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VK7AX > NEWS 28.09.09 00:32l 445 Lines 21321 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: VK7 Regional News Broadcast for 27 September 2009
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From: VK7AX@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
To : NEWS@WW
VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 2009
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VK7 EVENTS CALENDAR
A summary of the events across VK7 over the coming months:
REAST - September 30 – ATV experimenter's nights – Queen's Domain Clubrooms – around 7:30pm.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
NWATVG – October 3 - General Meeting of the Club at the Ulverstone Lions Club Facility – Show Grounds, West Ulverstone – start time is 2pm.
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup
NTARC – October 14 – Talk about Meteorology with Brendan McMahon – Tranquillity Gardens Dinner Meeting – 6:30pm
JOTA – October 16-18
http://www.scout.org/jota/
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Northern News
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club
October's monthly meeting will be a social event, with a dinner meeting at Tranquillity Gardens on Wednesday the 14th of October starting at 6.30pm. Our guest speaker is Brendan McMahon from the Bureau of Meteorology, talking about all things weather related. The dinner cost is going to be $20 per person, and will include soup and main course meal. If you're still hungry after that, you can try your luck in the raffle to win a basket of goodies from Lollidale, so make sure you have a little bit of change to enter the raffle too. Please let Ann VK7FYBG or Jason VK7ZJA know if you will be attending as we'll firm up numbers shortly.
Mark VK7KMA is looking for the kit assembly instructions for a sound level meter as detailed in the Jaycar book Short Circuits volume 2. If you have this kit, or the book that details the kit and can help, get in contact with Jason VK7ZJA who will pass on the information to a very appreciative Mark.
There's a few housekeeping things going on behind the scenes at NTARC after having received confirmation of our incorporation recently. Some of these little jobs include updating our club application form in line with the rules that we have adopted, and a redesign of our club letterhead. It seems as if everything is running quite smoothly at the new NTARC Incorporated.
Thanks from
(Jason VK7ZJA, NTARC Secretary)
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NORTH WEST News
North West Tasmania Amateur Television Group
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup
Next Club General Meeting
The next General Meeting of the Club is scheduled for Saturday 3rd. October at the Ulverstone Lions Club Facility located at the Show Grounds, West Ulverstone.
Start time for the meeting is around 2.00 PM and members please note this is an important meeting and the last chance to discuss, as a group, the final arrangements for the forthcoming JOTA activity during the weekend of 16/17/18 th. October.
Guest speaker for the meeting will be Tony VK7AX discussing all the facets of Amateur Television, both past and present.
As usual all persons welcome.
AGAIN! That's next Saturday……
Club 2Meter Repeater VK7RTV now operational.
The Club is proud to announce that it's 2 Metre Repeater VK7RTV on 146.775 / 146.175 located at it's Gawler Site was commissioned on Monday 21st. September.
The Club is indebted to Graeme VK7AQ for making the time available to complete alignment of the Cavity Filters and overall tune up, despite the fact that he has a VERY heavy business work load at this time. We would also take the opportunity on behalf of the Club in thanking Graham for his generous donation of both the Cavity Filters and the Kenwood radio plus the Power supply and ancillary equipment.
THANKS GRAEME, FROM ALL AMATEURS IN THE AREA.
Please note that the repeater does not have a conventional control unit at this time.
For the moment it has software enabled time out and automatic ID (VK7RTV) beaconing every 10 Minutes.
The Club is in the process of assembling 2 new controllers for both the 6 & 2 Meter repeaters and these will be fitted to the repeaters when complete.
IRLP Node 6616 has been switched on to the repeater and appears to be functioning OK.
Broadcasts will therefore also be available on this repeater as of Monday 21st. with airing of Q5 Education Hour and then on most week nights.
Enjoy the service. AGAIN, many thanks to Graeme VK7AQ, for without him, there would possibly be no 2Meter Repeater on VK7RTV.
73's until next time.
