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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK

 Oh... and to contact us with your news because
 If It Matters To You It Matters To Us!

 email nationalnews(AT)wia.org.au 

 http://www.wia.org.au  (click news in member area) Submit your audio news 

 Please.. If you are only submitting text and not audio, write your story as
 you would expect to hear it being read back and NEVER send just links & url's.
 
 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 WIANEWS for week commencing Aug 16 2009    
  
 SPECIAL CALL GB 1 SSB.
 
 north queensland amateur radio convention.

 MAJOR CHANGES IN TONGA.

 weird and wonderful, piddle  power. 

 MARINE CORPS BANS SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES.

 All up and coming in this edition of
 WIANEWS for week commencing Aug 16


 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  


 SouthGate Amater Radio Club News are reporting that an ARES team are safe
 after tyhoon disaster scare!
 
 Welfare concerns about a Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League emergency comms
 group have been allayed, with the report that the team has made it to safe,
 dry ground.

 Ted Yu BV2OO, Solo Chen BM5ABU and K.L. Wu BM6AHR and two doctors and four
 nurses flew by helicopter, amid rough turbulent weather, to reach Chin-Ho
 surrounded by the worst floods in Taiwan in 50 years.

 Quickly setting up the ham radio station equipment the ARES team began using
 the 40m band, with their situation report communications helping the rescue
 and recovery operation.

 The team had to flee for their own safety when a lake broke its banks and
 threatened to inundate where they had set up. They made it to a cabbage field
 where they slept before resuming their emergency communications efforts to
 tell everyone they were ‘alive and kicking’.

 ARES was last known to be using 7.080MHz. 





 We,ve come a long way since the days this weekend in VK commemorates, the
 end of the hostilities of World War Two.

 From Morse to Digital Radio and all stops in between!

 In the United Kingdom a very VERY special event station was on air last 
 weekend, and again NEXT weekend, call sign GB 1 SSB 
  
 This has been set up celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first British
 amateur radio station  to use SSB.

 GB1SSB next on air 22-23 August in honour of G2NX the first UK SSB Operator.





 TELSTRA scoops two world records for technology trials with Nortel.

 Telstra and Nortel successfully completed world-first trials of next
 generation 100 Gbps and 40 Gbps transmission over the longest distances ever
 attempted.

 A continuous 2038 kilometre fibre optic link between Adelaide and Sydney was
 used for the 100 Gbps trial, while the 40 Gbps trial took place over 3370
 kilometres on a looped-back section of the Sydney to Adelaide route.

 Both trials used Nortel optical technology on existing Telstra fibre.
 
 Both trials successfully used Nortel's Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
 (DWDM). DWDM is a technology used to increase the capacity and efficiency of
 fibre-based optical networks.

 Telstra has deployed DWDM extensively throughout its inter-capital and 
 regional networks but these world-first trials have demonstrated Nortel DWDM
 equipment on existing Telstra fibre infrastructure.

 (Telstra Media Contact: David Luff: Reference Number: 215/2009)





 MFJ Enterprises have announced they have purchased the Cushcraft Amateur Radio
 antennas product line. According to MFJ, Cushcraft -- makers of HF/VHF/UHF
 vertical, beam and Yagi antennas for the Amateur Radio community will continue
 to be manufactured in New Hampshire. "We are excited to have the Cushcraft
 Amateur Radio Antennas product line alongside our other five companies,"
 said Martin F. Jue, President and founder of MFJ Enterprises, Inc.
 
 (vk4im adam)





 Westlakes club  have arranged to have Jeff Johnson VK4XJJ present a talk on 
 his trek across Australia   Now listed for  Saturday August 22nd in the
 Westlakes club Library due to a double booking by Jeff for the 29th.
 Also Westlakes in conjunction with Port Stephens ARC have registered and are
 operating Norah Head Lighthouse today,as VK2ATZ portable. 





 Bunya Mts & District Amcom Inc. held its AGM on Sunday 9th August. The venue
 chosen for this year was the Maidenwell Pub. After an hour's friendly chat
 and a well presented and delicious meal members settled down to the main
 reason for the visit to this scenic area.
 
