From: dave@eram.esi.COM.AU (Dave Horsfall)
Newsgroups: aus.radio
Subject: VK2WI Broadcast, 6th December, 1992. [ LATE? ]
Date: 22 Dec 92 10:42:37 GMT
Distribution: aus
Organization: Pacific ESI, Sydney, AUSTRALIA

[ Curiously enough, this bulletin is not present on any machine 
  that I have access to.  Did I/Richard forget to post it?   Ed. ]

VK2WI Broadcast, 6th December, 1992.  Copyright 1992 WIA
(NSW) & contributors.  Material may be used elsewhere if the
source is acknowledged.



                 VK2WI WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN

                            for

                     6th December, 1992



          THE MAJOR NEWS ITEMS THIS WEEK INCLUDE:

            Another good reason to join the WIA
           Your last chance to activate VI150SYD
                  1993 Australian Callbook
               Mir Cosmonaut visits Australia
                      Stolen Equipment




                      DIVISIONAL NEWS

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A NEW RIG?  The NSW Division is
running a special membership and recruitment promotion from
now until the end of February.

Members who renew, or non-members who join up, between 1st
December and 28th February 1993 will be eligible to win a
new rig from Kenwood.

First prize will be a Kenwood TM-732A dual band 2m/70cm
mobile transceiver, while second prize will be one of the
very new Kenwood TH-28A 2 metre handhelds, which will be
launched in Australia on Tuesday 8th December.

The prizes, which have a total value of close to $1800, have
been donated by Kenwood Electronics Australia.

Both prizes will be awarded by way of a draw, and presented
to the winners early next year, following the close of the
promotion.

So, if your membership renewal falls due between now and
28th February next year, or if you're considering joining
the WIA - DO IT and you be one of two lucky winners.  All
grades of membership are eligible.

This promotion has been organised by Roger Harrison VK2ZTB
from the newly-formed Advertising and Publicity Section of
the NSW Division of the WIA.



               SPECIAL EVENT STATION VI150SYD

Time is running out for those of you who would like to run
special event station VI150SYD.  This special callsign will
be available to clubs and individuals until 2359 UTC on the
31st December (or 10:59 am local time on 1st January 1993).
If you'd like to activate VI150SYD, please contact Steve
VK2PS via the divisional office.

Richard VK2SKY will be activating VI150SYD from the Northern
Beaches, between Christmas and New Year's Day.  Operation
will be on HF, on the 27th-28th, 30th-31st December
finishing at 2359 UTC on the 31st.  Stations contacting
VI150SYD will receive a special full-colour QSL card.



           1993 AUSTRALIAN RADIO AMATEUR CALLBOOK

Don't forget that the Divisional office has stocks of the
new Australian Radio Amateur Callbook.  Price is $11.00 to
members who collect their copy at the office, or $12.50
posted.  For non-members, price is $12.50, plus $2.50
postage and packaging if applicable.  Please contact the
divisional office for more information.



                      STOLEN EQUIPMENT

The GOULBURN AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY advises that on Friday
27th November, the following items were stolen from Signal
Hill at Goulburn:

         one Pac-Comm Tiny 2 TNC, serial number T5782
         one Pac-Comm Tiny 2 TNC, serial number T6784
         one Yaesu FT712 UHF transceiver, serial no 81120576
         one Phillips FM828 transceiver, serial no 45459
         one power supply, unidentified but known as FRY1501

If you have any information, or reason to suspect that you
have been approached by someone trying to sell any of this
equipment, please contact Goulburn Police on telephone (048)
212-344, or (048) 212-534.

   -- G. Parkhurst VK2AVI




               MIR COSMONAUT VISITS AUSTRALIA

Last week, Musa Maranov U2MIR, who flew two missions on the
MIR space station, was in Melbourne for a communications
conference.

Musa is now vice president of a private company promoting
low earth orbiting satellite technology for data
communications.

During his five day visit to Melbourne, he was entertained
by fellow Radio Amateurs.

On Wednesday, a very tired Musa, still suffering from
jetlag, met Maggie VK3CFI, Bob VK3ZBB, Bill VK3JT, Peter
VK3CPO and Jim Vk3PC.  For the occasion, Musa and Maggie
were photographed using a laptop packet radio system; the
picture is expected to appear in a feature about Amateur
Radio, in Australian Geographic magazine next year.

WIA Victoria president, Jim VK3PC, presented Musa with a
certificate bestowing on him honarary membership of the WIA,
and Musa was most pleased with the honour.

