(From WIA web site - Feb 2005)

WYP to help promote physics
In a coincidental celebration of Albert Einstein's "miraculous year" 1905, the United Nations has declared 2005 the World Year of Physics. Einstein 100 years ago published several scientific articles that profoundly influenced understanding of the universe.

They included the nature of light, existence of atoms, and the concepts of space, energy and matter. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is to organise activities celebrating the Year throughout the world


New Hamsat ready for launch
AMSAT India is hoping to orbit a new low earth orbiting satellite in February or March this year. Weighing 40Kg the micro-satellite will hitch a ride to orbit altitude with another satellite from the Sriharikota launch site in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

It will have two transponders, the main unit being Indian and a back-up system that is Dutch made. Operation will be Mode-B configuration with UHF uplink and VHF downlink. This mode is also known as U-V operation.

The linear transponders are designated to operate in CW/USB/FM modes. Uplink centre frequency will be 435.25MHz while downlink is 145.90MHz. The beacon frequencies are (Indian) 145.940MHz and (Dutch) 145.860MHz.
Info: amsatindia.org

More countries gain 40m band extension
Steady progress is being made in Europe particularly for their radio amateurs to gain early access to the 7100 - 7200 kHz band for the Amateur Service. The World Radio Conference 2003 decided that the segment 7000 - 7200 kHz will be globally harmonized for the Amateur Service from 2009.

However, on the condition that harmful interference is not caused to the broadcasting service, radio administrations may from 1 January 2005 allow their radio amateurs to have access on a secondary basis.

Britain, Croatia, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Poland, Norway, San Marino, Serbia-Montenegro, Switzerland and other nations are giving their radio amateurs the advantage of this early access provision.

From WIA web site
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Australia sending radio receivers to Tsunami-hit areas
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA), the radio industry body, has taken the initiative to aid and coordinate the restoration of radio broadcasting to people in several Asian Tsunami disaster areas.

In a media release CRA said it is contributing up to 50,000 AM/FM portable radio sets to stricken areas with the five batch being shipped to Indonesia and the remainder over the following four to five weeks.

The radio industry has also offered a number of engineers to help set up temporary broadcasting facilities in disaster zones, and up to seven transmitters will be provided.

CRA Chief Executive Officer, Joan Warner said the initiative involved the donation of radio sets, fresh batteries and broadcasting equipment to survivors and broadcasters affected by the disaster.

Ms Warner said, "Indonesia's public broadcasters have reported more than 30 of their employees are missing or feared dead, and many broadcasting facilities were severely damaged during the disaster.

"Helping to restore radio communications to affected areas is a practical way the Australian industry can contribute to relief efforts and will provide a channel for authorities to communicate vital information about water, food and medical aid."

CRA has also gained the support of the Asia Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU), which represents 130 radio and television broadcasts in 54 countries and is also asking its members to support the project through donating radios and broadcast equipment for Indonesia's Aceh region, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

One of the broadcasters that has been affected is Radio Republik Indonesia. It has managed to set up a temporary studio and AM and FM transmission facilities in Banda Aceh, but requires emergency broadcast equipment and a minimum 5,000 portable radios for the homeless.

The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation has also requested FM radio receivers for survivors, while the Maldives needs battery-powered radio sets for eight temporary shelters each housing 500 to 3,000 people.

From WIA web site 12/1/2005
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BPL has doubtful future: WIA
By Jim Linton 23/1/2005

The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) seriously doubts that broadband over power lines (BPL) technology can deliver on its promises while overcoming its radio frequency pollution issues. WIA Director Phil Wait said, "It sounds like a very good idea in principle, but we believe it will fall short on implementation."

Mr Wait, who coordinates the WIA's working group on BPL, was recently invited to appear on the weekly TekTime program on Melbourne's 3MDR FM community radio. The WIA is the national society representing the interest of radio amateurs.

He explained that BPL had its genesis or beginning in low frequency narrow band control signals sent down power lines to remotely control off-peak hot-water systems and telemetry for power distribution management.

"In the 1980s experiments were conducted in transmitting higher speed data over power lines and with the recent growth in the Internet people have been looking at developing another 'pipe' into the home.

"Someone found, only a few years ago, that if you pump enough broadband power down one end of the powerline out in the street something is going to come out at the powerpoint. And that's BPL as we know it," Mr Wait said.

The main attraction of the technology is its potential to overcome what is termed the 'last mile', the problem of getting cables into somebody's home.

