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VK7AX > BCAST 04.05.24 05:34l 642 Lines 32250 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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VK7 Amateur Radio News 05May24
Text edition:
--------------------------------
VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 5th May 2024
--------------------------------
Welcome to the VK7 Amateur Radio News and this was first broadcast on Sunday the 5th May 2024. At the mike of VK7WI this week is Idris, VK7ZIR.
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 Clayton, 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 Garry, VK7JDG,
On 7.140 MHz by Dale, VK7DG,
On 14.130 MHz by Peter, VK7TPE,
On 28.525 MHz by Tony, VK7VKT, and on
UHF CB Channel 24 in the Hobart area - Mark VK7FMAC.
You can hear this broadcast again on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT and UHFCB24 in Southern VK7.
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Islands On The Air - IOTA
Activation of VI60IOTA from VK7
https://www.iota-world.org/
The following is from Grant VK5GR who is coordinating the activation of a special event callsign celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Islands on the Air program this year in Australia. The callsign is VI60IOTA.
As part of the activation, Grant is looking to have the callsign be active from as many different VK IOTAs as we can manage. So far that includes OC-171, OC-001 and OC-261, with plans for OC-139, OC-136 and hopefully others in the works.
One of the biggest islands (second only to the mainland of course) is Tasmania. It would be great to also get some VK7 amateurs involved periodically over the next 9 months activating VI60IOTA from VK7.
Each activation window can be as long or short as the respective operators can offer. If they want to book the callsign for windows of 6 hours over a weekend or an afternoon that's fine. To book, they just need to email me at iotacheckpoint(at)gmail.com. They can then put the callsign on air - making sure to broadcast which IOTA they are located in (in VK7's case it will be one of OC-006, or potentially the Flinders Island group of OC-195 or the King/Bruny Island group of OC-233).
The only requirements are that all contacts are logged in an ADIF format, and the log is sent by email to iotacheckpoint(at)gmail.com within 24hrs of the conclusion of the activation.
Grant is hoping you can find some VK7 amateurs who would like to get involved with this project. Each planned activation is added to the VI60IOTA QRZ page (along with its IOTA designator) so that people know where the call is coming from at any given time. QSL cards are being handled through Charles M0OXO as the event QSL manager so nothing to do there for the operators either.
73 and regards,
Grant VK5GR, VK/Oceania IOTA Awards Checkpoint for the
Islands on the Air Awards Program
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RAOTC News
Broadcast for May 2024
Further to that mentioned on the WIA National News, this is another reminder about the RAOTC broadcast for Monday the 6th of May 2024 at 8 pm local time; thatâ€Ös tomorrow night for those listening on Sunday.
The May edition is another in the series of repeats of historic broadcasts which many of us have not previously heard. This one is from April 2002. Club news will be put to air next month.
The first item celebrates the inauguration of the first Britain-to-Australia radio link in 1927. Mention is also made of the successful Britain-to-Australia Radio contacts by Maxwell Howden, VK3BQ.
Several stories regarding builders and operators of radio in rural Australia including some amazing women.
There is more information on Chordal Hop Propagation featured recently.
‘The Great Iron Shipâ€Ö was said to be the largest yacht ever built. She was later converted to lay deep sea cables.
By the early 20th century much outlay was being expended on intercontinental cable laying. One story explains a dilemma caused by laying such a cable at an enormous depth.
Some listeners might remember long time AR Magazine contributor ‘Pansyâ€Ö VK5PS. Here is a story called ‘Women and Radioâ€Ö originally told by Pansy himself.
The date again is May 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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TassieHamECon
Innovation in Amateur Radio
The Tassie Ham Conference is scheduled for the 1-3 November 2024 and is being held at the Sandy Bay Campus of UTAS.
The Friday night is a social BBQ held at the REAST Clubrooms and then Saturday and the first half of Sunday is a fun-filled conference of presentations and activities centred around “Innovation in Amateur Radioâ€.
We are currently locking in presenters from around the world and bookings will be open very soon.
Watch the Tassie HamECon web pages for more details.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/tassie-ham-radio-conference/
73, TassieHamECon Organising Committee
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Statewide News
QSL Update
Report - from Herman VK7HW Manager of the WIA VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
The updated list of QSL cards held as at 3 May 2024 is in the email version of the broadcast.
