WIA announce result of Clubs Grant Scheme

The Wireless Institute of Australia is pleased to announce the results of this year’s Clubs Grant Scheme.

The Board had divided the scheme into two, with up to three grants for projects that were seen as useful, and with up to three grants for projects that were seen as innovative.

15 applications for a grant were received.

The 2008 Grants Committee, Don Wilschefski VK4BY, Deane Blackman VK3TX, and Rob Fincher VK3BRF concluded that to reduce the number of ‘useful’ projects to three would result in a significant and inappropriate concentration of the
allocation of funds, and so recommended to the Board a higher number of allocations in this category. The Board accepted that recommendation.

Accordingly three innovative projects were awarded grants of $1,000 each as follows:

Northern Corridor Radio Club, $1000 for the VK-ZS Beacon Project,
Amateur Radio Victoria, $1000 for the Digitisation of the ATV Repeater VK3RTV, and the
Sunshine Coast Amateur Radio Club $1000 for a project called The Dish.

Five useful projects will receive grants as follows:

Eastern & Mountain District Radio Club, $600 for Emergency Preparedness and Education,
Eastern & Mountain District Radio Club $800 for Portable Wireless Education,
Sunraysia Radio Group $500 for the Refurbishment of the Swan Hill Repeater,
Rockhampton & District Amateur Radio Club $500 for the 23cm Repeater and Redcliffe & District Radio Club, $600 for a Mobile Emergency Communication Centre.

WIA Secretary Geoff Atkinson will be writing to each club confirming the grant and indicating any steps that will be required before the grant is made.

The full report of the Grant Committee which details all applications received and the reasons for their recommendations can be found on the WIA website.

Special thanks to the Grant Committee, Don VK4BY, Deane VK3TX and Rob VK3BRF.

Before the changes made at the ITU’s WRC 07 can be implemented, and in particular the new secondary allocation to amateur of the segment 135.7 – 137.8 kHz can be made in Australia the statutory Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan must be amended.

ACMA has published its proposed draft amendments to the Spectrum Plan, and invited comments. The time for comment ended on Friday 3 October, and the WIA has lodged a submission.

The full WIA submission can be seen on the WIA website.

While the draft Spectrum Plan included the new secondary amateur LF band the WIA has made some suggestions.

Of course, we support the allocation.

The WIA noted that apart from an experimental licence licence held by the Brisbane Amateur Radio Club there was only one other user of the segment.

The WIA looked at the inefficiency of antennas that amateurs would be able to use at this part of the spectrum, and concluded that the risk of interference is very small.

The WIA noted that the New Zealand administration allows New Zealand amateurs a larger segment with a 5 watt e.i.r.p. power limit in this part of the spectrum, and so to harmonise arrangements for similar services between
Australia and New Zealand proposes that Australian Advanced amateurs be allowed to operate on the segment with a maximum radiated power of 5 watts (e.i.r.p.), rather than the 1 watt e.i.r.p. limit proposed.

The WIA was a little surprise to see that the draft Spectrum Plan retains the existing primary allocation to broadcasting and the existing secondary allocation to the amateur within the band 7100-7200 kHz despite the decisions of WRC 03, that amateur be primary and broadcasting cease in the band after 29 March 2009. In addition, Australia is a party to a footnote allowing fixed and mobile primary in that segment.

The WIA has proposed that amateur be co-primary with Fixed and Mobile, and a footnote be inserted acknowledging that the band is designated to be used principally for the purposes of defence and national security and that the
amateur service shall not cause harmful interference to, nor claim protection against interference from, fixed or mobile service stations operating within Australia.

Certainly, leaving amateur as secondary and on a non interference basis will not reflect the international position after 29 March next year.

Once the changes to the Spectrum Plan are made, amendment of the amateur LCD is required before Advanced Licensees will be able to use the new LF band.

Michael Owen VK3KI
Wireless Institute of Australia