Apologies for the late notice.  Tomorrow, Wednesday 6th, there  is a planning meeting of anyone interested in helping to run a JOTA and/or JOTI base this year, or to be part of the coordinating team overall..

The Chief Commissioner of Scouts WA, Barb de la Hunty, would  like to hear who is planning to run a base and where you are up to with your planning. She’d  like to hear from people who need technical help, and put them together with people who have technical skills to offer.

Barb would like to know how many you are hoping to have attend this year and then we will preorder badges so you’ll have them available at the bases again this year.

Please RSVP to Barb, chief@scoutswa.com.au to say you’re attending, or that you can’t attend, here is my information, please keep me in the loop.

Scout HQ is at 133 Scarborough Beach Road Mount Hawthorn

This week's Newswest theme is contesting and we have information on the Oceania dx contest, the CQWW contests, the Alara Contest and the spring VHF/UHF field day amongst others.  In Bob’s commentary, he asks if there’s anyone out there, and Andrew brings a further editorial.

The news team requires your help: if you have the ability to transmit the news broadcast on 20 metres, please be in touch via newswest@vk6.net .

In addition to our weekly diary, there is news from Ham College and of the upcoming Southern Electronics Group’s Ham Feast.  No news would be complete without Onno’s Foundations of Amateur Radio and of course as ever Roy has his helpline.

Remember Newswest is available on air on Sundays, and also available for download, on demand or on the Ham College Beacon. Go to vk6.net to find out how.

Andrew, VK6AS,  producer for this week.

The time has come around quickly again for the next Southern Electronics Group Hamfeast.

Unfortunately, due to a devastating fire recently at their usual venue at the Quinninup Tavern, they have had to find a new location, which they’re hoping will be equal to the Quinninup.

The new Hamfeast venue is The Cidery in Bridgetown and will be held on Tuesday 26 September  - start time is 11.00am.

For those who haven’t been before, the Bridgetown Hamfeast is similar to the almost famous Katanning Hamfeast Lunch, where the food is great, drinks are cold and the company is excellent!  YL’s, XYL’s & partners are also very welcome.

“The Cidery” is on Gifford Road, which can be found on the road heading out of Bridgetown towards Boyup Brook.

For those coming from Albany, Mt Barker, Katanning, Perth or most other places, Bridgetown can be reached in 2-3 hours travel time.  For those that wish to stay a bit longer, there is accommodation in Bridgetown or nearby Manjimup, Pemberton and Donnybrook.

It is preferred if you can pre-order your choices to help the chef to have sufficient supplies on hand and prepare & deliver the meals in a timely manner. Meals can be selected on the day, but there are no guarantees!

The menu is available on “The Cidery” website – linked to from the Southern Electronics Group Website.

If those attending can e-mail Rob with their meal choices and to confirm their attendance, so he can prepare a spreadsheet for the chef and the group’s name badge producer.

Please have your orders back to Rob by 12.00pm, Wednesday 20 September 2017 at the latest.

Thanks all and look forward to hearing from you soon and seeing you at Bridgetown on 26 September.

It’s the 60^th Anniversary – with the theme:

Celebrating 60 Years of Connecting Scouts

JOTA JOTI this year is on the weekend of 20^th-22^nd of October.

This is NOT a criticism, but I’m finding a lack of coordination from Scouting organisations at both national and state level. Maybe I’m missing something.

If you’d like to help your local group, and haven’t got in contact yet, now is the time - they really need to start planning.

On behalf of NewsWest, I’d really like to know what other groups are operating so we can share plans and promote the weekend’s activities. A number of Perth clubs are already talking which is great.

Pop a quick email with JOTA in the subject line to newswest@vk6.net if you’re up to something so we can collaborate.

In this story on VK6.net, I’ve included a list of calling frequencies, and link to the World Scout Calling Frequencies.

Also, head to JOTAJOTI.info, the official World Organisation of the Scout Movement website for JOTA-JOTI.

