From: richardm@runx.oz.au (Richard Murnane)
Subject: VK2WI Weekly News, 8th November 1992
Organization: RUNX Un*x Timeshare.  Sydney, Australia.
Distribution: aus
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 92 07:57:56 GMT

VK2WI Broadcast, 8th November, 1992.  Copyright 1992 WIA
(NSW) & contributors.  Material may be used elsewhere if the
source is acknowledged.


                 VK2WI WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN

                            for

                     8th November, 1992



               THE MAJOR NEWS ITEMS THIS WEEK

           Packet and ATV meetings at Parramatta
               WIA at the Picnic in the Park
              Comments on the New Regulations




                      DIVISIONAL NEWS

A reminder to those of you active in packet radio: a Packet
Radio "Open Forum", will be held at Amateur Radio House, 109
Wigram Street, Parramatta on the the 22nd November.

Although the WIA is providing the venue, we'd like to make
it clear that it is the attendees who will drive the
meeting, elect a chairman, and propose solutions to the
existing problems.

We hope that this meeting will be as productive as the
general "Open Forum" held back in August; once again, the
meeting will be held on the 22nd of this month, at Amateur
Radio House, 109 Wigram Street, Parramatta, starting at
10am.


For Sydney Amateur Television enthusiasts, the divisional
ATV coordinator, Peter Mulligan, announces that a meeting
will be held to discuss the sharing of ATV channels in the
Sydney area.  This meeting will also be held at Amateur
Radio House, but on Saturday, 21st November, starting at
2pm.  If you are interested in attending this meeting,
please contact Peter Mulligan VK2ABH as soon as possible, to
arrange a meeting agenda. Peter's phone number is (02)
709-6060.


If you are interested, but can't attend either meeting,
please send your agenda items to the divisional office by
the usual means.



               WIA AT THE PICNIC IN THE PARK

The recent WIA stand last Sunday's "Picnic in the Park" was
without doubt a great success.  The public arrived at 7.00am
and there were typically half-a-dozen visitors looking at
any one time.  The drawcards were the packet display, ATV,
CW, Voice, WICEN, and the display of antque radio equipment.

Packet was used to read the Dural BBS, and all were
impressed with the continuous display of messages.

An ATV transmitter was set up at the main stage about one
kilometre away and looking back at the WIA stand.

VI150SYD made CW and Voice made contacts with Australia and
New Zealand.

Despite the short notice the whole act fell together, with
meetings every night during the week, and the final all-day
preparations on Saturday.

The WIA would like especially to thank the following:

Steve VK2PS for organising with the ABC including an on-air
interview with Bob Hughes on 2BL.

Bob Hughes for including the interview in his pre-broadcast
leadups (Bob also holds an amateur callsign VK2YOW).

Roger VK2ZIG for haggling the best deal on a rental van and,
together with his son Neil, helping preparations on Friday
and Saturday.

Aub VK2AXT, Keith VK2GNT and Tony VK2CAM setting up and
operating the HF equipment.

Morton VK2DEX representing WICEN.  He even washed his car.

The Sydney ATV group who had their shacks raided by Julie
VK2XBR to provide the live display.  They were asked
Thursday night and this left them off air until Monday.

Terry VK2UX for his on-air talk and general help, and Bob
VK2YEL for general assistance and providing an outlet for
Roger when things were not going as planned.

In all, nine volunteers put this whole show together in
under a week.

Thanks again to all from the WIA.

   -- submited by Bob VK2YEL



                    THE NEW REGULATIONS

The Amateur Radio Service in Australia is set to undergo
major changes early next year, possibly as soon as January.

Listeners to this broadcast will have heard an outline of
some of the proposed changes announced last weekend on
behalf of communications minister Bob Collins.  The final
document containing the details about the new license
conditions is not yet completed.

The procedure does not just involve drwing up a document
containing a set of re-written regulation, and changes to
license conditions.  They have to be painstakingly checked
against the Radiocommunications Act and any planned
amendments.  This process should see a final document
released at the end of the month.

In the meantime, we can look at what is likely to be in that
document, based on what the Minister has already told us.

A major change expected is the introduction of a new
"no-code" Novice license, wit hvoice and digital modes on
the 2m and 70cm bands.  This new class of license could be
at the same theory level as the current Novice license.

