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VK7AX > BCAST 27.04.24 03:14z 514 Lines 26054 Bytes #10 (0) @ WW
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VK7 Amateur Radio News 28Apr24
Text edition:
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VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 28th April 2024
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Welcome to the VK7 Amateur Radio News and this was first broadcast on Sunday the 28th April 2024. At the mike of VK7WI this week is Justin, VK7TW.
On Sunday this broadcast goes out on repeaters all over VK7 and on digital radio - DMR Talk Group 5 and D-Star Reflector 91C by Clayton, VK7ZCR.
We go out on medium and high frequency courtesy of the following rebroadcast stations:
On 1.862 MHz by Graham, VK7GS,
On 3.670 MHz by Peter, VK7ALH,
On 7.140 MHz by Ross, VK7JGD,
On 14.130 MHz by Garry, VK7DG,
On 28.525 MHz by Dale, VK7VKT,
UHF CB Channel 24 in the Hobart area - Mark VK7FMAC.
You can hear this broadcast again on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT and UHFCB24 in Southern VK7.
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TassieHamECon
Innovation in Amateur Radio
The Tassie Ham Conference is scheduled for the 1-3 November 2024 and is being held at the Sandy Bay Campus of UTAS.
The Friday night is a social BBQ held at the REAST Clubrooms and then Saturday and the first half of Sunday is a fun-filled conference of presentations and activities centred around “Innovation in Amateur Radio”.
We are currently locking in presenters from around the world and bookings will be open very soon.
Watch the Tassie HamECon web pages for more details.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/tassie-ham-radio-conference/
73, TassieHamECon Organising Committee
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Lost friend.
This e-mail request came through the NTARC web site contact facility this week.
Message: “Hello my name is Jose Babin. I used to run the Moutain View Country Inn in Deloraine. I am trying to get in contact with a friend I met 24 years ago in Tasmania. He is a
French radio amateur. I only know his first name Patrick and his wifes name Christianne.
Patrick and Christiane were living in Tasmania and he was a Baker. When we left Tasmania in 2002 they were living around Liffey falls.
If you know him could you please ask him to call me on 0409622630”
I have replied to Jose and told him I will ask around, what better method than the weekly broadcast, well it is worth a try. I am assuming Jose isnt an amateur.
If anyone remembers or knows of a French amateur named Patrick give Jose a call or send me an e-mail and I will pass the information on.
secretary(at)ntarc.net
Fingers crossed, 73 Stefan NTARC
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Statewide News
QSL Update
Report - from Herman VK7HW Manager of the WIA VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
If you live near another Amateur and can collect and deliver their cards to their QTH that would be a big help. Let Herman know if you can help.
The updated list of QSL cards held as at 26 April 2024 is in the email version of the broadcast.
Thank you to those who have been in touch about leaving cards at REAST Club rooms and sending stamps for direct mailouts.
If you have any questions re QSL cards, please contact Herman by email. herman(at)ozemail.com.au
73, Herman, VK7HW, WIA Manager VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
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Cards held at 26 April 2024 ( Any errors in the listing are mine, I sometimes miss culling a call sign)
A, AAA, AAC, AAD, AAH, AAP, AAR, AB, AC, ACE, ACG, ACN, AD, ADE, AED, AG(2014), AGC, AHT, AIR, AJC, AKK, ALZ, AM, ANC, AO, APZ, AS, ATH, AXZ, AY
BA, BB, BBW, BD, BPV, BT, BU, BYE
CA, CBK, CBR, CH/T, CJ, CMV, CV, CX
DD, DG, DIK, DN, DO, DP, DQ, DY, DZ
EA, EG, EI, EK, ER
FADZ, FALX (alx), FAZZ, FCIA, FF, FG, FGGT, FLAR, FPRN, FRJG(RG), FTAS
GA, GEL, GGZ, GM, GOP, GR, GS, GU
HCH, HDM, HDX, HH, HL, HOB, HRS, HSA, HSD, HSJ, HVK, HZ
IAN, ID, IK, IR, IS
JA, JAB, JAZ, JB, JCR, JOK, JP, JS, JW, JX
KAC, KBA, KD, KDO, KI, KJ, KKR, KL, KO, KQ, KRJ
LCW, LDH, LJ, LL, LLL, LM, LT, LVH
MA, MAG, MAT, MBD, MBP, MD, MEL, MET, MJ, MRS, MS
NA, NC, ND, NEC, NET, NFI, NIK, NRF, NRT, NSE, NSS, NTE, NVH, NWT, NX
OB, OT
PAF, PBD, PM, PRN, PSH, PSJ, PSZ, PW
QK
RG/FRJG, RJ, RN, ROY,
SN, STO, SV, SZ
TCE, TED, TK, TL, TO, TR, TS, TUX, TX, TZ
UT
VA, VAC, VAO, VAZ, VDC, VEK, VH, VI75G, VK7/AG9A9Mark), VR, VTM, VZ
WA, WC, WIA, WL, WO, WT, WUU
XV, XX
Y, YN
ZE, ZJJ, ZK, ZM, ZPE, ZR, ZT, ZTA, ZX
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VI7ALARA Cards for QSO's with VK7's
Note * - There are a few OSL cards amongst the ALARA cards for VK7's.
