Q-News AR News From Queensland podcast

9:00

On Saturday, 12 April, many of us will be heading to Redfest. Thanks to the bright yellow badges, you'll recognise us, so come and say "hi". And now for something completely different. As you've heard, this year Redfest clashes with our regular bimonthly club lunch moved lunch to Sunday 13 April, Monday 14 April is our next member meeting and will be held at the Toowoomba Library at 1900. Our treasurer, Cameron VK4CSS will talk about RADAR and LIDAR. Cam will present about radar and lidar speed measurement, including the history of radar and lidar; give a brief chat about over-the-horizon radar; explain how radar speed measurement work, including videos to demonstrate, and he'll talk about when radar or lidar doesn't work. And why would you want to attend? Well, you might even learn something about both technologies that could save you from being accused of an action that can't be proved or where the measurement can be shown to be inaccurate. Got it? The date again: 1700 on Monday 14 April at the Toowoomba Library - where the parking is plentiful and under cover, and once again we welcome members and non-members alike. I'm John VK4JPM for the Darling Downs Radio Club - 73 and see you next week. Robert Thomson VK4TFN here. REDFEST 25 "Adventures on HF" will go ahead at 9:00 am on the 12th April. It's only two weeks away. Our new venue is: The Deception Bay North State School, Old Bay Road, Deception Bay. There are still a few tables left if you hurry. $15 per table. Email redfest@redclifferadioclub.org.au Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. The wet weather continues. Sadly some areas in the north of Queensland are getting a repeat dousing, and the inland is getting floods, for better or worse, may remain for many days or weeks. For farmers who look forward to rain at the right time, may improve their income in the long run and for the householders who have been surrounded or evacuated, relief can’t come soon enough. I imagine that many amateurs have developed a routine of checking the weather, space weather and propagation charts, planning their activities. The long term forecasters are an indicative service to the agricultural industries but our Bureau of Meteorology is relatively cautious in issuing trends in the weather for as much as the commuter and tradie might like the assurance of perfect knowledge, forecasts beyond days, even when based on good averaging of data, tend to fall into the crystal ball style of guesswork. So it is with the solar activity that gives such wonderful conditions for long-distance communications and within hours or days can provide a total blackout on many bands. Just as the Earth has patterns of activity in wind and ocean currents, these too can alter drastically and quickly as the information from the amateur radio balloons circling the planet can report. The solar cycle of activity averages around 11 years from peak to peak. Within that, we can plan and speculate on what activities we might be able to accomplish. As we grow into familiarity with the various skills that make our operations more enjoyable and interesting, we accumulate a store of knowledge which is applied to radio but also aids in so many other areas. Sadly there is a level of confusion coming from across the Pacific as the new US administration assails the community with instructions and demands. The final outcome of the shutdown of overseas broadcasting can only be guessed at and the cleaning of the FCC book of rules may or may not change how amateur radio is conducted within the US jurisdictions. In the past week, our regulator, the ACMA, has been releasing many papers to its client base via email and website. We are fortunate that order stays with the governance of radio communications in this country. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP, that’s what I think…. how about you?…

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QNews for March 23rd 2025 10:00