The proposal to open up the top end of the 10 metre band to
Limited licensees is another interesting change.  The plan
at this stage is to allow Limited stations to use FM
telephony on the 29 MHz segment of the band.  The aim of
such a proposal is to encourage better use of this
allocation.

Some years ago, Amateurs who held both Novice and limited
callsigns had to pay two separate license fees.  The
Department at the time accepted an argument that this was
inequitable, and introduced the Combined license, commonly
known as the "K" call.

The Combined license holders have been confined to the
Novice allocations on the HF bands, but there's an argument
that the only difference between the Combined and Full Calls
is five words per minute on the Morse.

Although not yet spelt out, it seems that the new proposals
immediate class of license will sit somewhere in the middle
between between the Novice and Full Call licensees, hence
the name "Intermediate".

Novice stations on HF, according to the Minister's speech,
are also set to receive a small increase in power limit.

The regulations governing the Amateur Radio Service in
Australia are to be streamlined: this includes the removal
of unnecessary technical rules on the use of digital modes,
and simplified rules for repeaters.

-- commmentary from WIA Victoria president, Jim Linton VK3PC


Full details are expected to appear in the December edition
of "Amateur Radio" magazine, but you'll hear about them
first on the weekly news bulletin.



                   NO MORE FEDERAL TAPES
 
As Bill Roper and Ron Fisher announced in last week's
broadcast, after 17 years the usual "Federal News" tape is
to be replaced with news supplied in electronic form
(namely, on floppy disk).  This will allow the federal news
to be distributed on the packet and other computer networks,
along with the rest of the news.



                        CONTEST NEWS

The AUSTRALIAN LADIES AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION'S annual
contest takes place on Saturday 14th November, from 0001 UTC
to 2359 UTC (or in Daylight Saving time: from Saturday at
11:01am until Sunday 10:59am.

The bands to be used are 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 metres.
Each station may be contacted twice on each band for credit,
i.e. once on phone and once on CW.

ALARA invites club stations to take part this year, on a
trial basis.  Stations must identify themselves as a club
station.

As this contest is a friendly, chatty one, with few dog
piles, this might be a good time for clubs holding classes
to have a club station, to show their students how to
operate during contests.

Scoring is as follows: on phone,
         5 points for each ALARA member contacted;
         4 points for non-member YL contacted;
         3 points for clubs stations and non-YLs.

On CW, contacts where at least one operator is a Novice
class score double, otherwise the same as phone.

For SWL;s 5 points for each ALARA member logged,  and 4
points for non-member YLs logged.

The contest rules appear in the August edition of "Amateur
Radio" magazine, in the ALARA column on page 21.

   -- Dorothy VK2DDB, ALARA VK2 state representative



                         WICEN NEWS

WICEN volunteers were very busy Sunday, at the Shoalhaven
Action for Autism triathlon at Nowra, the Triple-M triathlon
on the Northern Beaches, and the annual Jenolan Cave Rescue
Exercise, which inexplicably takes place this time at
Wombeyan.


Last Thursday's VHF net on the Chatswood repeater (147.150
MHz) drew nearly two dozen people, and WICEN activities were
discussed at some length.


Prospective amateurs who read "CB Action" magazine might
like to note the excellent article on page 60, which tells
about WICEN, and mastering Morse code.  The article was
written by the prolific (if not exactly modest) Broadcast
Coordinator, Richard VK2SKY.


The weekly VHF net, mentioned earlier, takes place every
Thursday night at 9:30pm, on 147.150 MHz in the Sydney
metroolitan area.


The WICEN state-wide HF net is every Tuesday night at
8:30pm, on a frequency of 3615 kHz.




                     IPS WEEKLY REPORT

Issue no. 45
Date of issue: 6 November 1992

Date      30    31    01    02    03    04    05
10cm     229   150   147   141   135   143   136
A         15    09    16    18    16    18   (11 estimated)
T         20    50   106   101   114    45    96

                    Summary of activity

Solar activity was low on 1st, 3rd-4th November, moderate
31st October, and 5th November, and high on 30th and 5th.

The following flares were recorded:

         30th:    1 X1 flare
         31st:    1 M1 flare
         2nd :    1 X9 flare
         5th :    1 M2 flare

The geomagnetic field at Learmonth was quiet  to  unsettled
until 1st when a 90 nT sudden commencement at 2145UT
produced active to minor storm levels until 0600UT on 2nd.

