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VK7AX > BCAST 07.02.26 10:47l 574 Lines 26062 Bytes #28 (0) @ WW
BID : 8433_VK7AX
Subj: VK National News 08Feb26
Path: JH4XSY<N3HYM<CX2SA<VK7AX
Sent: 260207/0136Z 8433@VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.AUNZ LinBPQ6.0.24
VK National News 08Feb26
Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2026-02-08.mp3
Text edition:
2026 FEBRUARY 8 WIA NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
------------------------------------------------------------*
THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN
tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos
------------------------------------------------------------*
IN WIA NATIONAL NEWS THIS WEEK:-
VK2LP Pete Cherry WIA returning officer. -
VK3GK Lee Moyle WIA Board candidate. -
VK2AYL Michelle VK2AYL from the Australian Ladies Amateur Radio
Association. -
VK5DJ John with news re this years Australian Fox Hunting Championship.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA AND IT'S FOR WEEK COMMENCING
SUNDAY FEBRUARY EIGHT 2026
I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB
AND IT'S A WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW LISTENERS TO 107.1 FM Tiaro Community
Radio in the Wide Bay, Burnett region of VK4.
WIA
JOIN THE WIA
tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y
The election for Director of the WIA has been open for one week now. Already we have 22% of the eligible voters cast their vote in the election.
An email with a link to the electronic vote was sent to all members who have a valid email address in Memnet. 32 emails were unable to be delivered. If you did not receive an email please contact the returning officer via the email ReturningOfficer(at)nationaloffice.wia.org.au
Halfway through the election, a reminder email with the link will be sent to those who have not yet voted.
Good luck to the candidates who are:
Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY
Klaus Illhardt VK3IU
Lee Moyle VK3GK
Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW
The election will close on 28 February 2026 and the results will be communicated after the close in accordance with the WIA Election Regulations.
This announcement has been spoken and authorised by Pete Cherry VK2LP the Returning Officer of the Wireless Institute of Australia.
ReturningOfficer(at)nationaloffice.wia.org.au
Bio January 2026.pdf
AUSTRALIANA
EDUCATION.
education.wia.org.au
New Comedy Podcast Tackles Ham Radio's "Gatekeeping Problem" With Humour and Education.
Guy and Gus launch innovative series as survey data reveals 73% of new operators feel intimidated by online ham radio communities.
As amateur radio experiences a post-pandemic surge in new licensees, a troubling trend has emerged: online communities have become battlegrounds where "real radio" debates and equipment tribalism drive newcomers away from a hobby designed around experimentation and connection.
Ham Radio Gizmos is tackling this challenge head-on with an innovative solution: a comedy podcast that makes learning fun again.
The show centres on twin brothers Guy and Gus Wyre, whose constant disagreements mirror the hobby's most heated debates. Guy champions modern software-defined radios, digital modes, and computer integration. Gus lives for vintage tube equipment, heavy iron, and radios that glow before they transmit. Their sibling rivalry becomes the vehicle for education proving both approaches have merit while reminding listeners that ham radio is big enough for everyone. "Somewhere between firmware updates and heated forum arguments, we forgot that this hobby is supposed to be enjoyable," says Lee Love (N2LEE), creator of Ham Radio Gizmos. "Guy and Gus exist to prove you can laugh at ourselves while learning and that 'real radio' is whatever gets you on the air."
(ARD)
This is Lee Moyle VK3GK.
Many may be aware that I have re-nominated for the WIA board for another term and if re-elected will continue working on various projects to benefit members.
I have been involved within the Radio Communications sector for over 46 years, first licenced in 1980 and Managing Director of a successful Label Company for the last 30 years.
Firstly, as an assessor for over 20 years; 13 years with WIA, then AMC and now with ACMA, my passion as always, is to be actively bringing new people in to build the numbers into Amateur Radio and we all know we all need to do a lot of work in this area.
With the Radio and Electronics School and WIA in collaboration it now gives great opportunity to integrate with the WIA education groups to streamline and deliver easily accessible training and assessment materials to new candidates. As a current WIA director I am immensely proud in what the board has been able to achieve with RES.
Secondly is to continue and enhance the successful working relationship between the WIA and ACMA. Engagement is key in having our voices heard to improve qualification standards, potentially new frequency allocations and higher power privileges to amateurs by utilizing surveys and factual evidenced based submissions. ACMA respect the WIA s professionalism and technical skill set offered.
