Evening NEWS 29 June 2008 Good evening listeners, thank you for tuning in. For emergencies the phone number here at the Dural transmitting site is 02 9651 1489. Our office number is 02 9651 1490 which goes to message bank. IPS Weekly Solar and Geophysical Report for the 20th to the 26th of June, issued on the 27th of June by the IPS Radio and Space Services. SUMMARY Dates across the columns are 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th of June 10cm flux 65 65 65 65 66 66 65 Fredericksburg Index (Afr) 8 4 2 2 3 10 (12 estimated) Australian Index (Aaus) 7 2 2 2 3 6 (13 estimated) T index 3 -2 0 -1 -3 9 2 Solar flare activity was very low all week. Geomagnetic activity observed for the Australian Region was quiet to unsettled on 20th; quiet 21st to 25th; and mostly quiet to unsettled with an isolated active period on 26th. Southern Australian Ionospheric F2 critical frequencies were near predicted on 20th to 22nd and 24th; near predicted to 20 per cent enhanced on 23rd and 26th; and near predicted to 30 per cent enhanced on 25th. Forecast for 27th June to 3rd July Solar activity should be very low. Geomagnetic activity should see mostly quiet to unsettled conditions on 27th and 28th, with some possibility of isolated active conditions on high and mid-latitudes; and mostly quiet on most locations on other days. Frequencies should be mostly near predicted monthly values throughout this period, with some possibility of minor depressions at times on mid and high latitudes on 27th and 28th. Courtesy of the IPS Radio and Space Services Summary by Pat Leeper VK2JPA VK2 WICEN News, 29th June, 2008 The Nav Shield will be held next weekend. around Nerriga on the South Coast. Volunteers are still welcome, as so far we have the bare minimum. Please contact either Mal Alexander VK2YVA or Julian Dryden VK2TED for further information. The Shahzada 400km Horse Enduro is on again over the week of 25-29th August. Operators for the full week or even just one day are required, with food, fuel, and floor-space being provided, along with long hours, missed meals, and lots of fun. Other events confirmed for this year include the Barrington Tops SAREX (Search and Rescue exercise) over the weekend of 18-19th October (unfortunately the same weekend as JOTA), and the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic over the weekend of 1st-2nd November. You can register your interest in any WICEN event by sending email to "operations@nsw.wicen.org.au", or by calling the Duty Officer on 0408-397-217. Dave Horsfall VK2KFU, Publicity Officer, WICEN (NSW) Inc. New morse transmitter. On Sunday the 23rd of June the 3699 Khz morse transmitter was replaced by a new solid state unit. It operates into the exact half wave dipole with about 35 watts. The new transmitter was designed and constructed by Mark VK2XOF the VK2WI station engineer. Reports are welcomed, send via arnsw@tpg.com.au ARRL DX news for 26th June TUNISIA, 3V. Special event callsign TS1ASC is active until July 22 during the 28th Arab Scout Jamboree and the Cub Scouts Mediterranean Camp. QSL via operators' instructions. UGANDA, 5X. Nick, G3RWF is QRV as 5X1NH from Fort Portal in Western Uganda until August 15. QSL via G3RWF. MALAWI, 7Q. Harry, G0JMU is QRV as 7Q7HB and is here for an indefinite period of time. He is active using mostly RTTY and PSK31. QSL direct via G0IAS. ALGERIA, 7X. Members of the radio club in Djelfa will be QRV as 7Y46ND during the month of July in commemoration of 46 years of independence. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters. QSL via 7X2DD. BARBADOS, 8P. Andrew, G7COD is QRV as 8P9KA from Harts Gap until July 4. Activity is on 40, 30, 20, 17 and 15 meters, using mostly SSB with some CW, around 2100 to 2300z each day. QSL to home call. CROATIA, 9A. Bill, ON5JE is QRV as 9A/ON5JE from Pag Island, IOTA EU-170, until July 5. Activity is on the HF bands, on or near the usual IOTA frequencies. QSL to home call. SABLE ISLAND, CY0. VE3IKV, K5AND, W3CMP and W4TAA are QRV as CY0X and CY0RA until July 7. They are concentrating their activity on 6 meters, but are also QRV on 40 and 20 meters using CW and SSB. QSL direct via VE3IKV. ST. BARTHELEMY, FJ. Arliss, W7XU, Holly, N0QJM and Ed, W0SD are QRV