WESTLAKES NEWS FOR THE 4th NOVEMBER 2012

CONDITION OF ENTRY TO WESTLAKES CLUB HOUSE: Westlakes club members and visitors: It is very important that everyone signs the members/visitors book which is in the hallway adjacent the main doorway. This has come about due to requirements made by our Insurance provider. It also helps the club in any insurance claim that a person has made against the club. Yesterday was the monthly meeting of the club in the library. There were a small number of members in attendance. Did you forget the meeting was on. Items coming out of the meeting were the up and coming Boot Sale next weekend.This will be FREE so please tell all your friends and spread the word around. Anything that you wish to get rid of bring it along. Your unused items may be someone elses treasure. The starting time will be 1200 so people who work in the morning will have time to get to the club. There will be a BBQ for anyone who maybe hungry. Remember any items that you bring and don't sell MUST be taken home with you. This includes your rubbish. Westlakes Cup results with ONLY 4 logs being submitted. Results so far are 1st Place in the Advanced and Standard Licence division goes to VK4UH Kevin and in the Foundation licence class 1st place goes to Richard VK2FRKO. Next year the club will start advertising 6 months earlier to try to attract more participants in this contest. If after next years contest the numbers haven't increased the club will consider NOT running the contest. A working bee will be held this Wednesday so if you have a few hours that you can spare please be at the club at 9 am. Many hands make light work. At the end of the meeting Dave VK2RD rumbled the ticket tumbler, reached into it and selected a ticket. The ticket was then given to Greg VK2CW who read out the name on the ticket. Oh no he said its VK2CCW. Greg thought it may of been his. You see everyone, you have more chances of winning a meat tray if you have a W at the end of your callsign. Congratulations Michael - enjoy the meat tray. A feast was prepared in the kitchen by Diane and Penny. Once again - thank you Penny for your help yesterday. Yesterday, at the club the projects officer was assisting Richard VK2FRKO put his 40 meter QRP kit. It's coming along nicely and with a few modifications to case should be finished soon. Thanks Norm for your help - Richard. VI6ARG30 - Peel Amateur Radio Group celebrates 30 year history in VK6 with special call sign. Peel Amateur Radio Group have a special Anniversary coming up that we would like to share; we're celebrating our 30th Anniversary! To help celebrate we will be using our specially assigned call sign VI6ARG30. We will be operating between 5th November until 18th November. QSL cards will be issued for stations worked. Further details can be found on QRZ.com We will also be having celebrations on Sunday the 11th & 18th November which will include the club setting up in a local park in Mandurah. Everyone is welcome to swing past and say hello. BYO Picnic; please contact us for further details or head to our club page on the WIA website. http://www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk6/PeelAmateurRadioGroup/ We're a growing club with approx 20 members and embrace all areas from Kwinana though to Waroona, incorporating Rockingham and Mandurah in VK6. PARG has been working on a Mobile Communications Trailer for the past couple of years which was obtained through generous donations from sponsors such as SES Mandurah, Mayday and Alcoa. Our trailer is primarily used for emergency radio communications back-up to the SES in Mandurah and Club field days. We are currently in early stages of sourcing a suitable club house in the Peel region. Please do not hesitate to contact any one of our committee members for more information on us and our activities. 73 Michelle VK6MLW President Antenna masts and NSW planning law reform: New South Wales amateurs will recall that, since October last year, the New South Wales Government has been conducting comprehensive reform to the planning laws. As this is the first review of the State’s planning laws for more than 30 years, a golden opportunity was presented to get some consideration for Amateur Radio antenna masts. You will remember that we called for NSW amateurs to make submissions to the planning review last year. The NSW amateur fraternity responded magnificently with a barrage of submissions, wanting Amateur Radio antenna masts to be included in the laws as exempt or complying development. In fact, so many amateurs made submissions that the NSW planning department commented about it on their website in November last year. Draft legislation has recently been posted on the NSW Planning website and the department has invited all interested parties to comment. Disappointingly, Amateur