Wireless Institute of Australia

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Wireless Institute of Australia
AbbreviationWIA
Formation1910
TypeNon-profit
PurposeAdvocacy
Headquarters Bayswater, Victoria
QF22od
Region served
Australia
President
Scott Williams (2021-)
Main organ
Board of Directors
Affiliations International Amateur Radio Union
Website www.wia.org.au
Live broadcast on 30 May 2010 of weekly broadcast of Amateur Radio news in Australia, using the special event callsign VK100WIA commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wireless Institute of Australia, conducted at the annual general meeting in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. L-R: Graham Kemp VK4BB (broadcast host), the late Michael Owen VK3KI (then President of the WIA), Peter Young VK3MV (then WIA Director). VK100WIA live broadcast 2010-05-30.JPG
Live broadcast on 30 May 2010 of weekly broadcast of Amateur Radio news in Australia, using the special event callsign VK100WIA commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wireless Institute of Australia, conducted at the annual general meeting in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. L-R: Graham Kemp VK4BB (broadcast host), the late Michael Owen VK3KI (then President of the WIA), Peter Young VK3MV (then WIA Director).

The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) was formed in 1910, and is the first and oldest national amateur radio society in the world. It represents [1] the amateur radio operators of Australia as the AR "peak body" in dealings with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the authority under the government of Australia that administers communications within and external to Australia. [2] [3] [4] [5] The WIA publishes a bi-monthly journal for its membership called Amateur Radio . [6] The organisation is the national society representing Australia in the International Amateur Radio Union. [7] The WIA holds regular meetings with the ACMA to inform the Authority on matters concerning the Australian amateur radio community.

Contents

Origins of the WIA

The WIA today is a single integrated nation-wide body formed at the request of the federal regulator in 2004 to create a single focal point for Amateur Service representation. Originally it commenced as separate though collegiate state-based organisations. Throughout most of its history it was a federation of these state bodies. It traces its origins to the formation in 1910 of the New South Wales Institute of Telegraphy. The Wireless Institute of Victoria was established in 1911. Next came the short-lived Wireless Institute of Queensland, which held its first meeting in May 1912. The Western Australia Radio Club was formed shortly before first World War I.

The WIA and the ITU World Radio Conference (WRC) Representation

The WIA is the Australian "peak" radio amateur society being the sole national organisation recognised by the IARU. The WIA has existed for over 100 years (since 1910), and is a foundation member of the IARU (Region 3). The IARU represents Radio Amateur Service and their global spectrum allocations with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU, originally the International Telegraph Union, is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for issues that concern information and communication technologies. The WRC is held every 3 or 4 years to discuss global terrestrial and satellite communications and agree the global assignment and use of RF Spectrum. The WIA most recently attended the WRC-19 and WRC-21 as part of the Australian delegation at the invitation of the Australian Federal Department of Communications.

Governance

On 16 May 2004, the Annual General Meeting adopted a new constitution that established a national organisational structure (seven Directors with individual membership of persons in the national body) versus the former federal arrangement (membership held in state Divisions, and the Divisions having membership of the Federal body). [8]

100th anniversary

The 100th anniversary of the WIA was commemorated in 2010. [9] A special event callsign and station was established and used throughout 2010: callsign VK100WIA.

The Annual General Meeting was held in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, over 28–30 May 2010, and included an inspection of Black Mountain Tower, an ARISS contact [10] with the International Space Station, operator astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, and students from Trinity Christian School, Canberra, [11] and a live broadcast of the weekly WIA news. [12]

Training and licensing

The WIA conducts training sessions and has training materials [13] for people wishing to become licensed amateur radio operators. For over 20 years, the WIA provided exam services for the Radio Amateur qualification, the AOCP. Under the ACMA deed 2009–2019, the testing utilised a system of accredited testers, and issued the authorisations for the ACMA to issue licences. [14]

Between mid-1990 and Feb 2019, the WIA delivered amateur radio examinations, issued certificates and related callsign management services. In 2009 a Deed of Agreement was put in place between the ACMA and the WIA to cover these activities. [15]

A Deed of Agreement was in place, Feb 2019 to Feb 2024, between the ACMA and the Australian Maritime College (AMC) to deliver amateur radio examinations, issue certificates and related callsign management. That Deed has now ended, and the ACMA has taken all previously outsourced activity back in house. [16]

Emergency communication

The Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network (WICEN) (pronounced 'Wy-sen') trains and rehearses amateur radio operators in amateur radio emergency communications for call-out in civil emergencies. It is organised by state and region, with autonomous bodies in each state linked to that jurisdiction's disaster plan. In most states, WICEN is organised by a committee of the WIA state organisation, but in New South Wales and Victoria, WICEN is separately incorporated. WICEN has been activated for various emergencies, notably in recent years the Black Saturday bushfires on 7 February 2009 in Victoria. [17]

Contests

The WIA sponsors or conducts various Australian and Australasian radio contests.

