• WIANEWS for WEEK COMMENCING AUGUT 18 2024

    From National News Broadcast Email List@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Aug 16 17:34:29 2024
    Reply-To: nationalnews@wia.org.au



    2024 AUGUST 18 VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA ------------------------------------------------------------*

    THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK

    THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos

    ------------------------------------------------------------*

    NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING AUGUT 18 2024
    IN OUR 29th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS

    THIS WEEK:-

    WIA Director Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY. -

    ALARA Contest Manager Lesley VK5LOL. -

    2 POLICE STATIONS TO WORK VI7POL and HB20SP. -

    and THREE G or not 3G, THAT IS THE QUESTION.

    NOW WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
    WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA.

    I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB

    WIA

    JOIN THE WIA
    tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y
    The recent affiliated club forum which was held online on 30 July was
    well attended, attracting nearly 50 registrations and was chaired by
    President of the WIA, Scott Williams VK3KJ.

    The forum was held to discuss with affiliated clubs, the current
    consultations that are open for comment by our fellow amateurs.
    The forum was held in two parts.

    The first was introduced by the WIA Technical Advisory Committee
    Chair, Grant Willis VK5GR who outlined the changes being proposed
    to the way in which repeater and beacon licencing and frequency
    allocation is conducted and the implications for the new ACMA proposed
    FAP10 process. The forum also looked at the purpose and high level
    design of the new Radiocommunications Assignment and Licensing
    Instructions (RALI) technical standards for selecting amateur
    repeater and beacon frequencies.

    The second part of the forum was also introduced by the WIA Technical
    Advisory Chair. Grant outlined the new 40m band plan consultation,
    what the identified issues are and what some of the areas that we are
    seeking feedback on.

    The online forum was recorded and will be available for viewing in the
    coming week.

    This has been WIA Director Chris Dimitrijevic, VK3FY.
    also calls W3YM / T30T / 3D2FY / DU8FY / 4E8T / 5W0FY / HK7T
    AUSTRALIANA

    The Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References
    Committee has delivered an interim report into the planned shutdown of Australia's 3G mobile network, recommending that the shutdown — set to
    take place at the end of the month — should be postponed.

    The committee's report, recommends that the Minister for
    Communications should urgently meet with Telstra and Optus to delay
    the shutdown until they can prove the 4G network will provide coverage equivalent to or better than the coverage provided by the 3G network.

    The government and industry should also audit the number and type of
    devices that will be affected and contact and help the owners of those
    devices, with a focus on devices that are likely to have a significant
    impact on public health, safety and business operations.

    (critical comms)

    ------------------------------------------------------------*

    INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to ARRL, DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday,
    IARU, ICQPodcast, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC, Radioworld.com, RSGB,
    SARL and the World Wide sources of the WIA.

    INDIA

    A special workshop on 'Wireless Technology and its Practical
    Solutions' was conducted for Rajkot - Police Wireless Department
    at Gujarat (India) last month. The venue was the Police Training
    Centre at Rajkot Headquarter.

    Regional Coordinator of AMSAT-INDIA & The Amateur Radio Society of
    India, Mr. Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, gave insight into various Radio Communication protocols, types of modulation, modes & various
    applications used in Amateur Radio & Police department.

    This workshop was targeted for 25 technical wireless officers &
    radio operators and focused on the radio communication enhancing
    methods, utilizing various techniques, using different antennas for
    specific applications and diagnosis of wireless setup with various
    measuring instruments including SWR/Power Meter,
    NanoVNA/Antenna Analyser and they extended a handful of maintenance
    tips for Radio, Antenna, Feed line & repeaters to optimize radio communications.
    USA

    The FCC has approved the launch of a low-earth orbit communications array
    of five satellites on V-band that is expected to open the door for US smartphones to make use of space-based cellular broadband services across
    the nation. The satellites have been given the OK to operate in the 37.5
    to 42 GHz range for space-to-Earth communications; and the ranges of 47.2
    to 50.2 GHz and 50.4 to 51.4 GHz for Earth to space communications.

