The Wireless Institute of Australia operates a QSL Bureau system for its members that generally follows the guidelines decided by the International Amateur Radio Union. Among them are standards for QSL cards. The IARU has a universal standard for QSL card production to improve the handling of them by volunteers around the world.
The WIA only processes cards that meet the IARU standard. That is, they should be no larger than 140mm by 90mm, and are at least 0.25mm thick. Copy paper is not suitable and glossy photographic paper with inkjet printing also causes issues for QSL Bureaux around the world.
All current users and those thinking of having QSL cards printed, need to read to IARU standards and methods used by the WIA including the pre-sorting of cards by those using the outwards bureau.
More information on this WIA membership service is on the WIA website under For Members or via thisLink.
In many countries the challenge of space exploration continues, and here in West Australia is what could be the start of a new satellite project. This can have a place in the era of innovation and the emerging STEAM activities at schools.
The OzQube-1 project is a tiny PocketQube satellite that is being built in a back shed, and has been on ABC radio and television, even its own website and Facebook page. Building OzQube-1 is a challenge for its builder, Stewart McAndrew, but preparing for a low earth orbit by piggy-backing with others on a space launch costs money.
In his childhood he had an interest in finding out how things worked, built electronics kits, studied aviation and settled into a career in Information Technology. To make the OzQube-1 dream closer to reality, crowdfunding through a GoFundMe campaign is underway.
More details on OzQube-1 project are via URLs which are in the text edition of this broadcast.
SatMag article via thisLink
Phys.Org article:Link
OzQube-1 blogspot:Link
Facebook:Link
Date : 30 / 04 / 2016
Author :Roger Harrison – VK2ZRH
Back in March, the Minister for Communications, Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, released a consultation paper on legislative proposals for a new radiocommunications act, during his speech at the ACMA’s RadComms 2016 Conference in Sydney.
The Minister said, “Australia’s current framework has been in place since 1992. At the time, it led the world… but the communications landscape has now changed dramatically… the Government’s Spectrum Review – released in May last year – found that the existing framework is slow, rigid and administratively cumbersome.”
Senator Fifield went on to explain that “A new Radiocommunications Bill will modernise our regime, and allow industry greater scope to respond quickly in the market to emerging technologies and services.”
The government sought comment from stakeholders by 29 April 2016.
The consultation paper set out 19 topics for specific comment, ranging across the objects and span of a new act, the roles of the Minister and the ACMA, radiofrequency planning, licensing of spectrum, the purpose of licences and rights, interference, equipment regulation, compliance and enforcement, user involvement (band or service managers), broadcasting, and transitional arrangements for moving between the current and new legislation. Pricing of spectrum or cost of licences were not part of the consultation paper.
The WIA’s response was developed over March and April and lodged with the Department of Communications on 29 April, as required.
The Department of Communications will consider the submissions from all stakeholders and develop an “exposure draft” of the new Radiocommunications Bill. No timetable has been advised of when the exposure draft will be released.
A copy of the WIA’s submission can be downloaded here.
All VK radio amateurs may use the alternative AX callsign prefix for ANZAC Day. The WIA reminds those who sign AX to have a QSL card available as these can be sought after as proof of working an AX station.
The WIA thanks all who used the AX prefix last year and registered on its website. The registration for the centenary of ANZAC was only for 2015, and no online registration is sought this year.
Among the activities will be AX4XQA from the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland. The Tablelands Radio and Electronics Club hold the XQA suffix in recognition that it was the callsign of the first Amateur Radio station in Queensland, issued in 1914. The XQA station was closed down by the Australian Government upon the outbreak of World War 1 along with all other amateur radio stations in the country. There are many war related sites of significance in the Atherton Tablelands region. AX4XQA will be operated by Dale VK4DMC, a Vietnam veteran, starting around 0400z. Primary Frequency 7.088 MHz. AM and SSB.
QSL cards will be available upon the receipt of a card and a reply paid envelope.
The destroyed home of well-known Ecuadorean DXer Lilian de Ayala, HC4L. She barely escaped serious injury or death when her house collapsed. [Courtesy of Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD]What you see on the news is only the tip of the iceberg of what really happened as a result of the devastating April 16 earthquake in Ecuador, Michigan physician Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD, told ARRL. Since the 7.8 magnitude quake hit while most people were at home finishing dinner, “thousands of people” remain buried in the rubble of collapsed buildings, although some have been found alive. Dorsch and his wife Maria, HC1MM, also a physician, have been helping to handle health-and-welfare traffic viaEchoLink, which is connected to the Ecuadorean interlaced national 2 meter repeater network.
“EchoLinkis actually a fantastic Amateur Radio service,” Dorsch told ARRL. “It has become extremely useful for the hams there to reach out to the outside world via 2 meters.” HF also is playing a role, and radio amateurs have been asked to give 7.060 MHz a wide berth while the Cadena HC Net handles emergency traffic. Dorsch said some problems have cropped up from DX pileups that have overlapped the net’s frequency.
Dorsch pointed out that while most of the damage was in the HC4 areas of Manabí and Esmeraldas provinces and the HC2 area of Guayas Province, what’snotseen from the outside is the heavy damage to surrounding small fishing villages and colonial towns that were leveled. Fortunately the Portoviejo Radio Club was undamaged, and members have been operating from there. Dorsch said that electrical power is starting to return, and the cellular network is still “iffy,” but the Quito Radio Club is providing battery-powered cellphone charging stations.
A lot of health-and-welfare traffic is headed not only between Ecuador and the US but to Spain, Chile, and elsewhere, he reported. Dorsch said more bilingual Spanish-English speakers are needed on the HC1BG-REchoLinkchannel.
While power has been knocked out over much of the affected region, Dorsch said, he’s witnessing hams all over Ecuador operating from mobile stations, portable stations, and, in some cases, from home. “All of the Ecuadorean radio clubs have been on high alert and are helping in search-and-rescue efforts,” he said. “Ham radio at its best!”
On a more positive note, Dorsch said that noted DXer Lilian “Mami” de Ayala, HC4L, barely escaped death or injury when her home collapsed. The 85-year-old, who lives in Portoviejo, was in her radio room seconds before the earthquake hit, Dorsch said. “Her granddaughter had come over to visit, so Lilian went into another part of the house.” Her radio room and home were destroyed, and her next-door neighbor was among the casualties.
“She’s still in shock and can’t believe she’s alive,” Dorsch told ARRL. Local hams have removed her personal effects and ham radio gear to a safe location.
For more than 40 years, de Ayala had been a regular check-in on the Cadena HC Net on 40 meters. “It’s ironic that the one person who lost all of her radio equipment was the one who organized radio emergency services for so many years,” Dorsch said. Her tower and antennas survived, because they were mounted on the roof of her son’s home next door.
Lilian de Ayala, HC4L (left), and Dr Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD (right), and an unidentified utility lineman, whose gear intrigued Dorsch. [Courtesy of Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD]
From the 
From the ![The destroyed home of well-known Ecuadorean DXer Lilian de Ayala, HC4L. She barely escaped serious injury or death when her house collapsed. [Courtesy of Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD]](https://www.orarc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/1.jpg)
![Lilian de Ayala, HC4L (left), and Dr Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD (right), and an unidentified utility lineman, whose gear intrigued Dorsch. [Courtesy of Rick Dorsch, NE8Z/HC1MD]](https://www.orarc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2.jpg)