From Radioworld, original post here.  By Marguerite Clark, 26/1/17.

The European Broadcasting Union is launching a new top-level domain name —.radio — for the radio community.  The EBU will manage .radio, which it says can be used for web and email addresses, with the support of other world broadcasting unions, including ABU, AER, AIB, AMARC, ASBU, AUB, CBU, EGTA, IAB, NABA, OTI and URTI.

According to the organization, this project is a community TLD and is run for the benefit of the whole radio industry and amateur enthusiast and reserved for people and companies with active interest in the radio sector.

“We are proposing that the radio community may like to consider securing the integrity of their web presence by requesting appropriate .radio domains for defensive reasons initially,” explained EBU’s .radio TLD Manager, Alain Artero.

“The TLD will be focused on content and matters specific to radio and we want to prevent speculators and cybersquatting in this TLD; this extension will therefore rapidly become a high-value internet space for websites, mail systems and other internet applications,” he said.

Categories that will be accepted for the use of a .radio domain include radio broadcasting stations, broadcaster unions; internet radios; radio amateurs; radio professionals (journalists, radio hosts, DJs) and radio-related companies selling radio goods and services.

The pre-launch phase, which the EBU points out is exclusively reserved for radio stations, will run from May 3 to July 5.  All other categories of applications will be managed during the launch phase within a similar period of 60 days.

Those interested in requesting a .radio domain should contact an authorized registrar or the EBU directly.  Prices will run between €200 and €250 per domain each year for companies, but are expected to be “much lower” for individuals.

From the Guardian, original post here.  By Helen Davidson, 18/1/17.

For some living and working in Australia’s outback, shortwave radio is the only way they can listen to the ABC – and their main daily contact with the rest of the world. But the ABC will end the service in two weeks

People that live out in contracting camps or mustering stock camps or outstations, and even a lot of the people who live in the bush on cattle stations, spend probably 100% of their waking hours out on the land and have very minimal contact with other human beings,” says Tracey Hayes, the chief executive of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association.

“You can imagine how isolating that would be without having access to the outside world via radio during the day while you’re out in the workplace.  But I don’t think they took that into consideration.”

Hayes is referring to a recent announcement by the ABC that, at the end of January, it would terminate its shortwave radio service, which broadcasts to the NT, Papua New Guinea and some parts of the Pacific region.

It said the move was “in line with the national broadcaster’s commitment to dispense with outdated technology and to expand its digital content offerings”.

For some people living and working in the outback, shortwave is the only way they can listen to the ABC. Continue reading →

Via Stuart VK2FSTU, who adds:

Perhaps this is a way we could think beside JOTA of gaining more young bods into Amateur Radio ranks?  Bears thinking more about me thinks.

The RSGB Youth Committee is delighted to announce that the bid to host the IARU Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) 2017 summer camp was successful.

We are proud to be hosting this prestigious international event at Gilwell Park, the UK Scouting HQ, from 5-12 August 2017.

What is it?

It’s a fantastic chance for young people to build relationships with like-minded people from other countries and develop international friendships through amateur radio.

Around 100 young people under the age of 26 from all over IARU Region 1 will come to the UK to take part.

There will be a week-long range of wireless technology activities including a special event station, a buildathon, antenna building, an Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) contest and a Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation.

There will also be an opportunity to visit Bletchley Park—including the National Radio Centre—and the Science Museum, and to take part in some other non-radio activities such as kayaking, raft building and assault courses.

Via Lifehacker, from the SMH.  Original posts here (and here)  By Liam Mannix, 13/1/17

Paul VK2ICQ adds:

Ubiquiti Wireless equipment mentioned in this article is what ORARC will be using for the linking of our repeater sites.

Like countless other Australians, Haywards Bay resident Daniel Saffioti did not have access to the NBN.  So he decided to do something about it.

His solution was to set up a wireless bridge and mini radio dish to beam the NBN directly into his own home – all for a few hundred dollars.  Here’s how he pulled it off (and overcame a big bump along the way.)

The last straw for Saffioti came in mid-2014 when the NBN installed a fibre pillar right in front of his house – but refused to connect him.  The Commonwealth public servant had endured years of “awful” ADSL in Haywards Bay, south of Wollongong, and now NBN was right on his doorstep but still totally inaccessible.

“It runs right past my house, and it goes to the new people in the estate, and it does not go to me at all,” he told Fairfax.

Mr Saffioti’s solution to slow internet may be the most creative yet.

Bugger it, he thought. I’ll just beam the NBN 12 kilometres to my house – right over that range of hills.

Mr Saffioti is the chief information officer for the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, which means he gets to play with some exciting technology.

In the past, he’d messed about with installing wireless bridges.  These devices, which come with their own mini radio dishes, allow internet signals to be beamed for up to 50 kilometres.

For hardware built for business, they are “incredibly effective at an amazingly ridiculous price point,” Mr Saffioti writes on LinkedIn, where he detailed his DIY-NBN project.  You can pick up the dish and access point for under $400

They worked so well, Mr Saffioti decided to buy a few for his own use.

With those in hand, the other thing he needed was someone willing to share their NBN connection.  Luckily, he had a friend based in nearby Kiama, one of the first towns in Australia to be connected to fibre.

That friend was good enough to agree to let Mr Saffioti share his connection, if he could work out how to.

While he and his friend were within the 50-kilometre range of the wireless bridge, they had a big problem: a big hill.

Or more specifically a patch of hilly country directly between their two properties.

The wireless bridges need line of sight for fast speeds.  If Mr Saffioti couldn’t find a way to get line-of-sight, the connection wouldn’t be much quicker than his slow ADSL, making all his effort worthless.

Luckily, Mr Saffioti’s friend had a cousin, and he just happened to live right in between the pair, elevated on a hill in Oak Flats.  And he couldn’t get NBN either.

That meant he was only too happy to have a wireless bridge set up on his house to bounce the signal – while also getting fast speeds himself.

Fully installed, the project beams NBN about 12 kilometres from Kiama to Oak Flats, and then about another three to Mr Saffioti’s place in Haywards Bay.

The link has been running well ever since, with regular download speeds of about 70mbps down and 35 up.  Total cost of the project: about $1000.

Originally, the high-speed broadband network only connected new homes in Mr Saffioti’s area.  However, late last year the NBN got in contact with him to let him know he was now, finally, eligible to connect to the fibre network.

He’s considering it, he says with a laugh.