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VK7AX  > NEWS     14.03.10 12:50l 1253 Lines 40355 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK

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

 email nationalnews(AT)wia.org.au 

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

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 WIANEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING MAR 14 2010.
 
 This week presented by a group of VK6 Amateurs working out of their
 NewsWest studios, home of the local VK6 broadcast under VK6KAD

 ALL UP AND COMING IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF
 AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING MAR 14 2010
 
   


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

  
 WIA
 President Michael Owen VK3KI president(AT)wia.org.au
 Vice President Ewan McLeod VK4ERM vk4erm(AT)wia.org.au
 Secretary Geoff Atkinson VK3AFA secretary(AT)wia.org.au
 Treasurer John Longayroux VK3PZ vk3pz(AT)wia.org.au
  
   
 "Now for a review of the March edition of WIA's Amateur Radio magazine

 It has a fresh look cover-to-cover. Some of the feature articles include
 promoting amateur radio via a school radio club by Tim Roberts VK4YEH, The
 Wayatinah fire and WICEN Tasmania a report by Roger Nichols VK7ARN.

 Full details are provided of the WIA Centenary Convention program being
 held in Canberra the 28th to the 30th of May, including a booking form for
 intending participants.

 The WIA annual report and Part 2 in the serial history – the time when
 organised amateur radio was taking shape in Australia.

 Technical articles this month include:

 A quality audio test oscillator

 How to get more power from hand-held radio by paying attending to their
 antennas

 A 40m ground-less & tuner-less dipole

 Complete 8MHz IF system

 And in Foundation Corner Ross Pittard VK3CE provides Details on how to
 build a simple field strength meter.
 
 Plus regular columns on HF DX, the VHF/UHF Microwave bands, Shortwave
 Listening and more.
 
 The WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine is sent to WIA members and copies
 are also available at selected newsagents."





 ANZAC DAY EQUALS AM

 Before heading off around Australia with news from the various clubs, this
 in from VK4MIK Mike Patterson.

 Mike is part of a group in North Queensland working to get as many Australian
 and New Zealand amateurs on the AM mode on ANZAC Day afternoon as an
 amateur radio salute to the servicemen and women in the many conflicts.

 AM was used with CW as a means of communication during WW2,Korea,Malaysian
 and even early Vietnam.

 They have made contact with museum ships with a view to activating them and
 also have contacted the NZART.

 Already the Townsville Amateur Radio Club intends running its Sunday night
 net the 25th on AM and a North Queensland afternoon net, 7.093 will be AM,
 that at 4pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.
 
 (Email Address : vk4mike(AT)yahoo.com.au)







 HAMS ACROSS AUSTRALIA.  

 VK2    
 web service:-  http://www.arnsw.org.au/html/news_vk2wi.htm   
 VKG Roundup    http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news  
  
 CARBOOT SALE AT THE SUMMERLAND CLUBROOMS, Sunday 28 March.

 414 Richmond Hill Road, Richmond Hill, east of Lismore.

 Go along, bring, sell, buy anything, not just radio stuff, anything.

 Admission $5 per car boot or stand.  Customers free.

 Canteen and BBQ eats will be available.

 SARC will also sell surplus and other goods.





 VK3 
 web service:- http://www.amateurradio.com.au/news/ 
 VKC Roundup http://www.police 
  
 Radio, Electronics & Astronomy Expo.

 Easter Weekend - Saturday, Sunday & Monday, 9 am - 4 pm.

 Old Fire Station, View Street Bendigo.
 
 View Street will come alive with radio waves and galaxies during the
 Easter weekend, as we celebrate 100 years of amateur radio in Australia,
 at the 'Radio, Electronics & Astronomy Expo'.

 See how grandpa listened to the radio in the 1920's, 30's and 40's, with
 an historical display of vintage radios and equipment.

 Try your hand at Morse Code and learn more about the history of
 communications.

 The oldest to the newest forms of technology will be demonstrated.

 Did you know that amateur radio operators can broadcast television
 pictures, communicate via satellites and even talk to astronauts?  Find
 out how you can obtain your own radio licence!

 Amazing images of the night sky above Bendigo will be on display, taken
 with the City of Greater Bendigo Telescope.  See the Sun during the day
 with a special solar telescope.  And what do radio astronomers do
 besides searching for ET?

 The Expo is a joint project between the Midland Amateur Radio Club and
 Bendigo District Astronomical Society, with sponsorship from Bendigo
 Community Telco.

 The Radio, Electronics & Astronomy Expo, Easter Saturday, Sunday and
 Monday, 9 am to 4 pm at the Old Fire Station, View Street Bendigo.

 A $2.00 donation would be appreciated, under 15 free.

 For more information, contact Ray Tampion on 5439 3506.





 GippsTech2010 call for papers

 Australia’s premier event for VHF/UHF, Microwave and weak signal activity
 will be held by the Eastern Zone Amateur Radio Club VK3BEZ on the 10th and
 11th of July at Churchill in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.

