Q-News AR News from Queensland

Welcome to QNEWS for week 8 of 2026. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, with our contribution. One of the real charms of a club is when it can provide some social activity between birds of a feather, and the Darling Downs Radio Club does that on the even months of the year. So here it is February and today at lunchtime (if you're listening on Sunday 22nd, of course) you can come and join us. You don't have to be a member of the club, and it doesn't matter if you don't know anyone because we're really friendly. We'll be hard to miss, because we're in the club shirts with our names in bright yellow letters and club caps. Very hard to miss. The February lunch is a very social barbeque starting from 1130 or so, at Peacehaven Botanic Park on Kuhls Road just south of Highfields. Stan Kuhl - that's K U H L was a dairy farmer who used to own most of the land in the area, and in 2005 he donated 4.7 hectares of land to be developed into a botanic park. The council has even expanded it a bit since then, with a plant sales area that will be open from 0900 on the day. We're going to be at the barbeques on the western side... plenty of parking on-street close to the BBQ area, or actually off Kuhls Road which is slightly a bit more of a walk but good exercise and very pretty. And there's tons of seating and undercover tables so you only need to bring what you plan to eat and drink. The location is good for HF and VHF so bring a radio if you feel like it. We'll be listening on VK4RTQ repeater and 146.500 simplex in case you get lost, and we'll answer to VK4WID. All the details are on the website at DDRCi.org.au. You don't have to register, but we'd love to get an email to lunch at ddrci.org.au to let us know you're coming. Next: More good news on the licence front. Club member Perry decided that it was time to do the Foundation Assessment and sailed through the theory and prac exams. By the time you hear this he might even have his call. Well done Per. We'd love to help you get started or do an upgrade, and there's no charge for that. Just drop a line to education@ddrci.org.au and let's have a chat about how to make your ham aspirations a reality. This is week 8 of 2026, and if you're following the international ham radio challenge at hamchallenge.org you'll find that the week 8 challenge is to do some experimenting with APRS. That's the Amateur Radio Packet Reporting system, and there's a pretty good Wikipedia article that explains what APRS is all about. If you haven't ever played with APRS, it's not too hard to get started and there are plenty of resources available to help. Even looking up the history on the web is interesting, and there's a VK APRS site hidden in there with some useful local tips - helpful, given that APRS is designed as a real time protocol for local material. Let us know how you go. And finally: lock in the date of 9 March for our next club meeting. We'll tell you more about that next week. Wrapping up: the bi-monthly is Sunday 22 February (most likely that's today) and all the details are on the club website at DDRCi.org.au. Turn up a bit early if you'd like to buy some plants at the nursery, and it's a BYO everything event. As always we're listening, so if you have an idea for a meeting or activity, want to check any of the info I've just provided, or just make contact, drop an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au and as Perry will tell you: we respond very quickly. I'm John VK4JPM secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Our 2m weekly net follows at the top of the hour on VK4RDD. Till next week, 73 and good packeting!

Wherever you are, welcome to QNEWS for Sunday 15 Feb. I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Firstly, what's coming up. Seriously, you should check the website because everything you need to know is there and it's the most accurate source of dates and information. But... OK, you can twist my arm a bit and we'll fill you in on-air also. Following the morning national news at 1000, please join us for the weekly gathering on VK4RDD at 146.750 with no tones. Net control is VK4WID and if you can hear us, why not join in? Dates for the diary: our next club lunch, which is open to all (because we're just so social) and is a DIY BBQ on Sunday 22 Feb at Peacehaven Park - that's just south of Highfields and really easy to find. Yum. the next club meeting, which is also open to all and will be on Monday 9 March. Details on the website. on Saturday 21 March you can join our team for the John Moyle Memorial Field Day. Not only will you help the club defend our honour, but it's a great way for foundation and inexperienced operators to build skills really quickly... just like a mega-training event we'll be at RedFest selling gear and representing the club on Saturday 11th April. * and can you help us on Sunday 7 June? it's mid-year, which might seem like a long way off, but it will leap up sooner than you think. Bunnings was so impressed with us last year that they've invited us back, and we had sucha good time that we've decided we're up for the challenge. There's a forward-events item on the sliding calendar right now if you go to our home page at ddrci.org.au Speaking of which: we've been doing some work on the website under the hood. You can help us by checking it out and feel free to go through ALL the pages if you like. Then let us know what's old, wrong or broken so that we can fix it. ddrci.org.au - you can enter the https:// and/or dubdubdub but it's not necessary. Then send what you find to the contact page or directly to secretary@ddrci.org.au At last Monday's club tech meeting we had a truly interesting night focusing on antennas. Much thanks to Sam, Geoff, Bruce, and Bob for stellar contributions. If you attended, can you tell us what you thought by sending a quick email? If you missed it, there won't be a recording but we will be putting some reference material on the website for Ron. That's later ron. Finally this week's ham challenge is both easy and delightful: it's "Thank a fellow ham radio operator". So easy, but so important. We all like to know that those around us appreciate our work, so tell someone today. Details at hamchallenge.org If you missed anything I've just mentioned check the website, and if you're still confused then email to secretary@ddrci.org.au might help. Or it might not, but give it a go anyway. For the Darling Downs Radio Club, I'm John VK4JPM. Do the ham challenge, and tell another operator that you appreciate their work.

