Category Archives: Uncategorized

WARS awarded new DX Awards

Waverley Amateur Radio Society was recently awarded new achievements in operating.  The gained the Worked All VK Call Areas Award – HF in Open and Phone categories, and the International Amateur Radio Union Worked All Continents Awards in the Open and Phone Categories.

Operating Awards

Worked All VK Call Areas - HF -Open
• Requires a minimum of 66 QSO’s for this award.
• General rules apply. (Special prefixes AX and VI also qualify)
• VK0: 3 contacts from at least 2 different areas. (3)
• VK1, VK7, VK8: 3 contacts on at least 2 different bands. (9)
• VK2, VK3, VK4, VK5 and VK6: 10 contacts from each call district on at least 3 different bands. (50)
• VK9: 4 contacts from at least 3 different areas. (4)

Trans-Tasman Low Band Contest, 16 July 2016

Following the success of the club’s Harry Angel 80m Sprint effort earlier this month with 10 operators participating, we are now ready to take on a more complex contest in the Trans-Tasman Low Band Contest. This contest has special significance for the club, as it organised the first Trans-Tasman contest in 1922.
 
The Trans-Tasman will be held on Saturday 16th July, 0800-1400 UTC (1800-2400 local). Bands are 160, 80 and 40m. Modes are SSB, CW and Digital (PSK & RTTY only). VK and ZL stations only to count.
 
The intention is to operate a multi-operator, multi–mode, multi-transmitter station from the club. More detailed information has been sent to financial members on the club email list.

Ferry Contest Award

Connor Edwards (VK2FCAC) attended the Waverley Club regular Project Day on Saturday 5th May in order to receive his Ferry Contest check-in award.

FerryAward-1

Laurie Gordon (VK2GZ), contest manager, presented the award consisting of a certificate and one of the club’s Power Pole kits.

Next year’s Ferry Contest will be held on Sunday 12th March. Further details will be posted to the website closer to the event.

Sydney Amateur Radio Ferry Contest to be an annual event

Ham radio on the ferries is to be a regular event on Sydney’s famous harbour.

Organisers of the Sydney Amateur Radio Ferry Contest say the recent inaugural event proved so popular that it will be held on an annual basis.

The contest, which entails amateur radio operators travelling on ferries and gaining points for contacting others on the air, will be held again on March 12, 2017.

“We had dozens of contesters criss-crossing the harbour on a beautiful Sunday, talking with each other using hand-held radios,” said Laurie Gordon, one of the contest organisers.

“Points were awarded according to how many contacts were made and how many ferries were used. Operators could also increase their score by making contact from any of the public wharves on a variety of frequencies”.

Frequencies used are reserved by the Australian Communications and Media Authority exclusively for the use of amateur radio – a popular hobby that encourages technical experimentation and recreational use of the radio spectrum.

Ham radio has also been utilised in many countries during emergencies when natural and other disasters have shut down normal communication channels.

The event was held under the banner of the Waverley Amateur Radio Society – a club that has been in existence since 1919.

Andy Mitchell, who also helped organise the contest, said: “Many of our members live in the Eastern Suburbs and our clubrooms are virtually on the harbour at Rose Bay so we thought it was about time we put the two together.”

“Although contesting is an important part of amateur activities, this one is unique since everyone has to be on a ferry or a wharf, or contacting someone who is. We haven’t heard of any contest like this anywhere in the world.”

Awards are issued for a number of categories including “Worked All Ferries”, Highest Number of Contacts Made and Highest individual point score.

All participants in this year’s contest received a “Billy Blue” certificate for sending in their electronic logbooks. Billy Blue, a former convict, was Sydney’s first ferryman and was appointed Harbour Watchman by Governor Macquarie in 1811.

A popular feature of the contest was “eyeball” contacting where operators could add to their scores by meeting face to face. Contestants had to shake hands and exchange written confirmation. Many operators met for the first time, though they may have spoken on air to each other for years.

A base station was set up near the Rose Bay wharf to co-ordinate the event with participants encouraged to check in either by radio or in person.

As well as attracting radio enthusiasts from all parts of Sydney, a number had also travelled from other parts of the state including the South Coast and Central Coast in order to take part.

“Because of the special NSW Transport Sunday travel concessions and the Opal Card, it meant we could ride the ferries for the whole six-hours of the contest for $2.50,” said Laurie Gordon.

“At first we were worried that a bunch of guys with two-way radios might alarm the public, but Sydney Ferries, Transport for NSW and the Police got right behind us to help make it a success.

