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VK7AX > NEWS 29.03.09 07:46l 646 Lines 21418 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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From: VK7AX@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
To : NEWS@WW
VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 29TH MARCH 2009
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VK7 EVENTS CALENDAR
A summary of the events across VK7 in the next month:
WICEN South March 28 and 29th Endurance Ride - Woodstock
http://tas.wicen.org.au/
REAST April 1st Comms Operation on Targa Queens Domain Clubrooms
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#targacomms
NWATVG April 4th General Meeting at Ulverstone Lions Club Facility,
Show Ground, West Ulverstone.
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup
NTARC April 4th - Squid pole building session at Hollybank
http://www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk7/NorthernTasmaniaAmateurRadioClub/
REAST April 8, 15, 22 & 29th ATV Experimenter's Nights 7:30pm
Queens Domain Club rooms.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
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Meet the Voice and Sewing Circle BBQ
Wrap-Up
The Sewing Circle "MEET THE VOICE" BBQ for 2009 was again extremely well
attended regardless of the inclement weather early in the day, but
thanks to the forward thinking of Rod VK7TRF and his magnificent
Tarpaulin cover we were able to keep dry, and the rain stopped before
proceedings really got under way.
Awards for outstanding service to Tasmanian Amateur Radio in particular
and Amateur Radio generally were presented to Joe Gelston VK7JG and Brian
Morgan VK7RR , their acceptance speeches were the high lite of the day,
thanks to David VK7KDO and Harry VK7AR for their report on the background
of these two stalwarts.
Even though a virus hit our Public Address system, I am sure every one
heard the interview by Justin with Mrs. Joy Batchler on the early days of
"The Sewing Circle Net" Mrs. Batchler is in her 93rd. year and her late
husband was a one of the very early "Sewing Circle" members.
70 Amateurs were listed in the Registration Book this year, last year 63
signed in.
Your $5.00 registration totalled $345.00 and with no expenses to be covered
it was all donated to the Tasmanian repeater fund.
Thanks to Ray VK7VKV for his CAR BOOT SALE organisation, I understand many
went home happy with having disposed of some amateur gear, and others home
happy with their purchases.
Thanks again Ray and we look forward to a repeat next year bigger and better.
When the idea of the "MEET THE VOICE" get together was propagated in 2007,
I had thought of it as being a one off, how wrong I was and I thank you one
and all for your input and support, next years 2010 date has already been
set for Sunday March 21st. at Ross at the same venue.
I will be personally very pleased to hear your feed back and any suggestions
you may have on how we can make it better.
Please do not be shy, if you have any comments PLEASE contact me either on
the sewing Circle net, or any way you wish, I genuinely want to hear from
you.
Finally photos of the 2008 and 2009 individual photos will be on the REAST
web site, or other wise I am sure Frank VK7CK will be pleased to supply you
from his large album of 2008 BBQ individual photos at cost.,
Frank VK7CK can be contacted regularly on the evening net 5PM on 3590.
Thank you one and all.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#meetthevoice
(Don, VK7AY)
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Bargain Boot Bonanza Wrap-Up
The Bargain Boot Bonanza proved to be just that, a real bonanza.
In total there were 5 boots/trailers/tables of pre-loved equipment on sale
on the day with gear ranging from HF and VHF rigs, through to computer gear,
cameras, and even a device for looking inside peoples ears!!
There was so much sold, that I'm sure just about everyone left carrying
something that they had not arrived with.
One Amateur was even seen carrying a YL over his shoulder.
Unfortunately I missed that one!!
I think that perhaps some potential sellers were discouraged by the early
rain, but it turned out to be a fine and very successful afternoon for
sellers and bargain hunters alike.
I hope that the exchange of pre-loved items can happen again at next
year's event.
If you didn't take my advice and get there, with a little luck and a fair
breeze, there will be next year.
What a great time, good friends and doing what Hams do best, picking up
a bargain!!
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#meetthevoice
(Ray VK7VKV)
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TARGA TASMANIA 2009
28 April to 3 May
Gavin VK7HGO lets us know that he is looking for people to help out in the
field of Communications with this event.
You could be manning a repeater, running a "Safety on Stage" (S.O.S.) or
"Radio Point" (RP) or a Road Close Radio Point (RCRP).
A special call does go out to our Northern Amateur friends for the
following:
I do need two teams of two people on Wednesday 29 April to man two
repeaters, the repeaters are on stages where you can see the cars go by.
This event is open to all amateurs and friends.
