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VK7AX > BCAST 27.04.25 15:49l 787 Lines 25706 Bytes #300 (0) @ WW
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Subj: VK National News 27Apr25
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Sent: 250427/1324Z 401@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.AUNZ LinBPQ6.0.24
VK National News 27Apr25
Text edition:
Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2025-04-27.mp3
Text edition:
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2025 APRIL 27 WIA NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN
tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos
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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING APRIL 27 2025
IN OUR 30th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
THIS WEEK:-
WIA's Peter Clee VK8ZZ with the final notice on registration for anyone thinking of going to Bendigo Saturday May 3 for the WIA AGM
NOW WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA.
I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB
WIA
JOIN THE WIA
tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y
This is a reminder that the Annual General Meeting of the WIA is being held in
Bendigo Victoria on the 3rd May.
Please note that it is essential to register to attend either online or in person.
There is no charge to attend the AGM.
It is also essential to register to attend and prepay for the dinner on the Saturday
night. The cost of the dinner is $35 per person. Dinner registrations can also be
made on the AGM registration site. The dinner is open to both members and
non-members. During the dinner there will be telebridge open to the International
Space Station and students from a local school will ask questions of the crew.
The Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club (BAREC) will be holding a technology
festival on the Sunday 4th May at the Bendigo show grounds, Trade displays, First
responders, Car Boot sales promise to be plentiful on the day. Entry costs to the
technology festival is $7.00 at the gate. WIA members can purchase entry to the
Technology Festival when they book for the AGM, bypassing the que at the gate on the
Sunday morning.
Important to note that registration for the AGM, the dinner and the Technology
festival will close at 11.00pm tonight, Sunday 27th April. So dont delay, get in
quick and register to attend. Just again REGISTRATION TO ATTEND THE AGM and DINNER
will close at 11.00pm tonight.
I look forward to seeing you all in Bendigo in May.
This has been Peter Clee VK8ZZ from Darwin in the Northern Territory.
AUSTRALIANA
NSW Rural Fire Service has fitted Starlink to the first 53 of a planned 5000
vehicles under a $69 million project, with 20 vehicles participating in
tests.
Jihad Dib, Customer Services and Digital Government minister, was questioned
about the programs progress during NSW Budget Estimates earlier this month.
During the hearing, he said that around 50 vehicles had been upgraded and
that 20 were in the trial and testing phase.
We are rolling them out progressively, he added.
The RFS added that new RFS vehicles will be equipped with VaaN from their
initial deployment by September this year. VaaN is Vehicle as a Node.
tinyurl.com/4t73jzj9
(itnews)
AI ON THE RISE.
Macquarie Bank is looking to AI to reduce the cognitive load on customers
when it comes to managing their financial affairs, with more than 30
AI-augmented products and services in the works for 2025.
Chief digital officer Luis Uguina told the Google Cloud Next 25 conference
that the bank had set itself up for the current AI era courtesy of a
decision to move all the digital workloads and our customer data into
Google Cloud
While noting a tendency for AI to be used to increase efficiency and reduce
cost, Luis suggested the technology's real potential is to drive revenue
and to have more customers happier and using systems more and more often.
Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) has improved its hiring effectiveness by
implementing a new talent acquisition system and transforming its
recruitment processes looking at AI for further enhancements.
In total, the organisation has seen a 33 percent reduction in talent
acquisition costs and a "conservative" 30 percent time saved thanks to AI.
In the area of recruitment, with the addition of Sapia.ai, an "AI hiring
agent". "The process of setting that up was straightforward. Its going to
save more time from our manager's perspective by enabling automation of
chat interviews.
The organisation also is exploring other AI-enabled enhancements
CBA AND AI
Some 16,000 people from its Australian and Indian banking operations have
come together. AI is being used as a support in this process primarily to
summarise lengthy materials and get to the crux of a conversation much
faster.
AI is used to summarise that documentation.
AI to helps quickly get to the content to have the right conversation as
early as possible, rather than reading a document, [sending an] email,
[having another] email, [having another] meeting.
CBA is now saving around 2500 hours a month on summarising key delivery
documents.
(itnews)
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, ARRL, DX-WORLD,
eHam, Hackaday, IARU, ICQPodcast, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC,
Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of the WIA.
RSGB HONOURS 2 FROM HAMSCI FOR PROPAGATION STUDIES
The Radio Society of Great Britain has recognized achievements of two key members of the US-based citizen science investigation team, HamSCI.
Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, and
Gwyn Griffiths, G3ZIL.
