From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 17 / 05 / 2017 
Author : Roger Harrison – VK2ZRH

The WIA has advocated and promoted reform of the Amateur licence conditions since it was invited by the ACMA to provide a submission on the subject in 2014.  The Board and Spectrum Strategy Committee made extensive efforts since then to “prepare the ground” with the ACMA on the proposed changes to Amateur licence conditions and the principles underlying the proposals.

In April 2016, an updated submission was provided to the ACMA, again, at its request, which consolidated what had transpired over the period since the first submission, along with Amateur community and member feedback, periodic discussions with the ACMA, and the federal government’s Spectrum Review.  That submission can be downloaded here.

In summary, the underlying purpose is to enable greater self-determination for the amateur service, along with proposing updates to the licence conditions for all licence grades in order to ensure amateur radio remains relevant in the digitally-connected age.  Key proposals include:

• enabling use of digital modes for Foundation licensees
• access to more bands for Foundation and Standard licensees
• relaxing permitted bandwidths for all license grades
• removing mode restrictions
• enabling DIY construction for Foundation licensees
• review of Foundation callsigns to provide 3-letter suffixes
• increased maximum power for all licensee

This consultation exercise is to provide the ACMA with formal evidential support for the proposed changes to the Amateur licence conditions.

The key principle is that future licence conditions should not unnecessarily limit the breadth and depth of experimentation amateurs can explore and the technologies capable amateurs may wish to adapt and exploit.

WIA member or not, your responses have equal weight.

60 metre band: Note that, as the ITU adopted a world-wide secondary allocation at 5.3 MHz at the World Radio Conference 2015, the WIA is already working with the ACMA to make this band available to Australian amateurs.  It is already noted in the Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan, which came into effect on 1 January 2017.  See more here.

Three phases of consultation

This consultation will be conducted in three phases: 

Phase 1 – general principles – open now.  Closes on 4 June 2017. 
Phase 2 – proposed changes to each licence grade – opens 5 June 2017, closes 25 June 2017. 
Phase 3 – outstanding issues – opens 17 June 2017, closes 30 June 2017.

To provide your responses to Phase 1, go here.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 13 / 05 / 2017 
Author : Fred Swainston – VK3DAC

The Wireless Institute of Australia has been working toward some on line assessments for some time and has introduced a trial exam system as a ‘proof of concept’ exercise.

There are currently two trial theory assessments at the Standard level and in future these will include a couple of Advanced theory assessments.  The trials are on the Assessor Information System website www.silvertrain.com.au or via this link.

As part of the security process, those wanting to see them must first register on that website by clicking on the Amateur Radio tab, then on Amateur Radio Standard Theory Trial Exams, click on request access, complete the form, and then submit it.  The next step will be receipt of a confirmation email advising that the request is being processed, and this is followed by a user name and password so you can log on to the trial assessments.

To access the trial the latest version of the flash player is needed.  Eventually the final version of the theory assessments exams will be put on the WIA website and programmed in HTML5.  This trial is only to prove the process.  However, the assessments are similar in content faced by candidates for the Standard assessment making them ideal practice.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 12 / 05 / 2017 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has approved the admission of the new representative of the radio amateurs of Belize in the Caribbean Sea to IARU membership.

The proposal was put to the vote with 77 member-societies being in favour of admitting the Belize Amateur Radio Club (BARC) with none opposed.

The affirmative votes of 55 member-societies out of the 167 were required for approval.

Belize was previously was represented in the IARU by another organization of the same name.

Once the IARU Administrative Council determined that this earlier organization no longer existed, IARU Region 2 accepted an application for membership from the new BARC and confirmed that it satisfied the requirements of the IARU Constitution and Bylaws.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 07 / 05 / 2017 
Author : Phil Wait – VK2ASD

Once again we have decided to publish the 2016-2017 WIA Open Forum Reports prior to the upcoming AGM and Conference weekend at Hahndorf.

Very often we hear the question, “what does the WIA do for me?”, and I’m sure after reading the Open Forum Reports for this year, that question will be well and truly answered.

Publishing the Open Forum reports on the website also gives non-members the opportunity to see what the WIA has also done for them over the past year, so hopefully they may reconsider and become a member.

I hope you enjoy reading the Open Forum Reports. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to the WIA over the past year.

Regards,
Phil Wait
VK2ASD, President 

View the report here.