From: richardm@runx.oz.au (Richard Murnane)
Subject: VK2WI Weekly News, 15th November, 1992
Organization: RUNX Un*x Timeshare.  Sydney, Australia.
Distribution: aus
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 92 20:24:27 GMT

VK2WI Broadcast, 15th November, 1992.  Copyright 1992 WIA
(NSW) & contributors.  Material may be used elsewhere if the
source is acknowledged.


                 VK2WI WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN

                            for

                    15th November, 1992



               THE MAJOR NEWS ITEMS THIS WEEK

          ATV and Packet Radio Forums Next Weekend
        Special Event Stations in Perth and Mongolia
              Interference to Weekly Broadcast
                   WICEN as Busy as Ever!




                      DIVISIONAL NEWS

Next weekend is "Open Forum Time" at Amateur Radio House in
Parramatta.  Next Saturday, starting at 2pm, is the meeting
for Sydney ATV enthusiasts to discuss plans to share the
limited number of channels available in the metropolitan
area.


For those interested in Packet Radio, an "Open Forum" will
be held next Sunday, the 22nd November, starting at 10am.
From discussions heard on various nets, we expect a good
turnout for this one.  So far, only AAPRA has responded in
writing, proposing for the following agenda:

         1) Networking
         2) Protocols, and
         3) BBS operation.

We understand that several other packet users are holding a
private meeting today to discuss agenda items for next
week's forum.

Those attending the packet forum will appoint a
"chair-person", and may propose additional items for
discussion.


Both meetings will be held at Amateur Radio House, 109
Wigram Street, Parramatta: the ATV channel-sharing meeting
starts on Saturday at 2pm, and the packet meeting on Sunday
at 10pm.


Remember, it's up to those of you with a real interest in
these aspects of Amateur Radio to make your views known, and
to come up with workable solutions to the problems you see.


Let's make these meetings productive, so that the WIA and
Amateurs throughout the state can benefit.


If you can't attend either meeting, you can still contribute
by writing to the meeting "Chairperson" at P.O. Box 1066,
Paramatta 2124, or by sending a fax to (02) 633-1525.




                   WIA VOLUNTEERS MEETING

A meeting of WIA volunteers will take place at Amateur Radio
House, on the 25th November, starting at 8pm.  This meeting
is to discuss a proposal from Roger VK2ZTB and Bob VK2YEL on
ways to improve the workings of the division.  All are
welcome to attend.




           1993 Australian Radio Amateur Callbook

Don't forget that the Divisional office has stocks of the
new Australian Radio Amateur callbook, which contains the
latest callsign listings, voice and packet repeater details,
beacon info for Australia and New Zealand, contests and
awards, and much more.  Price is $12.50 to individual
members, plus post and packing where applicable.  Please
contact the divisional office for more information.




               PUBLIC RECOGNITION FOR AMATEUR

Aubrey Topp VK2AXT, our Divisional Librarian, tireless
volunteer and a lon-standing member of the WIA, has been
awarded a "Citizen's Medal" from Parramatta City Council.
This is in recognition of his constant efforts and good work
for the community.  Well done, Aub!

  -- Margaret Mills




               INTERFERENCE TO VK2 BROADCAST

This news bulletin goes to air each week on a number of
Amateur frequencies, including VHF link frequencies that
provide the weekly news to other 2 metre repeaters.  We've
been advised that some Amateurs have been conducting nets on
these frequencies, at the same time the weekly broadcast
goes to air.  The result is that their conversations are
appearing on other repeaters around the state, to the
annoyance of listeners who wish to hear the weekly news
bulletin.

We ask the cooperation of Amateurs around the state in
keeping the these various frequencies clear of traffic
during broadcast hours; also, please listen for other
traffic on the frequency before transmitting.

For many Amateurs and Shortwave Listeners, these broadcasts
are the only timely source of news and information about our
hobby, so please consider them.

In any case, why not make a habit of listening to one of our
brodcasts for the original version of the news, rather than
hear it later on, repeated out of context.




                        NEW MEMBERS

Another group of Amateurs have recently joined the WIA.
Please join us in welcoming the following to the oldest
division of the oldest Amateur Radio Society in the world:

         Wendy Anderson VK2WAD
         Percival Bulliman VK2TEN
         John Dudley VK2MMF
         Peter Ferrari VK2BXQ
         George Pal VK2PGA
         Claude Pradier VK2CXC
         Robert Stevenson VK2KKN
         Paul Thomas VK2WPT, and
         Luigi Zilli VK2TLL



                   SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS

The Coastal Radio Station, VIP, turns 60 this month, and a
special event station VI6VIP will be active to mark the
occasion.

