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Ross owner and gentleman from Strictly Ham is retiring... Well done Ross and we all thank you!

SPARC-Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Club Tuesday evening 80M Net is on 3.640 All amateurs are welcome to join in. The more the merrier! TUESDAY NIGHT 80 METRE NET 8:00 pm on 3.640 MHz plus or minus QRM. (Note : this is the same time Famparc has our NET.. Join us too !) Click HERE Net control will call for check ins, have 2 rounds and call for anyone wishing to go in the log as a listener. Net control runs as VK3BSP portable.

BYBILL SCHWEBER The need for what’s called antenna tuning—either by adjusting the antenna itself or via a matching circuit between power-amplifier output and the antenna—is almost as old as wireless itself. Even in those early days, electromagnetic theory and hands-on practical experimentation showed that effective power transfer and optimal antenna performance, measured by several parameters, require that the source impedance and the load impedance be complex conjugates. The problem has not gone away, but instead has morphed into a new and more-challenging form. Traditionally, antenna-matching circuits were built into smaller, lower-power radio designs; in other cases, they were and still are offered as commercial units in external enclosures. This was due to the high-power ratings spanning tens, hundreds, or even thousands of watts, along with the physically larger values needed at the lower frequencies of tens or several hundred megahertz. Some of these external tuners were designed for a single band, while others for multiband use cases, such as amateur or ham radio, which had front-panel switchers to enable adjustment settings for the different bands in use (Figure 1). Figure 1 This variable L-network random wire antenna tuner is designed for manually matching the low output impedance of transmitter (up to 200 watts) to the high impedance of a random wire (or vice versa) from 2 to 30 MHz. Source: MFJ Enterprises Many of them are one-off, hand-crafted works combining artful form and required function (Figure 2). Figure 2 Many amateur-radio enthusiasts prefer to design and fabricate their own antenna-matching units for their bands of interest and power levels, such as this one covering 3 to 30 MHz and handling up to 150 watts. Note the toroidal transformer with multiple windings. Source: http://pa-11019.blogspot.com/2011/ Newer antenna tuners incorporate autonomous self-controlled auto-tuning using an internal processor or allow an external PC to do so via an USB port. New applications, new approaches But as the saying goes, times have changed. Now the tuning battle is over 5G and even 4G phones supporting multiple bands and embedded antennas such as the widely used planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA). Smartphones are relatively low-power devices operating above a gigahertz with multiple bands, which must be supported with seamless band transitions and handoffs. The associated LC values are small, which simplifies the challenge in some ways, but also makes it harder in other ways. Complicating the situation, the matching values are not static but are dynamic in routine use as user’s hand changes location and angle, and phone’s position moves with respect to the head and body. Certainly, expecting the user to tune and optimize the antenna-matching circuit in use is simply not an option. Fortunately, there are now solutions to this dilemma via antenna-tuner ICs. These ICs address the issue by allowing digital setting of up to 16 capacitance values, thus changing the electrical characteristics just enough to optimize the matching or get close enough. Among the vendors are Peregrine Semiconductor (PE64909), Qorvo (QM13025), Skyworks Solutions (SKY59272-707LF), and Infineon (BGSC2341ML10). Unlike lower-frequency matching circuits with capacitance in the tens of picofarads, and even extending to the microfarads range, these ICs allow tweaking of very small capacitance shifts. For example, the Peregrine Semiconductor’s PE64909 device is a digitally tunable capacitor for 100-3,000 MHz (Figure 3). Figure 3 The PE64909 antenna tuner IC has a simple function and schematic (above), but its equivalent-circuit model is more complicated (below). Source: Peregrine Semiconductor In operation, a system processor can use a four-bit code to select one of 16 capacitance values via its 3-wire, SPI-compatible serial interface, serving from 0.6 pF to 2.35 pF (a 3.9:1 tuning ratio) in discrete steps of 117 femtofarad (fF). That’s clearly a modest dynamic range and a small step size, but it’s enough for the application. Qorvo notes that there are two ways to use capacitance to adjust the antenna appearance (Figure 4). Figure 4 Antenna tuning can be accomplished via aperture tuning or impedance tuning, each with distinct tradeoffs in attributes and capabilities. Source: Qorvo Aperture tuning optimizes the total antenna efficiency from the antenna terminal’s free space, and it can do so across multiple bands. It can provide advantages with respect to antenna efficiency for both transmit and receive communications, improving total radiated power (TRP) and total isotropic sensitivity (TIS) by 3 dB or more in some situations. Impedance tuning maximizes power transfer between the RF front-end and the antenna, and it increases the TRP and TIS by minimizing mismatch loss between the antenna and antenna front-end. It also helps to compensate for environmental effects such as a person’s hand position on a smartphone. Beyond antenna tuning According to Qorvo, “Today, aperture tuning is the primary method used in handsets to overcome reduced antenna area and efficiency. Mid-tier and higher-end smartphones use a combination of aperture and impedance tuning to support the ever-broadening range of frequency bands, especially for 5G.” These ICs are somewhat analogous to the widely used digital potentiometers (digipots), except those typically have 256 or more steps spread over a fairly wide kilohm range along with a much-larger relative step size. All this makes me wonder if commercially available digi-inductors will be coming soon as well. Beyond antenna tuning, I’d like to think that creative engineers are already looking at these parts and finding unforeseen uses for them. Historically, that’s been the reality as components which originally targeted one class of situations are soon adopted and adapted to address other problems. Perhaps these tunable pico-farad capacitors will be used to compensate for or cancel circuit parasitics in a balanced or differential topology. Or perhaps they will be used for precise calibration and measurement in some Wheatstone-bridge type of arrangement…you never know.