Particularly in home units with the building jointly owned through a body corporate where cabling access permission is hard to get. Because of this cable-based telecommunications providers do not provide broadband to those buildings.

The WIA Director said the bandwidth that has been achieved through BPL tests in Australia so far is comparable with rates from ADSL cable.

He said "The very latest BPL chip claims to deliver much higher bandwidth. But with high bandwidth comes limited range and more susceptibility to interference. It's the same old story that you don't get something for nothing.

"There are two major problems with BPL technology. One is the interference it generates and is also susceptible to, and the other is the bandwidth."

Mr Wait said, "The power lines were never designed to transmit anything like broadband frequencies. They are full of discontinuities, they've got branches, leaky insulators and are not shielded an enormous distributive antenna that runs around a city."

He said that radiation from BPL has the potential to affect all HF radio users in Australia such as aviation, maritime, emergency services, long distance transport, broadcasting and amateur radio. The Australian Radiocommunications Act and the International Telecommunications Union radio regulations prohibit telecommunications services from causing harmful interference to radio services.

During a recent trial of BPL at Queenbeyan in New South Wales measurements were taken and confirmed similar results recorded overseas.

Mr Wait said there's a lot of research on trying to get the interference levels of BPL down, including the use of 'notching' to reduce certain frequencies.
However he said the notching is only achieving about a 20dB difference which is insufficient to protect HF radio users. Mr Wait said interference can also be a problem for the consumer using BPL technology. It is susceptible to disruption by radio signals interfering with it. The operation of BPL relies on it sharing frequencies already used by radio services.

He said, "A number of tests done internationally show that very, very low power levels in the order of a few watts can interfere with a BPL system.

"This has the potential to interrupt the BPL signal. It will either slow it down or make it go away."

He said there were limited BPL trials underway in various parts of the world and a driving element for them is often a political determination to spread the availability of broadband access.

"There is a lot of political pressure in the US to improve the access to broadband services in rural America. The US is lagging behind many other countries in broadband penetration.

"President (George W) Bush has come out and said that he supports virtually anything that is going to increase broadband," Mr Wait said.

The situation in America is also interesting because the Federal Communications Commission has established 'exclusion zones' prohibiting BPL near government radio installations, obviously in recognition of the potential for interference.

In Australia the WIA sees BPL as being attractive to utility companies who have been looking at ways to 'bundle' services, giving them the opportunity combine electric supply with a telecommunications service.

BPL also can enable power companies to remotely read electricity meters and achieve micro-level control over their networks in the future.

The WIA believes that there may be BPL in some areas of Australia. Mr Wait said, "We will certainty see things like 'homeplug' which is an in-house distribution system. We will certainty see home-networking within building using this sort of technology.

"But I think the reality of the situation when they start to deploy (BPL) networks they're going to have a lot of problems."

He said there are a number of trials, and a few commercial trials. Some have been shutdown for commercial or technical reasons, including interference. There is still a lot of interest in it.

"BPL will probably be trialed and may find application in some areas in a limited way," Mr Wait said. "One of the arguments being put for BPL is that is it useful in rural areas.

"Well it may be useful in rural towns but it is not much good out on remote properties because the cost I believe in getting BPL signal out there to start with is going to be too prohibitive."

He said the most encouraging (BPL enabling) technology that is coming out is wireless such as WiFi and WiMax, with its price dropping and capabilities rapidly improving.

Another option for power companies to enter the field of telecommunications is to string fibre-optic cable under the neutral power conductor, and then every now and then have a wireless node serving an area.

"BPL itself is quite a good idea. The WIA is not opposed to BPL per se, the Wireless Institute is opposed to the interference that BPL generates," Mr Wait concluded.
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New standard for mains power plugs
Concerns about electricity safety has prompted a change to the Australian mains 3-pin power plug. Under the Australian Standard AS/NZS 3112:2000 the active and neutral pins on both 10amp and 15amp power plugs and plug-packs must be insulated.

This change, to be mandatory in April this year, has been introduced in response to a number of incidents including fatalities with un-insulated pins.

These incidents involved a metal object, such as a metal blind slat or other metallic material coming into contact with a plug pin that was partly removed from its socket.

Insulating of pins are not new and can be found in use on mains power plugs in Europe and some other countries.

The Australian 3-pin plug was introduced around 1930 at the time when electricity generally became available to homes. The Aussie plug is also known as the Australasian plug because it is used in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea too.

Apparently it was copied from the design of an American plug that no longer exists, although it still survives in Argentina where different wiring polarity is used and China which mounts it with the earth pin on top.