Hi. Thanks for joining the Darling Downs Radio Club QNEWS segment - it's most likely Sunday, 8 Feb, and I am very pleased to be back in the land of the living. Tomorrow night, Monday 9 February, is the first of our member and tech meetings for the new year, and the topic is tada antennas. You can join us in person or by telepresence, and if you do, it's going to be just like being in the room with the rest of us... Although people in the room get tea, coffee and tam-tams, because we're that sort of group. Antennas are a very broad topic, with lots to know, lots to learn, and lots to swap. Tomorrow night, we'll do all of that, using a discussion format where we want to know what's worked for you, and what hasn't. Along the way, we will investigate verticals and beams, matching, DX and local, transmitting and receiving, and both well-known and more obscure options. Club member Bob VK4ZOW has been playing with yagis using the bent driven element, and has tales of amazing DX using yagis from two elements up. There's a bit about that on our website in the invitation to the meeting, and it's worth a read. One discussion I'm looking forward to hearing: what are the recommendations for a decently working antenna that can be installed on a suburban block? That's increasingly important as some of us transition from the family home to community living, where a tower might not fit. Bring along your experience, your trials, tribulations and failures, and we'll have a great discussion. That's at the District Scouts HQ in Newtown, Toowoomba... 10 Victory Street. All the details are on the website, so easy to find. The meeting will start at 1900 AEST to give us time for a bit of a club update; we've been pretty busy over the break, as regular listeners will know. Things are going well, and there are a heap of questions that we'd like to ask you, so we can shape what's coming up this year. We're scheduling several projects, and now is the time to open discussions for the Club's entry in the John Moyle Field Day, only six weeks away on March 21. If you're listening to this and you're not a member, then a reminder that the discount rate is 50% off right now - that's for all memberships - so full individual is only $20 right now. Pensioner, student and youth memberships are even less. And the family membership is also discounted. Before I go, have you been following the HamChallenge? Details are on our website, or you can go directly to hamchallenge.org. This is week six, with a very curious challenge to whistle a digi or CW QSO. In case that sounds too hard, there is a very big hint on how you could make either of those modes possible. And like travelling to Melbourne, getting there is half the fun. Amateur radio is about experimenting and discovery, which is what the Ham Challenge is designed to encourage. We think it's a pretty cool program. So all that again: tech and member meeting tomorrow evening from 1900 AEST - and everyone is welcome whether in person or remotely informal lunch on Sunday 22 Feb put 21 March in your diary and plan to join us and help with the John Moyle Memorial Field Day, and there's no better use for $20 right now than a quick press of the "join" button on the website. The website is at ddrci.org.au, and if anything is weird we're listening via the contact form, or secretary@ddrci.org.au. I'm probably not going to be able to reply if you try to get me via whistling DIGI or CW, but it's worth a go. Who knows? The Club 2m net follows at 1000 eastern on the club repeater VK4RDD. Thanks for listening. I'm John VK4JPM and how about I see you tomorrow night? 73.

News of Silent Keys:- Greg Ackman VK4BBX and Ray Hinks VK4LU Sad news to report that TARC Life Member Ray Hinks VK4LU has gone Silent Key. Ray was a former member of the Queensland Police Service, a foundation member of the Townsville Civil Defence Volunteers, and a volunteer with the Townsville Division of the Queensland State Emergency Service. Ray came to Australia with his family from the UK when only a nipper but could remember the bleak weather in Blighty. He much enjoyed the tropical weather of Townsville, constantly scoffed the weather boffins' forecast for rain and rugged up well when the temperature in North Queensland dipped below 15C. Ray did great things for theTARCinc, serving as Treasurer and also setting up through the local federal members of Parliament permission to print the magazine of renown, Back-scatter, an arrangement that continues to this day. While in good health, Ray was also active on HF and out in the field, helping with many comms support events. He enjoyed holidays away fruit picking and occasionally touring the Cape in his old but reliable Hi-Lux van (he went places with the 2-wheel drive vehicle many 4WD drivers would avoid) and always said that he would be lucky to see 70years old. Well, he made it to 92. During the last year, Rays's health started to decline even more, and a diagnosis of Stage 4 Cancer sealed the deal. He enrolled in the Volunteer Assisted Dying scheme, set his affairs in order and went Silent Key in Townsville University Hospital on Friday, 23rd January at 0400UTC. Before passing between 0335 and 0338UTC Ray's daughter Yvette, went on-air as Ray's Second Operator through the Townsville VHF Repeater and asked for any stations to send Ray any last messages. TARC Club Station VK4WIT responded, wishing Ray good DX and best journeys on his DXpedition in the next world. Ray's funeral was a private service attended by family members. Vale Ray Hinks VK4LU - Silent Key. VK4BBX Two men died in a light plane crash north of the Gold Coast shortly after taking off from a private airstrip at about 6 am on Tuesday en route to a small town near Tamworth in NSW. Police have confirmed the 73-year-old pilot from Beenleigh and his male passenger, believed to be from Sydney, died at the scene. They were the only occupants of the plane which came down just after take-off in bushland in Jacobs Well, near the Heck Field Airstrip, shortly before 6 am on Tuesday. The Pilot? VK4BBX Greg Ackman Greg was the founder of Mobile One antennas. He built the business from a garage-based operation during the 1970s. He became a ham in late 2021. VK4BBX was a familiar face in the Australian amateur radio community, often showcasing Mobile One products at field days and events. Vale VK4BBX. This is Laurie VK4BLE from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club. The Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club presents Redfest 2026 – Saturday, the 11th of April at Deception Bay North State School. This year's highlight: major prize draw for the brand-new Icom IC-7300 Mark II transceiver! Enjoy hands-on workshops with excellent technical speakers, including the FreeDV team from Victoria, demonstrating open-source digital voice over HF. Plenty of resellers offering new and pre-loved gear, plus breakfast, morning tea, and fresh barista coffee on site. Join us for trading, learning, prizes, and great company on Saturday, 11 April 2026. We can't wait to see you at Redfest!" For the Darling Downs Radio Club, I'm Secretary John VK4JPM, and here's our QNEWS for the week starting Sunday, 1st of February. Let's start by welcoming four new members who joined over the last little while: a big hi to Eddi, Mark, Bruce and Alan - you know who you are. They've taken the discount, where membership of the club right now is half price, $20... all this stuff for the price of four coffees!

Greetings form the Redcliffe and districts radio club VK4RC. Robert Thomson VK4TFN here. Family Fox Hunt at Macfarlane Park. Saturday last week, on the 17 January, a big mob of parents and grandparents decended on Macfarlane Park in Redcliffe with their children and Grandchildren. Starting at 10:30 am, there were four radio foxes and a dozen fox hunt receivers. It was all organised by Peter Richardson VK4TAA. The youngsters loved it and enthusiastically threw themselves into the fun. Little Penny, 6 years ol,d bagged the honours of finding all the foxes first. It was all rounded off with sizzled sausages, ice cream and soft drinks. Peter was heard to declare, “This was fun, we'll make it a bi-annual event.” REDFEST 26 Digital Communications 11 April 2026. John Saunders VK4BZ reports in our January QTC newsletter that the organisation of REDFEST 26 is proceeding apace. Stay tuned for further updates, and don't be afraid to go and visit our redfest.org website. Australia Day Barbie. On Monday, to 11:30am 26th January at the Redcliffe Club in Macfarlane Park there will be a flag raising ceremony. There'll be some Aussie fun and games and a sausage sizzling ceremony. Come along and join in. Thanks and 73 from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio club VK4RC. DARLING DOWNS RADIO CLUB http://www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk4/DarlingDownsRadioClub/ secretary@ddrci.org.au Hi there from the Darling Downs Radio Club. I'm John VK4JPM, club Secretary, with a few updates. Let's start with the Ham Challenge: how have you been going? I mentioned this in our last bulletin, and we're into week three of the year. hamchallenge.org has all the details and a heap of tips and tricks to help you be better with amateur radio. This week's challenge is: "understand how your antenna works". Woo... now THERE'S a challenge. Fortunately, we can help in two ways: 1. our next club meeting on Monday 9 February will be all about antennas and how to understand them a bit better. But you say - too late for the challenge. Well, not really. The instructions at hamchallenge.org say that the "challenges may be done in the suggested chronological order, or in any other way you like". So 2. why not park the antenna challenge until we get to the club meeting. Even better: check out the antenna challenge, then bring your questions along to the meeting and let us help. Details of the ham challenge and the next club meeting are both on the website at ddrci.org.au Moving along: by the time you hear this we will have locked in some set dates for training days and licence assessment sessions in 2026. We're serious about building the hobby and the number of people who are involved, and let's face it: it's so much easier to be an amateur radio operator if you have a licence. And if you're listening to this and you don't yet have a licence: then check the website to see what you can do, when and how. You don't have to be a club member, and you don't even have to be in our area. As long as you're keen and committed, we know we can get you across the line. Step two, by the way, is to surround yourself with people who can help, and best way to do that is to be a club member. Go to ddrci.org.au and press the big red button that says "Join Our Club". That's a bit of a give-away, I know, but once you get going it's truly really easy and very quick. If you like food with your membership, our next club lunch will be on Saturday 14 February. We welcome people who aren't members of the club. Thanks for being here and joining Darling Downs Radio Club on QNEWS. On Sunday mornings the club 2m net follows at 1000 - check our website for details. I'm John VK4JPM, and we'll catch you next week.

