First item today, being 25th of April is about Anzac amateur radio activities.
In North Queensland, a group are encouraging all amateurs to operate on AM and CW modes this afternoon and evening as a mark of remembrance to the servicemen and women who served during time of conflict. AM and CW were modes used by radio operators during WW2 and in Korea, Malaysian and early in Viet Nam. Hopefully New Zealand amateurs will join in the activity. The North Queensland net on ANZAC Day will be on 7.093MHz at 0600 hours UTC using AM and the Townsville North Queensland net will also be AM on 3605 kHz at 0930 hours UTC. Ex-navy ships Whyalla (in Whyalla), Castlemaine (in Melbourne) and Diamantina (in Brisbane) will be activating their World War 2 radio equipment plus and linking in with local Amateur Radio Clubs. Also, Turkish amateurs are be operating this weekend from a site at Anzac Cove - just so you know the Turkish callsign prefix is TA to TC.
What will be far easier will be to make contact with VK2AOJ, the callsign of Port Stephens Amateur Radio Club, which will be operating portable at Fort Scratchley this Anzac Day afternoon. At least give VK2AOJ a call - even if its only via a 2 metre repeater. An excellent Special Event QSL card will be exchanged for all contacts.
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Ever heard of Manassas? It is a city located in Virginia USA and it's strange claim to fame is that it's the first city to abandon BPL (broadband-overpower lines). The 35,000 residents who have relied on BPL for Internet services will have to find new providers after Manassas City Council has closed the BPL system. It would be nice to think the reason had something to do with ending RF interference to amateur radio, but it wasn't - too many citizens had had changed to Internet by wireless for BPL to remain viable. That must be the ultimate in irony - instead of BPL making wireless unusable, wireless puts BPL out of action!
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What do you know about digital radio in Australia? Probably that it started on 1 July 2009 and that it's only available in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. Plans are underway to expand digital radio to regional centres but that may take a while. The reason is the slow take-up in Australia of the new-fangled receivers and the reason for that, is that digital radio in this country, does not replace AM and FM broadcasts - its just another way to hear them. Not so in the UK, where that Government intends to switch all AM and FM stations to digital by 2015. It is estimated that 100 million UK analogue radios will be reduced to landfill when the switch is thrown. So much for restoring old valve radios.
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The numbers game is always interesting - particularly when it relates to amateur radio. The Foundation Licence was certainly responsible in attracting many newcomers to the hobby but now that the initial surge has died down, how healthy is amateur radio in Australia? Actually quite good. One year ago - April 2009 - there were 15,515 current call signs on the ACMA data base. A check in April 2010 shows 15,675 - that's in increase of 160 or just over 1 percent in 12 months. Not very spectacular, but at least it's up.
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Now you will want a pen and paper ready in a moment so get prepared. Garry VK2YA has forwarded details of an ABC television site that has great video from the Collectors series. It shows ex-telegraphist, Ron McMullen, operating and displaying, what is claimed to be, the best collection of Morse keys and paraphenalia in Austrlia. Ready with your pen?
Here we go - nice and slow: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/collectors/segments/s2881139.htm It is worth a look.
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The Centenary of the WIA is this year - or haven't you heard? The three-day slots for use by clubs of the special call sign, VI100WIA have all been allocated with the WIA itself, taking the opening fortnight commencing 14 May. VI100WIA gets into the hands of clubs on 1 June. This "pass the callsign" continues every 3 days until the end of October. That's where we come in - Westlakes has exclusive use of the call fot the final 3 days - 29, 30, and 31 October. Last is a good slot to have because at midnight on the 31st, VI100WIA can never be used or heard again.
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The meat raffle. The previous week's winner, Bill VK2XT, drew the lucky ticket from the barrel yesterday. The winner was ..... Frank VK2FJW whose XYL, June, shops at Needs Butchery who now provide the meat tray. When she was there during the week, she told Mr Needs to make it a nice tray as FJW may win it in a raffle. Talk about a coincidence!
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Contrary to the understanding of some, the Club's Tuesday RTTY and Easypal slow scan is still on this repeater on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 pm. Also, MMSSTV slow scan is still held on this repeater on Thursday evenings at 7.30pm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite her absence from the club yesterday, Gloria still managed to arrange an afternoon tea For our soon-to-depart President Frank VK2FJL. Frank has sold up at Gorokan and has purchased a rural retreat at Lithgow. He moves in a few weeks and will be missed.
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Now the latest on the project construction series being run by Les Smith in the club's activity room. AS of yesterday, the first of four sessions is planned to commence next Saturday afternoon at 1.30 pm. There are vacancies so if you want to be in it, turn up next Saturday - it is guaranteed you will learn something.
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If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
That concludes Westlakes segment of this week news.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
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