    Approval was also given for the use of 430-440 MHz for space-to-Earth and Earth-to-space transmissions, 2025-2110 MHz for Earth-to-
    space transmissions and 2200-2290 MHz for space-to-Earth transmissions.

    The approvals are granted to Texas-based AST Space Mobile for what the
    company is characterizing as the largest communications array in historyin low-earth orbit.

    Alabama Broadcasters Association name Carl Sampieri as its
    2024 Engineer of the Year.

    He started as a HAM radio enthusiast as a teen and still carries the
    call sign 'N 4 NRE, He built most of the radio stations in the
    Tennessee Valley.

    Sampieri earned his First Class Radiotelephone License at age 18
    then joined the Air Force as an airborne radio repairman and got a
    commendation for working with the Armed Forces Radio Thailand.

    Sampieri's first broadcasting jobs were in 1967. After leaving the
    Air Force, he moved back to Huntsville to work for WAAY(TV) as an
    engineer.

    Sampieri recently retired as the engineer at Huntsville's iHeart Radio
    cluster after 26 years, and has worked for nearly 20 years as chief
    engineer at WLRH Public Radio.

    Fun fact: It's said Huey Lewis' "Heart of Rock and Roll" is the first
    song played across every new transmitter Sampieri has turned on.

    His future plans include finishing renovations to his 100-year-old
    house in Madison, which features two 60-foot Ham radio towers in
    his backyard.
    AUSTRALIA

    myGOV

    After account abuse, inconsistent processes and lack of intel sharing
    uncovered Services Australia will implement a range of security
    challenges and controls in myGov by June 2025 after exploitation of
    the platform's single sign-on model and unlimited creation of
    accounts.

    The agency has committed "to ensure sufficient and consistent
    verification steps are in place" across its own services accessed
    via myGov - Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support.
    But it will be up to other departments and agencies that run digital
    service delivery through myGov to do the same on their ends to ensure consistency.

    A Commonwealth Ombudsman investigation found that where cybercriminals
    used stolen credentials to access a myGov account, they generally
    faced no further challenges when changing personal details, bank
    accounts or linking to other digital government services or accounts.

    Users may also not receive any indication of changes being made to
    their accounts.

    "Once a customer is signed into their myGov account, there are
    currently no additional security measures for high-risk transactions,"
    the ombudsman found.

    "Services Australia advised this is because myGov was designed to
    provide a single sign-on to securely access government services and
    reduce the need for multiple online accounts and passwords."
    IRELAND

    The Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) is participating in the
    vibrant Dublin Maker 2024 festival.

    This year's event will take place at the historic Richmond Barracks,
    Dublin Saturday, August 31st and Sunday, September 1st.

    Dublin Maker has now expanded to a two-day celebration, promising even
    more fun and innovation. This dynamic 'show and tell' festival
    showcases a diverse range of creators, including tech enthusiasts,
    crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, artists,
    science clubs, students, authors, ham radio buffs and commercial
    exhibitors. These talented makers, from all ages and backgrounds,
    come from all over Ireland and beyond to share their passion and
    creativity.
    ALASKA

    The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) will be
    conducting a research campaign August 13-16 and August 18-20 UTC, with operating times specified in the table below. Operating frequencies
    will vary but HAARP transmissions will be between 2.8MHz and 10 MHz.
    Actual transmit days and times are highly variable based on real-time ionospheric and/or geomagnetic conditions. All information is subject
    to change.

    This campaign is being conducted in support of research proposals from
    the Polar Aeronomy and Radio Science (PARS) Summer School, with over
    25 unique experiments taking place. The theme of this year's program
    is "Illuminating Space". The scientific goals of these experiments
    range from studies on the effects of ionospheric conditions on GPS
    satellite signals to the generation and propagation of extremely low frequency/very low frequency (ELF/VLF) waves.

    haarp.gi.alaska.edu/

    -------------------------------------------------------------------

    OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION
    --------------
    --------------
    NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2024
    --------------
    --------------

    AUGUST 17 - 18

    Remembrance Day Contest On This Weekend.