Hi there from the Darling Downs Radio Club. I'm John VK4JPM, club Secretary, with a few updates. Let's start with the Ham Challenge: how have you been going? I mentioned this in our last bulletin, and we're into week three of the year. hamchallenge.org has all the details and a heap of tips and tricks to help you be better with amateur radio. This week's challenge is: "understand how your antenna works". Woo... now THERE'S a challenge. Fortunately, we can help in two ways: 1. Our next club meeting on Monday, 9 February, will be all about antennas and how to understand them a bit better. But you say - too late for the challenge. Well, not really. The instructions at hamchallenge.org say that the "challenges may be done in the suggested chronological order, or in any other way you like". So 2. Why not park the antenna challenge until we get to the club meeting? Even better: check out the antenna challenge, then bring your questions along to the meeting and let us help. Details of the ham challenge and the next club meeting are both on the website at ddrci.org.au. Moving along: by the time you hear this, we will have locked in some set dates for training days and licence assessment sessions in 2026. We're serious about building the hobby and the number of people who are involved, and let's face it: it's so much easier to be an amateur radio operator if you have a licence. And if you're listening to this and you don't yet have a licence, then check the website to see what you can do, when and how. Truly, getting a foundation licence is not hard, and we have experience to prove that statement. Step one to getting or upgrading your licence is to tell us you'd like to participate, and you can do that by sending an email to education@ddrci.org.au. You don't have to be a club member, and you don't even have to be in our area. As long as you're keen and committed, we know we can get you across the line. Step two, by the way, is to surround yourself with people who can help, and the best way to do that is to be a club member. Any club, really, but Darling Downs Radio Club would be very happy to have you as a member wherever you are in Australia. And right now, membership is still half price, so it's a bit of a no-brainer and a steal. Why not do it right now? Go to ddrci.org.au and press the big red button that says "Join Our Club". That's a bit of a give-away, I know, but once you get going, it's truly really easy and very quick. If you like food with your membership, our next club lunch will be on Saturday, 14 February. We welcome people who aren't members of the club. You could think of it as the 'taster experience". So there's your homework for the coming week: check out HamChallenge put Monday night 9 Feb in your diary, and come to the club tech meeting on Antennas Saturday 14 Feb is the club lunch Join the club for $20 or less if you're not a member * Do some research on antennae And if you need help or contact: send an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au Thanks for being here and joining Darling Downs Radio Club on QNEWS. On Sunday mornings, the club 2m net follows at 1000 - check our website for details. I'm John VK4JPM, and we'll catch you next week.

This is Allan VK4HIT with news from Ipswich and District Radio Club. The club’s final business meeting of 2025 reported the most recent WICEN-supported event at Mt Glorious was successful with some 130 runners taking part. Ipswich WICEN commitments for this year are still to be finalised and members will be advised. Robert VK4KHW, on behalf of Brisbane WICEN, has put out the call for help with a couple of horse trail events in May and July. The first one is a two-day event starting at Kilkivan Showgrounds and the second is at Stirling Crossing Imbil. Any members who can volunteer to help should contact Paul VK4PMC in the first instance. At the December meeting the club welcomed its newest member John VK4JLB – welcome John. A reminder the next social night is Monday January 12 and the next business meeting Monday January 26. Both start at 1930 hours. We're barely into the new year and already we've been handed a REALLY good idea that applies to hams all round Australia. Hi there: it's the week of 11 January, I'm John VK4JPM, Club Secretary of Darling Downs Radio Club, and to be honest I wish I'd known about the Ham Challenge in December, so that I could have given you a bit more warning. But here we go in the spirit of better late than never... which is what everyone says, until they just miss a plane or don't get their John Moyle results filed in time. Now that we've fixed the calendar problem on our website, you can go to ddrci.org.au and find an article on the 52 week Ham Challenge in the slider. Just click through and check it out. The Ham Challenge concept is really simple: each week there is a challenge for that week, and when you complete the challenge two things happen. You get some bragging rights, and - more importantly - you will have done something that expands your appreciation of our hobby. Some of the challenges are really simple, like "make a contact". Some are a bit harder, like "use a specific mode to make a contact" or "how low can you go with QRP" Some of the challenges might be downright difficult, like "build something and then get on air with it". But hey - isn't that what you were always intending to do? Sure. The first challenge for the year was simple, with lots of help provided, but uncharted territory for many of us, and that's the point. In this case, the requirement was: make a QSO on a far away repeater using Echolink. I mean, really: what could be simpler? And they've followed up this week with "make a QSO in a mode you're unfamiliar with. Um... isn't that what you just did in week one? But looks like you can kill two birds with these two challenges, since for most of us Echolink would be an unfamiliar mode. Anyway, why not give it a go? And, at the same time, you're likely to pick up new skills with Mastodon and IRC, and make a few new friends in the process. And the week eleven challenge is so simple and so needed that you'd wonder why you'd never been rewarded for it in the past? This is all about the 52 week HamChallenge, and you can read about it at ddrci.org.au. Good news for everyone who applied for club merch: the order is in and embroidered items will magically become available some time after 20 January. We'll let you know. Coming up dates for the diary: next club tech meeting and social gathering on Monday 9 February, and the next club lunch will be on Saturday 14th. If you'd like to influence our choice of venue, now would be a good time to start. We move it around a bit... and maybe it's time to head to the west. Or to Maringandan maybe... that would be impressive. The important reminder: our boxing day sale doesn't have forever to run, and right now memberships are half price: click the big red button on the website. And as always, comments, thoughts and complaints to secretary@ddrci.org.au.