If you have any questions re QSL cards, please contact Herman by email. herman(at)ozemail.com.au
73, Herman, VK7HW, WIA Manager VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
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Cards held at 3 May 2024 ( Any errors in the listing are mine, I sometimes miss culling a call sign)
A, AAA, AAC, AAD, AAE, AAH, AAP, AAR, AB, AC, ACE, ACG, ACN, AD, ADE, AED, AG(2014), AGC, AHT, AIR, AJC, AKK, ALB, ALZ, AM, ANC, AO, APZ, AS, ATH, AXZ, AY
BA, BB, BBW, BD, BPV, BT, BU, BYE
CA, CBK, CBR, CH/T, CJ, CMV, CV, CX
DD, DHT, DI, DIK, DN, DO, DP, DQ, DT, DY, DZ
EA, EG, EI, EK, ER, EV
FADZ, FALX (alx), FAZZ, FCIA, FF, FG, FGGT, FKLW, FLAR, FMI, FPRN, FRJG(RG), FTAS
GA, GEL, GGZ, GM, GOP, GR, GS, GU
HCH, HDM, HDX, HL, HOB, HRS, HSA, HSD, HSJ, HVK, HZ
IAN, ID, IK, IR, IS
JA, JAB, JAZ, JB, JCR, JOK, JP, JS, JW, JX
KAC, KAM, KBA, KD, KDO, KI, KJ, KKR, KL, KO, KQ, KRJ, KT, KW
LA, LCW, LDH, LJ, LL, LLL, LM, LT, LVH
MA, MAG, MAT, MBD, MBP, MD, MEL, MET, MJ, MRS, MS
NA, NB, NC, ND, NEC, NET, NFI, NIK, NRF, NRT, NSE, NSS, NTE, NVH, NWT, NX
OB, OT
PAF, PBD, PM, PRN, PSH, PSJ, PSZ, PW
QK
RG/FRJG, RJ, RN, ROY,
SN, SV, SZ
TCE, TED, TK, TL, TO, TPE, TR, TS, TUX, TX, TZ
UT
VA, VAC, VAO, VAZ, VDC, VEK, VH, VI75G, VK7/AG9A9Mark), VR, VTM, VZ
WA, WC, WIA, WL, WO, WT, WUU
XV, XX
Y, YN
ZE, ZJJ, ZK, ZM, ZPE, ZR, ZT, ZX
â€ö-------
Cards in QSL Card Box at REAST WAGS @ 1 May - AZ, DC, EA, HH, HSD, HVK, JGD, SD, STO, VKT, WN, ZBX
--------------------------------
Statewide News
Thursday Night SSTV Nets
Another quiet net night that saw the following participants, VK7s – TW, AAR, DMH, EV, KT and ZAB all sharing nearly thirty photos despite a few glitches with the repeaters.
The highlights were:
CQ from a pair of Tassie tigers
Graffiti for bushrangers
Pop Medhurstâ€Ös Field Telephone that was a feature at last Wednesday nightâ€Ös REAST presentation
An exotic flower and colourful rows of Tulips, by the acre in Tasmania
A series of abandoned petrol or “gas†stations still with the fuel pumps sitting out front
An abandoned looking building, the boat house at Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain
A sign warning of no fuel for the next 375km
The Bubble or Fat car at MONA and a Holden Monaro on display
Family photos of teenagers having fun in Go Karts, Dodgem cars, a speedway car and a drag racing motor bike
Remember Ken VK7KRJâ€Ös and Steve VK7OOâ€Ös fully automatic 24/7 monitoring sites that allow 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 Kenâ€Ös and Steveâ€Ös SSTV websites or on NTARCâ€Ös website under blogs and arranged as weekly nets.
There is no suggested theme for next weekâ€Ös net.
https://vk7oo.tasme.com/vhfsstv
https://sstv.vk7krj.com/scrolling%20web%20gallery.html
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
73 from Andreâ€Ö VK7ZAB
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NEWS FROM THE NORTH WEST
North West Tasmania Amateur Radio Club
Donated radios.
The Club was recently donated two radios, a Yaseu FT1807 - 70cm Radio and an Alinco DR135 - 2m radio, the amateur no longer required them, and wanted to donate them to the club, but remain anonymous.
The radios have been programmed with all Tassie repeaterâ€Ös , as well as simplex channels. The radios will be used for JOTA, field days and amateurâ€Ös needing a radio, while theirs are being repaired etc.
The Club is very grateful to the donor, and thought creating a news item, will let other amateurs know of the generosity, as well as publicly thank the anonymous donor
---------------
NWTARC Car Boot / Table Sale
The Club will be holding a car boot sale on Sunday the 19th May 9am to 4pm, at the Leven Districts Scout Headquarters, 73 Alexandra Road Ulverstone,. with Sunday 26th May as a standby date, if the weather is atrocious on the 19th May.
