2022 DECEMBER 25 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 DECEMBER 25 2022 IN OUR 27th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS A HAPPY CHRISTMAS DAY FROM VK1WIA, the WIA and ALARA I'm Michelle VK2AYL President of ALARA and joining me on Christmas Day is Shirley VK5YL who will be covering the International Desk Marija VK5MAZ with the operational news covering contests and a look through the "DX Window" Linda VK7QP will handle special Interest Group news and let's welcome from the States and ARNewsLine Sal Embee KB 3 TZD. But joining us now WIA Immediate Past President Greg Kelly VK2GPK. Welcome everyone to an entirely ALARA produced edition of the WIA News Broadcast. ALARA being the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association, formed in 1975 with a mission to encourage womens interest and active participation in amateur radio. After another lap around the sun, we approach the end of another year. This year has been another of natural disasters affecting us here in the land of drought and flooding rains, this time with catastrophic flooding in the eastern states that are still impacting so many. These events do, however, highlight the great community spirit as volunteers rally to help those in need. Overseas, an illegal war demonstrates both the best and worst of humanity. This year the ACMA (Australian Communication and Media Authority) continued their march to Class Licences, with the release of another consultation seeking feedback on their intent to move the Amateur Service to a class licence, apparently based on a mantra of being concerned only with the what not the how. The consultation also sought feedback on the basis for a higher power operation, although I should note these two topics are quite unrelated apart being included in the same consultation. The WIA formed a working group to address the issues in this consultation which was due at the end of November. The WIA has a firm position on a move to a class licence of no disadvantage. I must congratulate the consultation working group, led by Peter Young, for a professional and comprehensive response that they have formulated which has now been submitted. The response addresses all of the identified gaps and disadvantages in moving to a class licence. However, the elimination of an individual government issued licence poses non-trivial challenges to offset - which have been raised by the working group in the WIA response. Whilst elimination of individual licences is intrinsic to moving to a class licence, it has many consequences that are not easily avoided and likely workarounds are far from perfect. Some of these are reciprocal licence impacts for Australian Amateurs; state based legislation that refers specifically to the possession of a licence (such as the 10 metre antenna provisions); issues with police stopping and querying mobile amateurs either in vehicles or in parks, etc.; transiting customs internationally when in possession of transmitting equipment. We have a culture of licensing in Australia, a plumber, mechanic or electrician needs to be licensed not just qualified. That license and its veracity is on a public government register as are Amateur Licences today. In discussions with fellow amateurs, there is some confusion as to what moving to a class licence entails. It is not, as many oversimplify, a free licence it is in fact NO LICENCE. Nor is it a pre-requisite to higher power options. Fundamentally, the USE CASE for a class licence for the Amateur Service is a poor fit, especially given we have a perfectly serviceable Non-assigned Apparatus Licence. Akin to putting a square peg in a round hole! Quoting directly from an ACMA published document Our approach to radiocommunications licensing and allocation Implementing the Radiocommunications Legislation Amendment (Reform and Modernisation) Act 2020 Commonwealth of Australia (Australian Communications and Media Authority) 2021. It states When class licensing is appropriate - Class licences provide for shared use of the spectrum, with minimal to no licensing hurdles and no associated regulatory fees for users. In other countries this kind of licence is sometimes referred to as unlicensed use or a general authorisation. Class licensing is useful in authorising the use of spectrum by unaware users (end- users who are not necessarily mindful of their use of the spectrum) and ubiquitous devices and technologies (for example, Wi-Fi), as the general authorisation provided means that users do not need to acquire individual licences to operate a device. Coexistence between devices authorised under a class licence is generally based on the device characteristics and is managed in the class licence conditions. Although a device operated under a class licence is generally not expected to suffer