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VK7AX > BCAST 04.11.23 04:12l 477 Lines 24357 Bytes #111 (0) @ WW
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VK7 Amateur Radio News 05Nov23
Text edition:
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VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 5th November 2023
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Welcome to the ALARAMeet Edition of the VK7 Amateur Radio News and this was first broadcast on Sunday the 5th November 2023. At the mike of VK7WI this week is Peter, VK7PD.
On Sunday this broadcast goes out on repeaters all over VK7 and on digital radio - DMR Talk Group 5 and D-Star Reflector 91C by VK7ZCR.
We go out on medium and high frequency courtesy of the following rebroadcast stations:
On 1.862 MHz by Graham, VK7GS,
On 3.670 MHz by Ross, VK7ALH,
On 7.140 MHz by Garry, VK7JGD,
On 14.130 MHz by Dale, VK7DG and
On 28.525 MHz by Tony, VK7VKT.
We also go out on UHF CB Channel 24 thanks to Mark VK7FMAC in the Hobart area.
You can hear this broadcast again on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT in Southern VK7.
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ALARA NEWS
ALARAMeet 2023 is RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW
A huge welcome to the many ALARA members and their partners who have descended on VK7 over this weekend for the national meeting of ALARA that usually occurs every three years, however it has been six years since the last one due to….yes….COVID! So this one is very special and the last time it was in VK7 was in 2008 in Ulverstone.
The weekend is centered around the Woolstore Motel and there are many activities happening throughout the weekend.
Again welcome and we hope you enjoy your stay in VK7.
https://alara.org.au/alarameet/index.html
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RAOTC News
Monthly Broadcast
RAOTC Broadcast for November
Further to that mentioned on the WIA National News, this is another reminder about the RAOTC broadcast for Monday the 6th of November 2023 at 8 pm local time; thats tomorrow night for those listening on Sunday. This month features another repeat of an earlier broadcast; therefore, news of recent club events will be heard next month. The broadcast being repeated is from February 2002.
The first item is (a maybe accidental) repeat of a story aired as recently as July this year about an attempt to serve ‘stewed tea to wartime personnel.
The next article features an extract from a publication called A History of Radio in South Australia 1897-1977, by John F. Ross; it details the construction and operation of coastal radio station VIY at Mt Gambier; this station was commissioned in 1912 and operated until 1920.
A link to this on-line publication can be found in the text edition of this broadcast: https://www.worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History/History-of-Radio-in-South-Australia-1897-1977-Ross-1978.pdf
(text edition only)
The third article describes construction of a wartime radio station built in anticipation of a Japanese invasion of Western Australia.
The fourth article is a sequel to a much earlier broadcast description of a Lockheed Hudson bomber that became bogged in Arnhem Land. Information came to light about the same aircrafts wartime history and tragic demise.
The broadcast ends with some historic information about RAOTC members, then, as per tradition, a humorous story.
Listen at 8 pm Monday, local time, over the VK7RAA/VK7RAD state-wide network or at about 8:30pm as a telecast on VK7AX ‘Spectrum Tasmania via the BATC members stream or in the Ulverstone area on 445.50MHz DATV. Audio feed is available on VK7RDR, 439.775MHz, Dazzler Range.
The date again is November 6th. Call backs will follow on both networks. Please call in if you are able; this provides the RAOTC broadcast committee with an idea of how many are listening to these broadcasts.
If you miss the off-air broadcasts you can listen to the audio file on the RAOTC website:
https://www.raotc.org.au/
73, Peter VK7PD
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Contest news
Spring VHF/UHF Field day.
Well the days are getting longer thanks to daylight savings, and with that the higher bands are starting to percolate. The Spring field day is happening this year on the weekend of 25th November from 01:00 UTC to 26th November 00:59 UTC, with the usual 3 hour offset for our Western Australian friends.
This event is a great opportunity to dust off that VHF/UHF and microwave gear and get out into the great outdoors and make some contacts.
All bands are used from 6M and upwards as far as you dare. There are many categories in this event, single band, 4 band, 8hr section, 24 hour section and there is even a section for base station operation, something for everyone. Why not head out and find a nice spot,set up a portable station and you may be surprised at the results.
Usual frequencies 52.525, 146.500, 439.000, 1296.150, 2403.150, 3398.150 and 10,369.150 all on FM with SSB as an option if conditions suit.
There will be a few people out and about in various parts of Tasmania and you just never know who you may make contact with.
VKCL or your favourite log program will help keep things in order and make the process of submitting logs rather painless.
