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VK7AX > NEWS 05.04.09 04:35l 697 Lines 24363 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: VK7 Regional News Broadcast for 5 April 2009
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VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 5TH APRIL 2009
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VK7 EVENTS CALENDAR
A summary of the events across VK7 in the next month:
REAST – April 8, 15, 22 & 29th – ATV Experimenter's Nights – 7:30pm
Queens Domain Club rooms.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
NTARC – April 8th - Jason VK7ZJA will be talking about DSL technologies
- Alanvale Polytechnic at 7.30pm.
TARGA TASMANIA – April 28th to May 3rd.
NWTARIG – May 2nd – General Meeting Penguin Lions club rooms
NTARC – May 13th - Royal Flying Doctor Service depot –
Launceston Airport at 7:30pm with Ian VK7KIH.
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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
Work on the finalization of an Amateur Radio Promotional Package has been
continuing and is almost complete.
The Club is preparing a package as an information kit and intends to
introduce it to the schools in the N/West Area with a view to encouraging
youth into the hobby.
The Club is again recording the VK7 Regional News Broadcast for later mp3
download or playback as an audio stream on demand.
The broadcast should be available by approx. 12 midday on the day of the
actual broadcast.
The exception to this is when it has been supplied as an mp3 audio file
when it will be available immediately the broadcast concludes.
So listeners if you have been unfortunate to miss the VK7 Regional News
Broadcast or ANY broadcasts for that matter, they are available for
download OR audio Stream on demand 24/7.
For people interested in all broadcast information , including local
frequencies, we suggest you check the SPECTRUM Web Page and the link can be
found on the email and internet editions of this broadcast.
http//www.vk7ax.id.au/spectrum or the Club's Home Page.
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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North West Tasmanian Amateur Radio Interest Group
On Saturday 28th of March 2009, NWTARIG held a Special General Meeting at
the Penguin Lions club rooms to discuss concerns raised about the status
of some of the retired members who voted at the AGM in January.
A motion was put declaring the original vote null and void, and called for
immediate new elections. The motion was carried.
As a result of the new elections the club committee is as follows:
President David SpicerVK7EX
Vice president Dick Whatley VK7FORF
Secretary David Cleland VK7DC
Treasurer Vernon French VK7VF
Committee person - Eric Edwards VK7FEJE
The new committee would like to thank the outgoing president,
Anne Landers VK7BYL, for her service during the unclear interim period.
The meeting also glowingly endorsed the new meeting venue at the Penguin Lions
club rooms, praising it for being spacious, well appointed with all
facilities required for meetings and social events.
The next general meeting of NWTARIG has been brought forward to the 2nd of
May 2009 to consider proposals on a possible name change, and to make the
club an incorporated body.
This allow members time to consider the options before voting at a Special
General meeting called for 30th May 2009.
A general meeting held also on 28th March 2009 and was attended by 19 members
and 4 visitors, with 2 apologies and 5 new members welcomed to the club.
(David Cleland, VK7DC, Secretary, NWTARIG)
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NORTHERN NEWS
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club
Our next meeting is going to be this Wednesday at Alanvale Polytechnic at
7.30pm, where Jason VK7ZJA will be talking about DSL technologies.
The following meeting will be on at Launceston Airport on Wednesday the
13th of May, at 7.30pm, at the Royal Flying Doctor Service depot,
where Ian VK7KIH will explain the RFDS network and also have a famous
Traeger HF radio to display.
Hopefully there will be a few new squid pole HF verticals radiating in to
the ionosphere after yesterdays build session at Hollybank.
Hope everyone enjoyed the day and that you end up with a versatile and
effective antenna.
Also, do you know anyone who wants a Foundation Manual?
Let Jason VK7ZJA know if you do… we have 5 of these manuals arriving shortly,
but if we need more, we'll get them in for you.
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's April Presentation
Gavin VK7HGO gave a very informative and illustrated talk on all that is
involved in the communications for Targa Tasmania – the premier Australian
Tarmac rally.
From the start of a stage in the early morning through the re-opening of
the road Gavin, took the group through what each team does for comms,
equipment, safety, and many other aspects prior to the "talent" read
competitors hurtle through the stage…HIHI.