interference, we generally have a no protection policy regarding class licensing. It is uncommon for us (ed: the ACMA) to clear established users from class-licensed spectrum. However, we have previously varied class licences to reflect changes in the environment or developments in technology by providing additional uses or varied operating conditions. Finally, it must be understood that moving to Class Licence is a really big deal the biggest change in many decades. And if we, that is both the Amateur Service and the ACMA, get it wrong it will be difficult if not almost impossible to rectify. And as I mentioned early there is much confusion about the real-world impacts, so your help in making this a topic of discussion at your local club or on the air would be appreciated. So enough from me, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays and a great new year. And thanks again to ALARA for this broadcast maybe this could become a regular feature? What do you think? This Greg, VK2GPK. ------------------------------------------------------------* Welcome to the Christmas Day edition of WIA National News Presented by ALARA. Now Shirley VK5YL with INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, RAC, ARRL, NZART, eHam, AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, and the World Wide sources of the WIA. We commence with news from REGION THREE, our own region. HAMS HELP RETURN LOST 5-YEAR-OLD TO FAMILY A children's game of hide-and-seek at a railway station went very wrong in August of 2020, when a 5-year-old girl chose an unfortunate spot to hide from her three brothers: a train that pulled out of the station shortly afterwards. She was eventually able to disembark farther down the line at the Kolkata Railway Station but because she spoke only Hindi and not Bengali, she could only explain her situation with her tears when police found her crying at the station. According to a report in the Millennium Post, a year passed in which the girl was sent by an NGO to a children's care home and enrolled in school. She gained fluency in Bengali and soon became an honours student in her class. Unable to track down her parents all this time, the administrators of the private home notified the West Bengal Radio Club of the girl's predicament, according to Ambarish Nag Biswas, VU2JFA. Club members utilised their network of contacts and were able to trace her family to a bordering state in eastern India. Photographs shared with the family on the WhatsApp mobile platform confirmed that this was indeed their missing daughter. The little girl went home on Saturday, December 10th. REGION TWO In the US recently, hams teamed up for a radio activation that turned out to be a living museum and a tribute to history. Visitors to the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut were part of a celebration of history taking place, they watched and heard as Bob Allison, WB 1 GCM, got on the air using a repurposed Gates BC-1-T commercial transmitter using the callsign W1VCM/1BCG for AM operation on 75 meters. Bob was marking the 101st anniversary of amateur station 1BCG's contact with Scotland during the ARRL Transatlantic Test of 1921. Bob, president of the museum's amateur radio club, told our good friends at Amateur Radio NewsLine: [quote] "December 11 is a great day to celebrate Amateur Radio, as the day marks the many technological successes of the era: CW's efficiency and effectiveness over spark, the use of a superheterodyne radio receiver, and the directional Beverage Antenna." [endquote] This year, more modern equipment joined the refurbished Gates transmitter during Bob's three-hour activation, which also included time spent on 40M and 2M sideband. Before he left for the day, Bob made sure he logged one more important contact: Bob talked to the museum visitors who'd been observing him on the radio to share in the triumph of more than a century ago. The Question Pool Committee of the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators has released updated questions for the US General Class license exam. Quite a few VK hams do sit the US exams from here at home in Australia thanks to the VEA ( Volunteer Examiners Australia ) According to the ARRL, the new pool contains 432 questions to use in formulating the Element 3 exam for test sessions held between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2027. The new pool has 22 fewer questions than the current one, representing 73 questions being dropped and 51 new ones being added. The ARRL says the level of difficulty of questions is more balanced, and the techniques and practices addressed have been updated. Colonel Jerry Wellman, W7SAR Receives Top Honours W7SAR served as the Utah Wing Civil Air Patrol commander from 2009 to 13, served as the emergency services training officer