2021 APRIL 18 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 APRIL 18 2021 IN OUR 26th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS WIA DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY VK8ZZ PETER CLEE WITH THIS WEEKS BOARD TALK. 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/ Police investigating the disappearance of two campers in the Victorian High Country are moving their search to Mount Hotham after uncovering new information in the investigation. Key points: Russell Hill and Carol Clay have been missing for more than a year Police last month were given an "item of interest" in the case Officers are searching for the missing pair in the area around Mount Hotham Russell Hill VK3VZP and Carol Clay went missing from their campsite in the remote Wonnangatta Valley last March. Police have long suspected that the pair met with foul play, but have been unable to find any trace of them. Mr Hill and Ms Clay were last heard from on the night of March 20, 2020, when Mr Hill made contact with friends via radio, who were part of his amateur radio club. Last month, police received what they called an "item of interest", but would not reveal what that was. Detectives now say their focus has shifted to Mount Hotham, where members of the Missing Person Squad and Search and Rescue officers are scouring. abc.net/southgate/wianews ------------------------------------------------------------* VOTE IN THE WIA BOARD ELECTION 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 in the envelope provided before April 30 Now lets hear the remaining 4 of the 8 candidates, Last week we heard from candidates 1 - 5 with number 3 not providing a bio. So this week VK8ZZ, VK3FY, VK3KJ, VK2DU 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." Number 6 on the ballot paper is VK3FY Hi I am Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY and I am seeking your support in the forthcoming WIA Board Election. I have been a licenced Amateur Radio operator since 1979. Married with three children, two are currently licenced amateur radio operators. I have been active in various Amateur Radio clubs including a long-time WIA member, also a WIA Accredited Assessor for 16 years and currently an AMC Assessor. President of South Pacific Contest Club from 1985 to present Founder and current trustee of the AUS REPEATER NET - What do I believe in? Bringing greater value and transparency to the members of the WIA Greater participation of the entire amateur base Having closer partnerships with WIA Members, Clubs, the ACMA and the AMC We need to increase the membership base of the WIA Introducing the hobby to the younger generation and to the community at large Involving the younger generation in competitions within the hobby ( this was how I introduced my sons to the hobby through the JMMFD ) Amateur Radio needs to be fun, not just to the current long-term hams, but also to those who will become the future of the hobby ( the as-yet to become hams ). Providing Education, Technology, Presentations, and Study Materials to members and prospective future new amateurs. I look forward to serving the Amateur Radio Community if given the opportunity. 73 Chris VK3FY 7th candidate is current WIA Board Member VK3KJ. Hi, this is Scott Williams VK3KJ and it has been a real honour to serve as a current Director on the WIA Board since being appointed in only June last year. In my short time as a Director, I have realised there is much to do and achieve within the WIA to re-invent and rejuvenate the organisation into a truly contemporary thinking member representative organisation that delivers real value to the members and is financially sustainable. It is so important we preserve the proud history of the WIA, but it also vitally important that the WIA pivots from its current standing to become a far more professional, collaborative, customer focused organisation that more broadly engages with all stakeholders within the Amateur community. Embracing change is something every Director being past, current or future should accept as we all work together to improve and advance this wonderful interest of Amateur Radio. A little about me, I am currently the CEO of a member-based Associations operating in the Building & Construction industry and I have held this role or similar roles in the not-for-profit sector for the past 12 years. I have also held Executive management positions within companies like NEC, Panasonic, Lucent Technology as well as operating my own businesses. I also currently sit on several Government and Industry Boards within the Building & Construction industry bringing vital balanced engagement, relationship management and advocacy skills to the WIA Board. With over 40 years as a licensed operator and with my current professional background, I look forward to your ongoing support to continue to shape and advance the WIA into the future. 73 and sincere thanks Scott VK3KJ Thanks Scott, now to the last name on the ballot, David. Hi, this is David Uzzell VK2DU running for WIA Director. Having been involved in running JOTA since I was a scout and first going for my Novice at 16, missing by one I was discouraged at the time and didnt sit for my license again until my early 30s having missed all those years of fun. Since then I have been involved in the WIA exam service, volunteered on the Education committee and the ACMA Syllabus review panel. I am an AMC Examiner and also a Volunteer examiner for ARRL. I work hard to encourage people to get involved and will assist people to get their license anyway I possibly can, having done exams in NSW and Qld both city and country, I try to get new amateurs where ever I go. I would like to represent members, get a more responsive WIA and advocate to regulators as well as government about WIA, Amateur Radio and what we have to offer as a collective group of communications practitioners and enthusiasts. Thank you for listening to me and this WIA weekly broadcast. 