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World Amateur Radio Day Every April 18, radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on this day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris. Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the short wave spectrum — far from being a wasteland — could support worldwide propagation. In the rush to use these shorter wavelengths, Amateur Radio was “in grave danger of being pushed aside,” the IARU’s history has noted. Amateur Radio pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and created the IARU to support Amateur Radio worldwide. Just two years later, at the International Radiotelegraph Conference, Amateur Radio gained the allocations still recognized today — 160, 80, 40, 20, and 10 meters.  Since its founding, the IARU has worked tirelessly to defend and expand the frequency allocations for Amateur Radio. Thanks to the support of enlightened administrations in every part of the globe, radio amateurs are now able to experiment and communicate in frequency bands strategically located throughout the radio spectrum. From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the IARU has grown to include 160 member-societies in three regions. IARU Region 1 includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Asia. Region 2 covers the Americas, and Region 3 is comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific island nations, and most of Asia. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recognized the IARU as representing the interests of Amateur Radio. Today, Amateur Radio is more popular than ever, with more than 3,000,000 licensed operators! World Amateur Radio Day is the day when IARU Member-Societies can show our capabilities to the public and enjoy global friendship with other Amateurs worldwide. World Amateur Radio Day 2024 IARU is very pleased to announce the theme of: “A Century of Connections: Celebrating 100 years of Amateur Radio Innovation, Community, and Advocacy”. IARU celebrates its centenary in 2025. Since its founding in Paris, France, IARU has worked tirelessly to promote innovation in amateur radio and to encourage the growth of the service in communities throughout the world. IARU has represented the Amateur Services at international and regional regulatory bodies by relying on our volunteers who come from many countries and communities. IARU has been a sector member of the ITU since 1932 and the work of our volunteers has continued since that date with unmatched success, as was highlighted with the accomplishments at WRC-23. Leading up to our centenary year, we should take time to reflect on the remarkable achievements of radio amateurs over the last 100 years. While the Amateur Services have been in operation for over a century, 1924 was the first year that intercontinental amateur communication became more or less commonplace. Since that time radio amateurs have made unparalleled advances in technology related to the Amateur Services that play a critical role today in sustaining world-wide communications and allow us to respond to global emergencies. World Amateur Radio Day is an opportunity to reflect on our achievements since 1924. We should celebrate our diverse community and the advances and innovations we have made as we look forward to celebrating the IARU centenary next year. Material supplied by : https://www.iaru.org/on-the-air/world-amateur-radio-day/ And.. YouTubers.