The Les Barclay Memorial Award has been given to Nathaniel for HamSCI's contributions in elevating amateur radio-based citizen science to a higher profile. The award is being given to him by the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee. He is the founder of HamSCI.
Gwyn is the author of a series of articles published in several issues of the RSGB magazine, RadCom, in 2024. She has been recognised through the society's Wortley-Talbot Trophy which recognises in particular her article, "Height of Reflections at HF," that appeared in the August 2024 magazine issue. She is a long-time member of the HamSCI community.
As a new benefit, the RSGB has teamed up with several museums to offer
RSGB members discounted entry for 2025.
Members can receive between 20 and 50 percent off admission fees at
Amberley Museum, Bawdsey Radar Museum, Internal Fire Museum of Power,
PK Porthcurno Museum of Global Communications, and The National Museum of Computing.
Whether youre into engines, radar, transport, computers or communications theres sure to be something for you - If youre watching WIA National News in the UK.
Find out more on
rsgb.org/partner-museums.
For our Irish friends it's worth a reminder that the IRTS provides public
liability insurance cover for all paid up IRTS members. This valuable
benefit is included as part of the IRTS membership fee and ALL clubs
affiliated to the IRTS are covered under the policy.
The HamConBe Amateur Radio conference too place Saturday in Belgium,
April 26. Attendees looked at programming to focus on radio technology,
Radio technology in space, and workshops.
The HamConBE 2025 Conference is... Belgiums premier forum for engineers,
scientists, radio amateurs, researchers, and students to exchange ideas on
advancements in radio technology and beyond. Admission to the Conference
was free.
Presentation topics included Meshtastic, beacons, radio sport, tracking
Asian hornets with SDR, and more.
iaru-r1.org/2025/hamconbe/
The Japanese Amateur Radio League (JARL) will be operating special event
station 8 K 3 EXPO through until October 13. The event supports
World Expo 2025 taking place in Osaka, Japan.
8K3EXPO will be on the air April 13 - October 13 on 1.8 MHz 10 GHz with
an activation on that band planned for 1kW. This event marks the first time
a callsign has been established with the 8K prefix.
By operating an amateur radio station at the Expo site, JARL will promote
the event not only across Japan but all over the world through our global
amateur radio community. This initiative aims to enhance public awareness
and excitement on the Expo, and to foster international exchange.
NZART Conference 2025 registration Open
Registration is open for the NZART AGM and annual conference it is being
held in Lower Hutt over the Kings Birthday Weekend celebrated
in New Zealand 31st May 2nd June.
The Location is the Lower Hutt Events Centre.
And don't forget, today, being the last Sunday of the month the NZART
Official Broadcast is broadcast every month on 3900 kHz both 8 and 9pm NZST.
The Official Broadcast can be streamed as a podcast on Apple or Spotify.
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
Bears!
Are they scared of massive arcs that rip through the air, making a lot of
noise in the process?
Jay from the Plasma Channel sure hopes so, because thats how his bear
deterrent works!
Jay calls it the Bear Blaster 5000. Right from the drop, this thing looks
like some crazy weapon! Thats because it throws huge arcs at 280,000 volts.
The basic concept behind it is simple enougha battery drives a circuit
which generates (kinda) low voltage AC. This is fed to the two voltage
multipliers which are set up with opposite polarity to create the greatest
possible potential difference between the two electrodes they feed. The
combination is able to arc across electrodes spaced over four inches apart.
Its all wrapped up in a super-cool 3D printed housing that really shows off
the voltage multiplier banks.
Given its resemblance to a stun gun, you might think the idea is to jab an
attacking bear with it. But the reality is, if the bear is close enough that
you could press this device against it, youre already lunch!
twiar.net/?p=30948
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OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION
--------------
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NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2025
--------------
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This last Tuesday evening in April sees the ZL2GVA Memorial Sprints on 80m.
30 minutes each of CW, SSB and FT4.
Take part in any or all segments.
Exchange is your outside temperature.
(nzart)
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HARRY ANGEL MEMORIAL 80 Meter Sprint, Saturday May 3.
wia.org.au/members/contests/harryangel/
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May 17/18 is the Sangster Shield.
QRP CW on 80m, wind back the rig to 5W and give it a go.
Rules for both
(nzart)
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Don Edwards memorial slow Morse contest May 17 - 18
A reminder that the Don Edwards memorial slow Morse contest is on the
weekend after Mother's Day - 80m on the evening of Saturday 17th May and
40m the afternoon of Sunday 18.
website
sgars.org
(vk2emu/vk2winews)
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VK Shires Contest 7th - 8th June 2025
wia.org.au/members/contests/wavks/
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NZ Straight Key Night
Next New Zealand Straight Key Night will be held Sunday 8 June
from 9pm to 10pm NZDT (0800 to 0900 UTC) on 80 metres.
