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WIANEWS for WEEK COMMENCING April 19 2015
Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2015-04-19.mp3 Text edition: VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN THE NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING April 19 2015. ET's MICROWAVE OVEN CALLS PARKES The Parkes Radio Telescope had been picking up strange radio signals both at 2.3 - 2.5 GHz and 1.4 GHz. In a paper uploaded to arXiv it seems "Subsequent tests revealed that a peryton can be generated at 1.4 GHz when a microwave oven door is opened prematurely and the telescope is at an appropriate relative angle." This means that if you open a microwave door before it has finished microwaving, it may release a short but strong radio signal which bears a strong resemblance to a Peryton FRB. The Parkes team decided to test the observatory's units and found they could produce perytons by opening the oven door while the microwave oven was running The two ovens responsible for most or all of the observed perytons are both in excess of 27 years of age though still working reliably. Tests point clearly to the magnetron itself as the source of the perytons since these are not detected unless the oven door is opened." C/Net writes that the good news is that this study was able to determine that perytons and FRBs are distinct from one another -- and that the microwaves at the Parkes Observatory could not have been responsible for FRB 010724, the first FRB ever detected by the telescope and the first known FRB. The bad news is that perhaps it's time for the observatory to update its kitchen equipment. cnet.com/au/news/parkes-observatory-extraterrestrial-messages-or-microwave-noodles/ http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.02165 Paul Di Berardino is trying to organise a petition to stop the supply of dodgy mobile repeaters to Australia." His immediate goal is to reach as many signatures as possible and to that end he contacted the WIA National News Service. You can read more and sign the petition here if so inclined: change.org/p/accc-google-malcolm-turnbull-stop-the-supply-of-dodgy-mobile-repeaters-to-australia?recruiter=87137121&utm_source=share_peti tion&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_res ponsive WIA BOARD TALK Remaking VK Amateur LCD The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is to tidy up the Licence Condition Determinations (LCD) that automatically sunset in October. The ACMA proposes only minor updating of the regulations, the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination. Although not due to sunset until April 2018, a sister piece of legislation, the Radiocommunications (Overseas Amateurs Visiting Australia) Class Licence, is also being revised. This will enable harmonisation with the proposed new LCD, so overseas radio amateurs continue their activity while visiting up to 90 days. The proposed LCD minor changes include removal of restrictive regulations following the closure of analogue television, and to clarify power levels in the 472-479 kHz band frequency range. Before it makes changes, drafts of both documents are out for public comment. Submissions must be received by the ACMA on Friday 24 April 2015. To read the full draft materials visit the ACMA website. (Jim Linton VK3PC) WIA AGM MAY 2015 The WIA AGM is to be held in Canberra on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of May. As part of the event CRARC will be hosting a dinner for interstate visitors and local amateurs at the City Labour Club Petrie Plaza Civic commencing at 1800Hrs on Sunday evening 10th May. Although tables have been reserved it will be first in best dressed and you pay for your own meals and drinks. The program and registrations for the WIA AGM can be found on the WIA website. http://www.wia.org.au/joinwia/wia/2015agm/ The WIA ANZAC 100 commemorative broadcast & official opening These will happen on ANZAC Day from our national capital Canberra. In the VK100ANZAC broadcast Wireless Institute of Australia President, Phil Wait VK2ASD, is to have a message from the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, on the occasion of the ANZAC Centenary, 25 April 2015. It will be on Saturday, April 25, at Dawn 0430 hours Australian Eastern Standard Time. In it the Governor-General will refer to 100 years ago, on the 25th of April, a group of ordinary Australians charged onto a foreign shore in the service of our nation. What they couldn't have known as they battled fiercely and heroically on the Gallipoli Peninsula, was their actions, on