(Tony VK7AX, News Officer NWT-ATV Group)
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Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club (CCARC)
CCARC News
http://www.my-x15.net/ccarc
The Cradle Coast Amateur Radio club would like to congratulate Scott Wilson, who was successful in sitting his foundation licence assessment on Monday 21st September, and is applying for the call sign VK7FTTT or VK7FRAT.
We hope to hear him on air in the near future, and if you hear him on air, please make him welcome.
If you are a non amateur or a short wave listener living in the north west, or west coast of Tasmania, and would like to become a licenced amateur radio operator, then come along to a meeting and find out about this interesting hobby. If you cannot make a meeting but would like to find out more then contact the learning facilitator, Keith Winkler VK7KW, or any of the committee members.
Full contact details are available on our website which can be easily found by a "Yahoo" or "Google" search of CCARC TASMANIA
(David Cleland, VK7DC, CCARC Secretary)
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Southern News
WICEN Tasmania (South) Inc
Reminder - VK7RBI – VK7RHT/RAD Extension
VK7RBI is now in operation, located on the western side of South Bruny Island and linked via an intermediate station to VK7RHT.
It is a cross band repeater system, so for practical user purposes, it's a simplex link into the R2 RAD / R5 RHT system.
To use the link, work simplex on 147.300MHz. A tone of 114.8 is required to access. There is an intermediate link, so a half second or so linking delay needs to be taken into account.
Enjoy!
(Roger Nichols VK7ARN, Secretary – WICEN Tasmania (South) Inc.)
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Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
REAST ATV Experimenters Night
Another great roll-up last Wednesday night and much show and tell and ATV was had by all and it was great to see Ross VK7VKK along.
Rex brought along and demonstrated his impressive AZ-EL optical disk positioning systems that he is intending to use on his 10GHz EME dish that he is constructing currently. These sensors provide 0.1 degree resolution.
Justin VK7TW did a rewind segment on how to identify and test ferrites and powdered iron cores using a Grid Dip Oscillator and some simple tests to work out if they will be useful for your application.
There are many products out there that are choke type ferrites that will not work for that HF balun…HIHI.
This segment prompted some great questions from our studio audience and the ATV watchers and it looks like there will be a future segment on the many uses for Grid Dip Oscillator around the shack. Justin also went into some traps for young players when using a GDO.
We then played some episodes of AmateurLogic.TV which are always a great show.
We have had confirmation that our new DVB-T transmitter is on it's way from Germany and should be here in a couple of weeks along with a suitable power amplifier that is also on it's way to us. So, we should have DVB-T up and going for the christening of our new ATV studio in the very near future.
We will be building the wall and slowly getting the new studio up and going over the next few weeks.
More great theory, practice and construction over the next few weeks. So, why not come along and see what we get up to on an ATV and experimentation night.
We get underway around 7:30pm in the Queen's Domain clubrooms ATV studio, see you there.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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RF Troubleshooting
Peskey 2.4GHz Wireless Networking Issues Resolved
The amateur way!
Jason VK7ZJA has been tracking down some 2.4GHz wireless networking issues over the past weeks and has found some interesting results. A spectrum sweep turned up several interesting facts:
The Xbox 360 wireless controllers do indeed work at 2.4 GHz, and have a modulation scheme quite different from the OFDM wireless network 802.11 protocol. So the wireless network devices are reasonably effective at 'ignoring' the interference from them, even though the interference spreads across all available channels.
Microwave ovens are incredibly dirty! 2.43 to 2.48 MHz of wideband noise - with levels of leakage at 3 metres comparable to that of an Access Points radiated signal at the same distance!
I found a few very weak competing wireless networking signals that the application netstumbler wasn't able to pick up - so moved my network away from those channels and away from the microwave oven noise.
I noted that the signal strength of the wireless network was strong enough to maintain a stable link, yet wasn't able to do so, so I suspected random intermittent interference (possibly a cordless phone or video sender?).