Members of the WIA VK6 Division will operate the station
from the Wireless Hill Museum in the city of Melville next
weekend.

Trish Dix VK6QL tells us that VI6VIP is part of a massive
celebration at Wireless Hill, which was the original site of
VIP when it began in 1912.

The Telecommunications museum at Wireless Hill has an entire
room dedicated to radio, from the early days to modern
communications.

The Mayor of Melville will send a wireless telegraphy
message from VI6VIP to the Coastal Radio Station VIP in a
recreation of how communications were conducted in 1912.

VI6VIP will be on air next Friday night and all day
Saturday, the 21st and 22nd November.  The frequencies in
use will be:

         SSB: 3.585, 14.195, and 21.195 MHz
         CW: 3.540, 14.050, and 21.130 MHz.

You can also send greetings to the station on packet, to
VI6VIP at VK6BBS.  The packet system will be live, and
visitors to the station will see your greetings.

A special commemorative QSL card is being printed.
Please QSL via the bureau, or direct to:

         VI6VIP
         PO Box 97
         Cannington 6107

If you QSL direct, please enclose 1 International Reply
Coupon or Self addressed, stamped envelope.

   -- thanks to Jim Linton VK3PC for that info


[A certain Army Signals station could pick up a few pointers
from VIP - I hope a certain nameless person will keep that
in mind. - Ed.]


Meanwhile, in Mongolia, special event station JU830C will be
active until the 31st December, to celebrate the 830th
birthday of Chinghis Khan.  JU830C/3 will be active from
Chinghis Khan's birthplace starting sometim this month.  QSL
direct to JT1KAA, PO Box 639, Ulaanbaatar 13, Mongolia.

   -- ARRL DX Bulletin



                    BALLOON EXPERIMENTS

Balloon experiments seem to be popular right now: the
"Earthwinds" round-the-world balloon flight is set for
launch at dawn on 20th November, from Nevada in the United
States.  A 10 metre beacon will operate on 28.303 MHz,
sending on the hour and half-hour, or more often if the
power budget allows.  If you hear the beacon on 28.303 MHz,
please contact Rich N8IWJ wit hyour report.


Closer to home, The "ELBBO" (Extended Life Balloon-Borne
Observatories) experiment will comprise five balloons, to be
launched sequentially from Christchurch, New Zealand, during
November and December 1992.  Each balloon will stay aloft
(at an altitude of 26 km) for about two months, so that
several should be aloft at a time.

During this time the balloons will drift west around the
world, probably in the latitude band 40 to 50 degrees south.
Since drift velocities can be as high as 100 km/h, the
balloons may drift right around the world a few times during
their lifetime.

Measurements will be made continuously of electric fields
and other effects of lightning, as well as of each balloon's
position (using Omega locating equipment).

The ELBBO transmitter antenna is an end-fed (Zepp) half-wave
monopole radiating a vertical polarized wave.  The data is
transmitted to ground stations in one-minute bursts (at 200
bps) every 10 minutes, on about 13.45 MHz, using MSK
(Minimum Shift Keying).  Each ELBBO will transmit on this
same frequency, but in different one-minute slots.

The project is based at the University of Otago, in New
Zealand, and is directed by Professor Dick Dowden, Professor
of the University's Department of Physics.

  -- information from John VK6NT



                         WICEN NEWS

Last weekend, WICEN was active at four events: the
Shoalhaven Action for Autism triathlon in Nowra, Police Open
Days at Wyong and The Entrance, and of course the Triple-M
Sydney Triathlon on the Northern Beaches.

Concerning this last event, WICEN coordinator Richard VK2SKY
would like to thank the volunteers who provided an excellent
communications service throughout the day, even when some
other services pulled out early, due to organisational
problems.  In particular, he would like to thank the members
of the Manly-Warringah Radio Society and other non-WICEN
amateurs who took part.  A full report of the event, and
letters of thanks will be in the post in the next few days.


Today, WICEN is involved in a major exercise with the
Central Coast Volunteer Rescue Squad, the Royal Volunteer
Coastal Patrol at Pellicam, the Australian Volunteer Coast
Guard at Swansea, and the Careflight Rescue Helicopter.
(Who needs to watch "Police Rescue" on TV, when you have
Amateur Radio?)