that fateful day, would inspire and help describe our nation for all the years to follow. The VK100ANZAC broadcast is a tribute to all those who gave service and sacrifice to their nation. Later on ANZAC Day, at 1430 hours AEST which is Dawn in Gallipoli, the official WIA ANZAC 100 program opening occurs. Phil VK2ASD will initiate this Echolink hook-up for the WIA, New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) and the Türkiye Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti (TRAC). Full details of those to participate are yet to be finalised. All ANZAC-suffixed callsigns, and other commemorative stations, are asked to not transmit during the broadcast, nor activate their events for the 30-minute Echolink contact, expected to at least involve Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.(Jim Linton VK3PC) All is ready for ANZAC 100 activities After many weeks of preparation radio amateurs around the world are eagerly awaiting for the Centenary of ANZAC - the coming of age for our nation. ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp, which first saw action on April 25, 1915, and went on to battle on the Western Front. Australian and New Zealand visitors to former ANZAC battlefields in Turkey, France, Belgium and elsewhere, are being very warmly welcomed. The Türkiye Radyo Amatörleri Cemiyeti (TRAC) has set-up repeater TA3EC on Gokceada Island on EchoLink under the callsign TA3EC. TRAC President Aziz Sasa TA1E says the intention is to be listening nearby on 145.550 MHz and 433.550 MHz, as the VK and ZL visitors disembark from buses. Among those attending is June Sim VK4SJ a first generation daughter of a Gallipoli Veteran who will be joined by her son Anthony VK8NCS, at the Dawn Service, and the later service at Lone Pine. There are others, and we wish all of them well during what will be a very respectful observance and commemoration of the WWI battlefield, where the ANZAC and Ottoman Empire soldiers fought during WWI. This international friendship will also have no-less than nine TC100-prefixed stations in Turkey, at Polygon Wood in Belgium now a war cemetery and memorial is OP0PPY. The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters NZART has its ZL100ANZAC on air for a month with its team of DXers looking for many contacts. There are many sites of significance both in WWI and WWII including those in Europe, Malta, South-East Asia, Papua New Guinea and the South-West Pacific. Back in Australia, no less than eight ANZAC-suffixed callsigns will be on air from ANZAC Day. Individual event details are on the WIA website and qrz.com For example, VI7ANZAC by Vince Henderson VK7VH at Moonah will include mini-broadcasts of the actual recollections of ANZAC veterans, diaries and details of Tasmanian Victoria Cross Medal recipients. History told by those who were part of it. A focal point of some activity will be the RSL Club. One of those events is the Tanilba Bay RSL activated by the Port Stephens Amateur Radio Club VK2AOJ. Other clubs will also be at their RSL Club on the weekend. Later on this VK1WIA broadcast we will talk about the WIA website that has become a comprehensive resource on ANZAC 100 events and activities. (Jim Linton VK3PC) JOHN MOYLE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 10 (April 19th 2015) Good Morning, This is Denis (VK4AE), WIA Coordinator for the John Moyle Memorial Field Day. I would like to thank all of those people who have continued to taken the time to prepare and submit their log as entry to this year's contest. There has been a significant increase in the number of logs submitted, when compared with last year. It has been observed that out of some 49 club stations who actually took part in the contest, and contacts were logged by other stations over 20 have not yet made the effort to submit a log on behalf of their club station. An urgent reminder is necessary as time has almost run out. Don't forget that the Snail Mail system this year is even slower than in previous years and letters are being delivered more slowly So do not wait until the last minute as you could miss out getting it here on time. So do not forget that the closing date for entries this year is at midnight on the 19th April, and you really must put in the effort to get your logs to me in time.