Each Australian State and Territory and New Zealand Electrical Regulator requires all electrical equipment to be supplied with insulated pin plugs, at all points of sale, by no later than the 3rd of April.

Amateur radio text messaging
Something new - the Sound Card Amateur Message Protocol (SCAMP) is promising to add an email-like text message capability to amateur radio. SCAMP uses narrow (2kHz) bandwidth HF or VHF voice channels to transmit text error free using ordinary sounds cards and modestly powered computers.

It is being tested in the United States. The first transcontinental exchange of Amateur Radio e-mail messages using SCAMP took place December 4 on 20m between California and Pennsylvania.

Cordless phones continue to intrude
Long-range cordless phones that operate on the amateur two metre band are still around and while there has been no recent reports in Australia, one has interfered with an amateur repeater in the United States. The Holmesburg (Pennsylvania) Amateur Radio Club complained to the Federal Communications Commission about telephone conversations appearing on 146.080 MHz input frequency of its repeater.

The offending cordless phone base units was tracked down and its owner surrendered it to an FCC officer and inquiries about its source are continuing.

From WIA web site

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Exclusion zone for 70cm band in Victoria
(Oct 2004)
The bottom half of the 70 centimetre band is no longer available for amateur radio in most of Victoria as the result of a new exclusion zone that has just become law through an amendment to the Amateur Licence Conditions.

BPL interference not confined to HF
(Oct 2004)
Measurements carried out in Japan clearly demonstrate that interference from a broadband power line (BPL) system generates spurious RF emissions beyond 300 MHz. BPL injects RF energy along power lines to provide broadband Internet services into homes and businesses, but it also leaks radiation as modulated carriers at intervals of about 1 kHz. The frequencies used are commonly between 2 MHz and 30 MHz and some proposed systems will extend this to 80 MHz. As the electricity distribution lines were never designed to carry RF, they act like an antenna system, and due to the electricity grid not being perfect, intermodulation products and harmonics are created too.

Japanese tests detected higher frequency spurious BPL emissions between 310 MHz and 340 MHz at distances of up to 55 metres from a BPL-enabled power line. Apart from HF communications, BPL has the potential to interfere with TV and FM broadcasts, VHF land mobile operations, aircraft VHF communications, maritime VHF communications as well as amateur 6m and 2m operation. Read the Japanese technical report - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
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The National WIA and the Clubs - Working Together
(Oct 2004)
The National WIA board has received many suggestions from visits to clubs by directors as to how the clubs and the national WIA might work together more effectively.

Many clubs have identified the need to establish an information flow between the clubs and the WIA.  To this end work, has commenced on linking the WIA website to the club web sites and providing a complete list of the clubs, when they meet and how to contact them on the National WIA website as well as in the next issue of the WIA Callbook.

A link from the WIA web site to the clubs web pages has now been provided. It can be entered via the link at the top right hand side of the WIA home page, and is marked "amateur radio clubs of Australia".

The WIA does not have a complete and up to date list of all the clubs and special interest groups.  We need your help to complete this list.  If you are a member of a club or special interest group, take a look at the entry for your club or group on the WIA web site and let us know as soon as you can any corrections or additional information we should add to your clubs listing.  All you need to do is send an e-mail to WIA director, Ted Thrift, VK2ARA at tthrift@iprimus.com.au listing what changers are needed.

More initiatives will be released shortly as the board and the clubs continue to define how best to work together.

From WIA web site.
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Europe considers Foundation Licence concept
(Oct 2004)
A new entry level licence is being seriously considered by Europe based on the British Foundation licence that was introduced in 2002. The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) has been able to provide an example of how such entry point licensing can work and this has captured the attention of other European radio societies. Several countries in Europe have been considering the introduction of a new licence to make amateur radio more attractive, but most believe it is essential for it to be achieved through the common CEPT (Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations) licence system rather than nation by nation.

A meeting of European national radio societies has concluded that a future CEPT Foundation Licence must have a substantial access to HF, as well as VHF and UHF to show newcomers all aspects of amateur radio.

All operating modes - phone and data, should be encouraged by the licence. The intention would be to get newcomers involved quickly to build up their interest. Progression from entry to full licence is a main objective. The next step is to explore the issue informally with the CEPT and for the European radio societies to discuss it further at their next meeting.