4:1 CLUB BALUN After meeting with Richard vk3txd, Richard, presented a new lightweight 100 Watt 4:1 Balun for use with a Off Center Fed Antenna. The club will be selling (Taking orders) for these trick light weight 4:1 Baluns. Club Member Price $65.00 (Payable to the club) ORDERING If you are keen on the new 4:1 Balun for the OCF. Please email the club vk3frcweb@gmail.com Once an order is taken, your OCF will be built with you callsign on the orange faceplate. Delivery time around 3 weeks. (Subject to parts supply) PAYMENT You can either pay at the club rooms or direct deposit via our bank details. NAB, Frankston BSB: 083-253 Acct No: 03-683-3688 When making payment, please make note that is for the Famparc 4:1 Balun. FACEPLATE With your Callsign Printed on the Orange Label. (Below) FROM RICHARD VK3TXD This efficient 4:1 balun handles 100W SSB with ease. It is a 2 core Guanella (current) 4:1 balun ideal for OCF antennas. Soon after I was licensed I settled on the OCF antenna. I built and tested my own 4:1 baluns and used them for years. The box I used was less than great though. Recently at the electronics store I found a much more suitable box then decided to try to fit the balun into it. It has flanges that can be use to suspend it, and has a sealing gasket (I would silastic 3 sides of the box if mounting outside permanently though). I left it outside for 2 weeks, it certainly got some rain and on inspection it was dry inside. After much effort designing and 3D printing a sled to mount to cores onto, I found it made a really nice balun. VNA tests indicate it has around 0.1dB of loss from 160m to 10m into a matched (200 ohm) load. SWR tests with a 200 ohm resistor show it is 1:1 for most of HF, rising slightly at 10m to around 1.2:1, which is pretty good. There are also “balance” tests which shows if it is suitable for use on an OCF (not all baluns pass this test). See this website https://owenduffy.net/blog/?p=17389 – and it passed these with ease. Building The OCF Antenna I decided to cut an 80m antenna as I wanted to do the 80m Thursday night quiz at the high end of 80m. Being an OCF, the 2 arms are of different length. There are many many options – I stuck with the old 1/3 and 2/3 lengths. If you want a 40/20 version then just divide the above lengths by 2. So I used one arm 27m long, the other 13.5m long. This needs pruning, (I’ve not got around to doing that) it is too long being resonant around 3.5mHz rather than a little higher up where I wanted it. The SWR where it is resonant is excellent. I mounted it on a 7m high squid pole (so not very high at all) and near my house which may well have been interacting with the antenna. My MFJ-269 analyzer showed; I was concerned this was too good thinking there was a lot of loss making the SWR better. So I repeated the VNA loss tests, nope, the loss really is very low. On air it worked very well. I put 100W into it, without a tuner, using my FT897D and it was happy. Like I said, it needs some pruning to bring it closer to mid-band. For another day! BUILDING A OCF Our clubs website has a page dedicated to the Off Centre Antenna (OCF) Click Here Comments: I have been using OCF antennas for many years, and also use a 80M OCF antenna at home for many years.. For those that are not sure about the OCF, one main advantage is it's ability to use it as a Multi Band Antenna.. for example a 80M OCF will work on 80M, 40, 20, 15, 10. Very versatile. Cheers. Craig vk3ncr

On the 13th of May 2024 myself, Stan VK3BOT and Craig, VK3NCR propose a radio and camping trip to The Poplars Campground, Loch Valley Rd via Noojee. I am going on the Monday 13th May , returning home on the Saturday. Depending on Weather Conditions! WHEN: (updated new date) 13Th May for a Week Pending Weather WHERE: The Poplars Campground, Loch Valley Rd via Noojee (See Map Here) Click Here for more information on the camp ground. Club Members are invited to join us. The campground is accessible by two wheel drive and can be done on less than a tank of fuel. The campground has drop pit toilets. There is a river running around one side. There are loads of trees to hang antennas from. There is also a gazebo type structure to shelter in. I am taking two radios. I want to put in some learning time on my Icom IC-705 and play with antennas. So, if you would like to play radio, eat bad food, breath campfire smoke and generally have a relaxing good time, please do join us. Make it a day trip or stay as many days as you like. Regards, Stanley J. Mitchell Location Map PHONE RECEPTION: Telstra only and that’s patchy at best. 4G one bar dropping to 3G.

The Islands On The Air program (IOTA) is an amateur radio activity program designed to encourage operations from island locations.  It was created in 1964 by Geoff Watts who was a leading English short wave listener.  It was taken on by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) in 1985. The team has agreed that if you are located in Oceania, South America, or Africa, we will accept your call at any time, regardless of which specific region we are calling. Dates of operation   14th April 2024 - 21st April 2024. Islands On The Air (IOTA) Flinders Island OC-261 World Wide Flora Fauna (WWFF) Investigator Important Bird Area VKFF-0175 For more information Click Here Thanks to Roy VK3GB for the information.

