Lake Boga Flying Boat 75th Anniversary VI3FB75

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 23 / 02 / 2017 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

The commemorative callsign VI3FB75 will be active on March 17-19 at the Lake Boga Catalina Communications Bunker at Swan Hill, in northwest Victoria.  This facility was successfully used for the ANZAC Day 2015 centenary with the VI3ANZAC callsign that proved to be popular.

Now Thomas VK3EO of Swan Hill and Noel VK3FI from Mildura, both members of the Sunraysia Group, will supervise the VI3FB75 operation to mark the 75th anniversary of Lake Boga.  A number of other radio amateurs will also be involved.  It was the RAAF secret No. 1 Flying Boat Repair and Service Depot during WWII for many amphibian aircraft.  In addition to RAAF aircraft, many allied flying boats landed for repairs, including those of the United States of America and the Netherlands.

In total 416 aircraft were serviced, repaired, restored, rebuilt or overhauled.  These aircraft included Catalina, Dornier, Sikorsky KingFisher, Sunderland, Walrus and Martin Mariner.  The 75th anniversary will include fly-ins and other historic events.  The site was an integral part of allied defence and helped to keep Australia safe.  The 75th anniversary will include fly-ins and other historic events.  The museum has a theatrette telling the war-time story with narrated archival footage as it was being built and throughout its operation.

VI3FB75 will be at the underground communications bunker which is set up with some original equipment – AR7 receivers, a telephone switchboard, power supply, photographs of it in operation, together with wartime uniformed models.

A commemorative QSL card is being designed and will be available.  Good publicity for Amateur Radio is expected as Swan Hill and Mildura district radio amateurs are on hand to answer questions from the public.

Rotary Club Foundation Centenary VI100TRF


From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 23 / 02 / 2017 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

The Rotary Foundation began in 1917 with a meagre donation, to now being able to fund a number of activities for the world including the eradication of the disease polio.

Rotary members have supported thousands of projects to provide clean water, fight disease, promote peace, basic education, and grow local economies.  Now Rotary is highlighting the Foundation’s work over the past 100 years.

Rotarians of Amateur Radio in Australia hit the HF bands for three months from February 26 to May 26, with the special event callsign VI100TRF.  More information on qrz.com

TYT MD-2017 Dual Band DMR Handheld – coming May 2017

As spotted by Steve VK2ZSW (thanks Steve!).

Remember all those dual band Chinese DMR radios that are coming to revolutionise the affordability of digital voice modes?  Here’s another one to add to the list, and it’s from the maker of the nearly ubiquitous MD-380 – TYT.  Interesting naming convention they’ve got going on here.

Article below from HamRadioReviews.eu, original post here – published Feb 15, 2017.

TYT just released the first ever image of the upcoming TYT MD-2017 dual band DMR handheld radio.

Back in November, a photo of a poster from PMR expo 2016 was published online, showing the MD-2017 model.  At the time it was still a rumor, as no other official information was released from TYT.  Just 10 minutes ago, the image you see above was published.  Still not at good resolution, but it provides some information.

First and foremost, it is no longer a rumour.  Second, the first 3 bullet points in the characteristics of this “leaflet”, indicate that it does support true TDMA.

It is rated as IP67 waterproof (which is always a plus) and has a GPS module.  Most likely, this will follow other models from TYT like the MD-380 or MD-390, which came in non-GPS and GPS versions.

Other than that, the model looks kind of chunky in size.  It has what looks like a proprietary antenna for waterproofing and a guard for the turning knob at the side.  There does not seem to be a channel-selection knob, which is kind of weird.  There are 4 buttons on the left side, with the PTT being in orange.  On the right side is the cover of the accessory port, which is screwed on for weatherproof-ness.

The keypad has two programmable keys (P1 and P2) which are shared with Menu and Back respectively.  Between them, there is a joystick-type rocker key with an extra button at the centre. Below these, the number keys with “0” at the left side.

The screen is colour and shows frequencies in large numbers.  This is also an indication that the radio is most likely designed with ham radio usage in mind, instead of the commercially targeted designs of previous radios from the company.

Here are the specs mentioned [my comments in square brackets]:

  • Dual time slot for point to point [they probably mean simplex]
  • Dual time slot for repeater
  • Use Time-Division Multiple-Access (TDMA) technology
  • Compatible with Mototrbo Tier I and II [we’ve seen that before]
  • Lone worker
  • Encryption function
  • Analog and digital combined [I hope this means something more, eg. watching analog and digital at the same time]
  • Single call, group call and all call
  • Remote kill/stun and activate
  • Firmware upgradeable

Expected release date is May 2017. No info on pricing yet.

WIA election material in the post

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 21 / 02 / 2017 
Author : John Marshall WIA – 2017 Postal Ballot Returning Officer

The Wireless Institute of Australia election information pack, the 13 statements by candidates, instructions, two envelopes and a coloured ballot paper is now with Australia Post due for delivery to financial WIA members this week.

The pack has been inserted in the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine for March, while those who do not get an individual magazine paper copy will receive the same election information through Australia Post.  The inserted pack is under the normal magazine address label sheet, and the mail-out letters, were confirmed on Monday February 20 as being with Australia Post.  It should be received along with a WIA AGM Proxy Instrument mostly by the end of the week.

Voting is only permitted by financial members on the original ballot paper and using the supplied envelopes as set out in the instructions.

The election closes on the 27th of March.  Its conduct is explained in the “Wireless Institute of Australia Regulation Postal Ballot for the Election of Directors”, that is on the WIA website via this Link.

The ballot paper list of candidates are: 

  • Peter Clee
  • Roger Harrison *
  • David Ford
  • Gregory Kelly
  • Philip Wait *
  • Garry Page
  • James Linton
  • Marcus Berglund
  • Justin Giles-Clark
  • Brian Clarke
  • John Fisher
  • Ewan McLeod *
  • Fred Swainston *

* Retiring Director and eligible for re-election