as TO5E until July 6. They are QRV mainly on 6 meters, with some activity on 30 and 20 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY. QSL via W7XU. LIECHTENSTEIN, HB0. A group of operators are QRV as HB0/ON4IPA until July 5. Activity is on 160 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL via ON6ZV. In addition, Fred, DL5YM and Tina, DL5YL are QRV as HB0/homecalls until July 11 while hiking. Activity is holiday-style on 80 to 10 meters using mostly CW. QSL to home calls. JAN MAYEN, JX. Michael, G7VJR and Wojtek, SQ4MP are QRV as JX/homecall until July 4. Activity is on 40 to 10 meters using CW, SSB and some RTTY. They are also active using CW on 6 meters. QSL both calls via G7VJR. NORWAY, LA. Trond, LA9VDA is QRV from Vagsoy Island, IOTA EU-055, until July 4. This includes activity from Lighthouses ARLHS NOR-116, ARLHS NOR-141, ARLHS-209 and WLOTA LA-2181. QSL to home call. FAROE ISLANDS, OY. Operators LA6FJA and LA7WCA are QRV as OY/homecalls from Streymoy Island, IOTA EU-018, until June 30. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters using CW, SSB, RTTY and PSK31. QSL to home calls. ST. MAARTEN, SABA, ST. EUSTATIUS, PJ5. Kenny, K2KW and Stephanie, KD8GKM will be QRV as PJ6/K2KW from Saba, IOTA NA-145, from July 1 to 7. They will be active on 40 to 17 meters. QSL via WA4WTG. BRAZIL, PY. Special event station ZW50I is QRV until July 21 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the city of Imbituba. Activity is on all HF bands, including 2 meters, using CW, SSB and FM. QSL via PP5BZ. SWEDEN, SM. Operators SM5EFX, SM5XZB and SM5XZC will be QRV as SM5EFX/2 from Ledskar Island, IOTA EU-135, from July 1 to 31. This includes an entry in the upcoming RSGB IOTA Contest. QSL via SM5EFX. GREECE, SV. Members of the White Tower DX Team will be QRV as SY75NE from June 29 to July 6 in celebration of 75 years of the Hellenic Naval Week. Activity will be on all HF bands, including 6 meters, and possibly from Lighthouse ARLHS GRE-096. QSL via SV2HPP. CANADA, VE. Special event station VE2008VQ is active until July 27 in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the foundation of Quebec City. Activity is on 80 to 6 meters. QSL via VE2AWR. THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO. ARRL Field Day, NCCC Sprint, Digital Pentathlon, Ukrainian DX DIGI Contest, His Majesty King of Spain SSB Contest, Marconi Memorial HF CW Contest and the ARCI Milliwatt Field Day will certainly keep contesters busy this weekend. The RAC Canada Day Contest is scheduled for July 1. Now for Club news. Mid North Coast Amateur Radio Group. Attention all radio groups and clubs. PLAN AHEAD. The Mid North Coast Amateur Radio Group will be running the Radio Expo in Coffs Harbour NSW on Sunday 18th January 2009. The group invites all interested groups and clubs to come to the Expo and mount a display. This is the ideal venue to showcase your groups activity and get to meet hundreds of amateurs from the Mid North Coast region of NSW under one roof. Why not use this Expo to display your group or clubs home brew skills, latest projects or perhaps inform all amateurs of the services your group or club have to offer. You are also welcome to sell kits as a fund raiser or to invite amateurs to join your group or club on the day. The Mid North Coast Amateur Radio Group offer under cover display areas, full canteen facilities, clean amenities, disable access and loads of free parking. Also on offer and encouraged is the large outdoor display area next to the venue to display large antennas, satellite dishes, microwave antennas, towers or to set up a tent for your display. All this is free, that's right FREE, free display space, power, advertising via various media outlets, inclusion on our groups web site of your attendance and more.... Interested? Call Gary Ryan on 02 66552990 to book your space for this premier event on the Mid North Cost of NSW in Coffs Harbour. More information is available on the groups comprehensive web site at www.mncarg.org The date to mark in your calendar is:- Sunday the 18th of January 2009. General admission to the show will be $5.00 per person. This includes free tea, coffee, and yummy bickies as well as entry in the 6 lucky door prizes drawn