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VK7AX > BCAST 28.12.24 13:33l 435 Lines 25300 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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VK7 Amateur Radio News 29Dec24
Text edition:
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VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 29th December 2024
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Welcome to the New Years Eve edition of the VK7 Amateur Radio News.
This was first broadcast on Sunday, December 29th, 2024 and we bring you the latest from the world of amateur radio in VK7.
This week, joining you from the Tasmanian Amateur Radio News desk is Justin, VK7TW.
Tune in as we share updates and insights across VK7, broadcast through an array of platforms and frequencies:
On DMR Talk Group 5 and D-Star Reflector 91C, managed by Gavin, VK7HGO.
On Medium and high frequency rebroadcasts thanks to our dedicated operators:
1.862 MHz by Graham, VK7GS
3.670 MHz by Ross, VK7ALH
7.140 MHz by Garry, VK7JGD
14.130 MHz by Any Takers
28.525 MHz by Dale, VK7DG and
UHF CB Channel 24 in the Hobart area, hosted by Mark, VK7FMAC
If you missed todayâ€Ös broadcast then you can catch the replay on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT and UHFCB24 in Southern VK7.
Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the broadcast!
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Silent Key
JOHN DEEGAN VK7JFD (SK)
It was with great sadness that we were informed that John Deegan VK7JFD had passed on the afternoon of the 21st December 2024.
John obtained his Amateur Foundation licence at the NTARC Clubrooms in April 2018, then becoming an active Club member, attending morning coffee sessions and meetings until changes in his health and needing Home Help restricted his movements. Attending Club social dinners was a favourite where his prowess with lamb shanks became legendary. He was a keen amateur though, and he set his radios up in his kitchen so he was not far from them at any time. He could be heard at various times of the day, and always chatted with amateurs on their way home from work, some with long journeys, to keep them safely focused. He maintained a rigid schedule, retiring early and rising in the small hours of the morning to participate in nets from the mainland and overseas, especially Queensland. Having retired from the transport industry, driving school buses and fuel tankers around Tasmania, there were lots of stories and anecdotes to be told. Using CB in his work vehicles stood him in good stead to progress to Amateur Radio. He was such a “larger than life” character, when at the Club or social events, that he will be greatly missed.
Vale John VK7Juliet Fox Delta now Silent Key.
From the NTARC Committee.
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Statewide News
QSL Partial Update
Report - from Herman VK7HW Manager of the WIA VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau.
The Partially updated list of QSL cards held as at 27 December 2024 is in the email version of the broadcast.
Happy New Year and Good DX'ing
73, Herman, VK7HW, WIA Manager VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
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Sorted Cards held at 27 December 2024 ( Any errors in the listing are mine, I sometimes miss culling a call sign)
AAC, AAD, AAH, AAP, AAR, AB, AC, ACE, ACG, ACN, ADE, AED, AG(2014), AGC, AHT, AIR, AJC, AKK, ALZ, AM, AN, ANC, AO, AP, APZ, AS, ATH, AXZ, AY
BA, BB, BO, BPV, BT, BU, BYE
C/GH, CA, CBK, CBR, CH/T, CJ, CTV, CV, CW, CX
DAN, DD, DG, DHT, DI, DIK, DN, DO, DQ, DT, DV, DW, DY, DZ
EA, EG, EI, ER
FADZ, FALX (alx), FAZZ, FCIA, FF, FG, FGGT, FKLW, FLAR, FMI, FPRN, FTAS
GA, GEL, GGZ, GH/C, GN/QP, GM, GOP, GR, GS, GU
HCH, HCK, HH, HL, HOB, HRS, HSA, HSD, HSJ, HVK, HXT, HZ
IAN, IR, IS
JA, JAB, JAZ, JCR, JG, JOK, JON, JP, JS, JW, JX
KAC, KAM, KBA, KD, KDO, KJ, KKR, KL, KO, KQ, KRJ, KT
LA, LDH, LJ, LL, LLL, LM, LT, LVH
M, MA, MAG, MBD, MBP, MD, MEL, MET, MHZ, MI, MJ, MRS, MS, MV
NA, NB, NC, ND, NEC, NET, NIK, NRF, NSE, NTE, NVH
OB
PAF, PBD, PM, PRN, PSH, PSJ, PSZ, PW
QK, QP/GN
RA, RG, RJ, RN, ROY
SD, SG(vi7SG), SM, SN, SV, SZ
TCE, TED, TK, TL, TPE, TR, TS, TUX, TX, TZ
UT
VA, VAC, VAO, VAZ, VDC, VEK, VH, VI75G, VK7/AG9A9Mark), VR, VTM
WA, WC, WIA, WL, WN, WO, WT, WUU, WX
XV, XX
Y, YN, YUM
ZA, ZBX, ZGK,ZJJ, ZK, ZM, ZMS, ZR, ZT, ZTA
Cards held at REAST Club Room 30 October 2024 (Sorted In wooden box on desk as you enter the door). AZ, HSD, SD, STO, VKT
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Join the VK7 AR News Team in 2025 – A Celebration of Volunteers and an Invitation to You!
