Just a reminder to all members that the VI4ANZAC station is operating for the last day today.

Mike VK4QS, VI4ANZAC “RANBT” Team Leader writes in an email thanking ORARC its promotion of the event:

Look we only have till Sunday MIDNIGHT Tonight and its all over FOREVER.
So if you can perhaps Email Russell up your Oxley Troops for a contact on 80m tonight, it would be greatly appreciated.

I will be on with VI4ANZAC from 7:30pm Queensland Time, so 8-30 for you down there.
I will be on either 3.585 or 3.580mHz
I really look forward to working you and your mates

So please, fire up your radios and avail yourselves of the last opportunity to participate in this commemorative event.  It’s also your last chance to obtain the special and unique hardcopy VI4ANZAC QSL Card.

Read the details of the event and the “Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train” Sailors it honours here.

From the NSW Police Force Media Release Archive (article has been truncated removing detailed PEATS information).

Monday, 30 November 2015 05:03:23 PM

Police radio transmissions will be encrypted in parts of the state’s north next month under new arrangements aimed at improving officer safety in the region.

The encryption process, which is expected to go-live mid-December, will affect digital radio across Coffs Clarence, Mid North Coast, Richmond and Tweed Byron Local Area Commands.

This follows the successful encryption of police digital radios across all commands in the Sydney metropolitan region, Newcastle and Wollongong seven years ago.

Northern Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Jeff Loy, said the process is an important step forward in ensuring the safety of police.

“Criminals will no longer be able to listen in on police radio transmissions or follow emergency responses, which means we’re eliminating a significant risk to officer safety,” Assistant Commissioner Loy said.

“Policing can be a highly challenging and at times dangerous job, and we’ll continue to develop and implement strategies that make their role as safe and secure as possible.

“Encrypting radio transmissions not only means protecting the welfare of our officers, but also helping them solve and prevent crime,” Assistant Commissioner Loy said.

The change will also affect local media organisations as they’ll no longer have access to monitor police radio via scanners in newsrooms and vehicles.

“We will continue to assist media in the important role they play in communicating information to the public that helps tackle crime,” Assistant Commissioner Loy said.

“To maintain this connection, we’ve developed and implemented the Police External Agencies Transfer System (PEATS), an internet feed that has been used for a number of years to provide information on police activity, in place of radio transmissions.

“In addition, we’ll work with affected media organisations to ensure the new measures allow opportunities to attend operations of public significance,” Assistant Commissioner Loy said.

How Media Organisations gain PEATS Access:

The Police External Agencies Transfer System (PEATS) is an internet based platform for publishing selected Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) information to authorised Media Organisations. Similar systems exist in other states.

For a media organisation to be approved for PEATS access, it must provide news and current affairs broadcasts/newspapers to the public.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 15 / 12 / 2015 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

The WIA ANZAC 100 ‘last hurrah’ began at the weekend with commemorative ANZAC-suffixed callsigns in Victoria, Queensland, Perth and Darwin.VI3ANZAC reports activity on HF, using phone and digital contacts.  On Tuesday December 15, it will be on Digital Amateur Television through VK3RTV, with an exponent of that mode at the ready. It will end on December 19-20 with VI3ANZAC coming from Fort Gellibrand in Melbourne’s inner-west.

VI4ANZAC has had CW and SSB contacts, using the lower, HF, and 6m bands.  At one stage it averaged 20 contacts per night on 80m.  All involved in operating and making contact are most pleased.  The VI4ANZAC team is made up of mostly ex-NAVY, some Army and marine-type operators, promoting the Royal Australian Navy Bridge Train (RANBT) who were the ‘Sailors in Khaki’ at Gallipoli.

The Ham College in Perth also began its commemoration on December 12-13 at the RAAF Museum Bull Creek in the Cobra Helicopter display.  On the final weekend December 19-20, VI6ANZAC will continue on HF using SSB and sometimes CW, and plans to activate an FM satellite as well from its new QTH at a scout hall.

