| |
VK7AX > BCAST 10.07.21 01:27z 469 Lines 21851 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 65295_VK7AX
Read: GUEST
Subj: VK7 Amateur Radio News 11Jul21
Path: HB9ON<IW8PGT<LU4ECL<VK2RZ<VK2IO<VK7AX
Sent: 210710/0123Z @:VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC #:65295 [Ulverstone] $:65295_VK7AX
From: VK7AX@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
To : BCAST@WW
VK7 Amateur Radio News 11Jul21
Text edition:
--------------------------------
VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 11th JULY 2021
--------------------------------
Welcome to the VK7 Amateur Radio News for the 11th July 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 VK3PG, VK3KYY and VK7WP.
We also go out on medium and high frequency courtesy of the following rebroadcast stations:
On 1.865 MHz by Graham VK7GS
On 3.670 MHz by Peter, VK7TPE
On 7.140 MHz by Ross, VK7ALH
On 14.130 MHz by Garry, VK7JGD and
On 28.525 MHz by Dale, VK7DG
You can hear this broadcast again on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RTC in Southern VK7.
--------------------------------
Contest News
WIA - Trans-Tasman Low Band Contest
Firstly, if you participated in the Winter Field day contest you have till the end of the 12th to put your log in…. please do it today!
Next weekend the 17th July is the Trans Tasman Low band contest.
The Trans-Tasman contest, held on the 3rd weekend in July and aims to encourage Low Band activity between VK and ZL.
Only contest bands are 160 80 and 40M with SSB, CW and Digital (RTTY OR PSK).
From 2018 this contest is an official WIA Contest and will count towards the Peter Brown Contest Champion Awards.
The aim of the contest is to work as many VK and ZL prefixes and as many different stations on 160, 80 and 40M in a short evening contest.
Categories are:
A. Single Operator – High Power
B. Single Operator – Low Power (100 watts)
C. Single Operator – QRP - limited to 5 Watts average (CW/RTTY/PSK) or PEP (SSB) at the transmitter output
E. Multi-Operator – Single Transmitter
F. Multi-Operator – Multi Transmitter
Permitted Bands and modes
Bands: 160M 80M 40M
SSB Voice transmission should be within:
1843-1875, 3535-3570 and 3600-3700, 7080-7300KHz
otherwise disqualification or score reduction may result.
Modes: SSB, CW and Digital (Digital includes PSK or RTTY only)
PSK and RTTY are the only allowed digital modes and are combined, not counted separately.
https://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/transtasman/
Lets see a few vk7s show up and add to the activity.
Cheers
73, Richard, VK7ZBX
--------------------------------
QSL NEWS
Report - from Herman VK7HW Manager of the WIA VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
The current list of Cards held as at 9 July 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 them 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 1 July 2021
AAA, AB, ACN, AD, AG, AIR, AL, AM, AO, AP, APZ, AS, ATH, AV
BA, BB, BPV
CH, CJ, CL, CV, CX
DN, DO, DQ, DT, DZ
EG
FALX, FAZZ, FCIA, FEDT, FG, FGGT, FJFJ, FLAR, FOTR, FTAS
GA, GC, GM, GZ
HCH, HDM, HRS, HRW, HSJ, HVK, HZ
IK, IS
JA, JB, JGD, JP, JW
KBA, KD, KI, KJ, KL, KO, KR, KRJ, KX
LAZ, LDH, LLL, LM, LVH
MAG, MAT, MBD, MBP, MC, ME, MHZ, MI, MK, ML, MS
NA, NC, NMH, NRF, NSB, NSE, NSS, NTE, NWQ
PBD, PRN, PSJ, PW
SN, SV
TAS, TCE, TED, TK, TS
VAC, VAZ, VH, VKV, VR, VZ
WA, WC, WIA, WT
XDM
YN
ZA, ZM, ZT, ZZ
--------------------------------
VK7 Repeater News
VKLink nodes down
The following comes from Hayden VK7HH - just a quick update to let you know the following VKLink nodes are down:
VK7RAA Node 1752 linking VK7RTC 70cm and VK7RAA 2m
VK7RAA Node 1756 - 6m Repeater
VK7RCH Node 1726 - 6m Repeater
All have suffered corrupted bootloaders or SD cards, unsure of the reason why, but it's pretty coincidental. Possibly lightning last week.
