From the ARRL, original post here.  Published 10th May 2017.

The Mumbai Mirror in India reports that a complaint by radio amateurs has prompted the Telecommunications Ministry to order online purveyors, including eBay and Amazon, to stop selling wireless transmitting equipment.  According to the newspaper, a group of hams wrote the Wireless Advisor in the Telecommunications Ministry last fall to warn that online sales of wireless equipment could pose a national security threat.

Their warning followed reports of “highly suspicious” 2-meter transmissions along the Bengal-Bangladesh border.  Their letter drew the attention of the Intelligence Bureau, the prime minister’s office, and the military.

The Telecommunications Ministry now has ordered e-commerce websites to stop selling transmitting gear online, effective immediately.  The law in India requires that those selling such equipment have a dealer’s possession license and users have a license to transmit.

Ankur Puranik, VU2AXN, spokesperson of the Mumbai Amateur Radio Society, told the newspaper, “…our concern is that the powerful equipment can fall into wrong hands and be misused.  More importantly, these two-way radios can tune into any frequency including confidential frequencies used by law enforcement agencies.  They can be misused to listen to confidential wireless conversations.”

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 25 / 05 / 2017 
Author : WIA Board

Video recordings of the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) annual general meeting and Open Forum held in Hahndorf are now available to members.  The draft minutes of the Board of Directors meeting held on Sunday 21 May, are also available.

The un-edited videos and draft minutes are available for viewing by WIA members and can be found under the ‘WIA Information’ menu on the WIA website.  WIA members who have not already done so, will need to register with MEMNET and setup their member logon password.

The release of the videos, and the minutes for each meeting of the Board, were decided by Directors for the benefit of WIA members.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 23 / 05 / 2017 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

Noel Ferguson VK3FI of Mildura and Graeme Scott “Scotty” VK2KE from Albury were made Honorary Life Members at the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) annual general meeting in Hahndorf South Australia.  Noel (pictured right) became a radio amateur in May 1958, was an avid homebrewer, very active in education, special events, promotion, and operating.

Graeme, a radio amateur since 1957, was formerly with the WIA Education Committee, and for many decades a teacher and mentor of Amateur Radio throughout Australia.

In other recognition, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Coordinator and telebridge station, Shane Lynd VK4KHZ, received the prestigious Chris Jones Award.  He was overwhelmed.  Former ARISS Coordinator and still a telebridge, Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI, talked briefly about Shane before making a surprise presentation of an ARISS Certificate for his 10 years of involvement.  It was later learnt that Tony VK5ZAI, the Chris Jones Award 2009 recipient, also received a 20 year ARISS Certificate for his contributions.

The Ron Wilkinson Award went to Phil Moat VK4CDI for his 23cm band moonbounce (EME) experiments focusing digital modes, resulting in the world record distance contact of 18,918.3 km with Aleksandr EA8DBM on 27/11/2015. Continue reading →

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 21 / 05 / 2017 
Author : WIA Board

The Wireless Institute of Australia Board of Directors held its first meeting in Hahndorf South Australia today electing its leadership for the year ahead.

The new President is Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW (pictured), and Vice President David Ford VK4MZ.  Both were elected unopposed.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 20 / 05 / 2017 
Author : Roger Harrison – VK2ZRH

The long-awaited Radiocommunications Bill 2017 – a draft of what will become a new Radiocommunications Act – was released on 18 May, along with a raft of supporting papers and fact sheets; 17 in all.  The Exposure Draft of the Radiocommunications Bill 2017 comprises 21 Parts and runs to 217 pages.  However, it is incomplete, as the subject of broadcasting is to be covered separately, later.

The Department of Communications and the Arts is seeking stakeholder feedback, with a closing date for submissions of 30 June 2017.  For those interested, the Bill package needs to be read in conjunction with the Department’s “Spectrum Pricing” paper.

A single licensing system is promoted as the centrepiece of the Bill.  The current system of apparatus, class and spectrum licensing will disappear.  The new system is promoted as providing “… a more administratively streamlined approach for users in regards to licensing, planning, allocation and renewal, and [to] give users greater certainty of process.”  Under the new framework, the key characteristics of a licence – including such parameters as allocated frequencies or frequency bands, permitted transmitter power, and transmission bandwidths, as well as other technical and administrative details – will be specified on the licence itself.  The Department of Communications and the Arts say this parameters-based licensing will provide greater clarity for the user.  The Bill provides for licences to be issued for terms up to 20 years.

Amateur radio licensing and licence conditions are not mentioned in the Bill as these are matters that will be covered by what is known as subordinate legislation – the regulations set out in a licence conditions determination document.  Likewise, licence fees and taxes are not included in the Bill.  To regulate the use of spectrum without a licence – currently covered under Class licensing – ‘Spectrum authorisations’ will be developed and issued by the ACMA.  According to the Department of Communications and the Arts, “Spectrum authorisations will not have to be applied for and no fees will be payable.  The core feature of authorisations will be that they are intended to allow radiocommunications devices to be operated in certain parts of the spectrum on a shared basis, subject to common conditions. Continue reading →