(AUDIO PROVIDED) HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA. VK1 Canberra clubs next general meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 22nd and at it Dale VK1DSH will be presenting a talk on Amateur satellites Amateurs have had satellites in space since almost the start of the space age. There have been OSCARS in orbit since 1961 and there are many operational satellites that amateurs can use right now. The talk will cover: Some history, What satellites are available, including recordings of what they sound like What is possible Operational issues & setting up a ground station Resources etc. (Amanda VK1WX President) VK4 - QNEWS get local audio news www.wiaq.org.au/ftp/vk4_qnews_64.mp3 get local news emailed The Tableland Radio Group with the Cardwell Bush Telegraph Museum in North Queensland will be putting on a display of old Morse code and old radio equipment on May 29 and 30. The location is the Historic Post Office, in Victoria Street, Cardwell. VK7 vk7 local news, email http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vk7regionalnews/ VK7RMD Update The Mt Duncan tower upgrade was tentatively scheduled for Saturday 11th of April. The fully assembled tower lifted by helicopter and placed directly on the mounting bolts. No small feat of engineering this one and another reason we hams should be VERY supportive of the services we utilise. VK7RMD broadcast this news every Sunday morning on the repeater. DISCUSSION POINT EPISODE 20140504 APRIL 19 What use is an F-call? You're 5 and 9, or 20 over 9, or 5 and 5. It's a phrase that you'll hear regularly in amateur radio conversations as you tune up and down the bands. If we ignore for a moment the readability signal, the first number, in this case "5", which I have to confess is pretty arbitrary. My perfect readability is not going to be the same as yours. The deafer I am, the less likely you're going to get a readability score of "5", let's look at the second number. It's a signal strength. Pretty straight forward. It goes from S0 to S9 and sometimes there are extra decibels added, 10 dB over, or 20 dB over, etc. The S meter in your radio is actually a very sensitive micro ammeter. The dial displays in S-units. What is an S-unit? Well, until 1981 there wasn't a real standard. In the 1930's they'd decided that S9 means 50 microvolts at the input of the receiver, but there wasn't a standard impedance of 50 Ohm, which we take for granted today, so the number is pretty meaningless in terms of power received. In 1981 they defined it as 50 microvolts at the receiver's antenna assuming an input impedance of 50 Ohm. It gets better. The S9 is actually defined as -73 dBm or decibel milliwatts, or 50.12 Pico Watts. Each S-unit is 6dBm, so S8 is -79 dBm, or 12.6 Pico Watt, S5 is 0.2 Pico Watt. If that wasn't enough to make your head explode, radios are rarely calibrated, so one radio's S9 isn't the same as the next one's, worse still, not every radio uses 6 dB per S-unit, so S8 for one radio might be 6 dB, for the next it might be 6.5 dB. And I should add that the Automatic Gain Control in a radio affects the S-meter as well. When you next tell someone that they're 5 and 9, or 20 over 9, just be mindful that it's useful as an indication of what's happening between your station and theirs, but it's not anything that you could use as a definite resource in the future. If you want to read more, there is much to find online. Word of warning. When you read more, your head will explode more, what I've talked about here is grossly simplified and I've not even looked at the actual electronics side of things! Amateur Radio, the more you dig, the more you find. I'm Onno VK6FLAB INTERNATIONAL NEWS Sven vk2iso dropped us a note to say University of Cambridge have unravelled one of the mysteries of electromagnetism, which could enable the design of antennas small enough to be integrated into an electronic chip. These ultra-small antennas the so called 'last frontier' of semiconductor design would be a massive leap forward for wireless communications. The Cambridge team used thin films of piezoelectric materials. They found that at a certain frequency, these materials become not only efficient resonators, but efficient radiators as well, meaning that they can be used as aerials. 