XPost: aus.radio.amateur.misc, rec.radio.info
Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at:
http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2025-03-30.mp3 Text edition:
2025 MARCH 30 WIA 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 MARCH 30 2025
IN OUR 30th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS
THIS WEEK:-
WIA President, Scott VK3KJ. -
WIA Technical Advisory Chairman Grant VK5GR. -
WIA Returning Officer Pete Cherry VK2LP.
BUT 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
This is WIA President, Scott Williams (VK3KJ) and welcome to all listeners to WIA National News Broadcast this week.
Just a couple of reminders this week on behalf of the WIA Board.
Firstly, by now all financial members will have received an email from the Returning Officer declaring the results of the recent election for the four Director positions.
Pete Cherry, VK2LP the WIA Returning Officer, is also making this declaration elsewhere in todays broadcast. The results will also be published on the WIA Web Site and in the current edition of Amateur Radio Magazine.
I would like to thank Pete Cherry VK2LP for his contribution to the WIA as
the Returning Officer for the election process this year and also extend my thanks to all those individuals that nominated. Thanks Pete.
Now Calling all Australian radio amateurs!
Its been a year since the new amateur radio licence conditions were
introduced, and the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) wants to hear from you.
How has the transition been? Have you had to use the new licence
documentation? Whats your experience with the updated callsign allocation processespecially in the Australian External and Antarctic Territories?
We have put together a quick 10-minute survey to capture your feedback.
Your input will help shape future discussions with ACMA and the Department of Communications & the Arts to improve amateur radio services across Australia.
The link to the survey is available on the WIA website
surveymonkey.com/r/RDDVYPP
A huge thank you to all those Australian Amateur Radio Operators who have
taken the time to complete the survey to date - we have well over 800
responses in the last fortnight which is just simply amazing.
Your responses are completely confidential, and we encourage all Australian amateur radio operators to take partnot just WIA members.
The survey closes at 23:59 on April 13, 2025, so dont miss your chance to
have your say!
WIA Responds to ACMA RALI Consultation - February 2025
Hello, this is Grant VK5GR, with some news from the WIA Technical AdvisoryCommittee.
One of the roles of the TAC committee is to monitor ACMA consultations that potentially impact technical aspects of the Amateur Service.
Recently, the ACMA released a consultation that included an opportunity to provide feedback on some of the Registration and Licensing Instruction
(or RALI) documents, used by frequency assigners when choosing operating channels in spectrum adjacent to the amateur service.
In this case, the WIA has made specific comment on RALI LM8, which sets the arrangements for selecting frequencies in the VHF land mobile service in the 166-174 MHz band (among others). For some time now, some amateur repeater stations had been dealing with intermodulation interference caused by poor choices of frequencies in these adjacent commercial services. The specific problem identified was that the VHF commercial operators were not looking considering a wide enough frequency range when checking site intermodulation interference risks. As a result, they were on occasions selecting channels
that created unwanted interference to existing co-sited amateur service repeaters.
We have, as a result, proposed a modification to RALI LM8, aimed at
addressing that short coming, which we hope the ACMA will consider adopting when they complete their review later this year. This is another example of your WIA membership at work! We will let you know later in the year if we are successful once we see the final outcomes from the ACMA.
73 and thanks for listening, this has been Grant VK5GR, your WIA TechnicalAdvisory Chairperson.
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS UPDATE
I am Pete Cherry VK2LP, the WIA Returning Officer with an update on the
WIA Elections.
As previously advised four (4) directors will retire at the conclusion of
the next Annual General Meeting which will be held in May 2025.
These Directors are:-
Giles Kirby VK5GK, Scott Williams VK3KJ, Peter Clee VK8ZZ and Peter Schrader VK4EA. Each retiring director was eligible for re-nomination.
A call for nominations for the position of Director of the WIA was made in
the WIA National News Broadcast and in Amateur Radio Magazine in accordance with the Election Regulations.
I advised that five (5) nominations from WIA members were received for the position as director of the WIA. These nominations were valid and received
by the advertised closing date.
Those nominations were for:
Giles Kirby VK5GK
Klaus Illhardt VK3IU
Peter Clee VK8ZZ
Peter Schrader VK4EA
Scott Williams VK3KJ
As there will be four (4) vacancies at the conclusion of the AGM and five nominations were received, an election was necessary. Voting was by
electronic means and 14 members elected to vote by postal ballot. Voting
opened on the 1st of February 2025 and closed on the 28th of February 2025.