Scout Radio Station VK3CUB at the Victorian Cuboree 2023 The Victorian Cuboree will run between Sep 25, 2023 through to Sep 29, 2023. During this period a Scout Amateur Radio Station will be ‘on air’ Sep 25 to Sep 27 between ~1930 – 2130 hours (0930 – 1130 UTC). (and maybe ~1000 – 1400 (0000 – 0400 UTC) on Sep 27) Make sure you work a cub!

Should stock trading get high-frequency spectrum? Aug 23, 2023 | 5:26 AM When I first saw the phrase “high-frequency trading” or HFT, I assumed it was an advanced engineering technique for trading off and managing spectrum use in order to increase channel capacity or improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). I was very wrong. Instead, it’s related to a petition to the Federal Communications Commission by Wall Street-related trading firms to allow them to use some slices of spectrum to set up “private” high-power transmitters in the high-frequency (HF) bands under 30 MHz, also traditionally called the shortwave bands. So, they can transfer stock and related pricing between cities such as Chicago and New York a few milliseconds faster than achievable using optical links. This tiny increase would allow them to “run ahead” of trades by others and take advantage of tiny price differentials to reap additional profit. This scheme has its own name, “latency arbitrage”. The petition from “Shortwave Modernization Coalition” (SMC) is assigned Docket RM-11953 and titled “Shortwave Modernization Coalition Petition for Rulemaking to Amend the Commission’s Rules to Allow Fixed, Long-Distance, Non-Voice Communications Above 2 MHz and Below 25 MHz” (be prepared: it’s 105 double-spaced pages, all text). Their petition request would potentially put 50-kHz wide, 20-kilowatt signals immediately adjacent to seven amateur-radio (ham) bands. In contrast to those power levels, amateurs are restricted by Part 90 high-frequency rules to 1,000 W peak envelope power (PEP). Even that peak-power number is somewhat misleading, as most radio amateurs operate at under 100 watts (it’s called “running barefoot”) and many are routinely under 10 watts while still achieving long-distance and even worldwide contacts. Further, SMC’s proposal would reduce the existing protection of -73 dB edge-of-band/out-of-band attenuation now in use for the 1,000-watt power limit to just -50 dB protection for their proposed 20-kW limit. This proposal includes four likely transmission scenarios: New York, NY transmitting west, such as to Los Angeles, CA Chicago, IL, transmitting west, such as to Seattle, WA New York, NY, transmitting south, such as to São Paulo, Brazil Chicago, IL, transmitting east, such as to London, UK What sort of decrease in propagation delay are we looking at? Basic physics and math show that for a typical RF-hop distance they would use, the saving between wireless atmospheric path and an optical-fiber path would be on the order of 10 milliseconds, and less in many cases. The use of radio links for stock-trading HFTs is not a new development. RF links are already used with point-to-point microwave towers linking major trading centers. However, many of these systems use microwave links where there is more available bandwidth than the high-frequency bands. Also, since they are point-to-point systems, their emitted RF energy is more limited, and the beam spread is fairly narrow. However, a long-distance microwave link takes many towers, since the tower range is generally limited to 30 to 50 miles maximum due to curvature of the Earth’s curvature and is a function of tower height (Figure 1). Figure 1 Microwave relay towers, typically spaced up to 30 to 50 miles apart and using focused beams, have minimal RF “splatter” and have only modest potential for causing adjacent-spectrum RF interference. Source: Dr Jai W. Kang Long-distance high-frequency latency arbitrage links are already in use. Unlike microwave towers, it only takes one antenna at each end of the link. However, that same link and its path are subject to all sorts of performance inconsistency issues and “skip zones.” These are a function of atmospheric propagation conditions which vary with time of day, sunspot cycles, and many other factors which can only be predicted to a linted extent (Figure 2). Moreover, the effective data rate is low, but may be enough for the HFT application. Figure 2 Long-distance RF links are subject to the vagaries of atmospheric propagation characteristics in addition to somewhat predictable changes. Source: Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre Software engineer and ham radio operator Bob Van Valzah has identified such high-frequency antennas in his Chicago area. He has also done the deep digging through the licensing firms and layers of trading corporations which obscure ownership and operation, as detailed in his blog “Shortwave Trading | Part I | The West Chicago Tower Mystery.” This latest application is for higher power and frequency slices which may cause adjacent-channel problems. Obviously, the amateur-radio community led by its primary user association, the ARRL, has filed many objections to the proposal, pointing out the likely spillover interference and potential safety/emergency-related issues as well as day-to-day problems. There are about 760,000 amateur radio operators in the United States, according to ARRL, and while many are not active, the base number is growing. But the issue is not which side has more members or money, it’s really about the best use of the limited resource of the electromagnetic spectrum and the harm that misuse of the spectrum can do to other users and services. Keep in mind that the spectrum is an unusual resource. On the one hand, it’s limited, and you can’t make more of it. Even though the entire spectrum follows Maxwell’s equations, different parts of it have immutable attributes: compare low frequencies with terahertz ones, as one example. On the other hand, it is infinitely recyclable and using spectrum does not consume it, unlike using a tangible resource such lithium, or even helium, which dissipates into the atmosphere and then outer space and cannot be recovered once gone. In that sense, we are very fortunate that spectrum is used but not consumed. What’s your view on use of spectrum for limited-use, private links such a HFT versus broader applications? Does this spectrum allocation make sense? Is the interference risk manageable? Is it perhaps worth trying, since the decision can be reversed, and the used spectrum recovered? Or is reversal of allocation after such a large HFT investment not likely to happen, even if there are interference issues?

