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VK3EUB/TPK 1.83e Msg #:440 Local Date: 10-02-2013 Time: 11:17 PM (12:17 UTC)
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WIANEWS WEEK COMMENCING FEBRUARY 3 2013.
Australia Day Honour for VK3
The Centre Victoria RadioFest
First award for all Victorian National Parks
THESE STORIES AND MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE
OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING FEB 03 2013.
Australia Day Honour
Congratulations go to Peter Mill VK3APO who has been recognised for
years of community service through the Australia Day Honours. Receiving
the Medal (OAM) in the General Division, he was given the honour on our
National Day January 26, for service to the community, particularly in
the field of radio communications. Peter VK3APO said, "The honour caught
me by total surprise. I never dreamt of being rewarded in such a way for
something I enjoy doing and contributes in a small way to the efficient
use of the radio spectrum. "He earned the honour after decades of
voluntary service in the field that saw his early involvement with the
planning of the first amateur radio repeaters in Australia.
At Albury in July 1972, he was present when it was decided that a 600Hz
shift between the transmitter and frequency be adopted for repeaters
on the 2-metre band. He looks after the vast Amateur Radio Victoria
network, is the WIA Repeater and Beacon Coordinator responsible for ACMA
applications, plus the maintenance, enhancement and submissions related
to the communications for St John Ambulance Australia. During the years
he has had a lot of input on frequency assignments in consultation with
users, including those for state-wide or national emergency use and the
deployment of new transmission modes. Peter VK3APO, a WIA life member,
has a respect and understanding with the staff of the ACMA, both at a
state and federal level.
He listens to other viewpoints before making a decision, is seen as a
representative in many forums, and readily shares his knowledge, skill
and experience with others.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WIA BOARD TALK
President Phil Wait VK2ASD vk2asd@wia.org.au
Vice President Chris Platt VK5CP vk5cp@wia.org.au
Secretary David Williams VK3RU vk3ru@wia.org.au
Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz@wia.org.au
Discover - 3 February 2013, 0'42"
Have you prepared for the last weekend in May; the 2013 WIA AGM and
Conference?
Once you've made it to Western Australia, you should take the opportunity
to extend your stay and visit the vast country that represents this state,
from a million acres in El Questro Wilderness Park, to the Karri Forests
in the South West, from the dolphins in Monkey Mia to the Super Pit in
Kalgoorlie, from the beaches in Broome, to the wineries in Margaret River,
Western Australia is an enormous place and you should take the time to meet
it head on.
The 2013 WIA AGM and Conference, it's all about Engaging, Learning,
Appreciating, Socializing and Discovering.
You'll find all the information online at the VK6 conference site,
conference.vk6.net
BEST OF ALL registrations are now open for the 2013 Annual Conference and
you will also find the online registration form at that conference.vk6.net
site.
The Conference is on the last weekend of May, 24th-26th, at the Tradewinds
Hotel Fremantle.
The organisers have negotiated a special room price for the conference, and
you'll need to mention the WIA Conference at the time of making your hotel
reservation with Tradewinds hotel. Their phone number is (08) 9339 8188
and their website is http://www.tradewindshotel.com.au/
There is an early bird discount of $10 per person for registrations made
before April 1st, so do get in early to save a few bucks.
The WIA gives Australian radio amateurs and electronics enthusiasts access
to an extensive range of locally and internationally sourced publications
including those from the ARRL and the RSGB.
Our bookshop is designed to provide you with a simple and secure way to
purchase the latest amateur radio books and publications online. We use a
secure commercial e-commerce gateway for all credit card transactions and
delivery to your door is provided by Australia Post.
Purchasing the latest in amateur radio publications is both secure and easy.
We hold a wide range of the most popular publications suitable for those
starting out in the hobby as well as books popular with the more experienced
hobbyists.
If there is a particular publication that you are trying to locate that is
not listed in our online catalogue, then we would be more than happy to help
you. Please send an email with the details of the book you are looking for
to bookshop@wia.org.au
Both WIA members and non-members are able to purchase from the WIA online
bookshop, however the bookshop provides significant discounts to members
of the Wireless Institute of Australia.
From time to time we do run specials on some publications, so keep an eye
on your Amateur Radio magazine each month for details.
This is Mal VK3FDSL for the WIA Bookshop
HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.
VK3
web service:- http://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/
The Centre Victoria RadioFest
Yes only a week to go, before this big amateur radio event is held Sunday
February the 10th at Kyneton Racecourse, only an hour from Bendigo,
Ballarat and Melbourne.
Socialise, see, learn and enjoy. Entry tickets on sale from 9am with the
gates opening at 10am. Free for children aged under 13.
