2026 SEPTEMBER 27 WIA 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 ------------------------------------------------------------* IN WIA NATIONAL NEWS THIS WEEK:- COPPER THEFTS IN VK2 PUT STATIONS OFF AIR. - THE WILD MESH - HAS THE BUBBLE BURST? - PICO BALLOONS - FLIGHTS TERMINATED? - AND WIA Director/Company Secretary Peter Clee VK8ZZ reports on one of last weeks WIA webinars. BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA AND IT'S FOR WEEK COMMENCING SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27 2026 I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB WIA JOIN THE WIA tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y WIA Director and Company Secretary Peter Clee VK8ZZ reports. During this last week on Wednesday just gone the WIA hosted a webinar which was presented by Michael Bell from the ASSOCIATIONS FORUM on governance of clubs. The webinar covered such things as Boards and Executive members roles and responsibilities and the structure of different types of associations from public companies limited by guarantee, like the WIA, or incorporated associations, incorporated under state or territory legislations. This is part of the ongoing service provided by the WIA to affiliated clubs under a planned affiliated clubs assistance package where $5000 has been allocated for 2026. The governance webinar was recorded and will be available for those clubs that missed out on taking part on Wednesday evening This webinar is essential training and will provide good guidance to club executive members. Another session will be held as a webinar later today, Sunday 27th September 2026 at 4pm EST. There will also be another webinar designed for clubs that have not been incorporated under their state legislation. That will be held on 18th October. This has been WIA Director and Company Secretary Peter Clee VK8ZZ AUSTRALIANA Up at the Hunter Radio Group site at Mt Sugarloaf (WIN TV transmission site) coaxial cables were cut and removed leaving ALL of the Hunter Radio groups repeaters off the air. A temporary repair was carried out so that Hunter Radio group could get back on air on a lower antenna. Telstra, Hunter Water board as well radio station 2NUR FM were also put off the air. The following Wednesday night during the HRG Wednesday night chat the repeaters went off the air again. Repeater manager on doing some quick investigative work rang the Police to attend the site along with a WIN TV technician. Police are continuing their investigations into this matter as well as viewing camera vision from the site. (Richard Osborne. OAM President/Secretary Hunter Radio Group. VK2AUS.) The Queensland Government is seeking to strengthen disaster resilience in the state, with three more satellite-powered ARNI communication trailers rolled out across Far North Queensland last month. ARNI is AirBridge Rapid Network Infrastructure. This brings the total number of communication trailers deployed across Far North Queensland to five with the first two units having been delivered in November last year meaning remote communities will be even better connected during severe weather events. Powered by high-capacity battery systems and Starlink satellite technology, the AirBridge Rapid Network Infrastructure communication trailers can be rapidly deployed to disaster-affected communities, restoring internet and communications within minutes. Designed specifically for emergency response, the trailers also provide mobile operational support, allowing emergency crews to establish a field base and coordinate disaster operations even when power and telecommunications infrastructure have failed. tinyurl.com/3t4re98n (criticalcomms) ------------------------------------------------------------* INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, ARRL, DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday, IARU, IRTS, iTnews, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC, Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of WIA. UNITED KINGDOM Ofcom has concluded the future of radio includes more new radio stations around the UK broadcasting on FM and AM. But any new service on the analogue band must be a community-based station, as the regulator says it has zero plans in the short to medium term to allow new commercial radio stations to use FM. The decision follows a consultation launched in February on how the regulator should use its licensing and spectrum resources as the current small scale DAB licensing programme comes towards its conclusion. Ofcom says it will proceed with consideration of new FM community radio licences and has opened a formal Call for Expressions of Interest to identify where demand exists. For digital radio, Ofcom will continue licensing small scale DAB multiplexes in unserved areas and prioritise requests from existing operators to improve or extend coverage. It will also take a more flexible approach to the small scale DAB 40% ceiling where appropriate, but will not prioritise further local DAB multiplex licensing in the short to medium term. The community radio process begins with organisations identifying areas where they would like to apply for an FM licence, or exceptionally