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VK7AX > BCAST 15.02.26 07:33l 557 Lines 23931 Bytes #10 (0) @ WW
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Subj: VK National News 15Feb26
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VK National News 15Feb26
Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2026-02-15.mp3
Text edition:
2026 FEBRUARY 15 WIA NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
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THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN
tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos
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IN WIA NATIONAL NEWS THIS WEEK:-
Pete Cherry VK2LP the Returning Officer of the WIA. -
John VK4JPM, President of the Darling Downs Radio Club accepts the
HamChallenge. -
BBC launch shortwave radio service for listeners in Iran. -
NASA no longer planning a February launch of Artemis 2. -
Bush to Beach with Alan VK2COD.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA AND IT'S FOR WEEK COMMENCING
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15 2026
I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB
WIA
JOIN THE WIA
tinyurl.com/yyj87b9y
The election is now at the half way mark.
26 % of the elegible voters have cast a vote.
Today I have sent a reminder email with a link to the electronic vote for those who have not voted yet.
If you did not receive an email and have not voted yet, please contact the returning officer via the email ReturningOfficer(at)nationaloffice.wia.org.au
Good luck to the candidates who are:
Chris Dimitrijevic VK3FY
Klaus Illhardt VK3IU
Lee Moyle VK3GK
Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW
The election will close on 28 February 2026 and the results will be communicated after the close in accordance with the WIA Election Regulations.
This announcement has been spoken and authorised by Pete Cherry VK2LP the Returning Officer of the Wireless Institute of Australia.
ReturningOfficer(at)nationaloffice.wia.org.au
Bio January 2026.pdf
AUSTRALIANA
AI disclosure required under new commercial radio rules
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has registered updated rules for commercial radio broadcasters that include new requirements for content broadcast around school drop-off and pick-up times, and also for disclosing artificial intelligence use.
Under the Commercial Radio Code of Practice 2026, radio stations will be required to let their audience know when a synthetic voice is being used to host a regularly scheduled program or news broadcast. This is the first time AI has been addressed in a broadcasting code of practice.
Broadcasters will also have to give special care when airing content between 8-9am and 3-4pm on school days, when children are more likely to be listening.
EDUCATION.
education.wia.org.au
Hi. I'm John VK4JPM, President of the Darling Downs Radio Club. If you've been listening to QNEWS, (The VK4 Local News) then you'll know that the Club has been following and promoting the 52 Week Ham Challenge. It's worth checking out at hamchallenge.org. As the name suggests, each week there is a new challenge of the week. Some are easy. Some are... interesting. All the challenges are designed to help you get more out of our amateur radio hobby by stretching your wings in ways that you might not have considered.
So far we've been invited to make a QSO via Echolink - did you know you can do that from a mobile phone?; use HAMNET - the website, not the movie; do a do the QSO limbo with QRP - that's how low can you go?; attempt to whistle a DIGI or CW QSO which is tricky but a lot of fun; and this week's really lovely challenge: "Thank a fellow ham radio operator".
Each challenge has hints hidden under the website twiddle, and the ham challenge is measured by entering toots into Mastodon. See... there's yet another really useful challenge.
Everything you need to know about the 52-week Ham Challenge is at hamchallenge.org or you can go to our club website for a bit more information at ddrci.org.au. Give it a go - what's the worst that can happen? Fun? Learning? All good stuff! I'm John VK4JPM and I'd like to thank the broadcast team for doing a great job. There. Another Ham Challenge tick! 73.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, ARRL,
DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday, IARU, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC,
Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of WIA.
The turmoil in Iran that has led to an information blackout in that nation has prompted the BBC to launch a temporary shortwave radio service for listeners there.
Medium and shortwave frequencies have been carrying programmes each day starting at 1630 UTC. The content includes news and analysis relevant to Iran and provides a global perspective. In announcing the service, the BBC said this was part of its tradition of providing crisis broadcasting, adding that the broadcasts will remain on the air until the end of March.