 Potential presenters who have a topic that could be as brief at 5 to 10
 minutes or up to an hour in length are now invited to submit the
 presentation title and content outline.

 Contact the Chair of the Organising Committee, Peter Freeman VK3PF  email
 vk3pf(AT)wia.org.au

 For more details about GippsTech2010 visit the website www.vk3bez.org





 VK4 - QNEWS   
 web service local news:-   www.wiaq.com/qnews/upload/qnewsbcast.htm
 local news email qnews-vk-subscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com  
 VKR Roundup  http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/Media+Releases/

 You are listening to QNews from VK4WIA. I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP and I've
 been thinking -

 Over the past few weeks it has been great to hear the continuing input from
 a greater number of clubs to the "Q". This is a great way to publicise events
 and activities and let our listeners who aren't amateurs or radio club 
 members know what is happening. 

 Getting to know what people are thinking can be difficult in preparing a
 segment such as this. It is great to receive feedback, however indirect. I
 have been reminded that the real world is not so kind as the image which I
 present of our hobby. True  - but experience has taught me to applaud the
 good behaviours and ignore the bad. (A bit like training a pet.)  I was
 impressed by the Amateurs Code the first time that I read it, in a loaned 
 ARRL handbook.  The  amateurs whom I met and the behaviour that I  heard on 
 air all  seemed to confirm the validity of these aspirations.

 Some 50 years along the road, my own experience suggests that the Amateurs
 Code is still a great guide for our personal involvement in the hobby.

 Another suggestion has been floated to me that my comments could relate to a 
 particular club or specific group of people. I'm sorry if anything has been
 taken that way but in keeping with the WIA broadcast guidelines, the comments
 are as non-specific and generic as language will permit in a 90 second 
 segment. A couple of generations of experience backed with resources of the
 www are what I use to try and give a mildly thought provoking opening to
 QNews. If I have hit the nail on the head, for you, then that is what was
 intended.

 I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP and that's what I think.....how about you?





 ROCKHAMPTON
 IRLP NODE 6973 ;
 e-mail  vk4acc(AT)wia.org.au
 Secretary Clive 4928 1173
 http://www.radarc.cjb.net/ 
       
 This is Doug VK4DUG from the Rockhampton and District Amateur Radio Club,
 better known to most as the RADAR Club with a timely reminder that the next
 monthly meeting of the RADAR Club (and that’s this Wednesday) will be the
 Annual Meeting for 2010, so keep in mind Wednesday 17.  If you haven’t already
 nominated yourself or somebody else for an executive position then it’s too
 late.  Nominations had to be lodged 14 days prior to the event.  But it’s not
 too late for you to attend the meeting and show your support for the club.

 An added incentive for you to attend is the expected attendance of Brian who
 is going to share his extensive knowledge of radio from the perspective of an
 ex radio inspector based in this area, and in addition to this, the usual
 supper, as supplied by Mary VK4PZ and husband Gordon VK4GM (those delicious
 ham sandwiches) will round off the evening.

 See you there.

 73 Doug





 TOWNSVILLE 
 vk4wit(AT)wia.org.au
 4773 1196 or 0408 001142
 po box 333 Garbutt East, QLD 4814
 www.tarc.org.au        
 
 GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS!

 THIS IS DON VK4FNQA, WITH NEWS AND HAPPENINGS IN NORTH QUEENSLAND.

 I START THIS SEGMENT WITH SOME SADDENING NEWS NEXT WEEKEND THE JOHN MOYLE
 FIELD DAY WILL BE HAPPENING ACROSS AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA
 AND SO FAR ONLY THREE OPERATORS HAVE PUT UP  THEIR HANDS TO OPERATE CLUB
 STATION VK4WIT FROM BLUEWATER SCOUT DEN. TARC CONTEST CO-ORDINATOR RICHARD
 VK4FRJG HAS ADVISED THAT IF THERE ARE NO MORE TAKERS FOR NEXT WEEKENDS EVENT
 HE WILL CANCEL OPERATIONS FROM BLUEWATER AND, IF TIME PERMITS, RUN PARTIAL
 OPERATIONS FROM HIS HOME  STATION ONLY.

 SO, ALL THOSE TARCADIANS RUSTICATING AND GATHERING GIRTH OUT THERE - IT IS
 TIME TO ACT AND GET IN TOUCH WITH RICHARD RIGHT NOW - CALL HIM ON TELEPHONE
 47752923 OR ON MOBILE 0400339543, FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR TO LET HIM KNOW YOU
 ARE GOING ALONG FOR AN OVERNIGHTER OR DAY SESSION.
 
 NEXT IS AN ITEM WHERE YOU CAN HELP MIKE GET ON HIS BIKE.

