YB Land DX Club DX-ing Is Our Life
Bushfires continue to rage widely across large areas of Australia with both the loss of life and property.
The WIA has been advised that there are major outages of telecommunications in areas impacted by the bushfires either currently or expected to occur in the near term. This disruption advice, at the time this news item was composed, currently applies to areas of NSW and VIC ” but this may change.
The scope and range of these impacts is unknown at this stage but are predicted to cover all internet and phone ( fixed and mobile ) and other commercial radio services.
The WIA kindly asks Radio Amateurs to monitor the WIA EMCOM HF frequencies ( as per IARU-R3 EMCOM bandplan on the WIA or IARU-R3 website ) whenever feasible during the bushfire emergency.
These frequencies will be detailed later in this item and are also available on the WIA website.
VHF and UHF Repeaters should also be monitored wherever possible.
Amateurs seeking to establish emergency communication should use these EMCOMM frequencies in the first instance, or repeaters if available.
As an IARU member society, the WIA has adopted these recommended frequencies: 3.600 MHz. 7.110 MHz. 14.300 MHz. 18.160 MHz. 21.360 MHz.
These “Centre of Activity” frequencies are not spot frequencies or net frequencies. They are recommended as starting points for emergency traffic which may extend 5 kHz above or below the designated centre frequency.
Radio Amateurs who are volunteers for WICEN, CREST, etc should keep themselves updated from the respective websites of these organisations.
Emergency Communication is one of the three main reasons Radio Amateurs have access to RF Spectrum. Please assist if and when you can
This is Greg VK2GPK
I have been advised that several Amateurs are currently providing a listening watch on these EMCOM HF frequencies whilst the fires are active.
The Board of the WIA wishes everyone a safe 2020.
This has been WIA Director Mike VK8MA
Another WIA Director, John VK4JJW has been busy keeping our friends staffing Amateur Radio Newsline up to date on the worsening situation.
” As property losses mounted and towns were cut off, military aircraft and navy ships were bringing supplies into the region. By New Year’s Day, New South Wales confirmed the death toll had risen to 15 – but the toll nationwide reached at least 18, according to news reports.
Amateurs were monitoring IARU Region 3 disaster frequencies because of communication outages. WICEN was sending communications operations and logistics resources to Fire Control Centres across the State and Territory from WICEN NSW and WICEN ACT, which is part of Canberra Region ARC. They were also staffing aviation radio operations and telephone operations at the Bush Fire Information Line in Sydney.
Amateurs remained active supporting the Rural Fire Service as well as other agencies.
WIA Director John Williams, VK4JJW.