The Club has items from two deceased estates, and a now not active amateur to dispose of.
So we are offering other amateurs state-wide , the opportunity to bring along their unwanted equipment to sell.
You can bring items to sell, supply your own table, or sell out of your boot etc.
We are hoping to obtain tables for people to book for use, this will be updated once known..
It will cost $10 to sell on the day, with the funds going directly to the local Scouts.
Please note due to plumbing issues, the Hall toilets not available, but toilets 5 minutes away on Beach Road, Or the Hive museum
73, Eric, VK7EV,
NWTARC News Officer
--------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE NORTH
Lost friend.
This e-mail request came through the NTARC web site contact facility this week.
Message: “Hello my name is Jose Babin. I used to run the Moutain View Country Inn in Deloraine. I am trying to get in contact with a friend I met 24 years ago in Tasmania. He is a
French radio amateur. I only know his first name Patrick and his wifeâ€Ös name Christianne.
Patrick and Christiane were living in Tasmania and he was a Baker. When we left Tasmania in 2002 they were living around Liffey falls.
If you know him could you please ask him to call me on 0409622630â€
I have replied to Jose and told him I will ask around, what better method than the weekly broadcast, well it is worth a try. I am assuming Jose isnâ€Öt an amateur.
If anyone remembers or knows of a French amateur named Patrick give Jose a call or send me an e-mail and I will pass the information on.
secretary(at)ntarc.net
Fingers crossed, 73 Stefan NTARC
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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
We will start this week off with an update on one of the clubs favourite subjects, restoration.
Peter VK7KPC has had quite a bit of success restoring his WS62 ex-military HF transceiver over the past months. Apart from the fact that it actually functioning now he has been participating in some of the Straight Key Century Club, or SKCC for short, club activities. The CW session is not a contest but a monthly slow morse get together on the 80 metre band. I believe it is referred to as the Oceania QRS Saunter. Peter managed a New Zealand CW contact running about 1 Watt power out from his WS62, a very admirable achievement. He has managed two VK3 contacts this week on 80 metres as well as successfully using the rig on the Wednesday Discord session. I hear Peter has also been having “fun†chasing a wandering crystal controlled oscillator! Looks like a little bit more work will be needed on the WS62.
For more information on the SKCC - Oceania QRS Saunter monthly slow morse get together follow the link in the text edition below.
https://www.skccgroup.com/operating_activities/oqs/
While we are on the subject of low power level communication, it has come to my attention that Phil VK7ZPD has also been having success with some long distance contacts.
Still in the HF end of the spectrum but not CW this time. Phil has been using Olivia mode and as a quick refresh for me I was reminded it was a weak signal TTY type digital mode that works very well with low power.
Evidently Phil has had several contacts via Olivia 8/250 over the past few weeks with a Swiss ham, Hanspeter HB9BFM. Philâ€Ös latest contact with him was on Sunday afternoon running just 4 Watts power, Phil was in Tasmania and Hanspeter was located in the Swiss Alps! Hanspeter commented that “Phil was the only VK7 ham using Olivia.†Phil mentioned to me that “It's a very interesting mode and much more interactive and personal than the other modes such as FT8 and can also be set up on an SDR for Rx only for those who like to just listen."
Now just for interest sake, namely mine…
OLIVIA was designed by a Polish amateur named Pawel Jalocha, SP9VRC in 2005.
Its goal was to be effective even in challenging propagation conditions on shortwave radio (HF) bands. It can also decode well under other noise, QSB and QRM. It is a Multi-Frequency Shift Keying (MFSK) radio teletype digital mode and uses 7-bit ASCII alphabet. There are a handful of amateur digital modes that are derived from Olivia, including RTTYM and PAX.
There is an excellent run down on the official “Olivia Digital Mode on HF†site, link included in text version of the broadcast.
https://oliviadigitalmode.org/
I must agree with Phil, Olivia does seem like a happy compromise between computer assistance on a noisy and poor transmission path while still maintaining the human contact by actually typing the QSO rather than full automation with the computers instigating and completing the interchange.
As an added bonus from Phil to anyone that is interested, he has notes on the setup of FLDigi for Olivia should anyone need assistance or he can assist via Anydesk remotely.
