A New Year’s Resolution for us

January 1st

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 02 / 01 / 2016
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

As this is the season to sing Auld Lang Syne, it also raises thoughts about friends and acquaintances in Amateur Radio from years past.

That traditional song translates to “times gone by” and is about remembering family, friends and associates from the past and not letting them be forgotten – “should auld acquaintance be forgot”, as the lyric goes.

WIA Director Roger Harrison VK2ZRH believes that we should strive to bring inactive radio amateurs back again, and has started the ‘Bring Them Back’ project that many can join.

Roger said: “From the ACMA’s register it is clear that there are many radio amateurs who pay their licence fees year-in and year-out, but are not heard on the air, and rarely seen at hamfests or club meetings.

“Although they maintain an interest in the hobby, but choose to be, or perhaps have to be, inactive for one reason or another.

“Likewise, there are those who let their licence lapse, and have no current callsign, but their interest in Amateur Radio smoulders beneath the surface nevertheless.”

As he dug deeper the topic soon became a theme, backed up with anecdotal evidence including some visiting maker faire DIY events, that there was an undercurrent of revived individuals lured by the modern Amateur Radio.

Roger said that if these radio amateurs could be encouraged to revitalise their once-burning interest, the hobby would be all the better for it.

WIA Vice President Fred Swainston’s stint as administrator in the National Office over recent months has revealed a steady stream of one-time radio amateurs applying for callsigns as the first step in returning to the hobby.

“If you think about it, there are many situations where you know, or discover, a colleague or acquaintance once held a callsign – they may well be amenable to being encouraged to return to Amateur Radio,” Roger said.

“Personally, I’m in the habit of reading Amateur Radio magazine (print edition) on my daily train commute to and from the Sydney CBD.

“On one occasion, I happened to be sitting next to a fellow traveller who saw me reading AR and struck up a conversation.  Before I got off the train, I gave him my copy and encouraged him to take up his hobby once again.  Did he do it?  I don’t know, for sure,” he said.

On another occasion, at a business event, a fellow recognised Roger VK2ZRH from his days editing electronics magazines and he struck up a conversation – mostly reminiscences about the “good old days”.  He went and applied for a new callsign and is now back on the air.

Roger VK2ZRH said: “Think about this – if each of us who have been in the hobby for some time took the opportunity, wherever it arose, to encourage a “lapsed” radio amateur to return, those with callsigns would be higher and the number active on the air would increase too.”

He proposes that many of us to get behind a project for 2016: Let’s call it – Bring Them Back.

There are many more situations where individuals may have let their interest in Amateur Radio lie dormant.  Roger VK2ZRH said he had only outlined a few examples.  He suggests we look out for the opportunities – in doing so it will be a positive move by the hobby, helping to make it to grow and thrive.

Sydney Amateur Radio Ferry Contest

Laurie Gordon, VK2GZ writes via the WIA Club Mailing List:

Sydney Ferry

Amateur Radio on Sydney Ferries – a unique contest on the harbour.

Waverley Amateur Radio Society is proud to announce a unique new contest which aims to bring amateurs together on Sydney’s world-famous harbour and its historic ferry service.

The date is Sunday March 13, 2016 and the object will be to make as many contacts as possible, afloat from the ferries or from any of the system’s 36 wharves.

Operation will be restricted to VHF and UHF bands, any mode, simplex or through repeater using hand-held transceivers.

A scoring system will encourage operators to visit as many wharves and travel on as many ferries as possible in a six-hour period.

As points will be claimed per location/contact rather than distance and with no advantage for high power or digital modes, all classes of licensees, including Foundation, can compete equally.

Many parts of the harbour are within range of several repeaters, with plenty of scope for simplex operation ferry-to-ferry or wharf-to ferry.

There will be a number of awards for achieving goals such as Worked All Ferries, as well as for highest number of points achieved.

Home and mobile operators will also be able to take part by contacting amateurs riding the ferries or activating wharves.

It is hoped that if successful, this inaugural event may become part of the regular amateur radio contest calendar.

Since its formation in 1919, WARS has had a long association with central Sydney and the harbour. Many of our diverse member base live and work around the harbour and regularly use the ferry service to travel for business and leisure.

With its headquarters at Rose Bay, just a few metres from the harbour itself, the club is well-positioned to host this exciting event.

As the special Sunday fare allows you to travel all day for just $2.50, the club is hoping that the contest will attract a good number of participants for an exiting and enjoyable day out on one of the world’s most beautiful harbours.

Further details will be added to the club’s Ferry Contest page which can be found here.

January Meeting Notes

Repeaters

Hello All,

Following on from the (not long) concluded January meeting, here are some points of interest:

  • Some members missed out on the initial allocation of 2016 WIA Callbooks, and expressions of interest are being sought for a second batch – please contact Henry VK2ZHE as a matter of priority to register your interest if you’d like to be included in this (final) order.
  • In the wake of the continued interference that plagues the VK2RPM Middle Brother repeater (which was particularly bad this last Thursday evening), a motion was passed to temporarily move the Sunday Morning Net to the VK2RCN Telegraph Point repeater until the interference is rectified.  The move is slated for evaluation at the February meeting where member input will be welcome.
  • ORARC will participate in the Summer VHF/UHF Field Day on the 9th of January at John Downes Park.  The Fox Hunt Practice day (that was to occur at Sancrox Reserve) has been rolled in with this event.  See here for details.
  • The Valentine’s Day Fox Hunt / Antenna Shootout is to be held at the Tuffins Lane Sports Fields.  Council permission is currently being sought and the event page will be updated as soon as we know which of the 26 fields we’ll be using!