13 days ago10:00

10:00

In news from Ipswich and District Radio Club, WICEN volunteers will head out in the field for the Brisbane Trails Marathon on April 27. It’s never too late to offer your services on the day. A minimum of 14 operators are required most with a 4WD and radio equipment to operate in a remote location. Ipswich WICEN also welcomes support from other amateurs in southeast Queensland. Please get in touch with Paul McDonald at VK4PMCPaul@outlook.com I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. The Management Committee is busy at work sorting out a few items that need to be addressed - we'll tell you about that at the next meeting, which will be on Monday 14 April. More about that in a second. The John Moyle Field Day was a heap of fun and thanks to all those who came along to help the club get into the history books. It will be a while before we know how we did, but in raw terms, we ran for six hours with four teams across 10, 15, 20 and 40 metres. Given the commercial nature of the site we were on, we also attracted a bit of attention from the public and had more than a few people come over to find out what we were doing. Explaining Amateur Radio to onlookers is one way to increase our numbers. We also had some underbubblers drop by for a squizz: there are members of our club who are on the road to a Foundation Licence, and what better way to get a feel for what structured operating is about than to watch a team of people calling "CQ Contest"? Thanks to Dougal, VK4EKA for being team captain and arranging the main setup - a centre-fed long-wire flown between trees; to Wayne VK4ARW with his quick-erect rotator dipole; and SAM VK4SAM with a most interesting multiband-vertical and an impressive ground plane. The Field Day also gave us a chance to shake out the club's self-contained trailer, designed quite effectively to operate in a mains-free environment. Fortunately, we had good sun and the batteries stayed nice and charged. Redcliffe & Districts Radio Club VK4RC -. Robert Thomson VK4TFN here. REDFEST 25 "Adventures on HF" at 9:00 am on the 12th of April. I'm looking forward to it. Our new venue is: The Deception Bay North State School, Old Bay Road, Deception Bay. Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. One area of amateur radio that we don’t see mentioned often is one that brought many people into the broader compass of “radio”. A lot of people, these days, associate the introduction of the Citizen’s Band Radio Service as being the fillip that gave rise to the many new amateurs who entered via the then Novice licence. The value of Radio Australia to introducing our life and perspectives was well recognised as it had a non-partisan policy of providing news and information and it sought to help people in neighbouring countries. Weather reports, farming tips and English language lessons were all grist for the mill until a few years ago when the plug was pulled. As evidence of its effectiveness, shortly after closing its services several of the frequencies that RA used were adopted by one of the Asian Tigers as their own. In this past week, we have seen the current administration pull the plug on one of the most well-recognised international broadcasters when the USA locked staff out of the Voice of America studios and offices and placed the programming on automatic. My introduction to radio was strengthened by tuning around the dial and listening to these various broadcasters and finding other things like marine traffic, police networks and becoming intrigued by amateur radio, particularly 40m. From that I went on to join the WIA as an Associate Member, Short Wave Listener and eventually I became a full member. Shortwave is still with us and along with scanning of VHF and UHF, it makes a great introduction to the hobby of radio. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think…. how about you?…

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QNews for March 16th 2025 9:50

20 days ago9:50

9:50

Fred White VK4NOE became a silent Key on 29th January 2025. Fred was a member of the Mount Isa and Districts Amateur Radio Group when it was formed in 1979. He was known around Australia as an active member of the Royal Navel Amateur Radio Society. He was a regular participant of the RNARS net held on 15 meters on Sunday mornings in the early 80's. REDFEST 25 "Adventures on HF" will be held on the 12th April 2025. Gates open at 9:00 AM. Our new venue will be the Deception Bay North State School, Old Bay Road, Deception Bay. I'm John, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club and what a week it's been. And who expected such a confluence of events demonstrating how useful Amateur Radio could be in a time of stress and emergency? As this segment goes to air, the John Moyle Memorial Field Day will be in its final block. The field day celebrates readiness and willingness to operate portable, without connection to mains power, and to provide training for emergency conditions. And like the universe playing a massive prank, ex-tropical-cyclone Alfred showed us all how exactly ready we would be to deal with an actual natural event, a week before the competition and at least one WICEN training exercise had to be cancelled while we dealt with the civil emergency. News from the Sunshine Coast Amateur Radio Club, this is Gordon VK4VP for those who may have missed this last week due to TC Alfred. SCARC is having a car boot sale on March 22nd at the clubrooms 85 Godfreys Rd. Bli Bli. Entry and traders tables are free but we do require bookings to secure a traders spot. It will be located in the grounds of the clubroom so if you need shade apart from the few large trees, you will have to organise something yourself. Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. For so many of us, it is good riddance to Alfred, the cyclone that was. For many more, it is the harrowing task of saving what is left disposing of the too badly damaged and finding the path back to normality. We were fortunate that the drama that unfolded as the low-pressure system deluged the coast was kept away by the forces of nature or the whim of the gods, I don’t know which. What I did know is that whilst Hervey Bay coastal suburbs were swamped we, only some 30 kilometres away, had sunshine and blue sky. Domestically, we had obtained another larger capacity generator for those times when the mains drop out and I had been preparing it for service prior to the entrance of Cyclone Albert. As it turned out, the engine needed some replacement parts which I had sourced from online vendors as I couldn’t track down a local dealership for the brand. As the people of south-east Queensland honed their listening skills trying to get a sense of the forecast track and possible destination, I waited and watched the tracking information on my parts delivery. It was ironic that my preparedness ended up being arrested when the delivery services seemed to halt processing on Wednesday with Albert still expected to create havoc somewhere between Bribie Island and the Gold Coast. Now having dodged the proverbial bullet the parts have been delivered and our new but secondhand generator is finally commissioned into service. I suppose the point is that when we see the need to prepare for potential emergencies, we should press on and complete the jobs as delay could spell disaster. We were lucky this time but always there will be next time to deal with some drama and probably it will be weather-related. People in the radio community can now re-erect their sky-hooks without fear of galeforce winds and the lucky ones can enjoy the John Moyle activities of this weekend with hopefully more welcoming weather than most of us have had. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think…. how about you?…