Nova Scotia Climate change is affecting telecommunications infrastructure. Ham radio might be able to help. The technology is ‘an unsung hero’ for getting messages out, one operator says September 06, 2023. As Atlantic Canada gears up for another hurricane season after a year of unprecedented disasters linked to climate change — including post-tropical storm Fiona last September — amateur radio operators say a simple technology can play a part in the response to disasters across the region. When Fiona hit Nova Scotia, it affected electrical grids and telecommunications networks, leaving some people unable to call for help. That experience in particular prompted a renewed interest in amateur radio — also known as ham radio — which allows non-professional users to send messages without requiring the internet or cell phone networks. "I think it's kind of an unsung hero in communications that gets forgotten in the noise of disaster when it comes to, 'Well, how do we get that message out?'" said John Bignell, president of the Halifax Amateur Radio Club. Ham radio operators use a special designated set of frequencies — not the regular AM or FM radio signals — to exchange messages locally or around the world. They say the technology can help Nova Scotians respond to the increasing risks of extreme weather, as climate change forces a reckoning with communications infrastructure across the country. Communications failed following Fiona When Lyle Donovan became emergency management co-ordinator for Victoria County in 2008, the municipality's emergency plan included amateur radio, drawing on the expertise of a local group. "They were an older generation, but they were active in amateur radio and we utilized them," he said. In time, that group petered out. With no operators left in the county, Donovan removed the section on amateur radio when he redid the municipality's emergency plan in 2016. "What's the point in having it in our emergency plan if we had no operators?" he remembered thinking. In the past, amateur radio held more appeal, Donovan said, but other forms of communication had become ubiquitous in the meantime, and amateur radio no longer seemed necessary. Downed utility lines and poles lie across Woodlawn Road in Dartmouth in the wake of Fiona. (Submitted by Joshawa Tyler LaVoie) More to the point, Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada more broadly already have a highly stable radio network, Donovan said. All frontline emergency services in the province use the trunked mobile radio system, which was put in place after the SwissAir disaster in 1998. Donovan calls it "the best communications systems in the world." "So we got kind of complacent to think that we have this system, we have VHF, we have satellite telephone and of course, we still have our cell phones and not all of those systems are going to go down." Then post-tropical storm Fiona struck. The day after the storm made landfall in the province, Donovan, who is a paramedic, woke at 5 a.m. to prepare for work. Attempting to turn on the TV, he realized there was no power; turning to his phone, he found there was no cell service either. Because the local radio tower was down, local emergency services could talk to each other but couldn't send messages outside of the immediate area. Landlines weren't usable for most Nova Scotians during Fiona Cell outages during storms like Fiona will continue unless regulations improve, advocate says "That's when I knew we were in trouble," he said. Then, with communications interrupted, "Lo and behold, [there was] a cardiac arrest." The family of the victim was unable to call 911. While their neighbour was an RCMP corporal with a TMR radio, they were unable to call for help because they couldn't communicate with the wider network. Eventually, someone was able to get a message to Donovan via the local fire chief. But by then 40 minutes had passed and the victim couldn't be saved. "I have a close personal relationship with the family," he said. "We went on to discover that [medical attention] wouldn't have helped anyway, but it's just sheer fact that people were not able to call 911." In the aftermath of Fiona, Donovan said they started asking how the situation could have been avoided, and — after connecting with a longstanding amateur radio club in Halifax — started looking