| |
VK7AX > BCAST 15.05.21 00:32z 519 Lines 20968 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 61688_VK7AX
Read: GUEST
Subj: VK7 Amateur Radio News 02May21
Path: HB9ON<IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<IW0QNL<VE2PKT<I0OJJ<I0OJJ<LU4ECL<ZL2BAU<VK7AX
Sent: 210503/0751Z @:VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC #:61688 [Ulverstone] $:61688_VK7AX
>From vk7ax%vk7ax.#ulv.tas.aus.oc@i0ojj.ampr.org Mon May 3 09:54:53 2021
Received: from i0ojj.ampr.org by i0ojj.ampr.org (JNOS2.0m.5Gx) with SMTP
id AA148886 ; Mon, 03 May 2021 09:54:53 +0200
Message-Id: <61688_VK7AX@i0ojj.bbs>
>From: vk7ax@vk7ax.#ulv.tas.aus.oc
X-JNOS-User-Port: Uplink (I0OJJ-2 on port hub) -> Sending message
From: VK7AX@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
To : BCAST@WW
VK7 Amateur Radio News 02May21
Text edition:
VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 2ND MAY 2021
--------------------------------
VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 2ND MAY 2021
--------------------------------
Welcome to the VK7 Amateur Radio News for the 2nd of May 2021. At the mike of VK7WI this week is Idris, VK7ZIR.
This broadcast goes out on repeaters all over VK7 and on digital radio - DMR Talk Group 5 and D-Star Reflector 91C by Clayton,
VK7ZCR.
We also go out on High Frequency courtesy of the following HF rebroadcast stations:
On 1.865 MHz by Graham VK7GS
On 3.670 MHz by Garry, VK7JGD
On 7.140 MHz by Dale, VK7DG
On 14.130 MHz by Peter, VKTPE and
On 28.525 MHz by Tony, VK7VKT
You can hear this broadcast again on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RTC in Southern VK7.
--------------------------------
RAOTC News
RAOTC Broadcast for May
This is a reminder about the RAOTC broadcast for the 3rd of May 2021 at 8pm local time; that’s tomorrow night for those listeni
ng on Sunday.
The first article could be dubbed ‘Goodluck Aussie Built’. Early next year an Adelaide based company plans to hit the market wi
th a locally produced electric ute – spelt ‘yeut’; it is expected to have a range of 100-200km. This is likely to be just one o
f many electric vehicles produced locally and from overseas in the near future. There will also be conversion kits for existing
internal combustion engine vehicles. Watch this space.
‘Resonance, friend of foe?’. An article penned by VK3CK describes the frightening effects of resonance in a ducted air-cooling
system at a power station and then in a masonry duct of another building causing violent floor vibrations.
Science History ‘Joan Eleanor (J-S)- the woman that never was’ This article describes how a clandestine VHF radio system change
d the outcome of world war 2.
Listen at 8 pm Monday local time over the VK7RAA/RTC state-wide network or at about 8:30pm as a telecast on VK7AX ‘Spectrum Tas
mania’ via the BATC members’ stream or in the Ulverstone area on 445.50MHz DATV.
The date is May 3rd. Call backs will follow on both networks. Please call in if you are able. Callback statistics are sent to t
he RAOTC broadcast committee.
If you miss the off-air broadcasts you can listen to the audio file on the RAOTC website.
https://www.raotc.org.au/
73, Peter VK7PD
--------------------------------
VK7 Broadcast News
Digital Rebroadcasts
We thank Phil VK3PG for relaying the digital broadcasts on DMR and D-STAR and for Roger VK3KYY for doing the callbacks for DMR
Channel 5 whilst Clayton VK7ZCR is away.
Clayton has taken a well earned break over the last few weeks.
If you listen on DMR Channel 5 or D-STAR 91C and are able to take call-backs at the end of the broadcast it would be appreciate
d and would give Clayton a rest sometimes.
If you are in a position to take some callbacks then please contact Clayton on email: clayton7008(at)gmail.com
73, Clayton, VK7ZCR
--------------------------------
QSL NEWS
Report - from Herman VK7HW Manager of the WIA VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
The current list of Cards held as at 30 April 2021, is in the email version of the broadcast.
