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VK7AX > NEWS 01.06.09 07:03l 673 Lines 22796 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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To : NEWS@WW
VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 31ST MAy 2009
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WIA News CallBack Stats
VK7 Holding Our Own!
As reported on the WIA National News, Graham VK4BB has compiled the
callback stats for the WIA broadcast year and VK7 is a very healthy
fifth with 5537 call ins on the list just behind VK5 with 5760 and
ahead of VK3 with 4400 call ins.
Not bad for a state that only has approximately 600 licenced amateurs
and the stats don't include our 40m and 20m broadcast call ins as
these frequencies only rebroadcast the VK7 Regional News.
The WIA Broadcast year runs from AGM to AGM each year.
http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2009/20090527-1/index.php
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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VK7 EVENTS CALENDAR
A summary of the events across VK7 over the coming months:
REAST June 3rd - Presentation on Landline Telegraphy
8pm Queen's Domain Clubrooms.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#duplexlandline
SMS June 6 & 7th - Great Southern Winter Ham fest
- Sorell Men's Shed, Station Lane, Sorell.
http://www.sorellmensshed.org/
NWT-ATVG June 6th - General Meeting and discussion on radio history.
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup
RESG June 6th Radio Experimenters and Social Group from 10.15am
at the Fuchsia Fantasy Tea Rooms.
NTARC June 6th Meeting at Alanvale Polytechnic
REAST June 10, 17 & 24th ATV Experimenter's Nights
7:30pm Queens Domain Club rooms.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
REAST June 16th Advanced/Standard Assessment Session.
http://reast.asn.au/amateurradio.php#exams
REAST June 20th Foundation Licence Course and Assessments Session.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#FoundationLicenceCourse
WMBD June 27th World Moon Bounce Day celebrating the Echoes of
Apollo 40th Anniversary of the first Moon landing.
http://echoesofapollo.com/
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NORTHERN NEWS
Northern Tasmania Amateur Radio Club
The next meeting for NTARC is at Alanvale Polytechnic, on Wednesday
the 10th of June, where a very important issue for the club will be
discussed and debated upon. We hope to see you there.
Lastly, NTARC needs to know how many of its members are also WIA members
could you let Ann VK7FYBG know if you've not already done so.
Thanks from
(Jason VK7ZJA, NTARC Secretary)
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NORTH WEST News
Weekly Broadcasts
A reminder that the Radio Amateur Old Timers Club monthly new broadcast
can be heard on the Mount Duncan VK7RMD repeater on Monday evening at
8.30pm and it can be heard on the first Monday of the month except
in January.
Originating from VK3OTN, it contains news and information about our
hobby, and in particular, of the early days.
All are welcome to listen and call in afterwards with comments.
(Winston VK7EM)
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North West Tasmania Amateur Radio Interest Group
http://www.my-x15.net/nwtarig/
After a 12 month trial period and several months of waiting for final
approval, the link between VK7RAC 70cm and VK7RAA 2m, has finally been
licenced. There were some initial concerns about the use of in band
linking, but with some minor conditions imposed and the use of common
sense, approval has been granted.
The permanent link provides an effective gateway for amateurs on the
North West coast to communicate to the Mt Barrow 2M repeater beyond the
western extremity of it's coverage. VK7RAC uhf repeater is located on
Table Cape, near Wynyard and provides good coverage from Burnie to
Rocky Cape, back to Hampshire and Yolla, and in varying degrees from
Devonport to Smithton.
For amateurs not familiar with VK7RAC, it can be received on
438.650 MHz output, and 433.650 MHz input, and No CTCSS is required.
(David Cleland, VK7DC, Secretary, NWTARIG)
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Radio Experimenters and Social Group
On Saturday the 23rd of May the Radio Experimenters and Social Group
held their Coffee Morning at the Two Oaks Cafe in Somerset, a good
time was had by all.
Ron Mather VK7HRM showed the members his new APRS tracking system
which is potable and able to be attached to a waist belt and thus is
able to be used for Bush walking and etc. Don's main use however will
be when he is out in his fishing boat.
Good luck with the fishing Ron and no tall stories about the one that
got away.
The members are reminded that the next Coffee Morning is set for
Saturday the 6th of June 2009 and starting at 10.15Am for a 10.30 start
and is to be held at the Fuchsia Fantasy Tea Rooms situated at
75 Lilico Road Lilico.
All are welcome to join us and bring a friend.