Everything is highly organised and the amount of work that goes into every
aspect is mind-boggling. You just need to take a look at the running book
which Gavin handed around and the amount of detail that is in each one for
each stage and you get an appreciation.
The presentation was videoed and will be shown at a future ATV night for
those who missed it.
Thanks Gavin.
http://targatasmania.com.au/
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#targacomms
(Justin, VK7TW)
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Education and Training
Congratulations to Garry Wilmott who has received his callsign after recent
assessments and is VK7VMS. We look forward to hearing on the air soon.
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 get back underway this Wednesday night around 7:30pm for another night
of analog 70cm and digital 23cm ATV.
We will be playing the remainder of the secret life of machines series
and will be going out on both analog and digital ATV.
We now have predictive propagation maps for the digital ATV transmitter
that we will be using as the basis for the field tests over the next
few weeks.
How do you receive analogue ATV on an ATV night well, ATV goes out
on 444.25MHz (Channel 16) – just below SBS on the UHF TV Band.
You will need an antenna with some gain pointed toward the Domain to
receive our signal so, why not try tuning down the low end of the UHF
TV band and give us a call on what you are seeing and hearing.
See you there.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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ACMA News
ACMA calling on boat owners to double check they are equipped to operate
VHF marine radios
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is calling on boat
owners and users to double check that they hold a certificate of proficiency
to operate their VHF marine radio.
VHF marine radios provide a valuable means of keeping in contact with
other vessels and coast stations, particularly at times when the weather
changes or when assistance is needed.
The number of vessels on Australian waterways is increasing.
The proportion of boats that are fitted with marine radios is also
increasing as more competitively priced equipment has led to an increase
in the use of radios on boats and other craft.
`The stark warning is simply this - many boat owners who do not hold an
operator's certificate may not realise they are breaking the law when they
operate their VHF marine radios,' said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.
Channel 16 is designated, internationally, as the emergency and calling
channel for ships and small craft. A vessel's crew may use channel 16 to
call other vessels and coast stations but once communication has been
established, the operators must change to a working channel to continue
the conversation. This ensures channel 16 remains available for emergency
situations and other calls.
`Operators who hold an appropriate operator's certificate of proficiency
know about calling protocols and how the channels are used.
Unfortunately, there are operators who are not qualified and not familiar
with correct operating procedures and, as a result, are disrupting
communications.
That simple behaviour further threatens safety of life,' said Mr Chapman.
Operation of radio transceivers, on the VHF IMM channels, is governed by
conditions set by ACMA.
These conditions specify that operators must be qualified and hold an
appropriate certificate.
This certificate must be either the Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate
of Proficiency (MROVCP) or the more comprehensive Marine Radio Operators
Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP).
Marine Radio - Choices and Changes
Maritime Ship Station - 27 MHz and VHF.
www.acma.gov.au
(Sourced from the ACMA website - media releases)
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DX News
ANTARCTICA. Felix, DL5XL is a member of German team over wintering from
Neumayer III and is active as DP1POL until early 2010.
He is active mostly on 40 and 20 meters using CW. QSL via DL1ZBO.
MELLISH REEF, VK9M. Operators George, AA7JV and Tomi, HA7RY are QRV as
VK9GMW until April 6. Activity is on all HF bands. QSL via HA7RY.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND, VK9X. Haru, JA1XGI will be QRV as JA1XGI/VK9 until
April 11. Activity is on all HF bands using CW and digital modes.
QSL to home call.
(ARRL Mailing List)
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ACMA News
ACMA releases review of spectrum licensing technical frameworks
The Australian Communications and Media Authority on 3 April released
a discussion paper as part of a review of the technical frameworks that
apply to spectrum licences.
The first spectrum licensing technical framework was created in 1996
for the 500 MHz band. Since then, nine further technical frameworks
have been created for the various spectrum licensed bands.
The objective of the review is to ensure that ACMA is consistently
applying appropriate spectrum management methodologies to current
technical frameworks with a view to improving the processes in the
development of technical frameworks into the future.
The discussion paper is available from the link that can be found on
the email and internet editions of this broadcast and the closing date
for comment is 12 June 2009.
The discussion paper, Spectrum Licensing Technical Frameworks Review,
is available on the ACMA website.
