[continued from previous message]   
      
   help of his support worker, we installed it on a pole with a length of   
   coax and he was able to start chatting on the air!   
      
   His wife has since contacted me to thank me for organising this for   
   him because it has made a huge difference in his life now that he is   
   active again and we are currently looking at some new radio equipment   
   that will be a much better setup for him.   
      
   The other fellow we are helping is currently studying for his   
   Foundation. Once again, I was able to source a UV5R and flowerpot to   
   allow him to listen until he gets his own callsign. He is an avid   
   short wave listener, and often calls me on the phone to ask questions   
   about something he has heard on the repeaters or to remind me a net   
   is on!   
      
   The point I am making is that someone who is blind may sometimes feel   
   very isolated.  And on the air, no one would even know you are blind   
   (unless you tell them!)   
      
   In fact many people living in our community WITHOUT a disability often   
   feel isolated or alone too! I know a number of amateurs (myself   
   included!) who will agree that the hobby has made a huge impact on our   
   lives! I often like to say that we are not only members of a local   
   amateur radio club, we are also members of a local amateur radio   
   community! Its up to each of us to make everyone feel welcome, and to   
   do what we can to help them get on the air and participate in this   
   amazing hobby we call amateur radio.   
      
   73 from David VK4DN.   
      
   ------------------------------------------------------------*   
   INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to ARRL, DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday,   
   IARU, ICQPodcast, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC, Radioworld.com, RSGB,   
   SARL and the World Wide sources of the WIA.   
      
   Starting with our thoughts for all suffering in the United States,   
   civilians and Ham Radio Ops. alike from the absolute devastation   
   caused by hurricanes Milton and Helene.   
      
   WinLink operations are requesting all non-essential, that is weekly   
   nets and testing, cease until emergency traffic eases.   
   That old Proverb, "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good" may be   
   incorrect after all.   
      
   After radio proved essential for communication during recent disasters   
   in the Southeast of the USA, Attorneys General from a dozen states are   
   emphasizing the importance of keeping AM radio in cars. They say   
   Hurricane Helene highlights why AM radio is crucial in emergencies and   
   are urging Congress to pass legislation that would require automakers   
   to keep AM radio in vehicle dashboards.   
      
   During emergencies, it is vitally important that federal, state, and   
   local officials be able to deliver emergency warnings and other   
   information to their citizens, the group writes. AM radio signals   
   travel greater distances as compared to FM, and citizens can receive   
   information via AM radio even when phone lines, electricity, and cell   
   phones are inoperable.   
      
   The proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act last month cleared its   
   final committee hurdle and now awaits a vote in the full House.   
      
   If passed, the bill will require the Secretary of Transportation to   
   issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor   
   vehicles. If they dont, carmakers could be fined.   
      
   The Sri Lankan amateur community has suffered the loss of two   
   prominent amateurs, who became Silent Keys one day apart.   
      
   Vasanth Guruge, 4S7VG made a name for himself among prominent DXers   
   not long after receiving his licence in the mid-1970s.   
      
   Twice was president of the Radio Society of Sri Lanka - first from   
   2005 to 2007 and again from 2015 to 2016. The radio society referred   
   to him as a "cornerstone of the Sri Lankan amateur radio community."   
      
   VS7VG died September 15 aged just 70.   
   One day earlier, Sadeepa Sepala, 4S6SAD, became a Silent Key.   
      
   4S6SAD was a dependable mentor to operators utilizing the digital   
   modes or the Automatic Packet Reporting System. He was, above all,   
   a kind and respected mentor, according to the radio society website,   
   which praised him for sharing his wide knowledge of astronomy,   
   antenna theory, and radio science with hams and university   
   undergraduates. He took a particular interest in encouraging young   
   students to embrace radio science.   
      
   RIP 4 S 6 SAD and 4 S 7 VG.   
      
   In the UK the RSGB are really leading the way encouraging more and   
   more youth into YOTA, Youngsters On The Air by the appointment of   
   two new volunteer Youth Champion roles. Chris Aitken, MM0WIC will be   
   the RSGBs School Youth Champion and Rhys Williams, M0WGY/AJ6XD will   
   be the University Youth Champion.   
      
   Chris is a Computing Science teacher at Wick High School, Caithness nd   
   Rhys represented the RSGB at the YOTA Camp in Prague this year and   
   sent back daily reports on his activities.   
      
   Ben Lloyd, GW4BML is the Board Liaison for youth activities. He says,   
   I welcome Chris and Rhys to their new youth volunteer roles and look   
   forward to working closely with them in the future to attract and grow   
   RSGB youth membership."   
      
   Alan VK2COD will be joining Col VK3GTV with lots more news as it   
   relates to Youth On The Air a little further down this WIA   
   National News Service.   
      
   RUSSIA   
      
   Russian state media company VGTRK, which owns and operates the   
   country's main national TV stations, was targeted in a massive   
   cyberattack coinciding with President Vladimir Putin's birthday.   
      
   (born 7 October 1952)   
      
   The website of VGTRK, the All-Russia State Television and Radio   
   Broadcasting Company, was not loading early on Monday and its   
   Rossiya-24 rolling 24-hours news channel was not available online.   
      
   "Online broadcasting and internal services are down and even the   
   Internet and telephony are not working. It's going to take a long time   
   to fix," one source said.   
      
   Speaking in Moscow, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian   
   Foreign Ministry, did not say who was behind the attack but told   
   reporters that Russian media had long since become targets.   
      
   Moscow would raise the cyberattack in all international forums,   
   including at UNESCO, the UN agency which promotes freedom of speech,   
   Zakharova said.   
   -------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   OPERATIONAL NEWS - A FELIX VK4FUQ PRESENTATION   
      
   --------------   
   --------------   
   NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2024   
   --------------   
   --------------   
      
   Following meetings with contest directors and World Wide Radio Operators   
   Foundation leadership, the organizers of CQ World Wide contests have restored   
   eligibility for awards to qualifying amateurs from Russia and Belarus. That   
   policy change took effect during the weekend of the CQ World Wide RTTY   
   contest, which took place on the 28th and 29th of September.   
      
      
   CQ World Wide Contest Director John Dorr, K1AR, announced on the contest blog   
   that the elimination of those operators' eligibility for award plaques -- a   
   decision made two years ago -- was never formally incorporated into any   
   contest rules; it was merely a policy statement. That policy is no longer in   
   effect, bringing the contests into alignment with so many other competitions   
   around the world.   
      
   (NEWSLINE 2449)   
   THIS WEEKEND - ON NOW-----------   
   Oceania CWDX Contest 12TH   
      
   CW - The second full weekend in October each year from 0600 UTC   
   Saturday to 0600 UTC Sunday   
      
   Log deadline for PH and CW logs - 31 October.   
      
   wia.org.au/members/contests/oceania/   
      
   -------------------   
      
   INTERNATIONAL EARTH - MOON - EARTH CONTESTS   
      
   0000 UTC on Saturday through 2359 UTC Sunday.   
      
   50 to 1296 MHz - October 19-20, AND November 16-17.   
      
   Work as many amateur stations as possible via the earth-moon-earth   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)