for the Salt Lake Senior Squadron, and currently serves as the Phoenix Cadet Squadron's assistant officer for communication and for education and training. At the award ceremony, Colonel Wellman was cited for being "active in enhancing his own emergency management professional development, while relentlessly contributing to his community." He taught emergency management communications classes in Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, and chaired the Kearns, Utah, Metro Township Emergency Planning Commission. Wellman was licensed in 1972 and holds an Amateur Extra-class license. He is an ARRL Life Member and a Life Member of REACT International. ------------------------------------------------------------* Welcome to the Christmas Day edition of WIA National News Presented by ALARA. Now Marija VK5MAZ with HAM RADIO OPERATIONAL NEWS -------------- CONTEST WISE:- 2023 -------------- 1 - 31 January Ross Hull Memorial VHF/UHF DX Contest ( Marathon ) The contest was established in 1950 to honour the memory of the late Ross A. Hull and his pioneering achievements in the study of tropospheric propagation and the development of new equipment techniques for the higher bands. Entrants may operate on every contest day, but the final score is based on the best seven days nominated by the entrant. For amateurs with limited operating time, there is also a "Best 2 Days" section. LOGS DUE IN 14th FEBRUARY (wia.org.au) ------------- 14 - 15 January Summer VHF-UHF Field Day. 0100 UTC Saturday to 0059 UTC Sunday BUT in VK6 add 3 hours onto start and end times. (wia.org.au) -------------- 26th of January Australia Day Contest This contest is to encourage Amateur Radio Activity around the world and is designed to encourage friendly participation and help improve the operating skills of participants. Amateurs in VK will endeavour to contact other amateurs around the world. VK operators can use the AX prefix as they celebrate Australia Day. Scoring is distance based, calculated using 4-character grid squares. Contest is held on the Australia Day Public Holiday, 26 January. Contest Manager is Alan Shannon VK4SN (wia.org.au) -------------- MAY 20-21 Don Edwards Memorial Slow Morse Contest ( sgars.org ) -------------- August 26 - 27 A.L.A.R.A. CONTEST Contest is always on the last FULL weekend of August. All licensed operators throughout the world are invited to participate. Scout and Girl Guide groups are encouraged to participate using their Club's equipment and callsign. YLs work everyone; OMs work YLs only. Combined phone and CW run over 24 hours: Saturday 0600 hours UTC till Sunday 0559 hours UTC All HF Bands except 160m & WARC Bands. ECHOLINK will also be accepted. -------------- -------------- DX WINDOW -------------- -------------- BOUVET ISLAND HAMS LAUNCH PROPAGATION POLL Few of us need reminders that the Bouvet Island DXpeditioners who'll be activating 3 Y J from the remote island are setting sail in less than a month. The 22-day on-air operation will be trying to log more than 200,000 QSOs. With Bouvet in the number two spot on the DXCC Most Wanted List, this is not an impossible goal. While others have activated Bouvet over the years, none have approached logging that many QSOs. The team is committed to making contacts. If you visit the DXpedition website, 3YJ.no you will find a propagation poll under the tab labelled "Latest News." This will enable interested DXpedition chasers to provide the team with details about their station setup, including power and antenna, so that the operators can approximate propagation to a certain region based on the stations calling them from there. (ARNewsLine) ------------------- During this month the Fisher's Ghost Amateur Radio Club in VK2 are celebrating its 40th anniversary with special event callsign VI 2 FG 40. Activity will be mainly on 40m SSB. More information can be found on the QRZ page for VI 2 FG 40. -------------- Be listening for Earl, WA 3 DX operating from Senegal until January 20th, mainly using FT8. He will use his home call with a prefix. In Dakar, he will use the prefix 6W1; in Mbao, he will use 6W7 on Kaolack and Saloum Islands (IOTA number AF-045), his prefix will be 6W6. Send QSL direct to WA3DX or via LoTW. (ARNewsLine) -------------- Listen for the callsign TN 8 K from the Republic of Congo, activated by the C-D-X-P Group. The team from the Czech Republic expects to operate between Jan 7 and 19 on the HF bands from 160m to 6m using CW, SSB, RTTY , FT8, FT4 and PSK. They will also make use of the QO-100 satellite. QSL via OK6DJ, OQRS or LOTW. (ARNewsLine) ------------------------------------------------------------* Welcome to the Christmas Day edition of WIA National News Presented by ALARA. Joining us again their President Michelle VK2AYL with Wireless Weather and Media Watch MEDIA WATCH From