Divisional News --------------- Morse classes Morse classes have now started at the Divisional Ofice 109 Wigram Street Parramatta . This Wwednesday night will be the last chance to join our final class for this year. Starts at 7 pm for next 7 weeks at a cost of $30.00 for the course including handouts. Jim Walker VK2XJW Education Officer ------------------------------------------------- Librarian's request ------------------- The WIA (NSW) Librarian requires a copy of the FM transceiver Philips FM 747, circuit diagram, and if board circuits are available for photocopying, please send to the Librarian at Box 1066 Parramatta 2124. Aub Topp VK2AXT, Librarian Federal News ----------- The ninth International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 Conference was held in Singapore recently. It was held over the period of 5th-9th September at the Apollo Hotel in Singapore's Chinatown region. Five members from around this country represented Australia at the conference. Last February the WIA's Federal Council voted to fund a delegation of four people to the Singapore conference. In May the Federal Council appointed Kevin Olds VK1OK who is the IARU Liaison Officer, Neil Penfold VK6NE, Gavin Berger VK1EB, and John Aarsse VK4QA, as the official delegation. Wally Watkins VK4DO was also credited as an observer. He planned to attend on his way to the 7th ARDF championships in Europe. However at the July Federal Council meeting, Neil Penfold indicated that he would no longer be able to attend so the Federal Council voted to send Roger Harrison VK2ZRH as Vice President in Neil's place. The topics of discussion at the Singapore Conference included promotion of amateur radio in developing countries, a program devised and launched at the 8th Region 3 conference in Indonesia in 1991; matters relating to the concept of a commonly accepted amateur radio licence between countries; amateur satellites; amateur band intruders, and misuse of amateur bands; the international HF band beacon project; amateur radio direction finding; matters relating to education of prospective amateurs and amateur examinations, and the consideration of the requiremnt of Morse code ability for amateurs. The outcome of the conference sessions will no doubt be reported in length in Amateur Radio magazine in due course. Dural report ------------ It has been a while since the members were last informed of activities at the Divisional broadcast station here at Dural. The 6m/2m SSB transceiver, removed from service earlier this year, was deemed to be beyond economic repair, and a replacement unit is being sought. As notified on previous broadcasts, the 6m repeater was less than successful, and an alternative site has been found for the receiver -- the paperwork to have this approved is in progress. How popular would a 10m FM broadcast be? We are considering adding this extra facility to our schedule, to take advantage of the imminent licence conditions, and your feedback is sought. People with climbing harnesses are needed to shinny up the various poles here, to put the HF dipoles back where they belong; they were lowered to make way for the CSR tower and need to be replaced. Perhaps a "working bee" can be arranged, with a barbecue afterwards for the participants, as there is a lot of cleaning up to do as well. -- Dave VK2KFU, Dural Engineer Communications Day draws hundreds to Shepparton ----------------------------------------------- The Shepparton and Amateur Radio Club Communications Day held on the 18 September proved popular. The event was opened by the President of the Wireless Institute of Asutralia, Victorian Division, Mr. Jim Linton, VK3PC. During his address Mr. Linton said that changes in licensing requirements will soon make it easier for people from computer backgrounds to enter the hobby of amateur radio. Over two hundred amateurs and friends attended. The majority came from regional Victoria and southern New South Wales. A number travelled from the Melbourne metropolitan area and one group from South Australia. The latest communications equipment was on display. The club wishes to thank:- A.J. & J. Coman Antennas, Daycom, Dick Smith Electronics, Icom Australia, Melbourne Satellites, Nally Towers, Strictly Ham and ZRV Electronics for making the day a commercial success. Thanks also to John, VK3LM and Alf, VK3CQE for the slow scan TV demo, and Wayne, VK3XQA for the ATV display. Jan, VK3ALF and his catering team deserve a special thanks for the 5 star meal. All remaining space was taken up by the amateur traders who seemed to purchase as much equipment as they disposed of. The local vintage radio club displayed a number of beautifully restored wireless sets from days long gone. Peter, VK3YF, Event Publicity Officer for the Shepparton & District Radio Club, said that the Communications Day was one of the most successful organised by the club. This was due to the great support of wholesalers, retailers and traders involved. He said the event will be held in September 1995 and planning was already under way. The club hoped all who attended had an enjoyable day. Any positive or negative feed back will be welcomed at P.O. Box 692, Shepparton, 3630. Peter O'Keefe Publicity Officer WICEN News There are several