From all of us here at Darling Downs Radio Club, Happy New Year. I'm John, VK4JPM, Club Secretary, and I'm in a very merry-post-HoHoHo mood this week. Lots of good stuff happening. January is mostly behind the scenes work for the club and committee, but there are a couple of important reminders that I'd like to pass on. Let's start with the club merch order, and that closes tomorrow, Monday 5 January, at 0930. That's firm, so don't delay. The shirts and caps are really impressive, barely more expensive than a polo or cap without embroidery, and really help you stand out as an ambassador for the club. Go to the website and click on the calendar entry to see what the merch looks like, and to place an order. 2. a reminder that we don't have a formal club meeting in January, but we're preparing. We'd like to know what you found most helpful in the past year, and what you'd like to experience in the coming year. Our Heathkit Mindreader has gone on the blink, so please send an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au with your thoughts. 3. Good dates to hold for February would be Monday 9 Feb for the next in-person and over-the-web meeting. That's 9 Feb, and it's a Monday. And Saturday 14 Feb, which would be the next likely informal lunch. That's 14 Feb, and that will be at a sit-down location somewhere interesting. 4. New Year's membership of DDRCi is only $20 for adults, discounted further for pensioners, students and youth, and only $35 for a family of four. What could be better than that? Click on the big red join button from the home page to find out all the details and finally If you're listening to this on Sunday morning, why not come up on the club 2m net? We'd love you to join the conversation. It's a great way to meet people, and maybe we can help you solve a tricky problem? Details are on the homepage, or just go to 146.750MHz with your best impersonation of a 91.5Hz tone and a 600kHz negative offset. It's about the only negative part of the experience. So there you go. We'll catch you next week for another update. Meanwhile grab your favourite beverage, check the antenna and come up on the bands. For all of the team at Darling Downs Radio Club, I'm John VK4JPM. Have a good one!

Hi there... and welcome to the last QNEWS for 2025. I'm John, VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Since we're in the middle of gift-giving season, I hope Santa has already been good to you. But... but if you missed out - or if you ran out of time to get a gift for someone else - here are three gift thoughts that you can put into action to catch up. One: the gift of belonging - that would be belonging to our club. If you like what we do, if we've supported you in some way through the year, if we've helped to spark joy, then the best way to tell us is through a membership of the club. And here's a bonus: because DDRCi has reducing membership rates through the year, now is the best time to jump on on-board - because the rates are at the lowest cost point. It costs as little as $20 to join right now, and that covers you for six months. It's even cheaper for pensioners, students and youngsters. And what do you get for your membership? You get the club; you get to tell us that you value what we do, and you get the opportunity to influence the direction that the club takes to support you as a member. We like supporting you, a lot - it's why we have a club. Two: the gift of promotion. Buy some of the club merch and support us visibly. In a little over a week, on 5 January, we will place the next order because that's the day our supplier comes back from break. The new shirts and caps have been a hit, and you can read all about them on the home page at ddrci.org.au. I can tell you from experience that the shirts are top quality, survive lots of washing, are comfy to wear, and it's quite useful to have your name and call where it can be seen. We've already had the experience where three of us got a discount because the shopkeeper thought we were FIFO workers. Check out the story on the home page, where you can get info about sizing and pricing, and how to order, which you will need to do by 5th of January or miss out this round. 5 January: that's a little over a week. But do it now. and Three: the gift of encouragement: encourage someone you know to join the club. We're as good as our members, and with clubs it's definitely strength in numbers. If you know someone who needs help with STEM - that's science, technology, engineering and mathematics, then tell them about the club. STEM is what we do, because that's what underpins amateur radio. So we're naturally going to be a source of STEM and support for learning. If you know someone of any age who needs a leg up with STEM subjects - then tell them about Darling Downs Radio Club, and casually mention that the club has some of the best technology and training brains in the business... just waiting to help. As we move towards end of 2025, can we take a quick moment of reflection? Whether you're a member of Darling Downs, member of another club, or not a member at all, when was the last time you gave the club a score card? And if you're not a member, why not and what would it take to help you change your mind? We figure that you're only going to join or stay if the club is doing something useful, but trust me when I say that we're not mind-readers and Amateur Radio is such a broad hobby that we could easily think we're doing the right thing but be missing by a mile... which is 200kHz when you do the maths. The only way the club improves is if you tell us what you think: good, bad or OK. We'd really like to know. The best way to get in touch is via email to secretary@ddrci.org.au, or our contact page via the website at ddrci.org.au. Until then, stay safe, enjoy Santa's spoils, walk off a bit of the big meals, and send us an email or two to let us know you exist. I'm John VKz4JPM; 73 from me and all of us here at the Darling Downs Radio Club.

News of a Silent Key, Ian Browne VK4DB Sad news received from Denise/VK4FCDB, board of control of Ian/VK4DB that Ian went Silent Key on Wednesday 26th November at Townsville University Hospital following complications caused by lung cancer. Ian was farewelled at a private funeral Tuesday 2nd December in Townsville attended by close family members. Only four sleeps to go, which means it's either time to congratulate you on ordering early enough to receive the helical-long-wire-gamma-matcher with the auto-resonating-anti-SWR-digital-gumble-snergler, or... you missed out and the package will arrive on 2 January just before you have to go back to work. Either way, this is QNEWS coming to you from the Darling Downs Radio Club where we know how to toss up an antenna or two. I'm John VK4JPM, Club Secretary. Speaking of antennas: that's still one of the frontiers of ham radio endeavour and we've been thinking about how much we know... and don't know... about getting antennas to work effectively. In the past it was a matter of putting up an antenna, testing it on your rig, matching for minimum SWR, and then... well, you had to ask people how good is the reception and guess. Nowadays we can be much more clever, and one of the reasons that we've focused a bit on Software Defined Radios is that you can use an SDR to test the antenna for yourself. Especially when the SDR under your control could be a few kilometres away, or right across the country, and you can listen to your own signal to test for improvements. Very cute. So we've been tossing around what the club can do to help you build your antenna skills. Watch out for a possible meeting in February where we kick off a series of sessions. If that's of interest to you, tell us. If you think we should be talking about something else, tell us that too. Send a note to secretary@ddrci.org.au with your thoughts. Last week we had our end-of-year BBQ and natter at Webb Park and this year the skies smiled. Perfect weather, and at least one of the hotplates worked well enough to do lunch for everyone. Lots of discussion, especially about repeaters and whether we could be improving 2m coverage across the Downs. And thanks to Bruce VK4MQ we capped off lunch with a bit of fox-hunting, much to the delight of the kids who had joined us. There will be photos on the website by the time you hear this, and you can check those out at ddrci.org.au. VK4 - Redfest - Deception Bay North State School 9am April 11. (vk4ble) The Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club will be holding Redfest 2026 on the 11th of April 2026 at the Deception Bay North State School, 49 Old Bay Road, Deception Bay starting at 9am. For further information contact the Club Secretary, secretary@redclifferadioclub.org.au