    This contest commemorates the Australian Amateurs who died during
    World War II and is designed to encourage friendly participation and
    help improve the operating skills of participants.
    (wia.org.au)

    -----------------------------
    A.L.A.R.A. CONTEST Combined phone and CW run over 24 hours
    STARTS Saturday 25th August at 0600 hours UTC ENDS Sunday 26th
    August 2024 at 0559 hours UTC

    Hi, this is Lesley VK5LOL the Alara Contest Manager for 2024.
    In this contest Oms only score points for contacting Yls.
    Yls score points for contacting Oms and other Yls.

    The contest is about encouraging Yls to come up on the radio.

    We would also like our younger folk to come up on air via Scout or
    Girl Guide groups. All details for the Contest can be found on our
    website:

    alara.org.au

    Hoping to speak with you on the radio waves - Lesley VK5LOL,
    Alara Contest Manager.
    -------------

    Oceania DX Contest

    Contest Dates/Times:

    PH - The first full weekend in October each year from 0600 UTC
    Saturday to 0600 UTC Sunday

    CW - The second full weekend in October each year from 0600 UTC
    Saturday to 0600 UTC Sunday

    Log deadline for PH and CW logs - 31 October.

    This year's contest will be held on October 5th and 12th

    oceaniadxcontest.com

    wia.org.au/members/contests/oceania/
    -------------------

    VHF UHF Field Day

    Upcoming Contest Date & Time

    Spring 2024 - 0100 UTC Saturday 23 November through 0059 UTC Sunday
    24 November (0400 / 0359 in VK6).

    wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/

    -------------------

    YOTA CONTEST

    Youth on the air test 3 of 3 will be from 10:00 to 21:59 UTC on
    29 December on the five classic bands CW and SSB.

    (yota)

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD.

    AUSTRALIA

    VI7POL

    For 2024 National Police Week in Australia, a special event call of
    VI 7 POL will be on air. The call will be active between 14th
    September an 29th September to celebrate the 7th annual National
    Police Week, a celebration of our nation's police.

    National Police Week includes the 15th annual Wall to Wall Ride For
    Remembrance and National Police Remembrance Day on 27th September.

    National Police Remembrance Day is a time to pause to honour the
    826 Australian police officers whose lives have been lost while
    performing their duty. It is a time to remember police officers who
    have lost their lives through illness or other circumstances.

    VI7POL will be active on 10, 15, 20, 40, & 80m SSB, FT8, and FT4.

    More information on VI7POL including QSL information can be found on
    QRZ.com.

    73 Paul VK5PAS.

    Thanks Paul, and another "POLICE STATION" to work is in Switzerland
    Be listening for members of the Zurich City
    Police Radio Amateur Club throughout the year, operating as HB 2Ø SP
    the club is marking its 20th anniversary. Unfortunately no Bureau
    QSL's but you can use Logbook Of The World, and HB20SP runs until
    December 31.
    AUSTRIA

    OE 100 RADIO is active until the 31st of December celebrating the
    100th anniversary of regular radio transmissions in Austria in 1924.

    The station has heard recently on the 40m band using CW.

    QSL via the Bureau.

    (gb2rs)
    BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA.

    E 7 100 RADIO is the special call sign for the Bosnia and Herzegovina
    IARU member society to celebrate 100 years of amateur radio
    innovation, community, and advocacy.

    QSL via operators' instructions.

    (eHam)
    Y
    Listen for TM 24 JOL until 11th of August, and also TM 24 JPO between
    the 28th of August and the 8th of September.