events on the calendar this month. First, a reminder about the VRA Annual Conference, which will be held at Wagga next weekend. This conference celebrates the VRA's 25th anniversary, and Max Walters has decided to call it a day, after serving as President all that time, so a large turnout is expected. There will be a Dinner on Saturday, and an informal gathering on Sunday. The "Hawkesbury Classic Paddle" is on the weekend of 22nd-23rd October; and as before, Kevin VK2CKD is in charge. Kevin advises that packet radio will be used in selected locations for the event. The WICEN Co-ordinators conference will be held at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, on the weekend of 29-30th October, and all are invited. The cost will be between $36 and $58 (depending on when you arrive) for meals and accommodation, exclusive of Saturday night's dinner, which will be held at a restaurant. The conference will commence at 0930 Saturday, and the programme will comprise lectures on the role of various positions in the organisation, to assist those in office (and to convince aspirants that it is not too hard), together with guest speakers on "The role of the VRA", "WICEN in the DISPLAN", CREST, and other useful topics. There will be an opportunity after the dinner on Saturday to voice your views, and a short business session on Sunday. The agenda and full details will be sent upon receipt of your application, which must be sent to Morton Williams VK2DEX by the 14th October, and a $10 deposit is required. Topics for the business session are sought from RCO's, and they must be sent to the State Co-ordinator, John Howard VK2AMH, also before the 14th October. WICEN is always looking for members to provide the community with communications assistance. Write to WICEN (NSW) Inc, PO Box 123, St Leonards 2065 for further information, or come up on one of the WICEN nets: Blue Mountains on the first Monday of each month at 8.30pm on channel 7175 simplex, Hunter each Wednesday at 7.30pm on channel 6900, Northern Rivers each Wednesday at 8pm around 3610 kHz, Central Coast each Thursday at 8.30pm on channel 7125, and Sydney each Thursday at 9.30pm on channels 7150/8275. If there are any other regular nets then we'd like to hear about them. -- Dave VK2KFU, WICEN (NSW) Inc. Publicity Officer IPS WEEKLY REPORT ----------------- 23 - 29 SEPTEMBER 1994 ISSUE No 39 DATE OF ISSUE: 30 SEPTEMBER 94 INDICES: DATE 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 10CM 71 73 76 77 75 74 74 A 3 6 13 16 13 12 ( 7 ESTIMATED) T 24 32 32 22 12 15 19 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY SOLAR ACTIVITY WAS VERY LOW ALL WEEK. THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD AT LEARMONTH (WA) WAS QUIET 23RD-24TH SEPTEMBER, AND QUIET TO UNSETTLED OTHERWISE EXCEPT FOR BRIEF ACTIVE PERIODS ON 25TH AND 26TH. IONOSPHERIC F2 CRITICAL FREQUENCIES AT SYDNEY WERE NEAR PRE- ICTED MONTHLY VALUES, EXCEPT FOR ENHANCEMENTS OF UP TO 50 PER CENT DURING LOCAL NIGHT ON 23RD-26TH SEPTEMBER. SPREAD F WAS OBSERVED 0N 25TH-26TH, AND 28TH-29TH. FORECAST FOR THE NEXT WEEK (30 SEPTEMBER - 6 OCTOBER) SOLAR: VERY LOW TO LOW. GEOMAGNETIC: QUIET TO UNSETTLED WITH ACTIVE PERIODS FROM THE 4-6TH. ISOLATED MINOR STORM LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE FROM 4-6TH. IONOSPHERIC: NEAR PREDICTED MONTHLY VALUES. SPORADIC E AND NIGHT SPREAD F POSSIBLE, PARTICULARLY FROM THE 4-6TH. COURTESY OF IPS RADIO AND SPACE SERVICES, SYDNEY SUMMARY BY PAT VK2JPA ANARTS BROADCAST OFFICER CLUB NEWS Australian Amateur Television Club ---------------------------------- The next general meeting of the Australian Amateur Television Club will be on October 9th, as always the second Sunday of the month commencing at 1pm, venue is Amateur Radio House Parramatta. On this occasion the technical lecture will be by Vic Barker VK2BTV -- more information on that next Sunday. There are a few more of the 1.2 GHz receiver modules. These will be made available for members. The Australian Amateur Television Club members' barbecue will be held in November -- again more details next week. Attention all Amateur Television Club members -- JOTA is coming up really quickly. If you can spare four hours on Saturday or Sunday, to stand around and explain to others how radio with pictures works, then we need you. You are invited to contact Paul VK2UPB on 018 404 162, or you can contact Bob Barnes on 587 3491. Printed circuit board open day for Australian Amateur Television Club members will be held at Bexley on October 30th. The object will be to make a PCB of your choice -- from a club, EA, or SC magazine project. For more information about the Australian Amateur Television Club listen to the net on Tuesday nights from the Liverpool area on 146.625 MHz in the 2metre band commencing about 1930 hours, or you can view them on their Oakdale repeater television transmission on 1250 MHz. Information on the AATC is provided by their Publicity Officer Bob Barnes. Parramatta Amateur Radio Club ----------------------------- Just a friendly reminder to club members and guests that the next meeting of P.A.R.C. (Parramatta Amateur Radio Club) will be held on Thurs. 