With the voting not being compulsory, voter participation was very high.
Over 44% of eligible voters cast their vote.
Counting had been finalised and an email went out to Members on 28 March
with the results.
The results were the four incumbent Directors being re-elected.
FOR FULL DETAILS CLICK HERE
vote.electionrunner.com/election/ANPop/results
I take this opportunity to thank all of the nominees and congratulate the successful candidates on their election to that important role. And thank
you to all the members who cast their vote.
This has been Pete Cherry VK2LP
WIA Returning Officer ------------------------------------------------------------*
INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, ARRL, DX-WORLD,
eHam, Hackaday, IARU, ICQPodcast, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC,
Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of the WIA.
Mark Gooding, NZART Returning Officer has posted the results of the New
Zealand election where he reports that the voting papers received
represented 13.28% of the total membership of NZART.
Those positions being voted on were:-
North Island Warren Harris ZL2AJ with 136 votes.
Don Wallace ZL2TLL - 119
Elsewhere Cam Woods ZL1DKS - 106
Terry James ZL1HOG 98
Others such as President and South Island did not require votes.
The Directorate of IPandT orchestrated an exciting Scientific Expedition
for students from Sri Vijaya Puram and nearby areas, offering a unique
glimpse into the fascinating world of Amateur Radio.
Sri Vijaya Puram, is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal.
The event, held at the Andaman Sunset View Resort in Mouwa Dera, Kurmadera, brought together 35 students from classes 6 to 9 of Government schools,
who had the rare opportunity to engage with foreign experts from
DX Adventure, Belgium.
Repair work that a ham radio operator and fellow club members conducted on a shared repeater site in Washington State has cost the ham his government
job.
Asotin County officials said that Russell Pelleberg KA7MPX was not
authorized to give the other members of the Hells Gate Amateur Radio Club access to the secure site and that their work caused a communications outage and a power meter disturbance for other users of the site. County agencies operate two nearby radio repeaters and the local utility, Clearwater Power
Co., also has facilities.
According to a report in the Lewiston Tribune, KA7MPX said he had discussed
the work with county commissioners and they appeared to be supportive.
He told investigators that he had even written a resolution for the county
to vote on but there were delays producing the document. The newspaper
report said he has apologized on behalf of the club for proceeding ahead of
the necessary vote and that the hams meant no harm.
No criminal charges were filed or recommended. Pelleberg, who has worked in government for 35 years, was terminated from his job as the countys
public works director in late January.
Organised crime gangs are turning to AI-powered scams and payment systems to target victims, allowing them to rapidly and more cheaply scale up
operations globally and making them harder to detect, Europol has warned.
AI technology means they can craft messages in multiple languages and create highly realistic dupes to impersonate individuals and blackmail targets in global cyber fraud operations, the law enforcement agency of the EU said in
its European Serious Organised Crime Threat Assessment report.
"The very DNA of organised crime is changing. Criminal networks have evolved into global, technology-driven criminal enterprises, exploiting digital platforms, illicit financial flows, and geopolitical instability to expand their influence," Catherine De Bolle, Europols executive director, said.
In early December 24, it said it had taken down an encrypted messaging
service MATRIX that was used for international drug and arms trafficking.
Europol listed cyber-attacks, migrant smuggling, drug and firearms
trafficking and wrongdoing in waste management among the fastest growing criminal threats on the European continent.
Researchers have broken a distance record in quantum communication by
sending a secret encryption key nearly 13,000 km from China to
South Africa, using a cheap, lightweight microsatellite.
The satellite was able to send pulses of laser light, put into special
quantum states, from a rooftop in Beijing to another at Stellenbosch
University near Cape Town.
The pulses formed a quantum key that was used to encrypt two images
one of Chinas Great Wall and one showing part of Stellenboschs campus.
The feat, a kind of encryption known as quantum key distribution, is a step towards being able to send ultra-secure messages between any two locations, however distant.
Some 175 scientists, students, professors, and amateur radio operators from around the world gathered in person and virtually mid-March to share
research, educate each other, and network at the annual HamSCI Workshop.
HamSCI, the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation program, aims to promote collaboration between science, amateur radio, and education. The 2025
workshop was hosted this year by the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
The program featured 30 talks and two dozen poster presentations, many
focused on the HamSCI communitys research activities during the 2023
annular and 2024 total solar eclipses and its ongoing programs to involve amateur radio operators in collecting data for research on space weather and its impact on the ionosphere.
