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VK7AX > NEWS 25.04.10 10:17l 594 Lines 26134 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 25 APRIL 2010
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ANZAC Celebration
Interesting Facts – Submarine Names and the Link to VK7
Did you know that of the six names used as submarine classes in the Royal Australian Navy there are three that are named after Naval personnel who were born in Tasmania.
Collins
Starting with our most recent submarine class – the Collins – this was named after Vice Admiral Sir John Augustine Collins was born at Deloraine, Tasmania on 7 January 1899, entered the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) as one of the original entry in 1913, saw service in two World Wars and was First Naval Member and Chief of Naval Staff during the Korean War.
On 19 July 1940, the then Captain Collins was in command of the cruiser HMAS Sydney in the Mediterranean Sea when Sydney engaged two Italian cruisers, Bartolomeo Colleoni and Giovanni Delle Bande Nere, off Cape Spada in Crete. The Colleoni was sunk and the Bande Nerre withdrew damaged. For his part in this action, Captain Collins was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
He was the first RANC graduate to command the Australian Squadron, hoisting his Broad Pendant as Commodore in HMAS Australia in 1944. On 21 October 1944, while HMAS Australia was taking part in the allied landings in the Philippines, Commodore Collins was severely wounded in a suicide attack by Japanese aircraft.
He recovered from his injuries, resumed his command and attended the Japanese surrender in 1945.
His distinguished career continued after the war. He was promoted Rear Admiral in 1947, Vice Admiral in 1950 and was knighted in 1951. He retired from the Navy in 1955 and served as Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand until 1962.
Vice Admiral Collins died on 3 September 1989.
Dechaineux
The second submarine class was Dechaineux
Captain Emile Frank Verlain Dechaineux was born in Launceston, Tasmania on 3 October 1902 and entered the RANC in 1916.
At the outbreak of World War II the then Commander Dechaineux was serving at the Admiralty, having gone to England for a staff course. He commanded the destroyer HMS Vivacious during the Dunkirk evacuation, later commanded HMS Eglington before returning to Australia in 1941 with his DSC and served in Navy Office until commissioning the new destroyer, HMAS Warramunga, in 1942. Warramunga was involved in escort duties on the Eastern Australian coast and New Guinea waters. Warramunga was also engaged in shore bombardments in support of ground forces.
In 1943 he was promoted Captain and assumed command of the cruiser HMAS Australia, flagship of Commodore Collins, in March 1944. Under his command, the cruiser took part in bombardments and landings as the Allied forces pushed back to the Philippines.
HMAS Australia was part of the bombardment force supporting the Allied landing at Leyte in the central Philippines. One the morning of 21 October, a Japanese dive bomber was engaged by HMAS Shropshire and Australia and hit. At first appearing to fly away from the ships, it turned and dived into Australia, hitting the foremast and causing a large explosion and intense petrol fire. Captain Dechaineux died of wounds received in the attack. He was posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit (Degree of Officer) by the United States Government.
Sheean
Ordinary Seaman Edward Sheean was born in Barrington, Tasmania on 23 December 1923 and joined the RAN on 21 April 1941.
After serving in shore establishments he joined the new corvette HMAS Armidale on her commissioning on 11 June 1942. Following a period of escort duties in Australian and New Guinea waters, Armidale was ordered to Darwin in October 1942.
Late in November 1942 Armidale and her sister ship HMAS Castlemaine went to Betano in Timor to reinforce guerrilla forces there and to evacuate civilians. After surviving three Japanese air attacks, Armidale was attacked by nine torpedo bombers, three fighters and a float plane. Two torpedoes hit the ship and she sank within five minutes.
Ordinary Seaman Sheean was wounded twice while trying to reach the side of the ship to abandon. He returned to his gun and continued firing, shooting down enemy aircraft before he was killed.
He was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches.
The other submarine classes were Farncomb, Rankin, Waller.
Further information about the servicemen along with pictures of them can be found on the link on the email and internet editions of this broadcast.
http://www.navy.gov.au/Submarine_Names
www.fistsdownunder.org
(Sourced from the Royal Australian Navy website)
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Promotion of Amateur Radio
National Field Day for Australia Idea
The following article comes from Fred Swainston VK3DAC.