Good luck and hope to hear you on the bands.
https://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/vhfuhf/
73, Richard, VK7ZBX
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Statewide News
Thursday Night SSTV Nets
Another quiet net night that saw the following participants, VK7s – PD, PAK, DMH, ZAB and OO all sharing twenty photos.
The various subjects were:
Electronic equipment – a home brew radio, a CRO, a Philips rack mount transceiver and a mains power conditioner
Launceston Cataract Gorge – the Rotunda, the Kings Bridge and the Alexandra Suspension Bridge
American racing aircraft of the 1930s - the “Sky Buzzard” biplane and monoplanes including the Grandville Brothers built “Gilmore Red Lion” and Gee-Bee-R1 or “short”
Crop of Mushrooms and a coastal scenery
The continuing series on repeater sites and this week featuring more from VK7s RAA and RJG at Mt Arthur, this time showing the antenna arrays and equipment racks
And a link to Steve VK7OOs new Website for the latest 20, 15 and 10m band decoded pictures
Remember Ken VK7KRJs and Steve VK7OOs fully automatic 24/7 monitoring sites that allows anyone who has sent an SSTV picture the ability to check them on their pages almost immediately, any time, both South and North Tasmania.
Also if you missed the net there are archives of all SSTV nights. These photos can be seen on Kens 2m SSTV website as an infinitely-scrolling web page or on NTARCs website under blogs and arranged as weekly nets.
https://vk7oo.tasme.com/vhfsstv
https://sstv.vk7krj.com/scrolling%20web%20gallery.html
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
73 from Andre VK7ZAB
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QSL NEWS
Report - from Herman VK7HW Manager of the WIA VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
The current list of cards held as at 2 November is in the email version of the broadcast.
If I am holding card(s) for you and you would like them mailed to you rather then being delivered on an opportunity basis please send me some stamps. Thanks to those who have sent stamps. While SAE's are OK, I prefer stamps as I can then provide an appropriate envelope to suit the number of cards.
Herman has a copy of the Log File for VK7WIA (716 QSO's) and will be getting cards ready to distribute in the next several weeks or so. At a $1.20 per card for direct mail it will be expensive so will likely send VK cards to the various States Inwards QSL Bureau. If you want your card direct please send me a stamp (S1.20 or a Pensioner Concession Stamp OK if you are entitled to them). As usual happy to send VK7 cards to the regular distribution teams or distribute them on an opportunity basis. Herman asks to please let him know by email, if you want a QSL Card or not.
If you have any questions re QSL cards, please contact Herman by email vk7bureau(at)wia.org.au
Thank you to those Amateurs who have been in contact with Herman about their QSL card(s) listing.
73, Herman, VK7HW, WIA Manager VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
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Following Card(s) were mailed to;-
NTARC- BO, DON, DW, GC, KW, PD, RC, ZR
SOTA- AC, AL, BBB, XX, YUM
Cards held at 2 November 2023 ( Any errors in the listing are mine, I sometimes miss culling a call sign)
A, AAA, AAD, AAE, AAH, AAP, AAR, AB, ACE, ACG, ACN, AD, ADE, AED, AG(2014), AGC, AHT, AIR, AJC, AKK, ALZ, AM, ANC, AO, APZ, AR, AS, ATH, AXZ, AY, AZ
BA, BB, BPV, BT, BYE
CA, CBK, CBR, CC, CEJ, CJ, CL, CMV, CV, CX
DC, DD, DG, DIK, DM, DN, DO, DP, DQ, DY, DZ
EA, EG, EI, ER, EV
FADZ, FALX (alx), FAZZ, FCDW, FCIA, FLAR, FF, FG, FGGT, FPRN, FRJG(RG), FTAS
GA, GGZ, GM, GOP, GR, GZ
HCH, HDX, HOB, HL, HPD, HRS, HSA, HSD, HSJ, HVK, HZ
IAN, ID, IK, IS
JA, JAZ, JB, JCR, JGD, JJ, JOK, JP, JW
KA, KAC, KBA, KD, KDO, KI, KJ, KKR, KL, KO, KRJ, KT
LCW, LDH, LL, LLL, LM, LT, LVH, LW
MAG, MBD, MC, MD, MEL, MET, MHZ, MJ, MOO, MR, MRS, MS
NA, NC, ND, NEC, NET, NFI, NIK, NRF, NRT, NSE, NSS, NTE, NVH, NW, NWQ, NWT
OB, OR, OT
PAF, PBD, PM, PRN, PSJ, PSZ, PW
QK, OT
RG/FRJG, RJ, ROY
SN, STO, SV, SZ
TCE, TED, TK, TO, TS,++ TUX, TX, TZ
UJ
VA, VAC, VAZ, VDC, VEK, VH, VR, VTM
WA, WC, WH, WL, WN(0), WO, WT, WUU
XDM, XV
YN
ZE, ZJJ, ZK, ZM, ZT, ZX
VI70MI [2018], VI70HI(op DIANE[2018]), VI75G [2023], VK75FAA
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NEWS FROM THE NORTH
SOTA/WWFF PARKS GROUP
The Summits On The Air/World Wide Flora and Fauna parks group meets twice weekly – Mondays and Fridays 10.30AM till 12.00 at the Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry Street, Launceston.