Famparc will be holding another Amateur Radio Foundation Course. MAY 2024. (Exact date tbc) Mani (Foundation Course Organiser) has asked me to post that we are expecting to run an Amateur Radio Foundation Course in May. Date to be confirmed. DETAILS: SATURDAY: We expect the course would start 9:30 am thru to around 4pm, with a 30 min break around midday on the Saturday. There would also be small breaks during the day. SUNDAY: Sunday (10:am) would be a revision of the previous day to allow for students to further examine areas of the Foundation Syllabus that may be a little confusing. We expect this to take around 2 hours.. Following the above, the practical and theory exams will then take place. These times may change depending on the students attending the class. Please allow a full day Saturday and most of the Sunday. INTERESTED? If you are interested, the club is seeking numbers to gauge the interests for both courses. WEBPAGE: Please use the Foundation Licence Course page on the Famparc website. Click here. There is a form at the bottom of the page where you can select what Course you are interested in.

It is with great sadness that I announce the recent passing of Mrs Gloria Seabridge, loved and cherished wife of our club member Roy Seabridge. Gloria passed away peacefully on March 17th. This will come to all of us as a great shock, and our hearts and thoughts are with Roy at this time of grief. We wish Roy and the ones close to him the very best during this terrible time.

What a great weekend at the Train and Hobby Show 2024, Sandown Racecourse. Mani 3IR, Craig 3NCR, Robert 3NFL, Ken 3MJF attended the show. From what was seen, the show was a great success for the organisers. The club managed to sell 6 Foundation books, as well as much interest in our hobby and club. The day can be very demanding so I thank all the work and effort that the chaps put in on both the setting up and promoting the club and hobby. Thanks You! A special thanks goes to Robert VK3NFL, for such enthusiasm! Well done Robert! We managed to setup 40M HF, DStar, AllStar and DMR, as well as FM via local repeaters. Saturday we found that HF 40M was ok and managed to make a few contacts, even though our antenna system was very basic. Using Kens 2M/70cm Whip on our Squid Pole, we could access many of the local repeaters. Sunday for HF was terrible because of massive interference from what we believe was generators being used for the car racing. DStar allowed us to demonstrate connections to many countries around the world to the amazement of spectators. All in all a terrific day. Enjoy my video I have put together.. Cheers. Craig vk3ncr

Hello Members, Yep.. this is for you to download, Print & Display... As mentioned at our recent Monthly meeting, a way of getting new members to our club is to promote... We chatted about using a Club Flyer and attaching to your local Supermarket, Sports Hall, or any Community Poster Board in your area. I posted this one this morning at Hastings Pelican Park Recreation Centre. They were more than happy to allow me to place our flyer. This can be done at most if not all Supermarket's etc.. Below is a PDF for you to download, print and display.. Sample of the Flyer. For those of you that are not able to print this file.. Feel free to grab a few of these at the club. It's easy.. we all need to go to the Supermarket! Thanks !!! Craig vk3ncr

Robert G. Heil (October 5, 1940 – February 28, 2024) was an American sound and radio engineer most well known for creating the template for modern rock sound systems. We celebrate the remarkable legacy of Bob Heil, a true pioneer in the ham radio community. As the founder of Heil Sound, Bob revolutionized audio technology, bringing unparalleled clarity and innovation to the airwaves. His passion for the hobby didn’t stop there; through the creation of Ham Nation, he fostered a global community of enthusiasts, sharing knowledge and inspiring countless individuals. Bob’s dedication and ingenuity have left an indelible mark on the world of ham radio, and we are profoundly grateful for his enduring contributions. On behalf of the FAMPARC Club and Amateur Radio operators around the world.. Thank you for your amazing dedication to our hobby. Reference Wikipedia.