If you have any questions re QSL cards, please contact Herman by email vk7bureau(at)wia.org.au
REAST members can collect their cards from the Domain Club rooms if they let Herman know to deliver them there. He can drop the
m off most Wednesdays at lunch time.
Thank you to those amateurs who have been in touch.
73, Herman, VK7HW, WIA Manager VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
--------------------------------------------
VK7 Inwards QSL Cards held as at 30 April 2021
AAA, AB, ACN, AD, AG, AIR, AL, AM, AO, AP, APZ, AS, ATH, AV
BA, BB, BBW, BPV
CH, CJ, CL, CMV, CV, CX
DG, DN, DO, DQ, DT, DX, DZ
EG
FALX, FAZZ, FCIA, FEDT, FG, FGGT, FJFJ, FLAR, FOTR, FRJG, FTAS
GA, GC, GG, GM, GZ
HC, HCH, HDM, HPD, HRS, HRW, HSJ, HVK, HZ
IK, IS
JA, JB, JGD, JON, JP, JW
KBA, KD, KI, KJ, KL, KO, KR, KRJ, KT, KX
LAZ, LCW, LDH, LLL, LM, LVH, LW
MAG, MAT, MBD, MBP, MC, MD, ME, MHZ, MI, MK, ML, MS
NA, NC, NET, NMH, NRF, NSB, NSE, NSS, NTE, NWQ, NWT
OK, OR
PBD, PRN, PSJ, PW
RG, ROY, RR/4, RUM
SN, SV
TAS, TCE, TED, TK, TS
VAC, VAZ, VH, VKV, VR, VZ
WA, WC, WIA, WT
XDM
YN
ZA, ZM, ZT, ZZ
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE NORTH WEST
North West Tasmania Radio & TV Group Luncheon
The Club’s winter luncheon was held on April 24th at the Lighthouse Hotel, Ulverstone.
Members were greeted by Social Events organiser Kirsty, VK7FKKK with a short address, then a scrumptious meal and delicious des
serts were enjoyed, as well as friendly banter was exchanged.
Bob VK7BY entertained us with his memories as a British seaman, and his antics as a young chap in England.
Those who came, thoroughly enjoyed themselves
73, Eric VK7EV, News Officer
--------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE NORTH
SOTA/WWFF PARKS GROUP
The Summits On The Air/World Wide Flora and Fauna parks group is now meeting twice weekly – Mondays and Fridays 10.30AM till 12
.00 at the Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry Street, Launceston.
For more information contact Al on 0417 354 410.
73, Al, VK7AN
--------------------------------
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club Incorporated
www.ntarc.net
We had another great attendance at coffee last Friday, lots of banter, plenty of food to tuck into and endless tea and coffee.
A visit to the garage and big hall found many shoppers out in both locations buying up treasures. I wonder how many had to snea
k their purchases inside their QTH quietly. I was thankful that the OM wasn’t in attendance.
We are now in May and the last month of autumn, how the year is flying by. Hopefully you all remembered to vote yesterday.
Otherwise, news is very limited this week so it will basically be a reminder of coming events but we do have a couple of items
of interest.
We noted back in the news of Sunday 28th March that member Lewis was travelling to Hobart to take his full call exams. We can n
ow advise that Lewis advised us last Friday that he passed his advanced licence exam and is now waiting on his call sign to com
e through from ACMA. Here’s hoping he manages to get his preferred call sign. Congratulations Lewis from all your fellow member
s of NTARC.
Last Saturday 24th, Peter, VK7KPC ventured from Evandale across the rail tracks and the mighty South Esk River, to set up a por
table station in Honeysuckle Banks for the AMRO weekend. Using a Clansman 5.4 metre portable fibreglass mast, an inverted V ant
enna was erected using Clansman wire elements. These have convenient metre markings which makes it easy to unroll the elements
to the lengths as notated on the PRC-320 hf transceiver case. They are shorter than expected if using the normal calculations,
due to the excess wire length still on the wire reels. After coax was connected and antenna raised, the analyser showed that it
was a little short. Ends were close enough to the ground to be reached and length adjusted to give a good match.
