CCARC NEWS 15-35
THE PERIODIC NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
ISSUE No 15-35 6th November 2015
In this Issue:
- Upcoming Business Meeting
- New 2M net on Tuesday nights
- Emails from the ACMA not spam
- Free Frequency Allocations Handbook
- Feds have plan in case we are hit with catastrophic solar flares
- Broke & fixed
- Reminders
1. Upcoming Meetings
Saturday 7th November 2015, commencing at 1310 hours will be the CCARC Business Meeting.
It is important that as many members as possible attend this next Business Meeting so ‘that the matter of the future of the Field Day be discussed.’
2. New 2M net on Tuesday nights
There is now a Central Coast VK2RAG 2m net on Tuesday nights at 8pm. The net controller is Bob VK2AOR.
3. Emails from the ACMA not spam
Some misinformation has been spread via the internet that suggests emails from the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA’s) Auto Mail system may be SPAM.
The AMCA has advised the WIA that it is using an auto mailer system with the email address auto_mail@acma.gov.au to send important correspondence and renewal information to licence holders. Amateurs are advised to keep a close lookout for emails from the ACMA with the email address auto_mail@acma.gov.au
Please be aware you will not be able to reply to ACMA using the auto mailer email address.
As usual, members are reminded to always remain vigilant and take the usual precautions when opening any email regardless of the sender address.
Author : Robert Broomhead – VK3DN
Source: WIA News
4. Free Frequency Allocations Handbook
The National Academies Press have made available the Handbook of Frequency Allocations and Spectrum Protection for Scientific Uses: Second Edition (2015) as a free PDF
The 281 page handbook sets forth the principles for the allocation and protection of spectral bands for services using the radio spectrum for scientific research. This report describes the radio frequency bands used by scientific services and includes relevant regulatory information and discussion of scientific use of frequency bands. This reference will guide spectrum managers and spectrum regulatory bodies on science issues and serve as a resource to scientists and other spectrum users.
Download the handbook via
http://www.nap.edu/21774
Note although it asks for an email address as part of the registration procedure no emails are sent as part of either registration or download procedures.
Source: Southgate ARC News
5. Feds have plan in case we are hit with catastrophic solar flares
We take the nation’s power grid for granted. But what would happen if the power went out all over the country, or all over the world?
This scenario has resulted in the White House coming out with a contingency plan if a massive solar flare hits.
Most of us are familiar with the devastation caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, and even droughts. But there is one natural phenomenon that could devastate our technology-driven society, and that is space weather.
We hear and read about EMP’s, solar flares and coronal mass ejections. As a matter of fact, an intense solar flare disrupted low-frequency radio wave communications over South America and the Atlantic Ocean on September 28 this year. And in October 2014, Digital Journal reported on an X-Class event, the most powerful kind of solar flare.
Writer Mark J. Allen wrote, “Earth-bound CMEs can cause geomagnetic storms that can damage electrical equipment on orbiting satellites and radio equipment on Earth as well as affecting the precision of global positioning system (GPS) measurements.”
Full article here:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/science/white-house-prepares-six-step-plan-for-catastrophic-solar-flares/article/448073
To read the White House plan in its entirety:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/10/28/enhancing-national-preparedness-space-weather-events
Source: Southgate ARC News
BROKE & FIXED
The Kariong antennas have been damaged and are being repaired.
REMINDERS
This section lists important announcements and possibly items from previous CCARC NEWS editions that are still current and may need your input:
Anyone reading this on the website who is not yet a member of the CCARC, please consider joining by emailing ccarc at ccarc dot org dot au for full details.
For submissions to this newsletter from CCARC club members please email the editor news-editor at ccarc dot org dot au
For what’s coming up in the next few months at the CCARC, please check the club calendar, accessible from the header on any page on the website.
Dave VK2DLS … News & Publicity Officer …