Hot breakfast from 8am with food catering throughout the day. Free tea and
coffee.
Commercial sellers are in the Traders Hall, there's a Second-hand Sellers
Market and a variety of Club Corner displays.
A full display of the Elecraft K-line will be on show thanks to
Gary Gregory VK1ZZ, as well as vintage radio and club displays.
The Mini-lectures are Wayne Merry VK3WAM - 'Summit on the Air',
Kevin Forbes VK3UKF - things in orbit, Drew Diamond VK3XU - homebrewing,
and Alan Devin VK3XPD and Michael Coleman VK3XH - an alternative entry
to the Millimetre Wave Bands.
Ready to help you enjoy the event are volunteers from Amateur Radio
Victoria and the Central Goldfields Amateur Radio Club.
For full details please visit the website radiofest.amateurradio.com.au
See you at the Centre Victoria RadioFest, next Sunday February the 10th.
I'm Barry Robinson VK3PV and you are listening to VK1WIA.
VK2
web service:- http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm
VKG Roundup http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news
Wyong Field Day 24th February 2013
In numerology, keywords of the number 21 are communication and society with
versatility a positive characteristic as well.
What has this got to do with Amateur Radio?
Well it's just 21 days until Amateur Radio's big day out where Australian
amateurs will communicate, socialise and show off their versatility.
21 days until Wyong Field Day, 24th February 2013, the largest gathering in
the Southern Hemisphere.
Gates open 6.30am - Traders open 9am - Free shuttle bus from Wyong Station
Lucky Gate prizes, Raffles, Lectures, Flea Market and much more
Admission $15 Adults - under 17 free
For more information, please go to the website: www.fieldday.org.au
Wyong Field Day proudly brought to you by the
Central Coast Amateur Radio Club www.ccarc.org.au
DISCUSSION POINT
What use is an f-call?
It occurred to me recently that there are people listening who don't yet
have a license of any kind. They may be listening with a shortwave receiver,
a handheld, on a local CB repeater who relays the news, or they might have
downloaded the news from one of the many places that it's available.
I've been talking about having an F-call, or Foundation Call, that is,
having passed a foundation licence and applied for an amateur radio
call-sign. It's a simple step to take and one that is easy to achieve once
you know how.
So, if you're in a position to hear what I'm talking about, but you don't
have a license, this is for you. And if you do have a license, then I have
something for you shortly.
Let me start off with the notion that getting an Amateur Radio License is
hard. It's not. Let me say that again. It's not hard to get an Amateur Radio
License. You need access to basic learning skills, the ability to understand
and follow discussions. You'll need to be able to remember a couple of
things and you will need to learn the NATO standard phonetic alphabet.
In terms of electronics, there is a little maths, but nothing more
sophisticated than a few fractions and some simple addition and subtraction.
There is no requirement for morse code - though I suspect once you find
yourself with a license, you might want to start investigating that - I
know I am.
In terms of time, depending on how you do it, as a Scout it will take a
long weekend, you can do it online, or get a book and teach yourself, or
you can go to your local Amateur Radio Assessor who can teach you,
generally a weekend of theory and practice, followed by an exam on the
next weekend.
You should budget for around $200 bucks for course materials, exam, license
application fee and coffee.
Of course that's the beginning of the journey. The Wireless Institute of
Australia has much of this information available and there are several
other amateur organisations in Australia who will happily help you out.
As promised, If you already have a license, then perhaps it might be
helpful to go to a local science teacher, or the local yacht club or
community radio station and introduce the concept of Amateur Radio to
their midst.
I'm Onno VK6FLAB]
INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, SARL,
Southgate AR Club, ARRL, Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART,
ARVictoria and the WW sources of the WIA.A
MSAT-NA WEBSITE COMPROMISED BY HACKING
AMSAT North America says that on or about January 20th its main web site
at www.amsat.org was compromised by a hacker. The attack took the form of
the contents of the supporting database, including non-public information,
being posted on other publicly available web sites.
According to AMSAT, the main site was developed roughly 10 years ago by
a group of AMSAT volunteers under a more benign Internet environment of
the time. The team that built that site is no longer associated with
AMSAT, so work has been underway over the last several months to move to
a modern, maintainable, and very secure infrastructure. AMSAT says that
this recent breach will accelerate that activity.
NAB BROADCAST ENGINEERING CONFERENCE TOPICS ANNOUNCED
The National Association of Broadcasters has released a list of topics
for its Broadcast Engineering Conference for its trade show this spring.