Musa is a keen Radio Amateur, his home callsign Uniform
Victor Three Alpha Mike.

His biggest disappointment though is that despite his best
efforts, he has so far been unable to make radio contact
with the Mir space station...

   -- Jim Linton VK3PC




                MORE AMATEUR RADIO BALLOONS

If all went well, then the South Texas Balloon launch team
will have sent its latest creation, "BLT-7", in the early
hours of this morning.

This baloon flight will allow the refined experiments from
previous launches to reach a height of up to 100,000 feet;
some new experiments are also included.

The primary payload is a 2 metre digipeater on 144.290 MHz,
which will cover a an area with a radius of several hundred
miles.  Telemetry will be sent as unconnected packets, and
will indicate atmospheric pressure, inside and outside air
temperature, and data from a light-diffusion sensor
experiment.

Several beacons will be on board, for range testing and
other applications.  Two 10 metre beacons on 28.437 and
28.322 will send atmospheric pressure and a station
identification, the speed of which will vary with the
outside temperature.  Both beaons will be using CW.  Two
more beacons will operate on 70cm, and one on 224 MHz will
be used for direction finding.

A new fin design will be tested for package stability, and a
35mm camera with a special filter will take photos once
every three minutes during the ascent phase of the flight.

More information about the balloon flight can be obtained
from Burns Cleland WB5HLZ.

   -- Andy MacAllister WA5ZIB, submitted by Dave VK2KFU



                      DX AND SWL NEWS

A small freqency band for broadcasting, allocated at the
World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC), is set to get
its first use this month.

A new religious station, WEMN in Birmingham Alabama, is due
to start broadcasting, possibly on Christmas Day.  Its
frequency will be 18930 kHz, and listener reports are
welcome.

From the 1st January, Radio Nederland will be relayed by
transmitters in the Commonwealth of Independent States
(formerly the USSR).  This major broadcaster is anxious to
receive reports on its transmissions, which will cover 17
hours a day.  Best to look for Radio Nederland's service to
Asia from 0700 to 1025 UTC, on a frequency of 7260 kHz.

And on the Amateur DX front...

UA3DK and UV3HD may be active in Vietnam this month

A DXpedition to Samui Island, 600 kms south of Bankok starts
Thursday, using CW, SSB, FM, RTTY, and AMTOR.   QSL via
HS1HSJ.

TZ6VV Mali is active on 30 metres, around 2200 UTC; QSL to
N0BLD or his new call AA0GL in the 1993 callbook.

Finally, ZK2XI and ZK2XJ Nuie Island will be on air until
Wednesday, and Ghana 9G will be active in January.

   -- Jim Linton VK3PC



                      IPS WEEKLY REPORT

               27 November - 3 December 1992

Issue no. 49
Date of issue: 4 December 1992

Date      27    28    29    30    01    02    03
10cm     157   149   140   140   131   130   126
A index   06    05    03    07    13    08   (12 estimated)
T index  148   132   114   143    89   121    91

                    Summary of activity

Solar activity was very low on 27th November, low on 28th,
and 2nd-3rd  December, and moderate for the rest of  the
period.  There was one M1 flare on the 29th, and another on
the 1st December, and an M2 flare on 30th November.

The geomagnetic field at Learmonth (WA) was mostly quiet to
unsettled, with brief active periods on 30th November, and
1st December.

Ionospheric F2 critical frequencies at Sydney were enhanced
by up to 50 per cent until sunrise on the 28th, then near
normal until early on the 29th, then becoming enhanced by up
to 30 per cent.  On 30th November frequencies were enhanced
by up to 35 per cent until shortly after sunrise, then near
predicted levels.  Frequencies were again enhanced by up to
30 per cent on 1st and 3rd December, and enhanced by up to
40 per cent on the 2nd.


        Forecast for the next week (4 - 10 December)

Solar:           Low to moderate.
Geomagnetic:     Generally quiet to unsettled. with brief
                 active/minor storm periods possible on
                 6th to 8th December.
Ionospheric:     Near normal.