If you would like more details please call Gavin VK7HGO on the North / South
link or Ph. 62724437 or Mobile: 0407724431 or Email: vk7hgo(AT)wia.org.au
http://targatasmania.com.au/
Many Thanks
(Gavin O'Shea, VK7HGO)
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NORTH WEST News
North West Tasmania Amateur Television Group
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup
Club General Meeting
The next General Meeting of The North West Tas. ATV Group is scheduled for
Saturday 4th April. (AT) 2.00PM.
Venue is the Ulverstone Lions Club Facility, Show Ground, West Ulverstone.
Yes that's next Saturday!!!!
The Club's 6 meter repeater has been relocated from Lonah (old callsign
VK7RNW) with output on 53.825 MHz. to its new site at the QTH of Ivan VK7XL.
It is presently running under TEST conditions from Ivan's QTH and
application has been made to the appropriate authorities for a new call
sign and permanent License.
Signal reports received to date indicate that the coverage to the West are
greatly improved whilst on a par to the East.
Amateur Radio News Broadcasts are continuing on a nightly basis from the
Club sponsored broadcast station VK7AX incorporating SPECTRUM facilities.
Amateur Radio Broadcasts scheduled are Q5 Education Hour, ICQ Podcast,
Solder Smoke, Practical Amateur Radio Podcast, Linux In The Ham Shack,
Tech Talk Radio, RSGB News, AR Newsline and much more.
Many of the broadcasts are relayed by distant stations and can be heard
via VK4RSS in Ocean View, Brisbane and in Hobart via VK7RAK.
For people interested in all broadcast information , including local
frequencies, we suggest you check the SPECTRUM Web Page, the address can be
found on the email and internet editions of this broadcast.
http//www.vk7ax.id.au/spectrum
For those interested in general information about The North West Tasmania
Amateur Television Group, please visit the Club's WIA web Page under VK7 Clubs.
http://www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk7/NorthWestTasmaniaAmateurTelevisionGroup/
73's until next time
(Tony VK7AX, President NWT-ATV Group)
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NORTHERN NEWS
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club
Last weekend's BBQ was a huge success, and raised quite a substantial amount
of money for the upkeep of NTARC repeaters.
We'd like to make special thanks to VK7ZK for his assistance with this
and thanks to all who came along, your support is very much appreciated.
The squid pole building session will be taking place at Hollybank on
Saturday the 4th of April.
Bring your bits along and build a working multiband antenna, pick up some
valuable construction tips, test and optomise your ideas, and even give
it a field test on the day
it should be a very worthwhile event if
you've got the day free.
http://www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk7/NorthernTasmaniaAmateurRadioClub/
Thanks from
(Jason, VK7ZJA, NTARC Secretary)
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Southern News
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
REAST April Presentation
Gavin VK7HGO will give an informal chat on what is required to run a Targa
Tasmania Stage for Communications and what our Amateur operators do to
assist the event.
See you at the Queen's Domain Clubrooms this Wednesday night at 8pm.
http://targatasmania.com.au/
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#targacomms
(Gavin, VK7HGO)
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Education and Training
If you would like to participate in a future training and/or assessment
and the assessment could be for any licence (foundation, standard,
advanced or practical) then let Reg VK7KK know on mobile: 0417 391 607
or email: regemm(AT)ozemail.com.au
(Reg, VK7KK, REAST Education Officer and Assessor)
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ATV Experimenters Night
We had a fantastic roll-up last Wednesday night's ATV Experimenter's night.
We played the first cut of the interview with Joy Batchler,
formerly VK7YL the first woman amateur in VK7.
Joy is 93 and recorded her recollections of early amateur radio in VK7
along with many of the early amateurs from the 1930s.
Joy describes how she got interested in amateur radio,
trained at the Education Dept and had a regular net with other YLs
around Australia.
This is a fascinating look at early amateur radio in VK7.
Whilst that was playing we installed a 23cm big wheel antenna off the
ATV tower in a semi permanent arrangement and wired in microwave coax
into the ATV studio for the digital transmitter.
We were then soon transmitting on both analog 70cm and digital 23cm ATV
and had great reports Steve VK7OO and Paul VK7FPAH on both 70cm and 23cm.
Ken VK7DY and Ian VK7ZIF then took off mobile with bowtie antenna and
radioed back the signal levels from a digital satellite receiver and
satellite dish alignment tester.
We played a few more of the "Secret Life of Machines" series whilst the test
was progressing.
We get back underway on Wednesday April 8the around 7:30pm at the Queens
Domain clubrooms.
See you there.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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SATELLITE NEWS
Not EME but EVE Earth-Venus-Earth!
Amsat-DL international team successfully transmitted and received signals
via Venus on 25-03-2009 at 10:38 utc.
The signal received was about 0.3 dB under bad interference from WLan
and bad weather in Bochum.