 THAT'S RIGHT, DASHING AERO-PARAMEDIC, AVID DX-ER AND ALL ROUND GOOD GUY MIKE
 VK4MSA IS CURRENTLY TRAINING FOR THE BIG W TOWNSVILLE TO CAIRNS CHARITY BIKE
 RIDE WHICH RAISES FUNDS FOR THE CHILDREN'S CANCER INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA.
 ONE OF THE RULES OF ENTRY IS THAT MIKE NEEDS TO RAISE AT LEAST FIVE HUNDRED
 DOLLARS IN DONATIONS BEFORE HE CAN PARTICIPATE.

 SO, CAN YOU HELP OUT A FELLOW HAM WHO IS DOING SOMETHING GOOD?

 CONTACT MIKE VK4MSA NEXT TIME YOU HEAR HIM ON AIR OR WHEN HE IS NEXT SAVING
 YOUR LIFE IN A CAR WRECK AND LET HIM KNOW THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT HIM.
 
 CALLING ALL RADIO AMATEURS! DO SOMETHING SPECIAL ON ANZAC DAY TO COMMEMORATE
 THE FALLEN AND THOSE WHO HAVE LAID THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE FOR OUR COUNTRY,
 OUR FREEDOM.

 MIKE VK4MIK HAS SEEDED AN IDEA TO OPERATE ON AM OR CW THIS ANZAC DAY, USING
 THE VERY MODES OF MODULATION USED BY ANZACS DURING WORLD WAR TWO, THE KOREAN
 WAR, THE MALAYSIAN CONFLICT AND INSURRECTION AND THE EARLY PART OF THE
 VIETNAM WAR.

 SOME PARTICIPANTS OF REGULAR RADIO NETS INCLUDING THE 7093KHZ 0600UTC
 AFTERNOON NET AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND NET WILL BE USING AMPLITUDE MODULATION
 ON  ANZAC DAY AND THERE ARE MORE MILITARY MUSEUM AND NET STATIONS JOINING
 THE PARTICIPATION LIST.

 IF YOU WANT TO JOIN IN OR FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS FINE ANZAC DAY EVENT THEN
 PLEASE CONTACT MIKE PATTERSON VK4MIK ON EMAIL VK4MIKE(AT)YAHOO.COM.AU

 
 FINALLY, THE TARC SOCIAL EVENING IS HAPPENING THIS TUESDAY EVENING MARCH 16TH
 FROM 7-30PM AT THE CLUB ROOMS ATOP SES HEADQUARTERS IN GREEN STREET WEST END.
 COME ALONG AND LEND A HAND TO PUT THE MAGAZINE OF RENOWN, BACK-SCATTER
 TOGETHER AND SOCIALISE WITH FELLOW HAMS. EVERYONE WELCOME !
 
 WELL, THAT'S ALL THE QNEWS FOR THIS SUNDAY 14TH MARCH.THIS HAS BEEN DON
 VK4FNQA IN TROPICAL PARADISE FOR THE TOWNSVILLE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB INC, AND
 YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO; AND ENJOYING QNEWS FROM VK4WIA.





 VK7   
 local area news :- http://reast.asn.au/news.php
 vk7 local news, email   vk7regionalnews-subscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com
  
 The Bottle Shop Net

 The Bottle Shop Net was formed in recognition of the large number of older
 valve radios still in use around Australia.

 The Bottle Shop Net is usually hosted by Gavin VK7VTX on Flinders Island and
 Barry VK3MBW in Lara, Victoria.

 It happens at 8.00 pm most week nights, on 3.59 MHz LSB

 Most amateurs know that a "bottle" in radio terms is a reference to the 
 glass thermionic vacuum tubes that formed the basis of radios before the
 development of solid state devices. Valves are still in relatively common
 use today in high power amplifiers both HF and VHF.

 Older solid state radios are also welcome on the net and in order to be 
 better fit in they are referred to as "stubbies"


 Everyone interested in firing up an older radio is more than welcome to join
 in the fun and chat and swap tales of the radios being used. There is a
 buy-swap-or-sell session before the 9.00pm close of the net.

 http://www.ntarc.net/nets.html

 (vk7news)





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

 VK2 SUMMERLAND

 Warwick from Bonalbo successfully completed his Foundation exam and David
 VK2FDEC completed Theory for Standard last weekend at Lismore Club Rooms.
 17-18 Apr - is next Summerland Foundation Course & Exam.





 VK3

 ARK's Academy will conduct a regulations course over the weekend of Sat
 27th March and Sunday 28th March and the venue will be
 Wordware Pty Ltd
 Level 1, 321 Whitehorse Rd Nunawading.