to amateur radio. "Somebody from my area could have called someone in the Halifax area, and they could have called 911 for us, to get emergency services rolling," he said. The Halifax Amateur Radio Club is one of the oldest amateur radio clubs in North America, dating back to 1932. Bignell first got interested in amateur radio as a teenager. He said its simplicity is part of its enduring appeal. "The ability to build your own radio and then send a message that bounces around the atmosphere and be able to talk around the world with a simple little wire, it's kind of cool," he said. But amateur radio is more than a hobby; because it doesn't require a service provider such as a telecommunications company, or extensive infrastructure, it can step in during disasters when other systems fail. This has been true with disasters in the past. Bignell said his club has played a role in every major disaster in the province going back to the Moose River mine disaster in 1936. Amateur radio has also been essential elsewhere. Amateur radio operators were instrumental in relaying messages around New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina knocked out telecommunications networks. In Mozambique, a recent series of storms has prompted the government to set up a network of amateur radio operators to help with disaster response. What Canada can learn from how the U.S. handles cell outages in hurricanes While communications infrastructure has steadily improved in the last 20 years, Bignell said amateur radio still provides an additional layer of safety. "We have some really robust systems in Nova Scotia and in Canada, but there's always that one moment where you go 'Oh this isn't going well, we need a backup,' and that's where amateur radio plays a real key role." John Bignell is president of the Halifax Amateur Radio Club. (Moira Donovan) Bignell said amateur radio also works with more modern technology through tools such as Winlink, which radio operators can use to send emails, weather reports and information bulletins over the airwaves, without internet. Amateur radio is undergoing a renaissance, Bignell said, in part because the ability to connect amateur radios to laptops and cell phones has greatly increased what it can do. That surge of interest is coming at a time when Canada is taking a closer look at the resilience of its telecommunications infrastructure. The federal government recently began a process to improve the resilience and reliability of telecommunications networks, citing disasters such as hurricanes Fiona and Dorian in Atlantic Canada, the forest fires in Alberta and B.C. in 2021, and the derecho storm that struck Ontario and Quebec in 2022. In a notice of consultation, the CRTC noted that the increasing risks posed by climate change have made it necessary to build a more robust telecommunications system. Jason Tremblay, community services officer for Radio Amateurs of Canada, a national volunteer-based network of amateur radio operators, said that the organization is pushing for amateur radio to be included in more conversations about strengthening communications systems. "Being able to work with government agencies, work with NGOs and members of the community, it's a way for us to understand what their needs are — it's a way to better our service." He said as technologies and climate conditions change, amateur radio operators are taking on new methods and challenges in disaster response. "There's been an explosion of interest from emergency managers," he said. "I think there will always be a call for amateur radio; it'll always adapt and be there." Bringing ham radio back In Victoria County, Donovan is now looking to re-introduce amateur radio to the municipality's emergency management plan, and has heard there's at least one radio operator in the county who is interested in helping out. Donovan is also hoping to bolster interest in an amateur radio club in the county. He stressed that what happened to emergency communications after Fiona was a rare occurrence. Still, he thinks amateur radio could form an additional layer, to help the public feel safe in the disasters to come. "Amateur radio is certainly still a benefit to Nova Scotia. It's a backup system, and in the event that something happens, it's something that we could use." About The Author Moira Donovan