every hour from 9.30 onwards! All proceeds go directly to providing effective repeater systems for the Mid North Coast Region for the use of ALL amateurs. Submitted by Gary Ryan VK2ZKT, Radio Expo Organiser.” The BLUE MOUNTAINS Amateur Radio Club The next meeting of the BLUE MOUNTAINS Amateur Radio Club is on Friday the 4th of July at 8 PM. The guest speaker will be Tim Tuck - VK2XTT The talk he will be giving is entitled "Amateur Satellites 101" and is an introduction into the world of Amateur Satellites. He will also be bringing 2 scale models of recently launched satellites for you to look at. If there is enough interest in this topic he will do additional talks that will show you how to construct a simple ground station for the reception and operation of low earth orbit satellites. See you there! 73 from Erik Houseman - Publicity Officer of BMARC WAVERLEY AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY Waverley's annual auction will take place on Saturday, July 12th. All are welcome to buy or sell with full details, including some of the items to be offered, on the club's website. The club's next evening meeting will be on Wednesday, July 16th at 7:30pm. Project days occur on the first Saturday of each month with the next on July 5th. These are informal gatherings where members and visitors can operate the club station, work on radio projects, help with clubhouse improvements or just have a ragchew. Many improvements have been made to the rooms by both by members and the site manager over the past few weeks so drop in and see what has been done. The club holds Amateur Assessments & Foundation Licence courses regularly at weekends with the next planned for early August. Anyone interested, whether a club member or not, should email the club at exams@vk2bv.org. The club is planning ways to celebrate its 90th anniversary next year with some of the proposals already on its website. Waverley's clubhouse is located in the Scout Hall at Vickery Avenue, Rose Bay, behind the RSL Club on New South Head Road. It is easy to find and there is parking in the grounds. Visitors are welcome at all club functions and more information, including details of the club's location and calendar of events, can be found on its regularly updated website at vk2bv.org or call Simon, VK2UA, on 02 9328 7141. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Simon Buxton, VK2UA Publicity Officer Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club. The next meeting of the Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club Inc. will be the July monthly general meeting at 2pm on Saturday the 5th of July 2008 in the Port City Bowling Club, Owen Street, Port Macquarie. This is the bowling club in East Port Macquarie, near the beaches. Members are reminded that membership renewals for the 2008/2009 year fall due on the first of July 2008. Renewals will be gratefully received at the July monthly general meeting. The July issue of Oxtales will be distributed at the meeting. There will be tea, coffee and biscuits after the meeting at a small charge. Visitors are always made very welcome at the club’s monthly general meetings at 2pm on the first Saturday of each month, and at the Friday night gatherings at 7pm on the evenings of the second and fourth Fridays of each month. The venue for all these meetings is the Port City Bowling Club which is located in Owen Street, Port Macquarie. There is a lift in the building so there are no access problems for those who may find stairs difficult. Please contact the club via PO Box 712 Port Macquarie NSW 2444 if you are interested in attending Foundation Licence or Standard Licence training courses in Port Macquarie and Wauchope. New courses will commence as soon as sufficient candidates register their interest For more information about the Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club Inc, please visit the club’s website at www.orarc.org The website contains the club information and a photo gallery. The web edition of July 2008 Oxtales will be posted to the website after the July monthly general meeting. Submitted by Henry Lundell, VK2ZHE on behalf of the Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club Inc. Central Coast Amateur Radio Club. Good day to all Amateur Radio members in NSW. The Central Coast club had a big "working bee" on Saturday the 21st of June, the work was mostly on the Somersby tower, however other jobs were also finished.  