In any case the humble milo tin came to the rescue. Like blinkers on a horse that stops the horse from being distracted by outside influences, I cut a hole in the back of a milo tin and put the wireless USB adaptor of the far end PC into the Milo tin and faced it at the access point. In fact not only did the Milo tin work well pointed directly at the access point, but also pointed up at the ceiling where it was receiving the reflected wavefront off the colourbond roof (we have a flat roof in that room).
Much more reliable now! Still not perfect, especially when the laptop is switched on and accessing the same AP - I suspect weaker signals inherently suffer when there's competing signals bursting at the same time to access the same device with the same OFDM sequence.
But at least the situation is more workable now.
A very low tech solution to something that really had Jason pulling out his hair there for a while.
(73, Jason, VK7ZJA)
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ACMA News
ACMA seeks views on use of VHF radio by recreational boaters
Responding to concerns about declining standards in the use of marine radio and compliance with the requirement to hold an operators' certificate of proficiency, the Australian Communications and Media Authority released on the 22nd September, a discussion paper about regulatory arrangements for VHF marine radios used by recreational boat operators.
The discussion paper invites comment from marine radio users about safety and the use of VHF radio by recreational boaters and follows concerns expressed by the National Marine Safety Committee and representatives of the maritime community.
`Correct radio use is fundamental to the safety of the maritime community', said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA. `Our discussion paper outlines a range of ideas aimed at achieving more appropriate VHF radio use amongst recreational boaters and we want the `boaties' to give us their vital feedback.'
The ACMA is encouraging those with an interest in this issue to contribute to this review, including all relevant government and non-government bodies at the state and territory level and recreational boat operators.
The ACMA is interested in receiving comment on issues such as:
1). the mandatory nature of Certificates of Proficiency for operators of VHF marine radio; and
2). the possibility of marine radio use for safety purposes being addressed by other agencies involved in recreational boating regulation.
The discussion paper, VHF Marine Radio Operator Qualification Arrangements – Non-Commercial (Recreational) Vessels, is available on the ACMA website.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311900
Details on who to send submissions to can be found on the ACMA website and submission need to be in by 18 December 2009.
(ACMA Media Release Website)
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SUN/SPACE News
New Sunspots This Week – Too early to tell if spot drought broken!
SpaceWeather.com reported the sudden emergence of two large sunspots in a single day as a "noteworthy event". On September 22nd NASA satellites and amateur astronomers were monitoring a pair of growing sunspots, both apparently members of long-overdue Solar Cycle 24.
The emergence of these active regions is not enough to end the deepest solar minimum in nearly a hundred years, but they do represent a significant uptick in solar activity.
Check out the web address on the email and internet editions of this broadcast.
http://spaceweather.com
(Sourced from the Space Weather Mailing List)
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Contest News
Countdown to Oceania DX Contest 2009
The OCDX Contest SSB, which will be held on 3rd of October and the CW part will be on 10th of October.
Please do not forget that VKCC is sponsoring a VKCC Plaque, which can be won by your local club.
Rules are simple. Your club need at least 5 participants in OCDXC (CW and SSB combined, which means for example 3 in SSB and 2 in CW part).
The more participants, the bigger chance your club will have to win the trophy.
Rules can be found at weblink on the email and internet editions of this broadcast.
http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/VKCC_plaque_rules_rev4.pdf
Mirek VK6DXI comments…..
This is THE MAIN contest organized by Oceania. Please do not miss this one and do not forget to send your log.
We have a steady growth of participants in VK and around Oceania.
Hopefully it will be a new record participation this year.
I am hoping that we will get a great activities from all the clubs. VKCC trophy is there for "The Best Club in Australia".
Please support OCDXC this year again.
Check the web for detailed rules.
http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/rules.pdf
(73 Mirek VK6DXI via the VKCC Mailing List)
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RF Technology News
Lost luggage a thing of the past – RFID now being used
A multi-year contract to supply Hong Kong international airport with up to 70 million RFID labels will see speedier and more reliable luggage handling for many of the 48 million passengers that use the airport each year.
The RFID tags will now be fitted to all the 40,000 bags that leave the airport every day on flights to more than 150 locations. The airport, which was one of the first to adopt RFID, has upgraded its former barcode-based system at a cost of $7.8 million.