antenna masts have not been included in the draft. I spoke to a policy officer in the department and asked – what do radio amateurs have to do to get some consideration on this issue? The answer – make (more) submissions ! It’s time to express your disappointment and send submissions again. You have until close of business on Friday 9th November. You can email your submissions to codes@planning.nsw.gov.auYou can find the draft legislation on the NSW planning website, at www.planning.nsw.gov.au click on the “Development” tab and select “On exhibition”, and then select “Draft Policies and Plans”. Information on putting together a submission is on the WIA website. The advice we gave last year can be found by typing “antenna masts” into the search field on the WIA website. The battle isn’t over. Amateurs of NSW – get cracking ! Roger Harrison VK2ZRH Wireless Institute of Australia The hidden costs of amateur repeaters. From time to time we hear about the funding difficulties experienced by clubs who run a repeater often not for the benefit of their own members, but for the wider amateur radio community. In New South Wales the Lands Department is continuing on its campaign of introducing high site lease charges all in the name of cost recovery and getting a commercial return for access to sites. Similar things are happening in other parts of Australia which are making repeater operators very anxious. Amateur Radio Victoria funds and licences most of the repeaters in its state, the annual ACMA licence fees are nearly $4000. In addition to this are site fees, take for instance the Mt William repeater VK3RWZ in Western Victoria, the site fees for this repeater are around $1,000 a year. Recently VK3RWZ was restored to service after a major antenna failure; rigging costs alone were in excess of $5,000 for that job plus the new feeders, aerials and radios. A considerable number of complaints were received when the repeater was not on air, most came from non members of Amateur Radio Victoria and since it has been returned to service only a couple of loyal and understanding members have expressed their thanks. Another major new cost for repeater operators is the D-STAR network. Amateur Radio Victoria has spent several thousand dollars to get VK3RMM D-STAR Mt Macedon on air. We now find it has few users, most are not even members of Amateur Radio Victoria. Also with D-STAR comes the monthly expense of internet access for the D-STAR internet gateway. Most amateurs don’t understand the amount of effort made by a small number of dedicated people to continually upgrade installations to meet new commercial technical requirements and the continual replacement program for obsolete equipment initiated by Amateur Radio Victoria. WORLD NEWS: COULD THIS HAPPEN HERE IN AUSTRALIA? Impact of 4G phones on TV. The BBC Radio 4 Today show reports on the possible impact of 4G mobile phones on poorly designed TV systems. The use by some households of poor quality broadband TV boosters that lack adequate filtering means that hundreds of thousands of households risk losing their TV picture when 4G phones start using the 800 MHz frequencies in Spring 2013. A Parliamentary debate on 800 MHz 4G and the problems that badly designed TV systems could face was initiated by Essex MP John Whittingdale (Maldon) and a transcript can be read at http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2012-10-30a.61.0&m=40134. Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, originally called MitCo, will be responsible for ensuring that consumers continue to receive clear Freeview TV signals following the launch of 4G mobile services in the 800 MHz spectrum band next Spring. DMSL will be supplying filters to reduce interference problems although it is still unclear whether these will be high-quality Bandpass filters which will also attenuate signals below 475 MHz or cheaper Low-pass filters that just filter out signals above 790 MHz. Up and coming Events and demonstrations: Maurie VK2CD - a demonstration of his magnetic loop on a date to be organized. Also a demonstration outside using the new 40 QRP rigs. On a date to be organized as well. Well that's all the news I have this week. Do you have a news items that you would like read out on a broadcast? Contact Richard VK2FRKO on email address vk2frko@tpg.com.au or give the item to Richard at the club. Now to wind up. Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. is located in York Street, TERALBA - and is open on Saturday Afternoons from around 12 noon. Also on a Tuesday evening from around 6pm. To make contact at other times, try dialling (02) 49 581588 where an answering service operates. Visitors are always welcome at the club. We have plenty of tea, coffee, long-life milk, and an interesting selection of biscuits.