    TM24JOL will be for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, followed by the
    call for the Paralympic Games, TM24JPO

    QSL these 2 stations by the operators home station F 8 GGZ

    (dx net)

    -----------

    Y
    DOGDAY AFTERNOON

    The global efforts of amateur radio operators are calling attention to
    the urgent needs of abandoned, abused, neglected and homeless dogs by
    operating special event stations in Europe and the US to mark
    International Dog Day.

    This year will be the largest such activation among hams as Hanz,
    YL3JD, who originated the special event, will be on the air as YL1DOG
    for all of August and September. Chris G5VZ and David G4YVM will be on
    the air as GB0DOG and GB4DOG, respectively. Listen for Chris on air
    now until the 26th of August and for David till the 27th of August.

    In the US, a team coordinated by Caryn KD2GUT, will be calling QRZ
    with the special event callsign K2D from the 21st to the 26th of
    August.

    International Dog Day is August 26th. The hams are hoping to spotlight
    the need for rescue, assistance, adoption and donation around the
    world.

    Visit the website dogdayradio.org

    As I said, National Dog Day is celebrated on August 26 each year BUT
    other 'dog' days include National Walking the Dog Day on Feb 22,
    National Hug Your Hound Day on September 11, and National Puppy Day
    March 23 oh meanwhile, Cat Day will begin with special event
    operations on August 8th - listen for YL1CAT, GB4CAT and GB9CAT.

    (daily ham weekly - days of the year)
    ----------

    Y
    Special callsign HF 25 NATO is active until the 31st of August,
    marking the 25th anniversary of Poland joining the North Atlantic
    Treaty Organization. Certificates and limited-edition QSL cards are
    available. Visit QRZ.com for details.

    (ARNewsLine 2428)

    --------------

    Y
    NEW ZEALAND - Wireless and Wool ZM 100 DX
    Celebrating Historic 100 Year Trans World Radio Contact

    This contact was by Morse and was the first ever, trans-world two-way
    radio communication of any type. It was from Shag Valley Station,
    Otago and the contact was with Cecil Goyder G2SZ at Mill Hill School,
    London.

    ZM100DX as well as ZL4AA will be on air on site in Shag Valley Sheep
    Station.

    The main planned contact is between Shag Valley sheep Station and
    Mill Hill School 18th October and other celebration events are
    planned for the following day or two.

    NZART Branch 30 sincerely invites all amateurs to take part in this
    celebration and join in marking the 100th year since the original
    qso.

    zl4aa.org.nz/zl4aa/history/z4aa-transworld-contact

    (sourced to NZART Infoline)

    --------------

    Y
    NEW ZEALAND

    NZART has a special event call sign for the upcoming America's Cup to
    be held in Spain later this year. ZL 6 AMCUP has been allocated to
    celebrate this event with Phil Garside ZL2RO as the trustee of the
    callsign. November 30 is when ZLCAMCUP goes off air.

    (NZART)

    --------------

    Y
    Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Radio Belgrade, the Belgrade
    Amateur Radio Club is active as YT 100 RB and YU 1924 RB until
    November 30. For details of a certificate that is available, see
    yu1ano.org

    (rsgb)

    --------------

    Y
    OL 80 C.A.R.B.O.N. is active until the 30th of November to mark the
    80th anniversary of Operation Carbon during World War Two. This
    operation involved the dropping of paratroopers in the Protectorate of
    Bohemia and Moravia.

    The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was a partially-annexed
    territory of Nazi Germany that was established in 1939 after the
    German occupation of the Czech lands

    A team of operators is active using call OL 80 CARBON on CW, SSB and
    digital modes on the HF bands.

    More information is available on QRZ.com

    --------

    Y
    In the World of DX, be listening for members of the Zurich City
    Police Radio Amateur Club throughout the year, operating as HB 2Ø SP
    the club is marking its 20th anniversary. Unfortunately no Bureau
    QSL's but you can use Logbook Of The World, and HB20SP runs until
    December 31.