ETA to fixing all these is undetermined. Some considerations:
How often are they being used? I seem to call CQ on VK7RTC and only ever hear the same one or two people? So if that is the case, what's the point of fixing them?
6m repeaters are there, but again aren't being utilized to their full, or at all in the case of VK7RCH.
I haven't bothered fixing the 10m repeater because nobody was using it either, so is it time for me to pull it out? Same with the VK7RCH 6m repeater?
Link every 2m/70cm repeater across the country on VKLink. Maybe we might hear the odd static crash then?
Some possible options:
I can fix all the nodes and do maintenance on the others to avoid any possible outages going forward. I don't mind doing this, but I think it's a bit taken for granted. I seem to never hear people on the repeaters when it's running, yet get complaints when it's off air, or I hear about "xyz" issue with them, but this is never communicated to me whilst the issue is there.
So... what's the point? Are we going to start using these again, or is it just time wasted fixing them?
Quick survey, everyone is open to respond to me directly - when was the last time you gave a call out - or responded to someone on one of these analog repeaters? If I hear nothing back, then I'll assume that it's not worth fixing?
There has been a discussion about this on the VK7 Amateur News Groups.io group - why not add your thoughts and comments?
https://groups.io/g/vk7arnews/topics
73, Hayden, VK7HH
--------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE NORTH WEST
CHAT AND SHOW GROUP
Shirley VK7HSC held her Bi monthly Chat & Show Group, on Saturday the 3rd July at the Sports Complex West Ulverstone.
Retired Broadcast Engineer Terry VK7JAI, continued on with his presentation about a Narrow Band FM Receiver he was designing and building, as well as information about double side band transmissions. Once Terry has completed the equipment, and tested his hypothesis, he will be writing a paper on his experiments.
Eric VK7EV brought his Anytone DMR Mobile D578UV along, and did a hands-on demonstration of the radios capability of being a cross band repeater, as well as cross banding modes, using a DMR handheld and an analogue handheld to show it in action.
Amateur attending discussed antennas , the ideal amateurs block of land so it accommodates a 160m antenna and other related subjects.
It was pleasing to see some amateurs travel over from Burnie, to enjoy the event.
Afternoon tea was shared and those attending enjoyed the event.
73, Eric, VK7EV
--------------------------------
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
It was our off-week, so there is no Wednesday Club Tech night report today. That, plus the fact that I have not received any items of interest makes my task as your reporter relatively easy. You cant spin straw into gold. Indeed, any straw to be found around here has long been pre-processed by the horses, so the end product is a different commodity entirely and not what we want for the broadcast.
What I can tell you though is that, even though it was a very cold frosty morning on Friday, we saw a good attendance at the club for coffee. I must here say a special thank you to Ros for arriving at the rooms at 8.40 am, lighting the fire and putting the urn on, as well as putting the sausage rolls in the oven to heat up. Without Ros arriving early the room would have been more than somewhat cool. I also would like to thank our regular ladies who donate food every Friday for the coffee session and give just a gentle reminder that a small note or gold coin or two donation into the kitty by those partaking of morning tea is always appreciated.
Just a reminder to all attending the club rooms that we have the Check in TAS app at our club rooms. By registering and using the Check in TAS app we are complying with the Public Health Directions by enabling our members to self – check in at the club room.
This information is stored with the Tasmanian Government for contract tracing if required. The QR code is up and running for members to utilize, with the QR code poster at the sign in table. Members are still able to register their attendance at the club by signing in manually in the attendance book if you choose not to register using the Check in TAS app. Please note though that signing in either by QR code or manually is now a mandated Government requirement. If you fail to do so you expose yourself and your club to heavy penalties.
2021 Membership Renewals – The grace period for the renewal of your 2021 membership expired on 30th June. If you did not renew by that date then your name will now have been removed from the financial membership register and transferred over to the non-members register.
UPCOMING EVENTS
TECH NIGHT – Wednesday 14th July at the NTARC Club rooms, 19:30 hours until whenever. Continuous tea and coffee will be available, although again, a gold coin donation for the evening would be appreciated.
