WESTLAKES NEWS FOR SUNDAY 16TH February 2014

What happened at your club yesterday? Well, the reported mock display for our 3 days of Amateur Radio promotion at the Newcastle Show was was a non event due to the persisting rain. So... a discussion and a practise run on paper was done in the library. A volunteer to stay overnight in Dave's campervan on Saturday is still required. We have a member that will double up( that means will do 2 nights) so if you can help please contact Geoff VK2GL by emailing him at leage@optusnet.com.au The meat tray draw took place in the library and Geoff VK2YFA was there to draw the lucky ticket. The ticket tumbler was sent tumbling and when the tumbler stopped turning, Geoff reached in and written on this weeks ticket was the callsign of VK2CMS. Congratulations Mark - enjoy the meat tray. In the activity room, Norm, Geoff and a number of other members were trying to repair some soldering stations. Not sure how many out of the three are now working. We can say definitely that one is working. Thanks to Ian from Jaycar - Warners Bay. Also in the activity room was Dave VK2RD who was putting together Diane's new computer - well it will be when we finish installing the new components. Diane unfortunately got caught in a scam on the Internet by a company selling cheap computers from CHINA. 5 weeks later still no pc – Be careful everyone. From the Desk of the WIA. Summer ducting blamed for TV interference. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has investigated complaints of poor TV reception in the Shoalhaven and Nowra areas on New South Wales south-eastern coast. The ACMA visited the Illawarra Knights Hill transmission site. It found that the most likely cause to be summer time tropospheric ducting. Distant television transmissions operating on the same channels from Newcastle, more than 300 kilometres away, have caused reception interference in Shoalhaven and Nowra. Viewers in marginal coverage areas, or those with inadequate antennas, are more likely to be affected. Telecasters are now looking at options to improve coverage to give more reliable services from Knights Hill. The WIA has announced that its PR4AmateurRadio Expo is to be held through the clubs or groups, during April the 11th, 12th and 13th. Expo details and on-line registration are on the WIA website. With only ten weeks to go - now can be the time to make the necessary preparations. AUSTRALIA'S MOST WANTED FIELD DAY Hey! it's only ONE WEEK to go to the Wyong Field Day! Here's the final lists of traders, exhibitors and seminars, don't forget the big flea market of course. The traders attending with the widest range of gear for you to buy are: Andrews Communications, Radio Supply Limited, Jaycar, Softmark, RF Solutions, Cro-tek Instruments, NBS Antennas, Oakley Electronics and this year we are very proud to welcome back ICOM Australia. The exhibitors you'll find at Wyong are: The Summits on the Air association, The historical radio society of Australia,The Australian radio DX Club,The WIA QSL Bureau ( not there last year due to the heavy rain storms at Newcastle), Hornsby & District amateur radio club, ALARA, WICEN New South Wales, Norah Head Marine Rescue, AMSAT VK, ARNSW Homebrew & experimenters group The Wireless Institute of Australia and an exhibition of many things amateur television. Up and coming contests WIA John Moyle Field Day weekend March 15-16, WIA VK Harry Angel Memorial Sprint May 3rd. SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS, DX, BEACON REPEATER AND NET ADVICE New Mildura beacon NOW on air. After delays caused by heatwave conditions and antenna tuning, the new 630 Metre band beacon is now operating at Mildura in Victoria's northwest - at the cross-roads of Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. The project, the work of Noel Ferguson VK3FI, is a 473 Kilohertz beacon based on the Drew Diamond VK3XU circuit with changes made mainly for available components. What a job, but it now radiates from an L-antenna against a mast, plus seven radials and some 27 earth stakes. The beacon on a part-time basis when VK3FI is present, currently about 22:00 hours Australian Eastern Daylight Time. Reception reports will be appreciated. vk3fi@wia.org.au UK AMATEURS HEAR JADE RABBIT FROM THE MOON. Beijing’s Jade Rabbit lunar rover had been thought to be dead but its radio signal on 8.4GHz was received by radio amateur Paul Marsh, M0EYT on 12 February. This is a remarkable achievement as the relatively low-power transmitter was never intended to be received by amateurs on Earth. News outlets including CNN have reported on Paul’s feat. Pictures and the full story can be found via the AMSAT UK website. New amateur bands have been allowed in Bulgaria. In the future, LZ amateurs will be able to use bands 472-479kHz, 525-545 kHz and 70.00-70.50 MHz. In addition, the 1.8MHz band has been extended up to 2MHz. All those bands have to be used on secondary basis. DX NEWS Mellish Reef DXpedition Ready to Pick Up the Post-FT5ZM Slack.When the hubbub generated by the FT5ZM Amsterdam Island DXpedition is still echoing in our ears, the Mellish Reef VK9MT DXpedition will be waiting in the wings to launch its own adventure on the Amateur Radio airwaves. VK9MT will be handing out another rare one March 29 through April 9 from the Coral Sea atoll.The team said that one of its biggest logistical challenges will be the purchase of 1400 liters of “petrol” (gasoline) to fuel generators. The team has selected the 25 meter passenger expedition yacht Evohe from New Zealand to transport operators and gear to Mellish Reef. Given the paucity of dry ground at the operating site, DXpedition participants plan to take their meals and sleep on the vessel.The schedule calls for 10 full days of operation on 160 through 10 meters, CW, SSB, and RTTY, with 10 operators. Six members of the successful ZL9HR operation from Campbell Island in December 2012 are among the team members.The DXpedition budget is estimated at $110,000 — a bit more modest than the $450,000 FT5ZM budget. That figure does not include operators’ individual expenses. The team has pledged “full financial transparency” for all aspects of the DXpedition. “When the books are closed, clubs and foundations that supported the project will receive a financial accounting,” Team Mellish has said. Contact the DXpedition via e-mail. The DXpedition also has a Facebook page. The shirts are here: The long awaited Westlakes dress shirts have arrived from the Embroidery company and look really sharp. If you have ordered one then contact Greg VK2CW, pay the required money and it is all yours. If you are going to Wyong Field Day then make a point of wearing the new shirt for a united effort for Westlakes. 50th Anniversary Luncheon: Numbers are still being taken for those members who wish to attend our 50th Anniversary Luncheon at Cardiff RSL on the 6th April next. Contact Greg VK2CW or Dianne VK2FDNE to register. The subsidised cost is $25.00 per head and the club will pick up the difference. MAP READING COURSE: Geoff’s map reading course requires two more people to join. You will be given a full set of notes. The date for this is March 15th. The first 2 people to contact Geoff will get in. Please contact Geoff VK2GL at leage@optusnet.com.au Well that's all the news we have this week. Do you have a news item that you would like read out on a future broadcast? Then 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 always welcome at the club. We have plenty of tea, coffee, long-life milk, a good Canteen and an interesting selection of biscuits.