Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2018-01-14.mp3 Text edition:

January 14th 2018 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA


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THIS IS NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING JANUARY 14th 2018.



Hello Bryan - Hello Rob and hello listeners and those who may be out and about or returning from their WIA VHF/UHF field day station (depending on when you are listening to this broadcast)


Broadcast Assistance needed*
Rob as we mentioned to listeners on last weeks broadcast WIA National News - Graham VK4BB is taking a break from his role of anchor, presenter.
The WIA Board is taking this opportunity to share the load of sourcing, editing, presenting and recording the vK1WIA broadcast.
First up a shout out to Brett Marley VK7FTAS who has offered to join the Broadcast Team as a Presenter. Brett works for for Triple M in Hobart He has agreed to do the International News segment in place of Jason VK2LAW who has after many years of dedicated service has decided to take a break for a while. Many thanks Jason for your help and hard work over the many years you have been contributing to the broadcast.
However what are are in really urgent need of is EDITORS. This important role generates material for us the presenters and anchors.
The WIA Board has approved Terms of Reference and Role Descriptions to define the various roles*and you can read these on the About Broadcast page on the website, click on Broadcast under the Members tab on the WIA Website
So are you good with sourcing amateur radio news from the various sources and the Internet? and are you good at writing and proofing textual material and promoting our great hobby?
The take a look at the take at the role description and terms of reference documents on the website and send us an email and let us know you are interested -*send us your emails to

We mentioned the Associates Program on last weeks news broadcast - have you registered and checked out the new website Bryan
The key to it to include your unique callsign into the URL string when you give the URL to others to log into, and these creates the association been yourself and those who you have invited to register to access the website. (have a look and come up with some comments)


Login and register on the WIA new Associate Website
https://contact.wia.org.au



The future of Amateur Radio update

A key part of how we operate is known as the Australian Communications and Media
Authority (ACMA) Licence Conditions Determinations (LCD).

The WIA Board has received some inquiries about the LCD submission following the
three consultation surveys in June 2017.

There were more than 1100 respondents form the Amateur Radio community.

The first survey showed that future Amateur Radio licencing must not be less than
what is in the current apparatus licencing.

Respondents wanted to see reduced regulation and greater self-determination.

In relation to permitted power levels - it must be reviewed in a sensible,
pragmatic way for all licence levels taking into account personal safety and
electromagnetic emissions.

The second survey shows the need for digital models for Foundation licensees and
access to more bands for Foundation licensees.

Support the Standard Licence included access to more bands and higher power.

For advanced licences harmonisation in 160 m and 80 m, new allocation at 5.3 MHz,
primary status in 50-52 MHz, allocation at 5.3 MHz, primary status in 50-52 MHz,
access to 70-70.5 MHz and the 918-925 MHz ISM band.

There was overwhelming support for a relaxation of permitted bandwidths and an
increase in power to 1000 W for the Advanced Licence.

There was also overwhelming support for the balance between the three grades oflicences.

The third survey sought to address outstanding issues with licence conditions.
The first question asked about clarifying the interference, station
identification, retransmission and operation of repeaters.

The WIA will be pushing to expedite the implementation of the LCD recommendations.

The ACMA is expected to begin its review of the LCD later this year.
(Jim Linton VK3PC)



Illegal radio operator to know fate in February


Trinadad and Tobago Newsday reports Court of Appeal judges are to decide
on the punishment of a ham radio operator who operated radio transmitting
equipment without a licence in 2007

The newspaper says:

A magistrate's order in 2011, which led to Desi-Lee Bonterre being discharged
of the two offences has been overturned by Justices of Appeal
Alice Yorke-Soo Hon and Mark Mohammed.

They have substituted a guilty verdict and will consider the appropriate
punishment for Bonterre in February. Bonterre was charged by the
Telecommunications Authority (TATT) on September 12, 2007, for operating
radio transmitting equipment without a licence at his home in Carenage.

He was eventually granted a licence by TATT and Bonterre's attorney
Sastri Roberts asked the judges for leniency for his client, who he
said worked with REACT and the Red Cross.

Read the full story at
http://newsday.co.tt/2017/12/18/ille...fate-february/





Peter Parker VK3YE has let us know that the next Melbourne QRP by the Bay will be on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at Chelsea beach. Heres Peter with more about QRP by the bay

In summary - Gather Chelsea Beach in Victory Park (near the lifesaving club) from 3pm.
Bring along a project, interesting piece of equipment or idea. Melbourne QRP by the Bay is a social event for all things homebrew and QRP amateur radio.




