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VK7AX > BCAST 13.09.26 04:33l 525 Lines 24215 Bytes #59 (0) @ WW
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Subj: VK7 Amateur Radio News 13Sep26
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VK7 Amateur Radio News 13Sep26
Text edition:
VK7 AMATEUR RADIO NEWS
SUNDAY 13th September 2026
Welcome to the VK7 Amateur Radio News for the 13th day of September 2026, your gateway to whatâ€Ös happening across the airwaves in Tasmania and beyond.
Coming to you from the Tasmanian Amateur Radio News Desk is Peter, VK7PD with the latest updates, stories, and insights from our amateur radio community.
Weâ€Öre broadcasting far and wide thanks to our dedicated team:
DMR Talk Group 5 & D-Star Reflector 91C via the Digital Group
MF & HF relays:
1.860 MHz – Graham, VK7GS
3.670 MHz – Ross, VK7ALH
7.140 MHz – Garry, VK7JGD
14.130 MHz – Justin, VK7TW
28.525 MHz – Mark, VK7FMAC
And locally in Hobart on UHF CB Ch.24 - VK7FMAC and HFCB24 with Luke.
Missed it live? Catch the replay Tuesday 8pm on repeaters VK7RAA (North), VK7RHT, and on UHFCB24/HFCB24 (South).
Stay tuned, and enjoy the news!
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IARU News
Indonesian Disaster Frequencies
Dear IARU Member Societies and Radio Amateurs,
In response to the current disaster situation in Indonesia, ORARI will activate emergency communication operations from 11 to 24 September 2026.
Radio amateurs are kindly requested to avoid causing interference and to give priority to emergency traffic on the following frequencies:
7.110 MHz Voice emergency communications
7.100 MHz USB JS8Call data communications
145.880 MHz Uplink to the LAPAN-A2/IO-86 satellite
435.880 MHz Downlink from the LAPAN-A2/IO-86 satellite
Operators are encouraged to maintain a listening watch where possible and to follow any further operational announcements issued by ORARI.
Your cooperation and support during this emergency communication operation are greatly appreciated.
73 de YB1BTM
Ageng Aditya
Disaster Communication Committee Chair
IARU Region 3
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WIA News
Remembrance Day Contest Results
As heard on the WIA National News - VK7 has won the RD Contest for the 10th time! Congratulations to all participants and especially the following VK7 who managed a top three category place:
In Single Operator Phone - Steve VK7OO 1st and Ron VK7ME 3rd.
Single Operator Mixed - Martin VK7GN in 3rd
Single Operator QRP Mixed - Nic VK7WW
Teams Event - TOTWOO which is Lance VK7TO, Justin VK7TW and Steve VK7OO in 2nd and Cronies+1 which is Murray VK7ZMS, Richard VK7ZBX and Hayden VK7HH in 3rd.
VK7 submitted 33 logs with a total of 5525 logged contacts with a raw score of 7955 which equated to a participation rate of 4.5% and there were 85 unique participants in VK7. The nearest state to this participation rate was VK6 with 1.15%.
Congratulation to all VK7s who participated in the RD Contest.
https://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/rdcontest/
73, Justin, VK7TW
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WWFF, SOTA, POTA, LLOTA and IOTA Weekly Wrap Up
The warmer weather has arrived, and the days are getting longer, perfect conditions for getting out and about and activating some parks and summits!
Looking at the VKFF yearly statistics, we currently have two VK7 operators sitting in the top 100 hunters in VK for the year so far. Paul, VK7PJM, has hunted an impressive 779 VKFF references, while Jerry, VK7EE, has hunted 230 VKFF references. What a fantastic effort from both operators!
There were only two activations in VK7 over the past week. Rodney, VK7HAM, and Peter, VK7ZPE, headed out to Pipers River Regional Reserve, located approximately 20 km north-east of Launceston. The pair were spotted activating the reserve on 40m.
Meanwhile, Lance, VK7TO, made his way to the Mt Wellington Summit with his CW key. Lance activated the summit with four CW contacts, earning himself 13 SOTA points for the activation.
Thatâ€Ös it for another week. Hope to catch you on the air.
73, Matt, VK7MAT
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Statewide SSTV Nights
A quiet net night that saw the following participants, VK7s – AX, ZAB, EV and ZCF, all sharing twenty photos.