Welcome to QNEWS, and if we have the right date this would be Sunday 14 December. Only 11 sleeps until Santa gives you a transceiver with a waterfall, to replace the transceiver that got water-filled. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. And it's been a busy week for the club. Last Monday our half live/half virtual meeting started with a general club update, followed by a report on the WIA Presidents meeting from last weekend. Some very interesting stuff, especially the class licence update, bandplan consultation - access to 23cm might be a challenge - and clubs insurance. And as always, when you ask questions you get interesting answers - thanks muchly to all the folks who weighed in on an ad-hoc discussion about membership systems. And there was some very interesting news about the John Moyle Field Day... more about that in a sec. After a break and a cuppa, we kicked off with show-and-tell, and that once again proved that telepresence works. Interesting discussions from Peter VK4PQ in Townsville and Bob VK4ZOW in the room. Many people brought interesting bits and bobs to pass around, including some valve modules from a 1950s IBM computer, complete with IBM-branded valves. Star turn goes to Bruce VK4MQ who showed a $70 AliExpress SWR/Power meter that he cleverly had reprogrammed and rebuilt to do the job it should have done in the first place for the cost of just a few dollars. Bruce also showed an autotuning CODAN HF antenna and demonstrated how it works, and he showed a very impressive rebuilt CODAN HF rig, of a type typically available for a few dollars at a swapmeet. That might not sound like a lot but there was so much round-table discussion that we ran out of time to discuss the 2m Chinese handhelds, so... watch for that another day. Our next formal member's meeting is in February and a very interesting suggestion was put forward - watch this space. We'd like to know what you would want to see on the slate for next year's meetings generally. More hardware? More software? More weird topics? More mainstream topics? You might have a specialised interest that nobody else knows about, and won't until you tell us. Send your thoughts - no matter how weird, way-out, or mainstream - to secretary@ddrci.org.au and let's have a chat. Secretary@ddrci.org.au Finally, the John Moyle Field Day contest will be coming up in March and the new rules are worth a look. Our club has faired reasonably well over the past years, including a convincing win in our category this year. Our next decision is whether, how and where we might want to enter this competition in 2026. I'll talk more about that in coming weeks, and we intend to do some planning over the break. That's it for this week. I'm John VK4JPM, and I'd love to know what you think. secretary@ddrci.org.au; why not come up on the 2m club net on Sundays at 1000; check out our website where you'll find out about the Saturday HF net and all the other things we do; and you can reach us via the contact page if everything else fails. 73s from the Darling Downs Radio Club.

DARLING DOWNS RADIO CLUB Hi. This is QNEWS for Sunday 7 December, and I'm John VK4JPM - Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Three important messages from us for this coming week. Number 1. Our next club meeting is on Monday, 8 December, which is possibly tomorrow (by the time you hear QNEWS). The meeting will be in person at 2 Victory Street, Newtown, and online. The meeting format is a round table. 2m FM is still the band of choice for repeaters and a general natter, and it's hard to find someone these days who doesn't have at least one handheld device. What functions can you use, and what functions need a manual and three hours of tuition to access? Is the default software better or worse than the replacement options, and which replacement might be best? What are your likes and pet peeves? Have you tried any of the add-on hardware to extend bands and modes? Is Chirp the key to an easy life? And... where do you find a decent antenna? All these questions and more will be answered... or maybe not, if it turns out there aren't answers. We're also thinking about what we could do to make 2m work better around the Downs, and you might like to weigh in on that discussion. We'd like your thoughts. So our last meeting for this year should be a good one. We kick off at 1900, and the details are on the home page at ddrci.org.au. Number 2: This year's end-of-season lunch is a BBQ on Saturday, 13 December, and we're returning to Webb Park on Dudley Street in Toowoomba. If you've never heard of that location - Webb Park that is; we're pretty sure you know where Toowoomba is - it's easy to find on the map applications, and just as easy to find in reality. We can't promise that we'll be alone, or that the weather will be perfect, but we can tell you that there are four hotplates under cover, lots of picnic benches, reasonably good parking, just a gentle walk down the hill to the main area, and an absolutely spectacular view east towards Brisbane. FM propagation will be excellent. It's not a POTA park, but there will be plenty of opportunities to test out anything that will run on batteries, and there are lots of trees to hang the longwire. All welcome, families and young people particularly, and it's the standard deal for this type of gathering: no charge, and BYO everything. Maybe even a spare chair in case others grab the tables first. Or just be there early. That's the DDRCi end-of-year lunch next Saturday, 13 December. We kick off at 1130, and the day will run until the last person leaves. Full details can be found on the club website at ddrci.org.au. Talk-in will be on 2m simplex 145.650, and via the club repeater VK4RDD on 146.750. And speaking of which, if you're listening to QNEWS on Sunday morning, 7 December, the regular club net will kick off on VK4RDD at 1000. Why not join us? Number 3: Australia might shut down over late December and January, but the club won't. If you're interested in sitting an exam or doing some training to get you there, drop us a line via the education hotline: education@ddrci.org.au. We've been having a great time helping all kinds of folk to get on air for the first time or upgrade their existing qualifications, and it's a smooth process. Ham radio is such a broad area, with so many sub-genres, that it's hard not to find something interesting to do - and plenty of uncharted waters and experimentation to be done. The licence allows you to do just that, pretty much the only form of ACMA licence which permits and encourages do-it-yourself and rev-it-up activity. Let us help you get there. And that's it for this week. You can get in touch with us via the contact page Until we see you next, 73 from John VK4JPM for the Darling Downs Radio Club.