(Vernon French, VK7VF)
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North West Tasmania Amateur Television Group
General Meeting
The next General Meeting of the club is scheduled for Saturday 6 June 2009,
at 2.00pm.
Yes
that's next Saturday!!!
Venue is the QTH of Ivan VK7XL, 9 McNaughton Drive, Gawler.
For those people who have not been to Ivan's QTH, take the Gawler Road,
Ulverstone and at the Gawler Shop, take the Road straight ahead which
is Top Gawler Road, and up the hill.
McNaughton Drive is on the right towards the top of the hill.
Guest speaker will be Barry VK7FR discussing his experiences as a former
ABC News Presenter in Papua New Guinea and many States of Australia
including Tasmania.
This promises to be a very interesting talk from a very well known and
respected announcer and amateur in Barry VK7FR.
All members and friends are cordially invited to attend.
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup
73's until next time
(Tony VK7AX, President and News Officer NWT-ATV Gp)
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Southern News
Sorell Men's Shed Event "Community Project"
The Southern Winter Ham Fest is being held at the Sorell Men's Shed,
Station Lane, Sorell in ONE WEEK.
June 6th and Sunday the 7th will be the main day starting at 9am.
Saturday Night the Men's Shed station - VK7SMS will be conducting an
on air Award from 6pm till 12pm on HF,VHF and UHF.
Do not forget to bring along your projects for the home brew competition.
There will be a BBQ lunch and a few small raffles as well as, the main
raffle which consists of a full sized two element 40 metre Yagi and
you can see it on display.
Local trade tables include: Icom , L D Antennas, and many pre loved
items will be available.
All proceeds will go to the Men's Shed.
If you are interest in being involved and/or helping out.
Please email or contact Ken VK7DY for more details or express your
interest in being involved.
windmill(AT)southcom.com.au
http://www.sorellmensshed.org/
(Ken, VK7DY, SMS Coordinator)
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Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
Callbooks and Foundation Licence Manuals
Gavin VK7HGO lets us know that Foundation Licence Manuals and 2009
Call Books can be obtained from the Caltex Service Station which is
133 Main Road Moonah on the corner of Amy St.
You might even get some driveway service from Clayton VK7ZCR
HIHI.
Gavin also has some of these items so just give him a call on the
repeaters or on mobile 0407 724 431.
(Gavin, VK7HGO, President)
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REAST's June Presentation
This Wednesday night June 3rd at 8pm in the Queen's Domain clubrooms
- Richard VK7RO will be presenting the talk titled -
Landline Telegraphy or "How to Send Signals Both Ways At Once"!
Many of you may have seen last year the ABC TV special A wire through
the Heart which traced the history around Charles Todd putting a
telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin. This was a fascinating historical
look at landline telegraphy that connected Australia to the rest of the
world.
Richard will give a presentation using his vast historical knowledge
and skill on how Landline Telegraphy works and how they send signals
both ways at once.
This should be a fascinating and humorous talk by our leading historian
and avid CW operator.
As Richard commented
it will be "A little bit of technical history".
See you there.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#duplexlandline
(Richard, VK7RO)
If there is anyone who can video this presentation for Justin VK7TW
could they please let Justin know after the broadcast. It would be
great to have this presentation in our ATV library for future
reference. [Ed]
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REAST Education and Training
There will be on Tuesday 16th June an examination session for the
Advanced and Standard licenses at 7:30 pm in the Queens Domain
Clubrooms. Please let Reg VK7KK know if you are interested in attending.
There will also be a foundation training and practical assessment
session on Saturday June 20th starting at 9 am.
Anyone interested in participating in a Standard training course for
about 10 weeks starting around the end of June please let me know.
It could be on a Tuesday or Friday night. Please indicate if either
of these nights is unsuitable.
Reg VK7KK can be contacted on mobile: 0417 391 607 or
email: regemm(AT)ozemail.com.au
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#FoundationLicenceCourse
(Reg, VK7KK, REAST Education Officer and Assessor)
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REAST ATV Experimenters Night
It was great to see Tim VK7TK along on Wednesday night as well as
the many others who came along to see what we get up to.
We started with a show and tell of the electro-optics associated
with a blue-ray and DVD player. Graham VK7ZGK brought along a faulty
carriage mechanism and removing the cover exposed the very intricate
multi format laser diodes and photodiodes along with all the optics
including semi-transparent mirrors, solenoid operated focusing lenses
to change layers and filter prisms to split the beams in different
directions. Absolutely fascinating and we used the close up camera to
show our ATV viewers.