Transceiver connected and set to 7.125 MHz AM and high power (30W).
Contacts were made with VK3DRT and VK2WD who was using a BC348 receiver and a Collins ART-13 transmitter both of which are WW2
vintage.
An early start for ANZAC day services meant Peter packed up relatively early.
A couple of contacts were made as AX7KPC mid-afternoon from home, again using the PRC-320 on AM but with station antenna which
worked better than the previous days attempt.
He plans to try again next year possibly with different antenna configuration.
UPCOMING EVENTS
TECH NIGHT – Wednesday 5th May at the NTARC Club rooms 19:30 hours until whenever. Continuous tea and coffee will be available,
although a gold coin donation for the evening would be appreciated
SLOW MORSE COURSE – Wednesday 5th May, second session. Your host and teacher is Nic VK7WW. Frequencies and times are the same a
s were used by Nic for the previous TestNet and TechNet. And if you have forgotten what they were, here they are, 1900 hrs to 1
930 hrs on 3.580 MHz and then at 1930hours through to about 2030 on 3.567MHz.
So why not tune in and give it a try. By the end of each week, between Morse Course Sessions, participants may have learned 12
characters. Then it’s time to practice them on air.
Nic will be explaining “how to have a contactö and the procedures and protocols. For those who may want some extra help, this w
ebsite is reported as being very good. https://www.morsecodeclassnet.com/
TECH NIGHT – Wednesday 19th May at the NTARC Club rooms 19:30 hours until whenever. Continuous tea and coffee will be available
, although a gold coin donation for the evening would be appreciated.
JUNE GENERAL MEETING - Saturday 12th June commencing at 14:00 (2:00 pm). Further information on this meeting will be advised in
forthcoming weekly broadcast news.
COFFEE MORNINGS – currently held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Catch up time is from 10.00 am to noon and we look forwa
rd to seeing you all.
These coffee events in the past have been normally a good opportunity to collect your QSL cards. Currently we have a few cards
awaiting collection from past deliveries.
FINALLY – A reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup, no matter ho
w trivial, then please email me at the following address ntarc.emails(at)gmail.com, all items to be received no later than 17:0
0 on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
Your continued cooperation in this regard will be greatly appreciated.
We will bring you all such contributions next Sunday morning.
73, Yvonne VK7FYMX, Secretary NTARC Inc
--------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE SOUTH
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
https://www.reast.asn.au/
https://www.facebook.com/reasttas/
https://www.youtube.com/reasthobart/
May Presentation Night
https://www.facebook.com/events/198756811761947
This Wednesday night will be a wonderful presentation on lightning, whistlers and other phenomena by none other than Dr. Mike G
roth VK7MJ.
While Army Signalers in the trenches in France during the First World War were using early valve amplifiers to detect the earth
currents generated by the field telephones in the enemy trenches, they discovered that the earth generated a range of strange
audio frequency signals, including clicks, tweaks, and whistling.
These remained a scientific curiosity for almost 40 years, until the International Geophysical Year in 1957-8, when they became
a tool for exploring the electrical and magnetic properties of the Earth’s magnetosphere before the development of specialised
geophysical monitoring satellites in the 1970’s.
This should be another fascinating presentation from Mike and is this Wednesday night - May 5, 2021 and starts 7:30pm in the Qu
een’s Domain clubrooms and will be streamed via the REAST YouTube channel.
See you there
73, REAST Committee
--------------------------------
June Presentation Night
https://www.facebook.com/events/3709318659180091
Our June presentation night will be on 2nd June and will be given by Mike VK7DMH who will be describing his experiences receivi
ng & decoding Weather, Commercial & Amateur satellite signals.
This will include the hardware, software & antennas that he used for this project will be discussed and used in this presentati
on.
This should be another fascinating presentation not to be missed. Starts 7:30pm in the Queen’s Domain clubrooms and will be str
eamed via the REAST YouTube channel.
See you there
73, REAST Committee
--------------------------------
Training and Assessments
REAST’s next Foundation Training and all licence assessment day is next Saturday the 29th May 2021 from 9am to 3pm.