Half-hour programming is broadcast starting at 16:30 UTC on both 702 kHz and 9465 kHz and repeated starting at 1800 UTC on both 702 kHz and 5935 kHz.
ARU Region 1 Intruder Watch Service newsletter
The December 2025 edition of the IARU Region 1 Intruder Watch Service newsletter notes that radar transmissions received throughout 2025 accounted for approximately 65% of all non-amateur traffic recorded in the IARU Intruder Watch Service database during that year.
This represents more than 10,000 transmissions.
The free report can be downloaded from the Monitoring System section of the IARU website located at www.iaru-r1.org
It's always of interest seeing/hearing not only of these intrusions but also what is being done to help alleviate them! Be it in Region one where they do take the Intruder watch VERY seriously.
In the USA, David Cushman, a newer Hortonville resident, used the preregistered public-comment slot at the June 5 meeting of his village to ask the village to review its zoning ordinance for references to antenna and tower provisions and to consider federal pre-emption for amateur radio facilities.
David, who described a long career in cellular and regulatory work and experience on zoning and planning boards in Illinois, said he searched the village zoning ordinance and found scant reference to "antenna" or "tower," and only a satellite-dish provision regulating placement and permitting for television receiver towers.
He told trustees the village administrator had taken the position that anything not explicitly provided for in the ordinance is prohibited; and urged a review to avoid unnecessary enforcement against flagpoles and amateur-radio towers.
Not only in the US but our Editor Graham VK4BB came across an almost identical scenario near Bribie Island, when he asked about antennas, the sales lass said "only Foxtel dishes. And flagpoles? "We already have one, it's outside the club house!
NASA is no longer planning a February launch of the Artemis 2 mission after encountering hydrogen leaks during a fuelling test of the Space Launch System.
In a statement early Feb. 3, NASA said it completed a wet dress rehearsal for Artemis 2 but determined the vehicle will not be ready to launch during the February window, which closed Feb. 11.
Several other issues occurred during the test.
A valve in Orions hatch pressurization system was accidentally vented during closeout work, requiring additional time to repressurize the system. Unseasonably cold temperatures, which had already delayed the rehearsal by two days, caused further issues, including delays in tanking operations and problems with cameras and other pad equipment. NASA also reported intermittent audio dropouts in communications among ground teams. The next launch period for Artemis 2 runs from March 6 to 11, with five two-hour windows available. Another launch opportunity extends from April 1 to 6.
We'll have more on this Moon Mission during Special Interest Group news.
Amateur Radio & Space Communication Gallery was conducted during the
two-day Edu Yugam Science Expo, held on 31st January and 1st February
2026 in Gujarat.
Rajesh, VU2EXP, the Regional Coordinator of AMSAT-INDIA & member of the
Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) reported that live demonstrations formed the core of their weekend gallery.
VHF two-way communication allowed students (in groups assisted by ham & volunteers) to listen to and transmit real amateur radio signals,
introducing them to call signs, operating discipline, and radio etiquette.
Many students/kids experienced their first-ever radio transmission, which created visible excitement!
For HF signal monitoring, a 67-feet long 40-10m antenna was installed. Students observed reception of 115 amateur stations from 23 countries, with the farthest signal from 3D2USU Fiji station (~12,408 km). This effectively demonstrated long-distance radio wave travel without dependence on internet or mobile networks.
Digital Communication FT8, A low-power (5W) HF two-way contact with 8A1A Indonesia further illustrated international communication, including call sign exchange, grid locator identification, and signal report (RST) exchange, highlighting structured amateur radio practices.
The CW demonstration received exceptional attention.
Students eagerly learned encoding their own names using visual Morse charts and generated Morse signals, with decoded letters appearing live on a large LED display, creating joy and amazement.
Students were also introduced to SOS and MAYDAY signalling, helping them understand the historical and practical importance of Morse code.
The Slow Scan Television demonstration became a visual highlight.
The complete process was explained capturing images, converting them into audio tones, transmitting them over one radio, and how a second receiving station decodes the signal back into images.
