20171126 NEWSWEST FOR SUNDAY, 26TH NOVEMBER, 2017

In this broadcast:.

Bob VK6POP compiles a very fitting SK announcement for Myles VK6ZRY.

It’s also CONTESTING week, and we’ll cover off on:

• the VK Flora and Fauna

• the Ross Hull

• the CQ World Wide

• the Spring and Summer UHF/VHF Field Days, and finally –

• the John Moyle

We’ve got some announcements and reminders of upcoming activities here in VK6 and news from the WA VHF Group.

Also included are our regular segments, Foundations of Amateur Radio, Myths I Have Known and don’t forget… Roy’s Helpline.

NewsWest, broadcasting weekly news and commentary since 1931 for VK6 radio amateurs, shortwave listeners and radio enthusiasts.

Producer: Glynn  VK6PAW

Duration: 32m40s

SK VK6ZRY Myles

We received news this week of the passing of Myles, VK6ZRY.  We’ll begin with this, from his sister Wavne

It is with great sadness that I pass on news that Myles Nicholas, VK6 ZRY has gone silent key. WA Repeater Group played an enormous role in his life and helped him stay in touch with people the world over for many years. In his younger days, his huge radio antennae were legendary in our neighbourhood, much to the dismay of our parents, but this allowed him to follow his amateur radio dream and to reach the widest possible audience.  Many thanks to all who communicated with, and befriended him over the years.

Myles will be remembered at a funeral service at Pinnaroo Cemetery at 2.00pm on Wednesday 29 November. Please email me with any messages you would like read out or if you plan to attend. You would be most welcome.

From Graham VK6RO

The most generous person or ham i have ever known.

The only VK to have his call sign front and centre on the cover page of the ARRL QST magazine on a map of the world centred on Perth.  [maybe 2 or 3 years ago]

That issue of QST had a story about WSPR and Myles was one of, if not the first VK6 to use WSPR.

Graham gave Myles his own copy of the magazine and he was delighted.

Graham said that Myles was one of the Perth 6 metre dxers he joined on moving from bunbury to Perth in 1985.

He was very generous and gave Gaham an icom 560 6 metre rig and a "Pakratt 232"

Myles gave a new young ham a kenwood ts690s in the 90s.

Myles built all his own antennas.

The boot of his really old valiant  car was always chock full with ham stuff  and the latest gizmo he built or purchased.

When he retired from telstra he was the state auditor of telstra fibre system and knew where every bit of fibre was located.

Myles spent years in the bush as a telstra tech helping cut over of old exchanges to the new type and installation of the telstra backbone of fibre in the bush.

He built a large mag loop from rg213 coax and used plastic from certain brands of 1 litre plastic cool drink bottles to make the capacitors.

Myles told Graham that only certain brands of cool drink bottles plastic  would not break down from the high voltage at 80 metres.

Myles liked fishing and would have a hf rig [ic706] in his car for ham operations while at the beach fishing.

Graham says hewill miss the regular phone calls during which Myles would tell him of his latest exploits.

RIP Myles VK6ZRY

Thanks  Graham vk6ro  november 21 2017

Repeating the funeral information - the funeral service for Myles will be at the Pinnaroo Cemetery at 2.00pm on Wednesday 29 November. All are welcome to attend.

20171126 John Moyle Field Day 2018

I’d excuse you for wondering why we are advertising 2018 events well before Christmas.   In case you didn’t notice yet, Christmas is only four weeks away, and 2018 arrives a week later.

The John Moyle Memorial Field Day will be held over the weekend of the 17th-18th March 2018 and the contest  runs from UTC 0100 on the Saturday to 0059 on the Sunday.

The aim of the contest is to encourage and provide familiarisation with portable and field operation, and provide training for emergency situations. The rules are therefore specifically designed and focussed to encourage field operations.

The rules do not, however, prevent you operating from your home shack, your friend’s or club shack, or from any other venue that’s not portable.  The rules simply encourage and reward portable operation.