2015 NZART AGM & Conference is being held in Hamilton, "Heart of the Waikato," over Queen's Birthday weekend, Friday 29 to Sunday 31st May. The venue will be the Kentucky Lounge at the Te Rapa Racecourse Hamilton and this year is hosted by Hamilton Amateur Radio Club Branch 12 of the NZART. New SA radio regulations published These were published in the government gazette and in short, South African radio amateurs can now, with the exception of a few bands, increase output power to one kilowatt. The 160 meter band has been extended to 2 MHz and as bonus, their Class B licensees were awarded a power increase to 100watt as well. South African Hams have also been given 'propagation studies' permission to transmit between 40.675MHz and 40.685MHz as 'primary users' and use up to 400Watts of power. HAM TOWER COLLAPSE IN VIRGINIA A mother and her two children were trapped in their car in rural Virginia. This after an 80 foot amateur radio tower fell onto their vehicle. Spotsylvania County Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Sposa noted that the tower also fell partially onto a home causing some minor damage to the roof. No one in the home or the vehicle was injured. County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management crews were able to stabilize and remove the debris to free the trapped passengers. Officials believe high winds in the area caused the tower to collapse. The owner of the tower was not named in any news report. ================================================== =========================== OPERATIONAL NEWS 2015 Tablelands Radio Group's AM and CW on ANZAC Day 25 April Harry Angel sprint 80 metres May 2. Trans-Tasman contest 18th July from 0800utc 10-10 INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CONTEST Aug 1 - 2 Remembrance Day Contest August 15 and 16 Oceania DX contest Voice First full weekend in October Oceania DX contest Continuous Wave Second full weekend in October. AWARDS AMSAT Awards Update There is an award for making your first satellite QSO. To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or http://www.amsatnet.com/awards.html SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE Our first story today takes us to VK2 and Julian Sortland. (AUDIO IS IN WEB STORAGE AREA) "HADARC, the Hornsby and District Amateur Radio Club, Inc. will be operating AX 2 IMD from 10:00 am Sydney time on Saturday 25 April until 9:59 the following morning, using voice, CW and Digital modes. It celebrates the first official direct wireless message from the UK to Australia, sent on 22 September 1918, on behalf of Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes, while he was visiting the UK at the end of World War I. It was transmitted by Marconi from Waunfawr, near Caernarfon, on the Menai Strait, in north west Wales. The signal was received by Earnest Fisk at Wahroonga in northern Sydney. Further details on AX2IMD are available on the HADARC and GB4IMD websites. For VK1WIA News this is Julian Sortland, VK2YJS." HADARC's IMD page: http://hadarc.org.au/imd.html IMD Website: http://g4usb.net/IMD/the-award/ The New Zealand Radio DX League invites you to download the April issue of the DX Times for free from the url shown naturally in this weeks text edition available from wia.org.au radiodx.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/DX-Times-Standard-2015-4.pdf This is a marketing promotion aimed at making people aware that the New Zealand Radio DX League exists and is still flourishing 66 years on from its inception! (Paul ZL4PW) GB 1 STG to mark St George's Day, the Patron Saint of England on Thursday, April 23 from Galleywood Common. The Common was the site of an artillery fort during the Napoleonic Wars and today boasts 175 acres with several open spaces to play radio! GB 1 STG Amine, 7 X 2 VB is on the air as 7 U 7 WARD until today 19th celebrating World Amateur Radio Day. Charlie, VK3ZD is active as VK9NW from North West Island, OC-142,in the Coral Sea until 20th April. Activity is mainly on 20 metres QSL via home call VK3ZD. Dino, VE 7 NX will be active as P4/VE7NX from Aruba, SA-036, until 24th April. He will be working mostly CW, but may switch to SSB if needed. QSL via VE 7 NX. NCDXF ANNOUNCES MAJOR GRANT TO THE VK0EK HEARD ISLAND DXPEDITION The Northern California DX Foundation has announced announce a grant of $50,000 to the VK 0 EK Heard Island DXpedition planned for this coming November. In its press release the NCDXF noted that Heard Island has moved up to the number 5 position on the ClubLog Most Wanted List, after the recent Navassa operation was completed. Within the last year the Northern California DX Foundation has given $175,000 in grants to operations in Iran, the Andaman, Navassa, Eritrea, South Sandwich, South Georgia, Chesterfield islands and now Heard Island. It will also be lending its support to a yet unannounced DXpedition which will be in or near the Top Ten Most Wanted. The Northern California DX Foundation has been doing this for the past 42 years. It adds that the credit for these large grants goes to contributors individuals and clubs who believe in supporting it. More is on the web at www.ncdxf.org (NCDXF) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- HAM BALOONING Aussie balloon circumnavigates southern hemisphere After being released in Victoria Australia on Easter Monday (April 6), the foil party-type balloon PS41 has achieved the longest range in project Picospace and gone around the world. Earlier, its sister balloon PS-30 went down on January 16 in suspected poor weather, off the east coast of Africa near Madagascar. The latest solar powered helium filled balloon PS-41 launched by Andy Nguyen VK3YT on April 6, has an HF payload, transmitting 25mW on the 30m and 20m bands, sending WSPR spots and JT9 telemetry. The high-attitude balloon took a path over Tasmania, then south of New Zealand, the southern tip of South America, directly over the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, well south of Africa, and back to Australia where it began. While south of Tasmania, it abruptly changed course acting like a petulant child to be on a southerly track, instead of heading straight across its initial path. Another balloon PS-42 had earlier made its way to the Southern Pacific between New Zealand and South America, before splashing down. Andy Nguyen VK3YT says still afloat is the balloon PS-41 tracked extensively via JT9 by a network in VK, ZL, South America and South Africa, and Ireland. WSPR spots have as received all over the world. How much longer the pico balloon will stay afloat in for anyone to guess - but we congratulate Andy VK3YT, his team and the trackers as near-space exploration continues.(Jim Linton VK3PC) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ARDF INDIAN FOX The Quilon Amateur Radio League in association with the Alappuzha Amateur Radio Society organised a direction finding hunt in Alappuzha on Sunday, April 12 The story even made the Hindu Newspaper who reported: 'Armed with directional antennas, five teams participated in the search for a hidden transmitter, the 'fox', which was kept at an undisclosed location within 30 km of the Town Square, which was the starting point. During the hunt, signals or 'howls' are transmitted once in every five minutes and the participants are required to locate the transmitter by tracing the signals that are emitted." Quilon Amateur Radio League http://www.vu2qar.com/ WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- CW FISTS welcome others to join their nets All FISTS Down Under nets now start at 1000 hours UTC or 8pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. The CW nets on 7.028 MHz for an hour each Tuesday with net controller Chris VK1CT, and Wednesday for Slow CW with Garry VK2YA. An SSB FISTS net is Thursday on either 7.058 MHz or 3.538MHz - depending on band conditions, with net control being George VK2DLF. All nets are +/- QRM. (Jim Linton VK3PC) WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- IOTA Brian GW 4 DVB returned for his third visit to Palm Island in the Caribbean territory of St Vincent from 13th to 22nd April. His callsign is J 88 PI and counts as NA-025 for IOTA. He is operating on 40 - 6m SSB and QSLs go via the home call GW 4 DVB. REWIND a look back at history Australian submarine played important Gallipoli role The Royal Australian Navy Submarine HMAS AE2, which was at the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara, will be part of the ANZAC Centenary Commemoration. It was the only Australian Naval Vessel to be involved directly in the Gallipoli campaign and will be commemorated by the callsign VI4AE2. -------------------- On April 25th 2015, the Special Event Station VI4AE2 will go to air for the period of just five days to commemorate the gallant Officers and Sailors of the Royal Australian Navy Submarine HMAS AE2. This was the only Australian Naval Vessel stationed at the Dardanelles to be involved in the Gallipoli campaign. HMAS AE2 successfully breached the defences of the Dardanelles to break into the Sea of Marmara. Her brave Officers and Sailors survived this arduous journey after shelling from the Turkish shore batteries, running aground narrowly the submarine nets and deadly minefields that threatened oblivion at every moment. Upon surviving this treacherous voyage to the Sea of Marmara, HMAS AE2 rose to the surface to send off a message to alert command of her strategic position. This signal sent by Telegrapher William Falconer using the Submarine's Marconi Type 10 Spark transmitter changed the course of Australian Military history. It is believed to have influenced the decision of General Sir Ian Hamilton, which saw the Anzacs stay and fight at Gallipoli for the next 8 months. Six