Submissions should be sent to tfreview(AT)acma.gov.au
www.acma.gov.au
(Sourced from the ACMA website - media releases)
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Technology News
Where gadgets go when they die – "E"-Waste
Brian X. Chen from Wired.com lets us know what happens to your technology
item dies or what is now being called "E-Waste".
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency came under fire for
allowing U.S. tech companies to export millions of pounds of hazardous,
used electronics to Asian countries where they are recycling with a lot
less environmental oversight.
Negative press, new e-waste legislation and a depressed economy are
pressuring tech manufacturers into assuming far greater recycling
responsibly to show they're part of the green movement. As a bonus,
domestic recycling lets them save some money on materials,
such as precious metals, while they're at it.
Manufacturers who handle recycling responsibly in the United States
work with professional facilities like this one, where old gadgets are
dismantled using a part-man, part-mechanical process.
With 15 locations in the United States, Sims Recycling Solutions is
one of the world's largest electronics scrap recyclers.
Pictured here is the "demanufacturing" center of the company's
Roseville, California facility, where workers disassemble everything
from printers, cameras and computers to Jumbotrons for their reusable
materials.
The facility receives roughly 150,000 pounds of used electronics a day.
Follow along for a photographic tour of the Sims facility, where you'll
learn exactly what happens to unwanted gadgets as they're dismantled,
their components sorted and their raw materials melted down for scrap.
Workers separate parts into bins based on their materials as well as
whether they have metal in them, and, if so, what kind of metal.
There are roughly 60 full-time workers at Sims who handle disassembly;
the nature of their jobs require them to attend monthly,
company-sponsored safety meetings.
Parts that are too difficult to dismantle by hand are separated
and sent to the onsite shredder for grinding and separation using
various automated technologies.
"New" junk arrivals roll in on a conveyor belt, and workers throw the
gadgets into their respective boxes.
Sims employees say they occasionally receive some awesome antiques,
such as the 8-bit Commodore 64 home computer.
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2009/03/gallery_ewaste_recycling
(Sourced from the Wired.Com website)
[Ed] The editor adds that there is a e-waste recycling centre in
Tasmania that he knows about that breaks the technology into its
recyclable components and ships these to the mainland.
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2009 International Year of Astronomy
Around the world in 80 telescopes
The 100 Hours of Astronomy event, which will see literally millions of
eyes around the world trained skyward, kicked off last Thursday April 2.
But people can take part in two of the major events of the 100 Hours
without leaving the comfort of home.
The online webcast – "Around the World in 80 Telescopes", will take
viewers inside the most high-tech professional observatories both on
and off the planet, while the 100 Hours of Remote Astronomy allows
members of the public control of a telescope online.
It started at 8pm Australian Eastern Daylight time on Friday April 3.
The webcast will began with observatories on Mauna Kea in Hawaii and
move west across New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe,
Antarctica and the Americas, finishing on the west coast of the US.
All the details are posted at the links that can be found on the
email and internet editions of this broadcast.
www.100hoursofastronomy.org
Five Australian telescopes will be featured –
CSIRO's Parkes telescope (NSW),
the Anglo-Australian Telescope (NSW),
the Mount Pleasant radio telescope of the University of Tasmania,
the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (near Canberra),
and the Australian International Gravitational Observatory (WA).
Other observatories include the Kepler Mission, the Hubble Space
Telescope, and the IceCube Neutrino Telescope at the South Pole.
The timetable is available on the website and the preliminary
schedule states that the UTAS - Mt Pleasant Telescope will
feature on 4th April at 0100Z
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is the 400th anniversary
of Galileo turning a telescope to the heavens.
It is a celebration of the science, history and cultural impact
of astronomy, and of humanity's common heritage of the night sky.
IYA is coordinated globally by the International Astronomical
Union and endorsed by the United Nations.
www.astronomy2009.org.au
http://www.astronomy2009.org/globalprojects/cornerstones/100hoursofastronomy/
(Posted by Paul Jackson via the Astronomy Society of Tasmania Mailing List)
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Space Weather
It's Official – The Sun has lost it's Spots!
Even though it was April 1st, it wasn't a joke - NASA announced that
the sun has plunged into the deepest solar minimum in nearly a century.
Sunspots have all but vanished and consequently the sun has become
very quiet.