Bill B.B.Q.was in attendence also. The Club held their 2008 A.G.M on the evening of Friday the 20th. The following office bearers were elected. President, Col Hodgson VK2ZCO. Vice President, Bob Ridgley VK2ZAR. Secretary Greg James VK2GRJ. Treasurer, Ray Tooby VK2HAY. The club now looks forward to a new 12 months of progress. Advised by Ray VK2HAY and Greg VK2GRJ for the Central Coast Amateur Radio Club. Illawarra Amateur Radio Society Evening Edition The Birthday celebrations at the Illawarra amateur Radio Society are all but over, and what a great month it’s been for the club. Sixty years ago on the 10th June 1948 The Wollongong Amateur Radio Society was issued experimenters licence VK2AMW. We’ve had the special event station VI2AMW60 active all month. Now is you last chance to obtain the never to be repeated special event QSL card. Club members will be manning all bands from 160 metres through to 10 Metres Until midnight tomorrow evening. Why not tune around 7.095 MHz for your last chance to celebrate this special milestone. QSL contacts so far have past the 1000 mark. Catch up with one of the operators and score yourself the much sort after, QSL card. Last night the clubs special anniversary dinner was held at the Wollongong Master Builders club a good time was had by all. We thank the many interstate and intra state visitors to the gathering as well as all the attending club members. Many a radio related tale was told, and a few sore heads to boot. The Illawarra amateur Radio Society’s fox hunt and BBQ day was also held today. A lot of great prizes were won during the many events held, including a few booby prizes for the biggest cheats. The rumours will soon get around as to who they were. Thanks to all who supported the mini auction today as well. The funds raised will help the club provide the many services we offer our club members. On this note, club members please be advised that club membership fees are due from the 1st July. Stay financial and support your club. Not a member ?, why not consider joining. Membership has many advantages, including access to the clubs fee technical book and video library, which now totals over a hundred publications. Support for twelve amateur repeaters, 3 digipeaters, and several packet gateways. Access to our ongoing technical workshop program, interesting informative club meetings, Contest, DX and foxhunting outings, the list goes on and on. For information on all these items, log onto www.iars.org.au. The Illawarra Amateur Radio Society, the Progressive Amateur Radio Club. Summerland Amateur Radio Club. Last week club president Ross VK2FNVR chaired the committee meting of the Summerland Amateur radio club. At the meeting John Toland VK2XKX accepted the position of treasurer following the resignation of Tracy VK2FTLD due to her moving to near Grafton. John VK2XKX also accepted the temporary position of secretary pending the finding of a permanent volunteer. Previous secretary Darren VK2AUX resigned due to business and distance problems. The HF beam recently erected at the club has been tested and works fine. Contacts with VK6 and 7, Canada and USA were made on 40m during tests. Last weekend 3 candidates successfully passed their Foundation exams. Congratulations and we look forward to hearing you all on air soon. Preparations have commenced for the Lighthouse Weekend. The club intends running lights at Byron, Ballina, Evans Hds and Yamba again. If operators can be found Point Danger and possibly Fingal Hd as well. The club’s F-Troop net is running well but more F Calls are encouraged to join in. Preparations are being made for the SARCFEST in August, volunteers are being sought for various jobs. The next committee meeting is to be held on Tuesday the 29th of July. Advised By John Alcorn VK2JWA St. George Amateur Radio Society The next meeting of the St. George Amateur Radio Society will be held next Wednesday 2nd July. As well as all the usual friendly chat that goes on at these meeting there will be a special talk by