    (sourced to ARNewsLine 2410)

    --------------

    Y
    Listen throughout the year for the special callsign 9 A 1ØØ RKZ
    marking the 100th anniversary of the Radioklub Zagreb which was
    founded the 24th of March 1924 in Croatia

    QSL via 9A1ADE.

    (ARNewsLine 2410)
    ------------------------------------------------------------*
    WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ASTRONOMY (and Wireless Weather)

    The Moon is a constant in the night sky, but all is not actually
    as it seems.

    It turns out that scientists have discovered the Moon is drifting
    away from Earth, and it's changing everything we thought we knew about
    our planet's relationship with its only natural satellite.

    It's also having a very real impact on the length of days on our
    planet - albeit at an incredibly slow rate.

    By moving away from Earth over the course of millions of years, the
    Moon is simultaneously making the length of the average day longer.

    A study by a team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on
    rock from a formation aged at 90 million years. By doing so, they were
    able to analyse the Earth's interactions with the Moon 1.4 billion
    years ago. It turns out that the Moon is moving away from Earth at
    3.82 centimetres a year. That means that, eventually, it'll result in
    Earth days lasting 25 hours.

    BUT that's in 200 million years' time.

    tinyurl.com/yc4xbw59

    (msn.com)
    WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
    SUMMITS ON THE AIR, WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM,
    PARKS ON THE AIR and other ADVENTURE GROUPS.

    hema.org.uk/index.jsp
    minesontheair.com/about-mota
    parksontheair.com/
    sota.org.uk
    sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/
    facebook.com/SotaAustralia/
    wwffaustralia.com/
    https://bunkersontheair.wixsite.com/october23

    This is Paul VK5PAS, the National Co-Ordinator in Australia of the
    World Wide Flora Fauna program (WWFF) which encourages amateurs to
    get out into the field and operate portable from parks. In Australia
    the program is known as VKFF, VK Flora Fauna.

    Between Friday 25th October and Sunday 27th October 2024, a special
    event is being held at Bendigo, Victoria. It is the 2nd annual VKFF
    National Get Together.

    The event commences on Friday evening with a dinner at the majestic
    Hotel Shamrock. Meals and drinks at your own cost.

    On Saturday at the Lakeside Hotel, Bendigo, attendees will enjoy a
    series of excellent guest speakers on topics surrounding park
    activating. There will be 12 presentations and these include an
    introduction to the VKFF program, activating parks on King Island,
    satellites from parks, snake awareness & safety, CW & digital modes
    from parks. Our MC for the day will be Chris VK5FR.

    There will also be a number of static displays at the venue and a
    raffle with various prizes will be run and drawn on Saturday.

    The cost for attending the presentations is $20.00 and this includes
    morning and afternoon tea.

    On Saturday evening we have our own private function room for an
    evening dinner, with a guest speaker. Meals and drinks at your own
    cost.

    Sunday morning, a BBQ breakfast will be held at the clubrooms of the
    Bendigo Amateur Radio & Electronics Club. The cost for the BBQ is
    $10.00. This will be followed by multiple VKFF park activations on
    Sunday.

    If you wish to attend any of the segments of the event, you must
    register to attend. Walk ups will not be accepted. Registration is
    easy and can be completed by visiting the WWFF Australia website on wwffaustralia.com Look for the 2024 VKFF National Get Together page.

    Registration for the event closes on Friday 11th October 2024.

    So far, 41 amateurs have registered to attend the event so don't leave
    this to the last moment. Please register. This is a terrific event
    to catch up with fellow amateurs and learn a bit more about the VKFF
    program, no matter if you are an experienced park activator and
    hunter, or never been involved previously. Last year's event at
    Renmark in South Australia was very well received, and this years
    event at Bendigo is shaping up to be a brilliant Get Together.

    Thanks for listening.