SLOW MORSE COURSE – Wednesday 14th July. Your host and teacher is Nic VK7WW. Frequencies and times are the same as were used by Nic for the previous TestNet and TechNet. And if you have forgotten what they were, here they are, 1900 hrs to 1930 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 its time to practice them on air.
Nic will be explaining “how to have a contact” and the procedures and protocols. For those who may want some extra help, the website in the email edition of this broadcast is reported as being very good.
www.morsecodeclassnet.com
FUTURE EVENTS
August General meeting – Saturday 14th. Meeting will commence at 14:00 hours (2.00pm). I understand we may have a presentation after the meeting and I hope to be able to confirm who that will be and the subject in coming weeks, so stay tuned. The meeting will be followed by afternoon tea and donations of cakes, slices etc would be appreciated. As always a gold coin or note donation is welcomed to assist in our ongoing costs of running the club.
Equine event – Saturday 28 August, North East Equine Endurance Club, Jolly Lette Memorial ride, Santarena Park, Scottsdale. Plenty of warning to help out on this ride. A look at the Tasmanian Equine Endurance Riders Association website at this time shows there will be an 80, 40, 20 and 5 Km ride. As further information comes to hand I will update this news entry with details of the support NTARC will be providing.
COFFEE MORNINGS – currently held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Catch up time is from 10.00 am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all.
These coffee events in the past have been normally a good opportunity to collect your QSL cards. We currently have no cards awaiting collection.
Please demonstrate your appreciation of all the effort that goes into operating the club and its facilities and other services we provide by joining us at these sessions, enjoying the company, coffee and the cake and leaving a gold coin or two, or even a small bank note, in the jar to assist in our on-going operations. I dont know of any other venue in Launceston where you can get endless coffee, tea and eats for a donation of this miniscule amount.
FINALLY – A reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup, no matter how trivial, then please email me at the following address news(at)ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 17:00 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
WICEN Tasmania (Sth)
Annual General Meeting & General Meeting
The WICEN AGM will be held on Sunday 18th July 2021 at 14:00 in the COVID safe REAST Domain Clubrooms or via Zoom for those who have pre-notified.
There will be a lunch provided including soup, mixed grill BBQ, salads, roast vegetables and cheesecake that is being supplied by REAST members for the meager sum of $10. Please let secretary(at)reast.asn.au know of any special dietary requirements. The BBQ will be fired up at 12 noon.
The AGM business will consists of Minutes, Reports, Election of office bearers (nominations taken from the floor), Audit and website discussions.
There will be a general meeting following the AGM.
All are welcome to attend.
73, WICEN Committee
--------------------------------
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
https://www.reast.asn.au/
https://www.facebook.com/reasttas/
https://www.youtube.com/reasthobart/
July Presentation Night
Tasmanian Maritime Radio
Our July presentation night will be this Wednesday night - the 14th July from 7:30pm.
Barry McCann OAM will be doing a presentation on the Tas Maritime Radio Network that now covers all of Tasmania.
Barry will then do a tour of the operations room and the museum which is in the building next to our clubrooms.
This will be a fascinating presentation and tour and demystify our close neighbours and show the vast radio network that Tas Maritime is responsible for monitoring.
https://www.facebook.com/events/780741719283986/
73, REAST Committee
--------------------------------
August Presentation Night
Contesting on HF, VHF and above
REAST's August presentation night is all about contesting on HF and VHF and above.
With the Remembrance Day contest just around the corner (14/15 August 2021) we want to equip everyone with contesting skills to ensure they get the most out of their RD Contest experience.
Martin VK7GN will be giving us the High Frequency (HF) contesting low down and Richard VK7ZBX will be covering contesting on VHF and above frequencies.
A huge thank you to Martin and Richard.
See you there.
https://www.facebook.com/events/329823411883355/
73, REAST Committee
--------------------------------
Training and Assessments
REASTs next Foundation Licence course and all licence assessment day is on Saturday the 31st July 2021 from 9am to 3pm.
If you are thinking of coming along then 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
We started out DATV night with an announcement that our close-up camera is back following equipment failure - namely a power supply unit!
Larry VK7WLH and Justin VK7TW then started with many different forms of RFID tags that Larry uses in his business enterprises. There were 13.58MHz ones that contain their own processor, there are UHF (800MHz) ones in all forms. There are also highly secure ones with rolling codes that return unique codes each time you access them with a near field communications (NFC) device and Larry demonstrated this. This ensures things like authenticity of product and supply line. Thanks Larry.