Thanks Phil, I hope receive some takers for the offer of assistance. This sort of help can potentially save vast amounts of time on initial setups. You never know this might even create a few more QSOs for Hanspeter.
Now for this weekâ€Ös homework ….. Does anyone know the meaning behind the naming of the Olivia mode?
Apart from being of Latin origin and meaning an olive tree.
As always, pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs†for this broadcast.
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
UPCOMING EVENTS
TestNet and TechNet session - Every Wednesday, TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7 pm till 7.30 pm, then a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30 pm till about 8.30 pm. Your host for the evening will be Nic VK7WW.
Coffee Morning - held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10 am 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.
Club Room Technical night session - The next session will be on Wednesday the 8th May and will commence at the usual time of 6.30 pm, running through to about 9 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 5 pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
Thatâ€Ös all folks,
73 from Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC Inc.
--------------------------------
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/
May Presentation - “Pop†Medhurst XFM - Tasmanian Wireless Pioneer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD7Px1IyE1w
Last Wednesday night was a chronological journey of Frederick "Pop" Medhurst with Justin VK7TW who wrote a similar article for AR Magazine at the start of 2024.
Justin started with an introduction of where Frederick “Pop†Medhurst came from in Chobham, UK and his early life and training. He met Alexander Graham Bell and was offered a job and corresponded with Bell for the rest of his life. He moved to Australia and then Australia and married his wife Edith Edney.
Federation created a unique technology test opportunity and Pop communicated ship-to-shore using spark in 1901.
Justin then showed pictures of the Medhurst Field Telephone that Pop invented and sold throughout the world. The Medhurst company installed the first electric light in Hobart. He was the first Life Member & Patron of the WIA Tas Division and was president over many years. He was also first president of the Hobart Radio Research Club. He organised the first and second WIA Federal Conferences in Tasmania in 1928 and 1935.
He was seen in photos at many events and field days around Tasmania up to quite an old age. The story was peppered with many firsts and Justin finished with the fact that the Medhurst Company still exist in North Hobart.
There is a link on the email edition of this broadcast to the video of the presentation on the night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD7Px1IyE1w
73, REAST Committee
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May Special Forum
Field Day Operation
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/?event_id1=2160
This week we have a special treat where you can share your portable and mobile show and tell with many.
You may have seen those operators out in the bush or on top of a mountain with their antennas, batteries and rigs making contacts around the world and thought, I really wish I could do that!
The format will be a forum getting everyone together to share their experience, tricks of the trade, epic or not so epic fails and hints and tips of operating portable and mobile.
If you have any experience operating outside your shack be it through a contest, SOTA, POTA, WWFF, VKFF or Silos or some other “OTA†then please come along and share your experience and show and tell with the group.
It happens this Wednesday 8th May from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms.
The event will be streamed with an open chat channel where we will take questions and go out on DVB-T RF.
See you there.
73, REAST Committee
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June Presentation
Glitching Pulsars - the sequel we have all been waiting for!
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/?event_id1=2163
Just after the discovery of pulsars by Jocelyn Bell in the late 60s, we have known about pulsars glitching. For 50 years astronomers have been trying to catch a glitch live with a large radio telescope. All failed.
Until in 2018 an unknown Tasmanian did what no one else in the world had. And it got him published in the worldâ€Ös most prestigious journal.
What is a glitch? What is a pulsar? And what happened that made Nature publish his paper?
Dr Jim Palfreyman will present the sequel to his 2012 REAST talk. And like Godfather 2 and The Empire Strikes Back, it will be better than the original.
See you at the Queen's Domain Clubrooms on 5 June 2024 from 7:30pm. Presentation will be live and streamed via the REAST YouTube Channel.
73, REAST Committee
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Wednesday Experimenter's Group
https://www.youtube.com/live/NzMjN1eNDuE?si=-xindYFoEVZl-1vj
We get back underway with our WEGs group in two weeks time as this week is the Portable/Mobile Forum.
See you there or on the stream.
73, Justin, VK7TW
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REAST Training and Assessments
We welcome Greg Mannering VK7GM to the REAST Training and Assessment Team which now consists of:
Reg Emmett VK7KK - Assessor & Learning Organiser
Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW - Specialist Assessor & Trainer
Greg Mannering VK7GM - Assessor
Lee Jordan VK7LEE - Trainer (and soon to be assessor)
Given the recent changes to Amateur Radio Training and Assessment and the significant reduction in cost for the assessments - the REAST Training and Assessment Team has decided to split the assessments to streamline the training and assessment days.