73, David Uzzell VK2DU WIA BOARD TALK:- The last WIA annual conference was held in May 2019 and was held in Sydney. The WIA 2019 AGM was held in conjunction with the Sydney Annual Conference. The 2020 AGM was to have been held in Hobart Tasmania also in conjunction with the WIA 2020 Annual Conference. Unfortunately COVID-19 restrictions and flight cancellations meant that this was not possible. The Australian Government then allowed Annual General Meetings to be held virtually and this is what the WIA did when it held its delayed AGM on 25th July 2020. The 2020 AGM was held entirely online as a "virtual" event. The event was well attended and feedback from the event to me has been very good. The Annual Conference in 2020 deferred to 2021, however the unknown requirements due to Covid-19 meant that the organising committee had no option other than to cancel the proposed 2021 conference. This was the right decision at the time. The Australian Government has not made any allowance for AGM's to be held virtually in 2021 so the WIA is currently looking at dates and locations to hold a Hybrid AGM event. A Hybrid AGM means that there will be both a physical location for the event to be held as well as allowing members to participate once again virtually, or watch the streamed event online. The Board are currently considering dates at the end of May 2021 to hold the event and a decision will be made and advertised on memnet, social media and on wia.org.au in the next few days. And of course the date will be brought to you here by the WIA National News Service. The selection of a physical location is a little more difficult but it is likely to be held outside of the capital cities in a regional area. The Board need to consider the ability of a venue to host an event safely whilst taking into account Covid-19 safety issues as well as the availability of IT and accommodation. We also need to consider the cost and availability of local accommodation as we anticipate that there will be a number of people who will wish to attend the AGM event. It is most likely that you will be required to register ahead of time to attend the event similar to what was required last year. More detail will be available in the next few weeks. On a personal note I have just spent a number of weeks in Hospital in Adelaide, I want to thank all those well wishers who have contacted me. I also wish to thank the repeater group who have put in place an amazing linked network that I could access from my hospital bed and through which I had a number of contacts with other amateurs around the area. Well done !! This has been WIA Secretary Peter VK8ZZ, back home in Darwin and looking forward to the encroaching "Dry season" up here in the Northern Territory. WIA NATIONAL NEWS AND YOUR 3 W's. WASH YOUR HANDS WEAR YOUR 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. Happy birthday to US Today, Sunday, April 18, is World Amateur Radio Day. This year marks the 96th anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union, the IARU, founded at the 1925 International Radiotelegraph Conference in Paris. ARRL cofounder and first president, Hiram Percy Maxim, 1AW, was there, and today, ARRL is the International Secretariat of the IARU. IARU has chosen Amateur Radio: Home but Never Alone as the theme for WARD 2021. The theme acknowledges that during our physical distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19, amateur radio stands out as a welcome respite for its variety of activities and opportunities. Amateur radio experimenters were the first to discover that the HF spectrum was not the wasteland experts of that time considered it to be, but a resource that could support worldwide communication. In the rush to use these shorter wavelengths, amateur radio was in grave danger of being pushed aside, IARU history has noted, prompting the founding of the IARU. At the 1927 International Radiotelegraph Convention, amateur radio gained allocations still recognized today 160, 80, 40, 20, and 10 meters. The 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925 have grown to include more than 160 member-societies in three regions. IARU Region 1 includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North Asia. Region 2 covers the Americas, and Region 3 is comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific island nations, and most of Asia. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recognized the IARU as representing the interests of amateur radio. Celebrating the day, amoung many others, ar Belgion Hams who can replace the normal prefix 'ON' in their call-sign by the special prefix OS during the period between April 18, 2021, to December 12, 2021. Still in region one, Radio ham receives Federal Cross of Merit. Professor. Dr.