World CW calling frequencies: (Updated from 1 July 2007):

3.570, 7.030, 14.060, 18.080, 21.140, 24.910, 28.180, 50.160

World voice calling frequencies: (Updated from 1 July 2007):

3.690 & 3.940 MHz, 7.090 & 7.190, 14.290, 18.140, 21.360, 24.960, 28.390, 50.160

Australian voice calling frequencies: 3.650, 7.090, 14.190, 21.190, 28.590, 52.160

Calling frequencies for Slow Scan TV (SSTV): 3.630, 7.033, 14.227

Calling Frequencies for PSK31: 14.070

This was written by Cliff Bastin VK6LZ for VK6GM's 92nd birthday celebration in 1995.

I’d like to acknowledge Cliff in putting this tribute together.

George joined the Western Australian Division of the WIA in 1925 and at this occasion was its longest standing member.

He served the WA Division as Secretary during 1935/36, and as President in 1946 and 1947.

In 1938 he was named as the inaugural winner of the Carl Cohen trophy for amateur radio research in Western Australia.

During the same year he attended the World Radio Convention in Sydney as the WIA delegate at the invitation of the NSW Government.

His contribution to amateur radio was recognised in 1965 when he was made a life member of the WIA.

George first became interested in communications and things electrical at the end of Word War I.

In 1923 he built his first wireless, a crystal set in order to receive the time signal and weather report from the Wireless Hill Coastal Radio Station. For this he was required to obtain a TEN SHILLING experimenter’s licence.

It was during this period he decided to become a Radio Amateur.

In order to practice morse with a friend who lived several houses away, George constructed a device which enabled him to transmit signals utilising the 250 volt power mains, relying on a couple of home-made foil and paper capacitors to isolate the mains from the headphones, however, they both managed to survive.

In 1926 George passed his Amateur licence examination, and was issued with the call sign Alpha-Six Golf-Mike.

In the early 1930's his station broadcast music three nights a week, and became extremely popular due to his ready access to the latest record releases through his employer.

George first obtained paid employment in 1921 with a firm specialising in piano maintenance.

His mastery of tuning was materially assisted his recently acquired knowledge of beating frequencies.

In the late 1920's he took charge of the Radio Servicing Division of one of Perth's largest musical establishments, shortly before it opened a commercial radio station.

In order to participate in its operation, George obtained a Broadcast Station Operator's licence.

He commenced his academic career in 1938, when he took over the lecture program in radio theory at the Perth Technical College, and the following year George inaugurated radio apprentice training in WA.

With the onset of World War II, George was seconded half-time to teach Army Radar trainees, where he obtained his First Class Commercial Operators Certificate in 1942, in case his services should be required.

With the end of the war, he obtained his Diploma in Communications, and became a full time lecturer, an occupation he continued to pursue until his retirement in 1969, however his involvement with teaching continued part-time for another 17 years.

George Arthur Moss, VK6GM, became Silent Key in June 2000 – aged 97.

Today, we remember him – for his service to country – and his love for radio.

Now your key is silent – may you rest in peace.

You can find a copy of the original tribute to George, on a historic link at VK6.net

Link: http://historic.vk6.net/p-vk6gm.html

In Britain the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, ALK, conducts International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend on the 3rd full weekend in August. Their objective is to encourage Lighthouse managers, keepers and owners to open their lighthouse or lightstation and related visitors centres to the public with a view to raising the profile of lighthouses, lightvessels and other navigational aids, and preserving our maritime heritage.

However, the major event which takes place in August is the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend, ILLW, which came into being in 1998 as the Scottish Northern Lights Award run by the Ayr Amateur Radio Group. The ILLW takes place on the 3rd full weekend in August each year and attracts over 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. It is one of the most popular international amateur radio events in existence probably because there are very few rules and it is not the usual contest type event. It is also free and there are no prizes for contacting large numbers of other stations. There is little doubt that the month of August has become "Lighthouse Month" due largely to the popularity and growth of the ILLW. 

So this year, the event takes place for 48 hours from 00.01UTC on the 19 August to 23,59UTC on the 20 August 2017.