handicaps that mimic what might happen during an actual disaster complicating their tasks. All in all - a WHIRLWIND BOOM. (arrl) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FEMALES IN RADIO. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Hello, Im Shirley VK5YL Tomorrow, Monday 8th of March is International Womens Day and ALARA has its regular Monday evening net on 3.570 MHz at 1000 UTC. Because of this special event we invite all YLs to come and join us on the net to celebrate the day. On this this occasion we also invite OMs to call in and cheer ALARA along. Set your alarm now for 1000 UTC tomorrow and tune in to 3.570 MHz. Let your voices be heard Ladies. Hope to hear you on the net. Take care and stay safe. 33 Shirley VK5YL WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org Wednesday last an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station contact between youngsters and youth in Moldova and an International Space Station (ISS) crew member took place. The Moldova Peace Corps (MPC) is the hosting organization, and 90 students (aged 10 18) from a consortium of educational institutions, rural schools, and libraries from nine Moldovan villages will participate. Moldova is a very small landlocked country lying between Romania and the Ukraine. A focus of MPC is to provide youth in Moldovan villages with access to STEM opportunities and build capacity among local teachers / librarians to implement STEM activities in their curricula. During the multipoint telebridge contact, students took turns asking questions of astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG. In support of this contact, the MPC partnered with the US Peace Corps Volunteer Coordinator, and the participating schools and libraries. (sourced to QRZ.com) ON MARS, ALL IT TAKES IS A LITTLE INGENUITY Have you ever dreamed of having the frequency all to yourself to make that one perfect, historic QSO? Well it can happen: On Mars. Amateur Radio Newsline's space cadet Paul Braun WD9GCO takes us there. "Talk about operating mobile! NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter prepped to accomplish the first powered flight on that planet, has already achieved its first QSO. According to reports from NASA, the 4-pound helicopter, which is actually a drone, is resting comfortably in the underbelly of NASA's Perseverance rover which landed on the red planet February 18th. Its mission is to conduct a test of the first powered flight in the thin atmosphere there, where it is capable of achieving an altitude of no more than 15 feet or 5 metres. The tiny helicopter employs point-to-point wireless communication with the rover. A day after the landing, the helicopter sent its first message back to Earth via the rover by making use of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, saying all systems, including its power supply of six lithium-ion batteries, were working as expected. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported that a downlink from the orbiter confirmed that all was well. According to NASA, it will be at least a month before Ingenuity makes its maiden flight. For Amateur Radio NewsLine I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO." One has to wonder is Ingenuity going to apply for a QSL card? And if so, does that go direct or through a bureau? I've got to imagine it's going to need one for that "Worked All Planets" award. That's a lot of postage. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- MEDICAL IHS = IHSOFMN.org PHARMACISTS = malpensa.it/iphg Medical Amateur Radio Council marco-ltd.org/ After two recent deaths, Chattanooga-area ham radio operators decided to close ranks. Many of the amateur radio hobbyists live alone, so a system of nightly radio checks has been put in place to signal if anyone needs help. At their core, that's what "hams" do, they take care of one another, members of the so-called Lone Ranger Net said. "At 7 p.m. every night, seven days a week, they jump on the radio and say, 'I'm OK,'" explained Jim Gifford, a 44-year-old Chattanooga businessman and amateur radio enthusiast. Gifford said the Lone Ranger Net was established after one elderly radio operator died of natural causes and another died at his home due to an accident. In both cases their deaths were not immediately known to friends and family members, he said. Now, if someone in the Lone Ranger Net fails to check in on any given night, they get a text, a phone call or even a knock on the door to make sure all is OK. (eHam.net) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP --- MILITARY OI activity day was on Friday March 5 Finland's SRAL reports military radio amateurs using the OI callsign prefix were on-the-air on Friday, March 5 OI is a