-Ing, Ulrich Rohde, DJ2LR, has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. At the suggestion of the Bavarian Prime Minister the professor, entrepreneur and radio amateur is honoured for the great achievements in the fields of high frequency and microwave technology. Dr. Ulrich Rohde is also considered to be the inventor of SDR technology, which he first presented at a conference in 1985. In recognition of this pioneering development, which is used today in practically all communication technology and also in amateur radio, there was a special call sign DL 35 SDR last year. IARU REGION TWO The FCC has announced that rule changes detailed in a lengthy 2019 Report and Order governing RF exposure standards go into effect May 3, 2021. The new rules do not change existing RF exposure limits but do require that stations in all services, including amateur radio, be evaluated against existing limits, unless they are exempted. After May 3 of this year, any new station, or any existing station modified in a way thats likely to change its RFE profile such as different antenna or placement or greater power will need to conduct an evaluation by the date of activation or change. The Amateur Service in the USA is no longer categorically excluded from certain aspects of the rules, as amended, and licensees can no longer avoid performing an exposure assessment simply because they are transmitting below a given power level. $9.3m grant for HAARP HF research University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute received a five-year, $9.3 million grant to expand activities at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program in Gakona The U.S. military built HAARP in the 1990s for $290 million to conduct ionospheric research related to communications, navigation, surveillance and more. But in 2015 the Air Force ended the program and turned HAARP over to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. UAF has operated it sporadically since for government and independent clients. Now this new grant will enable the university to maintain the HAARP facility and expand operationsy and invite in people to use it, so its a really big deal for us, a HAARP spokesperson said. Read the full story at tinyurl.com/3evn6yr8 REGION THREE Using WSPR data to detect MH370 An article on the Airline Ratings site suggests data from the amateur radio WSPR transmissions might provide clues to the location of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 Put simply, imagine you had to hike across a given path and every 2 minutes there were a bunch of tripwires that you could not see, that set off an alarm, or put another way, imagine you broke into a high-security bank and to reach the vault you had to cross a room full of laser beams that you could not see and any one interruption of a laser beam would set off an alarm. Well, that is what aircraft do they trip off invisible radio waves and a Mr. Richard Godfrey one of the leading experts in the hunt for MH370 has just concluded a new study which finds that MH370 tripped off a series of radio transmission detections which confirm it IS in the location that satellite studies and drift modelling had suggested. Read more tinyurl.com/6tf78yah tinyurl.com/4pdem64w After 27 years JARL returns to growth The number of members of the Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) has increased from the previous year for the first time in 27 years The League has been actively engaged in membership development to strengthen its organizational foundation. Promote membership development plans by regional headquarters and branches, continuation of various campaigns for new members and current members, strengthening of cooperation with related organizations and companies, and active PR of amateur radio and JARL activities. Over 15 months ago in his 2020 New Year statement JARL President Yoshinori Takao JG1KTC said the League would continue to focus on acquiring new members among the younger generation and Women. This approach seems to be paying off Is 5MHz still alive in region 3? It has been reported on various forums, news sites and other media on Thursday 8 April 2021 that the NZART was informed that the allocated 60 metre amateur band has been cleared of other formerly licensed users in New Zealand. There maybe now a clear path for New Zealand amateur radio operators to regain access to all of the internationally allocated amateur band 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz. Bob Vernall ZL2CA says " I independently liaised with New Zealand Defence Force to implement a plan I formulated to clear a 60 metre band for amateur radio. Defence liked my plan and authorised me to make specified changes to their licences, which cleared bandwidth for amateur radio. These changes were registered by RSM 8 April. NZART will be meeting with RSM to discuss the next steps in getting a permanent allocation for New Zealand Amateurs. ------------------------------------------------------------* HAM RADIO OPERATIONAL NEWS - IT'S A CONTACT SPORT -------------- -------------- April 25 AM / CW ANZAC Day, Sun 25th from 9am on 7125kHz AM. -------------- Harry Angel Sprint will be May First. 