 The club executive elected for the ensuing year are
 President  Neil Holmes VK4NF
 Vice President   Reg Kerslake VK4AQU
 Secretary/Treasurer   Rick Lammas VK4NRL
 




 The 2009 North Queensland Amateur Radio Convention
 will be happening in the garrison city of Townsville from
 Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September.

 Daytime events will be happening at James Cook University

 Douglas Campus with night time events centred on one
 of the better bistros and convention rooms in the city.

 Visits, lectures and displays are already firming up in the planning.

 The registration deadline for Convention services is Friday August 28th.

 For an electronic copy of the Venue and Events notes and a
 Registration Form either surf to the TARC website
 http://www.tarc.org.au
 or send a message to the TARC email address
 vk4wit(AT)wia.org.au





 Wally, VK6YS in organizing an IOTA expedition to Robertson Island (OC-211)
 between 29 December and 4 January.

 Wally and Nigel VK6NI are looking for another two operators!

 Wally can be contacted via email vk6ys(AT)iinet.net.au





 SCARC 2009 Annual General Meeting (AGM) 25/11/2009
  
 The South Coast Amateur Radio Club Inc. (SCARC) is holding it's AGM at SCARC
 Clubrooms - 16 Roberts Road, Hackham West.

 Members are requested to attend, with visitors and guests more than welcome.

 Apologies and or questions to Club Secretary secretary(AT)scarc.org.au

 More info at www.scarc.org.au 





 EDUCATION YOUTH AND ADVANCEMENT OF AMATEUR RADIO   
 www.hamcollege.com.au   
 

 A bright and sunny Sunday in  Melbourne last weekend saw lots of smiles as
 Ark's Academy students sat their exams following the standard license course
 which was held over the last five weeks.

 The Results were Six Students passed their Advanced License, Eleven their
 Standard and two Students passed regulations.

 Congratulations to all  students from the Arks Academy team, Instructors 
 Lino, Ivy , Hannah ,Jim and John  and Of course from the Assessor Team 
 of Keith, Lionel , Peter and the "Examinator" John..

 Well done everyone and we look forward to hearing all those new 
 callsigns on the air  before too much longer."

 (John Fisher VK3ARK / VK3DQ / M0GJF )




 On Saturday the 1st of August, the Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club Inc held
 it's inaugural Examination assessments, this was held at the home of Keith 
 Winkler VK7KW the clubs learning facilitator, also in attendance was the
 clubs newly indorsed examination assessor Vernon French VK7VF.

 Two candidates sat for their Foundation Licence and passed with flying colours
 the candidates are Steven Lloyd who has applied for the callsign of VK7FXXX,
 and Hamish Carnegie who has applied for the callsign of VK7FHAM.

 Both Steven and Hamish expressed how professional and relaxing the exams were
 conducted and thank the team for providing the service.

 We look forward to hearing the new callsigns on air in the very near future
 and when you do please make contact and welcome them to this wonderful hobby
 of ours.

 To all radio and electronic enthusiasts out there who listen to our bands and
 have thought you would like to become an Amateur Radio Operator then the
 Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club can offer learning and examination facilities
 to anyone who wishes to have a go, you do not have to be a member of the club
 to use these facilities and all contacts and exam information is available on
 their web page but if you would like to become a member of this progressive
 active and open club you would be made most welcome, the membership
 application form and club rules are available to anyone from that web site.
 
 To find that page google Cradle Mountain Amateur Radio Club or visit
 wia.org.au and check out the VK7 club pages.

 (David, VK7EX, President, CCARC)





 AMSAT-UK ANNOUNCES FUNCUBE

 AMSAT-UK has announced a new amateur satellite project called FUNcube.
 This is an educational single cubesat project with the goal of educating
 young people about radio, space, physics and electronics.

 FUNcube will support the educational science, technology, engineering,
 and math curricula and at the same time provide an additional resource
 for the Radio Society of Great Britain's GB4FUN Mobile Communications
 Center.

 The target audience consists of primary and secondary school pupils and
 FUNcube will have a high power 145 MHz telemetry beacon that will
 provide a strong signal for the pupils to easily receive.  It will also
 carry a UHF to VHF linear transponder that will have up to 1 watt and
 which can be used by radio amateurs worldwide for SSB and CW communications.
 