The highlights were:
One of the fast ferries to MONA
“The Fat Car” at MONA, which is a 2006 Porsche convertible plumped up with fiberglass panels
A life size concreate truck sculptured out of rusty wire
A wooden sculpture of a golfer at Bagdad
Canine radio operators from the Netherlands
Progress on the “Go Box”, a Ham shack built into in a carry case that also includes a PC for digital modes
And how to drinking from the well of knowledge
Again Tony VK7AX interconnected VK7RJG to his SSTV International Gateway and VK7s exchanged photos with PD0OKP in the Netherlands.
Note - Ken VK7KRJâ€Ös and Steve VK7OOâ€Ös fully automatic 24/7 monitoring sites that allows anyone testing, to send a picture and the ability to check their transmission on these pages almost immediately, any time, both South and North Tasmania.
If you missed the net there are archives of these SSTV nights on Kenâ€Ös and Steveâ€Ös websites or on NTARCâ€Ös website under blogs.
https://vk7oo.tasme.com/vhfsstv/
https://sstv.vk7krj.com/scrolling%20web%20gallery.html
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
https://www.qsl.net/vk7ax/sstvgate3/index.html
73 from Andreâ€Ö VK7ZAB
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QSL News
Inwards QSL Bureau Information
The updated list of QSL Cards held by the VK7 Inwards Bureau as at 11 September 2026 is in the email version of the Broadcast. If you would like your cards to be mailed to your local Radio Club please email Herman with the details. Some cards ready for mail out last week were delayed due to a delivery last week Friday and time taken to sort them. These will be mailed in the next few days.
Are you attending the Tassie Ham-E-Con Amateur Radio Conference in November? If you are and Herman has cards for you please let him know by email and he will prep them for delivery to you at the Conference. If you can collect cards for your fellow club members or amateurs who cannot be there also let Herman know.
If you see your call sign in the list and you don't accept cards via the Bureau, please let Herman know so he can cull them.
Any Questions please Email to westyh@ozemail.com.au
73 Herman VK7HW
Manager WIA VK7 Inwards QSL Bureau
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Sorted Cards held at 11 September 2026 ( Any errors in the listing are mine, I sometimes miss culling a call sign)
AA, AAA, AAC, AAD, AAE, AAH, AAP, AAR, AB, AC, ACE, ACG, ACN, ADE, AED, AG(2014, 2016), AGC, AIJ, AIR, AJC, AJP, AKK, AL, ALZ, AM, ANC, AO, AP, APK, APZ, AQ, AS, ATH, AXZ, AY
BA, BB, BBB, BEN, BO, BPV, BT, BU, BYE
C, CA, CBK, CBR, CC, CD, CH/T, CJ, CK, CMV, CTV, CV, CW, CX
DAN, DBX, DD, DG, DHT, DI, DIK, DN, DO, DON, DP, DQ, DV, DW, DZ
EA, EE, EG, EI, ER, EYL
FA, FAA, FADZ, FALX (alx), FAZZ, FCIA, FG, FGGT, FKLW, FLAR, FMI, FPRN, FTAS, FTR
G, GA, GC, GEL, GGZ, GL, GOP, GP, GR, GS, GU, GZ
HCH, HCK, HDE, HDM, HDX, HL, HOB, HRS, HSA, HSD, HSE, HSJ, HSO, HZ
IAN, ID, IK, IR, IS
JA, JAB, JAZ, JCR, JGD, JOK, JP, JS, JW, JX
KAC, KAM, KBA, KD, KDO, KE, KJ, KKR, KL, KO, KRJ
LA, LDH, LL, LLL, LM, LT, LTD, LVH
M, MA, MAD, MAG, MAT, MBD, MD, MEL, MET, MHZ, MI, MJ, MO, MS, MV
NB, NC, ND, NEC, NET, NFI, NG, NIK, NJB, NMH, NRF, NRT, NRX, NSE, NSS, NTE, NVH, NWX
OB, OO, OW
PAF, PBD, PDJ, PKA, PKJ, PLT, PM, POL, PRN, PS, PSH, PSJ, PSZ, PW
QK, QQ
RA, RB, RG, RW, RY
SD, SG(vi7SG), SIX, SN, STC, STO, SV, SW, SZ
T, TA, TCE, TED, TK, TM, TO, TUX, TW, TX
UJ
VA, VAC, VAO, VAZ, VDC, VEK, VH, VM, VR, VTM, VZ
WA, WC, WIA, WL, WN, WO, WUU, W (VJ7W), WX, WZ
XTC, XV, XX, XY
Y, YN
ZA, ZBX, ZGK, ZJJ, ZK, ZT, ZTA
*Cards in the box at REAST On 9 Sep* - AZ, BEN, DG, EA, MO, MRS, SD, STO, TW, WN, OO, ZBX, ZTA
--------------------------------
Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026
The Countdown is On!