10:00 - 11:46 UTC. -------------- -------------- Steve Ireland, VK6VZ, Australian Team 1 captain here. Australia wins Commonwealth Contest team section again Great news Australia Team 1 has taken out the Radio Society of Great Britains Commonwealth Contest team competition for the fifth time in a row with 38,114 points. Our Team 2 finished third with 24,996 points. Only the Canadian #1 team finishing second with 36,270 points prevented us from taking out the top two places! To make matters even sweeter, Brian VK3MI, captain of Australia Team 2 took out the Commonwealth Contests Junior Rose Bowl for winning the Restricted Unassisted section of the contest. Last year Brian came second in this category, which was a great achievement in itself. Other highlights included our highest points scorer Kevin VK6LW finishing fifth in the Open Unassisted category and Barry VK2BJ, our second highest points scorer finishing second in Open Assisted. To put Kevin and Barrys results into context, if the latitude factor that applied in the team contest had been applied to their scores, they would have finished respectively first and third overall in the Commonwealth Contest 2021. These amazing results could not have been achieved without the support of our WIA State Headquarters stations VK1WIA (operated by Andrew VK1DA who travelled to a site near Canberra to operate in the contest), VK2WIA (operated by Tommy VK2IR and David VK2WQ), VK3WIA (operated by Lee VK3GK, Chris VK3FY and Bo Li BD6QD), VK4WIA (Keith VK4TT), VK5WIA (Grant VK5GR), VK6WIA (Peter VK6RZ) and VK7WIA (Martin VK7GN). A huge thanks to all the operators and to Allan VK2GR, who coordinated and led the HQ stations, as well as leading our overall effort. The CW-only Commonwealth Contest 2021 ran from 10.00 UTC on 13 March until 10.00 UTC on 14 March. It is one of the oldest radio contests in existence, having been first run back in 1931 when it was known as British Empire Radio Week and lasted for six days! Australia Team One were Kevin VK6LW, John VK4CT, Barry VK2BJ, Steve VK6VZ and Allan VK2GR, while Australia Two were Alan VK4SN, Brian VK3MI, Patrick VK2PN, Alan VK7BO and Rob VK6HG. I hope to see you in Commonwealth Contest 2022. 73 from Steve Ireland, VK6VZ, Australian Team 1 captain -------------- DX WINDOW -------------- Pride Radio Group is back on the air with VI2021PRIDE for Midsumma Festival. As an eminent queer art and performance festival, Melbourne's Midsumma Festival is one of the major pride events in Australia. PRG will activate VI2021PRIDE on HF FT8 and SSB during the Midsumma Festival period April 19 to May 5. Please QSL to receive a limited edition QSL Card direct on ClubLog OQRS or 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 St George Amateur Radio Society - ANZAC Day QSO Party - 25th April. Last year many amateur radio operators not only missed out on catching up with friends at their local amateur radio club gatherings, but were not able to attend an ANZAC Day service. To help overcome those restrictions, the St George Amateur Radio Society sponsored a QSO Party on Anzac Day 2020. This event was very popular with many amateurs; local, interstate and overseas so the St. George Amateur Radio Society have decided to hold an ANZAC Day QSO Party again, Sunday 25th April 2021. The intention of the QSO party is for amateur radio operators to keep in contact on air with fellow operators, and to recognise the service of many amateur radio operators from both sides of the Tasman Sea, in defending our freedom. The Anzac Day QSO Party commences at 3pm local Sydney time, and concludes at 9.00pm. Bands and modes of communication are 40m and 80m SSB, VK2RLE and VK2RDX 2m VHF FM repeaters and the VK DMR network. The QSO Party is open to all amateur radio operators with a participation certificate available, which recognises of the aims of this event. Amateurs are reminded that all VK amateurs can use the AX prefix on ANZAC Day. Complete operating and participation details can be found on www.sgars.org -------------- Bolivia operation Antonio, EA5RM, is once again be active as CP1XRM from Bolivia until April 27th, working as Solidaridad Medica and Radio amateurs Without Frontiers NGO volunteer. Activity will be limited to his spare time on 160-10 meters using SSB and the Digital modes. QSL via EA8RM or LOTW (OPDX) -------------- Belgian special prefix The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications has announced that Belgian radio amateurs and Belgian radio clubs may replace the normal prefix 'ON' in their call-sign by the special prefix OS until December 12, 2021. This to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the first transatlantic radio transmission, on December 12 when Guglielmo MARCONI first succeeded in bridging the Atlantic Ocean with radio signals. -------------- Czech Republic special event Members of the Radioclub Chrudim will be active as OL75KCR from Chrudim to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the foundation of Radioclub Chrudim. Activity will be from April 1st until December 31st, 2021. QSL via ClubLog's OQRS (OPDX) ------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS ARDF WIA ARDF COORDINATOR VK3WWW Jack vk3www@wia.org.au users.mackay.net.au/~ron/ homingin.com ardf.org.au Amateur Radio Direction Finding The website Inverse has an interesting article on Amateur Radio direction finding: Radio direction finding has existed for nearly as long as radio itself (the late 19th century). The military uses it for practical reasons, utilizing it to 'triangulate,' or locate, hidden military bases, transmitters, and submarines that would otherwise be a secret. (The basic technique, with different technological adaptations, was used in both World War I and World War II.) Now, radio direction finding has become a sport that combines the geeky charm of ham radio, the outdoor skills of orienteering, and the endurance of cross country Bob Frey is an ARDF athlete who has competed since 1999 and has attended four World Championships. Its a mental game of hide and seek, Frey told Inverse. Theres so many parts to it. [Youre thinking], Where am I? Which direction is the transmitter? Hopefully I dont get lost. Even the best competitors will admit they do get lost on occasion. But theres something about the sport that keeps competitors coming back year after year. Its the rush of racing mixed with the pride that comes from knowing you can trust your brain under pressure. tinyurl.com/9fwzwfdx WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org SpaceX launched 60 more of the company's Starlink Internet communications satellites into orbit from Florida April 7. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the spacecraft lifted off as planned and SpaceX recovered the first-stage booster for the rocket by landing it on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellites deployed to their intended orbit a little more than an hour after launch. A rather fascinating disassembly and analysis of the digital clock from a Soyuz spacecraft can be found at a link in our text edition, best read at wia.org.au www.righto.com/2020/01/inside-digital-clock-from-soyuz.html The mid-1980s vintage clock was judged to be 8 to 10 years behind U.S. space technology of the time, with more than 100 integrated circuits on ten circuit boards. AO-91 remains operational in COR or "repeater mode." Reminder: Please use this bird only in sunlight and do not use while in eclipse (which "generally" means, if it's dark at your local QTH do not use!). Current status of most operational satellites can be found on:- www.amsat.org/status/ (ANS) 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 St. Vincent Radio Amateurs on Alert During Volcano Emergency Donald de Riggs, J 88 CD, on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, says that on April 13, the 42nd anniversary of the 1979 eruption of the La Soufriere volcano, island residents were awakened to another column of volcanic ash creating a thick blanket, obscuring part of the eastern sky as the volcano continues to erupt violently. Almost all residents in our "Red Zone" have been evacuated, save for a few diehards who will not move, for reasons unknown, he said. Since the effusive eruption began last December, local hams have been in a state of readiness via 2-meter networks and regional networks via HF. A 24-hour regional HF network and vigil has been active since the violent eruptions began a few days ago, to provide communication support should telephone service be disrupted by the volcanic hazard. This includes a twice-daily link-up on HF with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). There is also a 2-meter gateway via EchoLink on the J88AZ node. The La Soufrire volcano on St. Vincent began a series of explosive eruptions on April 9, sending clouds of hot ash some 20,000 feet into the air, blanketing much of the island in ash and causing water and power outages. The volcano is a constant threat, according to officials. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- SUMMITS ON THE AIR sotawatch.org sota.org.uk Mighty oaks from little accorns grow. Maybe this story can see Summits "growing?: from little hills. This is a story of an expansion to the HEMA award scheme! 5th April 2021 marked the start of HEMA (Humps Excluding Marilyns Award) in Southern Germany. HEMA stands for HuMPs Excluding Marilyns Award. To the uninitiated, that might soundk like gobbledegook. A HuMP is a summit that has Hundred Metre Prominence, meaning that it sticks up above the surrounding land by at least 100 meters. A Marilyn is a summit with a 150m prominence. HEMA then is an award for HuMPs with a prominence of less than 150m. Marilyns have their own award scheme through SOTA HEMA - the somewhat different mountain award scheme for summits with a prominence between 100 and 150 metres is expanding again. This time into the Southern Bavaria, Alpine "DL" area. In a scheme that happily co-exists with SOTA and GMA but fits the niche in between the two, the HEMA scheme is more about getting contacts with new DXCC entities from summits and contacts with or between summits than purely collecting summit points. If "completes", "Uniques", "firsts" are terms that are unusual to you then check out the HEMA website at hema.org.uk (ICQPODCAST) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA twitter.com/hamyota Getting more youth into Amateur Radio Are you a youth Coordinator for your club? Do you help run events aimed at Youth in Ham Radio? Do you have ideas for ways to get more youth into Radio? The IRTS (Irish Radio Transmitters Society) youth coordinator Niall, EI 6 HIB, is putting together a group chat for anyone involved in facilitating Youth Radio activities in EI. The purpose of this group is to generate ideas for involving young people and ultimately to show young people how great this hobby is! Email yota@irts.ie if you want more information or want to be added to the group chat, no one country has all the answers so maybe "the more the merrier and the more hjams we have". In a further youth development announced this week, the IARU Region 1 Youth Working Group, are very happy to be co-operating with MRASZ, the Hungarian Amateur Radio Society to introduce a new 12 hour contest aimed at younger operators. This years sessions will be held on Saturdays 22nd May, 17th July and 30th December. More details are said to be announced later. (IRTS) 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/ VK3 - MOORABBIN HAMFEST May 8 (vk3gl) 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) 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. ------------------------------------------------------------*