20180513 - In the News This Week

SOTAIn SOTA news this week a discussion started around the question of logging /P or not when dealing with a portable station. Arguments both ways abound. There appears to be a consensus around recording what was used on air, but adding the /P or not is often dependent on the situation, country and legal requirements. If you'd like to join in the conversation, join the SOTA_Australia email list.

SOTA

While we're on the subject the SOTA_Australia email list is on the move away from Yahoo to Groups.io. More information when we have it. If you're in Melbourne on Wednesday that's the 16th of May, you can catch up for some SOTA Supper at 6pm-ish at The Matthew Flinders Hotel Bistro, 667 Warrigal Rd, Chadstone. It's quite close to Holmesglen station. The table is booked for Mr Sota.

WWFF

World Wide Flora and Fauna have also been busy with activations in St Andrews, Smith's Gully, Boomers, Warrandyte-Kinglake and that was just one day. Peter VK3TKK also did Teesdale Sheoak, Mount Mercer, Rokewood, Cornidhap, Illabrook, Blacks Creek and Lexton. He's aiming for VKFF qualification, so keep an ear out, he's on a mission.

FreeDV

In the FreeDV software space, a new highly efficient open source digital mode, one of the senior developers, David VK5DGR, sent out a notice that he's been busy integrating FreeDV 700D modem into the FreeDV GUI program when he discovered a bug. David goes into great detail about frame sync, bit errors and audio artefacts. You can read more on David's website and the CODEC2 mailing list. The links are on vk6.net [http://www.rowetel.com/?p=6041] [https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freetel-codec2]

FreeDV

If you're looking for a real world example of the differences between FreeDV 700D and SSB on 40m, Mark VK5QI has you covered. You can have a listen to the entire recording on SoundCloud. [https://soundcloud.com/mark-jessop/freedv-700d-vs-analog-comparison]

WWFF

Paul VK5PAS is on a mission to make VKFF more popular than ever. Congratulations to the latest VKFF award recipients:

• Andrei ZL1TM

• Cliff VK2NP

• Ken VK2KYO

• Damien VK3FRAB

• Grant VK4JAZ

• Rob VK4AAC

• Lawrence KN7D

• Peter VK3PF

WWFF Green Party

The 9th of June is the Romanianian Society of Radio Amateurs 7th Green Party where Flora and Fauna are King and you can even make contacts inside VK to participate. The link with the details is on vk6.net. [http://wff-yo.blogspot.com.au/p/blog-page_3.html]

History

Will VK6UU shared an interesting document about Henry Gustaf Andersson, VK8HA now Silent Key. Born in Sweden he came to Australia and built a house at 30 Trippe Road, Humpty Doo in about 1988, about 40 minutes South of Darwin. Henry erected three antenna towers on his land, was a passionate CW operator, the National Intruder Watch Coordinator and only one of 500 members of the First Class Operators Club, displaying exemplary CW operating skills and being a member is by invitation only. For 38 years he was also the VK8 QSL manager. The WIA inherited his land and house when Hendy died on 5 October 2004. To read more, check out the article written by Michael Owen VK3KI SK on the VK6.net website.