The proposed Australian Foundation Licence to be introduced in 2005 is out of step and unlikely to qualify for CEPT recognition because the ACA has decided to restrict it to voice and hand-keyed Morse code only. The ACA is also watching overseas developments closely and may still yet be convinced that an all mode Foundation Licence is vital for the future of amateur radio in Australia, while also achieving international licence harmony.
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ACA blueprint for spectrum management (Sep 2004)
The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) has provided an insight into its thinking and policy approach to the management of Australia's radiofrequency spectrum. In a document entitled From DC to daylight-accounting for use of the spectrum in Australia, if outlines the available spectrum resource, its users and the pressures for access to it. It describes the main uses of the radiofrequency spectrum, how those uses might be affected by change and the key challenges faced by the ACA as it tries to accommodate an increasing demand for spectrum.

Among the new uses are wireless applications to meet consumer demand for broadband and cordless communications. In some cases spectrum will need to re-allocated after migrating existing users elsewhere, dynamically shared by different users through technology such as spread spectrum, or sold as blocks through spectrum auctions.

The ACA report, in referring to the Amateur Service, notes the decline being experienced in licence numbers in Australia and overseas. Overall about 5% of the spectrum is allocated to the Amateur Service. Where there are secondary allocations the ACA said that the Amateur Service may need to vacate in preference to other users - with this now occurring at 420-430MHz and 3.4 and 3.5GHz.
From WIA
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ACA consultation methodology revealed (Sep 2004)
It was with great enthusiasm the amateur radio fraternity received the Australian Communications Authority's discussion paper 12 months ago on its Review of Amateur Service Regulation. The outcome of the review will undoubtedly provide a number of benefits for amateur radio in Australia before the middle of 2005.

However there is continuing disappointment being expressed over the Foundation Licence that as proposed, does not meet the expressed expectations of the majority of those who made submissions to the ACA inquiry. In answer to correspondence, the ACA has revealed that it sought to achieve, what it calls an overall integrated package of proposals. In doing so it was not necessarily influenced by the number of submissions it received commenting on a particular issue.

The ACA review of the Amateur Service was primarily to deal with matters arising out of the World Radiocommunications Conference 2003. But it was also recognised as a once in a generation opportunity to address the underlying issues that are causing its decline, and take action to make amateur radio more attractive to a wider range of people. The review was a chance to respond to the challenge of finding ways to revive amateur radio in Australia, give it a new life, meaning and relevance to today's societies.

The Foundation Licence, as proposed will provide no foundation or underpinning for amateur radio in Australia. Despite the overwhelming support through the submissions received during the ACA inquiry for this new entry level licence to have all transmission modes, the ACA has not listened. It chose to create a telephony and Morse code telegraphy licence only.

The amateur radio fraternity sees the desperate need for change and has embraced a different approach to licensing that reflects trends that have developed in education generally. The ACA in deciding to place enormous restrictions on the Foundation Licence won't help amateur radio integrate in to today's educational and social climate.
From WIA
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EMR audits for radio amateurs (Sep 2004)
The electromagnetic radiation (EMR) limits that govern the operation of amateur stations are now being put to a compliance audit by the Australian Communications Authority. The ACA now conducting an audit by writing to randomly selected amateur licensees, in the first of what will be an annual auditing process of compliance with the EMR limits.

Those limits that apply to all apparatus licensed transmitters became effective on 1 March, 2003, and the Amateur Licence Condition Determinations have been amended to include this new regulatory requirement. They are designed to ensure that a transmitter is operated at safe levels for general public exposure to radiation. The ACA is required to conduct an annual audit of compliance with the EMR limits set out in the Radiocommunications (Electromagnetic Radiation-Human Exposure) Standard.

It will write to 30 or so radio amateurs throughout Australia to request that the licensee attests that their station is operating within the EMR limits, and explain how its meets compliance under the self-assessment method. This applies not only to home stations but mobile and portable stations too. The radio amateurs receiving the letters are chosen at random.

A failure to respond to the ACA letter or an inadequate response will result in the ACA initiating follow-up action to enable it to complete the audit. The EMR requirements for amateur stations were included in the February 2003 edition of Amateur Radio magazine, and can be found on the ACA web-site http://www.aca.gov.au/ Remember that it is a licence obligation that amateur stations or all types be operated in accord with the EMR limits.
From WIA
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Broadband over Power Line threat
( July 2004 )
The WIA has recently stated its position on BPL, also known as PLC or power line communications. WIA National President Michael Owen VK3KI says while access to broadband capability is important to Australia, it must not cause interference to legitimate users of high frequency radio spectrum.
The WIA is encouraged that the ACA is continuing to develop policies to address the issues arising out of BPL PLC.
The WIA notes that BPL PLC does not provide sufficiently large bandwidth that is obtainable from fibre optic cabling, and may have less attraction in the market place in the long term. The WIA says limited trials which may be conducted from time to time by promoters of BPL PLC are not a good indication of what can be expected with a large scale roll out of the technology.
WIA National Director, Phil Wait VK2DKN is now heading a WIA team that will develop further responses and strategies to counter the threat to amateur radio of BPL PLC in Australia.
The WIA is not the only group with an interest in HF communications that is taking a stand against the technology. A number of other HF users share the WIA's concerns and see it as a threat to their use of that part of the spectrum.

