Queen's Award for Wood & Douglas

Radio amateur Alan Wood G4EEE started his business from his back room in the year of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee – now 36 years later, his company has received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise

Wood & Douglas Ltd gets its name from the original partnership between amateur radio enthusiasts Alan Wood G4EEE and John Douglas.

Both were employed in government service, John as a draughtsman and Alan as a physicist, when they began trading as a design consultancy in March 1977. Initially they provided PCB design and manufacture on a subcontract basis.

By 1979 the Company had leaped ahead, with designer Mike Telkman G8DCA, a work colleague and fellow radio-amateur, joining the business. Mike designed a range of products to be sold by mail order, aimed at the radio amateur hobbyist market. In 1981 John Douglas resigned with Alan becoming the first full-time employee of Wood & Douglas, followed by Mike in July 1983.

The supply of "kit of parts" to radio amateurs grew into providing complex, high quality RF design solutions to commercial customers.

They now specialise in wireless broadcast technology,

Wood and Douglas - http://www.woodanddouglas.co.uk/

The Michael Owen Plaque

IARU Region 3's highest scoring single operator at the IARU HF Championship in July will receive the Michael Owen Plaque.

In announcing the new plaque, the Wireless Institute of Australia aims to encourage excellence in IARU Region 3 contesting in memory of his vast work and dedication.

Michael Owen served both the IARU and the WIA over many years. He was involved with the Amateur Radio Service since the 1960s, starting in Victoria, moving to the Federal arena, and served as IARU Vice President from 1989-1999.

At the time of his death he was both the IARU Region 3 Chairman and WIA President. He passed away last September 22, aged 75.

The plaque in his memory is for any mode or bands and shall be awarded annually to the single operator scoring the most points in the IARU HF Championship, run for 24 hours on 13-14  July 2013.

Wireless Institute of Australia website - http://www.wia.org.au/

VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award

There is a new amateur radio award originating in South Australia.

The VK5 National and Conservation Parks Award sponsored by the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society.

The aim of the Award is to encourage portable operation by amateur radio operators from within South Australia’s 21 National Parks and 262 Conservation Parks.

The Award is open to Activators, Hunters (those who work Activators) and Short Wave Listeners.

And the award is not limited to VK5 operators solely. Applications for the award are welcomed from interstate and overseas amateurs and Short Wave Listeners.

Contacts made after the 14th of April, 2013 are valid for the Award.

There are five levels of the Award: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond, with a certain number of points being required for each level.

Separate certificates are available for all 5 levels and an optional glass etched trophy is also available for those attaining Diamond status.

More information can be found on the Adelaide Hills Amateur Radio Society website at http://www.ahars.com.au

And there is also a VK5 National & Conservation Parks Award Yahoo Group site which can be found at au.groups.yahoo.com/group/sanpcpa