Over the last 12 months many of you have been seeking information in relation into how we can collectively promote Amateur Radio and increase the number of candidates for exams. As we all know these numbers have been dropping in recent months.
It had been suggested that we create an opportunity to take Amateur Radio to the general public in the form of a National Field Day for the promotion of AR. This idea has come from multiple sources and has been taken up in 2010 as part of the centenary celebrations.
Currently planning is under way and a day early in October, the first Saturday, seems to be a realistic date for the event. As details are finalised they will be published on the WIA website and appear as news items in the broadcast as well as direct advice to trainers, assessors and learning facilitators.
This is a great opportunity for AR trainers, assessors, learning facilitators and clubs to participate in an event that encourages new entrants to AR.
The intention is to make this an annual 'fun' AR event.
More information to follow.
(Regards from Fred Swainston VK3DAC)
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VK7 NEWS
QSL Bureau Operations
Hello fellow Amateurs in Tasmania.
The following is a reminder of how the QSL Bureau works in VK7.
The QSL bureau is funded by the WIA and is for the exclusive use of members of the WIA.
The QSL manager is appointed by the WIA and is supported by the WIA is all respects.
The QSL bureau operates two ways:
Outbound:
For outbound cards, each member of the WIA is responsible for the on-forwarding of their own cards to the VK2 QSL bureau at Teralba in NSW.
Members should send their cards, sorted in DX CC country order, to the WIA outwards QSL bureau addressed as follows:
WIA Outwards QSL Bureau
P.O. Box 3073
Teralba NSW 2284
Members of REAST Inc. in Southern Tasmania have the option of sending their cards to the Domain clubrooms where REAST will pay the cost of member's cards. The QSL manager, on visiting the domain will collect all REAST/WIA member's cards only.
Amateurs are reminded that if they are not members of the WIA, they have no rights in regard to the use of the QSL bureau.
Inbound:
Inbound cards, both nationally and internationally, are posted to the vk7 QSL post office box in Hobart.
The QSL manager, John VK7RT, collects and sorts WIA member's cards and sends them on to the respective WIA members. This is either by hand to the domain or S.A.S.E. Mail to others.
The WIA policy is that it is the members responsibility for funding such mailouts.
Amateur cards belonging to non WIA members are kept in a box at the manager's residence.
Non members are to contact John to allow them the opportunity of making suitable arrangements for collecting their own cards.
The WIA is adamant that QSL managers do not in any way put time into the sorting of non-member's cards.
Full information about the QSL bureau can be found on the web site at http://www.wia.org.au/members/QSL/about/
(73, John, VK7RT)
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VK7 EVENTS CALENDAR
A summary of the events across VK7 over the coming months:
WICEN – 27 April to 2 May – TARGA Tasmania all around VK7
http://tas.wicen.org.au/
REAST – April 28 – ATV Experimenter's Nights – Queen's Domain Clubrooms from 7:30pm
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
CCARC – May 1 – Starting at 1.30 pm will be the next meeting of CCARC – details in next week's broadcast.
http://www.my-x15.net/ccarc
REAST – May 5 – Heard Island DXpedition VK0IR Presentation on the big screen. Starts 8pm in the Queens's Domain Clubrooms.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#HeardIsland
NTARC - May 12 - "Digital Modes for Dinosaurs - and Dynamos" Starts 7:30pm at Alanvale Campus of the Tasmanian Skills Institute.
www.ntarc.net
And advanced warning for the diaries of all VK7 amateurs – CHARCT Central Highlands Hamfest at Miena in the Central Highlands on December 4th 2010.
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Northern News
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club
www.ntarc.net
The May General Meeting of the Northern Tasmania Amateur Radio Club, Inc will be held on Wednesday, 12 May 2010 at our normal club venue, Block B, Alanvale campus of the Skills Institute of Tasmania, Newnham and timed for a 7.30 pm start.
Just find Block B and then follow the signs to the meeting room.