Now we all can visit and enjoy the YouTube video of the event by clicking
the link we like on this weeks WIA National News.
youtube.com/watch?v=VGoP7hYjGhQ -------------------------------------------------------------------
OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION
--------------
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NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2025
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--------------
CQ WPX Contest is on air as I speak with SSB March 29 - 30.
The CQ World Wide WPX SSB Contest uses the 160 to 10m bands
where contests are permitted, the exchange is
signal report and serial number.
CW version will happen May 24 - 25.
(cq/rsgb)
--------------
The IARU 100th Anniversary Centennial QSO Party.
The IARU CQP will be held for nine days, beginning Saturday 12 April and
ending Sunday 20 April. This event will celebrate 100 years of the IARU
(sarl)
------------------------
Each Tuesday evening in April sees the ZL2GVA Memorial Sprints on 80m.
30 minutes each of CW, SSB and FT4.
Take part in any or all segments.
Exchange is your outside temperature.
(nzart)
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HARRY ANGEL MEMORIAL 80 Meter Sprint, Saturday May 3. (vk4uh)
wia.org.au/members/contests/harryangel/
---------------
May 17/18 is the Sangster Shield.
QRP CW on 80m, wind back the rig to 5W and give it a go.
Rules for both
(nzart)
-------------------------
VK Shires Contest 7th - 8th June 2025
wia.org.au/members/contests/wavks/
-----------------------
NZ Straight Key Night
Next New Zealand Straight Key Night will be held Sunday 8 June
from 9pm to 10pm NZDT (0800 to 0900 UTC) on 80 metres.
Polish and lubricate that old morse key and enjoy an evening of
old-time radio fun.
Straight Key Night is an informal event which honours the roots of
amateur radio: Morse Code sent with a straight key (no bugs,
sideswipers, keyers or keyboards).
When.
Winter SKN is the second Sunday in June, 8-9pm NZ time.
Summer SKN is always the first Sunday in December, 9-10pm NZ time.
SKN honours the original amateur radio mode in an easy-going style.
Operators send signal report, name, location, type of key, type of
transmitter and power output. Stations are limited to 100W output
power.
SKN is not a contest - but the operator who gets the most votes for the
quality of their sending will win the Bruce Scahill Best Fist Award.
This certificate honours Bruce ZL1BWG (SK), who was a dedicated
supporter of SKN. Please email your nomination to ZL1NZ within one week following the event.
(Neil ZL1NZ, SKN Manager) -----------------------------------------------------------------
DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD.
-------------------
-----------------
Dom is active again as 3 D 2 AJT from Nadi, Fiji Islands now until the
end of April. The callsign is in memory of the late Yasuo "Zorro" Miyazawa
JH 1 AJT, who passed away on 23 March 2022.
QSL via Club Log's OQRS and LoTW.
(425dxnews)
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IARU SPECIAL STATIONS
Indonesia.
8 A 100 IARU is the special call sign for the Indonesian IARU society
(ORARI) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the International Amateur
Radio Union between 1 and 30 April.
QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or via N2OO.
(sarl)
=============
VI 100 IARU is the Australian special event callsign transmitting from
VK3 to help celebrate the IARU Centennial. Administered by Oscar, VK3TX,
IARU Region 3 AC Member in Melbourne.
qsl via MO 0 OXO
(sarl)
--------------------
India.
The Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) will celebrate the centenary by activating call sign VU 1 IARU from 1 April to 29 June. ARSI has been a
member society of IARU Region 3 since 1958.
QSL via VU2ZH.
(sarl)
------------
SZ 100 IARU is the special call sign for the Radio Amateur Association of Greece (RAAG) to join the celebrations all April long.
QSL via the bureau, LoTW or QRZ Logbook.
(sourced to sarl)
-----------------
In February 2026 or in about 10 months time, an international team of
24 amateur radio operators will land on Bouvet Island.
Bouvet is a Norwegian overseas territory and lies in the South Atlantic
Ocean, with 93% of its surface covered by ice and snow. It sets the record
as the Most Remote Uninhabited Island on Earth, and ranks #10 on the
Most Wanted DXCC listing at ClubLog.
Operating as 3 Y 0 K, the team will attempt to give as many contacts as possible and be active in all amateur radio bands from 10 to 160m. They will direct attention to human modes but will also be active in FT8, RTTY and
QO-100 satellite using up to 12 stations.