January 2023, Amateur Radio NSW will be making some changes to VK2WI News frequencies starting with 6 metre and 80 metre transmissions. The 6 metre news bulletins will move to the VK2RWI repeater 53.85MHz, and 80 metre transmissions will move up to 3695kHz. (vk2wi) WIRELESS WEATHER The Propagation Horoscope Solar Cycle 25 is expected to peak around July 2025, about 32 months from now. Looking at current numbers and predictions, it's worth taking into account reports from Solar Cycle 19, around 1958, when intense solar radiation produced long lasting, worldwide openings on 10m. Solar Cycle 19 had by far the highest sunspot number on record. HF propagation improves at higher frequencies when X-rays from the Sun are more intense, and this is tied to the sunspot numbers, together with the Sun's radiation, measured at 28 GHz. This radiation charges the ionosphere, increasing density. The Australian Space Weather Forecast Centre currently predicts that a large mid-latitude coronal hole, helped by some glancing interaction of recent CMEs, will cause geomagnetic disturbance. It's too early to predict if the expected G1 storm will put a temporary halt to the excellent propagation conditions of late, VK/ZL, Asia and Africa can be heard on all bands in most of Europe at the moment. (Sourced to IRTS) ------------------------------------------------------------* WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS - AND - SUMMITS ON THE AIR, WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM, PARKS ON THE AIR and other ADVENTURE GROUPS on CHRISTMAS DAY our presenter from ALARA is Linda VK7QP. ROMANIAN EVENT MARKS HIKING TRAIL'S INAUGURAL YEAR From now through the first half of the new year, amateurs in Romania will be celebrating that nation's newest natural resource: a hiking trail. No doubt plenty of opportunity to activate summits, parks what have you. The journey of discovery that comes with hiking along Romania's "Via Transilvanica" is an adventure for hikers cyclists and horseback riders. It's a 1,400-km trail which had taken four years of preparation. The journey which marks the trail's inauguration is also one for amateur radio operators. Radio Club YO 6 KGS is activating special event station YR 1400 VT on the HF bands from now 'til the 30th of June 2023. It's a celebration of the long-distance trail that Romania sees as its counterpart to the El Camio de Santiago in Western Europe. While hikers hope to gain insights into their own lives in a natural setting, amateur radio operators and shortwave listeners around the world can work towards diplomas at different levels according to the number of contacts with other operators, many of whom will be young amateurs and members of the YO 6 KGS School Radio Club. Listen for their call sign on SSB and CW. CW speeds will not exceed 14 wpm. For details about the rules and awards visit the QRZ.COM page and wherever you are, enjoy the journey. (ARNewsLine) From Romania to France and celebrating the 15th anniversary of Summits On The Air France, special callsign TM 15 SOTA is active until Friday the 30th of December UTC . QSL via eQSL. (RSGB) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org Cas-5A OSCAR-118 On December 9th, the CAS-5A satellite was launched on a vehicle from the Chinese sea launch platform in the Yellow Sea. The Chinese Amateur Satellite Group CAMSAT build is an unusual satellite in that it has transponders with a down-link in the 70cm band and up-links on the 2m VHF and the 15m HF band. The novel HF to UHF linear transponder listens between 21.4275 MHz and 21.4425 MHz, and that slice of HF spectrum is retransmitted between 435.4975 MHz and 435.5125 MHz. A CW Beacon transmits 22 wpm on 435.570 MHz. At moderate power levels, an HF transmitter and a 21 MHz dipole, combined with an outdoor low-gain UHF antenna should be sufficient to work OSCAR-118. (sourced to IRTS) FalconSat-3 is being made available for use for 24 hour periods most weekends. FalconSAT-3 was built in 2005 and 6 by cadets and faculty in the Space Systems Research Centre at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and launched 2007. The satellite is decaying, and near re-entry so use it while you can! Downlink is 435.103 MHz, uplink is at 145.840 MHz. The ARS VHF receiver is very sensitive. Modulation is 9600 bps GMSK for the uplink and downlink. The broadcast callsign is PFS3-11 and BBS callsign is PFS3-12, Unproto APRS via PFS3-1. Again we direct all listeners to become readers to get all details of all stories brought to you each week in WIA National News. Best read at wia.org.au (ANS - AMSAT) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA iota-world.org A team will be on the air from Lampedusa Island, IOTA number AF-019 as IG9/S59A from January 23rd to the 31st. The operation will focus on the CQWW 160 