rare prefix, there are only about 35 stations with an OI callsign and a special ham radio award is available for working contacts with the OI prefixed stations. Check your logs and if you worked five or more Friday the 5th you're in line for a "military award". OI Award sirad.fi/oi-award/ SRAL tinyurl.com/IARU-Finland (SouthGate) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO IARU REGION 3 Emergency Centre of Activity (CoA) frequencies 3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz Region 1 3760 7110 14300 18160 21360 kHz Region 2 3750 3985 7060 7240 7275 14300 18160 21360 kHz Costa Rica and its great VHF National Channel Costa Rica is a small country but it has an exceptional repeater system, which helps to be a boon during emergencies over the broken topography of this Central American country of 51,100 km, and it's all thanks to the work of the main radio clubs and individual radio amateurs who actively participate. In addition to this, due to the joint collaboration of the Radio Club of Costa Rica, the group Ecos del Norte and the Radio Club de Prez Zeledn, the country has what they have called the National VHF Channel, which is made up of six repeaters in the band of 2 meters linked together. This facilitates communication between radio amateurs from not all over Costa Rica but the country outside its borders since it can be activated by radio amateurs from Nicaragua and Panama adjacent to their borders' particularly when help is needed. Undoubtedly a great tool that can be used for regular communication exercises or in times of emergency. ti0rc.org/repetidoras (SouthGate) Last week mention was made in the text edition of the search in the Victorian High Country for VK3VZP. The search, still ongoing, was the Channel 9 TV show Under Investigation which covered the unexplained disappearance of both radio amateur Russell Hill VK3VZP and his female companion both missing since March 20, 2020 Russell was camping in the remote Wonnangatta Valley and his last amateur radio contact was with Rob Ashlin VK3BEZ at 6pm on March 20, he has not been heard from since. On March 21 the campsite was found with the tent burned to the ground and VK3VZP's Toyota Land Cruiser sitting next to it. One thing to note is the Forensic Policeman in the show although the same name as our WIA President is NOT that Greg Kelly! Anyone with info is asked to ring Crime Stoppers. Information on the show is at tinyurl.com/ckek9uvr ------------------------------------------------------------* MEDIA WATCH Making a "lightening" visit to the VK1WIA studio today is VK4JJW John Williams:- Film-maker seeks funding For this story it's "off to the movies" with WIA's resident Film reviewer John Williams VK4JJW "Hi and welcome. Through The Waves is looking to raise funding to film the untold story of Artie Moore. He was young man from Wales who, in 1912, received the distress call from the sinking Titanic. In the early hours of 15 April 1912, in the loft of a 17th century Gelligroes Mill, near Blackwood, Moore using crude radio apparatus received a faint signal in Morse Code: "CQD CQD SOS de MGY Position 41.44N 50.24W. Require immediate assistance. Come at once. We have struck an iceberg. Sinking.We are putting the women off in the boats.." Then came the final signal: "Come as quickly as possible old man; our engine-room is filling up to the boilers." Moore relayed the news to the locals and to the local constabulary, who did not believe him. Two days later, the locals received confirmation through the national press that it was true. The newspapers also confirmed as Moore had claimedthat the new "SOS" distress signal had been used by the Titanic's radio operators along with the usual "CQD" signal, thus proving that Moore had indeed received the signals from the doomed liner. In 1912 it was understood that the range of Titanic's wireless was 400 miles in daylight, and possibly up to 2000 in darkness. At over 3,000 miles, it was the furthest any radio signal in the world had been received. The filmmakers, plan to tell the story in this dramatisation. Theyve already signed BAFTA-Award Winning Jack Parry-Jones to play Arthur Moore, and Gareth John Bale to play Arties father. The funding raised will go towards paying the professional crew and actors on board, and will allow the team to afford the authenticity involved in recreating his early 1900s loft or attic. Its from there Artie would often receive Morse Code messages from ships. Go to indiegogo.com and search for Artie Moore Film, its the first entry. (rsgb - Wikipedia) IT'S TIME - TIME TO VOTE. The order of names appearing on the Ballot Paper shall be as follows: 1. Peter Schrader VK4EA 2. Peter Dernikos VK3FN 3. Greg Kelly VK2GPK (Current WIA President) 4. Steven Green VK2TSG 5. Peter Clee VK8ZZ (Current WIA Secretary) 6. Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY 7. Scott Williams VK3KJ (Current WIA Board Member) 8. David Uzzell VK2DU Members are asked to vote for a maximum of 4 nominees by striking OUT the names of nominees not voted for, and returning their vote before 27 March. Now lets hear 4 of the 8 candidates and kicking it off, top of the ballot paper is VK4EA "Gidday, this is Peter Schrader VK4EA, also KQ4PS, was VK4TGV and 9V1PS. I have got myself onto the WIA Board election ballot paper and you are probably wondering, why vote for me? I was first licensed in 2000 as VK4TGV, taking up 9V1PS shortly after a move to Singapore for work. My initial interest were in HF and APRS, now active on microwaves and ATV. Past president and now member of the Redcliffe & Districts Radio Club, treasurer of the Brisbane VHF Group, member of the SEQATV Group and vice-president of Austravel Safetynet (V M D 750). I have had many technical and managerial roles, based in VK and overseas. So, what are some of my goals? I want to know, what stops people joining or renewing their WIA membership? The Institute needs strength in numbers to make a real difference. A larger, more engaged, membership gives us Amateurs a voice. The WIA needs to get better with communications, to me, using Social Media effectively makes sense. Ensure that the Institute maintains dialogue with the A C M A, the A M C and, if I may be bold, other representative organisations. I have a number of other ideas, not enough time to here. It is important that you take some time to participate in the voting process, please do it as soon as you receive your ballot, so to ensure that it is received in time. Email = vk4ea@wia.org.au Facebook = peter.schrader.18 Twitter = @peterschrader2 Instagram = @peterschrader2 Im also on LinkedIn. Cheers for now, this has been Peter, VK4EA, for WIA National News. Second on the ballot paper is VK3FN " Hi. My name is Peter Dernikos VK3FN My professional background is a company director for the past 12 years. I have been highly active in many aspects of amateur radio ever since obtaining my foundation licence back in 2006, and in 2012 I upgraded to an advanced licence. I am an active DX chaser, contester and have been involved in a few DX-peditions over the years. I enjoy bringing new people into the hobby and a highly active Volunteer Examiner for the AMC & ARRL. I am the current President of the VEA Group, we organise and administer AMC and ARRL amateur licence examinations. I have been a member of the WIA since 2006. As a WIA director, I have nominated to work with the board cohesively and positively to encourage and focus as a strong team in protecting and improving our amateur service to our members and the amateur community. The changes I would like to achieve with the board are to have a better relationship with ACMA & AMC. Have greater transparency and more engagement with our members and affiliated clubs. Encourage more youth into our hobby, improve the current educational path and streamline the examination process that we currently have. 73 Peter Dernikos VK3FN Our 3rd Candidate is current WIA President Greg, VK2GPK who will present his case next week. 4th on the Ballot Paper VK2TSG " Hello, this is Steven Green VK2TSG. I have been a licenced Amateur Operator since 1992; I have previously worked in Radio Communications Sales and service in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, and for a short time I was welcomed as a member of the Moorabbin and District Amateur Radio Club whilst in VK3. I am currently the Vice-President of the Blue Mountains Amateur Radio Club in New South Wales. I have extensive experience in managing and working in IT and Communications for Emergency Services including work in Emergency Operations Centres, triple-zero call centres, and as a Responder in the field. I have also worked across several disciplines including Chaplaincy, peer-support, Nursing, Volunteer Management and services, as well as on boards and executive committees. Following in the footsteps of those who introduced me to the hobby, I have also recruited and mentored a number of people to Amateur Radio and founded a Facebook group to encourage foundation operators and those who support them to communicate and discuss common issues. It is my intention to investigate ways to increase usage of the bands and also recruit newcomers to our ranks including mentoring, and additional support for affiliate clubs and groups, particularly in remote and regional locations. I would also like to work with all stakeholders to examine improvements that could be made with the process of becoming a licenced amateur, as many have discussed such difficulties with me. If elected, I would be open to hearing from Amateurs across Australia and its Territories, whether members or not, to ensure that the WIA is able to understand the situations that we face. Thank you to all, for your time and consideration in regards to the 2021 election. 