Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at:
http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2024-01-28.mp3 Text edition:

2024 JANUARY 28 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 JANUARY 28 2024
IN OUR 29th YEAR OF NON STOP NEWS

THIS WEEK:-

WIA Vice President Lee Moyle VK3GK. -

WIA AGM NEWS with David VK4DN from the Bundy Amateur Radio Club.
PLUS 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 Vice President Lee Moyle VK3GK

The Ross Hull VHF UHF contest is all but over, conditions on 6m have
been amazing with consistent openings to the USA, Central and
South America, Oceania, Asia and even Europe from the east coast.

Also over for another year is the Australia Day contest where we all
got to swap out our VK prefix for AX if we so desired. Rules and
previous years results can be found on the WIA website on
wia.org.au/members/contests/australiaday/

Currently Steve VK6VZ is planning to get operators for the 87th BERU
Contest. BERU is short for British Empire Radio Union, a CW Contest
and it is also known as the Commonwealth Contest. This year their
will be two teams each with five operators and the WIA will again
approve the use of the WIA suffix callsigns for use in the contest
as special HQ stations. The WIA is hoping to get every state and
territory represented with Australian HQ Stations operating in the
2024 RSGB Commonwealth Contest. We are looking for operators for
VK7WIA and VK8WIA. Please contact Alan VK2GR if interested.

The ACMA recently had another Assessor update online session. Again
the attendance was excellent and I would comfortably say that all
assessors are awaiting the smooth transition to the new exam
structure. Another is scheduled for next Friday, 2nd of February.
This session will demonstrate functionality of the new ACMA online
accredited assessor portal. During this session, ACMA will outline how
to use the portal to download examination papers, record examination
results, and provide relevant correspondence with candidates and
completed examination papers to the ACMA.

The WIA has a very solid working relationship with the ACMA and we are
always pleased to assist ACMA as their need arises. The WIA continue
to have regular scheduled meetings with the ACMA to discuss important
and relevant topics, the main being the Class licence and its finer
technical details which are generally addressed by our very
professional WIA Technical Advisory Committee, chaired by
Grant Willis VK5GR.

The WIA AGM will soon be upon us and its where awards are given to
deserving recipients that have gone above and beyond for Amateur
Radio. If you consider someone as worthy, then please nominate them
for a WIA award highlighting their contribution to amateur radio in a
short brief and submit to secretary@wia.org.au

Nominations must be received no later than March 31st 2024 to be
considered.

Thats all for this week, for now, 73 From Lee VK3GK

Gidday, this is David VK4DN from the Bundy Amateur Radio Club.

Just a quick update about the huge WIA Convention and HamFest
happening this year on May 4th and 5th in Bundaberg.

We're thrilled to announce that table bookings are now available for
you to sell your used radio and electronic equipment. This is a great
opportunity to declutter your shack and find good homes for your
unwanted gear. Whether you're into vintage radios, cutting-edge
transceivers, or experimenting with the latest SDR technology, there's
a spot for you at the Bundaberg WIA Convention and HamFest.

The event promises to be a great opportunity to buy and sell new and
used equipment but also an amazing weekend for visitors to the
Bundaberg region. Network with other amateurs from all over Australia
and from as far as New Zealand who will be attending the weekend.

To secure your spot, book your table now. Spaces are limited so get in
early!

So, VK stations, mark your calendars for May 4th and 5th and book your
tables for the 2024 Bundaberg WIA Convention and HamFest.

This is David VK4DN from the Bundy Amateur Radio Club. 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.

DONT USE REGIONS FROM HERE ON IN
Chris Deacon, G4IFX has been awarded a PhD from the University of Bath
after completing research on propagation.

His thesis was entitled: "Radio propagation through ionospheric
Sporadic-E". This part-time work over many years involved looking at
Sporadic E on six metres, including making novel measurements of
signal amplitude, phase and derived doppler, polarization and
potentially time delay to discover the nature of sporadic-E
propagation at VHF.

researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/chris-deacon
This years British Science Week runs from the 8th to the 17th of
March with the theme of "Time."

This event is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of amateur
radio across the UK and for our G friends, the RSGB has some great
activity ideas you could try at your local school, Scout or Guiding
group or even local youth club.

Go to the web page at rsgb.org/bsw

In a similar idea of promoting our hobby, the RSGB is looking for
four licensed radio amateurs to help raise the profile of wireless
communication amongst young people across the UK. RSGB say they have
had a good response, but still like to hear from prospective
volunteers in Northern Ireland and Wales. These volunteer Youth
Country Representatives will represent the RSGB at externally
organised events and will plan and deliver outreach activities.
6 O 3 T (six oh three tee) Somalia.

Now that's a call sign we CAN'T tell you when you may hear it on your bands.

During operational news with Felix, VK4FUQ he is always super careful
not to promote a lot of DXpeditions which tend never to make it on air, let
alone their destination.

THIS DXPEDITION IS SUPPOSEDLY PLANNED FOR THE HORN OF AFRICA SOMAILAND.

Somaliland is one of the 5 states that make up the de-facto country called
Somalia. A difficult territory that has never been spared from war and
famine.

An exciting and complicated DXpedition, in a turbulent territory, and not
always easy to activate.

>Date: TO BE ADVISED (due to security reasons)

According to Club Log rankings, Somalia ranks 53rd on the most wanted List,
and with various requests on digital modes, NA / JA area, 6 meters and low
bands.

The 6 O 3 T website is currently being prepared but check out the FaceBook
group DxExplorer

facebook.com/Dxexplorernet
Radio Help Wanted: Must Like Geysers, Bison, and Helicopter Rides
Occasionally, The ARRL Letter shares job postings that may be of interest to
radio amateurs, and this one may be the most scenic job yet -- Yellowstone
National Park is looking for three radio technicians, according to posts on
the park's social media and a listing on the USAJobs website.

Maybe beyond the reach of most of we VK hams but an interesting
position non the less.

The job listing says that the electronics technician (radio) positions are
"located in Yellowstone National Park, in the Technology Services Radio Shop
within the Administrative Division." There's even a provision for hazard-duty
pay for mountaintop repeater helicopter flights and tower climbing.

On Facebook, the park has some fun with their post: "Does your idea of taking
your career to new heights involve flying in a helicopter to 10,000 foot
peaks? How about hiking, snowmobiling, and even skiing your way to telecom
sites? Well... do we have the job for you! We are hiring not one, but 3...
yes THREE, Electronic Radio Technicians," it says.

The lucky three who are hired for these positions will have their work cut
out for them; the system has eight repeaters, more than 20 base stations, and
500 mobile and 1,000 portable radios -- all in a national park with 500
geysers and 5,900 American bison.

Country music station K95.5 suddenly and unexpectedly went silent on
the 15th of January, its tower in ruins in a field not far from its
Oklahoma studio.

As the Choctaw County Sheriff's office began its investigation,
Will Payne of the Payne Media Group, which owns the station, assessed
the scene, which he described in a Facebook video as one of
"catastrophic damage." The video showed the tower down in the field,
its guy wires cut as a means of taking its top section down. The
nearby generator had been totalled. Wires were ripped out everywhere.
The transmission lines, containing a wealth of copper on the inside,
had been cut in several places.

Thieves once again seeking copper.
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