AAE, ALB
CMV
DG*, DHT, DI, DT
EK, EV
FKLW, FMI
IAN, ID
KAM, KT, KW
LA
NB, NET*
OT
PSJ
RG*
STO
TPE
VKT
WN, WUU
ZPE
Cards in QSL Card Box at REAST WAGS @ 10 April - AZ, DC, EA, HSD, HVK, JGD, SD, STO, WN, ZBX
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Statewide News
Thursday Night SSTV Nets
There was no net on ANZAC day.
But remember Ken VK7KRJs and Steve VK7OOs fully automatic 24/7 monitoring sites that allow anyone who has sent an SSTV picture the ability to check them on their pages almost immediately, any time, both South and North Tasmania.
If you missed any nets then there are archives of all SSTV nights. These photos can be seen on Kens and Steves SSTV websites or on NTARCs website under blogs and arranged as weekly nets.
There is no suggested theme for next weeks net.
https://vk7oo.tasme.com/vhfsstv
https://sstv.vk7krj.com/scrolling%20web%20gallery.html
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
73 from Andre VK7ZAB
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NEWS FROM THE NORTH WEST
North West Tasmania Amateur Radio Club
Car Boot / Table Sale
The Club will be holding a car boot sale on Sunday the 19th May 9am to 4pm, at the Leven Districts Scout Headquarters, 73 Alexandra Road Ulverstone,. with Sunday 26th May as a standby date, if the weather is atrocious on the 19th May.
The Club has items from two deceased estates, and a now not active amateur to dispose of.
So we are offering other amateurs state-wide , the opportunity to bring along their unwanted equipment to sell.
You can bring items to sell, supply your own table, or sell out of your boot etc.
We are hoping to obtain tables for people to book for use, this will be updated once known..
It will cost $10 to sell on the day, with the funds going directly to the local Scouts.
Please note due to plumbing issues, the Hall toilets not available, but toilets 5 minutes away on Beach Road, Or the Hive museum
73, Eric, VK7EV,
NWTARC News Officer
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NEWS FROM THE NORTH
SOTA/WWFF PARKS GROUP
The Summits On The Air/World Wide Flora and Fauna parks group meets 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
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Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club Incorporated
www.ntarc.net
Last broadcast I reported that, “This certainly has been a very quiet week as far as anything of a newsworthy nature goes”. It turns out that I probably shouldnt have said that! Before the broadcast went to air our club rooms suffer a break-in.
Early in the morning when Ros arrived and entered by the main door she was greeted by a sea of white powder, covering everything, with sunlight streaming in through where the window once resided. The window was no more, not just a broken pane of glass but a completely destroyed and removed window frame as well. Externally the window security screen was bent out of the way and a large number of bricks had parted company with the wall under both the rear windows. After the police visit and the ascertaining of the damage the priority was to secure the rather substantial hole in the wall. A quick visit to a local hardware supplier, a few hours of enthusiastic carpentry and the window opening was framed with 4 by 2 inch timbers and double lined with a couple of 8 by 4 feet sheets of plywood. Stuart VK7FEAT, Ian VK7IH, and Jacob, a helpful Rover Scout, showcased impressive woodworking skills, and our club room was once again secure - thanks, fellows!
Now, lets discuss how we fared during the break-in. Fortunately, the contents of the radio room remained untouched - the door and lock withstood the force of an axe until the intruders gave up or lost interest. None of our radios or radio equipment were damaged or stolen, including our collection of vintage radios.