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QNews for March 9th 2025 12:00

28 days ago12:00

12:00

SCARC is having a car boot sale on March 22nd at the clubrooms, 85 Godfreys Rd, Bli Bli. Entry and traders' tables are free, but we require bookings to secure a traders' spot. Hi - I'm John, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club and this is QNews for Sunday 9 March. I'm sure you all know the phrase "We live in interesting times", and this time is spectacularly interesting. QNews is assembled on the Thursday before broadcast, and written before that... so as I record this segment pretty much everything I say is going to be a best guess. The club meeting on Monday 10 March will be Simon VK4TSC and Alan VK4AL from the Brisbane WICEN group talking about emergency preparedness: what WICEN is and not, how it operates in our region and how you can get involved. All great topics and extremely relevant to dealing with emergencies. TARC did the 2025 Defence Welcome to Townsville Expo. 1st March, the birthday of both the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Navy saw the running of the Defence Welcome to Townsville Expo, organised by the Directorate of Regional Engagement, Defence Member and Family Support, Joint Support Services Division, Military Personnel Organisation, Department of Defence. Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. It is just weeks ago that areas to the north were fighting the force of nature with homes flooded and roads cut. Only last week I commented on the vague pattern that was the path of Cyclone Alfred and wished him away. This week the south of Queensland and northern New South Wales are feeling the brunt of what a cyclone can provide and we have no assurance that the system is moving far away or dissipating any time soon. My earliest memories of weather like this are of being stranded on the farm that my parents owned and getting the thrill as military aircraft flew low over the paddocks and dropped fodder to stock on adjoining farms. Back then, the rescue boat was a sturdy wooden vessel propelled by about half a dozen oarsmen whose task was to best the raging brown water to offer assistance. Local radio amateurs used shortwave radios to pass messages to and from the flood-bound areas. I was too young to know that they were involved, then. These days the communities depend on the services of emergency workers and volunteers and the boats tend to be metal and powered by petrol engines. A smaller crew means more goods or passengers can be taken aboard. Radio amateurs may assist on an ad-hoc basis or some are involved in local disaster support but the ubiquitous mobile phone is thought by many to provide communications and safety. As we have personally experienced, when the cell service runs out of battery power people can be without communications for days until battery charging is provided by emergency generators or re-connection of mains electricity. It was with a certain feeling of satisfaction that I watched news reports of retailers running out of generators as the seriousness of the impending threat dawned on people. It is perhaps too late to remind listeners about the service an amateur station can provide if there is preparation for conditions like the passage of a cyclone. However, the whole situation should provide a lesson in preparedness on personal, domestic and community levels. As we can’t be sure of where Alfred will travel before finally blowing itself out, we should be encouraging others to be properly prepared in the next few days and then look over what did and didn’t work for them. For all those directly affected I trust you stay safe and the disruption to you and your friends and family is not too great. I personally know many amateurs live in the path of the cyclone or its area of influence. I hope your antennas came down when you wanted them and not when the gales hit. I trust you kept your food fresh and the lights stayed on. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think….how about you?…