Foundation Training and Assessment days will be every two months like they are now and will only be for Foundation Training and Assessments.
All the other Assessments (Standard, Advanced or Regulations) will be on the other months and will only be Assessment sessions.
The dates can be found on the REAST Events Pages.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/
The Foundation Training and Assessment Day are on Saturdays:
29 June 2024
24 August 2024
26 October 2024
The Other Licence Assessment Days are on Saturdays:
25 May 2024
27 July 2024
28 September 2024
30 November 2024
We also have a new Training and Assessment email address for ALL bookings, queries and questions.
reast.assessor(at)gmail.com
This email address is forwarded to the Training and Assessment Team and they will respond to any requests.
So, our next REAST Standard/Advanced Licence and Regulations assessment day is Saturday 25th May 2024 from 10am then please let the Team know on email reast.assessor(at)gmail.com or by ringing Reg Emmett VK7KK REAST Learning Organiser on 0417 391 607.
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
Please note these videos are about to be update to cover the new arrangements with the Class Licence structure
73, Reg, VK7KK
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Technology News
The End of an Era: Zilog Discontinues the Z80 Microprocessor
Two years short of the Z80's 50th birthday, Zilog has called it curtains on the 8-bit MPU. What legacy does this microprocessor leave behind?
As of June 2024, the venerable Z80 microprocessor, released by Zilog in 1976, will no longer be available as a standalone part.
Despite the many evolutions and revolutions in the engineering industry, some silicon goes back decades. You can still hop over to DigiKey or Mouser and place an order for an NE555 timer, first produced in 1971, or an LM741 op amp from 1968. These chips are icons of the birth of integrated-circuit electronics. The lifecycle of the Z80, equally salient to that era, has now come to an end.
The Intel 8080 and the Birth of the Zilog Z80
Zilog, now owned by Littelfuse, was born from the race to the single-chip microprocessor. Zilogâ€Ös principal founder, Federico Faggin, developed the 4-bit Intel 4004, generally regarded as the first commercial single-chip microprocessor, and the 8-bit Intel 8008.
He was also instrumental in improving the follow-on processors, the 4040 and 8080. The 8080, introduced in 1974, was the first high-performance 8-bit microprocessor. It was more powerful, and it could directly address 64 K of RAM. It was also easier to interface than Intelâ€Ös prior microprocessor chips.
Faggin, however, wanted more for the microprocessor than Intel did at the time. As the story goes, Intel was more focused on selling static RAM and ROM and largely saw the microprocessor as a way to sell more memory chips rather than as a valuable product on its own. He left Intel in late 1974 along with Ralph Ungermann to found Zilog. The two initially set their sights on designing a low-cost, single-chip microcontroller. However, without their own fab capability, the product would not be economically viable due to strong competition and low margins. With that idea set aside, they decided to develop an improved microprocessor chip that was compatible with the popular 8080.
The new chip would be 8080 code compatible but with 120 more opcodes, additional registers, and separate I/O and memory space. The Z80 uses a single + 5-volt power supply instead of the +5/-5/+12-volt split supply required by the 8080. It didnâ€Öt require an external clock chip and could single-step for debugging. Zilog initially contracted with Mostek, developer of the competing 6502 microprocessor, to fab the Z80.
Into the Personal Computer
By the time the Z80 was released, the 8080-based Altair 8800 and IMSAI 8080 desktop computers, with their S100 bus, had already become a standard platform for kit and semi-kit computers. Gary Kildall of Digital Research had also targeted the 8080 at CP/M operating systems. In other words, the platform and operating system were ready and waiting for the Z80 to arrive.
The Z80, with its 8080 binary compatibility, single supply voltage, and reduced support chip requirements, easily fits on a single card in a desktop S100 “mainframe†box. The Z80 powered the 1970s' three most popular S100 bus small business computer lines from Cromemco, Vector Graphic, and North Star. For the first time, office users could run word processing software like WordStar or database management like dBase II without resorting to big system timeshare or expensive minicomputers.
The Z80 prevailed as the most widely used 8-bit CPU through the mid-1970s until being supplanted by the Intel 8088-based IBM PC in the early 1980s. Consumers saw the first appliance-like home computer with the introduction of the Z80-powered Radio Shack TRS-80 in 1977. The TRS-80 put the Z80 up against the Mostek 6502, which drove the Apple II and the Commodore PET as contenders for the dominant personal computer CPU.