For radio broadcasters some of the more interesting programs include
Advanced Technologies for Radio; IP for Radio; Spectrum Matters;
Technical Regulatory Issues; Radio Receiver Technologies; AM Band
Revitalization; Cloud Based Storage and Distribution and Planning for
Safety.
Also planned is a special RF Boot Camp called Understanding Radio and
Television Transmission. This is designed for personnel who might be
unfamiliar with transmission technology but should have a solid
acquaintance with it such as station and network I-T personnel or small
station management.
The National Association of Broadcasters Convention is slated for April
6th to the 11th in Las Vegas, Nevada.
THE 21ST CENTURY PHONE BOOTH EMERGES IN NYC
In the wake of Super storm Sandy, the humble phone booth took on renewed
importance in the Metro New York area. This as cut-off residents used
pay phones to try to connect with one another during and after the
emergency.
New York City has officially launched a plan to transform pay phones into
giant touch screens that provide city information, emergency broadcasts
and local business deals. Located in the same places as existing phone
booths, the new platforms are to be operated as a partnership between New
York City, Cisco Corporation and City 24/7.
These smart screens were tested in a pilot project but now are live across
the city and appear to be very reliable. Like traditional phone booths
they will also serve as a communication tool during emergencies but in a
far more sophisticated way. For instance, in the event of another
disaster like Hurricane Sandy, the screens will become two-way distress
devices that let citizens call for help or receive instructions about how
to find safety.
Welcome to the phone booth of the 21st century.
Promoting amateur radio in the Philippines
The inaugural Regional 'Radshow' (Radio Show) is at City of San Fernando
on February the 4th to the 9th, and IARU member society the Philippine
Amateur Radio Association (PARA) is participating.
The conference-trade event of the National Telecommunications Commission
is organised with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council, and Philippine Red Cross.
It aims to create an awareness of radio communications during disasters.
Ham Emergency Radio Operators have shown their value during recent typhoons.
PARA has been invited to Radshow to hold examinations for prospective radio
amateurs.
Foundation Licence DY exam seminars will be led by Alex Laguisma 4F3LA, who
is the PARA Manager for DU3.
Finally if you are lucky enough to be travelling to the USA for DAYTON
listen up:-
Reservations and tickets are now available for the 24th Annual Dayton
TopBand dinner slated for Friday evening May 17th.
This year's venue is the Presidential Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza hotel
in downtown Dayton, Ohio. Social hour is at 6:15 PM and the dinner begins
at 7:15 PM. All times are Eastern Daylight. Noted Top Band enthusiast
Larry "Tree" Tyree, N6TR, will be this years featured speaker. More is
on-line at topbanddinner.com
OPERATIONAL NEWS
Hi This is Ed, VK2JI from the Central Coast ARC and I'm happy to report
that all is arranged for the upcoming Mini Contest University at Wyong
on the 23rd. of February.
The venue is booked, the equipment arranged, a full program of lectures in
place and even the location of the Field Day and MCU dinner set.
The flow of attendee registrations has been very encouraging but we still
have room for a few more however only those who registered before the end
of January will be entered into the prize draw for the DX handbook.
Full details about the MCU and the Field Day itself can be found on the
web at www.fieldday.org.au
73 and "see you at Wyong", this is Ed VK2JI.
SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX and BEACON AND NET ADVICE
Alpine Ski World Championships - Special Event
Every Austrian amateur radio operator has a chance to operate with the
special callsign OE2013(???) (their own suffix) between January 15th and
February 18th (2013).
Activity is to celebrate the Alpine Ski World Championships 2013 taking
place in Schladming.
An award is available for three different classes (Gold, Platinum and
Diamond). Each class requires a certain number of special event stations
and OE stations logged. Each special event station or OE station will
only count once on each band. All bands and the below listed modes may
be used; the only exception Packet radio and Echo Link contacts do not
count.
The award may be worked in the following modes:
CW, SSB, DIGITAL, MIXED and QRP (max. 10 Watts).
For complete details, visit:
http://wmdiplom2013.oevsv.at/export/sites/wmdiplom2013
/downloads/Diplomausschreibung_Englisch.pdf]
F6ITD will be on the air stroke FG from Guadeloupe and two islands between
February 1st and March 25th. He will be using SSB and the Digital modes
during his stay.
Logs will be uploaded to both ClubLog and Logbook of the World. QSL via
his home call F6ITD direct or via the bureau. Special event station
8 J 6 HAM will be operational from the Island of Kyushu Japan, until
March 3rd. Activity is in celebration of the 12th West Japan Ham Fair
with operations on all bands and using many modes.
QSL via the JARL Bureau.
AA 9 A will again be active from Antigua between February 11th and
the 20th using a new callsign V 24 A.