Photos of small children present at the stall were transmitted and decoded live, appearing line-by-line on a large TV screen. Parents and students were fascinated to see images reconstructed purely from radio signals.
And those were but a small part of a HIGHLY successful weekend in India.
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OPERATIONAL NEWS -
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NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2026
WIA contest page :- wia.org.au/members/contests/about/
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This weekend, February 14 - 15 contests include:-
CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest
Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW)
Russian PSK WW Contest
RSGB 1.8 MHz Contest
Balkan HF Contest (CW, phone)
THEN, FEBRUARY 21 and 22 ARRL DX CW
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MARCH - Jock White Memorial Field Day
This annual contest is named to honour Jock White ZL2GX, NZART Contest
and Awards Manager for over 40 years, for the service that he gave to
NZART during that time.
Feb 28, Saturday, 1500-2400 NZDT and Sunday March one 0600-1500 NZDT.
40 and/or 80 metres, PHONE (SSB) and/or CW, 100 watts PEP maximum.
Stations using two transmitters may operate simultaneously on both bands,
however only one transmitter may be operated on a single band at a time.
Single transmitter stations may operate on one or both bands.
(nzart.org.nz)
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MARCH 7 - 8 ARRL DX SSB
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MARCH 15 BERU
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MARCH 21 and 22 JOHN MOYLE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY
(new rules for 2026)
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MAY:- HARRY ANGEL MEMORIAL SPRINT May 2nd.
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NOW LET'S OPEN THE DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD
Celebrating a half-century of German research in Antarctica, special
callsigns DA 0ANT, DM 50ANT and DP 50ANT will be active from February 15
to 30TH April. In addition, active April 1-30 will be DM 50 GFS (for the
50th anniversary of the Georg Forster Station, established by the G.D.R.
In 1976 and decommissioned in 1993), as well as DP 200 GVN (for the
bicentenary of the birth of Georg von Neumayer, after whom three
German Antarctic research stations have been named).
(425DXNEWS)
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South Sudan.
Z 81 D until 30 March.
Activity from 40 to 6 metres using SSB and digital.
QSL via OM3JW, LoTW.
(sarl)
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Chas, NK 8 O is active again as 5 H 3 DX from Tanzania UNTIL
February 9. In his limited spare time he will operate CW and/or digital modes on 20-10 metres and possibly 6 metres.
QSL via LoTW, eQSL, or direct to home call, again that's NK 8 O.
(425DXNEWS)
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Yannick is active as CN 2 YD from Marrakech, Morocco until the 31st of
March this 26 year. You can find him using SSB on the 20 to 10m bands.
QSL via F6FYD directly or via the Bureau
(rsgb)
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In March 1926, the Danish Ministry of Public Works officially
Legalized private radio transmissions. By the end of that year, 1926,
over 40 amateur radio licences had been granted.
Celebrating the centenary of the formal birth of regulated amateur radio
in Denmark, special callsign OZ 100 OZ will be activated on 1-8 March.
QSL via Club Log's OQRS (preferred), or via OZ 1 ACB.
(425dxnews)
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WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
SUMMITS ON THE AIR, WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM,
PARKS ON THE AIR and other ADVENTURE GROUPS.
hema.org.uk/index.jsp
minesontheair.com/about-mota
parksontheair.com/
sota.org.uk
sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/
facebook.com/SotaAustralia/
wwffaustralia.com/
WHEN POTA ISN'T POTA.
Here in VK probably the fastest growing ham radio activity is POTA,
PARKS ON THE AIR.
Now remember here are awards for both those who go out and activate a park
and those deemed 'hunters', those listening at home or somewhere other than a park.
Sounds simple enough?
Yes BUT to activate a park you must have that parks actual 'Pota' designation number so all may take apart, and you need not trek to some
God forsaken hidden out of the way park.
Even your local Botanical Gardens may be POTA designated, again check for its reference before heading out.
One such POTA PARK was built way back in 1873 and still is going strong.