6/10/94 at 109 Wigram St parramatta at 19.30 hrs. This is our general monthly meeting night. Our Guest Lecturer will be Richard Soulie VK2ARS and he will be talking on that often spoken about subject Home Brewing and where to get the materials! As usual tea coffee and biscuits and a good talk can be had by everybody. Jim Walker VK2XJW President (The ghost who walks) Castle Hill Amateur Radio Club ------------------------------ The next meeting of the Castle Hill Amateur Radio Club will be held on the night of Wednesday, 12th of October, which is one week later than usual. We will be conducting a social evening, which will include a videotape concerning WW2 electronic warfare. The meeting will commence at 8pm and we will be meeting as usual at the Castle Hill Military Radio Museum. Visitors are always most welcome to attend. Pleas contact Ian O'Toole, VK2ZIO on 680 2112 if you would like to visit the club. from Ian O'Toole Publicity Officer Orange and District Amateur Radio Club -------------------------------------- Orange and District Amateur Radio Club invites members and friends to the October meeting this coming Friday night the seventh, at 7.30. Members and guests are requested to try to arrive on time, so a couple of urgent matters can be discussd before leaving on our conducted tour of the high-tech Email refrigerator factory. This is the visit that was originally planned for last month and as usual visitors are most welcome. For our abbreviated meeting we have invited a local Scouts Leader to tell us of their plans for JOTA '94 and to recruit operators. We also need to arrange for operators at our WICEN-type communication exercise at the "Gnoo Blas revisited car rally" of October 23. Members and subscribers to the famous ODARC Newsletter are advised that the October isue has been hand-delivered to those living in the City of Orange and will be mailed to others on Tuesday next. Remember, meet first at the Cultural Centre, 7.30pm this Friday before the Email conducted tour. Let's see a big turnout of members and visitors. Peter VK2ETK Club President Gladesville Amateur Radio Club ------------------------------ GLADESVILLE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB INC. REPORTS THAT ITS 70CM VOICE REPEATER VK2RRS, ON 438.375 MHS, IS OFF AIR FOR MODIFICATIONS AND WILL BE RETURNED TO SERVICE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. GLADESVILLE TELEVISION'S ATV TEST TRANSMISSION MAY BE VIEWED ON CHANNEL 35 IN SYDNEY ON WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY AND SUNDAY EVENINGS, AND IS ALSO RETRANSMITTED ON WEDNESDAYS AND SUNDAYS THROUGH VK2RFM, THE AUSTRALIAN AMATEUR TELEVISION CLUB'S 23CM REPEATER, TO THE CENTRAL COAST WHERE IT CAN BE VIEWED ON VK2RTG ON 444.25 MHZ. IN ADDITION, THE SUNDAY EVENING VOICE BROADCAST FROM VK2WI IS RETRANSMITTED DURING THE ATV TEST TRANSMISSION WHICH COMMENCES AT 7 PM. DE PAT VK2JPA CLUB SECRETARY Manly-Warringah Radio Society ----------------------------- Members of the Manly-Warringah Radio Society are reminded that the club's next Communication Exercise is next Sunday morning at St. Ives Showgrund; those available to take part in the exercise are asked to contact any committee member by next Wednesday. The Manly-Warringah Radio Society meets every Wednesday, at the Warringah Volunteer Services Centre, Kamber Road, Terrey Hills, with business meetings on the second Wednesday and lecture nights on the third Wednesday of the month. Visitors are always welcome; just come along to the club any Wednesday from 7.30 pm, or phone the Publicity Officer, Richard VK2SKY on 971-4431 after hours. -- Richard VK2SKY Coming events Now, a summary of upcoming events of interest to members and other Radio Amateurs ... Special Event Station GB301OTA active . . . . .until 15 October VK/ZL/Oceania Dx CW Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 October VRA 25th Annual Conference in Wagga . . . . . . . . 8-9 October Australian Amateur Television Club meeting P'matta. next Sunday Manly-Warringah Radio Society Comms Exercise. . . . next Sunday Castle Hill ARC meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 October Scouts & Guides Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) 1994 . 15-16 October Cave Rescue exercise at Wee Jasper. . . . . . . . 15-16 October 2nd Annual South Australia Technical Symposium. . . .17 October Hunter WICEN meeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 October Sydney South WICEN meeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 October Manly-Warringah Radio Society lecture night . . . . .19 October Hawkesbury Classic Paddle (WICEN) . . . . . . . . 22-23 October CQ WW DX phone contest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-30 October WICEN Coordinators Conference at Bathurst . . . . 29-30 October AATC Printed Circuit Board Open Day . . . . . . . . .30 October Do you have an event you'd like publicised on the weekly broad- cast? If so, then please send details to the Divisional Broadcast Officer, Michael Corbin VK2PFQ, by phone on (02) 626- 9288, or by fax on (02) 626-6066. Items can also be forwarded to the Divisional Office. ----------------------------------------------------------------- VK2WI Broadcast, 2nd October 1994. Copyright 1994 WIA (NSW) & contributors. Material may be used elsewhere if the source is acknowledged.