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   Foundation, or entry-level training, is provided on the Saturday.   
   This covers basic radio theory, regulations and practical setup and   
   safe operation of an amateur radio station, and is followed by   
   qualification assessments on Sunday.   
      
   Standard and advanced level qualification assessments are available on   
   either Saturday or Sunday, BUT, by prior arrangement with the SGARS   
   education team.   
      
   All assessments are conducted by ACMA accredited assessors.   
      
   Bookings close on Thursday the 20th of February and you can contact them   
   email to education@sgars.org   
      
   sgars.org   
      
   (vk2news)   
      
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   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.   
      
   Amateur Radio has been a hobby for well over 100 years.   
      
   For as long as there has been an understanding of electricity and   
   radio waves, people have been experimenting with these technologies and   
   advancing the state of the art. As a result, the world has moved from   
   wired telegraphy to tube radios to telephones -- forward a century -- to   
   GPS and high-speed digital communication devices that fit in your pocket.   
      
   Advances made by amateur radio experimenters have propelled the work of   
   NASA, satellites, television, the internet, and every communications   
   company in existence today. People fiddling with radios have pushed   
   forward technological advances the world around, time and time again. Yet   
   the people making these efforts, doing these feats, aren't always the best   
   at documenting and preserving their work for the future.   
      
   That's where Internet Archive comes in.   
      
   Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications.   
      
   DLARC is a project of the Internet Archive, and its job is to find and   
   preserve this rich history of radio and communications. DLARC collects   
   resources related to amateur radio, satellite communications, television,   
   shortwave radio, pirate radio, experimental communications, and related   
   communications.   
      
   In the two years since the project launched, DLARC has preserved thousands   
   of magazines and journals, manuals, product catalogues, radio programs and   
   conference proceedings. These materials were scattered worldwide, often   
   inaccessible and in obsolete formats. DLARC have digitized material that   
   was on paper, cassette tape, reel-to-reel tape, CD-ROMs, DVDs, digitized   
   video from 16mm film, VHS, U-Matic, Betacam and even more obscure video   
   formats.   
      
   Theyve built a collection of more than 140,000 items and made them   
   available to the world. Researchers, academics, and hobbyists use the   
   library to learn from the rich history of this 100-year-old hobby.   
      
   tinyurl.com/s5zeh7fk   
   Ofcom has announced a consultation which seeks to simplify the licensing   
   of amateur radio visitors to the UK from a specified list of countries.   
      
   The consultation also covers the proposed simplification of other wireless   
   equipment usage. Ofcom says: We propose to introduce a new licence   
   exemption for short-term use of radio amateur equipment by radio amateurs   
   visiting from countries that are not covered by the CEPT Recommendation   
   T/R 61-02, but with whom the UK has a bilateral reciprocal agreement.   
      
   The deadline for responses to the consultation is 5pm on the 28th of March   
   2025.   
      
   Heading to the USA soon? maybe to Dayton?   
      
   WELL THE VOICE OF AMERICA MUSEUM IS POISED TO REOPEN   
      
   The National VOA Museum of Broadcasting in West Chester, Ohio is QRV and   
   is about to reopen.   
      
   Six months of renovations have come to an end at the Voice of America   
   museum, which reopened  its doors to the public at noon on Saturday the   
   25th of January. The work has created new exhibit space with room for more   
   displays that showcase radio history in the US. The building formerly   
   housed the Voice of America's Bethany relay station.   
      
   The West Chester Amateur Radio Association, WC8VOA, has its headquarters   
   in the historic building and has had uninterrupted on-the-air activity   
   even as remodelling took place elsewhere in the interior. As visitors   
   return, hams will be on the air and, as always, ready to welcome them.   
      
   Theres a saying in theatre that even if you encounter hardship,   
   the show must go on.   
      
   Well, the theatre of radio is no exception to that rule.   
      
   We learn how an important amateur radio program weathered the storm -   
   literally - to fulfil a promised short-wave broadcast premiere.   
      
   Listeners had counted on hearing the first short-wave broadcast of the   
   D.A.R.C.'s amateur news programme from Woofferton, England  but no one   
   had counted on the severe storm that was bearing down on the west of   
   England. The damage rendered 7 of the stations 35 antennas unusable   
   leaving the 9670 kHz broadcast imperilled as the start of the programme   
   drew near.   
      
   The technical team scrambled and, on short notice, improvised:   
   They "Crash-Started" another transmitter and a different antenna so that   
   they were able to put the programme on the air, just as expected,   
   on-time and on-frequency.   
      
   In an announcement to listeners on Sunday, 12th January, Radio D.A.R.C.s   
   Rainer Englert, DF2NU, thanked the Woofferton team, saying   
   [quote] this incident shows once again that technicians help each other   
   and do everything humanly possible. [endquote].   
      
   Although reception reports varied unexpectedly because of the different   
   equipment employed, over 1,000 listeners emails poured in, praising the   
   programme. Rainer proclaimed the premiere a success.   
      
   The Woofferton station had saved Radio D.A.R.C. for its listeners after   
   the closure of its previous short-wave broadcaster in Moosbrun, Austria,   
   had been obliged to close down. Meanwhile, the station reports that the   
   original antennas have since been repaired and their original   
   configuration restored.   
      
   The show will indeed go on.   
      
   Still in the UK, the RSGB has announced that it is an official partner   
   for this years British Science Week, run by the British Science   
   Association.   
      
   The RSGB Outreach Team worked with the RSGB Comms Team to offer an   
   amateur radio-related activity, and this will feature in the   
   British Science Week Community Pack. This links with the Societys   
   strategic priority of Growth and its desire to reach new audiences.   
   The Society is very excited that amateur radio will be featured for   
   the first time in this important national STEM campaign.   
      
   This years event runs from the 7th to the 16th of March with the themeChange   
   and adapt.   
      
      
   It is not just for young people and the RSGB has a range of additional   
   activity ideas you could try with your community, friends and family too.   
   The RSGB hopes its ideas and resources will encourage many to get out   
   there and inspire others.   
      
   Reception Reports   
      
   WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a   
   welcome to the broadcast as they commence call-backs   
   straight after the Local News. Local news follows National   
   news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would   
   email their reception reports and location to   
   callbacks@wia.org.au   
      
   Submitting news items   
      
   If you would like to submit news items for possible inclusion   
   in the VK1WIA broadcasts, please email your item in text to   
   nationalnews@wia.org.au   and don't JUST send url's links or   
   posters, but take the time to pen YOUR contribution.   
      
   To submit audio, email nationalnews@wia.org.au   
   and send BOTH the audio and the text   
      
   We would appreciate items certainly no longer than 1.5 mts in   
   length as we only have a half hour.   
      
      
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   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)