AU-10932
This is the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens over in VK4.
So dust off your light weight portable gear and "Get Potaring".
Support Your Parks
This event happens seasonally, on the 3rd full weekend of the month (Saturday & Sunday UTC). These are activity weekends where the main purpose is to get out in the parks, and have as much fun as possible.
The next event?
3rd Full Weekend of April. April 18-19, 2026
ANOTHER reason to get out adventuring is low QRM is usually experienced, and, if you can't have an antenna at home it's pretty easy stringing up a random wire or using a squid pole in a park or mountain top.
This would certainly have helped Thomas over in the Isle of Wight.
You see plans for a 13-metre lattice mast with a high frequency (HF) beam antenna behind in Isle of Wight village have been thrown out after a backlash.
Thomas Morgan had asked County Hall for permission to erect a free-standing mast to the rear of his home next to the Isle of Wight National Landscape.
The councils decision report said:
The proposed mast and HF beam antenna due its height, scale and industrial appearance would appear as an incongruous and harmful additional to the domestic semi-rural character of the area, detracting from the character of the area.
The development would also detract from the character and appearance of the adjacent National Landscape and the enjoyment of the landscape and countryside, for users of the Red Squirrel recreational route.
A total of 25 objections were lodged with County Hall, according to its report.
They voiced concerns such as the mast being an eyesore with a severe visual impact, it benefitting only an individual and not the community.
Mr Morgan failed to win the support of Wroxall Parish Council after he addressed its January 12 meeting.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - BALLOONS
There's an interesting development in amateur ballooning: using so-called super pressure balloons, which float high in the atmosphere indefinitely rather than simply going up and up and then popping like a normal weather balloon.
Super pressure balloons can last for months and travel long distances, potentially circumnavigating the globe, all the while reporting their position.
You might imagine that an undertaking like this would be immensely difficult and cost thousands of dollars. In fact, you can build and launch such a balloon for about the cost of a family dinner out. You just have to think small! That's why amateur balloonists call them Pico balloons.
Pico balloonists take advantage of the amateur-radio protocol WSPR
(Weak Signal Propagation Reporter), the protocol developed by a rather famous ham-radio enthusiast -- Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr., one of the two scientists awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering binary pulsars.
(eHam)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary(at)amsat-vk.org
Thailands space sector reached a new milestone with the successful deployment of KNACKSAT-2, a satellite developed by King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, from the International Space Station.
Released from the Japanese Kibo module, the satellite entered orbit as part of a multi-CubeSat deployment and began transmitting signals shortly after separation.
A key function of KNACKSAT-2 is its space-based resource-sharing system, which allows multiple organizations to place instruments and experiments on a single satellite. The platform supports missions such as Internet of Things data relay, Earth observation, railway tracking, and amateur radio services, lowering barriers for space access and experimentation.
(eHam)
Nairobi has secured its place in the stars.
In a landmark achievement for African science, Kenya has been selected as the sole African nation to host the prestigious Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program in 2026. The announcement by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) marks a giant leap for the country's burgeoning space ambitions.
The program will see Kenyan students and space enthusiasts make direct, live radio contact with astronauts orbiting the Earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This rare window of opportunity is scheduled between July and December 2026.
(eHam)
TO THE MOON AND BACK:-
The Artemis 2 crewed test flight, which was to have lifted off sometime early this month, has been delayed by NASA after the discovery of several issues, including hydrogen leaks in the space-launch system tanks. Meanwhile, as the agency conducts a review and reschedules a launch for March, the space agency has announced that its newly chosen group of volunteers to track the Artemis 2 includes four amateur radio operators.
The four hams are Chris Swier K1FSD of South Dakota;
Dan Slater, AG6HF, and Loretta Smalls, AJ6HO, both of California; and
Scott Tilley, VE7TIL of British Columbia, Canada.
The hams will be using their radio equipment to track transmissions from the Orion over the course of its 10 days in space.