an AM licence. Ofcom will only consider inviting applications in areas for which it receives an expression of interest during this exercise. Priority will be given first to areas without an existing community radio service and without small scale DAB coverage. WRTC 2026 Organizers Honoured by FOC The First Class CW Operators Club (FOC) has awarded its highest honour, the Al Slater, G3FXB (SK), Memorial Award, to the World Radiosport Team Championship 2026 (WRTC 2026) Organizing Committee in recognition of its work not only in planning and executing last Julys competition, but also in its response to allegations of cheating by some participants. FOC President John Warburton, G4IRN, said the award recognizes an individual, group, or organization whose contribution to amateur radio reflects the qualities that Al embodied throughout his life: operating excellence, friendship, encouragement of others, and service to the hobby. The FOC Club was founded by Bob Webster, G5BW, and John Hunter, G2ZQ, in 1938. Today, there are members in over 50 countries. The Club HQ remains in the UK. INDIA At a time when AI-powered surveillance and drones are becoming part of security preparedness in mega events, Anant Chaturdashi will also see an old but extremely reliable communication network swing into action HAM operators will be on duty in Mumbai HAM, or amateur radio operators a communication system with a tradition of over a century. This year, the final immersion day of Ganeshotsav, fell September 25. During Anant Chaturdashi, lakhs of people converge at popular immersion points. The Mumbai Amateur Radio Institute (MARI), one of the prominent organisations of amateur radio hobbyists, will set up a parallel communication network to assist the Mumbai Police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in ensuring the smooth conduct of the immersion process. More than 61,600 Lord Ganesh idols were immersed across Mumbai after the completion of the one-and-a-half-day Ganeshotsav rituals, marking the first major immersion phase of the festival, civic officials said on Wednesday, September 16. Immersion day in Mumbai, known locally as Ganpati Visarjan, is the sacred event when devotees submerge statues of Lord Ganesha into water bodies to mark the end of the grand Ganesh Chaturthi festival UNITED STATES Three years have now passed since the last coast-to-coast test of the Emergency Alert System. FEMA and the FCCs Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau are gearing up to run it again, with every required broadcaster across the country expected to take part. The test is scheduled for November 17 at 2:20p ET. If conditions require rescheduling, the backup date is December 3. A special transmission from Alaska was beamed directly toward New York City and Washington, D.C. from the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on the 11th of September. This wasn't part of the usual research transmissions scientists use for ionospheric studies, as we hear from Newslines Jim Davis W2JKD. "The transmission took only five minutes but it marked the passage of 25 years, a painful milestone and a reminder of the devastating terror attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. The research facility known by the acronym HAARP tuned its transmitter to 9.11 MHz on the evening of Friday, September 11th when its first message went out in CW: "QST de KL7ERP," its ham radio callsign. What followed was the transmission of a Slow-Scan TV of an image that forever changed the NYC skyline, showing lower Manhattan and its so-called "Tribute in Light." The twin beams stand against the night sky as a radiant symbol, reaching up from where the Twin Towers had been. Having sent its message, the station returned to CW and sent its signoff before going QRT. This is Jim Davis W2JKD". POTA/SOTA Activation at Diamond Head Turns Into Real-World Emergency Response HAWAII September 16, 2026 What began as an early-morning Parks on the Air and Summits on the Air activation at one of Hawaii's most recognizable landmarks unexpectedly turned into an opportunity for an amateur radio operator to put years of emergency preparedness and communications training to practical use. Michael Miller, KH6ML, began hiking the Diamond Head Summit Trail his plan was to complete a combined POTA and SOTA activation. Operating portable from the summit his activation included Diamond Head State Preserve, POTA US-6425; Diamond Head Summit State Trail, US-10913; and the Diamond Head SOTA summit, KH6/OH-025. Moments after completing his 11th contact, a visitor approached Miller and asked if he could help. A woman had collapsed inside the observation bunker below the summit. Miller immediately left his HF station behind, took his handheld radio and headed toward the patient while calling 911. Because of uncertainty about cellular coverage inside the reinforced structure, Miller also advised amateur radio operators with whom he had been communicating to stand by in case an alternate communications path became necessary. Honolulu Fire Department personnel reached the bunker and assumed care of the patient. Additional firefighters and rescue personnel followed with