Last week we gave you a bit of a taste of the topic for our May meeting. This week we can reveal all.
The topic will be "Digital Modes for Dinosaurs - and Dynamos".
Led by the inimitable Phil, VK7JJ, this session will be interactive, aimed at enabling those of us with more turns on the coil than we care to count, to experience the delights and de-mystify the strange world of the digital communication modes that have emerged on our bands, particularly the HF bands, over the past couple of decades.
As the title suggests, the session will also aim to excite the interest of some of our more recent and younger members, particularly the F calls and show them yet another reason to pursue an upgrade of their licence so they too can join in this frontier activity and become past masters well before they too reach Dinosaur status.
The seed for this session was sown at the February General Meeting, when in a "show and tell" moment, Phil held aloft a recently acquired SignaLink digital mode interface box, with integrated USB soundcard, that he had recently imported from the USA.
In the intervening period, the newly formed Wicen-North group arranged a bulk purchase of a further 10 such devices and obtained a very substantial saving on each as a result. One further was purchased privately , meaning that we now have at least 12 among NTARC members.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wicennorth
These will form the basis of the session. A number of laptops and radios will be on site. Being the sound planners we are - despite any rumours to the contrary - we have also arranged a tame out-station to be on air, to ensure that the sessions are indeed realistic. Thanks to Greg, VK7YAD for holding up that end for us.
Rumour has it that a number of our neighbours from the Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club Inc are intending to come along for the night. So there you are. It promises to be yet another night to remember and we can only urge that you don't miss it.
Looking slightly further ahead, we might venture up into the lofty heights of Mt Barrow, well at least as far as the Interpretation Center, for our June meeting, weather permitting. If so, this will take the form of a BBQ and general social evening in what really is a most unique and pleasant spot.
In the months beyond that, we will try to give life to some suggested meeting topics that arose at the April meeting, with definite starters being "The Magic of the 6 Meter Band" and "Test Gear - What to buy, What to avoid, How much to pay and How to use it all safely".
Then there is talk of another sit-down dining social function as we head towards Spring. More news on all of that as we get closer.
Speaking of Wicen-North, as we were a moment ago, at least 3 members, VK7IH, VK7NKT and VK7MX will take part in the upcoming St Helens Equine Endurance Event, the first such outing for WICEN in the north for very many years. We are sure that it will be but a taste of things to come.
In closing, an admittedly introspective thought. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being considered a dinosaur - just so long as you haven't stopped moving and become a fossil!
73,
(Bill, VK7MX, President NTARC)
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NORTH WEST News
Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club (CCARC)
CCARC News
http://www.my-x15.net/ccarc
CCARC members are advised that the next meeting of CCARC will take place next Saturday, the 1st of May at 1.30 pm. The venue is Penguin Lions club rooms, Corner Ironcliff Road and King Edward Street, Penguin, Tasmania.
Please note that the committee that was published recently in the April edition of Amateur Radio magazine was incorrect. The 2010 CCARC committee is:
President: David Spicer VK7EX
Vice-President: Steven Lloyd VK7FXXX
Secretary: David Cleland VK7DC
Treasurer: Dick Whatley VK7FORF
Committee person: Eric Edwards VK7FEJE
The Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club has been invited to join WICEN (South) to provide communications coverage for an equine endurance Riders for a 24 hour event coming up at St Helens, starting midnight Friday the 21st of May, so if you want to be involved contact David VK7DC.
Want to become an Amateur?
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 the meeting but would like to find out more about the hobby 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
Regards from
(David, VK7DC, Secretary, CCARC)
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North West Tasmania Amateur Television Group
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup/
eQSO Chat Room
The Club now has a chat room available on eQSO courtesy VK7AX.
The Server and chat rooms can be found on eQSO under the Call sign of VK7AX.
Two Rooms are available at the moment, "101English" and "ATV & SSTV" Chat.
An eQSO RF gateway with a link to the VK7RTV 2M. Repeater is permanently connected to the 101ENGLISH Room, which effectively means all 2M. VK7RTV repeater both way traffic is available when connected to the 101ENGLISH Chat room of VK7AX.