(newsline2519)
FO-29 Approaches Full Sunlight
Fuji-OSCAR 29 (JAS 2) will soon enter a season of orbits in full sunlight, making it once again available for worldwide use.
JAS-2 was successfully launched on August 17, 1996. It orbits the Earth in a polar orbit at 1300 km altitude in a time of 112 minutes.
The linear transponder downlink is from 435.800 MHz 435.900 MHz (USB, CW), with uplink from 145.900 MHz 146.00 MHz (LSB, CW). CW beacon frequency is 435.795 MHz.
Designated as Fuji-OSCAR 29 after achieving orbit, JAS 2 has long been one of the most popular and most useful linear satellites available to amateurs. However, as the satellite approaches 30 years of age, its batteries have long-since failed. It only continues to operate while the sun is illuminating its solar panels.
On March 9, FO-29 will begin orbiting in full sunlight, without periodic eclipses
(ans)
YOUNGSTERS ON THE AIR YOTA
And now for something kid related.
Yes it is missing a radio connection however it is a really good story in my view, so I am sharing it with you.
It is about Bush to Beach experiences that inspires kids to stay in school and gives them lifetime memories.
Jack Cannon started Bush to Beach 21 years ago with hard work and dedication, building strong friendships along the way. Jack brings youngsters from places like Brewarrina, Goodooga and Weilmoringle on a three day beach excursion to Sydneys northern beaches. For those of us along the coast, we may take going to the beach for granted. These youngsters are rewarded with this amazing trip after they set goals, achieve good behaviour and school attendance.
They do things like swim and boogie board on the beach, see magic shows and compete in fun games with Nippers from the South Narrabeen Surf Club.
With the support of South Narrabeen Surf Club lifeguards, lifesavers, and volunteers, the kids have a wonderful and safe time on the beach!
For WIA National News, I am Alan, VK2COD in Sydney. Now back to you Graeme.
tinyurl.com/4r8cddru
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - IOTA
iota-world.org/
IOTA NUMBER OC-031
On air is C 21 TS from Nauru, IOTA Number OC-031, until sometime in July
FT8 maybe some SSB. See stations C 21 TS on QRZ.com for QSL information
and other operating details.
(sourced to newsline 2519)
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IT'S A DATE
Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section,
nationalnews(at)wia.org.au
Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found
on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links.
--------------------- SOCIAL SCENE 2026 ------------------
VK4 - Redfest - Deception Bay North State School 9am April 11. (vk4ble)
This is Laurie VK4BLE from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club, with a Redfest 2026 update.
If you are wishing to be a part of Redfest 2026 and want to book a table or two, go to the new website, that is Redfest.org
Remember this years theme is digital communications and with the team from FreeDV coming you wont be disappointed.
Remember our major prize this year is the Icom IC7300 MK2 transceiver plus many more prizes on offer.
Bring the whole family and make it a day out for everyone to enjoy. Catch up with friends you havent seen for a while and make new ones. Keep an eye out for the coffee van and clubs famous bacon and egg rolls on the day.
Put the date in your calendar, Saturday the 11th of April, at the Deception Bay North State School, 33-49 Old Bay Rd, Deception Bay, doors open at 9am.
See you all at Redfest.
VK - WIA AGM May 2 at 2pm Albury VK2 couples with ICOM VK SUMMIT 2026
also in Albury May 2 and 3. (wiacal/ARMAG )
VK5 - Sth Est Radio Group Convention & Australian Fox Hunting
Championship Mt Gambier June 6/7 (vk5dj)
VK5 - Adelaide Amateur Radio & Electronics Car Boot Sale Dogs SA
Showground, Cromwell Road, Kilburn 10.00am. November 21. (wiacal)
Reception Reports
No we DO like to hear where in the world you are listening to this,
the WIA NATIONAL NEWS SERVICE.
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(at)wia.org.au
Not only but also those watching us on YouTube, leave a comment , access
is just below the picture on screen and again tell us where and maybe
even the day and time you are listening
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(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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