Good... morning, evening, nooning and midnighting. Whenever you're listening, I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, and it might very well be the week of 30 November 2025. Wow. One month to go before we increment the year counter. Lots happened this past week. Thanks to all the people who sent back suggestions of location for our Club end-of-year gathering and BBQ - more about that in a second, but put Saturday 13 December in your diary right now. The next club meeting is on 8 December - that's next week - and this is definitely one for remote attendees as much as those in the room. The topic is handheld radios, how well today's devices work, and whether you need to pay a fortune, or you can get great results for $30. I'm one of those people who paid over $700 for a three-channel synthesised 2m handheld in the 70s - I still have it - and I can't believe the value you get today. But that doesn't mean it's the best option. The club did investigate the topic previously, but that was 15 years ago, and it's time for an update. So if you have a Baofeng, Quansheng, Retevis, BinQi, Maycall, Hyterra, Inrico, or some other brand with an unpronounceable name that nobody has heard of, this is a meeting for you. We're going to pool knowledge, check out additional software, look for tips and tricks, and discuss some reviews, both complementary and damning. At the end, we'll all know more, and that's a good reason to attend. Check the website for details: www.ddrci.org.au and wait until it comes round if it's not on the screen immediately. 8 December at 1900 for that one. Our end-of-year in-person gathering is scheduled for Saturday, 13 December at Webb Park in Toowoomba. This is the location we used last year, and it came back as a popular selection. And why not: it's not on an official Park list; it's high, but not the highest, and it's next to two major schools. That puts it adjacent to YOTA, SOTA and POTA. More importantly, it has undercover areas, good BBQs, lots of parking, and it's roughly in the middle of everything. More info on the website for that one, too. We're planning meetings for next year too, so if you'd like to make suggestions or ask us to do something, send an email now so that the Committee can add your thoughts to the list. Secretary@ddrci.org.au is the best way to reach us; all ideas are welcome and considered. Last weekend, another of our aspiring candidates made it through exams, and congratulations to young Gene, who is now running the application process to get his Australian licence after previously holding a Canadian call. The final practice was lots of fun, with a POTA activation at Ravensbourne. The bands were buzzing, and with not many watts, we had POTA contacts and a good QSO with a J who was calling CQ. If you'd like to get or upgrade a call, drop a line to education@ddrci.org.au and let's talk about how we can help. Finally: If you'd like a club cap or a club shirt with your name, call, place the order now. Sizes, costs and details are on the website so wait for it to come past. We love your comments so don't be bashful: email to secretary@ddrci.org.au and we'll do what we can to help. I'm John VK4JPM and thanks for getting involved. 73 from Darling Downs Radio Club. Additional info: Saturday 13 December from 1130-1430 or as long as we run, at Webb Park on Dudley Street in Toowoomba. BYO everything. Family-friendly and harmonics will be well catered for on the council-provided playthings. BBQ, somewhere to sit, and amenities are all good and free.

Hi - you're listening to QNEWS, most likely on Sunday, the 23rd of November 2025. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, with a helpful burst for members.. and everyone else interested in amateur radio west of Brisbane. But. I'm going to start with a repeat of last week's shout-out to all club officers and committees in greater Queensland and just across the border, because it's resonated... a bit. And it should resonate a lot. QNEWS is a great way to get club info to a wide audience, and it's surprised me that so few clubs use it. It's one of the things that we might address at a meeting of club officers in the future, but that's in the future, and we should start now. So I'll repeat my offer. If your club has meetings coming up, or if you have activities regularly scheduled - for instance, if everyone turns up on Saturdays for a natter, or if you are planning something for the end-of-year, why not tell everyone? People will travel from all over the state and beyond if the invitation is interesting enough. And don't forget that a listener might opportunistically be in your area and would love to join you. But they won't come if they don't know what you're doing. And even if you don't have a formal meeting in the works, trust me: other hams and shortwave listeners and even CBers are interested in what your club does. Anyone with a $30 Baofeng can listen to QNews, even if you don't hear them talk back. The key message is: let's all tell each other what's happening, and what's coming up. It's good for membership, good for cross-pollination of clubs, good for activities, and good for the hobby. Writing and voicing a segment isn't impossible, and doesn't need a recording studio. If I can help you get on board with the QNEWS process, drop me a line to secretary@ddrci.org.au and let's talk about how to get started. Probably this is a good time for the reminder that all the material from our EMR session with John VK4JBE is on the website, in the homepage rotator - that's the carousel on the home page just after the "Join our Club" button. And while you're grabbing the EMR templates and documentation, check out all the other activities that Darling Downs Radio Club has coming up! Our next in-person club member meeting and tech natter will be on Monday, 8 December at 1900. Details on the website, but expect a bit of discussion about Chinese 2m (and 70cm) handhelds, and some show and tell. For those of you joining remotely: this is another of those round-table sessions where we all learn from each other. What hand-helds are you using now? When you paid $300 for an old-school device, does it work better than the $30 cheapy? We'd all like to know. That's on Monday, 8 December at 1900 in person and online. If you need to upgrade or convert your licence, then Darling Downs Radio Club can help. Since there's no ACMA process to recognise prior qualifications (like if you have an overseas licence), redoing the exam is the simplest option, and we can help. There's no charge for the licence assessment - we run exams regularly because we're awesome and because we actively want more people to be involved in our hobby. Talk to us about how and when by sending an email to education@ddrci.org.au. The best way to be informed about club activity is to check the website or to register on our mailing list. Club members find out first, so there's an incentive to join - and individual membership is $30 or less right now. Go to the website ddrci.org.au and press the big red JOIN button. Until next week, thanks for listening. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club.

Hi - you're listening to QNEWS for week of Sunday 16 November 2025 and I'm John VK4JPM with some info from the Darlin Downs Radio Club. But first a shout-out to all club officers and committees in Queensland. QNEWS is a great way to get club info to a wide audience, and it's surprised me that so few other clubs use it. It's one of the things that we might address at a meeting of club officers in the future, but how about an offer? If your club has meetings coming up, or if you have activities regularly scheduled - for instance, if everyone turns up on Saturdays for a natter, or if you are planning something for end-of-year: why not tell everyone. People will travel from all over the state and beyond if the invitation is interesting enough. And don't forget that a listener might opportunistically be in your area and would love to join you... but only if they knew what you're doing. And through QNEWS, our club now has members from all over the state and we have lots of distant members attending our meetings via telepresence. That's good for everyone, and a big help to gaining attention and focus on our hobby. If I can help you get on-board with the QNEWS process, drop me a line to secretary@ddrci.org.au and let's talk about how to get started. Truly, it's not hard. ==== Last week John VK4JBE did a really good session on EMR. It was well attended - probably thanks to QNEWS - and generated lots of questions. There are two areas that you really do need to be across: If you can't see the info you want, just wait and it will rotate past. And while you're there, check out all the other activities that our club has coming up! Speaking of which: our next in person club member meeting and tech natter will be on Monday 8 December at 1900. Details on the website, but expect a bit of discussion about Chinese 2m (and 70cm) handhelds, and some show and tell. For those of you joining remotely: this is another of those round-table sessions where we all learn from each other. What hand-helds are you using now? When you paid $300 for an old-school device, does it work better than the $30 cheapy? We'd all like to know. That's on Monday 8 December at 1900 in person and online. Also stay tuned for our end-of-year gathering, which we'll unfold next week. Finally, we've had some offers of gear and particularly towers and masts. Members and those on our mailing list will receive an email in the coming week. If you're not on the list, send an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au and we will add you. If you're not a member don't forget that it's now only $30 to join, with significant discounts for students, young people and pensioners. All at the website ddrci.org.au and press the big red JOIN button. Until next week thanks for listening. I'm John VK4JPM secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. 73s all. The Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club will be holding Redfest 2026 on the 11th of April 2026 at the Deception Bay North State School, 49 Old Bay Road, Deception Bay starting at 9am. For further information contact the Club Secretary