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QNews for March 2nd 2025 10:00

5 weeks ago10:00

10:00

Hi - welcome to Sunday 2 March, the start of Autumn and already we're halfway to winter. Welcome to QNEWS - I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, and here's news from the club for this week. So: what's happening that's exciting and involving? Quite a bit in the repeater and net space. The work is now completed on the VK4RTQ UHF repeater/. RTQ UHF is running on -7Mhz offset and is linked with the other repeaters in the group: VK4RZA and VK4RZB with a few more coming. The online browser-based Repeaterbook listing now shows the correct parameters for the repeaters, but it's taking a little while for the updates to be pushed through to the Apple and Android apps and all the other stuff is on our website. This is Cath VK4CCR, secretary for Gympie Communications & Electronics Group. One of our members Dave Robson VK4FO is now an Amateur Radio Authorised assessor, all his details can be found on the ACMA website. Now THAT we have an assessor associated with our club, this will be a great opportunity for those local to our area to get involved in Amateur radio, learn about electronics and chat on the radio. Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. One of the things that we naturally keep an eye open for is the weather; this past week has given many of us a bigger excuse than usual. The forecasters have been running prolific numbers of simulations in their software and still, Cyclone Alfred has been very successful in its game of hide and seek. Even now there is uncertainty about the final track and how it will affect us. Almost like a practice run, last week, we were enjoying settling down for some relaxation in front of the one-eyed monster, as the TV was once known when the household and the whole neighbourhood plunged into darkness. There was a scramble for the torch and items to take away lack of power were connected. It is important in our household as there are medical issues to be taken care off and this is the priority one. As I tried to connect a device to a power bank/ jump starter, there was a flash of light from the led indicators and then nothing. A standby device from an overseas vendor had gone flat just sitting in its carry case. Now I have devices that are powered by lithium chemistry batteries and once charged they seem to have a lifespan greater than an elephant’s memory. I find it convenient to make special purchases online as quite often I can strike a good bargain and the goods are delivered to the door. That drive to a local retailer and return saves not only fuel but also time away from home. We all know that sourcing components from not well-known sources can be fraught with problems not the least of which is counterfeiting. Slow delivery times and high freight costs can also be an issue. Then as my experience with the power bank has shown, you can end up with something which is not up to standard when you come to use it. It was an expensive way to get a USB wall-wart charger and I certainly won’t be carrying it in the car in case of a flat battery. Like most of us, I look to get things for a fair price and a bargain is very welcome too. Similarly, I much prefer to shop with local suppliers because they have a lot invested in their business and their profit helps us all through their spending, wages and taxes. It might be the thing that I need but the benefits extend much wider when we deal with local businesses. One major supplier has a magnificent range of stock in their massive catalogue but they have a couple of price structures, one for trade and one for retail and by the time I dive in, surface and get my breath back again, it is quicker and easier to buy off the international auction sites. There is a lesson in there somewhere. I know my backup power is working and I hope that we all can safely wave goodbye to Alfred. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think….how about you?…

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QNews for February 23rd 2025 10:30

