Tasmanian Ham Radio Conference

Space Weather and how it can work for you!

Hi, I’m Tamitha Mulligan Skov and I stare at the Sun a lot. I am a credentialed space weather forecaster and I have been helping the public understand the effects of Space Weather on our daily lives since 2013.  I work primarily in the fields of solar and space physics research and in the testing of spacecraft materials in realistic space radiation environments. https://www.spaceweatherwoman.com/

Ground is a Myth!

Ground is something you stand on, but in an electrical sense, the meaning is much less clear. When it comes to Hams and ground, things get really confused. We drive rods into the earth, but why? Let’s take a look at whether any of this makes sense, and what theory tells us about “ground”, and if it exists in any sensible way at all. We’ll talk about DC grounds, RF grounds, and even about gravity.

Kristen McIntyre, K6WX, has been interested in radio since she was about 5 years old.  She started in Amateur Radio in 1979 getting her ticket while at MIT.  Kristen has worked in many diverse areas from analog circuit design to image processing to starting and running an ISP. She is currently working at Apple in Core Networking, and spent many years at Sun Microsystems Laboratories where she was researching robustness and emergent properties of large distributed computer systems.  She is a long time denizen of Silicon Valley and has worked at or consulted for many of the usual suspects.  Kristen is an active ham and loves to chase DX on HF with her Elecraft K2 which she built while visiting her mother in Florida.  She is ARRL First Vice President, former Pacific Division Director, past president of the Palo Alto Amateur Radio Assoc., past Q&A columnist for Nuts and Volts magazine, and is active in many local clubs.  Kristen was recently inducted into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.  She is also an Instrument Rated Private Pilot.

The World Radio League: Bringing Amateur Radio to the 21st Century

Amateur Radio is defined by its advances, and how we utilize and employ new technologies. One fact of the hobby that has been slow to adopt this is all the operating support systems, such as logbooks, awards platforms, and contact analytics systems. The World Radio League (WRL) is the latest and greatest in amateur radio technology, bringing 21st century technological advances to the field of amateur radio operating. WRL’s advanced features such as cloud based logging, real time analytics on your operating trends, and easy ways to share your operating with the world turns keeping a logbook from an annoying process to a journey. With the modern software development practices put in place by the WRL team, every single new feature is meticulously specced, developed, and launched, every bug fix is thoroughly vetted, and all user feedback is seriously considered for its merits.

Max has been a Ham Radio operator for about 8 years; or since he was age 12. During this tenure, he’s explored many different aspects of the hobby: doing shifts running special event stations, getting people licensed as a Volunteer Examiner, even launching high altitude balloons and talking to the ISS. His latest endeavour, the World Radio League, combines his love for Amateur Radio with a desire to “bring it to the 21st century” by integrating modern technology into the longstanding practice of logging.

Keep your hobby safe and secure on the modern hostile internet, whether you want to run a remote rig, or link a network of repeaters.

Lightning Scatter: A rare mode of Propagation

Rex, VK7MO,  will report on the use of lightning scatter on 1296 MHz for what is believed to be the first ever two way QSO on this mode of propagation.  This QSO was with VK3MAP and used the digital mode MSK144. Rex will explain why he thinks that 1296 MHz is probably the optimum band for this mode of propagation with analogies to aircraft scatter.

Rex Moncur, VK7MO, was licensed in 1960 and set the inaugural 432 MHz Australian record at 97 miles in 1964 and the Victoria 1296 MHz record at 46 miles in 1966. He now holds the World Terrestrial record on 10 GHz, at 2792 km, and World EME records on both 10 and 24 GHz.  His interests are in exploring the use of digital modes and propagation from VHF up to optical.  He recently published on Lightening Scatter and on characterising different types of Auroral Propagation.

Radio contesting from B.C (Before Computers) to Gameboy

Martin was first licensed in March 1966. First contests were field days with the Hull and District Amateur radio society (Yorkshire,U.K.). September 1968 and I was at University in North Wales where I operated from digs GW3VBX as well as at the GW3UCB club station on both HF and VHF contesting.

Following university I moved to VK. VK4VU was very contest active and VK5GN was even more intense with multiple towers and 2 radio operation VK7GN is now more casually involved with a more limited remote station.

Martin’s long history qualifies him to talk about how technological progress has impacted on radio contesting. Most strongly on operating systems, logging and entries to the competition but also on the technical facilities used to maximise score.

There have been dramatic changes from the HRO Receiver used in those early field days to the modern SDR and top range transceivers like the Icom 7851. From the paper logging to computer logging. From entries by post to real-time internet entry.

Remote Ham Radio (Flex Radio and Node Red)

Node-RED is an easy to learn flow-based programming language that ham radio operators can use to build simple web-based dashboards which provide command, control, and automation in their ham shack. In this presentation we will learn how to get started with Node-RED, what you can control, and some example dashboards. No programming experience necessary as there are ham radio flows already programmed for major manufacturers to get you started. 

Kyle (AAØZ) received his ham radio license in 1995 while attending college at the University of Missouri (Mizzou). Over the past 25+ years Kyle has been involved with net operations, ARES, SLSRC leadership, AREDN, repeaters, HF, POTA, SOTA, portable ops and contesting. He’s a past president and engineering committee chair of the St. Louis & Suburban Radio club. When he is not on the air, you can find him programming something in Node Red or producing ham radio videos on his YouTube channel.  Kyle works in IT for his day job.  

EME/EMF/EMC/High Power Education

A product of his school’s Youth Radio Scheme in the 1960’s, Phil was first licenced in 1967 as VK2ZZQ, and later as VK2DKN when it became necessary to gain a full call for backup communications on an international yacht race from Jakarta to Rotterdam via the Cape of Good Hope. 

Phil became a Director of the WIA in 2003 and then vice president, and president flowing the untimely passing of Michael Owen VK3KI(SK). Phil has been the editor and part-author of the Foundation Licence Manual since its inception, an activist for the WIA on the BPL issue, served on the TE3 and TE3-19 Australian Standards committee’s for equipment emission standards, and is a GA Taylor medal recipient. 

Professionally, after a career start with OTC in telecommunications, a stint working at Sydney University physiology and engineering departments, project manager at ETI magazine alongside Roger Harrison as editor, Phil went on to own and develop the VitalCall medical alarm business. Phil is past Chair and a life member of the medical alarm industries’ association (PERSL – Personal Emergency Response Services Limited). 

Phil is an active member of the WIA’s Education and Spectrum Committees that are currently working on several key initiatives. He remains active in amateur radio mostly on 40mx and mostly on AM, yacht races each week on Sydney Harbour with some success, and rides his Ducati SD900 or Honda CB400F around; but not in the rain anymore.

The Quest for Miniaturisation

I’m Adam, also known as K6ARK, an avid SOTA activator and portable operator.  I’ve got a small YouTube channel where I share my adventures in building and operating portable radio equipment.  Whether it’s the smallest possible radio, the highest gain portable antenna, or the most remote SOTA summit I’m always looking for that next challenge to keep my portable operations interesting. 

ICOM Australia https://www.icomjapan.com/lp/60th/

ICOM will have a display in the foyer of the Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre that will feature their newly released equipment.

DigiRig
Thanks to Denis Grisak K0TX
https://digirig.net/

Ham Radio DX
Thanks to Hayden VK7HH
https://www.hamradiodx.net/

Get in touch – 

[email protected]