A huge thank you to everyone who has already stepped up to be part of the VK7 AR News Team in 2025! Your enthusiasm and commitment are the foundation of our success, and we couldnâ€Öt do it without you. With your help, weâ€Öre set to make next year an exciting chapter in VK7 AR News history.
Every week, over 20 dedicated volunteers bring the VK7 AR News to life, handling everything from compiling content to reading, broadcasting, rebroadcasting, taking callbacks, and tallying listener numbers. As we gear up for 2025, weâ€Öll also be celebrating some of our long-standing team members who are retiring after years of incredible contributions. Their legacy is inspiring, and weâ€Öre excited to welcome new volunteers to continue building on their efforts.
If youâ€Öve ever tuned in to our broadcast or are just discovering what we do, nowâ€Ös the perfect time to join this amazing team! Whether youâ€Öre a natural organizer, a confident speaker, or just love connecting with the amateur radio community, thereâ€Ös a role for you. From content compilers to on-air readers, broadcasters, and rebroadcasters, every contribution helps lighten the load and amplify our reach.
Thereâ€Ös still time to get involved and make a difference! Reach out to Justin VK7TW via email, Discord, or the repeater to find out how you can join the team. Together, letâ€Ös make 2025 a year to remember for VK7 AR News and the entire amateur radio community.
Please note the 2025 roster is available from the VK7ARNews Groups.IO group files area along with many documents about what each role does in the VK7 ARNews Team.
Are you not a member of the VK7ARNews groups.io group then all you have to do is send an email to vk7arnews+subscribe(at)groups.io from the email you want to receive the news from and follow the emailed instructions and you too can start receiving the news via email each week.
73, Justin, VK7TW
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SSTV Nights
There was no net this week, hopefully due to everyone resting after enjoying the Boxing Day activities.
SSTV VK7OO Tasmania Australia (tasme.com)
VK7KRJ's 2m SSTV scrolling web gallery
Blog 3 â€ö NTARC Inc.
Have a Happy New Year from Andreâ€Ö VK7ZAB
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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
As touched upon in last weekâ€Ös round up of the final Clubroom Technical session for the year, one of the things Lionel VK7ZLB, brought in was a multi-coloured stack of square records. Yes I did say “square records”.
First of all forget about picture records like the ABCâ€Ös “Farewell Aunty Jack” where the entire record surface was picture printed on, grooves and all. These were substantially rigid like a normal vinyl record. Lionelâ€Ös disks were approximately 8 inch or 200mm square and not round, they were meant to be played at 33 and a 1/3 revolutions per minute and were double sided flexible plastic records. Very similar flexibility to what you would expect from a piece of photographic film. Each record has three holes, one in the middle and two down one side, before you ask it they werenâ€Öt meant for some weirdly exotic record player with three spindles. The one in the middle was for the record player central spindle and the two holes down one side were for clipping the record into a ringed binder that you would keep paperwork in.
These were released in 1976 by the Heath Company and were part of Heathkitâ€Ös “Continuing Education” series and was part of the Digital Techniques learning package to be used with a Digital demonstrator. It may not have been the same as putting a YouTube video on, but for its time it was quite a divergence from the usual construction or educational manual that you would have been used to. After all it was nearly fifty years ago and you didnâ€Öt need an internet connection.
Lionel also passed around a small plastic spool or bobbin. It was about 25mm in diameter with a 12mm space between spool cheeks. Wound onto it was a fine solder looking wire. Most attendees had never seen one before. There were a few members that had worked on test equipment repair or calibration last century, for them it was a flash from the past!