After this Steve VK7OO brought in his GNAT one transistor tranceivers
and took the viewers through it's construction and the natty
(pardon the pun!!) way he mounted the frequency determining components
on a dual in line socket so they can be changed quickly. Thanks Steve.
Graham VK7ZGK then took our audience through the electronics used to
drive an LCD television and I would have to admit that there is not
much to it! The PCB was about 8 inches by 5 inches with very little
electronics on it which is a far cry from the old CRT based analogue TVs.
Graham then described the components on a surround sound PCB with
class E IC amplifiers capable of delivering 100W of audio that he had
brought in. It is incredible the efficiency that these amplifiers run
at and that they only require minimal heatsinking as very little is
lost in heat.
Our main ATV presentation went out on 444.25MHz Analogue ATV and
23cm Digital ADB-S ATV and was the second of three one hour
presentations on the HPSDR project by Phil Harman VK6APH.
These lectures where given at the 2008 Digital Communications Conference
held jointly by the ARRL and TAPR.
Phil is one of the designers of the Software Defined Radio project
Mercury. We continue with the last episode in two weeks time.
This presentation honestly shows the future of radio with Digital
Down Conversion techniques.
This is a not to be missed presentation.
http://www.tapr.org/kits_merc.html
We are currently considering a permanent Digital ATV transmission
arrangement and are trying to work through the engineering issues of
whether it would be the DVB-S or the DVB-T standard.
DVB-S can tolerate much lower S:N ratios and has better forward
error correction capability where as DVB-T needs higher S:N but does
tolerate multi-pathing and other propagation issues much better.
However DVB-T hardware is more complex and therefore more expensive in
the transmitter area, but the receivers are cheaper!
So, please forward your ideas to Justin VK7TW for consideration.
We get back underway in a fortnight
Wednesday night around 7:30pm for another great night of ATV and
experimenting.
See you there.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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FISTS DOWN-UNDER News
New Website Launched
For the past few months Ralph, ZL2AOH has been developing a new web
site and increasing the amount of information held there. The address
is unchanged and is still www.fistsdownunder.org, so go and have a
look and let us know how you like it and if you can suggest any
improvements. We hope that the new web site will be completely up
to date at all times, from now on.
We are planning to develop a gallery of members' photographs,
their stations, and a display of various Morse keys. If you have any
photographs to contribute, please email or post them to us at the
addresses in the masthead.
Our thanks to Phill Hardy who hosted our old web site and who was
instrumental in getting the address transferred to the new site
www.fistsdownunder.org
(Ralph, ZL2AOH, via the Fists DownUnder Newsletter)
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SPACE News
PharmaSat Launch A Success
Last week Orbital Sciences successfully launched its Minotaur I rocket
carrying the Tactical Satellite-3 (TacSat-3) for the U.S. Air Force from
the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) launch facility at NASA's
Wallops Flight Facility. Also aboard the May 19 launch were several
CubeSats which will be of interest to Radio Amateurs:
PharmaSat-1 from NASA & Stanford University with a 437.465MHz 1200bps
AFSK beacon.
CP-6 from CalPoly with a 437.365MHz 1200bps AFSK beacon and
HawkSat-1 from the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences outputting a
signal on 437.345MHz
We reported on PharmaSat last week and this week some more info on CP6
which is testing an attitude control system using only magnetic
torquers embedded within the side panels. Attitude determination is
performed using two-axis magnetometers on each side panel as well as
observation imagers on the payload face.
Once the primary objectives have been met, a command will be sent to
deploy the secondary payload that consists of a series of spring steel
tapes. The data will be used to guide the future design of an
electro-dynamic tether.
More info can be found on the email and internet editions of this
broadcast at: http://polysat.calpoly.edu/CP6.php
CalPoly CPX Data Capture and Decoder:
http://moredbs.atl.calpoly.edu/downloads/cpxdd
A description of the CalPoly telemetry database is at:
http://moredbs.atl.calpoly.edu/
At press time the only information available regarding the mission
of HawkSat-1 comes from their web page stating, "HawkSat-I will be the
first satellite designed, integrated, tested and flown entirely from
the Eastern Shore. In addition to accomplishing our own scientific
and engineering objectives HawkSat-I is also providing a platform
for experimental research funded by a major aerospace firm.