The BPL PLC trial in Hobart
The main energy company in Tasmania, Aurora has completed a small pilot of BPL PLC that provided Internet access to four homes and two floors of its office building in Hobart. Electronics firm Mitsubishi supplied the hardware for the trial that involved seven online users and ran for about two months.
The system uses multiple discreet carriers approximately every 1.1 kHz between about 1.6 MHz and 30 MHz. The WIA in Tasmania monitored the trial that was confined in area and did not use overhead mains power cabling as its transmission medium. Strong multiple carriers of the system and a click every second were received in the vicinity of the trial site.
The ACA was also invited to witness the BPL PLC trial. The ACA recognises BPL is an emerging technology with the potential to play a significant role in delivery improved broadband access to the general public. It is monitoring the debate and studies underway in Europe and the United States.
In the mean time, the ACA is seeking to establish regulatory arrangements that do not unnecessarily block the use of BPL PLC, but at the same time provide reasonable measures to adequately protect radiocommunications reception.
From WIA

The new HF band
Access to the 60-metre band in a number of countries is proving to be a boon to amateur radio with the new band providing international contacts. Some radio amateurs in the United States are reporting having worked all mainland states and into Britain on as little as 20 watts on frequencies around 5.4 MHz.
The United States has a number of channels on the band available to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis - that is that they do no cause interference to others uses of that spectrum.
A number of other countries have also given restricted access to their radio amateurs while others are allowing beacon or short-term test transmissions.
For example, the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland VO1MRC recently conducted experiments using a CW beacon alternately into a low-angle aerial vertical antenna and a high-angle inverted V. The WIA recognises the potential of gaining access to spectrum around 5MHz and is now negotiating with the ACA on this issue.
Aussie schools prepare for chats with space station
At least five Australian school listed to speak via amateur radio with crew on board the International Space Station. The Amateur Radio ISS coordinator Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI says the waiting list for schools is currently around 18 months and a number Australian schools will get their turn in the next 12 months.

Stealth wallpaper to combat eavesdropping
A British defence manufacturer has developed a "wallpaper" to block electronic eavesdropping on wireless LANs used indoors. The material is made in a similar way to flexible printed circuit boards using copper strips on a plastic substrate. Its use prevent outsiders from listening in on in-building wireless LAN traffic, while letting through other signals such as broadcast radio and mobile phone calls. Info: http://networks.silicon.com/lans/0,39024663,39121501,00.htm

From WIA
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AMSAT Echo Satellite Launched Successfully
( July 2004 )

At 0630UTC on the 28th of June the http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo AMSAT Echo amateur radio satellite was successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Telemetry from the satellite can be received on 435.150MHz FM. The 10-inch-square microsat, equipped with a transmitter capable of up to 7 watts output, will allow voice communications using handheld FM transceivers. However, AMSAT requests that amateurs do not transmit to Echo until checkout and commissioning has been completed and the satellite is made available for general use.

There will be a presentation on Echo at the http://www.uk.amsat.org\t AMSAT-UK Space Symposium which is being held from the 30th of July to 1st of August at the University of Surrey, Guildford. This event is open to all radio amateurs and SWLs and for further information on it please contact the AMSAT-UK secretary, Jim Heck, G3WGM, on 01 258 453 959 or e-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org

Astronaut and Cosmonaut Operate Simultaneously from ISS
Staying in space and - for the first time - an astronaut and a cosmonaut have been on the air simultaneously from both of the ARISS operating positions on the Space Station. Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, operating as NA1SS, made about 60 contacts on 2 metres during the ARRL Field Day last weekend, while Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, operated on 70-centimetres as RS0ISS. Thanks to the http://www.arrl.org ARRL for this news story.