 (ARNewsLine)





 MEDIA WATCH 
 www.wiaq.com/admin/uploads/weeklytally.rtf 
 www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WorldRadio.html  

 Amateur Radio Previews
 August  2009

 Nip down to your newsagent and get the August issue of Amateur Radio.

 Look for the dramatic photo of a huge 26 metre dish on the front cover.

 Lloyd Butler VK5BR is a regular contributor to Amateur Radio. He is back on
 page 5 with a simple little test meter to check if the currents in the 
 two legs of a transmission line are in balance. Not only does Lloyd describe
 how to build and operate the meter, but he delivers a good bit of thoughtful
 theory about the ifs and buts surrrounding the performance of an
 RF transmission line.

 WIA President Michael Owen VK3KI is using his wide-angle lens this month,
 taking an analytical look at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
 and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). (See page 3) The very
 existence of amateur radio relies on these two bodies, and the WIA has a
 vital role to play in the complex fabric of regional organizations that link
 back to them. Michael’s grasp of how this all works, and could work better,
 is second to none. It is certainly complex, but it is required reading if
 you value the future of amateur radio.
 
 The WIA turns 100 next year and a Centenary Committee is already planning a
 series of articles to record and celebrate the history of amateur radio.
 Peter Wolfenden VK3RV is appealing for articles, clippings and/or photos
 to be published in this series. Can you help?? Get all the details on page 4.

 We always mention the regular columns which are presented every month in
 Amateur Radio. They are all written by experts in their fields and keep
 you up-to-date on your special interest. And there are also reports from
 all States on club activities – pages of them!

 (Tom Potter VK3UBS)





 INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to RSGB, Southgate AR Club, the ARRL, 
 Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.   
 
 LAPTOPS AND NOTEBOOKS REPLACING DESK PC'S

 The age of the desktop PC appears to be over.  This as its more portable
 cousins, the laptop and notebook surge ahead with consumers clamouring
 for light-weight computers in funky designs for use at home, in cafes
 and on the heir to work.

 Not a single desktop model figured on online shopping portal
 Amazon.com's top 10 selling PC and hardware list the weekend before
 Christmas 2008.  However seven laptop models made the list.

 Those who watch trends in the computer industry say that this is yet
 another sign that the former dominance of desktop PCs is fading.  The
 reason being that advances in wireless technology and lower prices make
 laptops and notebooks the preferred option for millions of PC users
 around the world.





 MAJOR CHANGES IN TONGA

 Major changes are taking place in amateur radio in Tonga.  This, according 
 to Paul Kidd, A-35-R-K, who tells the Ohio Penn DX Newsletter that he 
 recently had a meeting with that nations radio Licensing Officer and the 
 Technical Officer in the newly formed Department of  Communications.


 Amateur Radio Newsline's Don Carlson, KQ6FM, says that in the past, amateur
 radio licenses in Tonga have been managed and issued by a variety of different
 government agencies.  That’s now changed with the creation of the Department
 of Communications which is already building a website and plans to make
 license application forms available online.

 For newcomers, a 'Novice' or some other type of entry level license may be 
 created to encourage more activity.  The formation of a club station and 
 licensing classes, possibly through the Tonga Maritime Training Institute, 
 was also discussed.

 Licensing procedures for visiting operators and yachts in transit will be 
 simplified, especially for those entering the country somewhere other than 
 the capital.  The new agency may make it possible for visitors to apply 
 on-line, however, they will still want to see an applicant in person before 
 issuing a license.

 As to call signs, A35 single letter suffix calls may soon be issued to 
 resident Advanced Class licensees, and possibly to special event and 
 contest operations as well.
 
 Maybe most important of all, A35RK says that Tonga now has a government 
 Emergency Response Plan, and amateur radio participation in it is 
 authorized.  This, in conjunction with the Tonga Defense Force, the Tonga 
 Meteorological Service, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and the Tonga Red 
 Cross.  In all some very positive steps forward for ham radio in that nation.