The first “portable†computers were Z80-powered. The Kaypro II and Osborn Iâ€öwith their dual floppy disks, cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, and keyboards in a self-contained, luggable 25+ pound boxâ€öwere powered by the Z80 and ran the CP/M operating system.
Z80 as an Embedded Device
By the mid-1980s, 8-bit CPUs were deemed inadequate in the business personal computer world against the likes of the IBM PC and Motorola 68000-based Apple Macintosh. Zilogâ€Ös attempts at 16- and 32-bit follow-on PC microprocessors in the 1980sâ€öthe Z800, Z8000, and Z80000â€öfailed to succeed because of the entrenchment of Intelâ€Ös x86 architecture.
Still, the Z80 soldiered on. The chip had a large following of many capable programmers. It was inexpensive and easy to implement, and the embedded world benefitted from these advantages. The Z80 found homes in printers, photocopiers, fax machines, modems, and a host of industrial, commercial, and scientific equipment. One of the largest installed bases of Z80 microprocessors comes with the Texas Instruments Ti-8X series of graphing calculators. Most are powered by the Z80, putting the processor in the hands of millions of students worldwide.
Goodbye, Z80, My Old Friend
Because the aging Z80 architecture canâ€Öt compete with 8-bit RISC and low-cost 32-bit embedded processors, Zilog has decided to discontinue the line. The versions of the Z80 to be discontinued come in NMOS with clock speeds ranging from 4 MHz to 8 MHz and CMOS running from 8 MHz to 20 MHz. These include:
Z84C0006VEG
Z84C0006PEG
Z84C001PEG
Z84C0008AEG
Z84C0020VEG
Z84C0008PEG
Z84C0010AEG
Z84C0010VEG00TR
Z84C0020AEG
Z84C0020PEG
Z84C0006AEG
Zilog will accept last-time buy orders until June 14, 2024.
Traces of the Z80 will still live on. Z80 soft cores are available for implementation in FPGAs, and the eZ80 is an enhanced architecture derivative embedded processor that is Z80 code compatible but much faster and more modern in memory addressing and interfacing.
; Z80 Signing off
ORG 0000H ; Set program origin to 0000
HALT ; So long, and thanks for all the opcodes
END
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/end-of-era-zilog-discontinues-z80-microprocessor/
Written by Duane Benson and sourced All About Circuits Web E-zine
--------------------------------
Regular VK7 gatherings and events over the coming months:
Regular gatherings:
Sewing Circle Net – Daily on 3.640MHz commences at 6:30pm 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.
REAST - WAGs - Wednesday Afternoon Group from 12 noon in the REAST Clubrooms Queenâ€Ös Domain.
REAST - WEGs - Wednesday Experimenterâ€Ös Group from around 6pm with DATV show starting at 7:30pm in the REAST Clubrooms Queenâ€Ös Domain.
SOTA/WWFF Group – Meeting Mondays and Fridays 10.30-12.00 midday at Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry St, Launceston.
NTARC - TestNet and TechNet sessions every Wednesday night. TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7pm till 7.30pm…. and a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30pm till about 8.30pm
NTARC Coffee Mornings held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10am to noon in the Rocherlea Clubrooms.
NTARC - Club Room Technical night session - Wednesday the 8th May from 6.30 pm Clubrooms, Archer Street, Rocherlea.
NW VK7 – Wednesday from 8:00pm local – NW Tassie Amateur Repeater Group Net on 2m VK7RMD - Input 146.025 output 146.625 tone 141.3
NW VK7 - Thursday commencing at 8:30pm local - N.W. Tassie 2m DX Net 144.190 USB
Events:
REAST - May 8 - Field Day Forum - Wednesday 8th May from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and streamed.
NWTARC - May 19 - Car boot sale from 9am to 4pm, at the Leven Districts Scout Headquarters, 73 Alexandra Road Ulverstone.
REAST - June 5 - Glitching Pulsars - the sequel we have all been waiting for with Dr Jim Palfreyman from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and streamed.
NWTARC - June 15 - Club meeting - Scout Hall, Alexandra Rd, Ulverstone.
VK - November 2-3 - Tassie Ham Conference - Innovation in Amateur Radio - Sandy Bay Campus UTAS
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A reminder to those people rostered for next weekâ€Ös broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7FB
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, VK7JH and VK7DC
160m: VK7GS
80m: VK7DG
40m: VK7TPE
20m: VK7ALH
10m: VK7JGD
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 and UHFCB24 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(at)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.
On behalf of the VK7 Amateur Radio News Team, 73 and stay safe from Idris, VK7ZIR.
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(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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