The transmitter was about 6 kW CW on 2.4 GHz.
The transmitter used a magnetron that has been locked to rubidium and for
the first time SSB quality was achieved making it possible to use this
transmitter for P5A Amsat-DL mission to Mars.
The use of a magnetron for this purpose was possible thanks to a new
Amsat-DL developed modulator that enables a magnetron to be used for
narrow band operation.
With this transmitter Amsat-DL is ready to start the next step in the Mars
mission and prepare the spacecraft.
More information take a look at the Amsat-DL website and the address can
be found on the email and internet edition of this broadcast.
http://amsat-dl.org
http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/amsatvk/
(Regards from Tim VK2TXT via the AMSAT-VK mailing list)
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ACMA News
Change of community interest for community radio licensee 7THE
The Australian Communications and Media Authority invites public comment
on a proposed change of community interest for community broadcaster
Hobart FM Inc., the licensee of 7THE.
7THE has advised ACMA that it has identified changes in the needs and
interests of the community it serves and considers that it would best
serve the general community of Hobart RA2 rather than the educational community.
ACMA is currently considering 7THE's application to change its community
of interest.
Community broadcasting licensees are subject to a licence condition that
the licensee will continue to represent the community interest that it
represented at the time when the licence was allocated or was last renewed.
Community broadcasting licensees can apply to change their community
interest at the time they submit their licence renewal application.
7THE's licence renewal application and request for a change of community
interest are available from ACMA's website.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310219
Information about the renewal process and community interest for community
broadcasters is also available on ACMA's website or by calling 1800 226 667.
Comments are due by 5 pm on 31 March 2009.
(Sourced from the ACMA website media release via Graham VK4BB)
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Technology News
Motor Sports' Going Green!!
Those petrol-heads out there may already be aware of some of the things
being done to improve the "environmental" image of motorsport.
The Clipsal 500 was running the ethanol E95 fuel which reduces the CO2
emissions.
They were also running a system called Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS).
These systems have been around for many years and are used in diesel
electric locomotives through regenerative braking systems.
Generators are used to slow the locomotives and in the process generate
electrical current that is fed back into batteries which are used to
power the electric motors.
Even the Formula One teams are using these techniques and the focus is on
making better use of energy, or by getting more useful work from the
fuel burned in the 2009 season which started this weekend in Melbourne.
The energy generated is stored and used later. Regenerative braking is
however used in conjunction with traditional braking due to a number of
limitations within the system. In particular it is far less effective at
slow speed.
In Formula One, it seems at this stage most teams are looking at the use
of flywheels.
Under the FIA guidelines, the maximum energy benefit that the system can
release for later use is 60kw.
The energy can be either stored as mechanical energy via a flywheel or as
electrical energy stored in a battery or super-capacitor.
Williams is using the flywheel idea. BMW is using a hybrid system
consisting electric motor and generator.
The regs say the system should weigh less than 40kg.
It doesn't come without some teething problems the Red Bull Racing
were forced to evacuate their factory following a fire started in a battery
being tested as part of the teams KERS system.
And in Jerez Spain, a BMW-Sauber mechanic received an electric shock when
he touched the test car fitted with the KERS system!
However, the hope of KERS is the greening of F1, with a possible increase
in passing from the possible power boost and the development of a
technology that makes its way into the road cars we all buy.
Honda and Toyota already have hybrid production vehicles that are
interesting to drive and very fuel efficient.
Motorsport has suddenly turned a shade of green British Racing?
http://www.formulagpguys.com/
(Some content sourced from FormulaGPguys website.)
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Weird and Wonderful
CW Aerobics!
It has been calculated that a Morse operator carries a daily workload
as described below:
A Morse key requires 4 ounces of pressure to operate (approx).
Each letter necessitates approx 4 upward plus 4 downward movements,
8x4 oz = 32 oz. On average there are approx 6 letters to each word,
6x32 (2lb) = 192oz = 12 lb. Each minute a good operator sends at
27 wpm = 27x12 lb = 324 lb. Each hour = 60 x 324 lb = 19,440 lb.
For a six hour day = 6x 19,440 lb = 116,640 lb. Dividing 116,640 by 2,240
(lbs in a ton) = 52 tons 160 lb each day.
A great accomplishment with one hand - whilst in a sitting position!
http://www.fistsdownunder.org
(Sourced from the FISTS Downunder Newsletter from Bevan VK4BCM)
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REALLY Weird OR IS IT!
The Obituary Cable Channel
Canada is known for it "out of the square thinking" and this is no
different.
In Montreal a Quebec entrepreneur is planning to bring obituaries out
of the back pages of newspapers to a new home on the small screen.