“We’re looking forward to even greater participation next year once word gets around about what a great day it was.”

Information about next year’s Sydney Amateur Radio Ferry Contest can be found on the Waverley Amateur Radio Society website www.VK2BV.org

ferry-syd

Waverley Amateur Radio Society donation to Tooraweenah Public School

The Waverley Amateur Radio Society has been mentioned in the Tooraweenah Public School Newsletter for March 2016! The club team on Exercise Equinox 2016 (the annual club road trip – camp out – John Moyle Field Day expedition), stayed at a local property and donated $200 to the Tooraweenah Public School P&C via our host and incoming P&C President, Kylie Moppett.

John Moyle Field Day 2016 Team
Edwin VK2VEL
Stephen VK2RH
Paul VK2HDX
Jason VK2VJB
Alex VK2PSF
Robert VK2YV
John VK2LWB
Henrik VK2HHS
John VK2LJ
Tony VK2KZ

Century for Centenary Project

The Waverley Amateur Radio Society is on the countdown to its centenary on 27 January 2019!

The ‘Century for Centenary Project’ is the first of the activities to celebrate the centenary of the club’s founding in 1919.

The ‘Century for Centenary Project’ is very simply, a project intended to encourage member’s activity on the radio, with the aim of achieving the DXCC (DX Century Club) award, and as many other operating awards as possible for club callsign VK2BV,  in the next three years to the centenary in 2019.

Operating awards are issued for achievements in working contacts and receiving verifications by QSL.  Examples of some awards include the ‘DX Century Club’ for working and QSLing 100 DX ‘countries’ (entities) on HF, or ‘Worked All States’ on VHF.   There are a range of operating awards on offer through a number of programmes administered by the WIA, ARRL, eQSL and QRZ.com among others.

Financial members of the club can read further on how to participate in the Century for Centenary Project.

Guest speaker, 18 May monthly meeting. Mark Fahey – Behind the Curtain – Gathering propaganda broadcasts inside North Korea

The special guest speaker for the Wednesday monthly meeting on 18 May is Mark Fahey.  Mark Fahey is a well known expert on North Korean broadcast media, who will be speaking  about his six visits to North Korea, where he not only documented and photographed propaganda as a part of every day life, but using clandestine recording devices, monitored and recorded North Korean radio and tv broadcast media signals.

Mark has documented this project as an interactive media e-book, Behind the Curtain.
http://www.behindthecurtain.asia/

More about the project:
http://mashable.com/…/life-inside-strangest-nation-on-ear…/…

Mark is well known in SWL circles for breaking the puzzle of the Chinese Firedrake SW broadcast jammer. http://www.satdirectory.com/firedrake.html

This is a not to be missed presentation about clandestine toilet breaks, the missing 5th floor of a Pyongyang hotel, MacGyvered radio intercept devices and sending SMS messages from the northern side of the Demilitarised Zone at Panmunjom.

Club Entry to the Harry Angel 80m Sprint Contest

The Waverley Amateur Radio Society is entering the Harry Angel 80m Sprint Contest on Saturday 07 May 1000-1146 UTC (2000-2146 local) operating from the club station.

This is a short contest ideal for the beginner to amateur radio and contesting or the casual operator.  There is a small club team preparing for the contest, but all members are encouraged to join the club operation.

We particularly encourage those members who are new or returning to amateur radio, those members who don’t normally participate in contests due to commitments, or those who cannot normally operate HF at home.   Experienced contesters will be on hand to advise on operating procedures and contest strategy, but the emphasis will be on practise and experience for the new contesters.  We are also looking for more CW operators.

This is a perfect opportunity to hone the club’s contest skills and experience, as there are a number of contest opportunities over the next few months.
Further details about the contest:  http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/harryangel/

If you are interested, please contact VK2VEL.  Further information will be circulated in due course.

Memorial Event “Fornovo’s Sack Battle”

April 18th – 28th, 2016 – IQ4FE – Special commemorative QSL

From April 18th to 28th, 3016, A.R.I. Fidenza will be On the Air on HF bands with the callsign
IQ4FE, to commemorate the World War II event “Fornovo’ s sack battle” occurred near Parma –
Italy end April 1945 with the contribution of the brazilian forces supporting the allied troups :
“Força Expedicionária Brasileira” (FEB).

Special commemorative QSL via bureau to IQ4FE, for further information see :
www.arifidenza.it  and  IQ4FE at www.qrz.com .

Best regards and 73’s de

Cristiano Cornini , IW4CLV
President
A.R.I. Fidenza Radio Club
www.arifidenza.it

 
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