Actor and radio amateur Marlon Brando is a Silent Key
One of the best-known names in cinematic as well as amateur radio circles, actor Marlon Brando, died on the 1st of July at the age of 80. Known to hams world-wide as KE6PZH and FO5GJ, Brando is listed on the FCC database as Martin Brandeaux. He was on the air occasionally through the years with his FO5 callsign from his private island in French Polynesia. In an interview with Larry King on CNN recorded in 1994 and shown again this week, Brando confirmed his continued interest in amateur radio. In response to a caller's question, he said amateur radio provided him with the opportunity to "just be himself".
From RSGB
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The new WIA gets constitutional approval (May 2004)
The resumed WIA Federal Convention was held via a teleconference today (16 May) and voted by the required majority to accept the constitution of the new nationally based Wireless Institute of Australia.

The result was a "yes" vote from VK1, VK2, VK4, VK5/8, VK6 and VK7. In line with public undertakings by the WIA Victoria Council, the VK3 representative Peter Mill VK3APO voted "no".

Those undertakings included the seeking of legal advice on the proposals in relation to the new national WIA, and taking a vote of the membership.

The voting process was difficult, and the required majority came about when the VK2 Federal Councillor voted apparently contrary to the instructions of the WIA NSW Council.

The VK2 alternative federal councillor also participating in the teleconference disputed the vote, but it was recorded in the affirmative.

The WIA now has a new President, Michael Owen VK3KI, with the Vice President being Ernie Hocking VK1LK.

The other directors are Glenn Dunstan VK4DU, Ewan McLeod VK4ERM, Phil Wait VK2DKN, Edward Thrift VK2ARA and Trevor Quick VK5ATQ.

The collateral or implementation agreement that for the new WIA involving all seven WIA Divisions is still to be negotiated.

WIA Victoria is proceeding to seek the legal advice on the implementation agreement to ensure safeguards for its membership, services and assets. A vote of the membership is also still required before that agreement can be signed.

Peter Mill VK3APO, Barry Robinson VK3JBR, Jim Linton VK3PC

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New Victorian Amateur Radio Club
A new amateur radio club is being formed in the Macedon Ranges area of Victoria, north-west of Melbourne. The Macedon Ranges Amateur Radio Club first meeting will be on Saturday 7 February, at the Woodend SES Headquarters, in Urquhart Street Woodend, at 9.30am. It hopes to have meetings every Saturday morning at that venue.

Further details are available from Peter Willmott VK3TQ on 5427 2660 Peter.Willmott@mt.com

IARU Region 3 Conference
The 12th conference of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 will be held from February 16 to 20, Taipei, Taiwan.

The WIA delegation is Neil Penfold VK6NE, Brenda Edmonds VK3KT and Jim Linton VK3PC.

This important regional conference will discuss the outcomes of the World Radiocommunications Conference 2003 and a number of papers have been generated for discussion and debate. The WIA has six papers which include electromagnetic radio regulations, proposed licence restructure, powerline communications or BPL, and Local Government approaches to antennas.

The NZART is addressing the problem of diminishing numbers of radio amateurs, its KiwiSat AMSAT project and a range of other matters of interest such as developing amateur radio in the Pacific Islands and LF band activity in New Zealand.

Other papers submitted include those concerning regional band plans, promotion of ARDF, and emergency communications.

The IARU Region 3 Conference will break into various at least three working groups where most of the business is discussed and these run parallel.

The three WIA delegates will be fully occupied attending these working groups and actively participating, and well as engaged in the many informal gatherings that occur over meals and on other occasions.

More information can be found at www.jarl.or.jp/iaru-r3/12r3c/docs/docs.htm

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ACA review outcome – some decisions made
(The Presidents Notes For January 2004.)

The ACA has decided that Australia will fully participate in the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) licensing system that gives radio amateurs total reciprocal operating privileges.

While Australia is one of about 60 countries in the CEPT system, it has not signed up for the CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01 that enables radio amateurs to operate in another country without needing to take out a licence in that country.

The ACA says it’s now talking to the CEPT about the matter and expects to be able to announce by mid-2004 that VK radio amateurs and foreign CEPT radio amateurs on short term visits to Australia will have mutual visiting rights privileges.

In other decisions made:

Emergency Communications

The ACA will not make any changes to current regulatory arrangements in regard to amateur communications during disasters. 

The ACA is still considering whether to permit the encryption of transmissions for operations and training with emergency services. And the issue of using abbreviated callsigns during training and emergency communications is still undecided.

Prohibition of international communications under certain conditions
If another country seeks a prohibition on communication with its radio amateurs, then this will be published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, and communicated to the amateur radio community.

Third party communications

The ACA will remove the prohibition on third party communications with overseas countries, unless another country seeks such a prohibition.