 The course is FREE of charge.

 just e-mail vk3ark(AT)wia.org.au


 The course will run 9:30am ---3pm on Saturday and 10am --2pm Sunday 

 (John Fisher VK3DQ / VK3ARK) 





 The next Foundation Licence training and assessment weekend by Amateur
 Radio Victoria will be held on the 20th and 21st of March, at Ashburton.
 For inquiries or to enrol in a quality training experience please contact
 Barry Robinson VK3PV on 0428 516 001 or email foundation(AT)amateurradio.com.au





 VK6

 Get Radio Active.  The Western Australian Scout Communications Team is conducting
 a 4 day camp at the Peter Hughes Scout Communication Centre from April 8-11  for
 Scouts of all ages.  The aim of the camp is for participants to gain their
 Foundation Amateur Radio License.   To enroll, contact me, Bob, vk6pop(AT)wia.org.au 





 VK7

 Persons in the N/West Area of VK7 interested in Training and Assessments for
 all classes of Amateur Radio are advised that NWT-ATV Club can provide all
 these requirements and in addition provision of Facilitators via the Radio
 and Electronics School if candidates so desire.

 For more information regarding these facilities, please contact the Club's
 Learning Organizer Tony VK7AX , or the Club.

 Contact details can be found on the wia.org.au site under VK7 Clubs.,  

 (vk7news)





 Italian radio listeners' society AIR has awarded the prestigious 2010
 Boselli prize to ARISS, the Amateur Radio in the International Space Station
 project. The award recognises how ARISS has shown the importance of radio
 communications to hundreds of young students in Europe and beyond.

 ARISS has spread the use of radio from the forefront of science in outer
 space to classrooms around the world. The prize will be delivered at the
 AIR AGM on 8 May in Faenza, Italy.

 (rsgb)





 INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to RSGB, Southgate AR Club, the ARRL, 
 Amateur Radio Newsline, NZART and the WW sources of the WIA.   
         
 ARRL SEEKS INPUT FOR NEW IARU REGION 2 BAND PLAN

 The International Amateur Radio Region 2 conference -- held later
 this year in El Salvador -- brings together delegations from the
 national Amateur Radio Societies in the Western Hemisphere. One of the
 topics on the agenda will be the Region 2 HF band plan. This band plan
 is "harmonized with" -- spectrum management-speak for "very similar to"
 -- the IARU Region 1 and Region 3 band plans. At this year's
 conference, the IARU Member-Societies will consider possible changes to
 the Region 2 band plan. The ARRL is cooperating with this procedure by
 inviting input to be sent to the ARRL Board of Directors' Band Planning
 Committee. The committee will review the existing Region 2 band plan,
 consider input from the amateur community and make recommendations to
 the ARRL Board for submission to IARU Region 2. 





 FLORIDA MAN ELECTRICUTED INSTALLING ABNTENNA TO TALK TO HAITI

 A Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, man who was electrocuted on February 
 28th.  This, while trying to install an antenna that authorities said would 
 have been used to communicate with Haiti.

 Police spokesman Sgt. Frank Sousa said Mackenson Mareus died when he 
 touched a live power line at a home in the 1100 block of Northwest 18th 
 Court. Police said the antenna Mareus was helping install was intended to 
 set up communication with Haiti.

 According to experts in South Florida that is something ham radio operators 
 would be able to do with relative ease.  But Mareus was not a radio amateur 
 and according to his cousin Louikenson Arne he did not know what the 
 antenna was for.

 Arne said that the 27 year old Mareus, was from Haiti and had lived in 
 South Florida for less than three years. He ran an Internet-based radio 
 station called Radio Tendresse, and the Web site boasted the frequency of 
 97.7 FM but was not on the air anywhere in the United States.

 According to the police report on the accident ham radio operators are 
 supposed to be licensed with the Federal Communications 
 Commission.   However it was unclear who, if anyone, held a license to use 
 the antenna and any radio gear connected to it at the time of the accident 
 that took Mackenson Mareus life.

 (ARNewsLine)





 SONY TO CLOSE ALABAMA MAGNETIC TAPE PLANT

 Call it a true sign of the times.  This with word that Sony Corporation 
 plans to close its tape-manufacturing plant in Dothan, Alabama.  This as 
 the need for magnetic tape products dwindles to a trickle world-wide.

 As recently as five years ago most recording of video and audio was done to 
 tape.  But as magnetic disc drives, flash memory and electro-optical 
 recording technology made rapid advances, the need for magnetic tape 
 products quickly declined.

 Now it has finally reached a low where the demand for magnetic tape 
 products like those produced at the Sony Dolthan, Alabama, plant has 
 reached the point where keeping it open is no longer economical.  According 
 to Sony, operations at the plant will be phased out starting in April with 
 the closure planned to be completed by September.
 
 The facility was opened in 1977.  Termination of its operation will lead to 
 the loss of 300 jobs.

 (ARNewsLine)





 'Windermere Triangle' mystery solved

 A mystery dubbed the Windermere Triangle has finally been solved, according
 to a Daily Mirror story reported by Southgate Club.

 For more than a year, drivers in the UK Lake District town found their
 electric key fobs would not work.

 Locals thought there might be a paranormal cause.