 K0DQ FIRST EVER TO WIN ALL MAJOR DX CONTESTS SINGLE OP

 A McLean, Virginia ham operating the 2008 CW weekend of the CQ World Wide 
 DX Contest has perhaps become the only person ever to win single-op world 
 championships in all six major ham radio DX contests
 John Scott Redd, K0DQ, on the air from Aruba as P40Q racked up over a 
 million more points than his closest competitor in the Single-Operator Low 
 Power Class

 Redd got his first taste of contest victory back in 1966 as a Navy officer 
 posted to Uruguay and operating CX2CO in the phone weekend of the CQ World 
 Wide DX Contest.  Redd worked his way up through the Navy ranks to Vice 
 Admiral and became Commander of the Fifth Fleet.  He then served as a 
 civilian in the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority and as Director of the 
 National Counterterrorism Center before retiring in late 2007.

 But ham radio and contesting were never far away, and operating from Mexico 
 as XE1IIJ in the early 1970s, Redd  won single-op world championships in 
 the CQWW Phone Contest, the ARRL DX Phone and CW Contests and the CQ WPX 
 Phone Contest. Thirty years later, when his professional life permitted a 
 little more hamming time, he  added the WPX CW crown as P41P, operating 
 from P43P's station in Aruba, in 2002. The only prize that eluded him was 
 the CQWW CW.  That is until now. 





 WEIRD AND WONDERFUL

 Piddle  Power 

 Urine-powered cars, homes and personal electronic devices could be available
 in six months with new technology developed by scientists from Ohio University.

 Using a nickel-based electrode, the scientists can create large amounts of 
 cheap hydrogen from urine that could be burned or used in fuel cells.

 "One cow can provide enough energy to supply hot water for 19 houses," said
 Gerardine Botte, a professor at Ohio University developing the technology. 
 "Soldiers in the field could carry their own fuel."               
  
 Chemically binding hydrogen to other elements, like oxygen to create water,
 makes it easier to store and transport, but releasing the hydrogen when it's
 needed usually requires financially prohibitive amounts of electricity.
  
 By attaching hydrogen to another element, nitrogen, Botte and her colleagues 
 realized that they can store hydrogen without the exotic environmental
 conditions, and then release it with less electricity, 0.037 Volts instead of
 the 1.23 Volts needed for water.
 
 One molecule of urea, a major component of urine, contains four atoms of
 hydrogen bonded to two atoms of nitrogen. Stick a special nickel electrode
 into a pool of urine, apply an electrical current, and hydrogen gas is
 released.  

 A fuel cell, urine-powered vehicle could theoretically travel 90 miles per 
 gallon. 

 "The waste products from say a chicken farm could be used to produce the
 energy needed to run the farm," for livestock farmers who are required by law
 to pool their animals' waste, large scale prototypes could turn that urine
 into power within six months. 
 
 Smaller versions likely won't be available until after that, so the average
 consumer probably shouldn't start saving their pee just yet.  

 (Frank VK2FJL)





 OPERATIONAL NEWS -  
 
 ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN -  D A T E  L I N E   2009 
 
 AUG 15 - 16	WIA Remembrance Day Contest 
 AUG 15 - 16	ILLW
 AUG 29 - 30    ALARA CONTEST (29th)

 OCT  3 -  4   OCEANIA CONTESTS – SSB
 OCT 10 - 11   OCEANIA CONTESTS - CW
 

 SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON AIR CONTEST COLUMN -  D A T E  L I N E   2010

 March 21-22  John Moyle Field Day 
 

 
 The close off for log entries to the VK Shires is just days away. 
 
 Log entries must be submitted by September 1, to be eligible for awards.

 Submit your electronic log in the Cabrillo format created by all major logging
 programs. Send via e-mail attachment to contest(AT)vkshires.info
 
 Subject line: Callsign used in the contest.

 SINGLE OP stations may submit a paper log, only if they make less than
 100 qsos. 

 VK entrants are reminded to be sure their log indicates their VK shire
 location. If you wented portable or mobile the log must clearly define where
 you changed location.
 