Some manufacturers like Tektronix supplied their mix of thin solder on a little spool and stored it safely inside the piece of test equipment. If any maintenance work was required then the correct solder would be on hand. I must take the top off my current Tektronix and see if they continued the tradition across into microprocessor based oscilloscopes.
Also on Wednesday night Peter VK7KPC, had his working 40 and 80 metre band, low pass filters that originated from Minikits. They were mounted within a metal case and the front panel now has visual indication of the selected band i.e. green LEDs. The filter unit also contained a small 0.8Ah rechargeable 12Volt Lead Acid battery to provide power for the relays. This makes a very compact and usable portable field unit. Peter had the filters connected to Colin VK7ZCFâ€Ös, SysJoint Vector Network Analyser and was displaying the selected filter frequency response in a very easy to see format.
One thing we unfortunately didnâ€Öt get a picture of was Peterâ€Ös small zip case that contained dozens of gold plated RF adaptors. Each one had its own storage location making it very easy to select and more importantly to see at a glance which ones hadnâ€Öt been returned. I had a distinct feeling that this lovely case of easy to find adaptors was added to many memberâ€Ös wish list! HiHi!
Well itâ€Ös almost the end of another year and certainly a break from club activities. But a few thanks are in order:
Nic VK7WW is taking a well-earned break from the Morse code training and radio tech session that he hosted every Wednesday night throughout the year. On the odd occasions that Nicâ€Ös dates clashed, we have been lucky enough for Phil VK7ZPD and Rick VK7HBR to stand in to fill the rather large boots of Nic as Net controller. Thank you to Phil and Paul VK7KPA for supporting the Discord side of things to compliment the on air Nets. Phil also provides a very useful audio feed of the on air proceedings to all that are logged into Discord.
A big thank you to Ros for the opening up and preparing the club rooms every Friday morning for the ever popular and well attended club morning teas. They certainly have proven to be a very important part of the social side of club memberâ€Ös interactions. Regardless of wide ranging views and ideas the overall friendship of club members certainly shines through.
On a slightly different note, over the years some club members find it hard or impossible, through failing health, to make it to morning teas or technical nights or even be on air. A big thank you must go to Brendan VK7VIP for his “Keeping in touch visits” with a number of Amateurs on a regular basis. With the recent loss of another club member being no exception.
Hopefully see you all in 2025!
As always, pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast. NTARC Blogs
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
UPCOMING EVENTS
As all club events are now in recess but the broadcast soldiers on, a reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup then please email them to the Secretary at the following address news(at)ntarc.net
Thatâ€Ös 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/
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Forum Night - In depth look at N1MM
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/?event_id1=2658
Our first Forum Night for 2025 is all about N1MM.
N1MM is a powerful and flexible logging platform that is used around the world.
This forum night will start with some local experts on N1MM who will take us through some of the feature and explain some of the nuances of the logging platform.
We will then open it up to the floor for experience and questions.
This forum night is hopefully timely as we have the Summer VHF and above Field Day on the next weekend!
Come along with your stories relating to N1MM and logging.
7:30pm, Wednesday 15th January, 2025 in the Queen's Domain Clubrooms and Streamed.
See you there.
73, REAST Committee
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HUMONGOUS Amateur Radio Car Boot Sale
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/?event_id1=2565
REAST will be holding a huge amateur radio carboot sale in the Queens Domain compound from 11am on Sunday 19th January 2025.
Want to sell something - it will cost you $10 to setup your carboot then you can sell as much as you want - all profit goes to you.
There will be a Sausage Sizzle on the day with Snags and Bread at $3 and Burgers and Bread at $5 - Soft drinks available $1 per can.
The REAST club will be selling 5.4m and 8.1m portable Aluminium masts for very reasonable prices!
No need to book - just turn up.
73, REAST Committee
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Wednesday Experimenterâ€Ös Nights
This Wednesday night we get back underway with our Wednesday Experimenterâ€Ös Group nights.
On a Wednesday night people start arriving at the night around 6pm and many bring their dinner to enjoy.
There is always much discussion, experimenting, playing, talking, drinking coffee and tea, serious cunning plan development and general amateur radio shenanigans and world problem solving in the clubrooms as well!!