   -- Courtesy of IPS Radio and Space Services



                      COMING EVENTS

WIA recruitment promotion (win a rig!)   until 28th February
Special Event Callsign VI150SYD available 'til 31st December
Special Event Station JU830C/3  . . . .  until 31st December

========

Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club nets . . . . . . . . . MONDAY
Liverpool and Districts ARC packet radio night  . .  TUESDAY
St John Ambulance Amateur Radio Club AGM  . . . . . THURSDAY
Divisional Council meeting  . . . . . . . . . . . . . FRIDAY
WIA Hunter Branch Christmas banquet . . . . . . . . . FRIDAY
Waverley ARC Christmas get-together . . . . . . . . SATURDAY
Chifey ARC Annual General Meeting . . . . . . . . . SATURDAY
Fisher's Ghost ARC Christmas get-together . . .  NEXT SUNDAY
Waverley Amateur Radio Society  . . . . . . .  14th December
VK2 Divisional Office closes for Christmas  .  16th December
VI150SYD active from the Northern Beaches 27-28th, 30-31st
                                                    December

1993
Closing date for Fisher's Ghost ARC exams  . .  6th January
VK2 Divisional office reopens  . . . . . . . . 11th January




                         CLUB NEWS

LIVERPOOL AND DISTRICTS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB will hold it's
next meeting on Tuesday 8th December at 7.30pm sharp.  The
meeting will be held at the E.G. Whitlam Centre, Memorial
Avenue, Liverpool.  The lecture subject for the night will
be Packet Radio given by Ian VK2XSB.

The night will also feature a workshop on the low cost
packet modem, for those members who avail of the below cost
modem board and parts.  Members should be able to build
their modem on the night with assistance, so if possible
bring along a soldering iron, cutters and solder.

The club will test and put to air as many modems as are
completed, so why not bring along a small handheld and you
can proof it before heading home to enjoy your packet radio.
Don't forget to bring along a floppy disk for your copy of
the packet program.

For further information contact Brad VK2QQ or Richard VK2SE
on 146.625 MHz.

   -- Richard VK2SE




Please note all SAINT JOHN AMBULANCE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
members: the club's Annual General Meeting will be held this
Thursday 10th December.  Would those of you who don't have a
car please make arrangements for lift with other members who
are attending the AGM.

Club meetings are held each month at the Masters Hall, 3a
Castlereagh Street, Penrith, next to the Baby Day Care
Centre.  All interested visitors are most welcome, so please
come along.

   - Tony VK2ZLT, club treasurer



The Hunter branch of the WIA will hold a Christmas Chinese
banquet this Friday 11th December, starting at 7 pm.  The
venue will be the Rickshaw Inn, Glebe Road, The Junction,
Newcastle,   Please contact Rudy VK2FIM for bookings; Rudy's
number is (049) 437-548.

   -- John Cannon VK2JRC.




A reminder that the CHIFLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB will be
holding its Annual General Meeting this Saturday, 12th
December, at the club rooms.  Attendance of member would be
appreciated.

   -- Brett Hazell VK2CBH



And the CENTRAL COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB reminds us that one
of the major events on the Amateur Radio calendar, the
Gosford Field Day, will take place on the 28th February next
year.  Because the crowds have been growing each year, the
next Field Day will be held at a bigger and better venue, at
Wyong Racecourse.

The Field Day will feature and even bigger program of
topical and interesting lectures, equipment displays, and
many attractions which have been popular in previous years,
such as the Flea Market and equipment disposals.  So, note
it in your diary: the Gosford Field Day, at Wyong Racecourse
on 28th February 1993.

   -- Bob VK2XRF


                      BROADCAST ROSTER

Next Sunday morning:     Kerry VK2XAT and Peter VK2JPJ
Next Sunday evening:     Paul VK2GYO and Pat VK2JPA

THE BROADCAST ROSTER FOR JANUARY TO MARCH 1993 WILL BE DRAWN
UP SHORTLY; WOULD ALL BROADCAST PERSONNEL ADVISE STEVE VK2QZ
OF UNAVAILABLE DATES.

The councillor at Amateur Radio House this Wednesday evening
will be Bob VK2YEL.  The Divisional Office is located at 109
Wigram Street, Parramatta and is open from 11am to 2pm,
Monday to Friday, and from 7pm to 9pm on Wednesday nights.
The phone is answered during the day from 12 noon to 1pm;
the number is (02) 689-2417.

Items for inclusion in this bulletin may be sent by mail to
Post Office Box 1066, Parramatta 2124; by fax on (02)
633-1525, or by packet radio to "VK2WI at VK2RWI".
Highlights of this bulletin are also available by phoning
the divisional voice mailbox on (02) 552-5188, and you can
leave a message afterwards if you wish.


VK2WI Broadcast, 6th December, 1992.  Copyright 1992 WIA
(NSW) & contributors.  Material may be used elsewhere if the
source is acknowledged.
-- 
Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU)         VK2KFU @ VK2RWI.NSW.AUS.OC
dave@esi.COM.AU                ...munnari!esi.COM.AU!dave