 Click on the “VK SHIRES  Web Formö link on the contest website at
 www.vkshires.info 
 
 (Trent VK4TI)

 




 SPECIAL EVENT CALLS, BEACON DX AND NET ADVICE  
 hf nets ON the net,  www.timroberts-vk4yeh.id.au/

 GB   40  WAB  40th anniversary of the WAB                        Till Dec 31 
     
 OZ 1658  ROS  350th anniversary of the Treaty of Roskilde        Till Dec 31  
 
 VARIOUS  SM STATIONS USING 1658 (Treaty of Roskilde)             Till Dec 31 
    

 VI 2 SRC 50 Summerland Clubs 50th Anniversary (VK2)              Till Aug 31

 VP 9 400 /home call 400th Anniversary of Bermuda                 Till Dec 31    

 VR 2009 EAG  The 5th East Asian Games Hong Kong                  Till Dec 31

 YL 90 AIR   90yrs of Latvian Air Force                           Till Dec 31





 Phillip, ZL2TZE, who back in the days of packet radio put this news out from
 ZL for us, has taken over the now deleted KiwiDX Group which out of the blue
 closed last Sunday week.
 
 The new group is ZLDXC    ZL DX Club and their net, the ZLDXC Net is at 
 0800 UTC  3777 LSB +/-  QSB  Tuesday and Friday nights
 
 Oh and Philip till has his Packet BBS working away but has slowly moved away
 from that and now supports APRS and DX.

 
 Post message: zldxc(AT)yahoogroups.com 
 Subscribe: zldxc-subscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com 
 Unsubscribe: zldxc-unsubscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com 
 List owner: zldxc-owner(AT)yahoogroups.com 

 (73 Phillip ZL2TZE)

  

 
 SEANET - Conference - Korea 2009

 The 37th annual SEANET Convention will  be hosted for the first time in Korea.

 The convention is truly a worthwhile endeavor as it provides the opportunity
 to meet face to face and strengthen the bonds of friendship and learn from
 each other through sharing and discussion of mutual interests.

 The opportunity to attend and participate has given the organisers greater
 understanding of various peoples and cultures that they may not otherwise have
 known. 

 Some travelers may have concerns when visiting Korea with the current
 political climate as well as its proximity to other nations who have had
 SARS outbreaks in the past.  However, everyone who travels to Korea comes to
 see it is a safe, warm, and welcoming city where tourists can comfortably
 enjoy sightseeing and walking throughout its cities, says HL1KDW Chae Do Sook
 Organizing Chairperson.
 

 2009 SEANET Convention in Seoul, Korea
 
 http://www.sabah.net.my/seanet/seanet_2009.htm





 Today 16 August a Special Event Station with the call sign TC17EQ 
 will participate in the Memorial Event for the tragic earthquake, 
 which occurred in the town and region of Izmit (Turkey) on  17 August 
 1999.

 The event will be attended by representatives of the countries 
 that provided international assistance following this disaster 10 
 years ago. In recognition of their key role in emergency 
 communications, the Turkish IARU Member Society, TRAC, has been 
 invited to be part of the official program with a Special Event 
 Station and with two of their emergency communication vehicles.
 
 TC17EQ is expected to be qrv on 20m and 40m, primarily in SSB, mostly 
 near the respective Center of Activity Frequencies for Emergency 
 Communications, and on 30m in CW and PSK. For more details or for 
 skeds with HQS stations please contact TA1E, Aziz Sasa, <ta1e(AT)ttmail.com>.
 
 (Hans, F5VKP / HB9AQS, IARU International Coordinator for Emergency
  Communications.)





 BROADCAST  MONITORING SWL AND SCANNER NEWS
 aus_scanner(AT)yahoogroups.com 
 http://www.scanaustralia.bigpondhosting.com 
 www.scanvictoria.com
 www.tinyurl.com/BITS-026 (A receiver located in NY USA)  
 
    
 PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND RADIO IN LIMBO

 The publisher of Passport to World Band Radio has told readers that the
 future of the famed SWL guide is in "limbo." Acknowledging on the
 Passport's Web site that "solid content" is essential to the success of
 a publication, publisher Larry Magne cited what he termed as other
 considerations as the reason behind the decision to possibly cease publication.
 
 (Sourced to ARRL)





 WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO

 EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES ALL REGIONS
  21.360  -  18.160  -  14.300  -  7.060  -  3.760 MHz.  
 REGION 2 TRY ALSO 3.985 - 7.240 - 7.290 
        


 GAREC-2009! 

 The Fifth Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (GAREC) Conference
 will be held on 24 – 25 August, in connection with the JARL Tokyo Ham Fair.

 The Theme of GAREC-2009 will be "Emergency Communications across Borders".

