� -------------------------------------------------------------------69 QNEWS - JULY 31 VK4 ON AIR 2022 ------------------------------------------------------------* WHY DIDN'T YOUR CLUB TELL QNEWS ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO THIS WEEK? IPSWICH AND REDCLIIFE ALONG WITH THE GOLD COAST DID! ------------------------------------------------------------* QUEENSLAND (VK4) STATE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PORTAL Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest news, key facts and figures, contacts and answers to your questions. tinyurl.com/uddvmx98 ------------------------------------------------------------* THE FOLLOWING NEWS CAN BE HEARD FROM OUR AUDIO SERVICE based in BRISBANE, OLYMPIC CITY 2031, RIGHT NOW:- www.vk7ax.id.au/wianews/ OR www.wiaq.org.au Importantly remember to download from the site by COT (Close of Transmission) Mondays. Also search QNEWS (make sure it IS the Ham Radio QNEWS) in your podcast app.. tinyurl.com/4hnahk8p ------------------------------------------------------------* VK4 SILENT KEYS @ WIA YEAR COMMENCING MAY 2022 SK CALL SK NAME DATE ADVISED BY VK4MBH Keith Allison 03/06/2022 (vk4vp) VK4AVF Des Flor 13/06/2022 (vk4hit) VK4DV Merv Deakin 18/06 (vk4cnq - vk4zz) VK4SO Les Parker 21/06 (vk4atc) VK4AJL George Glendinning 22/06 (vk4zz) VK4NW Warwick Marshallsea 14/07 (vk4vp) VK4ET/5WC Tony Van Lysdonk 16/07 (vk4vp) VK4AVS Jim Storch 22/07 (vk4zz) News of a Silent Key, Jim R. Storch VK4AVS long-time Blackwater Central Queensland Jim passed away expectantly in Redcliffe Hospital on Friday 22nd July whilst undergoing treatment for a medical condition. Jim dabbled in everything Amateur Radio, from HF DX to D-Star DPlus. Very community oriented, Jim was a foundation member of the Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club, an accredited examiner under the WIA Invigilator System, was involved along with wife Vere in their local Clay Target Club and Pistol Club, helped Vere run her sporting goods store, attended regular Blackwater Community Reference Group meetings just to name a few of his activities. A private cremation service will be held on Monday 1st August and will be available for streaming from that afternoon on the Gladstone Valley Funerals website link gladstonevalleyfunerals.com.au/streaming/ Vale Jim Storch VK4AVS, Silent Key -------------------------------------------------------------* CLUBBING -------------------------------------------------------------* GOLD COAST AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY http://www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk4/GoldCoastAmateurRadioSociety/ IRLP Node 6702 The Gold Coast Amateur Radio Society was asked to help with radio communications at the recent Kokoda Challenge. The 96km course with around 3,300 participants mostly walking, a few jogging, passes through some very isolated bushland walking tracks in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Check point 3 had no radio coverage for both emergency services and commercial 2-ways radio, and no mobile phone coverage. Check point 4 had limited commercial 2-way and mobile phone coverage when you stood on one spot of a hill. The Gold Coast club did field tests before the event, then setup a 2 metre & 70 cm radio network, with 40 metres being used as backup. Seven Amateur Radio operators were positioned at three of the check points, a mountain top radio relay site, and the events Joint Operations Centre. Ralf VK4GCR was at the heavily rainforest Check Point 3, and handled numerous requests for assistance. One particular request was a priority medical case where Amateur Radio was used to request an ambulance, and relay vital medical details between paramedics. Peter VK4LUB, Aidan VK4APM, and Nigel VK4AMP were positioned at check points 4 & 6, and used our radio network to request transport for exhausted participants, do welfare checks, and follow up on a few people that had gone missing. Jamie VK4XD and Geoff VK2DLA looked after the mountain top relay site, where a 2 metre repeater was used in the club's communications trailer, with an antenna on a 11.2 metre pneumatic mast. This allowed the three check points to communicate directly with myself (VK4DMH) back at the Joint Operations Centre. All of our team members were pleased with their work for the day, and reported great cooperation between the Amateur Radio operators, the event organisers and emergency services. The Kokoda Challenge management have already asked us to help again next year. This is Mark VK4DMH for the Gold Coast Amateur Radio Society Ipswich & District Radio Club www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk4/IpswichAndDistrict/ Web � www.vk4wip.org.au Email - vk4wip@wia.org.au For a full list of repeaters - www.vk4wip.org.au This is Allan VK4HIT with news from Ipswich and District Radio Club. Ipswich WICEN again provided communications for the Guzzler Ultra Marathon held on the weekend of July 23 and 24. Owing to the recent wet weather it was a challenging week leading up to the event with a few changes make to the circuit for the signature 105 kilometre event and the relocation of some checkpoints. Covid also made its presence felt with 220 nonstarters across the 10, 21, 52 and 105-kilometre categories. This still left field of more than 700 runners for WICEN volunteers to report back to base. Thank you to Brisbane Area WICEN Group for the use of their Mt Coot-tha repeater. In other news from Ipswich, a reminder the club’s annual general meeting will be held at 10am Saturday August 20 at the clubhouse, which