With just over two months to go, Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026 is already shaping up as a genuinely national and international gathering of the amateur radio community. Registrations are open, and we already have attendees booked from every Australian state as well as New Zealand. This yearâ€Ös theme, “Hack the Ether: Education, Ingenuity, Connection,” celebrates what amateur radio does best: experimenting, learning, sharing ideas and finding ever more inventive ways of getting signals from one place to another.
The conference brings together amateurs, makers, educators, communicators and technical explorers for a fully catered weekend built around four streams: Hack the Mind, exploring education and learning; Hack the System, showcasing experimentation and ingenuity; Hack the Culture, looking at community, engagement and connection; and Hack the Future, examining leadership, purpose and where amateur radio heads next. Thereâ€Öll also be pre-conference and post-conference activities, making this much more than simply two days sitting in a theatre listening to presentations.
Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026 will be held on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November at the Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre on the University of Tasmaniaâ€Ös Sandy Bay campus in Hobart. With registrations already stretching across Australia and over the Tasman, and still two months to go, itâ€Ös looking like being quite a weekend. The preliminary program is available and bookings are open now through the conference website. Search for Tassie Ham-E-Con 2026 and come and Hack the Ether in Hobart this November.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/tassie-ham-radio-conference/
73 from the Conference Organising Group.
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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
--------------------------------
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club Incorporated
www.ntarc.net
The last couple of club room technical nights have had an interesting “under theme”, although not intended. It started off with Lionel VK7ZLB, bringing in some “so last century” pre-calculator memorabilia. They were in the form of card calculators. Those hand held pieces of heavy weight card stock that you could select a value in a little cut window by sliding along or rotating a moving piece of card and then reading of the pre-calculated printed results from another window.
A selection of card calculators were:
Industrial dissipation of power
3 phase motor, contactor and overload relay selection
Hewlett-Packard Mismatch Error Limits calculator for phase and SWR
PMG Relay spring contact timing and contact pressure adjustment calculator
A 1970s Radio Shack Ohms Law calculator incorporating amperes, voltage and watts
And of course an Australian Metric Conversion publicity promotions calculator, compliments of Charles Davis
Even a music related slide rule, for transposing musical keys and by the look of it, much more
Andreâ€Ö VK7ZAB also had a selection of conventional solid plastic slide rules that were mandatory ownership if you were pursuing a career in engineering or electronics.
Unfortunately none of us could find a copy of our “log table book”. That A5 little reddish coloured book that contained look up tables for Characteristic and Mantissa, does that ring a bell?
Importantly, all the above calculators show you the relationship between the information being selected and the result. Or possibly more succinctly a visual representation of a formula and the interaction of the variables on the result. What a blast from the past, before things became easier….
Even after fifty years, they still work, they are still legible and of course the non-existent batteries havenâ€Öt leaked!
Club room technical nights just wouldnâ€Öt be complete without a 3D printed offering by someone, the last tech night was no exception.
Colin VK7ZCF, firstly had a 3D printed speaker enclosure, including its mounting bracket, not un-like the classic Motorola vehicle extension speaker. The main difference being this version was grey, not the usual black or beige, but still about the same 140 mm square front dimensions though.
Secondly, was a 3D printed replacement instrument knob, measuring 80 mm in diameter, it was reasonably complex as he also incorporated a skirt and pointer into the design. It was intended for a hefty variable auto transformer where the possibility of obtaining a manufacturers spare part would probably have been zero anyway. Once again the original was black, but I think Colinâ€Ös offering in grey will certainly fit the bill.
And now for something not completely different, from Colin as well as Peter VK7PD, not 3D printed, but something that was printed or maybe silk screen printed on. By pure coincidence both Colin and Peter, turned up with a brand new Tee-Shirt and Hoodie respectively.
Colinâ€Ös Tee-Shirt, sported a large printed analogue transceiver meter movement with his personalised call-sign appearing immediately below. Peterâ€Ös Hoodie had “CQ DX” emblazoned across the front in two lines.
Both are multi-coloured, both are available from the web and both are perfect for contesting, DXing, or just showing off your passion for amateur radio, while staying warm in the process.