It is suggested that NON RF type traffic use the "ATV & SSTV" Chat Room where it is more private and clients need not worry about being connected to a repeater network.
Amateurs interested in eQSO can download the software which is free and available at http://www.eqso.org
Registration of the software is the same procedure as EchoLink in that applicants need to verify that they are licensed amateurs by submitting a copy of their current Lic. to the eQSO Admin Team. Once the Station is verified, a user password and Registration Key is returned by email within 24 hours.
Amateur Radio Licence Assesments and Training
Persons in the N/West Area of VK7 interested in Training and Assessments for all classes of Amateur Radio are advised that the Club can provide all these requirements and in addition provision of Facilitators via the Radio and Electronics School if candidates so desire.
For more information regarding these facilities, please contact the Club's Learning Organizer Tony VK7AX, or the Club. Contact details can be found on the Club Web Site or the WIA site under VK7 Clubs.,
73's until next time
(Tony VK7AX, News Officer NWT-ATV Group)
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Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
http://reast.asn.au/
May Presentation
VK0IR Heard Island DXpedition Presentation
Our May presentation will be a professional video presentation created by James Brookes, 9V1YC of the 1997 DXpedition to Heard Island.
The presentation will be projected on to the big screen along with Dolby Digital audio.
This presentation has many references and some great archival film of the original ANARE expeditions to Heard Island in the 1940 and 50s.
The presentation also covers the history of Heard Island and some great film of the wildlife found on Heard Island.
Called "Outpost at the Edge" it covers the start from the Reunion Islands the transporting, setup of the operating tents, the operating and then the tear-down.
With over 80,000 contacts logged in the three weeks it is a great presentation about a famous DXpedition.
It is professionally filmed and edited by 9V1YC and is 50 minutes long.
See you there.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#HeardIsland
(REAST Committee)
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ATV Experimenters Night
We had a fantastic roll-up on Wednesday night and it was great to see Dave VK7FDJB and Geoff VK7FGGA along again.
We spent most of the night recording the WIA National broadcast and a great big thank you to Mike VK7MJ, Steve VK7OO, Paul VK7PAH, Warren VK7FEET, Ken VK7DY, Graham VK7ZGK, Scott VK7FRRT, Patrick VK2FPJB and Peter Lee who all contributed. A great joint effort, thanks guys.
We did show some ATV in the Meet the Voice compilation and did some playing with the superimpose feature on the video mixer.
After all that we headed into the clubrooms for a well earned cup of tea!
This week's ATV Experimenter's night will be showing the video of our Tour of the ABC Radio and TV studios a few weeks ago.
If you are capable of transmitting 1250MHz ATV signals toward the Queen's Domain, we would like to hear from you.
We now have the ability to receive 1250MHz ATV and retransmit as part of the ATV program – a kind of – manual ATV repeater!
We will also be working on getting our ATV streaming PC up and going within the studio.
Interested? We get underway from around 7:30pm – on analogue UHF TV – just below SBS on 444.25MHz and very soon to be on DVB-T – 446.5MHz!
Hope to see you along.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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ACMA News
ACMA Increases Licence Fee
Fred Swainston WIARTO lets us know that they have been advised of a licence fee increase.
From the 5th April 2010 licence fees will be $65.00 with licence variations remaining at $41.00.
Regards
(Fred Swainston, WIARTO)
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DX News
Oceania DX
WEST MALAYSIA, 9M2. After his Sarawak activity, Mirek, VK6DXI will be QRV as 9M8DX/2 from April 20 to 29. Activity will be holiday style using mostly CW on 30, 17 and 12 meters. QSL to home call.
CHATHAM ISLANDS, ZL7. Kaz, JH1HRJ will be QRV as ZL7J from April 27 to May 3. Activity will be on 160 to 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL to home call.
www.arrl.org
(ARRL DX News)
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Space News
Ten Hams in Orbit Now
Six of the seven astronauts on the shuttle Discovery are licensed radio amateurs and will join four radio hams already on the International Space Station (ISS).