The French-language speciality channel will charge a fee to broadcast
obituaries, prayers, hospitalization notices and messages of thanks.
The Quebec entrepreneur obtained a licence in February will run the
channel under the moniker "Remember the Name."
"How many stories are lost all over the world each year - great stories
about people's lives - those are the stories we hope to tell."
Says Gerald Dominique.
Eventually, there will also be obits and memorials for more famous
personalities, including political figures and celebrities.
So stay tuned in Canada for Obituary television. They plan to be on
air in July.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2009/03/10/8697651-cp.html
(Sourced from a story in the The Canadian Press via CG Communicator)
Sounds a bit like a dead-end idea to me
HIHI [ed]
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Web & Email Edition Extra Bits!!
Elecraft:
http://www.elecraft.com/
Lloyd Butler's VK7BR Website
http://users.tpg.com.au/users/ldbutler/index.htm
VK7BR's Paper on Radio before valves very interesting
http://www.qsl.net/vk5br/Before_Valve_Amp.pdf
10 GHz Inspiration for Beginners
http://www.youtube.com/watch\?v=DPiCSG2J7To
Ask an expert: how far away from city lights do you need to be to escape
light pollution? - Many Australian cities have a tremendous amount of
light pollution.
So how do city slickers get to view the wonders of the sky?
(From ABC Science Mailing List)
http://abcmail.net.au/t/428942/957242/8383/0/
NASA In 3D
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/exn3d/index.html
Shuttle and ISS crew Dodging Space Junk
http://www.spacetoday.net/Summary/4523
Check out http://echoesofapollo.com/ for information about the
"World Moon Bounce Day" on June 27th 2009.
This will feature several very large dish stations which may allow
reception on your VHF and UHF Stations.
An example of one of the large dishes can be seen at:
http://www.jamesburgdish.org/ (AMSAT News Service)
ARRL W1AW Morse Schedule:
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw.html
ISS Repeater Tips:
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/february2008/iss_repeater_tips.htm
N2YO Real Time Satellite Tracking website for the ISS and other
satellites: http://www.n2yo.com/
AMSAT-UK produce a quarterly newsletter OSCAR News that is full of
satellite information. Join online at https://secure.amsat.org.uk/
AMSAT-UK website:
http://www.uk.amsat.org/ (Sourced from the AMSAT-VK Mailing List)
YouTube has surpassed the mark of 100 million U.S. viewers in a
given month:
http://www.radioworld.com/article/75706 (sourced from CG Communicator)
Stop That Train
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/mar09/7927
Just what it say (sourced from CG Communicator)
http://www.allmyfaves.com/
Extreme Russian Off-Roading:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VOULfira3o&NR=1 (sourced from
CG Communicator)
Do you have some interesting amateur related sites you have some across
in the last week send them in to justingc(AT)ozemail.com.au
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VK7 Regional News Group Email Addresses
Post message: vk7regionalnews(AT)yahoogroups.com
Subscribe: vk7regionalnews-subscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: vk7regionalnews-unsubscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com
List owner: vk7regionalnews-owner(AT)yahoogroups.com
VK7 Virtual BPL Tours Update
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdcY0Eetvsw - Mt Nelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gsxpya3CnQ - North Hobart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7DfdxjRkpU - RU ready for BPL?
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If you are interested in becoming an amateur radio operator or upgrading
your licence then we suggest you contact your local club for details
and/or take a look at what the Radio and Electronics School has to offer.
They have a range of courses that can be delivered through a variety
of methods.
They can be found at: www.radioelectronicschool.com
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Finally today, a reminder to those people rostered for next week's
broadcasts:
Newsreader: VK7RS
160m: VK7DM
80m: VK7ZK
40m: VK7TW
20m: VK7IL
10m: VK7ZGK
UHF CB: VK7ZCR
HF CB: VK7TED
Thanks to all people and organisations who assisted with this broadcast.
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THAT CONCLUDES OUR VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST FOR THIS WEEK.
YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO OR JUST MISSED VK7WI. NEXT WEEK THE
NATIONAL WIA NEWS CAN BE HEARD AT 0900 FOLLOWED BY THE VK7 REGIONAL
NEWS AT 0930 HOURS.
DETAILS TO SEND NEWS FOR THIS BROADCAST CAN BE FOUND AT REAST.ASN.AU
AND THE DEADLINE FOR ITEMS IS 21:00 ON FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE SUNDAY
OF THE BROADCAST.
VK7 Regional Broadcast & News Coordinator
Justin Giles-Clark, VK7TW
*************************************************
- NEWS POSTING TO PACKET -
Courtesy Tony VK7AX VK7AX(AT)VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
*************************************************
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