 But an engineer sent to probe the "ghostly" goings-on discovered fob signals
 were being jammed by a café till using the same frequency.





 HAM HERO VU2RBI TO MEET WITH UK ROYAL FAMILY

 One of the worlds most decorated hams has been invited to meet with the 
 British Royal Family.  Steve Herman, W7VOA, of Amateur Radio Newsline says
 VU2RBI, Bharathi Prasad, was invited to speak at the Commonwealth Day
 Observance in London in March 8th in the presence of HM The Queen,
 HRH Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and all
 Commonwealth High Commissioners.
 

 Bharathi was part of the 2004 Andaman DXpedition team that won the ARRL's
 2005 International Humanitarian Award. The December 2004 earthquake and
 resulting tsunami swiftly shifted the role of the DX operation into an
 emergency communication link with India's mainland.
 
 You may recall VU2RBI visited Brisbane last October and was keen to speak
 with clubs yet, despite asking several weeks on the news not one club ever
 did contact us to avail themselves of the opportunity or let the newsroom
 they were interested, so from vk4 it's to "Buck Palace" instead!





 BATTERIES MAY BE BANNED FROM CHECKED AIRLINE BAGGAGE

 Travelling by air with spare Lithium Ion batteries for your H-T could soon 
 become impossible.  This as Computer World reports that the United States 
 Department of Transportation may prohibit the transport of all spare 
 batteries in checked luggage, regardless of their physical size or capacity.


 =============================================================================


 WEIRD AND WONDERFUL

 CHILE QUAKE MAY HAVE SHORTENED THE DAYS

 Scientists at NASA say that the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile 
 on Saturday, February 27th may have shifted Earth's axis and created 
 shorter days.  If their preliminary calculations are correct each day 
 should be 1.26 microseconds shorter/

 According to Science On-Line, large earthquakes cause massive amounts of 
 rock to shift and alters the distribution of mass on the planet.  That 
 distribution change causes the rate at which the planet rotates to alter 
 and it is the rate of rotation rate determines the length of a day.

 Richard Gross is a geophysicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 
 Pasadena, California.  He used computer modelling to determine how the 
 magnitude 8.8 quake that struck Chile may have affected Earth.  He found 
 that the quake should have moved Earth's figure axis about 8 centimetres. 
 That shift in axis is what may have lead to the minutely shortened days.

  (ARNewsLine)





 OPERATIONAL NEWS -  
 

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

 Mar 13-14 RSBG  THIS WEEKEND SEES THE COMMONWEALTH CONTEST (BERU)
                 details on hfcc.org/hfcc/rule/2009/beru.shtml

 Mar 20-21 WIA   John Moyle Field Day 
                 details from vk4ae(AT)hotmail.com
 
 APR 30 - MAY 6  Westlakes CQ Repeater contest
                 contestmanager(AT)westlakesarc.org.au

 May  8    WIA   VK Trans Tasman 80m Phone
                 Bruce Renn  vk3jwz(AT)wia.org.au

 Jun 12    WIA   VK Trans Tasman 160m Phone
                 Bruce Renn  vk3jwz(AT)wia.org.au

 Jun 12-13 WIA   Worked All VK Shires
                 contest(AT)vkshires.info

 Jun 19-20 WIA   WINTER VHF-UHF Field Day
                 John Martin VK3KM  tac(AT)wia.org.au

 Jul 10tbc WIA   Jack Files Contest
                 John Spooner vk4ajs(AT)wia.org.au 

 Aug 14-15 WIA   Remembrance Day Contest
                 Peter Harding vk4od(AT)wia.org.au

 Aug 21-22       International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.
                 register on website illw.net

 Oct  2- 3 WIA   Oceania DX Contest Phone
                 Tony Burt   vk3tz(AT)wia.org.au

 Oct  9-10 WIA   Oceania DX Contest CW
                 Tony Burt   vk3tz(AT)wia.org.au 


 NOV 20-21 WIA   Spring VHF-UHF Field Day
                 John Martin VK3KM  tac(AT)wia.org.au



 



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

 EI2GBW, Ireland to Great Britain Ferry Celebrations ends March 31 2010

 GB2EI, Great Britain to Ireland Ferry Celebrations ends March 31 2010 



 In DX, we start with word from ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, 
 , that the 3V3S operation from Tunisia and the D2CQ operation in Angola 
 have been approved for DXCC credit.  The 3V3S operation took place in 2009 
 while D2CQ is ongoing.





 On the air now is G3LZQ active as 3B9WR from Rodrigues Island through April 
 2nd. His operation is on all bands 160 to 10 meters, mainly CW, but with a 
 focus on the 160 through 40.  Also look for him to be in the RSGB's 73rd 
 Commonwealth Contest (This weekend March 13-14th).
 QSL via his home callsign.





 HF beacon back on air


 The Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL) has reinstalled its propagation
 beacon Four-Sierra_Seven_Bravo (4S7B).