Polish and lubricate that old morse key and enjoy an evening of
old-time radio fun.
Straight Key Night is an informal event which honours the roots of
amateur radio: Morse Code sent with a straight key (no bugs,
sideswipers, keyers or keyboards).
When.
Winter SKN is the second Sunday in June, 8-9pm NZ time.
Summer SKN is always the first Sunday in December, 9-10pm NZ time.
SKN honours the original amateur radio mode in an easy-going style.
Operators send signal report, name, location, type of key, type of
transmitter and power output. Stations are limited to 100W output
power.
SKN is not a contest - but the operator who gets the most votes for the
quality of their sending will win the Bruce Scahill Best Fist Award.
This certificate honours Bruce ZL1BWG (SK), who was a dedicated
supporter of SKN. Please email your nomination to ZL1NZ within one week
following the event.
(Neil ZL1NZ, SKN Manager)
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IARU HF World Championship.
The 24-hour IARU HF World Championship starts at 12 HUNDRED UTC on
Saturday 12 July and ends at 11:59 UTC on Sunday 13 July.
This annual contest supports amateur self-training in radio
communications, improving operating skills, conducting technical
investigations and inter-communicating with other amateurs around
the world using the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 metre bands
Ken Yamamoto, JA1CJP Secretary, IARU Region 3 in an email passed to us by
WIA Secretary Peter Clee reminds us here at the WIA that in this contest
multipliers are the total number of ITU zones plus IARU member society HQ
stations worked on each band (not mode). Thus, Society's HQ stations
(WIA) participation is very important for the multipliers.
(SARL/VK8ZZ)
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Trans-Tasman Low Band Contest - 19 JUL 2025
The Trans-Tasman contest, held on the 3rd weekend in July, aims to encourage Low Band activity between VK and ZL
Only contest bands 160 80 and 40M are allowed with SSB, CW and Digital (RTTY OR PSK)
wia.org.au/members/contests/transtasman/
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YOTA Contest 2025
Organized by the IARU R1 Youth Working Group in cooperation with the
Hungarian Amateur Radio Society, the aim of the YOTA Contest is to
increase youngsters activity on the air, strengthen the reputation
of the YOTA programme and demonstrate support for youngsters across the
world.
The next 2 sessions of this year's YOTA Contest will be held
19 July
29 December
yotacontest.mrasz.org
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RSGB IOTA CONTEST
July 26 to July 27, 2025.
Mode: CW, SSB
Bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, 10m
Work once per band per mode.
(wa7bnm contest calendar)
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NOW THE DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD.
-----------------
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The 2024 Cass Award winners have been announced. These honour DXers
who work the greatest number of different stations during a DXpedition.
The Single-Operator Cass Award winner is Janusz, SP9FIH, for working
15,396 unique stations during his 14-day, one-man A52P DXpedition to Bhutan.
Well done that man!
(arrl)
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Peter, PD1RP, is celebrating the 80th anniversary since the end of the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. He is on the air as PD80FREE until the 30th of June. All QSOs will be confirmed automatically via the bureau.
(NewsLine)
------------------
Marion Island, Z S 8 W.
Juris, YL2GM has been to South Africa several times with the promise of
transportation to Marion only to be disappointed.
BUT NOW HE IS ON AIR UNTIL MAY 16.
Juris is operating CW and SSB on 160 to 6 m from Marion island as ZS8W
while his computer is operating FT8. He will be on the island as a radio
engineer and a member of the South African Antarctic Program station's
communications equipment maintenance team.
Marion Island is ranked #11 on the Club Log most wanted list.
(sourced to SARL)
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REMINDERS:-
y
VI 100 SIG is special callsign celebrating the centenary of the Australian
Signal Corps during 2025.
And of course VI 100 IARU out of Melbourne is on air.
-------------
Y
Bletchley Park will be hosting one of its infamous 1940s weekends in May
to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE day.
In tribute to the event, the RSGB National Radio Centre will be operating
special event station GB 2 BP from the 3rd to the 5th of May. Put the date
in your diary and make sure you get this callsign in your logbook.
(rsgb)
--------
Y
The Guernsey Amateur Radio Society will operate special event
station GU 80 LIB on 9-11 May to celebrate the 80th anniversary of
the liberation of the Channel Islands at the end of World War II.
QSL via LoTW, Club Log's OQRS, direct, or via the bureau.