Next is to increase membership by value adding, through vendor sponsored programs for members and monetary grants for affiliated clubs. Also, by utilizing the communications aspects within the membership data base to deliver relevant up to date news and information to the membership.
Fiscal stewardship is of utmost importance and the last several years have shown the WIA to be transparent and operating financially boyant and responsible to the members. This ensures a solid and robust WIA for many years to come. The WIA continues to reinvest financially back into the Amateur Radio community.
I look forward to continue supporting the WIA and its members for another successful 2 year term on the WIA board if re-elected. Please consider supporting me, so I can continue to serve, you the WIA member.
I am contactable via email or mobile.
73 Lee Moyle, VK3GK
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, ARRL,
DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday, IARU, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC,
Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of WIA.
Region 1 of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has issued a clarification following reports of the prosecution of amateur radio operators in Belarus.
In the statement, Region 1 stresses that amateur radio is a technical, educational, and service-oriented hobby defined internationally, and emphasizes that while the individuals involved hold amateur licenses, the actions leading to their prosecution fall entirely outside the scope of the amateur radio service. The clarification notes that an amateur radio license does not grant immunity from national laws and does not authorize use of equipment for activities that contravene the legal framework of a sovereign state, adding, We believe the public narrative surrounding this case has been somewhat misplaced.
Region 1 further states that it does not condone or support any actions by licensed operators that bypass legal requirements or violate the terms of their amateur license, and that the situation is a matter for the relevant judicial systems.
Speaking of Region One, the 27th IARU Region 1 General Conference will take place in Vienna, Austria, from the 19th, to 23rd of September 2026.
This is a major gathering for amateur radio in Region 1, bringing together member societies from across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Asia.
It is where the IARUs specialist committees meet to agree regional policy and priorities, including matters like spectrum, band planning, and operating standards. The IARU, the International Amateur Radio Union, represents the interests of the amateur radio service worldwide, including at the International Telecommunication Union, and works to protect and enhance our spectrum privileges.
The creator and maintainer of HamClock, Elwood Downey WB 0 OEW, has become
silent key as of January 29, 2026.
As a result the ORIGINAL HamClock project will no longer receive updates.
Following that announcement, a group of ham radio operators have stepped up to keep HamClock operating beyond its scheduled sunset in June. An open source replacement for the backend processes required to keep the popular HamClock project alive is well under way.
Developed by Brian KO 4 AQF and Austin KN 4 LNB, open-hamclock-backend is designed to be a drop-in replacement for the backend server that populates HamClock with its signature set of 40+ data points and visualizations.
HamClock is a popular cross-platform application that visualizes a range of customizable data helpful to ham radio operators.
The final original release of HamClock is version 4.22
ARRL will host the 9th annual Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) Workshop on March 14 15, 2026, with primary activities held at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut, and additional events at ARRL Headquarters in Newington.
This international workshop brings together radio amateurs, scientists, educators, and students to explore how amateur radio serves as a practical tool for scientific research and citizen science.
Organized by the HamSCI community, the 2026 workshop carries the theme Discovering Science Through Ham Radio. Presentations and discussions will highlight real-world research enabled by amateur radio, including ionospheric and space weather studies, meteor scatter propagation, radio-based sensing technologies, and the growing use of Personal Space Weather Stations. The program emphasizes how these efforts not only advance scientific understanding, but also directly inform and improve amateur radio operating and technology.
The RSGB 2026 Band Plans were published in the recently released February 2026 edition of RadCom and are now also available at rsgb.org/bandplans
This years changes in the United Kingdom address a handful of key topics, including updates to the 5MHz band plan to emphasise correct operating, which comes in the light of out-of-band FT8 usage and Ofcom monitoring concerns.
Updates at 50MHz have been made to accommodate new repeater inputs which use a wider 1MHz split, easing the implementation of their duplex filters.
In the 430MHz UHF band, provision for low power ad hoc repeaters and some editorial updates have also been made.
The Federal Communication Commissions filing systems and databases remain online and the agency is continuing usual operations despite a partial shutdown of the federal government. The FCC says it will keep the lights on until further notice, as Washington expects the shutdown to come to an end as soon as Tuesday when the House votes on spending bills approved last week in the Senate.