 It is part of the network of 18 HF beacons that were begun by the Northern
 California DX Foundation and supported by International Amateur Radio
 Union.

 The frequencies used are 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930, and 28.200 MHz.

 Each beacon operates on the same frequency on a time-shared basis,
 transmitting every three minutes 24 hours a day.

 Their callsign is sent in Morse code at 22 words per minute followed by
 four one-second dashes. The callsign and the fist dash are at 100 watts,
 the remaining dashes are sent at 10 watts, 1 watt and 100 milliwatts.

 (Jim Linton VK3PC)





 St. Patrick's Day Special Event Station.

 The Foyle and District ARC, situated 5 miles south of Derry, has been 
 allocated the callsign GB5SPD to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The callsign
 will be used over several days, from March 15th until March 17th.
 A special QSL card has been printed for the occasion and reports from SWL’s
 will also be most welcome.
 
 (irts)





 And lastly, DF7ZS, will be on the air from Madeira Island signing portable 
 CT9.  This. between March 24th and the 31st. Activity will be holiday style 
 and will focus on the WARC bands. QSL via DF7ZS.  To which we can only add 
 the line:  "Have some Madiera my dear."  OK.  Bad joke unless you know the 
 music of the Limelighters’.

 (arnewsline)





 BROADCAST  MONITORING SWL AND SCANNER NEWS
 aus_scanner(AT)yahoogroups.com 
 http://www.scanaustralia.bigpondhosting.com  
 www.tinyurl.com/BITS-026 (A receiver located in NY USA)  
 http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/ 
 HTTP://www.ei7dar.com/hf.html



 NEW DRM DISCO STATION ON SHORTWAVE

 If you think that shortwave is a dead medium for entertainment then you may 
 be surprised to learn about a Miami-based disco music station can now be 
 heard across North America and Europe.  The Disco Palace is using Digital 
 Radio Mondiale or D-R-M technology to broadcast high-quality music programs 
 on shortwave.

 17.755 MHz from French Guiana.

  6.015 MHz from France.
 

 (ARNewsLine) 





 INTRUDER WATCH - ENFORCEMENT ZONE

 Region III IARUMS Coordinator Peter Young VK3MV  

 VK IARUMS reflector email to subscribe intruders(AT)wia.org.au


 IARUMS NETS
 Friday 0730 UTC 7.065.5 with VK4CEU David.  


 Amateur exclusive frequencies where any non-amateur signal is definitely an
 intruder.

 Amateur HF Spectrum world wide
  7.050 to  7.100
 14.000 to 14.250
 14.250 to 14.350 No broadcasters
 21.000 to 21.450
 24.890 to 24.990
 28.000 to 29.700   
  
 


 450 MHZ INTERFERENCE NAILS METRO TRAFFIC IN SAN DIEGO

 ARNewsLine's Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, says Metro Traffic's voice repeater in
 San Diego was jammed recently by a large number of simplex hand-held radios
 that were pressed into service by the near-by  La Mesa-Spring Valley School
 District.

 The radios were reportedly programmed to transmit on 455.500 MHz and sold to
 the School District by an equipment dealer that told the district not to
 worry about licensing.

 455.500 MHz is Metro's licensed repeater input frequency and the resulting 
 interference that jammed Metro's helicopter communications.

 N6OEI used his direction finding skills garnered from his amateur radio 
 training to track down the source of the interference: 





 NZ Intruder Watch 


 The Monitoring Service Coordinator has recently sought the approval of the
 NZART Council and the National System Trustees to use the National System
 e.g. 439.875 MHz periodically to encourage more participation in monitoring
 the HF bands to report intruders throughout New Zealand. 

 Voluntary observers may briefly be requesting confirmation of an intruding
 signal to verify the strength and direction for confirmation or to alert
 others to a potential intruder, which is being verified.
 
 
 (73 John ZL1GWE MS Coordinator)





 Poor operating a cause of concern

 Participants in the SARL President's Net a few Sunday's ago voiced their
 concern over poor operating procedures and the use of inappropriate language
 on the South African airwaves. 

 While these unacceptable practices are carried out by a small number of radio
 amateurs, it tarnishes the image of the hobby. 
 
 The use of inappropriate language on the air is a serious offence and can
 lead to cancellation of the culprit's license.

 These and several other operational issues will be discussed when the
 South African Radio League (SARL) Council meets in early this March.





 20m ROS frequencies are moved

 José Ros, the originator of the new amateur radio data mode ROS, has agreed
 to move the suggested 20m frequencies for ROS to 14.0972MHz and 14.102MHz 
 taking them further away from the 14.100MHz international beacon chain
 frequency as the originals had been 14.098MHz and 14.1011MHz.
 
