20170423 - Amateur News

In the news this week Tad JA1VRY, Sergio VK3SFG, Sergei RA1OW and Steve VK7CW are the latest addition to the VKFF awards honour roll. Of course the way to get on that roll is to actually work people activating parks. So, Paul VK5PAS and Marija VK5FMAZ will be activating Cooltong Conservation Park, Hogwash Bend Conservation Park and Morgan Conservation Park. John VK5PF will be on the air from Snowy River NP and Lake Tyers State Park. Check Parks n Peaks for further details. [http://parksnpeaks.org]

Paul VK5PAS has also let us know that if you're activating in VK5, Drones are not permitted in National Parks in South Australia in an effort to curb their impact on animal behaviour. If you are doing an activation of a National Park, consider using the World Wide Flora and Fauna Agenda. Check vk6.net for details. [http://wwff.co/agenda/]

The Hills Amateur Radio Group have been experimenting with the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter Network or WSPR using 100mW from the club. If you'd like to see what making contact with a rotatable dipole looks like on 10 MHz, check out the WSPR site and look for VK6AHR. The link is on vk6.net [http://wsprnet.org/]

Will VK6UU has been scanning historic issues of Amateur Radio Magazine. He's let us know that if he has access to the original colour photographs that were included in the black-and-white editions, he's been adding those to the scans. Check out the March 1999 issue on page 25 for an example. You'll find a link on the vk6.net website. [http://www.armag.vk6uu.id.au/1999-march-AR.html]

And before we go, David VK5BUG has sent us information that his latest book, "Cellar-Dwellars" on the Go, Operating 2200m, 630m & 160m away from home will be released on 20 May at the WIA AGM. You'll find 242 pages chock full of resources, articles and projects for portable and transportable operation on the LF-MF amateur bands. Check out the flier for this on the vk6.net website.