Amateurs must be qualified to a minimum competence level

The ACA will continue to verify the operational and technical qualifications of any person wishing to operate an amateur station.

Operating parameters - purity & stability of frequency, and maximum power

The ACA will continue to impose limits on the purity and stability of emitted frequencies, and maximum power limits on amateur stations in accordance with the ITU's requirements for transmitting stations.

The ITU requirements will be incorporated into the ACA's public information documents in early 2004 to ensure that they are available to amateur licensees.

Amateur-satellite service

The ACA will not make any changes to current regulatory arrangements in regard to interference to other stations by stations in the amateur-satellite service.

Amateur Internet linking systems

The ACA will update the Amateur Internet Linking System (AILS) consumer fact sheet to incorporate changes to third party communication arrangements.

Morse code requirement

The ACA had earlier announced that the Morse code proficiency requirement for amateur licensing would end, and as an interim measure Limited and Novice-Limited licensees will gain operating privileges below 30MHz from 1 January, 2004.

The big review continues

The ACA is working through the 1,400 submissions it received in response to its review of amateur service regulations in relation to the remaining proposals, including the licensing structure and the no-interference policy.

It expects to announce decisions by mid-2004.

(Contributed by Jim Linton VK3PC)

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Melbourne's ACA consultation has been and gone. Somewhere between 250 and 300 people crammed into a room that would have comfortably seated 200. 9 club members were present.

The ACA's Mr Mark Loney presented the ACA's preferred position in accordance with the discussion paper released in August. He then opened the evening up to questions from the floor taking each point strictly in the order he had prepared. There was lengthy discussion on the subject of type of licenses to be issued in future to the amateur service. Of the three possible Spectrum, Apparatus or Class. Mr Loney did his best to persuade those present that there was nothing to fear in a change to a class licensing system. Most were not convinced, although could accept that a class license system was necessary for visitors only if Australia is to offer temporary visitors permission to operate their amateur equipment here within the CEPT concept. On the issue of whether we have a 2 or 3 tier licensing system on a show of hands it was a close thing, I think from where I was sitting the vote for 3 was just ahead. The ACA will wait for all submissions to be collated before making a decision.

The "No interference policy" was the last subject on the agenda and with little time left (10pm finish) there was a push by the ACA to stifle discussion. But thankfully a person with a roving mike forced a vote on the feelings of those present on this policy, the result was an almost 100% rejection of the proposal. It remains to be seen what the ACA make of this. With Michael Owen VK3KI coming to talk to us on things ITU on Friday 17^th we will make time also for a general question time so that others who attended this function can give their views also.

Keep up to date with coming events via the Event Queue.

I will be away at Ascot farm sitting from Thur 23^rd Oct until Nov 8^th. I will keep the same sked times and frequencies as Helmut listed in our September Magazine.

Please find time to send in your submissions in response to the ACA document, the continuation of amateur radio as we know it could be at stake. 73's Peter VK3VB

ACA meeting in Melbourne
8 October, 2003

By Jim Linton VK3PC

The ACA public meeting on its review of Amateur Service Regulation held in Melbourne was attended by 160 radio amateurs from throughout Victoria.

During the meeting a show of hands resulted in the following votes:

• Unanimous opposition to the ACA’s proposed "no interference" policy for amateur stations.
• Only half a dozen of those in attendance supported the retention of Morse code as an amateur licence test requirement. The meeting also gave its general support for 1 January 2004 being the operative date for an end to code tests.
• The issue of there being a two-tier (Entry Level and Unrestricted) or three-tier licence (Entry level, Novice and Unrestricted) system saw the meeting fairly evenly divided. The ACA’s Mark Loney said, "...about 50/50 or maybe a few more for a two-tier structure". Mr Loney said generally there had been more support for three-tiers at the earlier ACA meetings. Hobart also had a 50/50 split. .

The ACA’s Mr Loney described the meeting as the biggest held so far. It began at 7.30pm and concluded at 10pm.

It stuck to the now well-established ACA format for these meeting of 30 minutes of a powerpoint presentation that covers the philosophy of the ACA’s review which is to:

• Seek comment on proposed changes arising out of the World Radiocommunications Conference held earlier this year.
• Restructure the licence system due mainly to the end of the Morse code requirement, plus the WIA’s proposed Entry Level licence.
• Make amateur regulations and the administration procedures for certificates of proficiency, callsigns and licensing, more effective and efficient.