Right about now, even before Christmas and before you get stuck into your chocolate advent calendar,  I encourage you to think about how you might pull off an all portable operation for the John Moyle in 2018

Myths 04 Club Licenses Have To Be Supervised by Advanced Licensee

When listening around the Ham bands, reading comments on social media and email reflectors, even talking face to face with Amateurs, I sometimes hear things said that are simply wrong.  In this series I seek to address some of these myths.

One myth that had a firm foothold in Amateur Radio in Australia for along time, and which was clarified recently, concerned the use of Amateur Radio Club licenses.   The myth was that a club license may only be used under the supervision of a person holding an Advanced license.

This one has cause irritation and arguments for some time, and not long ago, W.A. Amateur Radio News sought clarification from the ACMA after a complaint was made about the use of the club license VK6ARN by members who did not hold an Advanced license.

I will skirt around local Amateur Radio politics, and get straight to the point.   After some correspondence to and fro between the ACMA and WAARN, the ACMA finally confirmed the allowed practice in relation to club licenses.

Firstly, club licenses are issued as an “advanced” license.  Club licenses are endorsed in the “Special Conditions” section, with the paragraph “This Amateur station is a club station and must be operated in accordance with the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination No. 1 of 1997 that equates to the qualifications held by the operator of the station. “

I’ll repeat the last half dozen or so words of the endorsement. “...that equates to the qualifications held by the operator of the station. “

This  makes it clear, and it was confirmed in writing, that any licensed person can operate a club station, under the club license, according to the conditions of their own license.   If the person deemed as the station operator is a Standard Licensee, then the station operates as a Standard Station. If an advanced licensee is the operator, it’s an advanced station.

Another myth has gone the way of the dodo.    I’d like to hear from you what your favourite Amateur Radio myth is.  Send your  suggestions to me by email to vk6pop@wia.org.au

I’m Bob VK6POP

Quick Meetings

CQ CQ CQ This is the list of meetings this week in Amateur Radio in Western Australia.

The Northern Corridor Radio Group meets at the Neil Penfold State Amateur Radio Centre in Whiteman Park every Sunday morning, access via Gnagarra Road. The WA VHF Group gets together on Monday evening at the Opertator's Cottage on Wireless Hill in Ardross. You can catch the Radio Ladies Lunch Group this Wednesday at the Bayswater Hotel for lunch, or you can head to the Perth Radio Amateur Wireless Noodle House Eating And Discussion Society for lunch at Pho Ever in Subiaco, also at noon on Wednesday.

The WA Amateur Radio News Team maintains a club calendar for all known Amateur Radio Activities in Western Australia on the vk6.net website. You can check it out on the home-page, or add it to your own calendar.

That reminds me, if you see an error in the club calendar, let us know, since we've had to give up our telepathy subscription due to lack of funding. The address for any events, new, old, changes or otherwise is newswest@vk6.net.

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Ham College Foundation Course next weekend

If you're hanging out to get your license, to get involved, to become a licensed radio amateur, or just because you can, there is an opportunity on December 2 and 3, next weekend, to do just that. The December Foundation Course at Ham College is on in just a few days and you can join in the fun. Get in touch with Ham College. Details on vk6.net.

If you want to do your regulations test or do any other exam, you can do that the weekend after. As I said, get in touch with Ham College. Details on vk6.net. I should warn you that getting an Amateur Radio license is addictive, causes many hours of head scratching, is counter productive to saving money and could cause hives.

All that's true, except for the hives. They come from other activities.

Ham College, Foundation Course, next weekend. Contact them Today.

[http://hamcollege.com.au]

[Contact: http://hamcollege.com.au/wordpress/?page_id=11]

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VKFF Weekend Out THIS Weekend

With barely any activity on the bands, since you know, the solar cycle, the VKFF Weekend Out is on NOW. I know that there is a perception that there is never anything good on TV, uh, Air, but that's just a rumour. This weekend you can talk to stations all across our sunburnt country and make contacts with National Parks everywhere. Better still, you can even get off your proverbial and head out into the wide blue yonder and do a bit of portable work yourself.