 The program will include presentations about operations during disasters that
 occurred since last year's conference and discussions about new developments
 in technology and their application in emergency communications. 

 The fifth GAREC continues the work of its four forerunners held in Finland
 Germany and the USA.  

 Please visit
 jarl.or.jp/garec-2009/
 iaru-r3.org/garec-2009/
 




 THALES INTRODUCES SDR LMR PORTABLE

 The US Department of Homeland Security has picked 14 groups from across
 the USA to pilot an ambitious Multi-Band Radio project.  This in an
 attempt to permit all responding units to talk with one another and with
 incident command no matter what frequency or mode of communication they
 use.  Amateur Radio Newsline’s Jeff Clark, K8JAC, says having a fully
 interoperable portable that is comparable to today's single band sets was the
 reason that the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology
 Directorate in 2008 awarded a $6.2 million contract to Thales Communications.

  Its job was to develop and demonstrate the first-ever portable radio
 prototype that lets emergency responders, police, fire-fighters, emergency 
 medical personnel and others communicate with partner agencies, regardless of
 the radio band they operate on.

 The result of that investment by the government is the Thales Liberty
 software defined multiband mobile radio which received FCC certification
 in April.  The prototype is capable of operating in the primary public
 safety bands between 136-174 MHz, 380-520 MHz as well as in the 700 MHz
 and 800 MHz bands.  And because it is software defined it can be
 reconfigured to operate in emerging spectrum that will be dedicated to
 emergency communications as well.
 
 They are priced at priced at a hefty $4,000 to $6,000, each.






 WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP --- MILITARY    
  
 MARINE CORPS BANS SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

 The U.S. Marine Corps has banned MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and several 
 other social media sites from its networks.  The ban which is effective 
 immediately was instituted in response to a late July warning from U.S. 
 Strategic Command.

 According to news reports the Strategic Command told the rest of the 
 military it was considering a Defense Department-wide ban on the Web 2.0 
 sites.  This, due to what the government says are network security concerns.

 The Marine Corps says it will issue waivers to the Web 2.0 blockade if a 
 "mission critical need" can be proven.  They will continue to allow access 
 to the military's internal "SNS-like services." But for most members of the 
 Corps, access to the real, public social networks is now shut off for at 
 least the next 12 months. 

 (Amateur Radio NewsLine)




 Being our RD weekend and comming on on the heels of the past 2 weeks stories
 here on National News of "Winnie The War Winner", an ingenious radio built
 from cocoa tins, toothbrushes and an ashtray by a British engineer held in a
 German prison camp during World War Two is among exhibits at a major
 exhibition looking at the experiences of prisoners of war.


 The story of how Captain Ernest Shackleton made the radio from odds and ends
 he scavenged while in captivity is told in ‘Captured: The Extraordinary Life
 of Prisoners of War’, which has just opened at the Imperial War Museum North
 in Manchester.

 Shackleton was able to use a valve and some capacitors from a broken film
 projector and to make a regenerative receiver covering several wavebands with
 interchangeable coils made from toilet roll tubes.

 Variable capacitor plates were made from Rowntree’s cocoa tins rolled flat
 with a beer bottle and cut with scissors. The spindles were made from clinical
 thermometer cases.

 Two toothbrush handles formed the insulation supports. The rectifier valve
 holder for the power supply was made from a Bakelite ash tray cut and drilled 
 with a penknife.

 The completed set, which ran on mains electricity taken from the lighting, was
 concealed under the floor and operated by knitting needles poked through
 cracks between the boards.

 Used to listen to BBC and American broadcasts, it gave PoWs a link to the 
 outside world to the point where they were often better informed than their 
 guards about the progress of the war.





 Of course not all communication during the war years was by radio, enter
 -- Aldis Lamps.


 The following story is sourced to VK7WI A news and is a fascinating
 war-time story featuring Aldis lamps or blinkers those signalling lamps
 used  to "blink" out code messages at short range usually at sea.

 In 1944, Jack Cambell and Stephanie Batstone struck up a 
 relationship using an unusual method of communication. They never 
 met. Then Jack vanished. Fifty seven years later at the Imperial War 
 Museum, with BBC reporter Sara Parker, they met face to face for the 
 first time.