Operations should be on 160 through 10 meters using CW, SSB and possibly
RTTY. QSL via his home callsign AA9A direct or the bureau.
8N119T - celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Tokyo Fire Department
(119 is the emergency fire/ambulance number in Japan). On now until
25 March on all HF bands and modes.
F 6 KOP expected to be active from Uganda as 5 X 8 C between Feb 6 to 18
from a location some 20 Km from Entebbe airport. 5X8CX has announced they
will comply to the last IARU band plan on 40 meters for the region with
the frequencies of the PSK and RTTY moved to 7040 and 7042 kHz.
For more details see www.5x2013.com
OPERATIONAL AND AWARD NEWS - DATELINE 2013
ZL Jock White Memorial Field Day Contest Sat and Sun Feb 23 and 24.
WW International Museums Weekends June 15/16 and 22/23
First award for all Victorian National Parks
The honour of the first Keith Roget Memorial National Parks Award by
operating from all 45 parks, goes to Peter Fraser VK3ZPF.
Award Manager Tony Hambling VK3VTH said this is a great effort that
has taken several years of dedication to achieve. Well done and
congratulations.
Not only did Peter VK3ZPF operate portable from all national parks, but
also worked from 25 of them on the 20m, 40m and 80m bands. In addition
he made contact with 25 on mixed bands and 15 on 40m.
So far Amateur Radio Victoria has issued 13 certificates and a few more
are expected, particularly after the 3rd KRMNPA Activity Weekend on
November the 15th to the 17th.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FEMALES IN RADIO
BRF-Young Ladies-Award
The international DX-group Brave Radio Friends has instituted the Young
Ladies-Award. The award is open to all amateur radio operators and on a
heard basis to shortwave listeners under the same rules:
Each YL worldwide only counts once with her personal call sign.
Club call signs or special event stations also count, provided that it is
sure from the QSL card that the station was operated by a YL. In this
case, however, each call sign only counts once, even if it was operated
by different YL's. QSL cards by YL-SWLs also count towards the award.
There are no time restrictions. Contacts can have been made/heard prior to
the start of this award.
The award can only be applied for electronically by e-mail to
de3ear@darc.de
There is no award fee.
http://braveradiofriends.weebly.com
(forwarded by Trent VK4TS)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER
NASA TRANSMITS MONA LISA IMAGE TO ORBITER AT THE MOON
As part of the first demonstration of laser communication with a
satellite orbiting the moon, scientists with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter program have successfully transmitted an image of the Mona Lisa
to the spacecraft from Earth using only a high powered laser.
The digitized image travelled some 240,000 miles form from the Next
Generation Satellite Laser Ranging station at NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland to the Lunar Orbiter Laser
Altimeter instrument on the spacecraft. By transmitting the image
piggyback on laser pulses that are routinely sent to track the devices
position, the team achieved simultaneous laser communication and
satellite location. The success of the laser transmission was verified
by returning the image to Earth using the spacecraft's radio telemetry
system.
NASA TO ADD EXPANDABLE MODULE TO THE ISS
NASA has officially signed a contract to attach an inflatable private
module to the International Space Station. Under the agreement announced
on January 11th, NASA will pay $17.8 million to the Nevada based private
spaceflight firm Bigelow Aerospace for the company's Expandable Activity
Module or BEAM which will be attached to the orbital lab as a technology
demonstration.
NASA officials have said that BEAM could be on orbit about two years
after getting official approval. The module will likely be launched by
one of the agency's contract cargo carriers such as SpaceX or Orbital
Sciences Corporation.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR OLD-TIMERS
http://www.raotc.org.au
Hallo everyone, the Old Timers are back again!
This is Clive VK6CSW letting you know that tomorrow, Monday Feb 4th, you
can hear the first of this year's Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club of
Australia's monthly newscasts.
Tomorrow's feature is the story behind the issuing of a US Patent for a
wireless telegraphy system some years before Marconi was born.
The principal HF transmission is on 20 metres on 14,150 MHz USB.
At 0100 UTC it is beamed north from Melbourne for Eastern states listeners
and at 0200 UTC the transmission is beamed westward for VK6 listeners.
Also at 0200 UTC Barry VK6WF will be transmitting on 40m on 7060 kHz LSB
for WA country listeners beyond our linked repeater system coverage.
South Australian listeners may well be able to copy this transmission, too.
Numerous other local relays occur throughout the day on various HF and VHF
frequencies. To find the times and frequencies for your area please visit
the RAOTC website at www.raotc.org.au
Everyone, RAOTC members and non-members alike, is invited to listen to
this interesting half-hour of Old Timer news, information and stories,
and of course, call backs afterwards from all listeners are very welcome.