will also mark the clubs 60th year � more on that in the weeks ahead. All positions will be declared vacant and new office bearers elected. Nominations can be lodged with secretary Greg VK4GJW no later than August 13. A reminder that annual dues are to be paid prior to the AGM in order to be eligible to vote. Normal membership $40, concession $30 and family membership $45. And finally, last month the cub welcomed its newest member Chris VK4GAM. Welcome aboard Chris. Reporting from Ipswich this is Allan, VK4HIT. Redcliffe and Districts radio club. www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk4/RedcliffeAndDistrictRadioClub/ Hello, it’s John Saunders (VK4BZ) from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club, once again. Your final reminder that coming up on Saturday 6th August (yes, Saturday next!) the Redcliffe Club will be holding an Amateur Radio display at Altronics Virginia, Unit 2/1870 Sandgate Road, Virginia. The display kicks off at 8:30am and will include all those wonderful Ham Radio things I’ve told you about over the last two weeks. Ladies and gents, the ball is in your court. If you live in North Brisbane and can get out to support the display, or (even better) bring someone along and show them what we can do, please consider dropping by. That address once more, Altronics Virginia, Unit 2/1870 Sandgate Road, Virginia. Look for the blue and yellow marque in the carpark outside the store. This is John Saunders (VK4BZ) from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club. See you on Saturday. --------------------------------------------------------------------* Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. Here it is the end of July and in the south of Queensland the traditional westerly winds are announcing the imminence of the Brisbane Exhibition or Ekka as it is popularly known. Frosts seem to be around the inland areas as we have the run up to Spring and clearer skies and warmer days. Perhaps is the most suitable response to that as the Bureau of Meteorology doubles down on the data coming in and waits to see if we are in for another la Nina weather event this summer. There are many families and businesses trying to re-establish their premises after the extreme weather, so far, this year. With delays in material supplies and qualified workers in high demand, it would be another psychological blow to these people to have another season of storms, rain, floods and ironically fires. Europe and the west coast of the North America have been testament to the ferocity of the dry and hot weather with even homes being burned by fires in parts of the United Kingdom. Currently there are the calls for people to take precautions against the current viruses of Covid and influenza and people on the elective surgery lists being bumped onto extended waiting lists and for many the waiting time is already indefinite. The comparison is regularly made that making changes to the rule of government is like turning an ocean liner at sea. It is a procedure that just cannot be done quickly. With international events, weather and a new attitude from a newly ensconced government, we watch for the flow on effects which will influence our lives for the immediate future. One thing that I have not been able to verify was a post that appeared on social media appearing to be from our regulator, the ACMA. It stated that the agency was not taking multiple year renewals of an amateur licence because of the likely introduction of a class licence. There certainly was an amount of discussion as to the implications of bring the Amateur Service under a Class Licence and of course one of which was that it would be Rafferty’s Rules as far as dealing with interference and maintaining decorum on the bands. The other was that there may be an abolition of licence fees and look what that did to conduct on the CB bands. I monitor the road channel and it seems there are those users who can’t speak into a microphone without expletives to punctuate their breathing; we certainly don’t want VK amateurs to get that reputation. In the great lottery of life, we confront many challenges and the weather is but one. Politics and the regulation of society is another that can have many benefits as well as frustrations and keeping a respectful and friendly relationship with our colleagues at times can be almost as challenging as the others. I hope that we move on with our eyes open to what the future may bring and as they say, look for the best but prepare for the worst. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think� how about you? ------------------------------------------------------------* 2022 Social Scene VK4 - August 6 Redcliffe Club hold Radio display at Altronics Virginia 8.30 AM (vk4bz) VK4 - Redcliffe Club Car Boot Sale Saturday 20th August 9am club house Macfarlane Park, Klingner Road Kippa-Ring. (vk4tfn) VK4 - SunFest Sunday 18 September 10:00 AM Mountain Creek State School (noreply email) ------------------------------------------------------------* TO SUPPLY QNEWS ITEMS:- Send SCRIPT to qnews@wia.org.au send audio to http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/upload/ QNEWS Tips to get MORE out of your weekly newscast on VK4WIA If you would like to submit club news items for inclusion in QNEWS broadcasts, please email your item in text to:- qnews@wia.org.au THEN submit audio:- To submit audio email qnews@wia.org.au Remember the sooner you submit audio material the more the likelihood of it being broadcast in the very next QNEWS. 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