Remembrance Day (RD) Contest

Amateur radio operators in Australia participate in the Remembrance Day Contest on the weekend nearest Victory in the Pacific Day, 15 August. The competition commemorates amateur radio operators who died during World War II and encourages friendly participation to help improve the operating skills of participants. The contest runs for 24 hours, from 0300 UTC on the Saturday (formerly 0800), preceded by a broadcast including a speech by a dignitary or notable Australian (such as the Prime Minister of Australia, Governor-General of Australia, or a military leader) and the reading of the names of amateur radio operators who are known to have died. It is organised by the WIA, with operators in each Australian state contacting operators in other states, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. A trophy is awarded to the state that can boast the greatest rate of participation, based on a formula including: number of operators, number of contacts made, and radio frequency bands used. [18]

Publications

Amateur Radio

Since October 1933, the WIA has published a monthly magazine reporting upon its activities. The magazine is primarily intended for the members but is available at specialist retailers. From 2018 the publication schedule was altered to bimonthly.

Callbook

An Amateur Radio licence is a "broadcast" licence, with the requirement to regularly identify the station on-air by way of a callsign. A callbook lists these callsigns with related identification details. The first Australian callbook known to be published was in 1914, four years after the WIA was formed - with war-time gaps in publishing. Since 1954, the WIA has published its "Callbook" as part of a formal agreement with the communications regulator (then the PMG). The regulator then ceased publishing the call book.

The callbook lists the callsigns and contact details of all licensed Australian radio amateurs, together with a range of key information relevant to Australian amateur radio operators. The "Callbook" has typically been published on an annual basis. The licensee data was made available under exclusive arrangement with the regulator of the day (presently Australian Communications and Media Authority). In 2020, the ACMA advised the WIA to commence transitioning away from use of RRL data for callbooks. [19]

Books

From time to time the WIA produces books on topics specific to Australian amateur radio. The most recent effort (2017) is Wireless Men & Women at War, edited by a team including the WIA historian Peter Wolfenden VK3RV.

Notable members of the WIA

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amateur Radio on the International Space Station</span>

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), operating in the Amateur-satellite service, is a project sponsored by various entities and carried out by astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station who also have an amateur radio license.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Amateur Radio Union</span> International confederation of organizations for amateur radio operators

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) is an international confederation of national organisations that allows a forum for common matters of concern to amateur radio operators worldwide, and collectively represents matters to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The International Amateur Radio Union was founded in 1925 and, as of July 2021, it is composed of 172 national member societies.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is an Australian government statutory authority within the Communications portfolio. ACMA was formed on 1 July 2005 with the merger of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Australian Communications Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Amateurs of Canada</span> National association for Amateur Radio in Canada

Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC), known in French as Radio Amateurs du Canada, is the national association for Amateur Radio in Canada. It is a not-for-profit membership association with headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, representing the interests of Amateur Radio all across Canada. Speaking on behalf of Canadian Radio Amateurs, RAC provides liaison with government agencies and carries the Amateur voice about regulatory and spectrum issues to the discussion table with government and industry leaders, nationally and internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">60-meter band</span> Amateur radio frequency band

The 60-meter band or 5 MHz band is a relatively new amateur radio allocation, first introduced in 2002, that was originally only available in a few countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Ireland and Iceland. Over a number of years however, an increasing proportion of countries' telecommunications administrations – together with their government and military users – have permitted Amateur Radio operation in the 5 MHz area on a short or longer-term basis, ranging from discrete channels to a frequency band allocation.

In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigned by a government agency, informally adopted by individuals or organizations, or even cryptographically encoded to disguise a station's identity.

The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) is a non-profit organisation of amateur radio enthusiasts in New Zealand. It represents New Zealand amateur radio operators nationally and internationally. NZART is a founding member of the International Amateur Radio Union. It is an association of individual members, however those members are encouraged to form local branches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amateur radio operator</span> Operator of radio waves

An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio license by a governmental regulatory authority after passing an examination on applicable regulations, electronics, radio theory, and radio operation. As a component of their license, amateur radio operators are assigned a call sign that they use to identify themselves during communication. About three million amateur radio operators are currently active worldwide.

The 2200-meter or 136 kHz band is the lowest frequency band in which amateur radio operators are licensed to transmit. It was formally allocated to amateurs at the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-07). The band is available on a secondary basis in all ITU regions with the limitation that amateur stations have maximum radiated power of 1 watt effective isotropic radiated power.

The World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) bands are three portions of the shortwave radio spectrum used by licensed and/or certified amateur radio operators. They consist of 30 meters (10.1–10.15 MHz), 17 meters (18.068–18.168 MHz), and 12 meters (24.89–24.99 MHz). They were named after the World Administrative Radio Conference, which in 1979 created a worldwide allocation of these bands for amateur use. The bands were opened for use in the early 1980s. Due to their relatively small bandwidth of 100 kHz or less, there is a gentlemen's agreement that the WARC bands may not be used for general contesting. This agreement has been codified in official recommendations, such as the IARU Region 1 HF Manager's Handbook, which states: "Contest activity shall not take place on the 5, 10, 18 and 24 MHz bands."