Dave Nelson VK2TDN. Dave's talk is entitled "Microwaves 101". This will be an introduction into voice and ATV modes in the microwave bands from 1GHz to 24GHz. During this presentation Dave will look at ways of generating microwave signals, measuring frequency and determining power levels. He will also present notes on path loss calculations and how signal bandwidth affects received signal strengths. For those who went to the Central Coast Field Day at Wyong this year, Dave was one was the group of amateurs who had a range of microwave equipment on display. Also, the club has obtained a number of brand new commercial ground independent 70cm mobile antennas. These will be available at a "friend of the family" price and the profits will go towards the Mt. Bindo Repeater Fund. Those members who have put in an order for the pie drive, remember to come also and pick up your pies - or they will be eaten by the rest of the members! The meeting is held at the normal location - 1st Kyle Bay Scout Hall, in Donnelly Park, Kyle Parade Connells Point, starting at 7:30pm. Come along all are welcome. Peter O'Connell VK2EMU Publicity Officer St. George Amateur Radio Society Some regular activities Gladesville Television Broadcast Sunday 7 PM and Wednesday 7.30 PM VK2BWI live operator Morse Practice Broadcasts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Alan VK2ADB and Ross VK2ER, at 8PM local time, on 3550 kHz.. Hornsby and Districts Amateur Radio club has nets on Mondays at 8pm on the clubs linked repeaters. Wednesdays at 8 pm on 3608.5 kHz 80m LSB. Beginners CW net on Thursdays at 8 PM around 3525 kHz. And Fridays at 9am on 7104 Khz 40m LSB Westlakes RTTY/ SSTV net on Thursday nights at 7:30 PM on the Clubs local repeater (146.775). Blue Mountains 6m/VHF net on 50.200 usb & 144.200 usb 8:30 Pm on Mondays. Illawarra Amateur Radio Society weekly news bulletin on the coast link 2m repeaters and the Maddens Plains 6m and 70cm repeaters. 7:30 pm each Tuesday except for club meeting nights. Illawarra F-call net on Friday’s at 8:00pm Mid South Coast Lyrebird net Wednesday’s at 8:30pm. Taree & District club net Mondays at 7:30 pm on their linked 2m Repeaters. Manly-Warringah Radio Society meeting each Wednesday, doors open 7:30 Pm. Snowy Mountains Amateur Club weekly net on Saturdays at 8:30 Pm on 3695 kHz. Summary of Coming Events June HADARC Foundation course at Baulkham Hills this weekend. Illawarra BBQ and fox hunt day today the 29th. July Taree and District Meeting on the 1st. St George meeting on the 2nd. Blue Mountains meting on the 4th. Waverley project day on the 5th. Oxley region meeting on the 5th. Gippstech in eastern Victoria on the 5th & 6th Nav Shield exercise also on the 5th & 6th. Manly Warringah AGM on the 9th. Oxley region meeting on the 11th. Waverly annual auction on the 12th. Waverley meeting on the 16th. Manly-Warringah Radio Society visit to Macquarie Uni Observatory on the18th. Q60 Enduro on the 19th & 20th. Oxley region meeting on the 25th. Summerland HF antenna day on the 27th. Sumerland committee meeting on the 29th. August Oxley region meeting on the 2nd. Oxley region meeting on the 8th. SARCFEST, at Richmond Hill on the 10th. International Lighthouse / Lightship Weekend and the VK Remembrance Day Contest on the 16th & 17th. Oxley region meeting on the 22nd. Blue Mountains winterfest on the 24th . Shahzada Horse Enduro from the 25th to 29th. ALARA contest on the 30th and 31st. Twin Cities field day at Albury on the 31st. Submitting News items Please get your news submissions in by the Friday night before the broadcast. Preferably no more than one page in the Arial size 14 font. Please specify if you want the item to run for more than one week. It may not be necessary for items to run continuously as all events will be included in the summary of upcoming events. Submission of news items should be sent to arnews@tpg.com.au. Broadcast Roster Next week the announcer in the morning will be Eric VK2VE with Peter VK2HC as engineer. For the evening broadcast we have Peter VK2EMU as announcer with Andrew VK2XAG as engineering support. That concludes our evening news. All the best from the broadcast team at VK2WI. Have a great week. Thank you for listening. ?? ?? ?? ?? 14