VI8ANZAC has been hitting the bands with plenty of activity.  From Germany a visitor Horst Kleinschwaerzer DM6HK, had a couple of hundred QSOs, before the storms reached Darwin.  He also became the 33 DXCC to visit Stuie VK8NSB in the top end.  Throughout the week VI8ANZAC will continue mainly on 15m and 20m to work long path, with some good openings already reported.

Stuie VK8NSB and Rowan VK8RD will end the ‘last hurrah’ portable at the Charles Darwin National Park VKFF-0095 on 20m to 10m using SSB & CW – so look for that one.  December 20 is significant, because on that day 1915, ANZAC forces quietly evacuated Gallipoli after an eight month battle.  For the ANZAC 100 closing, VK100ANZAC will carry an address by with WIA President, Phil Wait VK2ASD on Sunday.

All ANZAC-suffixed callsigns acknowledge contacts via eQSL.  They have more details on the WIA webpage www.wia.org.au and www.qrz.com.

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 15 / 12 / 2015 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

The suggested withdrawal or reduction to a user-pays commercial operation of the Ionospheric Prediction Service (IPS) has been found to be ill-advised, and it will stay as a core function of the Bureau of Meteorology.  This is the result of a review lead by Professor Paul Cannon, University of Birmingham, UK, into the need and uses of the domestic IPS services.

The WIA submitted that IPS information services, including sunspot, geomagnetic and maximum usable frequency data, and other information, is used by radio amateurs to best plan their communications activities.  The WIA said that many are dependent on the IPS services and would be adversely affected if the free service was withdrawn.

The Bureau of Meteorology in a public statement said the review has demonstrated that Australia needs a space weather services capability to support government, industry and the military.  These alone posed a sovereign risk if the IPS was closed.  Additionally it supported the electricity industry during major and extreme storms, was an aid to the new GPS-type satellite navigation systems, and had many other users.

The IPS will stay as a core function of the Bureau, with the aims of considerably strengthen its efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.  This will include improved awareness and preparedness in relation to the hazard potential and risks posed by space weather events. 

From the WIA, original post here.

Date : 05 / 12 / 2015 
Author : Jim Linton – VK3PC

When the torrential rain feel for several days in South India, numerous areas were flooded. Authorities, hundreds of houses submerged, and the death toll was at about 300 and rising.

Gopal Madhavan VU2GMN reported that some areas had 3 to 4 metres of water which meant that all ground floor houses were inundated and owners lost everything.  He said the flooding hit an area of more than three million people in Chinnai, with responders from the army, navy, home guards and the national disaster action forces all involved with rescue and relief work.  Hundreds of injured people were taken to hospitals.

Gopal VU2GMN said most hams were also isolated in their homes as normal passenger cars could not negotiate the high waters.  He also reported that the power supply was cut off in most areas as the electricity distribution systems were under water.  The mobile phone and landlines were 
drastically affected.  Gopal VU2GMN said: “Once it became possible to move, hams started going out assisting with delivery of food and water to stranded individuals, and with rescue from tall buildings where people were trapped.”

National Coordinator for Disaster Communication in India, Jayu Bhide VU2JAU put out the call for more help with emergency communications.  Already a network was on two local VHF repeaters that continued to work well, and the 7.090 MHz frequency was mainly on standby for long distance work.

Jayu VU2JAU explained that traffic being handled including distribution of food, locating missing persons and other information.  He said: “The number of hams has increased substantially, a control room has been established to coordinate efforts and more volunteer organisations 
have swung into action to provide food and water.  “Many mobile ham stations are now active to become active in locations not possible earlier.”  Without recharging power the depletion of hand held transceiver batteries was a problem, but battery powered mobiles were able to help keep communication going.

Hams continued their work that is expected to take several days, while recovery from the disaster is likely to take a number of months.

Rail services were diverted to Chennai to carry food and other essential supplies, while the nearby busy international airport was closed for a time disrupting flights, but seems to have returned to near normal.  Many industries in the large city were also shut down, along with the state-run Chennai Petroleum oil refinery.