The Commissions public facing filing systems and databases will remain available, and normal filing deadlines under the Commissions rules will apply, the FCC said in a public notice.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr last week told reporters that preparing for shutdowns has become fairly routine and contingency plans are ready to go. And if they are forced to cease operations, it will look a lot like what occurred in the fall. My hope and expectation is that it does not get there, he said.
During the earlier 43-day government shutdown, the License Management System, which is used for many radio filings, was offline. It also forced the FCC to push back the due dates of several filing deadlines, including quarterly issue filings among others.
The House is expected to vote on the legislation in days with most federal workers remaining on the job, with the expectation that this disruption
this time will be short-term.
In the USA and starting up a new radio station?
Would you like your station call letters to be WKRP?
That famous call sign currently is held by a low-power FM station in North Carolina and while the station isnt planning to give it up, it would be willing to share if the price is right.
The licensee issued this announcement:
Oak City Media, a non-profit organization thats operated a real WKRP for over a decade, is announcing a process by which certain other broadcast stations can share this nostalgic call sign in accordance with FCC regulations.
For five years, WKRP in Cincinnati was the fictional, often dysfunctional setting behind one of the most popular situation comedies
in the United States and here in Australia.
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OPERATIONAL NEWS -
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--------------
CONTEST WISE:- 2026
WIA contest page :- wia.org.au/members/contests/about/
--------------
This weekend, February 7 - 8 sees the running of several contests, including:-
10-10 Winter International Winter Contest, SSB (phone). -
LABRE-RS Digi Contest. -
Mexico RTTY International Contest.
(arrl/wa7bnm contest)
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FEBRUARY 21 and 22 ARRL DX CW
--------------
MARCH - Jock White Memorial Field Day
This annual contest is named to honour Jock White ZL2GX, NZART Contest
and Awards Manager for over 40 years, for the service that he gave to
NZART during that time.
Feb 28, Saturday, 1500-2400 NZDT and Sunday March one 0600-1500 NZDT.
40 and/or 80 metres, PHONE (SSB) and/or CW, 100 watts PEP maximum.
Stations using two transmitters may operate simultaneously on both bands,
however only one transmitter may be operated on a single band at a time.
Single transmitter stations may operate on one or both bands.
(nzart.org.nz)
--------------------
MARCH 7 - 8 ARRL DX SSB
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MARCH 15 BERU
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MARCH 21 and 22 JOHN MOYLE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY
wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2026/20260120-1/index.php
NEW RULES AT URL ABOVE.
---------------------
MAY:- HARRY ANGEL MEMORIAL SPRINT May 2nd.
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NOW LET'S OPEN THE DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD ------------
If youre keeping your ears tuned for the start of the 3YK DXpedition to Bouvet Island, the thing youre going to need more than good propagation, sufficient power, a good antenna and, of course, good timing ispatience.
The teams plans have been delayed by about two weeks, according to their website. Their sailing vessel underwent additional maintenance to secure it for the journey to the remote island. After its necessary maintenance,
on February 2 @ 1830Z, the ARGUS left its mooring in Las Palmas (EA8) enroute to Cape Town.
For those interested, we can track, in real time the ship, the ARGUS on the link in this weeks WIA NATIONAL NEWS SERVICE.
marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/shipid:156518/zoom:10
(NewsLine/WIA news)
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The Dolomites Radio Club will be on the air from Milano Cortina for the duration of the Winter Olympics.
Using the special callsign II 3 OLYM until the 15th of March, they will be active on all HF, VHF, and UHF bands. Confirmation of contacts will be sent via eQSL.
(irts)
-------
From Belize, listen for Walt, W CP using the callsign V 31 DJ, operating
CW and SSB. His wife Mary, will be using the callsign V 31 DK, operating
FT8 and FT4. They are on air till the 27th of February.
(NewsLine 2518)
--------
SOTA Croatia is marking 10 years. Listen for the special callsign
9 A 10 SOTA. The callsign is on the air through to 2026, the 30th of
September 2026 to be precise.
A certificate will be available for contacts made between the 1st of October and the 31st of December THIS YEAR.. QSL via LoTW.
(newsline2501)
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Namibia
Gunter, once again active as V 51 WH until 24 March with activity from a
farm near Omaruru from 160 to 6 metres (60 m included).