John, vk3jco sent an email alerting me to what could be used for a Antenna Stand or Squid Pole support. It's currently available from Aldi stores.. As these are a part of Aldi weekly specials, the availability are dependent on stock and the store. Click Here for more details. Images are a representation only.. check in store at Aldi. Thanks to John.. VK3JCO for your continued feed back, ideas etc..

Dear members of Famparc. It is with sorry, I report the passing of one of the longest serving members of famparc. Earl Russell VK3BER peacefully passed away on Wednesday 29th of August 2023. New members to our club will be unaware that Earl together with his wife Mavis were part of the team that opened and developed the famparc club nearly fifty years ago. At one point he held the position of president and another period he took on the successful roll as club secretary. Earl together with his wife Mavis organised field day outings, these were always family events with children and organised games where caravans and tents could always be found. I feel the older members of our club will remember Earl with fondness and respect. Rest in Peace Earl, you deserve it. Roy. Vk3gb.

The Australian Men’s Shed Association celebrated 30 years of men’s sheds in Australia, and the Safety Beach Dromana Men’s Shed is hosted “the shedder’s big breakfast” on Wednesday 23 August from 8am to midday. Our club was invited to show off Amateur Radio as well as our club. Many of us arrived around 7am to setup our clubs pop-up tent, as well as the clubs promotional gear, tables and radios. There were many others from other walks of life and hobbies. SPARC club also represented their club and the Amateur Radio hobby. There were food refreshment stalls as well, and lots of coffee for a simple Gold Coin donation. Our club members: Craig vk3ncr Roy vk3gb Ken vk3mjf Murray vk3fadx Stanley vk3bot Barry vk3vv Mani vk3ir Harry vk3har John vk3jco did a great job both with the setup of our display and promoting both our club and our great hobby, Amateur Radio. Unfortunately due limitation in our HF antenna setup, HF did not do all that well. However the small IC-705 did a great job demonstrating the use of Digital modes such as DStar and the ability to contact and chat with people from around the world. Many contacts were made to the USA via the DStar VK3RWN on Mt Dandenong. The weather was extremely kind to us with just perfect morning to be outdoors. Thank you to the Dromana Mens Shed and the Australian Men’s Shed Association for this terrific event, we will be back next year. Thank you also to our terrific bunch of guys from our club that made the time for this event, I do hope you enjoyed yourselves.. I did that's for sure. I apologise if I left someone out from the members list above. Please feel free to update me. Would also love to see some comments below. Cheers. Craig vk3ncr