Larry took us through a recent purchase which is a single band (40m) QRP Labs QCX-CW-WSPR SDR 5W Transceiver. Larry bought two units on 40m and 20m. Larry is returning to his roots and the magic of QRP radios.
Justin then moved to an interesting article titled - Apple Says Devices May Disrupt Pacemakers: A Lesson on the Importance of EMI by Jake Hertz from All About Circuits
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/apples-devices-unsafe-a-lesson-on-the-importance-of-emi-side-effects/
Justin continued with his latest Dumpster Dive for linear actuators this time with a controller and his learnings from these devices including - Dont trust the wire colours and he showed the electrolytic that had exploded, looking at the PCB there is much more electronics than is actually used, tracing the circuit that shows only the microswitches switch incoming voltage.
We then reviewed the latest AR Magazine and finished off with a reminder of future presentation nights and our video for our RF viewers.
The video is available from the REAST YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WexjIN3f3Qk
We will be back in a fortnight the 21st July following our Presentation night this week.
Keep an eye on the REAST Facebook Events for more details. Why not come up to the Queens Domain COVID-safe clubrooms and see what we get up to.
https://www.reast.asn.au/special-interest-groups/amateur-tv/
https://www.youtube.com/c/ReastHobart/
73, Justin, VK7TW
--------------------------------
Space News
MORE POWER TO THE SPACE STATION:
The International Space Station's massive solar arrays are getting old. The first panels were installed more than 20 years ago, and their efficiency has been naturally declining since then. To give the ISS a power boost, NASA is installing new panels, which roll out over the old. Amateur astronomer Philip Smith photographed them on June 30th.
"The space station passed almost directly over my backyard in Manorville, New York, where I observed it using a 14-inch telescope," says Smith. "After looking over the recorded video, I was very happy to see that I imaged a new part of the space station's solar panel system."
The new arrays, named "iROSA" (ISS Roll-Out Solar Array), were unfurled by astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet during spacewalks on June 20th and 25th. They provide a 20% to 30% power boost compared to the older panels behind them. Eventually, 6 of 8 older panels will be supplemented with roll-out arrays, boosting the output of the entire system from 160 kW to as much as 215 kW.
https://spaceweather.com/
Sourced from SPACEWeather.com and there the very clear telescope picture can be found on the spaceweather.com website.
--------------------------------
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 14th July - Rocherlea clubrooms Launceston
NTARC - Slow Morse Training Wednesday 14th July on Tech Net Frequencies
NW VK7 – Wednesday from 2000 local – NW Tassie Amateur Repeater Group Net on VK7RMD
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 Experimenters Nights from 7:30pm live in the club rooms also on DVBT RF and YouTube Streaming
Sewing Circle Net – Daily on 3.640 MHz commences at 5:00pm.
Events:
REAST - 14 July - Tas Maritime Radio Presentation and Tour of Facilities with Barry McCann from 7:30pm in Queens Domain clubrooms
WICEN Tas (Sth) - 18 July - Annual General Meeting and General meeting starting at 2:00pm - in person and Zoom - BBQ before starting from 12 noon - $10 for a feast!
REAST - 4 August - Contesting HF & VHF with VK7GN & VK7ZBX - Queens Domain clubrooms from 7:30pm
NTARC - 14 August - Meeting and presentation - Rocherlea Clubrooms from 2:00pm
REAST - 1 September - P25 Emergency Services Network with Andrew VK7AJ
--------------------------------
A reminder to those people rostered for next weeks broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7FB
Repeaters: REAST, NTARC and in the NW thanks to NWTARC, West Coast Radio Group, Cradle Coast Radio Amateur Radio Club, VK7AX, and VK7DC
160m: VK7GS
80m: VK7ALH
40m: VK7JGD
20m: VK7DG
10m: VK7VKT
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.
Thanks to VK3PG, VK3KYY and VK7WP for stepping in for Clayton VK7ZCR and doing the DMR and DSTAR rebroadcasts this week.
--------------------------------
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 its 73 from Idris, VK7ZIR.
--------------------------------------------------------------
(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