AX prefix on Australia's national day

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) automatically allows all radio amateurs to substitute their normal VK callsign prefix with the letters AX, every Australia Day. Our national day this year falls on Friday 26th of January. This gives radio amateurs the chance to be part of the commemoration the First Fleet's arrival in 1788 at Sydney Gove and the establishment of a European settlement at Port Jackson, with the raising of the British flag by Governor Arthur Phillip.

On Australia Day many celebrate our country and culture. This includes the granting of awards, honours and the welcoming to citizenship of many immigrants. National flags will be flown and the celebrations include fireworks displays.

The AX prefix is popular among prefix hunters and others. The use of a special QSL card is encouraged by the Wireless Institute of Australia.




The home of the good guys
A radio amateur from Far North Queensland has achieved a lot for a remote village while on holidays in the Solomon Islands.
Shane Lynd VK4KHZ visits the village of Busuone once a year, and has been helping to build a guest house/holiday home and teaching a couple of the locals about amateur radio.
Shane VK4KHZ was there for five weeks and taught a couple of the local teenagers who want to become H44 amateur radio operators some basic amateur radio techniques and operating.
During openings on 6m there was also a
keen bunch of local on-lookers with many asking questions such as where is that person?
One local in particular, Gibson Laeni, after several days of observing, was confident enough to grab the H44DA microphone and call CQ under supervision.
With some further assistance, Gibson could become the first Busuone ham in the future.
Shane's volunteer work included the purchase of two diesel generators, the installation of 300 m of underground electrical cable and switchboard to provide reticulated power.
All homes in Busuone village now have electric lighting and at least four general power outlets.
In addition he purchased and installed two polyethelene water tanks and provided guttering and downpipes to the house in order to capture as much rainwater as possible. The village girls used to collect water daily from a remote freshwater stream which is fair distance from the village. Two days after the water tanks were installed monsoon rain filled the main water tank to capacity.
He also installed a proper flushing toilet (known by the villagers as the white-man toilet) and a septic tank in order to provide some creature comforts for future tourist or visitors.(Jim Linton VK3PC)


- Australias Most Wanted - Restorers Needed
A cry for help has gone out from the Royal Flying Doctor Museum in Cloncurry Queensland
for anyone with the necessary skills to help with the restoration of the
three Traeger Pedal Wireless Transmitters recently donated to the Museum.
If you can help out then please contact any of the following people
Townsville - Ian Rose 0447733782
Brisbane - Bob Cumming VK4YBN 0419915400
Townsville - Gavin Reibelt VK4ZZ 0427182469



International News



HAM GRANTED PATENT FOR "INVISIBILITY CLOAK"

It's no secret that hams are inventive. Paul Braun
WD9GCO tells us about one ham in New England whose latest invention has
won him yet another U.S. patent.

PAUL: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a Massachusetts
radio amateur a patent for an invisibility cloak that provides
deflective electromagnetic shielding for ships, spacecraft, antennas,
satellites, rockets, towers and other structures.

Inventor Nathan Cohen W1YW, the founder of Fractal Antenna Systems Inc.
issued a statement saying that while the company's previous patent
covers an invisibility cloak itself, this technology can deflect
electromagnetic waves, leaving an object invisible to those waves. The
camouflage occurs at the level of heat and radio wavelengths. A press
release from the company noted that the cloaking is possible even over a
wide bandwidth. It can be used for defense and intelligence but also has
commercial applications for towers and antennas.

According to his QRZ profile, Nathan isn't just a fractal antenna
specialist but an enthusiastic DXer.

This is the latest patent to be granted to the firm.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.


CUBAN AMATEURS SCORE HIGH MARKS

The latest licensing exam in Cuba has produced plenty of
new amateurs and quite a few impressive upgrades, as we hear from KevinTrotman N5PRE.

KEVIN: Radio amateurs in Cuba have proven themselves to be scholars. The
FRC, the Cuban Radio Federation, reports that 98 percent of the
candidates taking the licensing test on December 16th have passed. That
means Cuba will have 103 newly licensed hams, gaining call signs with a
CL prefix and 100 others qualified for upgrades to higher levels of
licensing, with call sign prefixes of CM and CO.

The FRC reports that this rate of success surpasses performance on the
previous exam by 8 percent.

The FRC announced that it was pleased with these latest test results and
hopes the addition of new licensed amateurs will increase radio access
to regions of Cuba that are mountainous and otherwise inaccessible. The
FRC is also reaching out increasingly to youngsters and YLs.



DX News

Kenneth LA7GIA and Adrian KO8SCA plan to be active from Somalia for 12 days this month. They have been issued with the callsign 6O6O (Six Oscar Six Oscar). Operation will be mainly CW on 160 - 10m. Somalia is considered a semi-rare DXCC entity so look out for the pile-ups. QSL manager is M0OXO.

