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

UK Budget to impact Ham Radio?

UK ham radio amateurs share spectrum in the UHF and Microwave bands with public sector bodies, the UK 2013 budget statement looks to using financial incentives to release 500 MHz of spectrum.

“1.95 The sale of 4G mobile spectrum will enable the delivery of competitive high speed mobile broadband from summer 2013 onwards, bringing benefits to businesses and consumers. However, the public sector still holds a large amount of valuable spectrum. In order to meet the commitment to release 500MHz of spectrum by 2020, the Government will look to introduce further financial incentives to ensure more efficient use and management of public sector spectrum holdings. ”

— Budget document issued by HM Treasury

The HM Treasury Budget 2013 released March 20 - http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2013_complete.pdf

National broadcasters reduce shortwave broadcast

April 2013 has seen announcements from two major national broadcasters to reduce their shortwave broadcast schedule.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) say the World Service English global schedule will be simplified with fewer regional variations from Sunday March 31, 2013.

Shortwave and medium wave transmissions in English will be reduced to a minimum of 6 hours in total each day.

Steve Titherington, Senior Commissioning Editor for BBC World Service, said: “We know that increasing numbers of people are accessing World Service on FM, online, and television. For those who can’t access these platforms, we’ve tried to ensure that they will continue to hear to the best the World Service has to offer at times of the day when they are most likely to tune in.”

In the United States, the Voice of America is reducing some of its radio transmissions from April 2013, and ending shortwave broadcasts to regions where audiences have alternative ways of receiving VOA news and information programs

The transmission reductions allow Voice of America to comply with budget cuts required by sequestration and to avoid furloughs of staff members.

When the new broadcast schedule goes into effect on March 31st, cross-border shortwave and medium wave broadcasts to Albania, Georgia, Iran and Latin America will be curtailed, along with English language broadcasts to the Middle East and Afghanistan.

The new broadcast schedule calls for reductions in some shortwave and medium wave radio broadcasts in Cantonese, Dari/Pashto, English to Africa, Khmer, Kurdish, Mandarin, Portuguese, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Read the full announcement - http://www.insidevoa.com/content/voa-reducing-radio-frequencies/1629194.html

Read the full BBC announcement - http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/ws-new-schedule.html