The web links are available in the text version of this broadcast:
Colinâ€Ös call-sign and S-Metre Tee-Shirt is available at “Etsy.com” and Peterâ€Ös CQ-DX at Tasmaniaâ€Ös very own phenomenal amateur radio resource site - Ham Radio DX: CQ DX Hoodie
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/4500651295/s-meter-t-shirt-custom-call-sign-tee
https://shop.hamradiodx.net/products/cq-dx-hoodie
A reminder, if you are interested in aircraft telemetry, donâ€Öt forget the NTARC club rooms will be opening to watch the live REAST YouTube presentation by Mogens Anderson, covering ADSB aircraft tracking and telemetry. It should answer any questions you might have regarding that short vertical antenna on the peak of the club room roof. See you on Wednesday the 23rd September, Doors will be open by 7:00 pm for a 7:30 pm presentation.
As usual pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast.
https://www.ntarc.net/blogs
UPCOMING EVENTS
CW course - Every Wednesday night, on 3.580 MHz from 7 to 7.30 pm. Your CW Coach for the evening is Nic, VK7WW.
On Air Test and Technical gathering - Wednesday nights, on 3.567 MHz from 7.30 pm.
Club Room Technical night - The next session will be Wednesday the 16th September and will commence at the usual time of 6.30 pm at the Club Room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
Club Room Special opening - ADSB live REAST presentation on Wednesday the 23rd September.
Coffee Morning - Held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10 am to noon.
Finally - If you have any items of news please email them to the Secretary at the following address news@ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5 pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
73 from Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC Inc.
--------------------------------
NEWS FROM THE NORTH WEST
North West Tasmania Amateur Radio Club Bi Monthly Meeting
The next club meeting will be commencing at 1.30pm on Saturday 3rd October 2026 at our usual venue, the Scout Hall, 73 Alexandra Road, Ulverstone.
Members are encouraged to bring items for show & tell, and club rooms are open till 6pm for members to socialise.
Afternoon tea will also be held and a small plate of afternoon tea would be appreciated. We have Tea, Coffee etc available for members and guests. Visitors are most welcome to attend.
If you have any cold or flu symptoms or are unwell or been in contact with a confirmed COVID case, then please do not attend the meeting.
73, Eric VK7EV
News Officer NWTARC
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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/
REAST - WIA Outgoing QSL Service
Greg VK7GM has offered to administer a WIA Outgoing QSL Service. Greg will sort the QSL cards and send to the WIA Outgoing QSL Bureau quarterly or if it demands more often and this is a free of charge service supplied by REAST.
There are only two requirements:
1). You are a WIA Member as this service is only available to WIA members and
2). You get your QSL cards to the REAST Clubrooms. There will be an outgoing QSL box setup in the clubrooms.
This is a free service REAST is offering and thanks to Greg VK7GM for administering.
73, REAST Committee
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Club Build Night - NTP/GPS Clock First Session
Firstly a huge thank you to Dave VK7CB for all the time spent sourcing components and getting these kits together.
Another thank you to Richard VK2ARH and the Manly Warringah Radio Society and the CowTown Amateur Radio Club for sharing the NTP/GPS clock kit with REAST.
About 12 people started building their kits and most got about 80% through the build.
We started programming up the ESP32 modules which identified some configuration issues which are being ironed out “as we speak”.
Some builders were even able to recover from placing headers on the wrong side of the PCB..HIHI!
We will have our second Build Night this Wednesday night from 7pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms.
See you there
73, Justin, VK7TW
--------------------------------
Wednesday Experimenterâ€Ös Group (WEGs)
Due to the second NTP/GPS clock build night our next WEGS night will be in a fortnight the 30th September.
Wednesday evenings kick off early, with members drifting in from about 6pm, many armed with takeaway containers or home-cooked dinners.
The DATV Studio broadcast begins at 7:30pm and around it unfolds the usual controlled chaos: lively debate, hands-on experimenting, gear tinkering, coffee consumption at industrial scale, the hatching of elaborate “cunning plans,” and the kind of wide-ranging amateur radio mischief and global problem-solving that somehow only ever truly makes sense inside the clubrooms.
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/
73, REAST Committee
--------------------------------
ADSB Support Presentation
https://www.reast.asn.au/event/september-presentation-night-adsb-support/
In September we have a very special presentation night that will be occurring a little later in the month than normal!
On Wednesday 23rd September from 7:30pm we will have Mogens Andersen in the clubrooms to give us a presentation on the ADSB Support service.
For those who are in the know - Mogens is the Chief Operating Officer of the ADSB Support Organisation that is based in Denmark and they supply ADSB receivers all over the world to amateurs, non-amateurs, and many other areas to receive the ADSB signals from aircraft and feed it into the various aircraft tracking systems around the world.