 You can find out more about ROS at
 http://rosmodem.wordpress.com 

 and more about the International Beacon Project at
 http://www.ncdxf.org/beacons.html





 MEDIA WATCH 
 www.wiaq.com/admin/uploads/weeklytally.rtf 
 www.cq-amateur-radio.com/WorldRadio.html  
       
 Groups presenting this WIA National News Service
    
 MAR		  VK6   14  NEWSWEST    
 MAR              VK3   28  VK3DN
 APR		  VK3    4  VK3DN
 APR		  VK3   11  VK3DN
 APR              VK7   25  REAST  (ANZAC Weekend)
 MAY		  VK1   23  CRARC  (promoting CRARC and WIA AGM)    
 MAY	     VK100WIA   30  WIA DIRECTORS JOIN A LIVE OB FROM CANBERRA  





 WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ATV (Every pixel tells a story) - Video  
 arvideonews.com
 hamradiotube.com
 youtube.com 
    
 Ham radio movie - 'Interference'

 Interference is a short movie about a ham radio operator who picks up an
 anomalous radio transmission and stumbles upon an international drug ring.

 The YouTube description says:

 Interference is about John Upton, a ham radio operator, who picks up
 anomalous radio transmission. He sets out to discover the source of the
 transmission through triangulation of the signal, and inadvertently stumbles
 upon an international drug ring. 

 Watch the rest of Interference to see how Mr. Upton extricates himself from
 the thugs and finds love in the process.

 Google  Ham radio Film "Interference"





 WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- CW
 FISTS Club - East Asia             www.feacw.net
 FISTS Club - Australasia           www.fistsdownunder.org
 FISTS Club - UK & Europe           www.fists.co.uk
 FISTS Club - Americas              www.fists.org

 The latest High Speed Telegraphy Honour Roll has been published with three
 amateurs, LZ4UU, DJ1YFK and EW8VK, achieving an amazing 1231 characters
 per minute. 

 For full details check out www.rufzxp.net 





 WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- FINAL FRONTIER 

 AMSAT-VK UNOFFICIAL HF Net.
 2nd Sunday each month.
 April through October  1000 UTC 3.685 MHz   
 November through March 0900 UTC 7.068 MHz 
    
 AMATEUR RADIO IN SPACE: A CLOSE ENCOUNTER FOR AMSAT-OSCAR 51

 March 1, the AMSAT-OSCAR 51 (AO-51) satellite had a potentially dangerous
 encounter with another spacecraft known as Formosat 3D. 

 OSCAR 51 is a popular Amateur Radio satellite that often functions as a
 crossband FM repeater, relaying brief conversations over hundreds of miles.
 Formosat 3D is part of a constellation of six remote sensing microsatellites
 that collect atmospheric data for weather prediction and for
 ionosphere, climate and gravity research. Both orbit at an altitude of
 approximately 500 miles.

 Read more here
 www.arrl.org/news/stories/2010/03/03/11373/?nc=1





 SCOTLAND ON ALL THE HAMSATS

 Scotland is going to the birds, at least figuratively speaking.

 This as  2E1EUB  will once again be active as 2M1EUB from March 20th to

 the 27th operating every ham radio satellite that he can reach from the
 Cairngorms National Park.  Also, look for him on 160 and 80 meters.

 Checkout QRZ.com under 2M1EUB for more information on this high in the sky
 operating event.  






 INDIA    

 A radar experiment aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 lunar spacecraft has
 identified large deposits of water ice near the Moon's north pole in
 more than 40 small craters containing water ice. 

 These findings have just been presented at a US planetary science conference.

 The craters with ice range from 15km down to 2km in diameter. 

 A Dr. Spudis, from the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, estimated
 there was at least 600 million metric tonnes of water ice held within them,
 The equivalent amount, expressed as rocket fuel, would be enough to launch
 one space shuttle per day for 2,200 years!





 WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP --- MILITARY     
 
 RSGB say that the Royal Signals Amateur Radio Society has made a number of
 its technical documents available for download. 
 Included in the collection are a number of very interesting HF antenna
 designs and related projects.
 http://www.rsars.org.uk/ELIBRARY/docsants.htm.





 WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO

 EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES IARU REGION 3 
 3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz
 
 Handiham World reports that Matthew Arthur, KA0PQW, of  Minnesota, has
 been selected to receive a President's Volunteer Service Award.  Arthur is
 being recognized for his work with the Community Emergency Response Team in
 Steele County, Minnesota.  That’s where he volunteered and handled
 communications during a flood in 2007.

 According to Handiham World, this was a nine hour non-stop stint that 
 lasted until the National Guard could relieve him.  During that time he 
 handled traffic into and out of the flood zone, passing messages to 
 authorities in the city of Winona.

 (ARNewsLine)






 THE LOWDOWN COLUMN INCLUDING PRECISION BEACON TRANSMISSIONS
 BEACONS www.qsl.net/zl1bpu/micro/Precision 
 
 And you can't get much lower than this, 8 kHz.

 Yes a new VLF DX record has been established,  12.1km on 8.97kHz

 Marcus DF6NM has been able to receive his test transmissions on 8.97kHz at
 a distance of 12.1km, currently a record.