However, we did suffer losses elsewhere. One laptop display, a couple of monitors, a large TV used by the Scouts for Zoom meetings, and a sizable projection screen are no longer usable or salvageable.
Cleaning up proved to be quite a task. It took several days of solid work to sweep, vacuum, and swab up the residue from half a dozen discharged dry powder fire extinguishers. That powder seems to infiltrate every nook and cranny.
At least the main club room was once again usable for our Tech Night session on Wednesday. Well continue with the rest of our activities as planned.
Speaking of the Club Technical night Ross VK7ALH brought in an original Yaesu FT-ONE that he has been working on. This model first appeared in 1981 and this one is still in excellent condition. There are signs of it having undergone a few mods over the years, with the most obvious being the conversion to DC operation only. The manufactured weight came in at 17 Kg, even though there is no longer a mains transformer it still remains a substantial unit.
There is extensive use of large chassis mounted edge connectors throughout, this allows all printed circuit boards to be removed easily and re-inserted again using the guides and push seated into the edge connectors. The Random Access Memory requires backup or a holding voltage to maintain its programmed content, this is accomplished by three “AA” cells in a holder. Luckily Ross also had circuit diagrams and took us through his reasoning and testing to isolate the fault to the Automatic Level Control (ALC) section and most likely down to one particular device. We await the results after the new FET arrives, thanks Ross.
Lionel VK7ZLB brought in a battery compartment from a circa 1970 Amalgamated Wireless Australia or AWA for short, F240 manual Distortion and Noise measurement set. The item being a battery compartment might give you some hint as to what follows…. Yes it still did contain six “C” cells and yes they probably had been in situ since last century. I will call them Duracell Alkaline lookalikes to avoid any trouble, but need I say any more? Lionel is in for a long stint of corrosion removal and restoration. Luckily the battery enclosure is made from very sturdy plastic and the enclosure terminals appear to be in surprisingly good condition, obviously AWA used some decent quality materials, way back when Australia manufactured equipment!
As always, pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast.
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
UPCOMING EVENTS
TestNet and TechNet session - Every Wednesday, TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7 pm till 7.30 pm, then a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30 pm till about 8.30 pm. Your host for the evening will be Nic VK7WW.
Coffee Morning - held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10 am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there. So why not pop in and join us for a cuppa, there is endless tea and coffee along with biscuits available for a donation.
Club Room Technical night session - The next session will be on Wednesday the 8th May and will commence at the usual time of 6.30 pm, running through to about 9 pm, at the Club Room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
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 them to the Secretary at the following address news(at)ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5 pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
Thats all folks,
73 from Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC Inc.
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NEWS FROM THE SOUTH
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
https://www.reast.asn.au/
https://www.facebook.com/reasttas/
https://www.youtube.com/reasthobart/
May Presentation - Save the Date
“Pop” Medhurst XFM - Tasmanian Wireless Pioneer
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/?event_id1=2149
This Wednesday night is REASTs May presentation night and should be a fascinating night of finding out about a true Tasmanian telegraphy, telephony and amateur wireless pioneer - F.W. “Pop” Medhurst who started his wireless experimentation with callsign XFM then A7AH then VK7AH.
Did you realise that Pop actually got his callsign XFM in the very year Marconi demonstrated wireless?
Do you know that Pop invented and patented the equivalent of the iPhone today and sold it across the world at the turn of the 20th Century?
Are you maybe interested in what Hobart looked like in the 1920s, 30s and 50s and what Amateur Radio Field Days looked like back in the 1930s?
If so, have we got a deal for you this Wednesday night the 1st May 2024 from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and it will also go out on DVB/T RF and via the REAST YouTube Channel streaming service.
This should be a great night, see you there.
73, REAST Committee
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May Special Forum
Field Day Operation
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/?event_id1=2160
You may have seen those operators out in the bush or on top of a mountain with their antennas, batteries and rigs making contacts around the world and thought, I really wish I could do that!
The format will be a forum getting everyone together to share their experience, tricks of the trade, epic or not so epic fails and hints and tips of operating portable and mobile.
If you have any experience operating outside your shack be it through a contest, SOTA, POTA, WWFF, VKFF or Silos or some other “OTA” then please come along and share your experience with the group.
Bring along your “tricks of the trade” and show them off.
It will happen on Wednesday 8th May from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms.
The event will be streamed with an open chat channel where we will take questions and go out on DVB-T RF.
See you there.
73, REAST Committee
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June Presentation
Glitching Pulsars - the sequel we have all been waiting for!