operators will variously put VI4AE2 to air over the five days from April 25th through to April 30th in honour of the five days the HMAS AE2 followed its orders to "RUN AMOK IN THE SEA OF MARMARA". A very informative webpage has been set up at QRZ.com, search for VI4AE2 for details of Operators and operating times and frequencies. The Amateur Radio Operators of this special event call sign are as follows, Mike Charteris: VK4QS Ex Royal Australian Navy Mike Paterson: VK4MIK Ex Royal Australian Navy Doc Wescombe-Down VK5BUG Ex Royal Australian Navy Alan Shannon VK4SN Ex Royal Australian Air Force Peter Hewitson VK4QC Ex Maritime Coast Radio Operator Bob Beck VK4RJ Ex P29, Rabaul Plantation Manager We all look forward to working you in honour of the Crew of the HMAS AE2 "VI4AE2" SOCIAL SCENE 2015 April 25 VK3 ANZAC Day Radio Afternoon Ballarat Showgrounds ( vk3fmpb ) May 1-3 VK4 Clairview Gathering contact RADAR's VK4ACC 04 2963 2815 May 9 VK3 Moorabbin & Dist. Hamfest Southern Community Centre Mulgrave May 9 VK4 BARCFEST Salvation Army Hall Calamvale May 9-10 VK WIA AGM Canberra June 5- 7 VK4 Central Highlands ARC & Theresa Creek Campout, Clermont. June 6- 7 VK2 Queens Birthday 40th annual Oxley Region Field Day June 6- 7 VK5 51st South East Radio Group Convention / Australian Foxhunting Championship FINAL FINAL ANZAC 100 program on the WIA website All information on this Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) initiative is now online. The ANZAC 100 campaign that begins in earnest next weekend includes commemorative stations throughout Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Turkey, and elsewhere. The WIA website lists those events in detail, invites registration by AX-prefix callsign users on the ANZAC weekend, and has other related events here in Australia and overseas. Operating Award details are there also for the ANZAC Centenary, and AX-prefixed stations, including the rules and how to claim. All Australian ANZAC callsign events, the eight on April 25 and 26 and 40 in total until December, file an electronic log. The WIA will send these to eQSL. Looking for details on the ANZAC 100 campaign? The WIA website dedicated segment is likely has to have the information you need. It can be read at www.wia.org.au (Jim Linton VK3PC) ================================================== =========================== WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide. TWITTER http://twitter.com/VK1WIA Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed prior to the actual broadcast date, e-mail Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers you may lodge a quick reply to let us know you read it, who knows, you might even get a "cheerio call". Thanks to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who utilize their time and equipment in bringing you this weekly broadcast. Who and where are they? http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/ The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of interest to active amateurs residing in Australia and the globe. We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of Australia and participation in the activities of local clubs. Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who submit material and do not necessarily reflect those of the rebroadcasters, nor the National WIA, but are broadcast in the spirit in which they were submitted." Material may be reproduced in whole or in part, in any form, a credit to WIANews wouldn't go astray... Who listens to radio? A weekly 'tally sheet' is sent to all rebroadcasters and interested listeners, to get your free copy send a blank email to:- Put the word subscribe in the title or subject field How do I join this National News List? (subscribe for an automatic weekly feed.) Email to from the email account that you wish the emails to go to. How do I leave this National News List? (unsubscribe your weekly feed) Open mail program which sends mail from the address you want to unsubscribe. Send mail to the list unsubscribe address You will be sent a confirmation mail and must follow the instructions given in that mail to complete the unsubscription. Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will probably receive another message confirming your unsubscription from the list, and at that point you should stop receiving messages. National News compiled by VK4BB on behalf of the National WIA. .. ------------- _______________________________________________ Vk1wia-news mailing list http://lists.wia.org.au/mailman/listinfo/vk1wia-news |
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