(m0oxo)
--------
y
Radio amateurs in Scotland have been on the air throughout March using
special callsign GB 1 KBR.
This, to celebrate the start of the official handover of the Commonwealth
Games Kings Baton by His Royal Highness King Charles the third at
Buckingham Palace for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Activity has been noted on HF, SSB, CW and digital modes.
QSL via Logbook of The World, eQSL and QRZ.com
(rsgb)
----------
y
Polio On The Air 2025 - CQ SALK
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the April 12, 1955 US approval of
the Salk polio vaccine, Narwhal Amateur Radio Society is running a Polio On
The Air event from April 5 - 19.
They will be calling CQ SALK on all fashionable protocols.
Special Event Stations W7P, W7O, W7L, W7I, and W0O are the ones to listen
out for and work throughout the 5-19 April period.
Make contact with one, get a QSL card.
Make contact with all five, get five QSL cardsand something really neat
happens if you collect all five we are told.
nars.narwhal.be/polio/
(ard)
-------------
y
The D A R Cs special event callsign DA 25 WARD is active until the 27th of April in recognition of World Amateur Radio Day. Hams around the world celebrate April 18, the day of the founding of the International Amateur
Radio Union back in 1925
See QRZ.com for QSL details.
(newsline2472)
---------
y
Bletchley Park will be hosting one of its infamous 1940s weekends in May
to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE day.
In tribute to the event, the RSGB National Radio Centre will be operating special event station GB 2 BP from the 3rd to the 5th of May. Put the date
in your diary and make sure you get this callsign in your logbook.
(rsgb)
------------------
y
South Africa.
On 20 May 2025, the South African Radio League will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The SARL Centenary Marathon QSO Party has been running since 1 January and throughout the year, the SARL, with the aid of its members and associated clubs, are on the air with special event call sign ZS 100 SARL, as well as
the permanent call signs ZS 6 SRL and ZS 9 HQ and from April
Several awards will be available, see web page mysarl.org.za
(sarl)
--------
y
British Railways Amateur Radio Society is running special event stations
GB0LMR and GB2SDR during 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel.
Operation will be mainly focused on 40m but there may be additional activity
on other bands.
QSL via the Bureau.
(RSGB)
-----------
y
Joel W5ZN, Secretary International Amateur Radio Union advises the
Singapore Amateur Transmitting Society (SARTS) has closed its 9V QSL
bureau effective February 14, 2025, and is no longer accepting cards.
(eHam)
---------
----------
y
Over in "the Motherland", the RSGBs weekly news broadcast GB2RS is
celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. As part of the celebrations, special callsign GB70RS is active throughout the year. The callsign is
being operated by radio amateurs who help to deliver GB2RS each week and
could include Newsreaders and RSGB Headquarters staff.
Unlike here in VK , in the UK RSGB have to have separate news readers for
each frequency.
You can listen out for RSGB operators on all modes and all bands, with
activity taking place at any time, although you are particularly likely to
hear them before and after the GB2RS broadcasts.
Find out more via the GB70RS page at QRZ.com
(rsgb)
--------------------
y
Special event station LZ 75 IPA is active right throughout 2025
celebrating the 75th anniversary of the International Police
Association.
QSL via Club Log's OQRS, or direct to LZ 3 HI.
(425 dx news )
------------------------------------------------------------*
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ASTRONOMY (and Wireless Weather)
HOLLAND:-
The Dwingeloo Radio Telescope has successfully bounced a radio signal off planet Venus and back to plant Earth.
Transmitting at 1299.5 MHz, operators transmitted a 278 second long tone.
While Dwingeloo received its own signal, the Stockert Radio Telescope
located in Germany also received the same signal.
The data analysis consists of correcting the received data for both the expected Doppler shift and the rate of change of this Doppler shift due to
the rotations and relative motions of Earth and Venus. After channelizing
the received signal in 1 Hz frequency bins, the echo of the transmitted
signal falls exactly in the predicted bin.
Dwingeloo is planning another Venus bounce in October 2026.
(ard)
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/
POTA
Ishmael, 8P6PE is on the air as J87PE from St. Vincent Island until the end
of today the 30th of March. This is a POTA vacation for Ishmael, who can be spotted in "POTA parks" on 40 through 6 metres using SSB.