The three-year contract has been awarded to Motorola with an option for a fourth year. The company supplied hardware and tags and implemented the first RFID project at the airport in 2005.
Unlike barcode-only tags, that required the scanner to be in line of sight to read the tag, the EPC Gen-2 enabled bag tags can be read at long distances and without direct contact. The system is also more reliable, achieving average read rates of more than 97% against 80% from the barcode system.
As a result this latest system allows more accurate tracking of baggage through the airport's system. Instead of workers having to manually handscan each item as it is directed to the aircraft for loading, the luggage now passes more than 300 fixed interrogators installed at various points along the airport's many long conveyors that take items from check-in to each aircraft.
With all the airport's 70 airlines taking part in the program, printing and scanning is all done at the respective terminals. When a piece of luggage is checked, the RFID inlay is encoded with a unique ID number as well as the Julian date (a number indicating the date and time).
The flight number and the three-letter code representing the destination airport are printed on the front of the tag as the tag's ID number, in both text and barcode formats. The RFID number then links the data in the airport's back-end luggage handling system, such as the name of the passenger who owns the bag, the flight number and the destination airport. Once it is printed and encoded, the self-adhesive tag is folded round the bag's handle.
At present the airport tags passenger bags in multiple locations including check-in counters in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, in-town check-in desks in Kowloon station and Hong Kong station of Airport Express and upstream check-in facilities in the Pearl River delta area.
Opened in 1998, Hong Kong International Airport is an international and regional aviation centre, connecting more than 150 cities around the world including some 40 destinations on the Chinese mainland. Last year more than 48.6 million passengers passed through the complex.
http://www.radiocomms.com.au/articles/35051
(Sourced from the RF Comms Ezine)
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Humour to Finish
Inspiring
As we get older we sometimes begin to doubt our ability to "make a difference" in the world. It is at these times that our hopes are boosted by the remarkable achievements of other "seniors" who have found the courage to take on challenges that would make many of us wither. Harold Sclumberg is such a person.
He said
I've often been asked, 'What do you old folks do now that you're retired?'
Well...I'm fortunate to have a chemical engineering background, and one of the things I enjoy most is turning beer, wine, Scotch, and margaritas into urine.
And I'm pretty darn good at it, too!!
(73, Peter, VE7PMR)
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Web & Email Edition Extra Bits!!
Some great historic amateur material:
http://mysite.verizon.net/dpnewkirk/ej/
ABC Ace Job of the Day:
Every day Chris Moore makes decisions that affect a city's future. Watch Ace Day Jobs to find out how he became a civil engineer.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/629491/957242/12669/0/
Australian scientists have discovered another reason why cockroaches might well inherit the earth after humans are long gone.
http://abcmail.net.au/t/629491/957242/12671/0/
Beluga A380 wing Transport Aircraft (thanks to G7BQY)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOzBMC2jqkY
Samsung LED advertisement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zotsSJ6fQow
Morse Code Beethoven
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9zmYX27dHY
McCain Blinking in Morse Code, Secret Message Deciphered
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7HhlJzW97Q
Telegraph Sounders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9beMc-gDSw&feature=related
RMS Titanic Simulated SOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snkwsU98QlQ&feature=related
Following Links – Courtesy of GNC Newsletter
Seagate 2TB 64mb cache 7200 rpm drive is smokin!
Five things that drive iPhone users crazy!
12 Super Radical Ideas!
Saturn Rings in 3d?
Shuttle makes Safe Return to Florida.
Ballmer admits Windows Mobile 7 Mess up.
See how Malware sites suck you in.
Symantec shows Dangers of Short URL's
Will you be Killed by Electric Car?
Do you have some interesting internet 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
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: VK7FB
160m: VK7DM
80m: VK7EM
40m: VK7JGD
20m: VK7AR
10m: VK7ZGK
UHF CB: VK7HGO
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
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- NEWS POSTING TO PACKET -
Courtesy Tony VK7AX VK7AX(AT)VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
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