After running through the topics in the discussion paper, the next phase of the meeting was question time, with a series of questions being discussed.

The hottest issue of the night was the ACA’s proposed "no interference" policy for amateur stations. It was unfortunate that the ACA kept discussion on that most contentious issue to the very last question in its public meetings so far.

Soon after the release in late August of its discussion paper the ACA came out very defensively on the "no interference" policy in response to email it received.

As it tried to stick to its guns, the level of opposition to the proposal got stronger. It is interesting to track to the ACA on this issue as its road-show travels around the country.

At each city the ACA has slightly modified or qualified its rationale for the "no interference" policy, and observers feel it is now backing off or taking a "softer" approach to the issue.

On the other hand the ACA claims that radio amateurs are reading much more into the outlined policy in the discussion paper.

At the Melbourne meeting the ACA said there were only a few such alleged interference cases a year, but expressed concern that some are drawn out affairs lasting for years and involving legal action.

The "intractable" cases are often caused when both the radio amateur and his complaining neighbour are uncooperative.

The lack of immunity standards for domestic radio and television receivers in Australia is also continuing to cause problems.

Although the ACA has given reassurances at its public meetings, we must maintain the "rage" against the totally unacceptable "no interference" proposal as it is spelt out in the discussion paper.

The radio amateurs at the Melbourne meeting were not in support of the suggestion that radio amateurs move from Apparatus Licensing from Class Licensing. They were skeptical of the implications, and not convinced it would be cheaper.

Mr Loney explained that Class Licences include CB Radio, LIPDs, marine radio, aviation, and satellite systems. The ACA website lists 13 Class Licences.

He stated that a Class Licence need not be limited to type approved equipment. If introduced for the amateur service, it would include the amateur qualification requirements.

The Class Licence would facilitate the ACA outsourcing as a package to an outside body, amateur examination, issuing of certificates of proficiency, maintaining a record of station locations, and issuing callsigns.

If the Apparatus Licence is kept for the amateur service, the ACA could still outsource some of the administrative activities associated with amateur qualifications and callsigns.

It was made clear on several occasions by Mr Loney that the ACA desires to achieve changes to amateur service regulations that are only possible without amendments to the Radiocommunciations Act.

For example the ACA wants to introduce a Class Licence for visiting foreign radio amateurs. However similar provisions for visiting ships and aircraft permitting them to operate without taking out an Australian licence exist under the Act.

The reluctance to change the Act is also partly behind the ACA putting on the table that the amateur service could be covered by a Class Licence. The WIA policy is for a new Amateur Operators Licence to be established, and recognised under the Radiocommunications Act.

The amateur fraternity needs to seek what it believes are the best possible changes, rather than take what might be second-best or compromise because the ACA is reluctant to amendment the Act.

Admittedly changes to legislation can take two years, but that should not be a real issue if we are to achieve quality long-term changes and improvements for amateur radio in Australia.

The issue of the proposed lifting of prohibitions on Third Party Traffic (messages handled by radio amateurs for non-amateurs) emerged at the Melbourne meeting as one of topics that had so far not received adequate attention.

Mr Loney was unable to answer all questions put on this topic. For example, the controls if any there would be on the handling of private email or private video.

The issue of phone patch, and connection of an amateur station to the public telephone network were issues "we have not thought about" he said, and encouraged them to be raised in submissions.

The amateur fraternity should be aware that the ACA is continuing on the path it began years ago of increasingly relying on self-regulation of the amateur service in Australia.

Probably not fully appreciated is the fact that the ACA will not look at any new changes for the amateur service after it has completed this current review and implemented its changes.

If we get it wrong through the review process, then we’re stuck with it for five or ten years.

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Amateur Radio to be Exempt from Ban on Driving While Using Mobile Phone
(July 2003)
The Department of Transport has issued a paper on the results of its consultation on a proposal for the introduction of an offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The consultation document suggested that "two-way radio microphones" should be included within the proposed ban, which would effectively have banned mobile amateur radio in the UK. In its submission to the consultation document, the Radio Society of Great Britain pointed out that amateur radio had been operated from motor vehicles since 1955 without any accidents being recorded. The Department of Transport report on the results of the consultation states that, "Amateur radio operators, some commercial drivers such as taxi drivers and hauliers, and some of the emergency services use [two-way radio] to communicate with a base station. We accept that such 'press to talk' devices keep conversations short and are likely to have a lower risk. . . While the details of the extent of the exemption remain to be determined, the new offence will exempt the use of such devices."
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(From the Radio of Great Britain Web site)
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