As always, WICEN conducts weekly nets on HF statewide and on
VHF in the Sydney metropolitan area.  The Tuesday night HF
net starts at 8:30pm, on a frequency of 3615 kHZ, and on
Thursdays, the Sydney VHF net starts at 9:30pm on the
Chatwood repeater, 147.150MHz.



                     IPS WEEKLY REPORT

               6 November - 12 November 1992

Issue no. 46
Date of issue: 13 November 1992

Date      06    07    08    09    10    11    12
10cm     133   135   132   132   136   135   127
A         10    10    09    25    11    16   (11 estimated)
T        125    87    53   101    53    68    68

                    Summary of activity

Solar activity ranged from very low to low over the period.
The geomagnetic field at Learmonth (WA) was mostly quiet to
unsettled.  There were brief active levels recorded every
day except the 8th November.  Minor storm levels were
recorded on the 9th from 0900-1200 UTC.

Ionospheric F2 critical frequencies at Sydney were
depressed by up to 20 per cent during daylight hours on the
11th November.  Readings for the remainder of the period
were near predicted levels or enhanced by up to 40 per cent.
There was strong sporadic E at 1100 UTC on 6th November.
Spread F may have degraded communications around 1200 UTC on
the 9th.

       Forecast for the next week (13 - 19 November)

Solar:           Low until the 15th, and low to moderate
                 thereafter.

Geomagnetic:     Generally unsettled, with brief active
                 periods possible on the 13th.

Ionospheric:     Frequencies are expected to be near normal.

   -- Courtesy of IPS Radio and Space Services




                     COMING EVENTS

Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society meeting . . . . . . MONDAY
Radio Veterans meeting at Parramatta  . . . . . . . THURSDAY
Saint John Ambulance Amateur Radio Club meeting . . THURSDAY
ATV channel-sharing meeting at Parramatta . . . . . SATURDAY
VK2 Divisional Packet Radio Open Forum  . . . .  NEXT SUNDAY
WIA Volunteers Open Forum . . . . . . . . . .  25th November
Divisional Trash and Treasure Sale  . . . . .  29th November
Waverley Amateur Radio Society  . . . . . . .  14th December



                         CLUB NEWS

Considering this is Navy Week, this first Club News item
might be of particular interest:

The New South Wales chapter of the ROYAL NAVAL AMATEUR RADIO
SCOIETY will hold its monthly meeting at the QTH of the
Secretary, Casey VK2CWS, on Monday 16th November, starting
at 10:30am.  All members and interested parties are invited
to attend.  Casey's address is correct in the callbook, or
for more information, ring Casey on (02) 520-4424.

   -- Casey VK2CWS




                  RADIO VETERANS'S MEETING

This Thursday is the regular "Radio Veteran's" meeting at
Parramatta, from 11am to 2pm.   Please note that this is the
last "Radio Vet's" meeting of the year, and will be a
Christmas function, so come along and meet all those old
friends and make some new ones!




The next meeting of the SAINT JOHN AMBULANCE AMATEUR RADIO
CLUB will be held on Thursday, 19th November 1992, in the
club room on the corner of Castlereagh Street and Master's
Place, Penrith.  The meeting starts at 8 o'clock and all are
welcome to attend.

   -- Cec O. Healy VK2COH




The next meeting of the WAVERLEY AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY will
be on Monday December 14th.  The lecturer for that evening
will be the postponed lecture by Nat VK2OP on Packet Radio.
We hope to see many at the lecture and last meeting for the
year.

The Club's Christmas Party will be on Saturday 12th of
December in the form of a Barbecue at Eric and Megan's
Place.  The format will be BYO meat and drinks with a $5 per
person donation to cover the other things like salads,
plates etc.  If you will be coming, would you please let
Eric or Megan know on 337-2909 or you can leave a message to
VK2KUR on either VK2RWI or VK2OP or on his PMS VK2KUR-1 on
144.850.

The next Examinations to be run by the club will be on
Saturday February 13th 1993 with applications closing on
Friday January 29th.

   -- Eric VK2KUR



                      BROADCAST ROSTER

Next Sunday morning:     Richard VK2SKY and Dave VK2KFU
Next Sunday evening:     Pat VK2JPA and Peter VK2EMU



This councillor at Amateur Radio House this Wednesday
evening is Roger VK2ZIG.  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, 15th 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
Newsgroups: aus.radio