From: dave@ips.oz.au (Dave Horsfall)
Newsgroups: aus.radio
Subject: VK2WI Broadcast, Sunday 30th August, 1992
Date: 30 Aug 92 09:35:40 GMT
Distribution: aus
Organization: IPS Radio and Space Services.  Sydney, Australia.


                      VK2WI BROADCAST

                           for

                     30th August, 1992




          THE MAJOR NEWS ITEMS THIS WEEK INCLUDE:

          Melbourne Celebrates its 150th Birthday
        Illawarra Takes Amateur Radio to the Public
           More LF band experiments from Victoria




                      DIVISIONAL NEWS

Today, 24 candidates [are sitting / sat] for more than 40
theory, regaulations and Morse examinations.  Good luck to
all candidates.  The next divisional examinations will be
held on 8th November; applications close on 22nd October.

Does your club conduct Amateur Radio examinations?  If so,
please advise the divisional office of the exam and closing
dates, as we often get enquiries about them from prospective
amateurs.

As this broadcast was being compiled, the divisional "Open
Forum" was in full swing.  Many hot issues were being
discussed, and we expect a lot of positive results to come
out of the proceedings.  The divisional council would like
to thank those who came to Amateur Radio House (and might
still be there!), and to those who submitted ideas and
suggestions by other means.

A full report will follow in a subsequent broadcast, once
"THEY" get around to it...




           MELBOURNE CELEBRATES ITS 150TH BIRTHDAY

A special event station is now on air to mark the 150th
anniversay of Melbourne.  The station, VI3MEL is being run
by Amateur Radio Club Polonia, and is endorsed by the City
of Melbourne 150th project team.  The Lord Mayor, Des Clark,
officially opened the station on Friday, and signed diplomas
for the first 15 contacts.

Despite the precedent set in New South Wales, with the
special event station VI150SYD, the Victorians were unable
to obtain a callsign containing the number "150".
Nevertheless, VI3MEL will be active the next for four weeks,
on phone and CW, and is seeking both local and DX contacts.

   - thanks to Jim Linton VK3PC




        ILLAWARRA TAKES AMATEUR RADIO TO THE PUBLIC

Since the beginning of May this year, members of the
Illawarra Amateur Radio Society have been manning a display
of Amateur Radio, at the Wollongong University Science
Centre.  The club station VK2AMW is open every Saturday and
Sunday, from 1pm to 5pm, and runs various modes, depending
on the rostered operator.  Packet, RTTY, and 20 metre voice
are always active, and this weekend, Dale VK2DSH will be
setting up at satellite TV system, as part of the permanent
display.

For the award collectors among you, the Lawrence Hargreave
award is available to amateurs who make one contact with the
Illawarra club station.  Normally, 10 contacts with
Illawarra club members are required for this award.  Ask the
rostered club operator for details.  Today, the Science
Centre at the University of Wollongong is hosting an open
day, so drop in and meet the operators at VK2AMW.  Well done
Illawarra, for bringing Amateur Radio to the public.

  - Ken VK2KWG, publicity officer.




        MORE LOW FREQUENCY EXPERIMENTS FROM VICTORIA

From Victoria, John Adcock VK3ACA advises that he will be
conducting LF band experiments next month.  The tests will
take place in two weeks time, that is Sunday, 13th
September, between 0600 and 1000 UTC (4pm and 8pm local),
using a frequency of 196 kHz.  Although the tests are
intended for more distant listeners (mainly in New Zealand),
John will welcome reports from any location, either on air
by post, and QSL cards will be sent via the bureau.

John's station, AX3T35, will be active on CW, sending
automatic messages for 15 minutes each hour.  The messages
will announce station callsign, address to which reports may
be sent.  On-air reports will be on the frequencies of 7.100
MHz during the day, and 3.69 MHz after dark, plus or minus
QRM.

Once again, John VK3ACA will be conducting tests as AX3T35,
on Sunday, 13th September from 4-8pm local, on a frequency
of 196kHz, with callbacks on 7.100 MHz during the day, and
3.69 MHz after dark.

   - item from John Adcock VK3ACA




                         WICEN NEWS

Last weekend, twenty five radio amateurs descended on
Batemans Bay, 150 kms south of Sydney for the Hyundai Stages
Car Rally.  South Coast WICEN, assisted by VK1, Sydney
South, and Southern Highland WICEN divisions, provided
emergency communications for the two day event.  WICEN
operated VHF and UHF voice repeaters, and a 2 metre packet
network in the mountainous areas around Batemans Bay.  A few
operators found out just how demanding portable operations
can be, particularly for batteries, but the voice nets
worked well, and the packet operators had some "interesting
experiences".  The event proved most enjoyable for the WICEN
operators, and the Rally director was well pleased with the
professional standard of communications provided during the
event.  Regardless of your own views on WICEN, the real
winner of the rally was Amateur Radio.

   - David Hawkesworth VK2BDJ

This week, Hunter WICEN, assisted by amateurs from all over
the state, and several interstate WICEN members, has been
providing communications for the International Six Day
Motorcycle Enduro around Cessnock.  The event ends this
evening, and a full report will follow in a subsequent
broadcast.  Two VHF voice nets, VHF and UHF packet nets, and
a 10m simplex net have been used to provide safety
communications and competitor results from portable stations
in the Broken Back ranges.

WICEN has also received televsion coverage on Prime TV
Newcastle for the event, and even ordinary members of the
public have shown recognition of the WICEN name.  Many
I.S.D.E. officials have expressed satisfaction with the
professional communications WICEN provided during the week,
and were suprised that WICEN operators were volunteers.