The field was quiet to unsettled for the remainder of the
period with brief active periods 3rd-4th November.

Ionospheric F2 critical frequencies at Sydney were
depressed up to 40 per cent during daylight hours on
30th-31st, and 4th.

The remainder of the period saw enhanced periods of up to
50 per cent, near normal otherwise.

Daylight circuits were affected by the X1 flare on 30th, and
a Polar Cap Absorption event began around 1940UT on that
date, ending at 1900UT on 3rd.  A SWF was observed
0258UT-0600UT on 2nd.  A disturbance in the F layer around
0155UT-0206UT may have disrupted communications on 5th
November.   Daylight sectors of sectors affected at lower
frequencies by  the  M2 flare on 5th.

        Forecast for the next week (6 - 12 November)

Solar:           Low to moderate.
Geomagnetic:     Active  to  minor  storm  levels  8th-9th
                 and possibly 11th-12th. Otherwise quiet to
                 unsettled.
Ionospheric:     Depressed  around 30 per cent 8-9th and
                 11-12th.  At other times expect near
                 predicted to enhanced frequencies. Chance
                 of daylight fadeouts through the week
                 affecting lower frequencies.

   -Courtesy of IPS Radio and Space Services



                      COMING EVENTS

Shoalhaven Action for Autism Triathlon (WICEN)    .   TODAY
Jenolan Cave Rescue exercise Wombeyan (WICEN)     .   TODAY
2MMM-FM Sydney Triathalon (WICEN)  .    .    .    .   TODAY
VK2 Division examinations     .    .    .    .    .   TODAY
Australian ATV Club meeting at Glenfield     .    .   TODAY
Illawarra Amateur Radio Society meeting .    .    . TUESDAY
Divisional Council meeting    .    .    .    .    .  FRIDAY
ALARA Contest       .    .    .    .    .    .     SATURDAY
Fisher's Ghost general meeting     .    .     17th November
Radio Veterans meeting at Parramatta    .     19th November
ATV channel-sharing meeting at Parramatta     21st November
Packet Radio Open Forum at Parramatta   .     22nd November
Divisional Trash and Treasure Sale .    .     29th November




                         CLUB NEWS

LIVERPOOL AND DISTRICTS AMATEUR RADIO CLUB will hold their
next meeting this Tuesday the 10th November, in the
E.G.Whitlam Centre, Memorial Road, Liverpool.  The meeting
commences at 7:30pm, and the club extends an invitation to
all Amateurs and Shortwave Listeners to attend.

   -- Richard VK2SE for Liverpool And Districts ARC



The ILLAWARRA AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY also has its meeting on
Tuesday, starting at 7:30 pm, but at the SES building in
North Wollongong.

This month's meeting is going to be "the Mother of All
Auctions", where you can sell off all of your unwanted
equipment, and buy everybody else's.  Bring along your
surplus radio gear, computer equipment, electronic bits and
pieces and, of course, don't forget your money.

Items for sale can be booked in between 6:00pm and 7:00pm,
for a 7:30pm start, and the meeting will finish with the
customary and complementary Rag Chew and cuppa.

So, if you live further afield and are at a loose end on
Tuesday night, then pop down the F6 to Wollongong.  Visitors
are most welcome, and if you need directions, call on the
Sublime Point repeater, on 147.275 MHz.

   -- Ken VK2KWG, publicity officer




                      BROADCAST ROSTER

Next Sunday morning:     Peter VK2BPN and Les VK2KCP
Next Sunday evening:	 Colin VK2DYM and Peter VK2EMU



The councillor at Amateur Radio House this Wednesday
evening is Julie VK2XBR.  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 12-1pm;
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, 8th November, 1992.  Copyright 1992 WIA
(NSW) & contributors.  Material may be used elsewhere if the
source is acknowledged.

-- 
Richard P. Murnane                     "Making it up? Making it up? Why should
Internet: richardm@runx.oz.au          I want to make anything up? Life's bad
UUCP:     uunet!runx.oz.au!richardm    enough without inventing more of it."
Packet:   VK2SKY @ VK2RWI.NSW.AUS.OC   - Marvin the Paranoid Android