WESTLAKES NEWS FOR OCTOBER 6TH 2013.

Well the club was a hive of activity yesterday. More people than ever turned up. In the activity room Norm VK2KNC was trying to repair Barrie's Icom 725 that sustained some serious damage after travelling to VK3. The VK3 could not get the radio to work at all and after contacting Barrie he returned the radio. Anyway, Norm had found that the circuit board on the front panel had split. After fixing that up and getting the display to work, it was found that the transmit button was broken as well as the 3 light globes on the display. Norm had a full crew helping him. Working behind Norm was Maurie VK2CD who was also getting Norm to assist him get his SDR software to work on his laptop. Norm was very busy and said he will be back in a months time. Also on the same bench was Marcel VK2FMDB and his laptop showing Richard VK2FRKO some finer points on the CHIRP software for programming handhelds. Maurie was also out at his car testing one of his HF Vehicle antennas that one of his customers had bought off him and it worked very well. Another happy customer. Not sure what Dave VK2RD was doing in the radio shack BUT it could of been in preparation for the Oceania DX contest. In the kitchen Michael VK2CCW was busy cooking hamburgers and steak sandwiches with salad. Pies and sausage rolls were also on the menu. Absolutely filling Michael. Please support the club by buying your lunch there as it helps supports the club. Richard VK2FRKO was seen purchasing coaxial cable - looks like he has work ahead of him. Yes the club does have various items and coaxial cable to sell so why not ask before visiting elsewhere and by doing this you support the club. Greg VK2CW was seen wandering around selling tickets for the meat tray raffle and trying to fill the money bag up with money. A ticket was drawn and and you wouldn’t want to know it, Penny’s name came out. Enjoy the meat tray Penny and Greg and see you at the club next week. It is on again - a Car Boot Sale at Westlakes. Free to sellers and to all who attend. Not only that, there is a free sausage sizzle for all. It will be held in the club grounds, York Street Teralba on Saturday 9 November starting at 9 am. Full details will be in our November Magazine. Peter Sturt VK2ZTV has been carrying out Amateur Digital Television Tests on 446.50 MHz. We believe this is the first Amateur Television digital transmissions in Newcastle. These transmissions can be watched with a 70 Cm beam pointed at Cardiff Heights or a vertical colinear antenna. Grahame VK2FA & Charlie VK2CLH have both been watching Peter's state of the art transmissions. Grahame has a 16 element phased array antenna and Charlie has a vertical colinear antenna on his roof In Warners Bay. If people are interested in observing the trials and tribulations of this experimentation, most set top boxes and TV's will tune to the 446.5 MHz frequency if you do a manual scan by entering the frequency before you press ok. Reception reports can be sent to newcastleatv@gmail.com. I am sure if any one would like further information Peter, Grahame or Charlie would be happy to give you anymore information you might require. Submitted by Grahame VK2FA. UP AND COMMING EVENTS: SDR Radio demonstration Saturday 19 October Amateur Radio Exams at Westlakes Saturday 26 October Inaugural Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award announced. The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union held its annual meeting on 2 & 4 November 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Due to the passing of Michael J. Owen VK3KI, who had been a member of the Administrative Council for most of its existence and had been a long time contributor to the efforts of IARU to promote and preserve amateur radio, the AC decided to establish an award in recognition of this. The Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award was established to recognize an individual or individuals that best exemplify the dedication and hard work of IARU volunteers. Following an IARU request for submission by member Societies of possible recipients, the AC at its meeting in Cancun Mexico on Sunday 22 September 2013, considered submissions and agreed to jointly award the first Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award to Dr David Wardlaw VK3ADW and Wojciech Nietyksza SP5FM. David Wardlaw became involved with the IARU in 1968 as a part of the Secretariat provided by WIA for the inaugural conference of IARU Region 3 in Sydney. While serving as WIA President he attended the 1976 IARU world meeting in Miami, held in conjunction with the Region 2 Conference, at which the global objectives and strategy for WARC-79 were developed. Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM began his long and intensive IARU involvement as a member of the IARU team attending the 1974 Maritime Mobile WARC in Geneva. From that time through WRC-03 he was the most consistent face of the IARU at ITU meetings and conferences. He was elected Vice Chairman of Region 1 in 1975 and was re-elected to that position every three years until 1999 when he relinquished it for Tafa Diop, 6W1KI. Wojciech remained a member of the Region 1 EC and chairman of its External Relations Committee through 2002. Summits on the Air continues to grow in VK. The Summits on the Air (SOTA) programme is now operational in vk2 and vk4, with over 1000 summits in vk2 and over 500 registered so far in vk4 with some large regions still to go. All regions of VK2 are registered so there are summits all over the state. In VK4, the two southeast regions and the Capricornia and Wide Bay & Burnett regions are registered at this point. I can also pass on the news that VK6 is being surveyed at present and I will leave detailed announcements to those doing the work. To mark the launch of SOTA in vk2 you are invited to join in a SOTA QSO party on Sunday 13th October. If you can, activate a nearby or distant summit yourself. If you prefer to operate from your home or other portable location as a chaser, do join in. The activators need to make at least 4 contacts to qualify their activation. SOTA is not a contest but is an operating award programme. You can record your contacts in an online log and claim points for your contacts. A major benefit of participating in the SOTA programme is that to activate a summit you must do at least some walking (the last 25m of altitude). As many mountains have no vehicle access anywhere near the top, this sometimes means you and your fellow activators need to walk 1, 2 or more km, carrying your radio station, food and water, navigation and safety equipment. Many radio amateurs around the world are now enjoying this combination of amateur radio with some level of bushwalking. It is good for the health. For more details about the award, the summits already registered, activators' guides and online maps and spotting websites, start your search at SOTA.org.uk. 73 from Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH association manager for SOTA in VK2. WORLD NEWS: Former P.O.W. Dorothy Susie Davis Thompson KF5IX - SK at 95 Dorothy Susie Davis Thompson’s path to a lifetime of service to her fellow man began with her birth. Born in Shanghai, China on October 26, 1917, where her grandparents toiled as missionaries. Her father, Alfred Davis, was an importer of electrical equipment. In 1937, at age 19 she left her home town of Shanghai and came stateside to New York City, where she entered the Columbia University Nursing School. While at Columbia, the Japanese invaded China and her family managed to flea China for safety in the Philippines. Despite a bout of rheumatic fever Dorothy graduated in 1940 from Columbia University - Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing. She then travelled to Manila, reunited with her parents and Eva, and began working at Steinberg General Hospital . On September 2nd, 2013 Captain Dorothy Susie Davis Thompson-KF5XI United States Army Nurse Corps, Ex-Prisoner Of War, Hero of the United States and of the Philippines, healer of the sick, and Amateur Radio Operator passed away at the age of 95. Did you remember to put your clocks forward 1 hour this morning. If not, you have missed the news. Daylight saving started this morning at 2:00 am... Remember if you are on the roads that Double Demerit points and fines apply till midnight Monday. This being a long weekend.. Well that's all the news I have this week. Anyone have any late breaking news? Do you have a news item 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 from around 11:00 am. Also on a Tuesday evening from around 6:00 pm. To make contact at other times, try dialling (02) 49 581588 where an answering service operates. Visitors are alway welcome at the club. We have plenty of tea, coffee, long-life milk, a good Canteen and an interesting selection of biscuits. Thank you for listening. Good morning all.