metre CW contest during the last full weekend of January. Outside of the contest, be listening on all bands and all modes for the prefix IG9 (Eye G Nine) before home calls. (ARNewsLine) 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 21360kHz DMR RADIO AIDS RESCUERS SEARCHING FOR LOST HIKER The lifesaving capabilities of DMR proved useful to a hiker in New Hampshire recently. Sel Embee KB3TZD from our sister service in the USA has that story. SEL: A relaxing day with his dog turned into a dangerous trek for a ham who was hiking the trails of central New Hampshire. He had become lost -- and the coming sunset and forecast of snow put him in even greater danger, especially after the battery in his cell phone died. He had been carrying his DMR HT, however, and placed a call for help on the state-wide talkgroup using a local repeater. Bill Barber, NE 1 B, heard the call and was able to contact the man's wife. She notified police who joined firefighters in starting a search. Bill also contacted Rick Zach, K 1-RJZ, who knows the area's trails. Rick stayed in touch with the lost amateur on the state-wide talk group while communicating with the search team. At one point, the amateur unintentionally changed channels on his HT but another amateur, K 1-MIZ, noticed this and was able to restore communications. The ham found his way to a road and was picked up by the searchers. Skip's story did not identify the ham but wrote that thanks to the three amateurs who heard his call on DMR "the wayward ham is going to be able to enjoy another Christmas holiday with his family." This is Sel Embee, KB 3TZD. (ARNewsLine) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA twitter.com/hamyota An observation: When you are an amateur radio operator, it's easy to make someone else happy. That's what a retiree in Oregon and a youngster in Wisconsin both recently discovered. A late November day found Chris Billings, WA7RAR, activating a local park near his Oregon home. It was Thanksgiving Day and in a fitting mood for the US holiday, Chris was grateful to find 10 meters open. He decided to call CQ on that small portion of the band where Technician class operators can legally operate SSB on HF, hoping to give newcomers a chance to work him. A young voice emerged from the pileup: It was Bennett Bachman, KD9WCG, age 10. Chris learned that this was an especially happy moment for the new ham. This was only his second QSO on 10 meters. Chris mailed Bennett a QSL card along with a note that he wasn't expecting Bennett to respond, especially if he had no QSL cards of his own yet. On December 8th, it was Chris' turn to have a happy moment: something from Bennett arrived - a handmade QSL card. Bennett designed the cards himself, sending one to Chris and the other to his first 10m contact, Gordon West, WB6NOA. His first contact was a joyful moment too because Bennett had studied for his license using Gordon's Technician guide. Bennett is now trying to start a ham radio club at school and is studying for his General class license so he can be less dependent on 10m band openings. Chris, however, is glad Bennett found him on that 10m opening on Thanksgiving Day. Posting on Facebook, he publicly thanked Bennett for the handcrafted card, adding [quote] "I love to find cards in my mailbox and this is certainly one of the special ones!" [endquote] (ARNewsLine) ------------------------------------------------------------* Social Scene 2023 VK2 - Central Coast Amateur Radio Club will NOT run "Mayham" in 2023; the event group are refocusing and re-aligning the direction of the event, and hope to return it in 2024. (vk2wi) VK3 - BARG HamFest 5th of February BARG clubrooms barg.org.au/ (vk3kqt) VK - ALARAMeet2023 4/5 November in HOBART (luther8@bigpond.com) Reception Reports WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a welcome to the broadcast as they commence call-backs straight after the Local News. Local news follows National news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would email their reception reports and location to callbacks@wia.org.au 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 recorded 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) Promote your local rebroadcast; details on wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/ 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 will not give blatant 'plugs' to raffles, be it raffles at the event or "on-line". ------------------------------------------------------------* 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/ Promote your local rebroadcast; details on wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/ 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." 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. ------------------------------------------------------------*