73 from Steven Green VK2TSG. 5th on the paper ballot is current WIA Secretary VK8ZZ " I was first elected as a WIA director in 2017 and since that time I am very proud of the way the board has become so much more open and transparent to our members. I wish to continue my contribution to the WIA as a member of the WIA board. In 2018 I was appointed the Secretary of the WIA. A position I currently still hold. I have been very active in the financial management of the WIA. The WIA currently maintains an overall strong financial position. I have been licensed for over 40 years and have lived in the Northern Territory for over 30 years. Since that time I have been very active in local government having held the position of Council President or Vice President for 18 of the 22 years in local government. In the long term we must maintain a strong and united position and be 200 % behind the Wireless Institute of Australia to lobby government and make representations to preserve our current privileges and to maintain and expand our bands. This is Peter Clee VK8ZZ." ------------------------------------------------------------* 2021 Social Scene KEEP ONE WAVELENGTH AWAY AT 144 Megacycles #2MetersMatters Due to the COVID-19 situation, please check these events' direct for up-to-date status information and even without Covid dates have an uncanny knack of being changed at last moment. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PORTAL Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest news, key facts and figures, contacts and answers to your questions. www.health.gov.au/ VK7 - MEET THE VOICE BBQ at ROSS 21st March (vk7tw) The Sewing Circle Net (6:00pm AEDST) on 3.640 MHz presents the return of the "Meet The Voice" event where you can come along to a BYO BBQ and meet the people you talk with on the air. Proceedings start at 11am with the presentation of the Sewing Machine Award to the most loquacious amateur for the previous year. Held at the Ross Caravan Park on the banks of the picturesque Macquarie River. VK4 - REDFEST 2021 April Ten (vk4tfn) VK2 - MayHam (Wyong Race Course) May 30 (vk2ji) VK5 - SERG convention Mt. Gambier June 12 / 13 (vk5bj) VK3 - ROSEBUD RadioFest by SPARC 9:30am Nov 14 (vk3pdg) ============================== NEW WIA NEWS BROADCAST FEEDBACK =============================== "Hi. Just a small annoyance and request please, I wonder if the broadcast announcers can stop saying "the ACMA" like its an actual word, but rather say it as, A.C.M.A or "the A.C.M.A". Pronouncing it as "the ACMA" just doesn't sound right, its like a lazy mans way of saying "the A.C.M.A as individual letters. Or alternatively saying the "Australian Communications Media Authority", I know that's a mouth full but please try not to say the "ACMA" like its some disease, just a thought, its been griping me for a long time and listening to the Broadcast today I picked up Greg saying "the ACMA" 9 times in his item just finally unnerved me..." 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 send BOTH the audio and the text We would appreciate items certainly no longer than 1.5 mts 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. (First if YOU are reading your own item) 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. ------------------------------------------------------------* Oh... and to contact us with your news because If It Matters To You It Matters To Us! Click the links below to download the most recent edition of National News, BUT this is ONLY the backup site! WIANEWS backup thanks to Brendan VK4BLP can be found on wiaq.org.au BACKUPS OF THE BACKUP!! thanks to Tony VK7AX www.vk7ax.id.au/wianews/ wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/ (This is the link to the original text version and original audio on wia site) ------------------------------------------------------------* WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide. TWITTER 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? 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 would like to see the call-backs reported each broadcast, OR have call-backs to contribute to the National News call back tally then please send through your call-backs to callbacks@wia.org.au 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 a message confirming your unsubscription from the list and at that point you should stop receiving messages. ------------------------------------------------------------*