(425dxnews)
-----------
y
It was 25 years ago but We Do Remember as if it was yesterday and always
will.
Special Event to Honour the Victims of 9-11:
New York City Shanksville PA. and Washington D.C.
September 06 00:01 UTC ending Thursday September 12, 23:59 UTC.
Many members of the Alabama Contest Group will activate K4A for the fifth
year. This year's event will be called "9-11 We Do Remember."
SSB, FT8, CW, and RTTY on all bands 160 through 10 meters, including WARC
bands.
(ard)
------------
MEDIA WATCH
An Oldie BUT Goodie.
If youre a fan of science fiction movies, you would have heard of a movie
from 2000, entitled Frequency.
For this story, John VK4JPM travels to the future... or is that "to the
past?"
Its a typical amateur radio experience: due to unusual aurora activity, a
ham operator gets to talk to his son 30 years in the future on the same
transceiver that the father is using in the past. Thats not normally what
happens on 15 metres, but its a pretty cool yarn involving firemen, cops,
space-time-continuum, parallel universes, baseball, and a HeathKit
transceiver.
For an undisclosed time, Frequency is available to watch on ABC iView
for free. Every ham should see it, and its safe for a date-night with
the YL.
To find the movie "Frequency": go to the ABC iView site, and navigate through "channels and categories", then movies, science fiction, and Frequency will be in the list if it's still available. Or try the Programs A-Z link and scroll to "F".
One of these might be a direct link:
iview.abc.net.au/show/frequency
iview.abc.net.au/show/frequency/video/ZW4008A001S00
You do need to have a (free) iView sign on to watch the movie, but the trailer is open. And listen for the classic line: "want CW or LSB"? Yes, their operating procedures are suspect - generally it's better to press the button when you transmit - but we've seen worse technology portrayals in movies.
-------------
WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
SUMMITS ON THE AIR, WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM,
PARKS ON THE AIR and other ADVENTURE GROUPS.
hema.org.uk/index.jsp
minesontheair.com/about-mota
parksontheair.com/
sota.org.uk
sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/
facebook.com/SotaAustralia/
wwffaustralia.com/
POTA Ireland
Ardgillan Castle, Parks on the Air Activation by North Dublin Radio Club.
North Dublin Radio Club, EI 0 NDR, are at Ardgillan Castle today, Sunday
the 27th of April for a public radio demonstration and Parks on the Air
activation.
The club will be operating from inside the Castle itself.
All visitors, listeners, licenced, and passers-by will be welcome to join in
or have a look. The club plans to be active on the 20m and 40m bands from
0000 hours to 0400 hours UTC today Sunday.
(irts)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - DIGITAL.
On May 10th the APRS Foundation is hosting its first ever online
education summit to promote APRS.
This ground breaking event is designed to empower, educate, and inspire
anyone interested in Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) from beginners
to seasoned operators.
Sessions will cover a range of topics from APRS fundamentals to the
future of APRS. Question and answer sessions and networking opportunities
will also take place.
For more details including registration information keep an eye on the
APRS Foundation website.
aprsfoundation.org/aprs-summit-2025/
(ARD)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - IOTA
iota-world.org/
------------
Zanzibar Island IOTA NUMBER AF-032.
Kasimir, DL2SBY will be active as 5 H 1 KB from Zanzibar Island (AF-032),
Tanzania until 1st of May.
This year he is using a small antenna and low power; he plans a return visit
2026 next year with better antennas, an amplifier and a focus on 6m.
QSL 5h1kb via LoTW, or direct to home call which again is DL2SB but note
he no longer uses the bureau.
(sarl)
REMINDERS
AS-169 Arnala Island.
The DX India Foundation will be active as AU 2 M during May 29-June 1.
This is a rare opportunity for IOTA enthusiasts around the world to log
this highly sought-after entity, currently the most wanted IOTA in India!
Situated on India's west coast the nearest major coastal city is Mumbai.
(DX-world)
---------------
EU-012 Shetland.
Four operators G4AFF, G0DWW, M0NKR and G4LPP from Norfolk Amateur Radio Club
will be travelling to Shetland and will be active from July 23 28.
An entry in the RSGB IOTA contest July 26-27 is included.
Operation from 80 to 10 meter with a station on 6m & 4m CW/SSB and
Digital modes.
(DX-world)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA
(Youngsters On The Air)
WIA committee:- Steve VK6SJ, Alec VK2MV and Pete VK2LP.
ham-yota.com/category/yota-region-3/
facebook.com/groups/YOTAOC/
youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA
Not too many my age reach becoming Amateur Radio Hams here in VK if we go by
PR releases by Aussie Ham Clubs.