    73 Paul VK5PAS.
    WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
    AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary@amsat-vk.org

    A Chinese Long March 6A rocket broke apart in low-Earth orbit and
    formed a debris field with hundreds of pieces, confirmed by
    U.S. Space Command.

    "USSPACECOM has observed no immediate threats and continues to conduct
    routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and
    sustainability of the space domain," a spokesperson said.
    NASA public affairs officer Rob Margetta said there was no immediate
    threat to the International Space Station.

    Satellite monitoring company LeoLabs estimated there were at least
    700 fragments created by the rocket's break-up, it's possible that the fragments could eventually descend to where the space station and
    SpaceX's Starlink satellites are located. Slingshot Aerospace said
    debris from the rocket poses "a significant hazard to LEO, that is
    low-Earth orbit constellations below 800 km altitude."

    tinyurl.com/ANS-224-Debris.

    [ANS]
    A new satellite carrying several amateur radio focused payloads
    is now in orbit.

    SONATE-2 originates from Germany and features an APRS digipeater.
    SONATE-2 also features a VHF transceiver with SSTV downlink
    sending images captured by on-board cameras.
    Frequency: 145.880 MHz
    Modulation: Martin M1 SSTV FM (F3F)
    TX Power: 500mW
    APRS digipeater in half-duplex operation is also aboard 145.825
    Digipeater is only active when published at https://x.com/JMUSpace.
    When activated, it will transmit a greeting message every 2 minutes
    Make sure to include SONATE-2 callsign DPØSNX in the APRS route
    Frequency: 145.825 MHz Up/Down
    Modulation: 1k2 AFSK (F2D)
    Protocol: AX.25
    TX Power: 500mW

    (ard)
    ROBUSTA-3A in Orbit

    When the long-delayed inaugural launch of the European Space Agency's
    (ESA's) new Ariane 6 rocket finally occurred on July 7, it suffered
    an upper stage failure that left some payloads in the wrong orbits.

    Fortunately, before the anomaly developed, (a brittle, and presumably
    cracked, pressure monitoring line) the Ariane 6 successfully
    deployed ROBUSTA-3A, a satellite with an amateur radio payload. The
    target was a 580 km circular orbit with an inclination of 96 degrees.

    ROBUSTA-3A carries a 9k6 GMSK AX.25 store-and-forward digital system
    with a UHF transmitter output of up to three watts — a very powerful
    downlink! As the satellite is still in commissioning, operating
    protocols and uplink frequency have not yet been released. However,
    amateurs should expect something similar to the FalconSAT-3
    store-and-forward system that was popular until that satellite
    deorbited in January of 2023.

    ROBUSTA-3A is currently transmitting short telemetry bursts on its International Amateur Radio Union coordinated downlink frequency of
    436.750 MHz.

    [ANS]
    Boeing performed a hot fire test of the 27 manoeuvring thrusters
    aboard the docked Starliner space capsule, which could be the last
    test before the spacecraft's delayed return to Earth is approved.
    Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore, and Sunita Williams, KD5PLB,
    took Starliner to the International Space Station on June 5 for
    what was to have been a 10-day test flight.

    [ANS]
    WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS LOW DOWN

    The First New Long Wave Radio Station Of This Millennium

    The decline of AM broadcast radio is a slow but inexorable process
    over much of the world, but for regions outside Australia there's
    another parallel story happening a few hundred kilohertz further down
    the spectrum.

    The long wave band sits around the 200kHz mark and has traditionally
    carried national-level programming in Europe due to its increased
    range. Like AM it's in decline due to competition from FM, digital,
    and online services, and one by one the stations that once crowded
    this band are going quiet.

    In the middle of all this it's a surprise then to find a new long wave
    station in the works in the 2020s, bucking all contemporary
    broadcasting trends. Arctic 252 is based in Finland with programming
    intended to be heard across the Arctic region and aims to start
    testing in September.