 - from an exhausted Richard VK2SKY, just back from the Enduro
   (and damn good fun it was, too! Ed. :-)

WICEN conducts a weekly HF net on Tuesday nights at 8:30pm,
on 3615 kHz. In the Sydney metro area, the WICEN VHF net
takes place on Thursdays at 9:30pm, on the Chatswood
repeater 147.150 MHz.  Enquiries may also be sent to Post
Office Box 123, Saint Leonards 2065.




                     IPS WEEKLY REPORT

                  21st - 27th August 1992

Issue No. 35
Date of Issue: 28th August, 1992

Date      21     22     23     24     25     26     27
10 cm    125    122    111    102     98     93     94
A         15     24     45     08     05     17    (10 est.)
T         69     68     50     56     42     55     59


                    SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY

Solar activity was very low on the 22nd, and the 25th-27th,
low on the 23rd-24th, and moderate on the 21st, with three
M1 flares on that day.

The geomagnetic field at Learmonth was mostly quiet, or
quiet to unsettled.  There were brief periods of active
levels noted on 21st, 22nd, and 27th, with minor storm
conditions noted on the 21st at 1800-2000 UTC, and the 23rd
and 0000-0900 UTC.

Ionospheric F2 critical frequencies at Sydney were near
normal on 21st August, thereafter ranging from near normal
to depressed by 25 to 50 percent.  The latter reading was
taken on 23rd between 1600-2000 UTC.  Blanketing sporadic E
occurred 1900 UTC on the 22nd, and Spread F may have
degraded communications during local night on the 23rd-25th.

  Forecast for the next week (28th August - 3rd September)

Solar:           Low.
Geomagnetic:     Quiet to unsettled.
Ionospheric:     Near normal to 20 per cent depressed.

   - courtesy of IPS Radio and Space Services.



                      COMING EVENTS

VK2 Division examinations     .    .    .    .    .   TODAY
University of Wollongong Open Day (Illawarra ARS) .   TODAY
St George ARC meeting    .    .    .    .    .    WEDNESDAY
Annual Variety Club Bash (WICEN)   .    .     starts FRIDAY
Saint George Amateur Radio Club Examinations .     SATURDAY
Wagga Wagga City Fun Run (WICEN)   .    .    .     SATURDAY
CAPRG Technical Symposium     .    .    .    .     SATURDAY
Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club nets     .     7th September
St George ARC "Bill Shakespeare" Auction     12th September
Como to Jannali Fun Run (St George ARC) .    13th September
Fisher's Ghost ARC examinations    .    .    13th September
AX3T35 experimenting on 196 kHz    .    .    13th September
Australian ATV Club meeting at Parramatta    13th September
WICEN Sydney South meeting    .    .    .    15th September
Fisher's Ghost ARC Inc. general meeting .    15th September
I.P.S User Training Course    .    .    .    16th September
Warragee One Day Equestrian Event (WICEN)    20th September.
Closing Date for Waverly ARC examinations    25th September
Divisional Trash and Treasure Sale .    .    27th September
Wollongong SES navagation exercise (WICEN)   27th September



                         CLUB NEWS

The next committee meeting of the Fisher's Ghost Amateur
Radio Club, Inc. will be held at Campbelltown Catholic Club,
Camden Road, Campbelltown on Tuesday, 1st September,
starting at 7:30 pm.

The club's Monthly General Meeting will be held at Beverley
Park School, Beverley Road, Campbelltown, on Tuesday 15th
September, at 7:30 pm.  All members and visitors are welcome
to attend.

   - Arthur Harris VK2FFH



The Australian Amateur Television Club, Inc. advises that
70cm/23cm ATV repeater at Oakdale in southwest Sydney, is
available for use.  All you need to use it is a (426 or 444
MHz) TV source and a 1250 MHz FM receiver.  Reasonable to
good pictures can be obtained from Oakdale.

Retransmissions via VK2TVG from the Gladesville Amateur
Radio Club have been trialled recently; 70 and 23 cm
reransmissions to channel 35 have also produced good
results.

For more information on Amateur Television, come along to Amateur
Radio House, 109 Wigram Street, Parramatta, on the second
Sunday of the month, at 1 pm, or call on repeater 6625 on
Tuesdays at 7pm for the weekly net.

   - Mark VK2GFR, club secretary




The Radio Amateurs Old Timers Club advises that the next
series of nets and callback will take place on Monday, 7th
September.  The times and frequencies are as follows:

   10 am Australian Eastern Standard Time (2400 Zulu):
         145.700 MHz FM, 7.060 MHz SSB, and 3.560 MHz SSB.

   11 am AEST (0100 Z):
         14.150 MHz SSB beaming north from Melbourne

   12 noon AEST (0200 Z):
         14.150 MHz SSB beaming west from Melbourne

   - Allan Doble VK3AMD




                      BROADCAST ROSTER

Next Sunday morning:     Bob VK2YEL and Paul VK2GYO
Next Sunday evening:     Bill VK2DWW and Peter VK2EMU

The Divisional Office is located at 109 Wigram St, Parramatta
and is open from 11am to 2pm Monday to Friday and from 7pm to
9pm on Wednesday nights.

Items for inclusion in this bulletin may be submitted 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 broadcast 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, 30th August, 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@ips.OZ.AU                  ...munnari!ips.OZ.AU!dave
Newsgroups: aus.radio