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WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ASTRONOMY (and Wireless Weather)
Amateur radio operators will be on the air as W 7 P from February 14th through the 22nd to celebrate the 96th anniversary of the discovery of Pluto and to continue the countdown to the 100th anniversary in 2030.
This year the event sponsors are hoping to have a number of visiting operators join the fun!
If you are listening or watching this newscast in the area the
Northern Arizona DX Association invites out-of-state ham radio clubs and
operators to join them as guest operators for the W7P Pluto Discovery Anniversary Special Event operating from the very place where Pluto was discovered in 1930, the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Visiting hams will need to contact Bob ahead of time to be placed on the schedule.
In addition to operations at the observatory, Doug Tombaugh, N3PDT, nephew of astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto in 1930, will lead a team of operators at W7P/. Doug said that he especially enjoys making contact with other amateurs who knew his uncle or were involved in other activities related to Pluto.
For more information, look up W7P on QRZ.com
(newsline2518)
For 21 years, millions of volunteers worldwide have used their home PC's
to support SETI at Home, one of the largest citizen-science efforts ever conducted.
Operated by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, the project analysed radio data from the Arecibo Observatory and identified roughly 12 billion signals of interest. After a decade of follow-up analysis, researchers narrowed those detections to about one million candidates and then to 100 signals worthy of further investigation.
Since July 2025, those targets have been re-observed using Chinas Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST radio telescope, which has eight times the collecting area of Arecibo. While researchers do not expect these signals to be extra-terrestrial in origin, the results helped establish new sensitivity limits for large-scale SETI searches. Scientists say the projects biggest legacy may be the lessons learned about filtering radio-frequency interference and designing future all-sky techno-signature surveys.
(twiar)
And still 'gazing' skywards, or in this case just across to Europe,
Hungarian physicist Zoltan Bay who passed in 1992, played a pivotal role
in advancing Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) communication through his pioneering
experiment conducted on 6 February 1946.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Bay's achievements, the Hungarian
Radio Amateur Society is hosting a special radio activity with stand out
callsigns, all prefixes HG80 and special suffixes:-
BAY, EARTH, EME, LUNA,MOON and RADAR which are on air until; months end.
QSL via LoTW and Club Log's OQRS.
(425dxnews)
WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
SUMMITS ON THE AIR, WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM,
PARKS ON THE AIR and other ADVENTURE GROUPS.
hema.org.uk/index.jsp
minesontheair.com/about-mota
parksontheair.com/
sota.org.uk
sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/
facebook.com/SotaAustralia/
wwffaustralia.com/
For "out and about" adventurers, get set for the 2026 Mills on the Air.
This year marks thirty years of the Mills on the Air event.
An invitation is extended to amateur radio operators from around the world to take part. It helps to highlight some of the amazing heritage and historical mill sites across the world. Originally started in 1996, this special event is a fun and relaxed event for amateurs of all abilities, all modes, and bands.
We may not have too many "Mills" here in Australia but it's worth taking part and this 2026 event is scheduled for the weekend of the 9th and 10th of May.
For further information and to get involved, visit nharg.org.uk/mota
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary(at)amsat-vk.org
Blue Origin successfully completed the 38th flight of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle on January 22, marking the programs first mission of 2026. The mission, designated NS-38, launched from Blue Origins Launch Site One in West Texas during a morning launch window.
The flight carried six people on a brief suborbital journey above the Krmn line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.
With this flight, New Shepard has now flown 98 people to space. New Shepard is Blue Origins operational human spaceflight system and serves as a testbed for reusable launch technologies and crewed operations. The program continues to support Blue Origins long-term goals for expanding human access to space.
(twiar)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RADIO AMATEUR YOUNG TIMERS - YOTA
(Youngsters On The Air)
WIA committee:- Steve VK6SJ, Alec VK2MV and Pete VK2LP.
ham-yota.com/category/yota-region-3/
facebook.com/groups/YOTAOC/
youtube.com/channel/UClAapljf0VQ751sOgu2IzaA
People who are familiar with goats will tell you that they are strongly associated with courage, resilience and tenacity.
So what do goats have to do with a particular Ham Radio Family?
14-year-old Niels Henderson has become the youngest Mountain Goat in the
USA in the Summits on the Air awards scheme, He did it barely one month after his 16-year-old brother, Soren, KK7UKE, set the same record on a snowy summit this past Christmas Day.