    The 252KHz frequency is shared with a station in North Africa that
    may hinder reception for some Europeans, but those with long memories
    in north-west Europe will find it fairly empty as it has been vacated
    in that region by an Irish transmitter which used to use it.

    twiar.net/?p"469

    (hackaday)
    WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - MARITIME
    INCLUDING ILLW NEWS - ILLW 17th August 2024 to 18th August 2024

    Lighthouses on the Air weekend takes place THIS WEEKEND and one DX
    light to listen for, and work, is Balinacourty Lighthouse near
    Waterford in Ireland.

    They are using the same HF gear and set up this year that enabled them
    to work three of we VK stations during the same event last year.

    Their hopes are high that they will make just as many contacts around
    VK und the world as they did then, or even more.

    The ILLW attracts over 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40
    countries. It is one of the most popular international amateur radio
    events, not a contest and there are very few rules. It is also free
    and there are no prizes for contacting large numbers of other
    stations.

    There are currently 312 lighthouses and their call signs registered.
    The complete list can be found on the ILLW homepage.

    (IRTS / SARL)

    2024 Merchant Navy Day, September 3

    Special event station GB 0 MND will be on the air to honour
    merchant seafarers of the world and the British Merchant Navy.

    GB0MND will be active on Merchant Navy Day, September 3 from
    South Shields, a seafaring town on the North East coast of England.

    Look for this special event station on HF operating CW, SSB, and
    digital modes.

    (ARD)

    WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA
    (Youngsters On The Air)
    facebook.com/yotaregion2
    facebook.com/groups/YOTAOC/
    youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA
    twitter.com/hamyota
    ham-yota.com

    49 out of 49 sit and pass their Ham Radio Exam.

    This month, Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, ARRL Education and Learning
    Manager visited the Staten Island Technical High School.

    He was there to help administer amateur radio exams to 49 students and
    all passed their exams. Several upgraded their licenses from General
    to Extra class and two students went from unlicensed to Extra class in
    one sitting.

    Their teacher, Everton Henriques, KD2ZZT, has helped over 100 kids
    successfully test for their amateur radio licenses. He has built a
    program incorporating HF, local repeater use, foxhunting, and space communications and has plans to incorporate mesh networking with his
    students this coming school year.

    Staten Island Technical High School began as a New York City public
    high school in 1988. In September of 2005, the school was granted the
    status as New York City's 7th Specialized High School, schools that
    are comprised of the most academically gifted and talented students.

    (arrl)

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    2024 IT'S A DATE

    Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section

    Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found
    on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links.

    ----------------------------

    THIS WEEKEND

    VK3 - Bendigo AR & Electronics Club RadioFest August 18 (vk3gtv)
    THEN FOLLOWING WEEKEND

    VK4 - Redcliffe Club Car Boot Sale Saturday 24 August at the
    club house, MacFarlane Park, Kippa Ring. (vk4tn)

    VK4 - SUNFEST Saturday September 14 at Coolum Civic Centre. (vk4vp)

    VK6 - PerthTech 2024 Sept 21 for 2 days at Gidgegannup (vk6pop)

    VK4 - GOLD COAST HAMFEST OCTOBER 13 at Nerang Country Paradise
    Parklands 231 Beaudesert-Nerang Road Nerang. (vk4DMH)

    VK5 - Amateur Radio Experiments Group Radio & Electronics Sale
    Saturday 26th October 10AM David Roche Park Kilburn (vk5qi)

    VK7 - Tasmanian Ham Conference November 2 and 3 Hobart. (vk7news)
    Held at the Sandy Bay Campus of UTAS.

    VK3 - SPARC Rosebud RadioFest November 17 at Eastbourne Primary
    School, Allambi Ave. Rosebud. (vk3pdg)
    Reception Reports

    WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a
    welcome to the broadcast as they commence call-backs
    straight after the Local News. Local news follows National
    news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would
    email their reception reports and location to
    callbacks@wia.org.au
    Submitting news items

    If you would like to submit news items for possible inclusion
    in the VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to nationalnews@wia.org.au and don't JUST send url's links or
    posters, but take the time to pen YOUR contribution.