In 2008, the sun had no spots 73% of the time, a 95-year low. In 2009,
sunspots are even more scarce, with the "spotless rate" jumping to 87%.
We are currently experiencing a stretch of 25 continuous days
uninterrupted by sunspots--and there's no end in sight.
This is a big event, but it is not unprecedented. Similarly deep solar
minima were common in the late-19th and early-20th centuries,
and each time the sun recovered with a fairly robust solar maximum.
That's probably what will happen in the present case,
although no one can say for sure.
This is the first deep solar minimum of the Space Age, and the first
one we have been able to observe using modern technology.
Is it like others of the past? Or does this solar minimum have its own
unique characteristics that we will discover for the first time as the
cycle unfolds? These questions are at the cutting edge of solar physics.
You can monitor the progress of solar minimum with a new "Spotless Days
Counter" on spaceweather.com.
Instead of counting sunspots, we're counting no sunspots…HIHI.
Daily updated totals tell you how many spotless days there have been
in a row, in this year, and in the entire solar cycle.
Comparisons to historical benchmarks put it all in perspective.
You can find the links and further information on the email and internet
editions of this broadcast.
http://spaceweather.com.
(Sourced from the Space Weather News Mailing list)
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Weird and Wonderful
Did you know Vampires know CW!!
Thanks to Graham VK7ZGK who put me onto a film that is currently running
at the State Cinema in North Hobart.
The film is a Swedish Vampire movie in the horror genre.
It is written by John Lindqvist and the story centres on the relationship
between a 13-year-old boy, Oskar, and a 200-year-old vampire child, Eli.
It takes place in Blackeberg, a working class suburb of Stockholm,
in the early '80s in the middle of winter.
What does this have to do with CW or Morse Code, I hear you ask!!
Well, Oskar uses morse code so he can communicate with his new friend
whilst it is daylight through the wall.
CW is used in many places throughout the film for communications between
these two main characters.
Those who follow the vampiric legends would know that sunlight is not
something that is conducive to being a vampire…HIHI.
The film's name is Let the Right One In and was released in 2008 to
critical acclaim by director Tomas Alfredson.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_the_Right_One_In
Small warning it is rated MA15+ due to the strong horror themes.
(Justin, VK7TW & Graham VK7ZGK)
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HUMOUR TO FINISH
A Salute to Marconi
A bright young man named Marconi
Put aside his Milanese macaroni
And away in the dark
Let fly with a spark
He used Morse before telephony!
(73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH)
PS. A post real quick, just a small limerick
Gets a smile worth more than some mo-ney
(Sourced from the VK-VHF Mailing List)
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Web & Email Edition Extra Bits!!
Green Wheel Turns Bike Electric
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/18/green-wheel-bike.html
Maths Software:
http://www.softmath.com/algebra_stats2/advance-calculas.html
http://www.101science.com/physics.htm#MATHCAD for Physics
The following links are sourced from CG Communicator:
Specy Pics
http://sandiegopictures.org/lightning.html
Old Radio Shack catalogs from 1941 forward, great nostalgia:
http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalog_directory.html
Extreme sheep herding. The subject of this video provides an excellent
opportunity to combine real video footage with genuine video
shenanigans: http://tinyurl.com/ExtremeSheepherding
FM Antennas Inside
http://www.rwonline.com/blog/76856
When does an omni antenna become a DA?
http://radiomagonline.com/fcc/omni-antenna-become-da/
Angled numbers, just for fun. This is a pps file so click or hit a key
to advance pages: http://earthsignals.com/add_CGC/The_numbers.pps
Cold ("desktop") fusion, the quasi-science that never dies.
A short status report: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/mar09/8407
In September 1859, the entire Earth was engulfed in a gigantic cloud
of seething gas, and a blood-red aurora erupted across the planet
from the poles to the tropics. Around the world, telegraph systems
crashed, machines burst into flames and electric shocks rendered
operators unconscious. Victorian magnetometers were driven off scale.
http://www.stuartclark.com/sunkings.html
http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/carrington.html
http://tinyurl.com/CarringtonEvent
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: VK7TW
160m: VK7DM
80m: VK7EM
40m: VK7RO
20m: VK7IL
10m: VK7ZGK
UHF CB: VK7FTAZ
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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