Their mother, Corrinne, KK7ULL, was the first in the family to ascend to Mountain Goat heights. She achieved that status this past October after 13 months of steady SOTA activations.
With 1,000 points needed to classify a SOTA activator as a Mountain Goat, that means a total of 3,000 points between proud mom and her two sons.
Corrinne's husband, Jason KC7EPG's work commitments slowed Jason's climb
to join his Goat family at the top but he's getting there. With Jason needing only 80 more points, she said that before too long, "We'll be our own little SOTA Mountain Goat herd." she said.
(newsline2518)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - IOTA
iota-world.org/
Five (5) operators will be active during the AU 7 RS DXpedition to
Agatti, IOTA Number AS-011, in the Lakshadweep Islands.
The activation is scheduled for the 8th through to the 14th of February.
Be listening on 160 through 6 metres where they will be using CW, SSB and
FT8.
(newsline2518)
--------------
Andre, PD 1 DRE, is using the callsign PJ2/PD1DRE from Curacao,
IOTA Number SA-099, until the 4th of March. He is calling QRZ on SSB
and FT8/FT4
(NewsLine 2518)
----------------
AND A REMINDER
OC-150
Jozef is active again as YB9/ON6HX from Mataram on Lombok Island (OC-150)
until 11 March.
Listen for YB9/ON6HX as he operates CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, and FT4 from 0C-150 and QSL via LoTW, eQSL, or via home call which again is ON6HX.
(425dxnews)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - RADIO SCOUTING
News from ALARA, The Australian Ladies Amateur Radio Association.
I'm Michelle VK2AYL
This year the 22nd February is a special year for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all around the world as it is the Centenary of World Thinking Day. This date was chosen back in 1926 as it was the birthday of
Olave Baden-Powell, the first World Chief Guide and Robert Baden Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement.
It is a time when Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world celebrate the global movement, highlighting international friendships and connecting with one another world-wide to celebrate together.
To celebrate the event some Girl Guide and Girl Scout units will be participating in TDOTA, Thinking Day on the Air on the weekend of
21st & 22nd February.
If you have a Girl Guide unit nearby or know a Girl Guide can I suggest that you offer to demonstrate the World Wide friendship available through amateur radio.
This would be a great way to showcase our hobby to the youth of today.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO
More than 300 amateur radio operators nationwide participated in the
Malaysian Emergency Simulation Test (MySET) 2026, an exercise designed
to test the country's preparedness for a "Black Sky" scenario --
a situation involving a complete breakdown of communication systems.
Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters' Society (MARTS) deputy president
said a total of 87 injection scenarios were introduced during the
exercise to simulate various emergencies.
(eHam)
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IT'S A DATE
Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section,
nationalnews(at)wia.org.au
Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found
on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links.
--------------------- SOCIAL SCENE 2026 ------------------
VK4 - Redfest - Deception Bay North State School 9am April 11. (vk4ble)
VK - WIA AGM May 2 at 2pm Albury VK2 couples with ICOM VK SUMMIT 2026
also in Albury May 2 and 3. (wiacal/ARMAG )
VK5 - Sth Est Radio Group Convention & Australian Fox Hunting
Championship Mt Gambier June 6/7 (vk5dj)
Im John VK5DJ for the South East Radio Group. Our Convention and
Australian Fox Hunting Championship will again be held on The
Kings Birthday Weekend 2026 in Mt Gambier. Fox hunts will begin
on Saturday the 6th and continue into Sunday the 7th of June.
The Convention will be held on the Sunday only.
How about putting it into your diary now? Keep an eye on
serg.org.au for further information.
73
John
VK5 - Adelaide Amateur Radio & Electronics Car Boot Sale Dogs SA
Showground, Cromwell Road, Kilburn 10.00am. November 21. (wiacal)
Reception Reports
No we DO like to hear where in the world you are listening to this,
the WIA NATIONAL NEWS SERVICE.
WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a
welcome to the broadcast as they commence call-backs
straight after the Local News. Local news follows National
news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would
email their reception reports and location to
callbacks(at)wia.org.au
Not only but also those watching us on YouTube, leave a comment , access
is just below the picture on screen and again tell us where and maybe
even the day and time you are listening
---------------------------------------------------------------*
(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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