From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 21 / 09 / 2016 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

Experimentation and pushing the boundaries paid off for two radio amateurs Steve McDonald VE7SL in Canada and Roger Crofts VK4YB Queensland, who made a two-way digital contact in the JT9 mode.  This path is the longest two-way QSO on the 472-479 kHz band, which was granted as a secondary allocation to the amateur service at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2012.

The JT9 contact in the WSPR QSO mode was at 1319z on Thursday 15 September, about 30 minutes before Canada’s sunrise with the sky surprisingly bright.  Steve VE7SL says he and Roger VK4YB worked each other on 630m, the exact frequency being 475.300 kHz.  He says: “This is the first-ever two-way QSO between North America and Australia on the relatively new 630m band.  It presently represents the furthest two-way contact on this band, worldwide, but I don’t expect this record will last very long once the United States gets the band.”

The distance using the latitude and longitude values of each station rather than Maidenhead locators, the precise distance is 11,822 km.  The Canada end of the contact was at Mayne Island, British Columbia, and had to travel over a distance before reaching the open Pacific.  Steve VE7SL predicts that the station at the VK4YB is very capable of reaching much further afield.  With his new antenna, transverter and amplifier it seemed that with Roger VK4YB, full advantage of Trans-Pacific propagation could be realised, although the path has not been at its best yet.  Ironically the transverters used at both ends were of the VK4YB design, made in Queensland, and will be reviewed by Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW, in Amateur Radio magazine.

The pair showed persistence by watching the pre-dawn Trans-Pacific propagation.  Roger VK4YB used an experimental 630m band antenna at his QTH in Moorina, a small rural suburb 39 kilometres north of Brisbane in the Moreton Bay Region.  Before the two-way contact he seemed to be the only VK on 630m WSPR mode seen in Canada.  Roger VK4YB says propagation had been doubtful but on the last attempt on the day the historic contact with Steve VE7SL was achieved.  Others had made earlier contacts over shorter distances on the 7-kHz-wide band just below the broadcast AM band, using mainly digital techniques although there have been some SSB, CW and beacon activity occurring.

Writing on his blog Steve VE7SL hoped the historic contact will inspire new interest in the band.  His advice, particularly to new users, is that it seems that the main mode of two-way communications is CW or JT9, and a simple transverter would allow both modes as well as the use of the WSPR beacon mode.

Here’s VK4YB’s new antenna (click for the full size image):

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 16 / 09 / 2016 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

The prestigious Chris Jones Award for 2016 has been presented to Jenny Wardrop VK3WQ, for consistent support of the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA), the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association (ALARA), and the WIA journal Amateur Radio magazine.

Announced at the Norfolk Island annual general meeting, the WIA Board awarded it and mentioned her latest contributions of articles in 2014 and 2015 for the ANZAC Centenary.  The Chris Jones Award is named after the National WIA’s secretary, an inspirational and passionate individual, who passed away in 2006.

WIA Director Robert Broomhead VK3DN made the presentation to Jenny in September at the Mechanics Institute in Prahran.  Jenny VK3WQ was very appreciative of being honoured, with her long history of many notable contributions that impressed the WIA Board.  She said: “I had the opportunity to research and write about women who contributed to the war effort, and contribute to the ANZAC 100 coverage some of the roles done by them.  An important part of our history has been recorded for current and future generations.  New parts of the story emerged, it has been a pleasure to be able to share these and put them on record.”

Robert VK3DN said it was a great pleasure to make the presentation and share the occasion with her partner Peter Wolfenden VK3RV.  The conversation quickly turned to the enormous contribution made by Chris Jones VK2ZDD.  While Jenny and Peter had heard a lot heard a lot of his enormous contribution to the hobby, they unfortunately did not meet him.

Jenny and Peter are now in London to attended Amateur Radio events, (YL International Conference and RSGB Conference) visit at least two museums, and undoubtedly continue adding to their knowledge of history.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 16 / 09 / 2016 
Author : Peter Cossins – VK3BFG

The 2016 DATV QSO party will be on again starting at 1000 UTC on Friday 23rd September.  Friday night in Melbourne will be VK only with contacts to VK2, VK3, VK4 VK5 and VK7.  VK3RTV will again be streamed in SD on U Tube courtesy of Ralph Parkhurst, VK3LL.  Ralph will advise the link before the event.  Outside the coverage of VK3RTV, this will be by far the best way to view the activities.  We will also continue to stream VK3RTV on the BATC website which will give even more coverage.

At 0000 UTC on Saturday 24th of September we will start through the DATV repeater WR8ATV in Columbus Ohio.  After a short break we will pick up the W6ATN network in Southern California.  Of note there is the system has some new uplinks on DVB-T so it will be interesting to see those stations using this function.  Unfortunately our friends in the UK will be busy with the BATC Convention so it is unlikely that contacts to the UK will be made this year.

Any station in the US or AUS who would like to Skype in please send a request to Skype name ‘datvqsoparty’ and I will call you in when a time slot is appropriate.  Please do not call this Skype name as it creates problems for me this end.

I hope to catch up some time over the activity period.

Peter VK3BFG