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/?event_id1=2163
Just after the discovery of pulsars by Jocelyn Bell in the late 60s, we have known about pulsars glitching. For 50 years astronomers have been trying to catch a glitch live with a large radio telescope. All failed.
Until in 2018 an unknown Tasmanian did what no one else in the world had. And it got him published in the worlds most prestigious journal.
What is a glitch? What is a pulsar? And what happened that made Nature publish his paper?
Dr Jim Palfreyman will present the sequel to his 2012 REAST talk. And like Godfather 2 and The Empire Strikes Back, it will be better than the original.
See you at the Queen's Domain Clubrooms on 5 June 2024 from 7:30pm. Presentation will be live and streamed via the REAST YouTube Channel.
73, REAST Committee
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Wednesday Experimenter's Group
https://www.youtube.com/live/NzMjN1eNDuE?si=-xindYFoEVZl-1vj
The Wednesday Experimenters Group last Wednesday night was a retrospective of the Equine Endurance Event Experience or what we in the trade call the QuadE.
We got some Equine Endurance first timers into the studio to talk about their experience operating radios at checkpoints and on base. We started with Jim VK7JDZ who came up with Brian VK7BW for the two day event and camped overnight at the checkpoint. Jim related his learning that included not take quite so much next time and the great camping and friendship over the weekend.
Justin VK7TW related getting up at 5am and waking to an Aurora Australis and some pictures were shown. Harry VK7HXT and Xavier VK7XHJ then came into the studio and talked about their experience and highlights, Harry was on a checkpoint and Xavier was on Base with Justin.
We are all looking forward to the Tom Quilty trial event at Sassafras in mid-May.
We then moved to an update on the status of Voyager 1 that is back online billions of kilometers away!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-24/voyager-1/103761504
https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/
Justin then related about the many NBN Cable labels that are currently falling off and reusing for amateur radio shack cable labeling. We then took a look at the Arduino DUE and finished the night with a Space Weather report and Future Presentations.
We get back underway with our WEGs group in three weeks time.
See you there or on the stream.
73, Justin, VK7TW
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Training and Assessments
Our next REAST training and assessment day is Saturday 29th June 2024 then please let Reg Emmett VK7KK REAST Learning Organiser know by phoning 0417 391 607 or via the REAST Website Contact Form.
https://www.reast.asn.au/contact/online-contact-form/
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
73, Reg, VK7KK
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Technology News
'Curving' light beams could enable terahertz comms
Scientists know that in the near future theyll need to transition to much higher communication frequencies than what current systems rely on, but before that can happen there are a number of quite literal obstacles standing in the way. Now, researchers from Brown University and Rice University say theyve come one step closer to getting around these solid obstacles, including walls, furniture and even people.
Current systems rely on microwave radiation to carry data, but its become clear that the future standard for transmitting data will make use of terahertz waves, which have as much as 100 times the data-carrying capacity of microwaves. One longstanding issue has been that, unlike microwaves, terahertz signals can be blocked by most solid objects, making a direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver a logistical requirement.
“Most people probably use a Wi-Fi base station that fills the room with wireless signals,” said Daniel Mittleman, a professor in Browns School of Engineering. “No matter where they move, they maintain the link.
“At the higher frequencies that were talking about here, you wont be able to do that anymore. Instead, its going to be a directional beam. If you move around, that beam is going to have to follow you in order to maintain the link, and if you move outside of the beam or something blocks that link, then youre not getting any signal.”
In the new study, Mittleman and his colleagues introduced the concept of self-accelerating beams. These are special configurations of electromagnetic waves that naturally bend or curve to one side as they move through space. The beams have previously been studied at optical frequencies but are now being explored for terahertz communication.
Using this idea as a jumping off point, the researchers engineered transmitters with carefully designed patterns so that the system can manipulate the strength, intensity and timing of the electromagnetic waves that are produced. With this ability to manipulate the light, the researchers make the waves work together more effectively to maintain the signal when a solid object blocks a portion of the beam.
Essentially, the light beam adjusts to the blockage by shuffling data along the patterns the researchers engineered into the transmitter. When one pattern is blocked, the data transfers to the next one, and then the next one if that is blocked. This keeps the signal link fully intact. Without this level of control, when the beam is blocked, the system cant make any adjustments, so no signal gets through.
This effectively makes the signal bend around objects as long as the transmitter is not completely blocked. If it is completely blocked, another way of getting the data to the receiver will be needed.