See: http://www.hawkspace.org/projects.html for additional information.
There are two more non-amateur CubeSats that were deployed
- AeroCube-3 and TacSat-3.
Objects associated with this launch have been added to the AMSAT KEPS.
They are called Object A, Object B, Object C, Object D, and Object E.
Refer to: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/keps.php
(Sourced from the AMSAT News Service)
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Further Satellite News
Report casts dark shadow on GPS Satellites
Satellites could fail as early as next year, potentially disrupting
military and first responder operations. Yikes! Could the sky
literally start to fall?
According to a new study from the U.S. government accountability
office, some important GPS satellites could begin to fail as early
as next year, and all sorts of GPS users public safety, military and
consumers could begin to experience regular blackouts, failures and
inaccurate readings.
That's unsettling for everyone, but especially the military and first
responders who are now relying on GPS for all sorts of applications
from monitoring criminals to responding to an emergency.
The GAO report state that the US Air Force, which has been in charge of
overseeing the constellation of GPS satellites since 1990, has struggled
to build new GPS satellites within cost and schedule goals and has faced
some major technical problems as well as contractor problems
that are delaying significant updates to the system.
The report also says the Air Force hasn't executed the necessary actions
to keep the constellation of satellites running smoothly.
The Air Force is working on its new GPS IIIA program a satellite system
that will improve accuracy, provide better indoor coverage and improve
anti-jam performance. However the GAO called this schedule too optimistic,
given the program's late start, past trends in space acquisitions and
challenges facing the new contractor.
All these delays mean that if the Air Force doesn't meet proposed timelines,
there is an increased possibility that in 2010, old satellites could stop
working and not enough satellites will be working in the constellation to
ensure adequate GPS service.
Given the numerous vital applications that depend on GPS, lets hope that
these older satellites have more life in them.
http://urgentcomm.com/mobile_data/commentary/gps-satellite-failure-20090520/
(Written by Lynnette Luna for the UrgentComm website)
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Space News
NASA Selects Student's Entry as New Mars Rover Name
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover, scheduled for launch in 2011,
has a new name thanks to a sixth-grade student from Kansas.
Twelve-year-old Clara Ma from the Sunflower Elementary school in
Lenexa submitted the winning entry, "Curiosity."
A NASA panel selected the name following a nationwide student
contest that attracted more than 9,000 proposals via the Internet
and mail. The naming contest was conducted in partnership with
Disney-Pixar's animated film "WALL-E."
"Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone's mind.
It makes me get out of bed in the morning and wonder what surprises
life will throw at me that day," Ma wrote in her winning essay.
"Curiosity is such a powerful force. Without it, we wouldn't be
who we are today. Curiosity is the passion that drives us through
our everyday lives. We have become explorers and scientists with our
need to ask questions and to wonder."
The Mars Science Laboratory project is managed by JPL for NASA's
Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more information about the mission and the contest winner, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/msl
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2009/may/HQ_09-122_MSL_named_Curiosity.html
(Sourced from the NASA Media Website)
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Web & Email Edition Extra Bits!!
Recipes Source
http://www.recipesource.com/
Contest Calendar
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/
Spacewalk from Terrestrial Telescope!
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090410.html
Helium Chip Cooling
http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/liquid-helium-trumps-liquid-hydrogen-at-amds-phenom-ii-overcloc/
Leave your name in the microchip for the new Mars Rover
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname
Cooling Pad
http://www.nexustek.nl/NXS-TDD-9000_universal_patented_liquid_cooling_pad.htm
Hubble Pics
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_1369.html
Mars Robot might have Toasted the Martians (by accident!!)
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/25/1442231&from=rss
The following is courtesy of CG Communicator:
Here's an easy way to retrieve an object lost down the drain.Simple,
and it might even work:
http://www.familyhack.com/2007/08/29/drain-tip
How effective is the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner? Pretty darn
effective as this time-lapse photograph shows:
http://tinyurl.com/RoombaPattern
According to this article, the ten biggest tech failures of the last
decade include Microsoft's Vista, the Segway scooter and Sirius XM:
http://tinyurl.com/10Failures
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: VK7IR
160m: VK7DM
80m: VK7TW
40m: VK7RO
20m: VK7AR
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.
*************************************************
- NEWS POSTING TO PACKET -
Courtesy Tony VK7AX VK7AX(AT)VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
*************************************************
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