Save the Date - September 23rd from 7:30pm.
https://www.adsbsupport.com
https://www.reast.asn.au/event/september-presentation-night-adsb-support/
73, REAST Committee
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REAST Training and Assessment Update
https://www.reast.asn.au/information/amateur-licence-assessments/
Thinking about getting your Amateur Radio licence or upgrading to the next level? REAST continues to offer regular Training and Assessment Days for all Australian amateur licence levels.
The next session is a Standard, Advanced and Regulations assessments that are held on alternate months, with the next session on Saturday 19th September 2026. Our next Foundation Training and Assessment Day will be held on Saturday 24th October 2026.
https://www.reast.asn.au/news-events/upcoming-events/
If you're planning to attend, please contact the Learning Organiser Justin VK7TW as soon as possible by emailing reast.assessor@gmail.com.
You'll also find the full training schedule on the REAST Events page, along with a range of free learning resources, including the popular Foundation Licence Training Video series on the REAST YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsnsP_zjw831mdC6sY4XqavRUY-53ZWUn
To help build your confidence before assessment day, don't forget to try the Wireless Institute of Australia's online Foundation Trial Exams, with links available in the text edition of this broadcast.
https://www.wia.org.au/licenses/foundation/onlineexams/foundation.php
Whether you're taking your first step into amateur radio or upgrading your qualifications, the REAST training team is ready to help you succeed.
73 from Justin VK7TW.
--------------------------------
Regular VK7 gatherings and events over the coming months:
VK7 Regular gatherings:
REAST - 6m AM Net on 53.1MHz Everyday from 4:30pm
SOTA/WWFF Group – Meeting Mondays and Fridays 10.30-12.00 midday at Glebe Gardens Cafe, Henry St, Launceston.
NTARC CW course - Every Wednesday night, on 3.580 MHz from 7 to 7.30 pm. Your CW Coach for the evening is Nic, VK7WW.
On Air Test and Technical gathering - Wednesday nights, on 3.567 MHz from 7.30 pm.
NTARC Technical night session - Wednesday 16th September from 6.30 pm at the Club Room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
NTARC Coffee Mornings are held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10am to noon in the Rocherlea Clubrooms.
NW VK7 – Wednesday from 8:00pm local – NW Tassie Amateur Repeater Group Net on 2M VK7RMD and Allstar Node 56780
NW VK7 - Thursday commencing at 8:30pm local - N.W. Tassie 2m DX Net 144.190 USB
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. Plus VK7AX International SSTV Gateway connected to VK7RJG for the duration of the net.
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.
Sewing Circle Net – Daily on 3.640MHz commences at 6:30pm AEST.
VK7 Events:
REAST - 16 September - NTP/GPS Clock Build Night #2 - Queens Domain Clubrooms from 7pm
REAST - 23 September - ADSB Support Presentation from 7:30pm in the Queens Domain Clubrooms and Streamed
NWTARC - 3 October - Club meeting from 1.30pm at Scout Hall, 73 Alexandra Road, Ulverstone.
VK - 7-8 Nov - Tassie Ham-E-Con Amateur Radio Conference - UTAS Sandy Bay
--------------------------------
A reminder to those people rostered for next weekâ€Ös broadcast:
Newsreader: VK7TW
Repeaters: REAST, NTARC and in the NW thanks to NWTARC, WCRG, NWCRRA, VK7AX, VK7JH and VK7DC
160m: VK7GS
80m: VK7JGD
40m: VK7ALH
20m: VK7TW
10m: VK7FMAC
UHFCB24 & HFCB24: VK7FMAC & Luke
DMR: Talk Group 5 and D-Star Reflector 91C - Digital Group
2026 Roster -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iTod4MGlJRjXxi2vuDrHngoytZebSMph/view?usp=drive_link
--------------------------------
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to and supported this weekâ€Ös broadcast of the VK7 Amateur Radio News.
Thatâ€Ös it for this week! If you missed the live transmission, remember you can always catch the rebroadcast Tuesday at 8:00pm on VK7RAA in the North, VK7RHT, and UHFCB24/HFCB24 in the South.
Got news, stories, or updates to share? Weâ€Öd love to hear from you! Send them to vk7arnews@gmail.com by Friday 9pm. You can also join the conversation on our VK7 Amateur Radio News Groups.io page.
groups.io/g/vk7arnews
Stay tuned now for callbacks on this frequency, with each relay station using their own callsign.
On behalf of the VK7 News Team, this is Peter, VK7PD wishing you good DX, and a great week ahead!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Posted to the packet radio network on behalf of the 'VK7 AR News Team' courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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