Hi Members, Don Johnson Many of you may not know of this chap, as he only joined our club last year during the Mens Shed Dromana Day. However some of you will remember Don and his quick wit, engaging smile, and humour. Last year not long after he joined our club I was concerned why Don had not been coming to the club rooms, so I sent a few text to him, only to find out that hen was battling Stage 4 Bladder Cancer.. I must say that I was deeply saddened and shocked! I have been keeping in contact with him since his diagnosis back in October, I thought he was going ok, but earlier this year I noticed that he was not replying to my text messages.. Kate, his daughter contacted me last week, and we finally caught up on the phone last Saturday only to find out that Don had passed late January. Of course this was shocking news!... I then asked if the family would allow us to make note of him and his sudden passing on our website. Although our friendship was very brief, I was hoping he would battle through this terrible diagnoses and continue to enjoy our club and it's members.. Please take the time to think about Don and his family. Here are a few words from his family. (Kate) Hi all This is Don’s family here. You might have known that Don/Dad/Pop had been battling cancer for a few months. Unfortunately his condition deteriorated suddenly  and he passed away peacefully at 1.20am on 29th January surrounded by his nearest and dearest. He leaves a lasting legacy of love, humour and strength. From Di, Drew and Nicola, Sarah and Stephen, Kate and Andrew, Cam and Kylie, and dad’s beloved 11 grandchildren and 2 great grand children. Rest in Peace Don.. Although a very brief friendship, you will be dearly missed. On behalf of the members of Famparc.. Craig vk3ncr

Hello Famparc Members, We have important topic that I wish to bring to the attention of our members. The Famparc membership subscriptions were due for the year 2024, as of Jan 1st 2024. We are now approaching the month of March as you are aware, so membership subs are well overdue. We have a total of 69 members on our books, and out of those members excluding lifetime members, we have 30 members that have not paid their 2024 membership subscriptions. Total Members 69 Members Non-Financial 30 We ask that if you wish to continue as a member of the club, if you could please arrange payment as soon as possible. For members wishing to retire their membership, please feel free to contact us via the email address below. Payment details: Pricing as of 1st Jan. 2024 Current subs are: Normal $50 Retired /Student /Pensioner $45 Family $55 Our bankers are NAB, Frankston     BSB: 083-253 Acct No: 03-683-3688 MAKING PAYMENT: When making payment, please include your full name and callsign. You can email your payment details to vk3frcmail@gmail.com Your membership subscriptions are important to the club and its members. This allows the club to continue to grow and benefit all club members. You are one of them! LATE PAYMENT IN 2023: For those that are new to the club and paid their club membership mid to late 2023, there is no need to make payment for 2024, as your late 2023 payment will carry over for 2024. If you could please contact us if you made payment after June 2023. Thank you for your understanding and assistance. Kind regards, Craig vk3ncr

From John vk3jco Subject: Amateur radio reconfirmation of callsign CRM [SEC=OFFICIAL] Dear amateur operator, IF you recently received an email from digital@acma.gov.au asking you to reconfirm your call sign. You can ignore this email and no action is needed. Apologies that you were sent the email by mistake from our new system. We are working with the IT team now to resolve this, so that no more mistaken emails are sent. All amateurs who have asked us to contact them via email will receive emails from the digital@acma.gov.au email address in the future, asking them to reconfirm and/or apply to have call signs re-assigned. However, these emails should not be sent to any amateurs until late 2024 at the earliest. Amateurs will get the email because, under the new amateur radio arrangements that started today, amateur operators will need to: For 2-letter, 3-letter or F-series call signs: re-confirm the call sign every 5 years. Our digital system will email the call sign holder 3 months before the 5 years, inviting them to confirm that they would still like to retain the call sign. The quickest way for the amateur to re-confirm their call sign is to log in to their ACMA Assist account and hit the ‘re-confirm’ button. For VK0, VK9, contest or special event call signs: apply to have the call sign re-assigned to them before it expires. Our digital system will email the call sign holder 3 months before the call sign is due to expire, inviting them to apply to have it re-assigned to them. The quickest way for the amateur to apply is to log into their ACMA Assist account and fill in the application, along with payment and any evidence required to support their application. If you have any questions about the new arrangements, they are outlined on our website, or you can get in touch by emailing info@acma.gov.au. Kind regards, Anneke Anneke Van der Weyde (she/her)Manager, Spectrum Licensing Policy Spectrum Allocations Branch | Communications Infrastructure Division _____________________________ Australian Communications and Media Authority +61 3 9963 6785 | +61 409 724 973 Anneke.VanderWeyde@acma.gov.au acma.gov.au