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 stream the nights from 7:30pm AEDST on the REAST YouTube streaming channel and 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.
See you there or on the stream.
73, Justin, VK7TW
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REAST Training and Assessments Update
Foundation Training and Assessment Days are held every two months and start in February each year.
Standard, Advanced, and Regulations licence assessments are held on the alternate months starting in March. Dates can be found on the REAST Events Page.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/
Our 2025 training calendar is available and the Foundation Training and Assessment days will be on:
22/02, 12/04, 28/06, 30/08 and 25/10.
Our Standard, Advanced & Regulations Assessment Days will be on: 29/03, 31/05, 26/07, 20/09 and 29/11.
For Bookings, Queries, and Questions:
Email: reast.assessor(at)gmail.com
This email is forwarded to the Learning Organiser, who will respond to all requests.
Foundation Licence Training Videos:
These have been updated to reflect the new Class Licence arrangements. Available on the REAST YouTube Training and Assessment Playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiSE6GEhcXU&list=PLsnsP_zjw831mdC6sY4XqavRUY-53ZWUn
Additional Resources:
Check out the WIA Foundation Trial Exams.
https://www.wia.org.au/licenses/foundation/onlineexams/foundation.php
73, Reg, VK7KK
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Technology News
2D metamaterial breakthrough could improve satellite comms
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have developed a groundbreaking ultrathin 2D metamaterial surface capable of manipulating and converting radio waves across the Ku-, K-, and Ka-bands (12 GHz to 40 GHz), commonly used in satellite communications. This innovation enables the transformation of linearly polarised electromagnetic waves into circularly polarised waves, which significantly improves the efficiency and reliability of satellite communication systems. The metamaterial, detailed in Communications Engineering, could enhance 6G satellite data capacity, remote sensing capabilities, and signal quality while reducing vulnerability to atmospheric disturbances like rain fading and ionospheric interference.
The 2D metamaterial surface, only 0.64 mm thick, is constructed from geometrically patterned copper atop a standard high-frequency circuit board. Its design enables precise reflection and repolarisation of electromagnetic waves, allowing satellites and ground stations to maintain stable communication links. Unlike traditional systems, circular polarisation eliminates the need for exact antenna alignment, reduces signal degradation from polarisation mismatch, and doubles channel capacity by utilizing both right-hand and left-hand circular polarisations. This versatility is particularly advantageous for mobile and small satellite applications.
Lab tests demonstrated the metamaterial's effectiveness in converting linear to circular polarisation, with results aligning closely with simulations. The surface maintained high performance even when signals were received at angles of up to 45°, a critical requirement for space-based applications where alignment between satellites and antennas is often imprecise. These features make the metamaterial ideal for improving satellite communication, enabling better phone signals, more stable data transmission, and enhanced capabilities for Earth observation, such as tracking climate change and wildlife migration.
The metamaterial can be mass-produced affordably using conventional printed circuit board techniques, making it a practical solution for widespread adoption. Professor Qammer H Abbasi and his team highlighted its potential to revolutionize the satellite industry by providing a lightweight, compact, and cost-effective solution for enhancing communication and remote sensing systems. As a result, this innovation could play a crucial role in advancing satellite technologies and addressing challenges in modern communication networks.
https://www.criticalcomms.com.au/content/research/article/2d-metamaterial-breakthrough-could-improve-satellite-comms-628161928
Sourced and summarised from the Critical Comms Web-e-zine.
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Amateur Radio on the Big & Small Screen!
MMDVM Featured
Thanks to Scott VK7HSE who passed on this story that was posted by Jonathon Naylor who is “Mr MMDVM” on the MMDVM news group.
The BBC are bringing out a new drama called Nightsleeper, and in the BBC official trailer at the 0:05 mark, you can see an MMDVM duplex hotspot, which presumably is used by the baddies to do something naughty to the train.
Itâ€Ös a nice bit of product placement, even though the MMDVM in question appears to be looking for an IP address. I suppose Iâ€Öll have to watch it to see what the MMDVM firmware can do to trains…HIHI!