6 weeks ago10:30

10:30

DARLING DOWNS RADIO CLUB our website at ddrci.org.au, and the WICEN info is on brisbanewicen.org.au. If you can't find what you're looking for, use the club website contact page to get in touch. And membership is half-price right now, so what better time to renew or become a member for the first time. Until next week, 73s from John, VK4JPM for the DDRCi. Redcliffe & District Radio Club VK4RC. REDFEST 25 "Adventures on HF" will be held on the 12th April 2025. Gates open at 9:00AM. Our new venue will be The Deception Bay North State School, Old Bay Road, Deception Bay. Go to: redclifferadioclub.org.au/redfest to order your tickets.Bye for now and 73's from The Redcliffe & Districts Radio Club VK4RC. Thank you and 73's Robert Thomson VK4TFN WICEN News for Sunday 23 February. If you're in SE Queensland and use the UHF repeaters that support WICEN comms, including VK4RZA, VK4RZB, VK4RZC and VK4RTQ, these repeaters are being reworked, improved and reconnected and are performing much better. As part of the rework, these repeaters also have been linked. VK4RZA Springbrook (Gold Coast) transmits on 431.100 MHz VK4RZB Mt Coot-tha (Brisbane) transmits on 431.200 MHz and VK4RTQ Mt Kynoch (Toowoomba) transmits on 431.025 MHz all listening with a minus 7MHz offset, and requiring a 91.5Hz CTCSS tone. From the Brisbane WICEN Group comes news of the Southbrook horse endurance ride runs on 8/9th March 2025, and the event is run by TEHRA (Toowoomba Endurance Heritage Riders Association) Southbrook Cricket Club is the venue for the ride. Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. The apocryphal saying that stalks the internet, “May you live in interesting times” certainly seems to be the situation for us now. We amateurs often point the finger at ourselves for not being good communicators in that we can get messages stacked and waiting when it comes to our pursuit. Overseas we see the efforts of a new government flailing and stumbling to rapidly achieve promises made in election campaigns. For us who are outside the USA, it is an amazing spectacle and at times a frightening one to watch the reports and analyses of the actions befalling Uncle Sam. Whilst we think of sovereign countries as governing for the good of their own people, when one nation achieves superiority in many spheres of activity and interacts with other nations through treaties and international law we can have many dilemmas facing us when the 1000-pound gorilla in the room no longer accepts the benefits of consistent behaviours. We can take heart that as our country moves towards an impending election we will have a consistency of behaviour and conduct established by our constitution and law. We radio amateurs will still be able to operate and know that our ACMA will still operate in familiar ways. Barring war or similar cataclysm we will not be taken off the airwaves. Whilst this country does have certain media outlets with stated political affiliations or biases, we are still able with relative ease to get news reports which provide clarity to happenings here at home and overseas. We have seen, over many years, divisions occur within the structure of national amateur radio bodies from Europe to North American countries. At times hams seem to take themselves very seriously and find splitting national bodies a better solution than struggling to repair apparent failings. Recent history has demonstrated this here, too. We have our election within the WIA running and we are facing a Federal parliamentary election before tax return time. We are fortunate that the systems which establish the rules for the elections we can expect things to continue without the heartache and angst we are seeing festering in our Pacific neighbour. It has been the policy of amateur radio from its inception in this country that it should be free of partisan politics. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think….how about you?…

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QNews for February 16th 2025 9:11