Vadym UT6UD has been very QRV from the island of Sint Maarten in the Caribbean using the callsign PJ7/UT6UD over the past week. He remains there until 13th January. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of The World and QSLs can be obtained directly from UT6UD.

John KB4FB will be operating holiday style from Laos starting 9th January and using the callsign XW4FB. He should be there for about two weeks.

A group of Japanese amateurs will sign 6Y6J from the home station of Josh 6Y5WJ from 11th - 22nd January. QSLs are OK via Club Log OQRS and logs will be uploaded to LoTW.

Rich PA0RRS will be on Penang Island, West Malaysia using his 9M2MRS callsign until 31st January. The IOTA reference is AS-015 and QSLs go via his home call.


Contests 2018

John Moyle Memorial Field Day will be held over the weekend of the 17th-18th
March 2018 and will run from UTC 0100 on the Saturday until 0059 on the
Sunday.


Harry Angel Memorial Sprint:- Saturday May 5th 10:00 UTC - 11:46 UTC


VHF UHF WIA FIELD DAY CONTEST DATE For WINTER
23-24 June 2018


The VK SHIRES Contest is always held on the June long weekend, which is the
weekend prior to the second Monday of June each year so make a note June 9/10
Starts: 06.00 UTC Saturday 9, Ends: 06.00 UTC Sunday 10.


IARU HF Championship event on 15 and 16 July.


TRANS-TASMAN LOW BAND CONTEST

The contest is held on the Saturday night of the third full weekend of July,
making it July 21st, Start Time is 08:00 UTC and finish time is 14:00 UTC


11-12 August is WIA Remembrance Day (the RD) Contest.

The 21st International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is on
August 18 to 19, 2018


OCEANA CONTEST

PH - First full weekend in October, ( 6/ 7th) 0800 UTC Sat to 0800 UTC Sunday
CW - Second full weekend in October, (13/14th) 0800 UTC Sat to 0800 UTC Sunday


VHF UHF WIA FIELD DAY CONTEST DATES For Spring 2018
Spring 24-25 November



MORE VHF UHF WIA FIELD DAY CONTEST DATES For Summer/Winter/Spring

2019 Summer 12-13 Jan Winter 22-23 Jun Spring 23-24 Nov
2020 Summer 18-19 Jan Winter 20-21 Jun Spring 28-29 Nov
2021 Summer 14-15 Jan Winter 26-27 Jun Spring 26-27 Nov


SOCIAL SCENE

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2018

JAN 25th News of the TARC Australia Day Long Week Family Radio Camp

These guys will be making good use of the AX Prefix.
Happening from Thursday afternoon 25th to Sunday afternoon 28th January 2018 at :
Girl Guides Association of Queensland Campsite and Training Centre,
46-56 Toolakea Beach Road, Bluewater.

Activities will include:
Cooking of the dampers and other bush recipes
(bring your camp oven or use the comprehensive kitchen facilities plus bring
your favourite recipes and ingredients),
Raising of the Flag whilst singing the National Anthem
Throwing of the Infernal Thong (release that pent up stress!)
Portable demonstrations of computer-based radio comms, antenna work,
Bushwalking along the well marked trekking trails.
Gathering under the new Giant Shed Of Knowledge to swap ideas and pick brains.plus much, much more.
This long weekend event sounds very interesting if your in the Townsville region and have not signed up to attend then give the guys a call,



FEB 18 VK3 9am WANDARC HamFest Italian Sports Club, Werribee (VK3VKT)

Feb 25 VK2 Wyong Field Day


March 25 VK3 EMDRC HamFest Great Ryrie Primary School Heathmont (VK3BQ)


May 4 -7 VK4 Clairview Gathering ( between Rockhampton/Mackay ) (TARC)

The Clairview Gathering is a yearly event where Radio Amateurs meet
at a spot on the coast between Rockhampton and Mackay to relax, talk
radio, re-establish acquaintances and participate in the world renown
Saturday Night Mega-Auction. There might even be some fox-hunting and
there will definitely be RAFFLES !
The Gathering is one of the main revenue raisers for the
Rockhampton and District Amateur Radio Club Inc and
Mackay Amateur Radio Association.


July 7 GippsTech 2018 (VK3PF)

The 21st annual Gippsland Technical Conference. Focus is
primarily on weak signal VHF, UHF and microwave communications,
plus any other relevant topics. Commences with a social dinner
on Friday evening, presentations all day Saturday with Conference
Dinner in the evening and Sunday morning presentations.
vk3bez.org/


Nov 11 VK5 Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society HamFest (VK5KC)


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