(newsline 2473)
----------
David Stickelman KF6KAT and Tammy Stickelman are bringing ham radio back to
the fieldliterally. Their portable setup is more than just a radio operation; its an event. Operating out of restored military vehicles and
even a vintage M1950 Arctic tent, David and Tammy have turned their passion
for emergency communications and camping into a full-scale mobile ham radio operation. Whether it's Winter Field Day or a Parks on the Air activation, their retrofitted rigs and family-oriented approach draw plenty of attentionincluding from curious park rangers and intrigued fellow campers.
David, a former Army signal officer, and his wife Tammy, have blended ham radio, military history, and outdoor adventure into something entirely
unique. Their expeditions arent just about making contactsthey're about community. Friends, family, and even their horses tag along, turning their camping trips into full-scale events that combine vintage military gear with modern ham radio technology.
From restoring classic military trucks to integrating radio teletype
machines into their setup, the Stickelmans embody the hands-on, pioneering spirit of amateur radio. Their enthusiasm for the hobby is contagious,
proving that ham radio isnt just about gearits about the experience, the connections, and the stories.
Click the link to the YouTube video in this weeks text edition of yourWIA National News.
youtube.com/watch?v=PPUZDHMY9vI
(qrz.com)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK Secretary -
secretary@amsat-vk.org
After completing that long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station, NASAs SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts will discuss their science mission during a post flight news conference at 6:30 p.m. UTC Monday, March 31, from the agencys Johnson Space Centre in Houston.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore will answer questions about their time in space. The three NASA crew members and
Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov returned to Earth on March 18.
Gorbunov will not participate in the news conference because of his travel schedule.
Watch live coverage on NASA live via YouTube.
(nasa)
The NAB Show has announced the agenda for the Broadcast Engineering and IT (BEIT) Conference, taking place April 59 with exhibits April 69 during the
show in Las Vegas.
The event will launch with a keynote session featuring a live 4K UHD conversation with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station, showcasing new live UHD switching and routing capability at the agencys
Johnson Space Centre in Houston.
Live from the International Space Station:
The BEIT Conference Opening will explore the evolution of global
broadcasting, from the grainy 1969 Moon landing to the upcoming Artemis III mission, expected to be the largest live-streamed event in history.
This session will examine the challenges and innovations that will define
the future of broadcast technology, content distribution and media
consumption.
(radioworld)
In an interesting move, China, is inviting interested parties to submit proposals to join the countrys pioneering Mars sample return mission, due
to launch in late 2028.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) published an announcement
of opportunities mid this month, officially opening the Tianwen-3 Mars
mission to international cooperation.
Tianwen-3 aims to collect samples from Mars and, for the first time ever, deliver them back here to Earth.
CNSA has made up to 15 kilograms of mass available for international collaboration projects on the missions Earth return orbiter spacecraft
and a further 5 kg on the Mars orbiter.
(nasa)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - IOTA
iota-world.org/
Pierre, VE 3 KTB, is using the callsign VY ERC from the Eureka Amateur
Radio Club station on Ellesmere Island, IOTA Number NA-8 until the 2nd of April. He is operating CW, SSB and FT8 on various bands.
For QSL details see QRZ.com.
(newsline 2472)
---------------
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ---- MARITIME.
Amateur radio has provided the inspiration for a new initiative within the Resilient Communications program at the US Naval Undersea Warfare Centre Division in the state of Washington. Organizers are working to use
ham radio's reliability as the backup for its emergency communications when there are disruptions to the Internet, computer function or mobile phone services.
The division's director of innovation in Keyport, said that the program embraces the technology of ham radio for this purpose and will be
establishing a network of licensed hams to make use of amateur radio frequencies when the need arises. Organizers have also been encouraging
nearby naval bases to join in their effort.
The Keyport team is reaching beyond the military too.
Everyone needs an Elmer, so organizers have contacted local ham radio clubs
as well as emergency responders to help with training the new operators to
grow the network. Some members of the team have already obtained their
GMRS license, for General Mobile Radio Service, but acknowledge that the
next step is the FCC's Technician test to become a ham.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA
(Youngsters On The Air)
WIA committee:- Steve VK6SJ, Alec VK2MV and Pete VK2LP. ham-yota.com/category/yota-region-3/
facebook.com/groups/YOTAOC/
youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA
Thank you Col
As you listeners know, the John Moyle Memorial Field Day was held this month, over the weekend of 15th and 16th of March.
The aim of the Contest is to encourage and provide familiarization with portable and field operation, and provide training for emergency situations.
The rules are therefore specifically designed and focused to encourage field operations.
The WIA and the Contest Committee would like to thank all who took part in
2025 and especially those who submitted their logs as an entry for the
contest.