Hi there - welcome to news from the Darling Downs Radio Club. I'm Club Secretary John VK4JPM. Exciting few days coming up, and if it's Sunday, 9 November by the time you hear this, it's probably too late to leave home for the Gold Coast and the annual GCARS Hamfest. But if you're listening early or picked up the text edition of QNEWS, this is a reminder that some of us will be attending, so look for the well-identified club shirts and hats, and say hi. Tomorrow night, Monday, 10 November, is our monthly tech meeting and gathering. Special guest is John VK4JB,E up from the big smoke to talk about EMR, or electromagnetic radiation, or electromagnetic emissions in some quarters. EMR is non-ionising radiation; it's invisible; it's non-ionising, so the impact follows the inverse-square law; and generally speaking, the stuff we transmit isn't going to dissociate electrons in your body. But your transmissions do have the ability to heat things that are in proximity, so you can be very damaged if you're too close to a radiator. Check out the ARPANSA website - that's A R P A N S A.gov.au for some background. John will cover all this and more tomorrow at the club meeting. He has tips to help you follow what's happening, and advise on how to correctly document your operation so that you have adequate defence if someone chooses to complain about what you're doing on air. The meeting will be held at the Scout Hall, 2 Victory Street, Newtown in Toowoomba, and everyone is welcome. Last weekend I attended QTech 2025 in Chermside, and what a wonderful event that was. About 60 people in the room for a series of really great presentations, panels and discussions... not one was a dud. I was especially impressed with young hams Finn VK4II and Otto VK4OTZ, who opened the day with a well-researched presentation titled "Young Hams: yes, we exist!", and showed how their lives had been positively impacted by their involvement in amateur radio. And how did they get started? Playing with rockets and realising a need for communications. Amateur radio to the rescue. The event featured a small dealer space, plenty of muffins and lunch, and evidence of really solid planning and admin for the event - congratulations to the organising team. Two highlights stood out for me: a cross to the International Space Station in conjunction with students from a local school, and the corridor conversations - especially with the large contingent who had come from Adelaide, none of whom I had previously met. Anyone who goes to a conference knows that you get permission to attend based on the program, but a huge benefit is from social interactions. In this case, I learned all kinds of useful things about operating a successful club, and discovered some useful theory and experience along the way. There was much discussion about the present and future of amateur radio, and about how to grow this event. It definitely proved that there's an appetite for technical info and project work, and we were treated to several practical and home-brew developments brought along by participants. Everyone at QTech 2025 was bubbling with enthusiasm for what took place. Speaking of which: there's a strong rumour that you should hold the first weekend of November in 2026, and plan to be in Hobart. Truly: I can't wait. We've been advised of some tower and other gear being sold right now, and needing to move quickly, so a bargain is possible. Check VKclassifieds.net.au and search on vk2ri for the list of stuff. That's vkclassifieds.net.au and search vk2ri. If there's anything you missed, it's all on our website, or you can send an email to secretary@ddrci.org.au. Next week, we'll tell you about the December meeting on Monday, the 8th, our social plans for the end of the year, how to get some of the new club merch, and what we're doing about education and training.

It's the week beginning Sunday 2 November, and hi from the Darling Downs Radio Club: I'm Club Secretary John VK4JPM with the club update. Consider that it's now only 53 sleeps until Christmas, when you get to open that Icom IC22S you always yearned for back in 1978. Welcome to November in radio-land. Did you survive Trick or Treat in your location? Or maybe you're like our house: solidly overloaded with chocolates that we're going to have to eat ourselves. And more importantly: have you set your overseas daylight savings clocks back? Europe returned last weekend, and the US drops its clocks back this afternoon, Australia time. It's only EIGHT sleeps until John VK4JBE joins us in person to talk ElectroMagnetic Radiation - or EMR - and how to stay both legal and neighbour friendly. Most of us trust that EMR won't be a problem, but it can be... and in so many ways. John will bring along some documentation created to help you manage your EMR obligations - in particular, the EMR Safety Site Management Book, which will help you record everything needed to use the RSGB and WIA tools. That's on Monday, 10 November, at the Victory Street Scout Hall in Newtown. All the details are on the website at ddrci.org.au, and the meeting should be the first event shown on the calendar. By the way if you haven't checked the calendar rotator on our website recently, then give it a go. We're hiding past events in there along with future meetings. You can even go back in time and relive the downpour during the Carnival of Flowers parade. Next weekend is GCARS on the Gold Coast - many of us will be down there on Sunday morning, and you should be able to recognise us by the club shirts and hats. Please say hello! For the December meeting, we're still thinking about doing the Chinese Radio session, along with a bit of show and tell. That's enough warning to get something together to bring along and show - and that meeting will be on December 8th. Three thoughts before we leave. Until 1 Jan, membership of DDRCi is 25% off. That means it's only $30 to become a full member and only $7.50 if you're a junior. Join now, save money and support the club! DDRCi's training and assessment is in full swing. If you want to get or upgrade your qualification, start with an email to education@ddrci.org.au and we'll get you on the path to success * and finally if you do have an IC22S - as all of us did, back in the day - check out VK3ZYZ's articles on how to arduinoise the 22S... search for "SADARC" and "Arduino" and you'll find it. Thanks for listening - I'm John VK4JPM for the Darling Downs Radio Club. Social Scene GOLD COAST AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY – 2025 HAMFEST NOV 9 (vk4dmh) Country Paradise Parklands 231 Beaudesert Nerang Road.