    To submit audio, email nationalnews@wia.org.au
    and send BOTH the audio and the text

    We would appreciate items certainly no longer than 1.5 mts in
    length as we only have a half hour.

    Remember the sooner you submit material the more the
    likelihood of it being broadcast in the very next edition of
    WIA National News.

    Each recorded item will only be broadcast once, if you want a couple
    of mentions, please submit different slants to keep your
    event 'fresh' and always if the news room is to read your
    item --- write it in the 3rd person. (First if YOU are
    reading your own item). If you are mentioning your own name / call
    in the story, say something like "and myself, Pat, vk11abc"

    Promote your local rebroadcast; details on wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/

    A reminder when supplying HamFest info we obviously can't
    plug DEALS from commercial traders "on air", but we at the
    WIA will put your supporters 'goods' in this text edition
    "no worries."

    We will not give blatant 'plugs' to raffles, be it raffles
    at the event or "on-line".

    ------------------------------------------------------------*

    Oh... and to contact us with your news because
    If It Matters To You It Matters To Us!
    Click the links below to download the most recent edition of
    National News, BUT this is ONLY the backup site!

    WIANEWS backup thanks to Brendan VK4BLP can be found on
    wiaq.org.au

    BACKUPS OF THE BACKUP!! thanks to Tony VK7AX
    www.vk7ax.id.au/wianews/

    wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/ (This is the link
    to the original text version and original audio on wia site) ------------------------------------------------------------*
    WIANews - we've reported...YOU decide.

    TWITTER twitter.com/VK1WIA

    Societies and Club News Letter Editors can EXCHANGE a feed
    prior to the actual broadcast date, e-mail
    nationalnews@wia.org.au

    Call-backs follow the RF editions, but also for text readers
    you may lodge a quick reply to let us know you read it, who
    knows, you might even get a "cheerio call".

    Thanks to our dedicated band of broadcast volunteers who
    utilize their time and equipment in bringing you this weekly
    broadcast.
    Who and where are they?
    wia.org.au/members/broadcast/where/
    Promote your local rebroadcast; details on wia.org.au/members/broadcast/contribute/
    The purpose of "WIANews" is to rapidly provide news of
    interest to WIA affiliated clubs and active amateurs residing
    in Australia and the globe.

    We strongly encourage membership in the Wireless Institute of
    Australia and participation in the activities of local clubs.
    Opinions expressed in "WIANews" are those of the writers who
    submit material and do not necessarily reflect those of the
    rebroadcasters, nor the National WIA, but IF broadcast, are
    done so in the spirit in which they were submitted."

    If you would like to see the call-backs reported each
    broadcast, OR have call-backs to contribute to the National
    News call back tally then please send through your call-backs
    to callbacks@wia.org.au
    How do I join this National News List?
    (subscribe for an automatic weekly feed.)
    Email to vk1wia-news-join@lists.wia.org.au
    from the email account that you wish the emails to go to.
    How do I leave this National News List? (unsubscribe your
    weekly feed)
    Open mail program which sends mail from the address you want
    to unsubscribe from. Send unsubscribe to the list
    unsubscribe address vk1wia-news-leave@lists.wia.org.au
    You will be sent a confirmation mail and must follow the
    instructions given in that mail to complete the
    unsubscription.

    Once your unsubscription has been processed, you will
    probably receive a message confirming your unsubscription
    from the list and at that point you should stop receiving
    messages.

    ------------------------------------------------------------*

    _______________________________________________
    Vk1wia-news mailing list
    Vk1wia-news@lists.wia.org.au http://lists.wia.org.au/mailman/listinfo/vk1wia-news


    --- MBSE BBS v1.0.8.4 (Linux-x86_64)
    * Origin: Wireless Institute of Australia (3:633/280.2@fidonet)