If you are thinking of coming along then grab your copy of the Foundation Licence Manual from the Caltex Service Station on the
corner of Amy St and Main Rd, Moonah for $35 cash and please let Reg Emmett VK7KK REAST Learning Organiser know ASAP that you
will be coming along by phoning 0417 391 607 or email assessor(at)reast.asn.au.
Check out the REAST Foundation Licence Training Videos that can be found on the REAST YouTube Training and Assessment playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsnsP_zjw831mdC6sY4XqavRUY-53ZWUn
Checkout the REAST Facebook page events for further details.
https://www.facebook.com/events/718404075716863/
73, Reg, VK7KK
--------------------------------
DATV Experimenter's Night
There was a burn-off up on the Queens Domain that prevented us from accessing the REAST DATV Studio on the night so the program
came from the Shack of Justin VK7TW.
We started with a segment from the $50 Ham - Dan Maloney who has built a WSPR Beacon on 20m using a Si5351 DDS chip I2C driven
with Etherkit Library and an Arduino. It has a 13mW output.
https://hackaday.com/blog/?s=%2450+ham
We then went into the first GNU Radio Companion workshop focusing on installing and familiarisation of the GRC environment. Tha
nks to Rex VK7MO who put Justin onto this resource from the US Microwave Update (MUD) conference 2019 workshop.
https://www.ntms.org/
GRC is an Open Source SDR development environment / tool kit. It is based on Python and C++ - which you don’t need to know to u
se. Python is used for interconnects, graphics and management and C++ is used for the high speed DSP functions, buffers & I/O.
GRC is a Graphical User Interface and can compile to python or C++.
You build a “flowgraphö in GRC and then compile it to run. The installer installs all the Python and C++ elements required.
There are some limitations - must be a x86_64 type processor (not ARM) and the pre-compiled MSI version is available for downlo
ad.
http://www.gcndevelopment.com/gnuradio/index.htm
Limitation is that the image only supports radios the maintainer chooses to include and it is hard to add new modules / radios
and this is a trade-off
When you install you will find it installs both 3.7 & 3.8
Justin then went through some concepts - the first was thottles - Where there is no source of timing there needs to be a thrott
le eg. Soundcard and radios are sources of real timing need a throttle. Throttle is used to prevent the CPU maxing out. GRC wil
l warn when you need a throttle. Throttles are used in any data path.
Justin then went through the GRC Interface - Test Drive - open and the tool bar. New, Open, Save, Compile, Run & block search.
Console screen & Variable values/ config values, error message
We loaded the first exercise and went through the block that are used. We then compiled and saw what the result was.
The compiled flowchart in Python can be executed from the GNUradio Python command line.
There was another concept of blue connectors on blocks = type complex - single precision float 32 (I&Q) whereas orange connecto
rs on blocks = type single precision float 32 (real).
Justin then outlined what the next workshop will cover on May 12th.
We also signalled that the May 19th DATV Experimenter's night will be a LCD Monitor Conversion to LED Light Panels workshop wit
h Ron Cullen - bring along your old broken LCD monitors and we will help you convert them to lighting panels.
We finished with reminders about future presentations - in May Mike Groth VK7MJ on Lightning, Whistlers and other phenomena, in
June, Mike Hawkins VK7DMH on Satellite communications and antennas.
The night was streamed and is available on the REAST YouTube Channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtQOCefagQE
We get back underway in a fortnight after the presentation night.
Keep an eye on the REAST Facebook Events for more details.
https://www.facebook.com/reasttas/
73, Justin, VK7TW
--------------------------------
Technology News
King Island connectivity upgrade to include 110km radio link across Bass Strait
Telstra mobile network to get boost from AU$9.8 million project to provide six-fold upgrade to King Island connectivity.
When completed, a 110-kilometre radio link from King Island back to Victoria's Surf Coast will be the longest such link over wa
ter in the Telstra network, the company said on Friday.
The new link is part of a AU$9.8 million connectivity upgrade for King Island that will see the island get a six-fold improveme
nt in bandwidth.