For more information contact Al on 0417 354 410.
73, Al, VK7AN
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Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club Incorporated
www.ntarc.net
First item this broadcast is a congratulations to Nic VK7WW. You may recall in previous broadcasts that he has been having quite a few successful long distance QRP Morse Code contacts. All using his 80 metre, 1 watt, transmitter project called the “Cent”, which he designed as a celebration of 100 years of Amateur Radio in Tasmania. Nic received a “Milliwatts Per Kilometre Award” from the “CW Operators QRP Club Inc.” of Australia. Being for a successful contact between Legana in Tasmania to Mark VK6QI in Bedfordale, Perth Western Australia. With a total distance of 2924 Kilometres this equates to 2.92 mW per kilometre! Not bad going for a 1 watt single transistor transmitter Nic.
While we are on the subject of QRP, Peter VK7KPC has also had some luck. This time with his ex-military WS62 HF transceiver, circa WW2, that he is repairing and restoring. It appears Peter is having some success with repairs as he recently made a contact on 80 metres using 1watt into Sydney NSW.
For interest Peter replaced the faulty high voltage power supply with a 250 volt switch mode power supply module. It is neatly housed within a perforated metal cover and blends in excellently, looking to be part of the original rig. This particular fault and “temporary” fix might even stay as permanent.
Being a sixty years old transceiver it required a plug in crystal using the large 20mm or so pin spacing. Unfortunately Peter does not have a suitable crystal but fortunately he did have a crystal of the required frequency, but it was a newer small PCB style crystal. Necessity being the mother of invention, Peter soldered a couple of thick pins that fitted the socket onto the crystals leads. Then covered the assembly in thermo-setting Polymorph mouldable plastic beads. It hardened and the finished product is a much sturdier and more reliable than holding the crystal leads in the socket while initially testing.
Well I think QRP is certainly in good hands at the moment, thank you Nic and Peter for the updates.
NTARC Auction Hosting – “Shack Clear-out” auction Saturday the 25th November. As at last count we have exceeded 120 Lots, thats 120 Lots guaranteed for auction and thats a lot of equipment!
If you would like your items included on the NTARC Web sites, ever growing auction catalogue, please send us a brief description of each item “Lot” to the: secretary(at)ntarc.net .
The auction will be held at the NTARC Club rooms Archer Street, Rocherlea Saturday 10:00 am on the 25th of November. Remember, this auction will be open to all amateurs not just NTARC members!
It looks as though our very own, almost world famous, auctioneer Nic VK7WW, will be doing the honours as master of ceremonies for the day.
To view current items please go to the NTARC website link on the email version of the broadcast and select the “Notices” option to view the catalogue of items.
https://www.ntarc.net/notices
If you listened to the previous WIA broadcast, and just to be sure, the Lancaster bomber does not come with the 1155 transmitter. hihi
As a truly great man once said, well actually it was last week in the broadcast… there are some delicious items available, he is seriously not joking!
As always equipment pictures and links are available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast. Now back to the house keeping.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The TestNet and TechNet session – Every Wednesday, TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7pm till 7.30pm…. and a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30pm till about 8.30pm. Your host for the evening will be Nic VK7WW.
Coffee Morning - held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there. So why not pop in and join us for a cuppa, there is endless tea and coffee along with biscuits available for a donation.
The Club Technical night - The next session will be on Wednesday the 15th of November and will commence at 6.30 pm through to about 10.00 pm, at the Club room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
FINALLY - A reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup, no matter how trivial, then please email them to the Secretary at the following address news(at)ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
Thats all folks,
73 from Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC Inc.
