From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 05 / 11 / 2016 
Author : Roger Harrison – VK2ZRH

WIA President Phil Wait VK2ASD and director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH joined a throng of electronics industry identities past and present at Dick Smith’s Sydney home on Saturday 22 October.  The invitation-only event drew key past and long-term employees, industry identities from the 1970s and 80s, and some of Dick’s partners in various adventures around the world.

The proprietors of the widely-known electronics stores, Altronics – Jack O’Donnell – and Jaycar – Gary Johnston, were there.  Both adopted the DSE electronics retailing model and built successful businesses.  Altronics is based in the West Australian capital of Perth, while Jaycar is headquartered in Sydney.  Other industry identities of the 1970s and 80s swelled the crowd, including Owen Hill of Microbee fame, Greg Ackman of Mobile One – the famous manufacturer of mobile antennas, and Collyn Rivers, publisher of Electronics Today International in that era, where Phil and Roger worked.

Dick’s very first employee, Marshall Gill, turned up, who worked for Dick in his original car radio business in the late-1960s.  Also there was Ross Tester, who ran Dick’s advertising division for years, and the architect of those crowded magazine advertisements, with black and white illustrations and tiny, tiny type!  One of the longest-serving employees, Chris Ayres appeared, who started with DSE as a components buyer and survived through all the ownership eras beginning with Dick himself, then Woolworths and finally, Anchorage Capital.

In his typical ebullient style, Dick stood on a chair in his helicopter hanger and harangued the audience with his views on the myth of ‘continuous growth’ and how the management of Dick Smith Electronics by Anchorage Capital brought on the final collapse of his and wife, Pip’s, “baby”.  Dick told us all that he and Pip dreamed that the firm would last 50 years; in the end, it lasted 47.  It had taken 15 years for Dick and Pip, and a phalanx of enthusiastic employees, to build Dick Smith Electronics and sell out to Woolworths for some $20 million.

In reviewing DSE’s history, Dick echoed the words of DSE’s administrator, McGrathNicol, on what went wrong – dumb management blunders, such as expansion beyond belief, buying too much inventory, wrong product choices and too much debt.  Dick was highly critical, saying the tragedy was a typical example of “professionals” that didn’t know retail, never worked in the business and thought that, “. . if a dummy like Dick could make money, just think what “professionals” could do!”  Unsurprisingly, there was a smattering of radio amateurs among the throng – aside from VK2DIK himself; Ike Bain VK2AIG, Chris Ayres VK2YUS, Mark Plowman VK2MP, and Sandy Brucesmith ex-VK2AD and a ZL now.  I’m unsure if I caught up with all those with a callsign.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 05 / 11 / 2016 
Author : Fred Swainston – VK3DAC

The WIA Office has been advised by ACMA Licensing, that the processing time for applications for new amateur licences or variations to existing licences is around four weeks.  Applications will be processed on a first in time basis.

These delays are unavoidable and the WIA will keep radio amateurs Informed of any timing changes.  We thank you for your patience.

Please note: those running Amateur Radio training courses need to be aware that candidates who are seeking licences for the end of year holiday period will need to have applications for licences lodged as soon as possible. 

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 27 / 10 / 2016 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

Typhoon Haima which hit the north of the Philippines has left a path of debris, destroyed infrastructure, damaged homes (46,000) and businesses, affected agriculture and fishing, plus resulted in flooding and landslides.  This is how the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described the latest of this year’s 12 storms to hit the archipelago.

The Philippine Amateur Radio Association (PARA) was ready for Haima, having activated its HERO net on 7.110 MHz for the earlier Typhoon Sharika on Luzon Island.  That Category 3 Typhoon moved westward and weakened quickly.  Roberto Vicencio DU1VHY reports that HERO was ready as Super Typhoon Haima smashed into the northern Philippines with winds gusting to over 300kph and forcing thousands to flee.  The frequency of 7.110 MHz was used as Typhoon Sharika when its wind and rainfall made its presence known in the area of Luzon Island.

No sooner had TC Sharika passed through the area of Luzon Island, were eyes on Typhoon Haima.  Roberto DU1VHY reports that the HERO net with 130 stations gave weather, power and flooding reports.  Other ham groups like the United Methodist Amateur Radio Club (UMARC) sent members led by DV1YIN, to travel north to the province of Isabela.

The OCHA reported that the United Methodist Communication and the Philippine Amateur Radio Association provided solar generator sets to local radio amateurs in Isabela.  Its latest report it said: “Considering the limited access to other communication channels, the use of ham radio is being used to support affected communities to communicate with their loved ones and provide feedback to their evolving needs.’  The team of DV1YIN, DW1YMJ and DV1XWK took more than 10 hours by road to reach Santiago City, Isabela, and immediately via HF radio contact advised that power had been cut and phone coverage was intermittent.

Most areas in Cagayan had limited access to communication, with electricity expected to take three weeks to be restored.  The army, police, the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies are also in the area.  The communication task was big, with affected families with essential ready access information from the local government units and humanitarian agencies.

The Far East Broadcasting Company continues to air information it has to affected communities and provide updates on the ongoing response in the Isabela, Cagayan, Aurora provinces.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 27 / 10 / 2016 
Author : Roger Harrison – VK2ZRH

For those not “in the know”, amplitude modulation – abbreviated AM – the first voice modulation mode for transmitting speech, never disappeared from the airwaves of the HF bands with the march of new technology in the guise of single sideband.  Enthusiasts of AM just kept at it in “hidden corners” of the bands.

Now, AM is back out in the open with visible recognition in the Band Plans for the Australian amateur bands below 30 MHz.

AM is not a recommended mode on the HF bands because of its bandwidth. However, it is a fully legal mode and there is AM activity on several bands.  They are: 

• on 160 metres, the upper portion of the band is recommended for AM use.
• on 40 metres, there is crystal controlled AM operation around 7125 kHz.
• on 10 metres, the recommended segment for AM is 29.0 – 29.1 MHz. 

Technical Advisory Committee Co-ordinator, John Martin VK3KM, has updated the Band Plans recently, which can be found on the WIA website here.

The advisory accompanying the Band Plans, Note 1, has been updated to add the frequency of 7125 kHz, which is being used for crystal controlled as well as VFO-rig AM operation.

Note 1 to the HF Band Plans also advises: the SSB segment can also be used for digital voice modes and image transmission modes, such as SSTV or Fax, using bandwidths up to 4 kHz, or for AM.

WIA President, Phil Wait VK2ASD, can be heard around 7125 kHz using his homebrew AM transmitter, which employs a Class E RF power final modulated by a Class D high level pulse-width modulation audio amplifier.  Quite a non-traditional AM rig configuration.