 The ERP was about 1.3uW using a relatively small antenna with 1.4 Henry
 loading coil. 

 The transmitter was a 35W car-radio audio amplifier and the receiver used a
 6m long antenna with the SpecLab software.

 See the picture of the signal at
 http://www.mydarc.de/df6nm/vlf/vlf_12km.jpg

 SpecLab download
 http://www.speclab.be/download.html

 Amateur Radio below 10kHz
 http://homepage.ntlworld.com/lapthorn/earthmode.htm

 DF6NM - LF Amateur Radio
 http://freenet-homepage.de/df6nm/ 

 (southgate)





 NZ Amateurs Granted Access to 600 metre Band

 Following submissions from NZ Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART), the
 group that represents NZ amateur radio operators, the NZ Government has 
 agreed to grant NZ Amateurs temporary access to a slice of the 600 metre
 spectrum. 

 From 1 March, NZ Amateurs now have access to a new band, 505 to 515 kHz on a
 temporary basis pending an international allocation to radio amateurs. 

 Requirements of the licence include a maximum radiated power of 25 watts eirp
 maximum bandwidth of 200 Hz, and the requirement not to interfere with other
 services licensed to use that band. 

 Historically, this part of the radio spectrum was used for maritime
 communications in Morse Code until satellite communications recently made the
 technology obsolete.  Morse Code was a capability required by radio officers
 on ships travelling internationally up until the late 20th century.

 The licence amendment will make it possible for amateur radio operators 
 involved in restoration of historical radio equipment, for example at the
 Coast Station at Musick Point in Auckland, to test un-modulated transmission
 (carrier wave) signals from the equipment and demonstrate their Morse Code
 skills. 

 (irts/southgate)





 REWIND - A LOOK BACK IN HISTORY   
    
 "Rewind a look back at our history through the serialised written history
 by WIA Centenary Committee member Peter Wolfenden VK3RV with assistance of
 others that is being published in the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine.

  
 Experimenters get organised 

 On 11 March, 1910 a meeting of like-minded people in the Hotel Australia,
 Martin Place, Sydney, formed the Institute of Wireless Telegraphy of Australia,
 and soon after dropped the word 'telegraphy' from its name. 

 Chairman of the founding meeting, George Taylor, proposed "the formation
 of an institution amongst experimenters and enthusiasts in wireless for their
 mutual benefit." 
 
 It was also to create a voice with the authorities over the level of licence
 fee charged and to seek better treatment of experimenters in terms of alleged
 interference complaints from other spectrum users.
 
 A similar organisation was formed in Melbourne - the Amateur Wireless Society
 of Victoria, on 30 November 1911 at a meeting attended by 50 enthusiasts
 to form a Society so as to bring together all gentlemen who are interested
 in Wireless Telegraphy and by the exchange of views to encourage and assist
 experiment in this extremely interesting branch of science.. 

 In 1913 it changed its name to the Wireless Institute of Victoria, and then
 became the Wireless Institute of Australia, Victorian Division  with evidence
 of collaboration between New South Wales and Victoria, and around
 the nation.  

 Then followed The Wireless Institute of Queensland 1912, the West Australian
 Radio Club 1913 that ultimately in 1919 became the Wireless Institute of
 Australia, Western Australia Section. 

 Experimenters in South Australia formed a branch of the WIA in November 1919,
 and although there was experimental activity in Hobart prior to 1901, the
 Tasmanian Division of the WIA was not formed until June 1923.

 Clubs generally came later and there were many of them! Most were made up
 of young men and teenagers, and were built around the new interest of
 broadcast listening."





 SOCIAL SCENE 2010  
 
 THIS WEEKEND

 MARCH 14 VK3
 Eastern And Mountain District Radio Club White Elephant Sale 

 MARCH 14 VK6
 100 years of the WIA+Ham Heaven Official opening. (NCRG club premises)
 Contact Keith vk6rk(AT)wia.org.au 



 NEXT WEEKEND

 MARCH 21 VK7
 MEET THE VOICE BBQ at Ross in VK7






 APRIL 3-4-5 VK3
 Midland Amateur Radio Club's Radio, Electronic & Astronomy Expo.
 Old Fire Station Building" at 52 View Street Bendigo




 JUNE 12 VK2
 Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club's 35th Annual Field Day.

 
 JULY 17 VK3
 GGREC Hamfest Start Time : 10:00 



 AUGUST 1 VK6 
 Northern Corridor Group Hamfest Cyril Jackson Sports Centre Ashfield



 Oct 29 - 31
 VK1OOWIA Westlakes ARC during our WIA centenary celebrations. 


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



 2012
 
 15TH IARU REGION 3 CONFERENCE hosted by V.A.R.C. in Ho-Chi-Minh City, Vietnam.



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


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


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                      - NEWS POSTING TO PACKET - 

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