Mind you, if you feel better in the Air Conditioning of your comfy shack, make sure you turn on your radio and start listening around for people out in the sun. You can find details, frequencies, parks and all of the fun that comes with the World Wide Flora and Fauna program on the Interweb. Link is where you expect it, on vk6.net.

[https://www.wwffaustralia.com/]

[https://www.wwffaustralia.com/vkff-activation-weekend.html]

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20171126– Ross Hull Contest

Do you like to work the higher bands – or are you stuck on HF??

The Ross Hull Contest is a VHF-UHF DX contest, with points awarded for distances worked. There are also band multipliers to encourage activity on the higher bands.

The contest was established in 1950 to honour the memory of the late Ross A. Hull and his pioneering achievements in the study of tropospheric propagation and the development of new equipment techniques for the higher bands.

The aim of the contest is to encourage and to reward achievement in working the greatest possible distances on the VHF, UHF and microwave bands.

The contest is on for the entire month of the coming January 2018.

Entrants may operate on every contest day, but the final score is based on the best seven days nominated by the entrant.

Each contact scores one point for each 100 km of distance worked. This score is then multiplied by the band multiplier. The total score is the sum of the scores on all bands.

The 2017 results, along with full contest rules and details are now waiting for You at the WIA website.

We hope to work you then.

[http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/rosshull/]

[http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/rosshull/documents/Ross Hull - VHF Pioneer.pdf]

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CQ World Wide is on THIS weekend

The most popular Amateur Radio Contest in the World is the CQWW SSB contest. We did that last month, which means that this week is the weekend for the second most popular Amateur Radio Contest in the World, the CQWW CW contest. It's the perfect opportunity to turn on your radio, listen to the glow of valves and the pulsing sounds of Morse Code coming in thick and fast. If nothing than for nostalgia, this is the weekend you should use to check your Morse Code decoding skills, your ability to zero-beat and the set-up of your Morse Code decoder.

That said, if you're wanting to fill out your dance-card and make some contacts, this is a perfect opportunity to do just that.

The CQWW CW contest goes until 8:00am on Monday morning here in Western Australia, so there's a perfect excuse for being late to work.

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20171126 – Summer VHF/UHF Field Days

Another contest event for planning into 2018…

The SUMMER VHF/UHF field days in on 13-th14th January. With Christmas just around the corner – I’d suggest you start getting organised now.

The overriding aim is to get away for the weekend and have fun!

But next after that, the aims are to:

-  encourage more activity on VHF and microwave bands;

-  encourage people to work greater distances than usual by operating portable, and

-  provide opportunities for people to activate or work into new grid squares.

The VHF-UHF Field Days provide VHF-UHF operators with the opportunity to "head for the hills" and see how far and how many they can work.

The Field Days have separate sections for single and multiple operator stations.

The duration of the Field Day is 24 hours, but there are also 8 hour sections for operators who may not be able to camp overnight.

Most club stations prefer to operate for the full 24 hours.

The Field Days also generate plenty of activity from home stations, so there is also a separate Home Station section.

All contacts must be simplex: contacts through repeaters or satellites are not allowed.

There’s obviously plenty of FM activity, but one feature of the Field Days is a high level of SSB activity.

It is possible to do very well with only modest antennas if you pick a good hilltop.

Another option, if your station is easily transportable, is to operate from more than one location during the contest period.

There’s a heap of information in the links from this story on VK6.net

If you wanted information on the SPRING VHF/UHF field days happening this weekend… Onno??

[http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/]

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WA VHF Group News

Ty, VK6HTY was sick of his own voice, so here is news from WA VHF Group.

