Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at:
http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2023-11-19.mp3 Text edition:

2023 NOVEMBER 19 VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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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

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NATIONAL NEWS FOR WEEK COMMENCING NOV 19 2023
IN OUR 28th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS

THIS WEEK:-

ALARA PRESIDENT Michelle VK2AYL. -

WIA DIRECTOR Giles Kirby VK5GK. -

WIA AR MAGAZINE EDITOR IN CHIEF Roger Harrison VK2ZRH.

PLUS MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA.

I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB
ALARA

Michelle VK2AYL joins us, fresh back from ALARAMEET in Tasmania.

ALARAMeet 2023 Hobart Tasmania

The 2023 ALARAMeet was a great success with 52 ALARA members and
their partners travelling down to Hobart Tasmania from the 3rd to the
5th of November. This was the first opportunity for ALARA members to
meet face to face since our last get together prior to Covid.

The members enjoyed a series of presentations over the weekend on
topics including Chasing & Activating Parks, Contesting, Encouraging
younger generations to get involved with amateur radio and joining in
with nets. Members brought along displays of radio items of interest
to view over the weekend and everyone enjoyed a Sunday lunch and
Fox Hunt with the Radio and Electronics Association of Southern
Tasmania. Formal dinners included guest speakers Alison Alexander on
the history of the Tasmania Female Factory and Phil Tyson from the
Sound Preservation Society of Tasmania were also really popular.

There were also opportunities to explore the sites with visits to
Salamanca Markets, Peppermint Bay, Richmond, the Tasmanian Symphony
and the Cascades Female Factory during the week.

Thank you very much to Linda VK7QP and her team for organising the
event and to all the sponsors who helped make it possible. Of note
attendees Mark and Dee were very excited to take home the major
raffle prize of an ID-50A VHF/UHF Handheld Transceiver from ICOM.

ALARA members are now looking forward to our 50th birthday
celebrations in July 2025 in Victoria.

For more information about ALARA visit
alara.org.au

WIA

JOIN THE WIA
tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y

This is WIA Director Giles Kirby (VK5GK) and this is the directors
comment.

Three items today.

Item 1. QSL cards seem more popular than ever and were currently
seeking volunteers to help at the head office in Melbourne with
card sorting. If youre interested in volunteering your time
please drop us an email or contact us through the WIA website.
Im literally always saying it but volunteers are our lifeblood
and I have all the time in the world for anyone willing to offer
theirs.
Item 2 . The 2024 WIA AGM/Conference will be held on Star Wars Day
(May 4th). The organising committee are currently preparing the
program and are very keen to hear from members who would be able to
do a special interest seminar. This Conference will be held in
Bundaberg but Im sure we can make provisions for remote
presentations. Please get in touch and well discuss.
Item 3. Registrations for the WIA conference will open early in the
new year. I look forward to meeting more of the community. QLD has a
special place in my heart as my wife and I first moved there when we
came to Australia in 2013. My first callsign was in fact VK4FAEI,
quite the mouthful.

Best wishes everyone. This was the directors comment from Director
Giles Kirby (VK5GK). 73.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS With thanks to IARU, RSGB, RAC,
ARRL, NZART, eHam, AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, eHam,
Radioworld.com Hackaday and the World Wide sources of the WIA.

REGION ONE

IN GERMANY, AN EASIER WAY TO REPORT RFI

Amateurs in Germany now have a direct means of communication with the federal
regulator BNetZa when they want to report electronic devices that have caused
radio interference or are inaccurately labelled as being safe. An online form
allows a report to be made with relevant details so that the agency can more
easily take action and determine if these devices are non-compliant,
dangerous - or both. Customs agents and postal authorities will also be
notified of imported devices that are found to be faulty so those items can
be placed on the list of banned products.

The form is designed to help expedite an official response, especially with
regard to interference - be it on the amateur radio frequencies or on mobile
phones or broadcast radio and TV.

For online applications, you will need to prove your German identity.
With the BundID, you have several options to do this. Then a YouTube
video explains the functions and benefits of BundID in more detail.
tinyurl.com/yprbw7by
BRUSSELS

On February 3 and 4, 2024, the FOSDEM conference will again be held
in Brussels.

FOSDEM (Free and Open Source Developers European Meeting) is the
largest conference for developers of open source software and
open source hardware in Europe. The conference has been held annually
since 2001.

The term open source includes open source software (also known by the
term FOSS), open source hardware (OSHW), as well as open data and
knowledge, think for example the widely known website Wikipedia.

FOSDEM, in recent times attracts about 6000 visitors each year.

What does this have to do with Amateur Radio?

We amateur-radio uses are using more and more open source
technology, .. and FOSDEM 2024 will , for the first time, have its
own corner dedicated to the amateur-radio hobby.
The Region 1 Programme for Disabled Radio Amateurs (PDRA)
Coordinator, Riri, OD5RI invites member society to participate in
and to promote the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
on Sunday 3 December. This day is a global opportunity to raise
awareness and promote inclusivity for individuals with disabilities.

REGION TWO.

WASHINGTON

Federal Communications Commission have now adopted new rules to
incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands
by removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the
flexibility to use modern digital emissions.

The Report and Order adopted November 13 eliminates the baud rate
limitation, instead, the Commission establishes a 2.8 kHz bandwidth
limitation in the applicable amateur radio bands. The changes will
enable the amateur radio community to operate more efficiently,
including in support of emergency situations when appropriate, and
foster experimentation, which is a core principle of the amateur
radio service.

The FCC also adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which
proposes and seeks comment on the removal of the baud rate limitation
in the VHF and UHF bands and in the 2200 meter and 630 meter bands.
HD Radio Passes 100 Million Car mark

Calling it a major milestone, Xperi says the number of cars
incorporating HD Radio has surpassed 100 million. Xperi Inc. is an
American multinational technology company that develops software
solutions for consumer electronics and connected cars.

The connected car is a key part of the companys business, and video
is playing a growing role within that context. Xperi noted that the
DTS AutoStage Video Service, Powered by TiVo, recently was
integrated into the BMW 5-Series. These vehicles are now in showrooms
across the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, France,
Spain and South Korea. BMW will expand the AutoStage Video rollout in
these regions to a broad range of additional models across various
vehicle segments.

Within the radio space, Xperi noted that, in the last quarter, it won
a new HD Radio and DTS AutoStage program with Ford Motor Co. for its
new radio platform unveiled at the North American Auto Show. It said
that program is now in production for certain North American
vehicles.

At the 'older end' of the car radio market, The National Association
of Broadcasters says the auto industry is overstating the cost of
keeping AM radio in electric vehicles.

The broadcast group believes the Alliance for Automotive Innovation,
which paid for the 21-page report from the Centre for Automotive
Research, misrepresents, distorts and spins the facts about
interference mitigation found in the report.

The auto industry puts the cost to carmakers at $3.8 billion over
seven years. NAB replies that the material cost of addressing AM band
interference in EVs is relatively low because mitigation measures are
often necessary and implemented to support other electronic systems
susceptible to EMI.

REGION 3

A very special (and close to home) special event has but 5 or 6 weeks
left to run..

Roger Harrison has the details

Again. That chance in a lifetime is still waiting.

Sign up to use VK90AR, the special event call sign celebrating
90 years of continuous publication of Amateur Radio magazine and
have that experience yourself.

Signing up to use VK90AR is a simple process. Just apply on the WIA
website Online Event Calendar, where you can book a roster to suit
yourself. If you already know where the Online Event Calendar is,
jump to it. Or, go to the website address in the text version of this
broadcast. Its also in a news item featured on the WIA website home
page.