WESTLAKES NEWS FOR THE 29TH JUNE 2014.

In next months magazine will be details of our annual major raffle, to be drawn at the field day in September. All will be revealed and tickets for a grand prize worth winning will go on sale. Stay tuned... In the library, last weeks meat tray winner Ally ( won under Suspicious circumstances - drew his own ticket out ). Lillian ( visitor ) reached into the ticket tumbler and selected the ticket of Ted VK2UI. Enjoy the meat Ted. In the absence of Chef Michael, pies and sausage rolls were once again on the menu. A sorting day will be conducted in the QSL buro on Wednesday 2nd July at 10:00 am after the 0930 net. If anyone is available to assist please we would love to see you. Lunch will be provided. Lighthouse weekend at Norah Head of the weekend of 15th, 16th and 17th August is fast approaching and the menu was drawn up today. For all of those who are attending Diane VK2FDNE will email you the menu. If you have any extra needs or are allergic to any food please let Diane know. New Foundation licence. Firstly, on Saturday Mark Payne was successful in the final component for his Foundation licence. The paperwork is on it's way to the WIA and from all reports, Mark is a happy man That makes 6 new Foundation calls in the past 3 weeks. It's been a busy 3 weeks. Thinking of Upgrading? We will be doing upgrades on Saturday 26 July, with a starting of 1100 hrs. If you are interested, please email Steve at VK2LW@wia.org.au Upgrades can be done in stages. Next Foundation course. We currently have 2 vacancies in the next Foundation course, commencing on Saturday 30 August. The course will be run by Geoff VK2GL over a four week period, with assessment on Saturday 27 September. If you are interested or would like more information, please email Steve at VK2LW@wia.org.au. One of last weeks successful candidates is all ready to go. John Noack arrived at the club with a 40 metre dipole set up off a squid pole and coupled to a brand new FT817. It is tuned spot on and received great reports from VK3 with the 5 watts. Well done John. Richard VK2FRKO would like to advise that picking up a soldering iron by the hot end is not recommended and now has two hot spots on his thumb and fore finger. One day he will learn that when you play with fire you get burnt. WIA NEWS. 1st edition of AR digital has been released. Delivered as promised to ALL MEMBERS of the WIA. NEW AMATEUR RADIO CLUB North East Victoria Amateur Radio Club – NEVARC. A new radio club was formed on 15/06/14. It has been decided that there is the need for a pro-active club in the North East Victoria area. And here it is. the Formation of The North East Victoria Amateur Radio Club. The Club was formed officially on the 15th June, 2014. It was talked about 6 months before that. We Currently have 20 members which is growing all the time. If you like to know more about this club just log onto : www.nevarc.net.au NEVARC 80m Net. NEVARC will begin holding their weekly net on 3.560 from the 2nd July. The net will be hosted by Ron VK3MRH at 8.00pm. Regards Keith VK2PKT The Ionospheric Prediction Service is being reviewed A discussion paper has been released by the Ionospheric Prediction Service as the first step in what could be a wide-ranging review of the service. The Ionospheric Prediction Service - or, I-P-S as it is more commonly referred to - is a division of Australia's Bureau of Meteorology - the weather bureau. Being part of the Bureau makes sense, because much of the work of IPS has to do with "space weather" - the activity of the Sun, the solar wind and its interactions with the Earth's magnetic field and the ionosphere. The Terms of Reference for the review include the following # A review the policy basis for the Bureau's space weather services. # An analysis and international benchmarking comparison of the Bureau's Space Weather services, and use of observations and infrastructure, including: - their current status; - performance and impact; - scope; - manner of delivery; and - adequacy of capabilities and resourcing to deliver the service. Evaluation of the extent to which the Bureau's Space Weather services meet user needs - especially those of significant user groups and high-impact users. # Assessment of the strategic outlook - over 5 to10 years - for space weather services in Australian, regional and global settings - and, in light of the first three items - provide advice on the capabilities required to meet the future challenges; # Comment on the potential for cost-recovery of space weather services; AND Provide recommendations based on the above analyses, assessments and evaluations. The WIA encourages radio amateurs to lodge a submission to the review, especially if you use IPS services, explaining how the free IPS service provided to public radio users aids your communications activities. You can download a copy of the discussion paper from the home page of www.ips.gov.au, or via the news item on http://www.wia.org.au the WIA website home page. Get cracking ! Responses are required by the fourth of July ! Auckland Unitary Plan Submission Auckland Council's 'Plan' basically stipulates all amateur radio aerials would be subjected to a Restricted Discretionary resource consent. This is upwards of $5000 every time an antenna change is contemplated! But check this fact out, For instance, if I am a Kiwi yachty and want to mount a VHF marine whip on the barge board of my house, I can do it as of right, but if as a radio amateur I want to put an almost identical 2m whip on my bargeboard, I have to get a resource consent. NZART has consequently put in a rather comprehensive submission to try to achieve "Permitted Status" for a range of "amateur configurations". Auckland, with nearly a third of all amateurs in NZ, if it wins this case, it is probable that it will become the template for most other districts as they review their district plans in the future. Good luck NZART. DX stations note:- The phrase "Spending a Penny" is not to be used after 31 December 2014. From this date onwards, the correct term will be: "Euronating". Reminder to ALL MEMBERS: Westlakes annual field day will be held on the 14th September 2014 in the club grounds. Have a look through your equipment and see what you are not using or better still look in you gargage and see what is taking up valuable space. Perhaps you would like to donate it to the club. What the club does NOT ACCEPT - CRT computer monitors, video players, old TVs of the CRT type. Remember to bring your own tables and a chair to sit on and you must take away ALL your own rubbish as the club WILL NOT be getting a skip. If your are interested in a stall please contact the club secretary for further details. Don’t forget the club 40 metre nets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays commencing at 0930 hrs, on 7.150 Mhz. Please call in and discuss any topic that you wish to bring up. We have many experts on any discussion. Also, the EZBEE net at 0800 am every Saturday morning on 146.775 where we discuss what is happening at the club that day. And for the early risers we can’t forget the Stone the Crows net on 80 metres, 3.588 Mhz at 0600 am Well that's all the news I have this week. Does 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 always welcome at the club. We have plenty of tea, coffee, long-life milk, a good Canteen and an interesting selection of biscuits.