medical and rescue equipment. The difficult location required responders to develop a plan for moving the patient from the confined bunker and across the steep summit terrain. A helicopter was subsequently brought into the response. KH6ML later accompanied the patient's daughter down the trail and helped her reconnect with her family and emergency personnel at the base of Diamond Head. Later that afternoon, Miller received a message from the family thanking him for his assistance and reporting that the woman was doing well and the family had returned to their hotel. For Miller, the incident also demonstrated how the skills developed through amateur radio can complement broader emergency-preparedness training. A short video documenting the Diamond Head activation and emergency response is available here: youtu.be/_GO4as2CSvc ------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERATIONAL NEWS - -------------- -------------- NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2026 WIA contest page :- wia.org.au/members/contests/about/ ----------------- Theres a side of the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) that has nothing to do with radios, antennas, multipliers, or suspect scores and, dare I say it "cheating" WRTC judge Rusty Epps W6OAT's husband, Bill Vinci, believes his idea can make ham radio stronger. For years Bill has watched serious operators disappear into the intensity of contests while their spouses and significant others are left on the sidelines. Instead of getting licensed himself, Bill found another way to contribute. The idea began at WRTC Finland. With little for non-operating partners to do during the competition, Bill organized a night out. The next day, an operator handed him $100 and asked him to take his wife out again. Eventually, Bill was taking roughly 60 people by charter bus to Estoniaand the idea that became the Ham Widows Ball was born. That idea had matured into something much bigger: An early-week event designed to help spouses and partners make their own connections before the operators disappear into competition. In fact, so many operators signed up that Bill and the organizers had to enforce one of the events defining rules: generally, if you had a callsign, you werent invited. A few ham radio operators even had to be escorted back out!! (QRZ) --------------------- SEPTEMBER 26 27 CQ WW RTTY competition ----------- OCTOBER 3-4 OCEANA SSB CONTEST AND OCEANA CW CONTEST is OCTOBER 10 - 11 ------------- OCTOBER 10-11 is the running of the 67th Scandinavian Activity Contest SSB. (425dxnews) -------------- OCTOBER 24-25 CQWW SSB ----------------- NOVEMBER 28-29 CQWW CW CONTEST ------------- DECEMBER 1-31 VK YOTA contest. ------------- DECEMBER 4-6 ARRL 160 METER CONTEST. ------------- DECEMBER 12-13 ARRL 10 METER CONTEST ----------------------------------------------------------------- BEFORE WE OPEN THE DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD - SOME NET ADVICE FROM PETER VK5DMR. This coming Tuesday night is the 10th Anniversary of the VKDMR Net. I'll be taking check-ins only, starting with VK7 and then working with each individual state and then having a break for any overseas stations. Please join me on Talk Group 505 at: 1930 Hrs Eastern 1900 Hrs Central and 1730 Hrs in Western Australia. For WIA NATIONAL NEWS, this has been Peter, VK5DMR. -------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks Peter, now to France where Special event callsign TM26SP is being used on the occasion of Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey to France 25-28 September. QSL via F 4 HZS. (425dxnews1845) ------------- V51WH NAMIBIA Gunter is operating V51WH until 10th October from Namibia. Operation from 160 to 6 metres including 60 metres. An entry in the CQ WW RTTY contest is included as V55Y. QSL V 51 WH via Gunter's home call DK2WH (sarl) --------------- Rodrigues Island. Kazu M0CFW will once again be operating as 3B9KW during the CQ WW SSB contest 24 and 25 October and during the CQ WW CW contest 28 and 29 November. Operation before and after the contest as 3B9/M0CFW between 20 and 28 October and between 22 November and 2 December. QSL via LoTW. (sarl) ------------------------------------------------------------* WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - BALLOONS THINKING OF FLYING? Launching unapproved pico balloons is heavily restricted or illegal in Australia under aviation and environmental laws. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates all high-altitude and uncrewed free balloons under CASR Part 101.Permission Requirements: Launching pico balloons that cross international borders or fly into controlled airspace requires formal operational approval, risk assessments, and tracking/radar visibility setups. Launching untracked or unauthorized high-altitude pico balloons that infringe on national airspace is illegal. Environmental & Balloon Release Bans vary state to state , as an example completely banned in WA since January 2022. Before you release a balloon of any size, use the sport aviation rules enquiry form and remember you need an area approval if your balloon will fly 400ft (120m) above ground level in controlled airspace or where you can no longer see it with your own eyes tinyurl.com/42k8rupk (casa) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org The newly launched free online platform brings together satellite information, orbital data, amateur radio resources, space weather, news and interactive tools designed to make low Earth orbit easier for anyone to explore. Available free at LEO.space, the platform is built for satellite enthusiasts, amateur radio operators, students, educators and anyone who has looked into the night sky and wondered what is passing overhead. Explore What Is Orbiting Earth Low Earth Orbit (LEO) has become one of the most active areas of modern technology. Thousands of satellites support communications, Earth observation, scientific research, navigation and rapidly expanding satellite internet networks. LEO.space provides a starting point for exploring this increasingly busy environment. Visitors can discover satellites and learn about their missions, orbital characteristics and the larger constellations and systems operating around Earth. Interactive tools and visualizations are designed to make orbital information understandable while preserving the technical detail useful to more experienced users. The objective is simple: turn complex space data into something people can explore. Visit LEO.space to start exploring. (ans263) Russias planned alternative to Starlink is encountering severe operational setbacks, with satellites deployed in orbit losing altitude while newly launched units fail to reach their designated positions. Commercial operations were set to launch in 2027, with plans to expand the constellation from 250 to 900 satellites in orbit by 2035. Deploying the intended satellite group requires at least 18 Soyuz-2.1b rocket launches. However, Russia conducts only six to eight such launches per year. (ans263) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - IOTA iota-world.org/ ------------- OC-195 DEAL ISLAND. John VK1AX is now active from Deal Island (OC-195) through until late November. Deal Island is in northern Bass Strait, between north-east Tasmania and Wilsons Promontory, in Victoria. John in his spare time operates FT8 mainly but some SSB on 80-10 metres. (425dxnews) ---------- OC REMINDERS OC-086 Saipan Look for KH0/JR1FKR to be active holiday style from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, OC-086 on 25,6 7 and 28th of September. He will operate SSB, FT8 and RTTY on 40, 20, 17, 15, 10 and 6 metres. QSL via LoTW, or even via home call, JR1FKR direct and bureau. (425dxnews1845) ------------------ SAMOA OC-097 Jacek will be calling CQ as 5 W 0 AF from Apia, Samoa, IOTA Number OC-097, from the 21st of September through to the 12th of October. He will operate SSB on 80-10m. (newsline2549) -------- CHRISTMAS ISLAND - OC-024 Ken, KH6QJ will be active again as T32AZ from Kiritimati (Christmas Island, OC-024), East Kiribati in September and October, for the the Oceania DX Contest (3 4 October), and maybe the Arizona QSO Party (10-11 October). QSL via KH6QJ, direct or bureau. (425DXNEWS) --------------- Sands, VK4WXW has returned to Willis Island OC-007 and will be on station at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's weather monitoring facility until late October or early November. He expects to become increasingly active as VK 9 WX in the coming weeks SSB and FT8 on 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. QSL via M 0 OXO's OQRS. (425dxnes) ---------------- Team KH8A will be active from Pago Pago (OC-045), American Samoa from 30 October to 12 November. Plans are CW, SSB, FT8 (MSHV) and RTTY on 160-6 metres with four stations 24/7. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or via DL4SVA; BUT full LoTW upload will be after six months. kh8a.mydx.de/updates. (425dxnews) -------------- VK9X The Pacific Islands DXpedition Group and Youth on the Air (YOTA) have announced the VK9XY DXpedition to Christmas Island OC-002) running from 16 November to 4 December. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - LORA Welcome to the Wild Wild Mesh FCC ISM Rules May Shatter Lora Mesh Communities Although everyone has their own reasons for exploring a new hobby, one of the driving factors behind the popularity of Meshtastic and MeshCore has been the incredible accessibility offered by off-grid LoRa mesh networks. You dont need any expensive hardware or a license to get on the air Or at least, thats how it used to be. With the recent revelation that their default radio configurations have potentially been in violation of the Federal Communications Commissions regulations governing amateur usage of the 900 MHz industrial, scientific and medical band, the users and developers of both Meshtastic and MeshCore have been sent scrambling. In fact, Meshtastic has already introduced changes aimed to address the issue and anyone running the latest alpha release can be sure that their initial radio configuration will meet FCC standards. tinyurl.com/2j7vmfex (TWIAR) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) ham-yota.com/category/yota-region-3/ facebook.com/groups/YOTAOC/ youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA On the third full weekend in October, which is 16 to 18 October, JOTA provides an opportunity for Scouts and Guides to discover amateur radio. They will be able to communicate with other young people, both locally and around the world. The St George Amateur Radio Society, also known as SGARS, will once again be taking part. They will operate its club station V K 2 L E at the Endeavour Boree Regatta in Sydney. The station will give Scouts and Guides attending the event an opportunity to experience amateur radio and make contacts with other participating stations. If you are planning to operate a JOTA station and would like to arrange a contact with VK2LE, the SGARS team would like to hear from you. Visit the St George Amateur Radio Society website at sgars.org for further information and contact details. For WIA National News I am Alan VK2COD in Sydney. Now back to VK3GRK Graeme WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO wicen.org.au facebook.com/WICENNSW x.com/wicennsw groups.io/g/vk4-emcomms Here in New South Wales, WICEN is preparing for our big event of the year, the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic. This a canoe marathon that runs along 111km of the Hawkesbury River just north of Sydney. The main purpose of the event is to raise money for bone marrow transfer and stemcell research; a few months back I reported here on a medical breakthrough that was made possible by the Canoe Classic. WICEN has provided safety communications for this event since at least 1985, possibly earlier. Over the decades, WICEN communications for the event have evolved, passing canoe numbers from checkpoint to checkpoint by voice, through packet radio, APRS tracking, DMR, Winlink, and more. This year, we're adding POC radios to the mix - that's Push to Talk over Cellular - to see how well they cope with the RF voodoo land that surrounds the Hawkesbury River. Fund-raising apart, the event is a great opportunity for WICEN members to hone their skills operating off grid under challenging conditions for up to 24 hours. It's good practice for real emergencies, and it's a lot of fun too: some of us have been coming back to the Canoe Classic every year since the 1980s. There are still places available at checkpoints along the river: you can be paired with an experienced WICEN member for an easy introduction to the event. Contact WICEN NSW Operations by sending an email to wicen.ops@vrarescue.org In other states, WICEN provides safety communications for similar events, so why not contact your local WICEN and find out what you're missing? For WICEN NSW, I'm Richard VK2SKY. WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS VIDEO. 2032 - FADE TO BLACK - TV QRT. When the analogue TV signals were turned off in most places around fifteen years ago, their replacement took the form of a set of digital multiplexes. Its a surprise then to find that some governments are already looking at turning off DIGITAL TV broadcasting, with the UK in particular wanting to put a date on the switch-off of 2032. Its been no secret for many years that linear broadcast TV is being overtaken by streaming services, and this move projected to come at the end of the transmitting contract was always likely to come eventually. Even with increasingly few younger people watching traditional TV though, it still comes as a bit of a shock that its happening so soon. The replacement will be an online service for which initially a set-top-box will be required. Were guessing there will be a storm of protest, but since its still quite a few years away and broadband coverage is now near-universal, theres a good chance it will peter out as the time approaches. Aside from the end of analogue TV, weve seen a steady decline in AM and Long Wave transmission across Europe. What makes this surprising then is that instead of being a legacy analogue system, the one facing the turn-off is the future-proof replacement, and one that still sees plenty of use at that. A major shift in consumer electronic technology is taking place, but will anyone notice it? tinyurl.com/yc32kfmu (TWIAR) ------------------------------------------------------------* IT'S A DATE Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section, nationalnews@wia.org.au Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links. --------------------- SOCIAL SCENE 2026 ------------------ VK3 - Bendigo Amateur Radio & Electronics Club RadioFest. Sunday 11 October, Bendigo East Hall, Lansell Street (vk3gtv) VK - VKFF National Get Together 30th October - Sunday 1st November Albury, New South Wales. (vk7tw) VK7 - Tassie Ham-E-Con Radio Conference Nov 7 and 8 UTAS Sandy Bay Campus. reast.asn.au/news-events/tassie-ham-radio-conference/ VK4 -Gold Coast HamFest - Sunday Nov 8, Country Paradise Parklands 231 Beaudesert-Nerang Rd. Nerang from 9am. (gchamfest) VK3 - Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club Giant Car Boot Sale November 15 Dromana 3 Drive-In Theatre Nepean Hwy 10am (wiacal) VK5 - Adelaide Amateur Radio & Electronics Car Boot Sale Dogs SA Showground, Cromwell Road, Kilburn 10.00am. November 21. (wiacal) VK - WIA Affiliated Clubs Presidents' Webinar 6 December (vk7tw)