As you are aware, the news team and I are always keen to receive submissions from you about your YOTA related activities in amateur radio.
Last week I have received a VK YOTA submission related to the John Moyle Memorial Field Day.
John VK1JP, Marley VK1MOO, with Andrea and Livvy headed out to Crookwell to make up a team that operated from their campsite.
The team was overseen by Ollie VK1OP, who could be heard from time to time barking orders in the background.
I have been told that this year's contest was a success for that team, filled with laughter, teamwork, and a shared passion for amateur radio.
Andrea has sent to me a written article and a couple photos which I will
submit for Issue 3 of AR Magazine.
So please read more about this great YOTA related experience the team had
when Issue 3 is published.
And make sure you send in your VK YOTA news!
For WIA National News, I am Alec VK2MV in Sydney. Now back to you Col.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO
A new mobile operations centre has just become available in New Zealand
to be deployed for emergency communications when disaster strikes.
We have details from Jim Meachen ZL2BHF.
"The new mobile Emergency Operations Centre of the Manawat District Council
was years in the making. Recently unveiled to the public at Family Fun Day in Victoria Park, Feilding, the EOC was a concept in administrators' minds for quite some time. They recognised for a long time that a transportable EOC was essential for Civil Defence emergencies in a region that has a large rural population. Until now, the district's urban-based EOC was all everyone had.
The mobile EOC can be trailered from place to place and set up quickly - usually within a half hour. Once in place, it can accommodate as many as 40 people and shield them well from winds of up to 100km per hour, or about 62 miles an hour.
When discussions began years ago, Cyclone Gabrielle was on people's minds. Hawkes Bay, which is also on the North Island, suffered terribly during the 2023 storm but mobile coordination centres responded quickly there, creating
a tent city for communications and other assistance.
The NZ Net newsletter quoted Mayor Helen Worboys, who praised the new EOC and the promise it brings in times of crisis. She said [quote]: "In times of emergency, every second counts, and having a mobile, highly equipped response unit like this will make a tremendous difference in our ability to coordinate effectively and deploy resources quickly. [endquote]
This is Jim Meachen ZL2BHF."
As the newsletter editors also noted in their report, the new mobile EOC will be ideal for next year's Field Day operations.
(newsline2473)
RSM statement on streaming emergency services.
Still in New Zealand, their regulator, Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) are increasingly being informed about emergency services radiocommunications
being streamed on social media platforms or other websites.
Not only is this type of activity illegal in ZL but it can also aid criminal activity and hinder the maintenance of the law.
A reminder for our cousins "across the ditch". Any person receiving a radiocommunication and knowing it is not intended for that person, then
uses, reproduces or discloses that radiocommunication, commits an offence against the Radiocommunications Act 1989. New Zealand Legislation.
This time each year, National Weather Service Forecast Offices throughout
the USA hold Severe Weather Awareness weeks in their respective regions to educate the public about the dangers of severe weather and the importance of being prepared. This time around they are using special event station N 0 A
to do the same within the amateur radio community.
Skywarn Youth Net is operating this special event under callsign N0A.
The event aims to educate hams about severe weather awareness.
N0A is active on HF across 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, and 10m and is utilizing both SSB and FT8 modes.
The event which started March 17 runs until March 31.
(ard)
------------------------------------------------------------*
IT'S A DATE
Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section,
nationalnews@wia.org.au
Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found
on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links.
----------------------------
2025
VK4 - Redcliffe & Districts Radio Club REDFEST April 12 at
Deception Bay North State School. (wiacal)
VK - WIA AGM May 3 - 4. Hosted by Bendigo Amateur Radio & Electronics
Club and their Technology Expo (vk3gtv/wiacal)
VK2 - Solitary Islands Beach/Park-Fest for POTA 3 & 4 May
parksontheair.com/ (vk4kc)
VK3 - Moorabbin and District Amateur Radio clubs HamFest 10am May 10 (vk3gl)
VK2 - Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club's 49th Annual Field Day Weekend
at Wauchope Showground Hall June 7 and 8 (wiacal)
VK5 - SERG Convention and Fox Hunting Championship June 7 and 8
At Scout Hall in Mt. Gambier (vk5dj)
VK - Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association 50th anniversary
Glen Waverly July 26
president@alara.org (vk2ayl)
VK5 - AREG's Amateur Radio & Electronics Sale Sunday 26th October
at David Roche Park, Kilburn (VK5QI)
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