7 weeks ago9:11

9:11

I’m John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, and welcome to a bit of a QNews special. This past week I’ve been in Fiji taking part in the Pacific Media Partnership Conference, especially a session on disaster readiness and risk management for Broadcasters. Response to a hazard is about preparation, one area where Amateur Radio operators have always played a very important role. Our club is stepping up focus on areas of our hobby where a bit of prep will pay off in a big way. Our next meeting, focused on natural hazards will be the Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network, or WICEN. On Monday 10th, Simon Chantrill VK4TSC from the Brisbane Area WICEN group is joining us to talk about the role of WICEN; across the country and in Queensland. Not every WICEN activity is an emergency many events are peaceful and community-oriented and how we learn the skills we need when a hazard goes pear-shaped. As Simon says: WICEN is a state of mind and being ready is everything. So write that down: 10 March at the Toowoomba Library for our March Technical Meeting and member night. Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. The week has passed and I wonder how many of us were surprised by an unexpected love token for St. Valentine's Day? In the gloom of the current news cycle where crime and cost of living issues seem to head the broadcast news service,s there seems to have been little weight given to what can be a special good news event on the calendar. Better news has happened for the people in north Queensland as the low-pressure systems have moved the rains away from major population centres and the massive range of jobs in restoring normal life and livelihood gets underway. Whilst the roads may get repaired and the shelves of the shops are restocked, one constant reminder of flooding is the smell. It is something I first experienced in my school years and most recently in a trip to Brisbane over a decade ago. Clean water and sunlight still seem to be the best cleansing agents after the silt and debris are removed. I have mentioned before that when I worked at night, I used to enjoy getting the written version of the amateur radio news downloaded on packet radio. These days we are fortunate that not only are there many volunteer re-broadcasters but audio and video versions of the news are available. As a reminder to listeners in the Wide Bay area, there are alternatives when copy 2m is poor and if you watch the video you get broadcast quality sound. By the way, I still get the text version of the news and that allows me to catch up when life gets in the way. It was worthwhile seeing someone replying to a post, online, that now was a good time to get involved in amateur radio with simple equipment. The writer reminded us that in another 5 years or so, the sunspot cycle will no longer be giving us the gift of great DX on the HF bands and maybe a low-powered radio would need to be replaced by a more standard 100W one. The truth is that many people started out running lower power to meet their licence conditions and they developed great skill in pulling signals into their shack and also succeeded in completing contacts at that lower power. I have met and heard operators who never felt compelled to go to higher power and this is one of the great things of our activity. There are so many modes and methods which we can use and explore and not feel we are less than a “big gun” who chases rare DX with maximum power. At some suitable time, I want to dabble with some of the digital modes that will run on my station equipment. One area of annoyance for me is the so-called improvements and additions that are being supplied by the Windows operating system. As a firm believer in the KISS, keep it simple stupid, principle these new extensions to the operating system are just taking space on my hard drive. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think….how about you?…

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QNews for February 9th 2025 8:00

8 weeks ago8:00

8:00

Hi; I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club and this news will be fresh if it's Sunday 9th of February. Most importantly, tomorrow night Monday 10th is our February club meeting, where members, guests and others will find out lots about the Amateur Radio take on the Fox Hunt, and how you can have massive amounts of fun and learn useful stuff at the same time. The meeting will be hosted by Bruce VK4MQ, who has been beavering away over the last two months to construct a heap of projects to show you how a Fox Hunt works. The meeting starts at 1900 in the Toowoomba Library on Herries Street near Grand Central on Monday 10th of February, and it's in a meeting room on level 3. That's easy to find, and there's plenty of free offstreet parking. Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. The continuing stories of the weather and the flooding in the north of Queensland seem to be expected to continue for some time yet. Along the central coast, we have had the inconvenience of showers and the odd rain squall but the stressful and dangerous deluges have spared us. It is something that I can, in part, identify with from my youth on the regularly flooded north coast of NSW. It is perhaps too early to know if the amateur fraternity has been engaged in assistance efforts but I haven’t seen anything appear on my internet feeds indicating WICEN and other groups have been activated. I would like to remind listeners that our regular WIA National News presenter, Felix Scerri, and his family live in the heavily affected town of Ingham which has been without services such as electricity for several days. To Felix and amateurs in the flooded communities, I trust you are remaining safe and that relief comes soon. Whilst our news services have been following the flooding the world has remained active and from a North American news outlet, MSNBC, comes a report of an event which hopefully can never happen in this land down under. Commentator Rachel Maddow tells of what appears to be politically driven actions by the Federal Communications Commission. It is alleged that under the new White House administration, there is a policy to direct support for news services towards those businesses that support the new administration. In her story, Miss Maddow told of how a local newspaper which had a readership of over many hundreds of thousands and was identified as the paper of record for official advertisements for that area, has had its contracts with the Federal government withdrawn and the business transferred to adjacent area publishers. It would be inconceivable for we Aussies to see the ACMA act in such a partisan political manner as this news story presents. However, we individually may view the governmental processes we seem to being better protected by administrative structures than our colleagues across the Pacific, allowing for the truth of the report. Returning to the floods and the possibility of amateur radio support during this crisis period, there is the question as to whether resilience mapping actually accommodates our skill base and uses it. If the answer is yes, then we seem to be hiding the efforts of many people as we don’t usually get to hear of their efforts. Then if the answer is no, we must ask the question as to whether we have lost recognition and credibility as a volunteer support group. Certainly, there are good reasons for getting the word out about our contributions or finding out why our participation is dying on the vine. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think….how about you?…