So once again, the RAOTC monthly bulletin can be heard tomorrow,
Monday February 4th.
73 from Clive VK6CSW.
W2LPT HONOURED WITH QCWA 75 YEAR AWARD
Quarter Century Wireless Association Palm Beach Chapter member Seymour
"Sy" Levine, W2LPT is to be presented with the prestigious 75 Year Award
from QCWA National Headquarters. W2LPT was first licensed in 1938 in
New York City. The ceremony was to take place at the Veterans
Administration Hospital in Riviera Beach, Florida. In addition to the
award, Levine was also to be presented with a Life Membership in the
National QCWA.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO SCOUTING
Scout radio hams identified
Helping to further raise the profile of amateur radio at the Jamboree On
The Air, held each October, and at another gatherings of scouts, is the
identification of those already licenced.
The latest to join this recognition is the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)
that has a special patch to be displayed on their uniform.
It follows the Scouts Australia initiative, which has a badge on the right
sleeve of the uniform. A similar change has happened in The Netherlands.
Now all BSA youth members and adult leaders who also hold a licence are
eligible to wear the patch, with the words 'Amateur Radio Operator'.
The American scouts have long given a similar recognition, starting with
the Wireless Merit Badge in 1914 and moving to the Radio Merit Badge in
1924.
The latest move in Australia, The Netherlands and now USA readily
identifies the achievement and promotes the hobby, with the first exposure
to it for many being through the scouts.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO IARU REGION 3
Emergency Centre of Activity (CoA) frequencies
3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz
WICEN involvement in flooding
The Queensland flood disaster continues, but as that state begins its
big clean-up and recovery phase, a picture of emergency communications
provided by radio amateurs is starting to emerge.
Initial reports from Ewan McLeod VK4ERM, the WIA National WICEN
Coordinator, are that HF links were requested by Queensland's Water
Police from Brisbane to Cairns.
Other WICEN help was given to the Townsville and Rockhampton regions
pending repair of Telstra of its fibre optic cables to north.
Widespread power and communication disruption will take a number of
days work by repair crews.
No more is immediately known about WICEN and its emergency role, but
this should be learnt in coming days.
At least six people have died in Queensland. Others are missing. Many
thousands are homeless and sheltering in relief centres, while some
towns remain inundated and isolated.
The weather system, ex-tropical cyclone Oswald that caused record
flooding in many areas, has moved south to affect parts of
New South Wales.
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Regon 3 Disaster Communications Committee)
GAREC 2013 in Switzerland
The Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference (GAREC) is the premier
annual event attended by those with an interest in amateur radio providing
emergency communications during training exercises or in response to
disasters.
Since it was first held in 2005, the conference has taken place in all
three IARU regions and is open to all emergency communications groups.
GAREC returns to IARU Region 1 to be held in Zurich, Switzerland, between
the 25th to 28th June, preceding the famous HAM RADIO exhibition in
Friedrichshafen, Germany, so people can enjoy both events.
General information on GAREC 2013 and registration details are now
available at www.garec2013.ch/
Among the draft topics are the relevance of Amateur Radio Emergency
Communication in the '1st World', and the HAMNET high speed data network,
along with IARU regional reports and presentations from groups with
recent disaster relief communications operations.
The past GAREC presentations are now available at www.iaru.org/garec.html
(Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman, IARU Region 3
Disaster Communications Committee)
SOCIAL SCENE 2013
FEB 2 VK3 HOMEBREW & CONSTRUCTORS MEET 2PM 40G VICTORY BLVD., ASHBURTON.
FEB 10 VK3 CENTRE VICTORIA RADIOFEST AT KYNETON.
FEB 23 VK Wyong Mini Contest University Wyong racecourse
FEB 24 VK WYONG FIELD DAY Wyong Racecourse
MAR 24 VK7 "Meet the Voice" barbecue at Ross.
MAY 3- 5 VK4 Clairview AR Weekend details 04 296 32815
MAY 24-26 VK6 WIA AGM AND CONFERENCE IN PERTH
JUL 20 VK3 Gippsland Gate Radio & Electronics Club Hamfest
AUG 17-18 WW ILLW
OCT 3-7 VK4 North Queensland Amateur Radio Convention Charters Towers
NOV 2 VK4 Gold Coast ARS HamFest at Albert Waterways Hall.
NOV 3 VK5 HamFest Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society Goodwood.
NOV 15-17 VK3 Victorian National Parks Weekend
NOV 24 VK3 Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club: Rosebud RadioFest
Thanks to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize
their time and equipment in bringing you this weekly broadcast.
The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to
active amateurs residing in Australia and the globe.
Compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA.
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