The last meeting for the year is Monday night, 27th November. Doors open 7:30 for a 8:00 pm start. This weeks Tech Talk after the meeting is from Allen, VK6MST on mobile digital radio with DMR (Digital Modular Radio) and Allen may answer any questions you have on DMR.

The WA VHF Group are in the Operator's Cottage at Wireless Hill Park, Ardross.

All members and visitors are welcome.

More info about the group can be found on the web, the link is on vk6.net.

If you'd prefer to hear Ty, and honestly, who wouldn't, make sure to tell him next time you meet, Monday night seems like a good opportunity, 7:30 at Wireless Hill.

[http://www.wavhfgroup.org.au]

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Spring UHF/VHF Field Day is on THIS weekend

If you want to test your radio, see the world during daylight, set-up in a park, go camping on a hill, or just have an excuse to get on air and make some noise, this is the perfect opportunity. Seems that Spring is all Around and the Spring UHF/VHF Field day is on this weekend.

If you've left your run late, then turn on your radio and give others something to talk about.

Of course, if you've been listening to the news, or checking the contest calendar, you'll already have made preparations to be on air. The Hills Amateur Radio Group will be on Bald Hill in the Avon Valley doing what they do best, having fun, talking about radios, eating food and making noise.

You'll find them on 80m in the evening, 40m during the day and you should check out the 6m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm calling frequencies. Check the Bandplan for details.

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20171126 – Next Week Club Focus

The NewsWest monthly Club Focus program is coming up soon. In fact, it’s next week.  

You know the how it goes.  

We seek items from Clubs to promote the club, brag about what the club did recently, or to let members and others know what’s coming up.

Club focus is your free kick.

All you have to do is put a story or two together, and send them to us.  

Better still, make your own recording and send it to us.  Contributions are received as email attachments to newswest@vk6.net

That’s it - too easy. Well, you’d think so.

If your club wasn’t represented in last month’s Club Focus, it’s because someone dropped the ball and didn’t send stuff in.  

If your club doesn’t have a club publicity officer, isn’t that You?

Feel free to jump in and put up an article for your club.  

If there is a publicity officer, apply some voltage and increase the current so as to galvanise them into action.

All contributions must be received by NewsWest by noon Friday.  

We prefer MP3, mono, 256 kilobit quality.

If you cant do MP3, another format is OK, but please use the highest quality.  

As we say… at NewsWest we use and recommend Audacity. It’s free. And available for Windoze, iOs and Linux platforms.

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20171126 NCRG Boot Sale (3rd December)

Just in from Steve VK6SJ – Publicity Officer for the NCRG…

The Northern Corridor Radio Group will hold its annual Car Boot Sale at the Neil Penfold State Amateur Radio Centre in Whiteman Park on the Sunday 3rd December, between 0900 - 1200.

$5 entry fee per trader and a gold coin donation for all other attendees at the gate.

No reservations required for traders; just turn up!   

We will have a Sausage sizzle going and soft drinks and bottled water will be available for sale at very reasonable prices.

Future Systems will be there with lots of Comet antennas and Benelec accessories as well as showing the FlexRadio range of products and a working remotely operated HF station.

NCRG will be looking to offload a large amount of vintage equipment and we have plenty of traders already committed to attend.

So, make sure you leave Sunday 3rd December free and come along to the NCRG Annual Car Boot sale and pick yourself up a bargain!  

Thanks Steve!

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Well, It’s time to go….

At WA Amateur Radio News – we’re always happy to take your feedback.

Pop us an email to newswest@vk6.net with your thoughts – don’t be shy.

A very special thanks to the NewsWest team, and others, for all their contributions this week as I touched back down here in Perth…

Ty

Steve

Graham

Bob

Onno

…and of course Roy.

This news and can be heard on air, on line, and on demand via PodCast.

Don’t forget to get on air, there’s still time to race to the nearest National Park. Make some noise. Someone out there is waiting to talk to You.

The count-down to Christmas is on.

I’m Glynn – VICTOR KILO SIX….  PAPA ALPHA WHISKEY

73!!

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