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QNews for February 2nd 2025 9:00

9 weeks ago9:00

9:00

Greetings from the Redcliffe & Districts Radio Club VK4RC. Robert Thomson VK4TFN here. REDFEST 25 "Adventures on HF" will be held on the 12th of April 2025. Our new venue will be The Deception Bay North State School, Old Bay Road, Deception Bay. We will raffle off a very nice ICOM IC-7300. Go to: www.redclifferadioclub.org.au for more information. Hello and welcome to the weekly update from the Darling Downs Radio Club. I'm Secretary John VK4JPM. It's Groundhog Day, so I've checked with Punxatawnie Phil and we're either in for another four weeks of Queensland snow, or this segment will replay over and over again until the next Club meeting on Monday 10 February. At Darling Downs Radio Club we believe that being social is an important part of amateur radio, so a reminder about our bi-monthly informal lunch this coming Saturday, February 8th. We'll be meeting at Cafe Inferno in the Southern Hotel on Ruthven Street Toowoomba Hello, I’m Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I’ve been thinking. The technology that we use depends on what is generally called a commodity and which we pay for in increasingly high premiums, that of electricity. Mostly we are supplied by a reticulated service and the electrons are persuaded to travel the network in various ways that we call generation. We seem to have seen a total revolution as batteries were the first way of making electricity available, then came electromagnetic generation with various forms of energy providing the mechanical forces to rotate the magnetic fields and we have now revived the storage battery to facilitate use. Various uses of electricity have occurred over the last 3 centuries, and the latest fad that has swept the share market speculators off their feet has been that of artificial intelligence. AI was undergoing an ethical analysis as to the limits of its uses and the capacities it should be allowed to develop and then ChatGPT was launched on the world. Shares in the “chip” manufacturer, Nvidia, soared but not as high as the fictional cryptocurrencies. Then this past week a new player with reportedly fewer demands on computing power lobbed into view and the stock exchanges reeled. Before the release of the Chinese-developed AI app, there were questions as to whether the electricity grids could meet the high demand of the data centres which hurled the gazzillions of terabytes of data into the internet to make AI work. Then some cheeky environmentalist types added further to the debate by querying the amount of water that the data centres demanded to maintain suitably cool environments for the computers to make the magic. What we saw in the development of electricity as a necessary tool is the benefits of economies of scale. As more people were able to access electricity, the costs of providing it fell until somewhere in the last quarter century the Western world lost sight of the things that are useful and renamed them as commodities. Utilities such as water and electricity were processed and supplied at sustainable costs but when controls were relinquished, and plants were sold off the prices rose. With AI becoming more ubiquitous the processes of refining its use and recovering the costs involved should, like electricity did once, fall with the greater uptake. Perhaps the union of AI and quantum computing will provide the impetus for a dramatic renaissance and dynamism to the sciences and technology. Boffins have been debating whether the fictional devices of the TV “Star Trek” series such as matter transporters can not only be imagined but also constructed and used. Perhaps we are at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius after all and amateur radio will see a flowering that few of us can imagine. I’m Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that’s what I think….how about you?…

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QNews for January 26th 2025 7:00

10 weeks ago7:00