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NEWS FROM THE SOUTH
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
https://www.reast.asn.au/
https://www.facebook.com/reasttas/
https://www.youtube.com/reasthobart/
November Activities Update
A huge thank you to the REAST Members who have volunteered to help with the various ALARAMeet activities. REAST is very proud to help ALARA over the weekend to make it the best ALARAMeet yet and showcase what VK7 can do!
REAST ran a Mystery History Radio Tour of Hobart on Saturday the 4th November for ALARAMeet OMs and today is hosting a BBQ and fox hunt for the ALARAMeet attendees today.
73 REAST Committee
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December End of Year Activities
REAST will be celebrating the end of a very successful 2023 with a free BBQ, car boot sale and fox hunts on the Queens Domain.
This will be taking place on Sunday December 3rd from 11am at the Queens Domain clubrooms.
Bring along any car boots that you would like to sell and as a bonus for attendees you might possibly put some some radio equipment within the boots and sell that as well….HIHI!
We are looking to run some fox hunts around the top of the Queens Domain and will have some prizes for those lucky enough to find those pesky little foxes.
If you are intending to come along please let our Secretary know so we can have some idea of the number of snags, patties and special food requirements that we will need to cater for - just drop and email to: secretary(at)reast.asn.au.
The fee for carboot sellers is the enormous amount of $5 into the donations box or tap at the square.
See you there.
73 REAST Committee
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DATV Experimenter's Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR9v52bCUeA
A huge thank you to all who helped tidy up the clubrooms last Wednesday night and prepare for the ALARAMeet activities.
The DATV night started with Justin VK7TW introducing the RadioBerry 2.0 SDR hat for the RaspberryPi 4B 8Gb running the PiHPSDR interface. Justin described the PiHPSDR control surface and what is available in the interface.
We then showed the Radioberry interface mounted on the back of the touch screen as a hat on the RaspberryPi.
Justin went through the need to hard code the PiHPSDR screen resolution and many of the other options available in the interface. We then listened to a station on 40m.
https://github.com/pa3gsb/Radioberry-2.x
https://www.aliexpress.com/i/1005003646868511.html
Justin then went through the latest iteration of the Waverley Amateur Radio Society Power Pole Kit which now has a wonderful addition to store the fuse puller.
https://vk2bv.org/home/projects/powerpole-distribution-box/
We then took a look at a 1942 WWII Lamp Signaling Daylight short range device. Justin ran through the features of the device.
We finished with a shout out to those people meeting at ALARMeet 2023.
This week's show we will have a wrap-up of the ALARAMeet, some more on the RadioBerry, a mini-Variac and if time permits the latest DUBUS and Lo-Key Magazines.
See you there or on the stream.
We stream the nights on the REAST YouTube channel.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/live-stream/
https://www.reast.asn.au/special-interest-groups/amateur-tv/
https://www.youtube.com/c/ReastHobart/
We also go out on RF - DVB-T 7MHz Standard Definition on 445.5MHz. So, if you have a TV, Set-top box or USB DTV Dongle that you can tune and scan 445.5MHz and you can see the Queens Domain, then you have a good chance of receiving the DATV Experimenter's Night Signal. Look out for VK7OTC.
73, Justin, VK7TW
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Training and Assessments
The next REAST Foundation Licence training and all licence assessment day is on Saturday November 25th from 9:00am.
If you are thinking of coming along then please let Reg Emmett VK7KK REAST Learning Organiser know ASAP by phoning 0417 391 607 or via the REAST Website Contact Form.
https://www.reast.asn.au/contact/online-contact-form/
Check out the REAST Foundation Licence Training Videos that can be found on the REAST YouTube Training and Assessment playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsnsP_zjw831mdC6sY4XqavRUY-53ZWUn
And checkout the REAST Facebook page events for further details.
https://fb.me/e/1565NKnuu
73, Reg, VK7KK
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Technology News
Standard 5G Smartphone Call Via Satellite
AST SpaceMobile, which is currently building a space-based cellular broadband network accessible directly by standard mobile phones, has made what it claims is the first ever 5G connection for voice and data between an unmodified smartphone and a satellite in space.
AST SpaceMobiles technology is designed to expand coverage for wireless companies, filling in gaps and dead zones in their networks. Company engineers demonstrated space-based 5G connectivity by placing a call from Hawaii to Spain, using AT&T spectrum and AST SpaceMobiles BlueWalker 3 test satellite understood to be the largest ever commercial communications array deployed in low Earth orbit.
