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Update 3rd June,
2006 - Interference to our use of the Amateur Bands
This is always a difficult and vexing issue. On this
page under "Intruder Watch" heading we introduce the ACMA / National WIA
Intruder Watch Service. Unfortunately this service seems to apply only to
our HF bands. Information on how to deal with problems on VHF and above,
also on amateur-amateur problems will be presented on this page as the
information is sourced.
Alternate email address - "yourcall@wia.org.au
"
Our web site does not currently have an
email server so we can't help you with
yourcall@arnsw.org.au as an alternate email address. However the WIA
(National) web site does have this facility. We have had a look at a few
alternatives but I don't think we can currently provide a better service
than that which the WIA(National) now provides.
So long as you are a WIA (National) member
you can avail yourself of this service. What ! you don't get AR magazine,
you'll never ever know what you are missing, join up now !
www.wia.org.au for details.
Having an email address which includes your Ham
callsign is a great way to communicate with other Hams and suppliers, they
know straightaway who they are dealing with, instead of
whtsamajig@funnyname.net.wherever which does
not tell them anything.
Even overseas suppliers respond to an email
address showing your callsign and great for QSL's as if you change your ISP
and get a new email address, you simply change your redirection and
yourcall@wia... follows you. In fact I was
chatting to a Ham in the UK just recently and he QSL's via email to his
ozcontact@wia.or.. by default on the off
chance that his contact has the redirection in place and only rarely does it
bounce back to him un-answered.
WIA (National) Email Service
This WIA email service is only
available for WIA (National) members. This service is an email redirection,
where yourcall@wia.org.au is
redirected to your current private email address, which can be updated and
changed on-line at the WIA site, whenever you change ISPs.
So jump to
http://www.wia.org.au/email/index.php and apply for this FREE
! redirection service (to WIA members). Use the same page to change or update your details.
QSL Bureau - NSW
I guess the first
thing to decide is if you are going to actually exchange cards or take care
of the QSL by email or some such. Many Hams and SWLs enjoy receiving and sending
cards, some have huge collections reminding them of enjoyable, difficult or
valued contacts. Lets assume you are going to exchange cards.
For NSW Amateur Radio operators there are a
couple of ways to deal with your QSL cards both incoming and outgoing.
Firstly you could arrange to send or
receive them via surface or airmail (depending on whether in Australia or
overseas) between yourself and the Ham you contacted. A variation on this
theme is to send / receive them from the QSL Bureau in the state or country
of contact. This works OK but is costly and if between individuals, cards
can go astray.
Secondly you can bundle all your cards off
to your local QSL Bureau and likewise get your contacts to send theirs to
you via their own QSL Bureau to your local Bureau. This can often take
longer than personal posting of cards but is usually a much cheaper way of
doing it, especially if you send or receive a fair number of cards. It is
also good in that you can standardize your return path i.e. to your local
QSL Bureau, you only need to keep your local Bureau up to date with your own
address and all the cards will find you, even if you move. Same the other
end if your contact does the same with their Bureau.
Again a variation of this is where a Ham
will designate another Ham or person to be their QSL Manager, with the
message to "send all QSLs to .........", this has the same benefits as using
a QSL Bureau. The
reason sending your cards via a QSL Bureau is slower is that they take
advantage of bulk posting rates. They hold onto your cards for a short while
when sorted into destination district or country and then sending them in
bulk to that district or country. Cards on their way to you from your local
Bureau will arrive in a bundle, again to save postage.
In NSW we have long
had a QSL Bureau, essentially run by members of the Westlakes ARC and funded
by the then WIA(NSW Division). Recently its management and financing were
handed over to the WIA(National) as part of the "Agreement" between them and
what is now the ARNSW, as has happened with the QSL Bureaux in most parts of
Australia..
Currently in NSW this service is FREE to financial members of the
WIA(National). Members of other clubs, organizations and even Westlakes
ARC must join WIA(National) to avail themselves of this service. There are no
arrangements to use the QSL Bureau service by itself, you must join the WIA.
However as part of the 'Agreement" between
WIA(National) and ARNSW our members who were financial at the time of the
signing can access this service for a short period from that time. I
understand this only applies to the NSW QSL Bureau and before sending cards
you should check with the Bureau on the expiry date of this arrangement.
Mailing address is :
VK2 QSL
Bureau, PO Box 3073, Teralba NSW 2284
In the case of
the NSW QSL Bureau, I understand that incoming non member's cards are
usually stored, unsorted, for a period, and if not picked up by the non
members, they are then sent to the WIA(National) office and held for a
period of time. I would expect the same thing happening to cards returned to
the Bureau by the Postal service as "address unknown".
Other States and Territories of Australia
Similar arrangements are usually available to Hams
and SWLs in
other states and territories of Australia in that there are QSL Bureaux
organized by the WIA(National) in that area. Check the WIA web site for
details HERE
Intruder Watch
The WIA Intruder Watch service is an
agreed mechanism between the ACMA and the National WIA to identify and
investigate (compliance) action to remove non-amateur intruders
which are causing substantial interference to Australian
amateurs in amateur HF frequency bands which are designated by
the ACMA for exclusive use by amateurs.
The ACMA interprets substantial interference as
that level of interference which degrades reception by a considerable
degree. Also the ACMA is obliged under the Intruder Watch mechanism to
investigate and a much as practical resolve intrusions into amateur HF
bands in which Australian amateurs have Primary status.
It should be noted that :
- The Intruder Watch resolution mechanism cannot be
applied to localized electrical noise
- The Intruder Watch service is NOT designed to
deal with amateur-amateur issues. This remains a
matter between the amateurs involved
and the ACMA.
This is it in a nutshell,
go to either the ACMA web site (Licencing and Interferance FAQ
page) HERE or to the
WIA (National) Intruder Watch
page HERE for further and more complete
information on the actual procedures. Together they have developed a standard Intruder Watch
reporting form, which is available as an Excel spreadsheet or a Word
document which may be downloaded from the WIA (National) Intruder Watch
page.
If you don't
have access to Excel or Word, please send your reports as a plain text
email, listing the following details:
-
Date
-
Time start (UTC)
-
Duration
-
Frequency
-
Emission
-
Bandwidth (KHz)
-
Signal Strength
-
Estimated Location / Bearing
- Your
Location
-
Comments
Completed Intruder Watch report forms or
reports should be emailed to
intruders@wia.org.au . Any questions on the Intruder Watch service
should also be sent to this address. Alternatively, you could FAX completed
reports to 07 4054 4783.
G.C. Dunstan VK4DU, National Intruder Watch Coordinator
Webmaster -
The information above is a excerpt from the National WIA "Intruder Watch"
page on http://www.wia.org.au with
additional website information.
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