Hi from the Darling Downs Radio Club for Sunday 26 October, or whatever date it happens to be when you hear this broadcast. I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Club with a heap of good news for this week. Firstly congratulations to highly enthusiastic club member Brad, who last weekend upgraded himself from Shortwave Listener to Foundation Licensee. It might even be that by the time you hear this Brad will be on air as VK4BLL. Our next member meeting is Monday 10 November at regional Scouts HQ in Victory Street Newtown. EMR is the topic - that's Electro Magnetic Radiation, the stuff that happens when charged particles are accelerated and put to some hopefully good use. Beyond the need to do something useful with the radiation comes the requirement to understand how to play safe. Too little EMR and you won't be able to communicate with anyone. But when there's too much EMR you might well have problems ranging from annoyed neighbours to seriously dangerous health issues. We're being joined by John VK4JBE who will introduce an EMR Safety Site Management Book, designed to help amateurs record all the information necessary to use the WIA and RSGB tools, and ensure that you are complying with the requirements of your ACMA license. John has taken other clubs through this topic and the feedback has been very strongly positive... rather like some of the EMR that he will discuss. That's on Monday 10 November from 1900 AEST and held in person at Victory Street, and also by telepresence. All the detail is on the website - go to the home page which is ddrci.org.au and wait for the scroller to cycle around to the item for the meeting. And if you have questions, send a note to secretary@ddrci.org.au so that we can get you answers. Coming up later in the year we're looking at a Foxhunt, a BBQ end-of-year lunch, and a meeting devoted to getting the best out of the ridiculously cheap Chinese handhelds that everyone seems to have these days. We'd love to know your thoughts on these ideas, and don't be afraid to tell us. Secretary@ddrci.org.au. Oh, and there's still time to renew your club membership if you haven't done that yet. Just go to the home page and click the big red button that says "Join our club: click here". It can't be simpler than that. Until next week, thanks for tuning in and all the best from the Darling Downs Radio Club. This is Allan VK4HIT with news from Ipswich and District Radio Club. Last weekend on Saturday October 18 the club hosted a major JOTA/JOTI event at the Denmark Hill clubhouse. A total of 153 enthusiastic young people turned up across the day. Of this number there were 40 Guides, 80 Joeys and Cubs and 33 Scouts and Venturers. The day ran from 9am to 8pm with Joeys and Guides present before 1pm and Scouts and Venturers after 3pm. Various activities included orienteering (using handhelds) in the bush adjacent to the clubhouse (Denmark Hill Conservation Park), electronic kit building, 20 computers for JOTI chats, as well as Minecraft, and the obligatory contacts made on VHF via All Star and HF. The 2025 JOTA/JOTI event was supported by eight members from the Ipswich and District Radio Club. It was a great day, only interrupted by a late storm which did its best to try and launch a gazebo in the direction of Toowoomba! Reporting from Ipswich this is Allan, VK4HIT. From Kevin VK4UH here, President of the Brisbane VHF Group and Convener of the QTech 2025 conference, to be held in Brisbane. The two-day conference will run over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of November and is being held at the conference facilities of the Kedron Wavell RSL in Chermside, one of Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

Hi from the Darling Downs Radio Club with QNEWS for the period beginning Sunday, 19 October. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the club, bringing you an update. By the time you hear this, JOTA will be in full swing. Whilst the planets didn't align for formal club participation this year, we're heavily focused on helping young people to develop STEM skills - that's Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, all core components of the amateur radio hobby, and all addressed in the study you do to get a ham licence. And if you or someone you know is a scout and you'd like to know how we can help tide the STEM, drop a line to education@ddrci.org.au. Seriously, don't underestimate the value of what you learn to get your ham ticket. Not only does that get you on air, but we'll bet anything you like that those skills will pop up over and over again in your professional and home lives away from amateur radio. If there is such a thing. One great piece of news that came our way during the week: the Queensland Office of Fair Trading has formally registered the new rules that we voted in at our AGM in September. Our Rules are posted on the DDRCI website underneath the DOCUMENTS tab, so that you can read them at any time. Now: looking forward to the calendar and our next meeting. It's on Monday, 10 November and will again be held at the Scout Hall in Victory Street Newtown, and of course by telepresence. We're ramping up our focus on Electro Magnetic Radiation or EMR. Why? Because understanding of EMR goes directly to two things that are important to our ability to operate harmoniously - by not creating interference problems for our neighbours, and by operating safely so that we don't create problems for anyone. All our amateur transmitters emit electro-magnetic radiation - but do you know exactly how much and are your operations safe? John VK4JBE from Bayside District Amateur Radio Society is going to give us an overview of what the electro-magnetic radiation safety standards are, and explain how to apply them to our amateur stations. He's going to cover some work done by the Wireless Institute of Australia, and the Radio Society of Great Britain, both of whom have produced some tools to help. That's all vitally important stuff, and you can meet John and hear from an expert on Monday, 10 November. As always, all the info on QNews is available online and you can check our website at ddrci.org.au, or email us via secretary@ddrci.org.au if there's something specific you'd like to ask. And as always, if you like what we're doing: become a member. It's really inexpensive and your support helps heaps. I'll see you next week - 73 from John VK4JPM for the Darling Downs Radio Club. Kevin VK4UH HERE, President of the Brisbane VHF Group and Convener of the QTech 2025 conference, to be held in Brisbane in two weeks’ time. The two-day conference will run over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of November and is being held at the conference facilities of the Kedron Wavel RSL in Chermside, one of Brisbane’s northern suburbs. The theme of this year’s conference is “The future of Amateur Radio is in your Hands” The programme includes presentations covering a wide range of aspects of our ever-expanding hobby, from entry-level, recruitment and supporting young people in AR right through to advanced technical advances in equipment and operating. In addition, there will be trade displays and equipment demonstrations. Also arranged, an exciting live ARISS telebridge where local high school students will be able to pose questions to the astronauts orbiting aboard the international Space Station, via Amateur Radio. Information and an open invitation to all to participate in this inaugural event has been circulated widely in AR Magazine, via this WIA national broadcast and via a variety of internet sites and other social media outlets.

News from the amateur radio clubs around Queensland, Australia. This week, from John VK4DPM of the Darling Downs Radio Club. The address to send news to is: qnews@wia.org.au VERY, VERY SAD NEWS. VK4ZPP GEOFF EMORY 2025 10 10 (vk4bb) IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART that I ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF VK4ZPP, GEOFF EMORY. GEOFF'S WIFE DAWN CALLED ME FRIDAY EVENING TO SAY GEOFF DID NOT MAKE IT THROUGH SURGERY THAT EVENING AT THE HERVEY BAY HOSPITAL, WHERE HE HAD SPENT SEVERAL WEEKS. GEOFF OF COURSE WAS THE MAINSTAY, THE BACK BONE OF THIS QNEWS BULLETIN FOR SOME 15 YEARS, SINCE THE WIA BECAME A NATIONAL BODY. WITHOUT VK4ZPP'S WEEKLY CONTRIBUTION, AND IN MANY CASES HIS HAD BEEN THAT WEEKS ONLY CONTRIBUTION, QNEWS AND A LOCAL VK4 NEWS WOULD HAVE CEASED MANY A MOON AGO. TO DAWN, THE FAMILY, TO GEOFF'S MANY FRIENDS, AND TO YOU, THE LISTENERS OF QNEWS WE ALL WILL MISS HIM DREADFULLY. AS GEOFF ALWAYS SAID AT THE CONCLUSION " THAT'S WHAT I THINK-- HOW ABOUT YOU".. THIS TIME THERE IS NO THOUGHT -- WE WILL MISS HIM.. RIP VK4ZPP ANOTHER SILENT KEY. Graham Kemp VK4BB, producer of QNews.