From the WIA:

Date : 26 / 08 / 2015
Author : Roger Harrison – VK2ZRH

The Australian Government will implement all the recommendations of the Spectrum Review conducted over 2014-15 by the Department of Communications together with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Announced on 25 August, a tight program of changes to legislation and regulations will be carried out over the next two years, commencing in October and running through to mid-2017, when the new regime is intended to start.

A single licensing system is the principal feature of what the Government is calling the “new spectrum framework”. The current apparatus, class and spectrum licensing regimes will disappear, to be replaced with licences that set out the conditions of use for spectrum access detailed in a set of key parameters.

Known as parameters-based licences, the core parameters to be included in a licence will be set out in the proposed new radiocommunications act, with the detail on these parameters to be developed by the ACMA in consultation with users and set out in subordinate instruments. The Spectrum Review recommended that likely core parameters might include frequencies, geographical details, rights to renewal, terms for variation or revocation, together with price and payment methods.

Broadcasters, commercial, defence and other government users, scientific, aeronautical, maritime, private, amateur and other not-for-profit users, as well as type-approved wireless devices, will all be affected by the new spectrum framework.

A review of pricing for spectrum access is to commence immediately and continue until mid-2016. The government foreshadows new pricing arrangements will commence in mid-2017, along with the start of the new licensing system. The next federal election may be held sometime over mid- to late-2017.

The Minister for Communications’ media release is here. Link

The Department of Communications’ implementation timetable can be found here. Link

The original story from the WIA is here.

Via ARNSW, via 720 ABC Perth Radio:

20/08/2015 by Oshaughnessy Gillian

When you think of the many social media networks available in the modern age, ham radio probably isn’t the first method of communication that comes to mind.

But for a small but very keen group of amateur radio operators here in Western Australia, there’s nothing like it. And while the numbers don’t rival Facebook, it’s a bigger community than you might imagine.

There are 14 hundred licenced amateurs in WA and 14 thousand Australia-wide.

Onno Benschop is one of them, and he’ll tell you that he loves the variety of people you can speak to via the radio network, from astronauts on the International Space Station, to people who set up amateur radio stations on mountain tops, or deep within the world’s many and vast national parks.

“Amateur radio is such a wide ranging experience,” he said.

“There’s nothing quite as thrilling as talking to an amateur on the other side of the planet and trying to imagine what they’re doing at that time, or what their environment is like,” he explained.

“They might be sitting in a garden shed, but they might be in Cuba, (or) they might be on an island in the middle of nowhere.

“These people are everywhere, they’re all around the planet.”

The language of the call sign

All licenced ham radio operators use ‘call signs’ to show that they have a licence and to identify them, in the same way a number plate identifies a car, Onno explains.

“I have one, it’s VK6FLAB, and it means something.”

“VK means Australia. Six means Western Australia, then the next letter in my call sign is an ‘F’ which means I have a foundation licence or what’s called the beginner’s licence.”

Then there are three letters randomly assigned, so I think someone had a sense of humour when they saw my photo and came up with flab,” he laughs.

Listen as Onno explains more about ham radio to Gillian O’Shaughnessy on Breakfast, and for more information, go to the VK6 website.

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Original Post at 720 ABC Perth is here.

*** This is an old article. I’m ill and my brain is experiencing QSB :-\ ***

From the WIA, re our near neighbours:

Date : 24 / 08 / 2013
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

Looking for a media hook to leverage some publicity for amateur radio has been effectively used by the revived Armidale and District Amateur Radio Club, located half-way between Sydney and Brisbane.

In the Armidale Express newspaper it honours the hard work done by Roger Chubb VK2FGE in trying to get the club going again. He sadly became a silent key in May. President Rick Rodgers VK4HF saw a few people at the funeral and they decided to get the club going and dedicate it to Roger Chubb.

Three months later the WIA affiliated Northern Tablelands of New South Wales club has installed its VK2RAD VHF and UHF repeaters to keep the area in contact locally and the further afield Echolink. The repeaters provide a useful link for travellers using the New England Highway from Guyra to Uralla. Rick VK4HF and his team have some bigger plans including a possible digital television facility and classes with its two WIA assessors.

Read the Armidale Express newspaper story via this Link

From the WIA:

Date : 17 / 08 / 2015 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

Registrations in the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend were higher this year from the major seafaring nations of Australia, England and Germany, adding to growth from Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, France, Portugal and Scotland. The ILLW on August 15-16 had 506 registrations, from 32 countries, down on 2014, but seemingly reflecting the prevailing political and economic trends. 

The magic number 500 registration was from Michael Sealfon WA2OCG at Alki Point Lighthouse, which provided both a light and fog horns at the southern entrance to Seattle’s Elliott Bay in Washington USA. An outstanding result came from Cuba that had 13 registrations, and may be due to the normalisation of its relationship with the USA. 

A lot of good fun was had, with some having heightened public interest in the history of old navigation structures and Amateur Radio. More reports and photos are welcome on both the ILLW Facebook page and the website. Typical of the DX that can be worked was Cape Wickham Lighthouse on King Island and Glenn Alford VK3ILW portable VK7, with an ICOM 775 transceiver into a Cushcraft R5 vertical. Although acknowledging he had a good location, there were at times dogpiles with notable contacts being to the Canary Islands, Cuba, Baltic Islands, Guatemala, Europe, USA, Alaska, Australia and New Zealand. 

The many media mentions included ABC radio that told listeners at Geraldton in West Australia that it achieved a world first record for the most people hugging a lighthouse. The red and white candy-striped Point Moore Lighthouse north of Perth built in 1878, had more than 1,000 turn out for the world-record ranking embrace. As part of ILLW made possible by Ron Fisher VK6MP, the doors were open to allow a unique glimpse inside. 

Also in West Australia emerged the newly formed Capes Lighthouse Radio Group. Now Cape Leeuwin Light VK6CLL and Cape Naturaliste Light VK6CNL are the club callsigns, following a long tradition of activating those lighthouses. Already 19th annual Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend on August 20-21, 2016, has 30 registrations. For simple guidelines and other information visit the website www.illw.net or click this Link