The trailer is viewable at the link on the email version of the broadcast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeoLPcR8I58
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Tasmania New Year Tale
A New Yearâ€Ös Eve to Remember in Tasmania
As the sun dipped below the rugged horizon of Tasmania, casting golden hues across the islandâ€Ös lush wilderness, Ian, VK7AIA an avid amateur radio operator, settled into his cozy shack perched on the edge of a vineyard. The year had been a challenging one, but Ian was determined to end it on a high note, celebrating New Yearâ€Ös Eve with his favorite pastime: connecting with fellow operators across the globe. His setup was modest yet powerfulâ€öa trusty HF rig, a well-tuned antenna, and a glass of Tasmaniaâ€Ös finest Pinot Noir at his side.
As the evening wore on, Ian alternated between calling CQ and sipping his wine, enjoying the lively chatter on the bands. Suddenly, a rustling outside caught his attention. Expecting nothing more than a possum, Ian grabbed his flashlight and stepped out into the cool night. To his surprise, a pair of glowing eyes stared back at himâ€öit was a Tasmanian devil, gnawing on a piece of discarded coax cable. Ian chuckled, gently shooed the mischievous creature away, and returned to his radio, amused by the unexpected visitor.
Back inside, Ian tuned into a local net, sharing tales of the devil with fellow operators. As midnight approached, he prepared to toast the New Year when a strange sound echoed from the dense forest nearbyâ€öa low, guttural growl followed by an eerie howl. His pulse quickened. Could it be? Legends of the elusive Tasmanian tiger had long captivated locals, and Ian couldnâ€Öt help but wonder if he was about to witness history. Grabbing his flashlight and camera, he ventured cautiously into the dark.
Near the vineyardâ€Ös edge, Ian froze in awe. In the dim moonlight, a striped, dog-like creature emerged from the brush, its movements graceful and deliberate. The Tasmanian tigerâ€öthought extinctâ€östood before him. Ian fumbled for his camera, but the creature vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving him with nothing but a racing heart and an incredible story to share. Rushing back to his shack, Ian relayed the encounter to the net, sparking a flurry of excited responses.
As the clock struck midnight, Ian raised his glass to the radio waves, the devil, and the tiger. New Yearâ€Ös Eve in Tasmania had delivered an unforgettable blend of mystery, adventure, and camaraderie. Ian couldnâ€Öt imagine a better way to ring in the New Year, surrounded by the beauty of his island home, the wonders of its wildlife, and the global community of amateur radio. Cheers to a year filled with possibilityâ€öand perhaps another encounter with the extraordinary.
A fictitious tale by Arthur Inglis aka. AI!
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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.
SOTA/WWFF Group – Meeting Mondays and Fridays 10.30-12.00 midday at Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry St, Launceston.
NW VK7 - Thursday commencing at 8:30pm local - N.W. Tassie 2m DX Net 144.190 USB
Events:
REAST - January 15, 2025 - N1MM Forum Night - Queens Domain Clubrooms from 7:30pm and Streamed
REAST - January 19, 2025 - CarBoot Sale of the Century and Sausage Sizzle - Queens Domain Clubrooms from 11am.
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A reminder to those people rostered for next weekâ€Ös broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7TW
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: VK7ALH
40m: VK7JGD
20m: VK7DG
10m: VK7VKT
UHFCB24: VK7FMAC
DMR: Talk Group 5 and D-Star: Reflector 91C VK7HGO
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A huge thank you to all people and organisations that assisted with this broadcast.
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That wraps up this week's edition of the VK7 Amateur Radio News. We hope you found it informative and enjoyable?
You've been listening to VK7WI, or if youâ€Öve just tuned in, you've just missed our live broadcast. But donâ€Öt worry! You can catch the
rebroadcast on Tuesday night at 8:00pm on repeaters VK7RAA in Northern VK7 and VK7RHT and UHFCB24 in the South.
We encourage you to share your news, stories, and updates with us. Email your contributions to vk7arnews(at)gmail.com.
For more information about the broadcast and to join the discussion, visit our VK7 Amateur Radio News Groups.IO Group.
groups.io/g/vk7arnews.
Remember, the deadline for submissions is 21:00 on the Friday before the Sunday broadcast.
Stay tuned for callbacks on the frequency youâ€Öre currently listening to. Relay stations will use their own callsigns during this time.
On behalf of the entire VK7 Amateur Radio News Team, this is Justin, VK7TW wishing you 73, have a safe and relaxing entry into 2025!
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(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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