The 5G call was placed on 8 September from an unmodified Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone located in a wireless dead zone in Maui; 5G connectivity testing was completed with partners Vodafone, AT&T and Nokia. The milestone comes just months after AST SpaceMobile announced it had successfully completed the first direct voice connection from space to an everyday cellular device earlier this year.
Back in June, AST SpaceMobile revealed that it had achieved repeated successful download speeds of up to 10.3 Mbps during testing of BlueWalker 3 with off-the-shelf smartphones, plus further testing of voice calls to AT&T employees. The company has now broken this space-based cellular broadband data session record by achieving a download rate of approximately 14 Mbps. This technology has the potential to connect millions of people in the remotest regions to the internet for the first time, using existing mobile phones.
https://www.criticalcomms.com.au/content/radio-systems/news/ast-spacemobile-achieves-space-based-5g-call-with-smartphone-1310741977
Sourced from the Critical Comms Web E-zine.
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Regular VK7 gatherings and events over the coming months:
Regular gatherings:
Sewing Circle Net – Daily on 3.640MHz commences at 5:00pm AEST.
Statewide SSTV Net - held every Thursday night via the North/South Link on VK7RAF/VK7RJG from 7:30pm. In the North and North West - VK7RJG on 438.55 -7MHz and in the South - VK7RAF (146.650 -600kHz) CTCSS tone 141.3Hz to link RAF North-South.
State-wide – MICROWAVE QSO Party – following the Sunday broadcast call-back on 1296.15 MHz FM. One group in the greater Hobart area and another in the greater Launceston area.
Then North-south digital contacts on 1296.2MHz using Q65-60B.
Stations in the Launceston area transmitting on the odd minute. Southern stations on the even minute.
SOTA/WWFF Group – Meeting Mondays and Fridays 10.30-12.00 midday at Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry St, Launceston.
The TestNet and TechNet session – Every Wednesday. TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7pm till 7.30pm…. and a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30pm till about 8.30pm. Your host for the evening will be Nic VK7WW.
Coffee Morning - held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there. So why not pop in and join us for a cuppa, there is endless tea and coffee along with biscuits available for a donation.
The Club Technical night - The next session will be on Wednesday the 15th of November and will commence at 6.30 pm through to about 10.00 pm, at the Club room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
NW VK7 – Wednesday from 8:00pm local – NW Tassie Amateur Repeater Group Net on VK7RMD
NW VK7 - Thursday commencing at 8:30pm local - N.W. Tassie 2m DX Net 144.190 USB
NW SSTV Nights - 27 November - hosted by Eric VK7EV from 7:30pm using VK7RMD 70cm repeater on Mt Duncan on the 4th Monday in the Month.
Events:
ALARA - November 3-6 - ALARAMeet 2023 - Hobart Tasmania
NTARC - November 25 - NTARC Shack Clear-out Auction Hosting
WICEN TAS (Sth) - November 26 - Special General Meeting at Queens Domain from 2pm (Zoom & In-Person)
REAST - December 3 - EOY BBQ, Car Boot Sale and Fox Hunt - Queens Domain Clubooms from 11am after broadcast.
NTARC - December 6 - End Of Year Celebration - details to be announced.
NTARC - December 13 - Club General meeting will be held in the Rocherlea club rooms from 7:30pm.
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A reminder to those people rostered for next weeks broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7RI
Repeaters: REAST, NTARC and in the NW thanks to N W T A R C, West Coast Radio Group, Cradle Coast Radio Amateur Radio Club, VK7AX, and VK7DC
160m: VK7GS
80m: VK7JGD
40m: VK7DG
20m: VK7TPE
10m: VK7VKT
UHFCB24: VK7FMAC
DMR: Talk Group 5 and D-Star: Reflector 91C VK7ZCR
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You can hear this broadcast again on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT in the South.
A huge thank you to all people and organisations that assisted with this broadcast.
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That concludes our VK7 Amateur Radio News Broadcast for this week.
You have been listening to or have just missed VK7WI. Next week the National WIA news can be heard at 0900 followed by the VK7 Amateur Radio News around 0930 hours.
Items for the broadcast can be emailed to vk7arnews@gmail.com
Further information about the broadcast can be found at the VK7 Amateur Radio News Groups.IO Group.
https://groups.io/g/vk7arnews
The deadline for items is 21:00 on Friday prior to the Sunday of the broadcast.
Callbacks will be taken on the frequency to which you are listening. Relay stations will use their own callsigns during the callback.
A big shoutout to the ALARAMeet Participants and on behalf of the VK7 Amateur Radio News Team, 73, stay safe from Peter, VK7PD.
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(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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