“Curving a beam doesnt solve all possible blockage problems, but what it does is solve some of them and it solves them in a way thats better than what others have tried,” said Hichem Guerboukha, who led the study as a postdoctoral researcher at Brown and is now an assistant professor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.
The researchers validated their findings through extensive simulations and experiments navigating around obstacles to maintain communication links with high reliability and integrity, with their results published in the journal Communications Engineering. The work builds on a previous study from the team that showed terahertz data links can be bounced off walls in a room without dropping too much data.
“This is the worlds first curved data link; a critical milestone in realising the 6G vision of high data rate and high reliability,” said Edward Knightly, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University.
By using these curved beams, the researchers hope to one day make wireless networks more reliable, even in crowded or obstructed environments. This could lead to faster and more stable internet connections in places like offices or cities where obstacles are common. Before getting to that point, however, theres much more basic research to be done and plenty of challenges to overcome as terahertz communication technology is still in its infancy.
“One of the key questions that everybody asks us is how much can you curve and how far away,” Mittleman said. “Weve done rough estimations of these things, but we havent really quantified it yet, so we hope to map it out.”
https://www.criticalcomms.com.au/content/radio-systems/article/-curving-light-beams-could-enable-terahertz-comms-587363986
Sourced from the Critical Comms Web E-zine
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Regular VK7 gatherings and events over the coming months:
Regular gatherings:
Sewing Circle Net – Daily on 3.640MHz commences at 6:30pm ADST.
Statewide SSTV Net - held every Thursday night via the North/South Link on VK7RAF/VK7RJG from 7:30pm. In the North and North West - VK7RJG on 438.55 -7MHz and in the South - VK7RAF (146.650 -600kHz) CTCSS tone 141.3Hz to link RAF North-South.
State-wide – MICROWAVE QSO Party – following the Sunday broadcast call-back on 1296.15 MHz FM. One group in the greater Hobart area and another in the greater Launceston area.
Then North-south digital contacts on 1296.2MHz using Q65-60B.
Stations in the Launceston area transmitting on the odd minute. Southern stations on the even minute.
REAST - WAGs - Wednesday Afternoon Group from 12 noon in the REAST Clubrooms Queens Domain.
REAST - WEGs - Wednesday Experimenters Group from around 6pm with DATV show starting at 7:30pm in the REAST Clubrooms Queens Domain.
SOTA/WWFF Group – Meeting Mondays and Fridays 10.30-12.00 midday at Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry St, Launceston.
NTARC - TestNet and TechNet sessions every Wednesday night. TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7pm till 7.30pm…. and a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30pm till about 8.30pm
NTARC Coffee Mornings held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10am to noon in the Rocherlea Clubrooms.
NTARC - Club Room Technical night session - Wednesday the 8th May from 6.30 pm Clubrooms, Archer Street, Rocherlea.
NW VK7 – Wednesday from 8:00pm local – NW Tassie Amateur Repeater Group Net on 2m VK7RMD - Input 146.025 output 146.625 tone 141.3
NW VK7 - Thursday commencing at 8:30pm local - N.W. Tassie 2m DX Net 144.190 USB
Events:
REAST - May 1 - Pop Medhurst - Tasmanian Wireless Pioneer with VK7TW - from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain and streamed.
REAST - May 8 - Field Day Forum - Wednesday 8th May from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and streamed.
REAST - June 5 - Glitching Pulsars - the sequel we have all been waiting for with Dr Jim Palfreyman from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and streamed.
NWTARC - June 15 - Club meeting - Scout Hall, Alexandra Rd, Ulverstone.
VK - November 2-3 - Tassie Ham Conference - Innovation in Amateur Radio - Sandy Bay Campus UTAS
--------------------------------
A reminder to those people rostered for next weeks broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7ZIR
Repeaters: REAST, NTARC and in the NW thanks to N W T A R C, West Coast Radio Group, Cradle Coast Radio Amateur Radio Club, VK7AX, VK7JH and VK7DC
160m: VK7GS
80m: VK7JGD
40m: VK7DG
20m: VK7TPE
10m: VK7VKT
UHFCB24: VK7FMAC
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 VK7RHT and UHFCB24 in the South.
A huge thank you to all people and organisations that assisted with this broadcast.
--------------------------------
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.
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, 73 and stay safe from Justin, VK7TW.
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(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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