The shuttle Discovery (STS131) crew consists of:
Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, KE5DAT
Stephanie Wilson, KD5DZE
Naoko Yamazaki, KE5DAS
James P. Dutton, Jr., KE5HOE,
Rick Mastracchio, KC5ZTE,
Clayton Anderson, KD5PLA
Alan Poindexter
And already onboard the ISS are radio hams:
Tracy Caldwell Dyson, KF5DBF
Timothy J. Creamer, KC5WKI
Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP
Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF
along with Oleg Kotov and Alexander Skvortsov.
This has got to be some sort of record!!
(Sourced from the AMSAT News Service)
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General News
Volcanic Ash and RF
Dale VK4DMC asked the question on the VK-VHF mailing list in relation to the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland and resulting volcanic ash clouds covering many areas in Europe and a few of the local hams up this way in far North VK4 have been discussing its possible effects and/or interference on radio signals.
Dale comments that he has researched the subject on the net where there are many discussions about the effects of volcanic dust on all sorts of things I cannot find anything relating to RF interference. My own thoughts on this suggest that there may not be much interference due to the composition of the volcanic dust being mainly silica and other inert minerals.
David Moore on the list made the following tongue in cheek comment "I'm not sure about interference but it definitely had a big impact on Aircraft Enhancement scatter propagation"
There aint none!!!.
Kent WA5VJB came back with the following comment – "The first article had said that the ash was affecting TV signals in Iceland. But the attenuation was most likely the 200 kg of ash on top of the transmitter antennas, not dust in the air.
https://lists.ozlabs.org/listinfo/vk-vhf
Also posted on the FISTS mailing list was an alternate comment in relation to the ash from Graham G3ZOD -
"I don't know of any effects on HF, but on 6m it's been nice being free from aircraft reflections/flutter!"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fistscw/
So there are positives and negatives from this phenomenal event.
(Sourced from the VK-VHF & FISTSCW Mailing Lists)
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Web & Email Edition Extra Bits!!
ANZAC Day Links:
http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Diamantina_(I)
http://hmascastlemaine.com/
http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Whyalla_(I)
http://www.ozatwar.com/greenst.htm
http://www.warbirdadventures.com.au/
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2010/tcswat_activities.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Vampire_(D11)
Make Magazine
http://makezine.com/magazine/
Learn Scratch Programming
http://learnscratch.org/
Apollo 13 Material
http://www.universetoday.com/2010/04/17/never-before-published-images-of-apollo-13-recovery/
http://www.universetoday.com/2010/04/08/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13/
http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/25/teacher-astronauts-legacy-uncovered-22-yearss-after-challenger-disaster/
Space Educators Handbook
http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/
http://www.challenger.org/programs/51Llessons.cfm
Space Calendar
http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/dates.html
Top 10 Computer Scams
http://www.geeknewscentral.com/2010/04/18/computer-scams-to-avoid/
Top 10 NASA Flubs
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1982672_1982673_1982669,00.html
Top 10 Surprising Facts about the Bible
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1910141_1910142,00.html
Top Secret Space Vehicle – not so top secret!
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/100421preview/
Those Amazing Solar Images
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar-observatory-first-photos-100421.html
http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=sdo-first-light-100421-02.jpg&cap=A+full-disk+multiwavelength+extreme+ultraviolet+image+of+the+sun+taken+by+the+new+Solar+Dynamics+Observatory+%28SDO+%29+on+March+30%2C+2010.+This+is+one+of+t
iPhone Battery Life Doubles with special skin
http://www.elektor.com/news/iphone-battery-life-doubles-by-1-2-ah-power-skin.1331503.lynkx?utm_source=UK&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news
Mini Linux PC
http://www.elektor.com/news/mini-linux-pc-for-universal-use.1329797.lynkx?utm_source=UK&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news
Who is injured determines who gets the blame
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100416144636.htm
Time is just a frequency
http://wedothatradio.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/time-is-a-frequency/
Looking for that word?
http://phrontistery.info/
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
80m: VK7ZK
40m: VK7TW
20m: VK7AR
10m: VK7ZGK
UHF CB: VK7??
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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