Over in "the land of the free" ten-year-old Lee Allen, a fifth-grade student
at Gentry Intermediate School with a mind to remember technical details,
earned his amateur radio technician class license, receiving his official
FCC license and call sign, KJ 5 KXW, on April 15.
Al passed his licensing exam just 3 days prior. After taking a technician
class offered by the Bella Vista Radio Club, he came up short in his first
attempts to pass the test but continued his studies and reviewed by taking
practice tests in the lead-up to retaking the exam. The technician class
license is the entry-level license in amateur radio in the USA. To pass the
exam, candidates must demonstrate a basic understanding of radio wave
propagation, FCC rules and regulations governing the amateur radio service,
basic electrical principles, antenna theory, radio operating procedures
and safety practices.
(eHam)
Still in the USA and a reminder there that a Youth on the Air Junior Camp,
is making its debut this year for amateur radio operators under the age of
15.
Applicants must have a valid US ham radio license and will be expected to
attend with a parent or guardian who needn't have a license themselves.
This is a three-day version of the YOTA region wide camps for older
youngsters and is modelled after the Kids on the Air program in
IARU Region 1.
It will take place in July at the Voice of America Museum in Ohio.
For details visit yota.org.
(newsline2477)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO
THE SUMMIT OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Emergency preparedness comes in many shapes. It can be an organized drill, a regularly scheduled net or, as three hams in California recently found out, it can be as simple as leaving your 2-meter rig on and monitoring it. Ralph Squillace brings us this week's final story - a tale of rescue following serious injury on a snow-encrusted SOTA summit..
RALPH: Greg Davidson, KF6CNS, recalls sitting in his garage with a friend in late March when a call for help came over on the 2-meter simplex calling frequency. Vincent LeVeque KF6FLJ had been hoping for a day of SOTA on Mt. Williamson in the Angeles National Forest when his hike ended in a 150-foot slide down the hillside and a bone-breaking crash into a tree. Vincent had dropped his mobile phone; his emergency beacon had little power remaining - but he was able to call for help on his handy talkie. Greg received that call 50 miles away thanks to a large commercial antenna at home. His immediate telephone outreach eventually led him to Will Richards KJ6JJB, operations leader of county sheriff's Montrose Search & Rescue. Will dispatched a helicopter and stayed on the phone with Greg who was maintaining radio contact with Vincent. Pinning down the location's coordinates precisely posed a challenge for the helicopter but Vincent was soon spotted, his bright orange windbreaker standing out against the snow.
Vincent told Newsline he was airlifted to the nearest trauma centre for surgery on his femur and he is now recovering. He said Greg's attentiveness to the calling frequency that day may well have saved his life. Will quickly noted, however, that Vincent himself did some emergency preparedness too: the dashboard of his parked car held a map of his intended hiking route -- and another option to track him down. He said that both Vincent and Greg "did everything right."
This is Ralph Squillace KK6ITB.
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IT'S A DATE
Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section,
nationalnews(at)wia.org.au
Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found
on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links.
----------------------------
2025
VK - WIA AGM May 3 - 4. Hosted by Bendigo Amateur Radio & Electronics
Club and their Technology Expo (vk3gtv/wiacal)
VK2 - Solitary Islands Beach/Park-Fest for POTA 3 & 4 May
parksontheair.com/ (vk4kc)
VK3 - Moorabbin and District Amateur Radio clubs HamFest 10am May 10 (vk3gl)
VK2 - Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club's 49th Annual Field Day Weekend
at Wauchope Showground Hall June 7 and 8 (wiacal)
VK5 - SERG Convention and Fox Hunting Championship June 7 and 8
At Scout Hall in Mt. Gambier (vk5dj)
VK - Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association 50th anniversary
Glen Waverly July 26 president(at)alara.org (vk2ayl)
VK5 - AREG's Amateur Radio & Electronics Sale Sunday 26th October
at David Roche Park, Kilburn (VK5QI)
VK4 - GOLD COAST AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY 2025 HAMFEST NOV 9 (vk4dmh)
Country Paradise Parklands 231 Beaudesert Nerang Road.
VK3- Rosebud RadioFest, Eastbourne Primary School, Rosebud (wiacal)
November Sixteen.
VK8 - Darwin Amateur Radio Club DARC Xmas Party 6:30pm Dec 3 (wiacal)
Reception Reports
WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a
welcome to the broadcast as they commence call-backs
straight after the Local News. Local news follows National
news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would
email their reception reports and location to
callbacks(at)wia.org.au
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(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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