 During Word War II, Jack Campbell was a signalman in the US Navy. 
 For thirty days his ship was anchored off the Scottish coast in the 
 Firth of Lorne near Oban. Life got a bit lonely on board, so Jack 
 started up a conversation with the shore station - by Aldis lamp. An 
 Aldis lamp was also known as a 'blinker' and was used to flash 
 messages from ship to shore. 

 Stephanie Batstone, a trainee Wren, got 'talking' to Jack by Aldis 
 lamp after he'd helped her out by passing messages onto another 
 ship. Whilst Jack and Stephanie never saw each other, they struck up 
 a relationship across the night waters. "You could say anything to a 
 man on a ship, several miles off! You knew you'd probably never meet 
 them!" remembers Stephanie, ""We were like two people on separate 
 desert islands."  

 Then one morning, invasion in the air, Stephanie looked out across 
 the sea, "The anchorage was completely empty. There were no ships at 
 all. We asked around to find out where they'd gone." It was D-Day, 
 and Allied naval forces were landing on the Northern Coast of 
 France. "I felt he hadn't survived. We heard later that the ships 
 were sunk. The invasion had started from Oban - and that's the big 
 romance of it all." 

 Jack had written to Stephanie, and she had tried to contact him, but 
 wartime has little respect for relationships or the postal service. 
 Fifty years on Jack describes their exchanges as, "just a 
 flirtation." 

 Fifty seven years later, Jack and Stephanie met for the first time. 
 Stephanie had never married. Jack had, and it was his daughter 
 Nicky, at Jack's request, who made contact with Stephanie on a visit 
 to Britain. 

 "I told this story many times," says Jack, "imagine sitting five 
 miles from somebody and carry on a conversation by light and never 
 meeting them. It's thrilling after fifty-seven years to meet 
 somebody I've never talked to."
 
 
 

  
 SOCIAL SCENE        
    
 


 2009
 
 International Telecommunication Union's Telecom World 2009.

   
 

   

 August 22 vk2
 Blue Mountains Amateur Radio Club's Winterfest 18 Simeon Road, Orchard Hills.
   



 SEPT 12 VK4
 Sunshine Coast Amateur Radio club Sunfest, The Woombye School of Arts 
 Blackall Street Woombye. 


 SEP 13 VK5
 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Hamfest 9:30am.
 Goodwood Community Centre, Rosa St Goodwood.


 SEP 18-20 VK4
 North Queensland Amateur Radio Convention, James Cook University,
 Douglas Campus. Surf to theTARCinc website http://www.tarc.org.au
 for event and registration information


 SEP 25 - 27 VK4
 The Central Highland Amateur Radio Club Annual General Meeting at
 Camp Fairbairn near Emerald.






 OCT 11 VK3
 Shepparton and District Amateur Radio Club’s communications and display day
 (Hamfest), St Augustine’s Hall Orr Street Shepparton.
 


 OCT 12 - 16   ZL
 14th IARU R3 Conference Christchurch 12 ? 16 October 2009.
 Details at www.christchurch.org.nz/
 The Region 3 Web Site: www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/


 Oct 31 - Nov 1
 
 Qld Sunshine Coast’s October Camp Catch-up Maidenwell Observatory
 Brisbane valley west of Yarraman. 


 NOV 1  VK2
 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club's "Westlakes Field Day".

 

 2010
 
 JAN 24 VK2
 Mid North Coast Amateur Radio Group's Radio Expo 2010  8.30am St Johns Church
 Hall, Mc Lean Street Coffs Harbour.





 FEBRUARY 14 VK3
 WIA 100 Centre Victoria RadioFest No. 3.


 FEBRUARY 28
 Wyong Field Day,  Wyong Race Course. 





 APRIL 2 VK3
 Midland Amateur Radio Club's Radio, Electronic & Astronomy Expo.
 Venue to be advised.


 JUNE 5 VK2
 Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club's 35th Annual Field Day.



 NOV 7 VK5 
 2010 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Hamfest Rosa St Goodwood


 2012

 JAN 23-FEB 17 YEAR 2012
 World Radio Conference WRC-11 Geneva 23rd January TO 17th February 2012


 MAY 4-7 2012 VK5
 YL International 2012 Australia  (vk5tmc(AT)bigpond.com) 
 

 

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		        - NEWS POSTING TO PACKET - 
 
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