The project will see two new mobile sites, two new small cell sites, and LTE upgrades at another three sites, as well as 37 kil
ometres of fibre laid on the island.
Money for the upgrade was coughed up by Telstra, King Island Council, Tasmanian government, and the Commonwealth's Regional Con
nectivity Program (RCP).
Last week, the government announced it had selected 81 sites for its Regional Connectivity Program, but did not name them.
When announcing the upgrade on Friday, Communications Minister Paul Fletcher failed to acknowledge the presence or monetary inp
ut of anyone not in the federal government.
Revealing a touch more information on some of the successful RCP sites, the minister said AU$8 million of the fund was earmarke
d for five projects in Tasmania: Improving bandwidth to nine regional schools; a connectivity upgrade in Geeveston; improving m
obile coverage in Jericho; and a connectivity boost at Greenhill Observatory to "enhance Australia's sovereign space capability
".
Work is due to start on the King Island project before the year is out.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/king-island-connectivity-upgrade-to-include-110km-radio-link-across-bass-strait/
Sourced from the ZDNet IT Web E-zine.
--------------------------------
Regular VK7 gatherings and events over the coming months:
Regular gatherings:
SOTA/WWFF Group – Meeting Mondays and Fridays 10.30-12.00 midday at Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry St, Launceston.
NTARC – Friday coffee session – Rocherlea clubrooms Launceston from 10:00am
NTARC - Tech Night sessions Wednesday 5th & 19th May - Rocherlea clubrooms Launceston
NTARC - Slow Morse Training Wednesday 5th May on Tech Net Frequencies
NW VK7 – Wednesday from 2000 local – NW Tassie Amateur Repeater Group Net on VK7RMD - 146.625, 141.3 tone.
NW VK7 - Thursday commencing at 10:30 UTC (20:30 local) - N.W. Tassie 2m DX Net 144.190 USB (upper sideband).
REAST – MICROWAVE QSO Party – following after the Sunday broadcast on 1296.15 MHz FM.
REAST – WAGS – Wednesday Afternoon Group meet in the Queens Domain Clubrooms from 12 noon.
REAST – DATV Experimenter’s Nights from 7:30pm live in the club rooms also on DVBT RF and YouTube Streaming
Sewing Circle Net – Daily on 3.640 MHz will commence at 5:00pm from Monday 19th April.
Events:
REAST - 5 May - Lightning, whistlers and other phenomena with Dr. Mike Groth VK7MJ from 7:30pm
VK - 17 May - World Telecommunications Day - Use of AX instead of VK in your callsign
REAST - 2 June - Satellites & Satellite Antennas with Mike Hawkins VK7DMH from 7:30pm
NTARC - 12 June - Meeting from 2:00 pm
--------------------------------
A reminder to those people rostered for next week’s broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7ZIR
Repeaters: REAST, NTARC and in the NW thanks to NWTR&TVG, West Coast Radio Group, Cradle Coast Radio Amateur Radio Club, VK7AX,
and VK7DC
160m: VK7GS
80m: VK7DG
40m: VK7TPE
20m: VK7ALH
10m: VK7JGD
DMR: Talk Group 5 and D-Star: Reflector 91C VK7ZCR
--------------------------------
You can hear this broadcast again on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RTC in Southern VK7.
A huge thank you to all people and organisations that assisted with this broadcast.
--------------------------------
That concludes our VK7 Amateur Radio News Broadcast for this week.
You have been listening to or have just missed VK7WI. Next week the National WIA news can be heard at 0900 followed by the VK7
Amateur Radio News around 0930 hours.
Items for the broadcast can be emailed to vk7arnews(at)gmail.com
Further information about the broadcast can be found at the VK7 Amateur Radio News Groups.IO Group.
https://groups.io/g/vk7arnews
The deadline for items is 21:00 on Friday prior to the Sunday of the broadcast.
VK7WI is now closing but will reopen shortly for callbacks and relay reports. Callbacks will be taken on the frequency to which
you are listening. Relay stations will use their own callsigns during the callback.
On behalf of the VK7 Amateur Radio News Team it’s 73 from Idris, VK7ZIR.
--------------------------------------------------------------
(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