New hobbies for older adults’ brain health Reading Macrame Geocaching Ham radio Photography Paint by numbers Diamond painting Cleaning cemetery headstones Playing drums Learning a language Metal detecting Decoupage Digitizing historical records Whether it’s bowling, model trains, knitting or axe throwing, it’s never too late to pick up new hobbies. Not only do hobbies provide a sense of fulfillment and purpose, a recent study also shows they may play an important role in preventing dementia, and researchers found that hobbies (especially ones that engage the brain) are linked to improved memory over time. In fact, dozens of studies have explored how hobbies can increase brain capacity and plasticity, which decreases the risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias. When it comes to choosing a hobby for yourself or the older adult you care for, there are no strict rules. Try anything—whatever sounds fun. It might take a few tries to find something that really clicks, but here are some easy-entry hobbies that can help adults of any age fight memory loss and find relaxation. Reading We know that reading improves memory and concentration, but it also provides an escape. Especially when people lose physical independence, reading is like transportation, allowing the mind to travel anywhere. Magazines or books, fiction, nonfiction, mystery or romance—any kind of reading stimulates brain activity. If your older adult is out of practice, here are some ideas to rekindle their love for reading. Macramé Tying knots in patterns takes practice, but the results are beautiful! Macramé kits for decorative wall art or hanging planters don’t require a huge investment in time or materials. Plus, it’s satisfying to display the finished products or give them as gifts. Geocaching How about a real-life treasure hunt? Geocaching takes participants outdoors to search for hidden containers using GPS navigation. All you need is a smartphone and the Geocaching app. Geocachers have fun while reporting added benefits such as physical fitness, relaxation and autonomy. Ham radio If electronics and long-distance communications sound interesting, ham radio might be a perfect hobby. Ham radio operators connect to others across the globe using wireless technology. It does require a license and some equipment to get started, but local radio clubs can offer support. Search for a ham radio club in your area. Photography A camera viewfinder can put a unique perspective on life. Whether using a smartphone, film camera or digital camera, photography can improve attention spans and help older adults see the world in new ways. Try a 30-day photo challenge to boost creativity, or volunteer with Find a Grave to take pictures that help researchers document local cemeteries. Paint by numbers Painting develops fine motor skills and relieves stress. A paint by numbers kit offers everything needed to create a masterpiece. Look for kits that come pre-framed and ready to hang. Diamond painting This newer handicraft uses rhinestones and glue to fill in pre-patterned designs while building hand-eye coordination and improving concentration. Start with a small kit like these coasters for a beautiful project that’s also useful. Cleaning cemetery headstones Lichen, mildew, mold and bird droppings can stain cemetery headstones and make them unreadable. With just a few gravestone cleaning supplies, older adults can spend quality time outside restoring loved ones’ stone markers. Become familiar with headstone cleaning basics to ensure the marble or granite isn’t damaged by cleaning. Playing drums Learning the drums as an older adult doesn’t just improve coordination, core strength and neuroplasticity—it’s also fun! Senior drum circles can increase memory, visualization, cognitive and creative skills. If you’re concerned about noise levels, a practice quiet pad can keep the decibels down. Learning a language It’s never too late to learn a foreign language. Although people with hearing impairments might have a harder time distinguishing sounds, there’s no proof that older adults can’t acquire new language skills. Online apps like Rosetta Stone and Duolingo teach words and phrases in simple, easy-to-understand lessons. For more in-depth study, check with the local library to ask about language courses or conversation practice groups. Metal detecting Spending time in green spaces benefits the brain. For an activity that offers the chance to spend quality time outdoors (and discover buried treasure), many older adults love metal detecting. An entry-level metal detector is reasonably priced and lightweight—perfect for finding relics, coins or precious metals like gold and silver. Metal detecting groups in your area are a great way to learn about the best local sites and socialize with others. Decoupage Many older adults will be familiar with decoupage, a craft technique that uses Mod Podge to decorate surfaces with cut paper. It’s a great hobby to put old magazines, newspapers, wrapping paper or tissue paper to good use. For a fun project, try a little chalk paint and use patterned napkins to decorate terra cotta pots. Digitizing historical records Older adults have a superpower that many younger people don’t possess: They can read cursive! History buffs with a personal computer can look at the latest transcription campaigns on the Library of Congress, Smithsonian or National Archives websites and choose an appealing project. It’s never too late for a hobby Many of us have witnessed how loved ones can turn to television as their primary leisure activity. Besides the negative physical effects of prolonged sitting, there’s evidence that too much TV causes an increased risk for dementia. This is why it’s so important for all adults to find a hobby and engage with it regularly. It’s never too late to start. Many activities can be modified to fit with personal preferences or mobility issues. Not only do hobbies serve as a source of relaxation and stress relief, they improve mental and physical well-being—and provide an invaluable sense of accomplishment. Hobbies can also help us meet new people, learn new skills and feel satisfied. No matter your age, taking time to express creativity and explore new ideas through a hobby leads to better quality of life.

Available now, the Amateur Radio Foundation Book latest edition.. Famparc has in stock the latest Foundation book for all who would like to study for their Amateur Radio Foundation License. The Foundation BOOK Your Entry Into Amateur Radio The fourth edition of the popular WIA publication "Your Entry Into Amateur Radio" the Foundation Licence Manual is in stock and available for purchase. This full colour 104 page manual is packed with valuable information for anyone interested in learning about the hobby of amateur radio and for those interested in obtaining their Foundation Licence. The manual contains all the relevant information you will need to know to successfully complete a training course to obtain a Foundation Licence. It also contains a wealth of reference information for the Foundation Licence operator, information such as Band Plans, Electrical Safety, operating procedures such as the use of Phonetics and the Q code, radio club information, emergency preparedness, how to contact the WIA and much more. The book can be purchased the the club each Wednesday or Saturday Mornings whilst the club rooms are open. (Pick Up)Price: $28.00 (Payment Cash Preferred) Or, postage can be arranged for a fee of $15.00 Australia wide. Plus the above cost of the book. Please contact us via our Contact Form Here. Have fun, get studying and enjoy what Amateur Radio has to offer.

International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend - ILLW Normally held on the 3rd full weekend in August This year 00.01UTC 19th August to 24.00UTC 20th August 2023 (48 hours) Guidelines for the Event. and Frequently Asked Questions. Please read before submitting a registration form. Registration is optional but it does help to let everyone else know which lighthouses will be on the air. A lighthouse can only be registered once and multiple entries using different call signs will not normally be accepted unless there is a valid reason. Other callsigns can, of course, be used on air.