The history of amateur radio, dates from the dawn of radio communications, with published instructions for building simple wireless sets appearing at the beginning of the twentieth century. Throughout its history, amateur radio enthusiasts have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and social services. Research by amateur radio operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives in times of emergency.

Call signs in Australia are allocated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and are unique for each broadcast station. The use of callsigns on-air in both radio and television in Australia is optional, so many stations used other on-air identifications. Australian broadcast stations officially have the prefix VL- and originally all callsigns used that format, but since Australia has no nearby neighbours, this prefix is no longer used except in an international context.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Christian School, Canberra</span> Independent, day school in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Trinity Christian School, founded in 1980, is a private Christian P-12 school located in Wanniassa in the Tuggeranong Valley of Canberra, ACT, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amateur radio</span> Use of radio frequency spectra for non-commercial purposes

Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communications. The term "amateur" is used to specify "a duly authorized person interested in radioelectric practice with a purely personal aim and without pecuniary interest"; and to differentiate it from commercial broadcasting, public safety, or professional two-way radio services.

The Manly-Warringah Radio Society (MWRS) is an Amateur Radio enthusiast group serving the Northern Beaches and North Shore areas of Sydney, Australia. Operating under the call sign VK2MB the society boasts members from a wide range of backgrounds, with members ranging from retirees to school children.

In Australia, amateur radio licensing is governed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) under federal regulations. Licences to operate amateur stations are granted to individuals of any age after they demonstrate a knowledge of the appropriate Amateur Operator's Certificate of Proficiency syllabus for their licence grade. Operator's licences are divided into different classes, and offer different operating privileges in accordance with the increasing knowledge required per licence class. Over time these classes and their knowledge requirements have changed and there now remain three different classes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxembourg Amateur Radio Union</span>

The Luxembourg Amateur Radio Union (LARU) is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in Luxembourg . The LARU was founded on January 1, 2014. The LARU promotes technical progress and cohesion of amateur radio operators. The LARU sets priorities in emergency communications, digital voice communications, digital data transmission, science and education.

Call signs in United Kingdom include a three letter country code, and a series of letters and numbers.

Broadcast call signs are call signs assigned as unique identifiers to radio stations and television stations. While broadcast radio stations will often brand themselves with plain-text names, identities such as "cool FM", "rock 105" or "the ABC network" are not globally unique. Another station in another city or country may have a similar brand, and the name of a broadcast station for legal purposes is normally its internationally recognised ITU call sign. Some common conventions are followed around the world.

The Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network (WICEN) is a group of Australian emergency amateur radio organisations. WICEN groups provide communications during emergencies or disasters when normal communications stop working. WICEN groups have assisted during bushfires, floods and cyclones. WICEN groups also provide communications at events such as the Great Victorian Bike Ride, Red Cross Hawkesbury River Canoe Marathon and National Capital Rally. WICEN groups meet regularly to train and conduct exercises with other agencies.

References

  1. Wireless Institute of Australia Submission to the Productivity Commission Review of the RadioCommunications Acts and the Role of the Australian Communications Authority, 12 October 2001, accessed 30 May 2010
  2. Wireless Institute of Australia (2009). Wireless Institute of Australia official web site. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  3. Wireless Institute of Australia, National Library of Australia catalogue, accessed 30 May 2010
  4. Wireless Institute of Australia, National Museum of Australia catalogue, accessed 30 May 2010
  5. ACMA Glossary (WIA), Australian Communications and Media Authority, accessed 30 May 2010
  6. Wireless Institute of Australia (2009). "About AR Magazine. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  7. International Amateur Radio Union (2008). "Member Societies". Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  8. Wireless Institute of Australia (2009). "Constitution of the Wireless Institute of Australia". Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  9. Wireless Institute of Australia, delimiter.com.au, accessed 30 May 2010
  10. ARISS school contact planned at Centennary[sic] Dinner of Wireless Institute of Australia, ON4WF, International Amateur Radio Union Region 1, 27 May 2010, accessed 30 May 2010
  11. "Australia Students Celebrate WIA Centenary with ARISS QSO". ARRL. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  12. WIA News 30 May 2010 (MP3), **warning: large file (MP3)**, WIA, accessed 30 May 2010.
  13. Wireless Institute of Australia (training materials), Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Victoria, Australia, accessed 30 May 2010
  14. History of Amateur Radio Callsigns in Australia, IEEE Region 10, accessed 30 May 2010
  15. "Directors' Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2024.
  16. "ACMA - Amateur Class Licensing Update:". www.wia.org.au.
  17. 2009 Bushfire Activation Updates, WICEN Vic, accessed 15 August 2009
  18. "Remembrance Day Contest" . Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  19. "Fact sheet - Amateur radio Regulatory roles and responsibilities" (PDF). Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  20. 1 2 John Flynn Timeline, Royal Flying Doctor Service, accessed 30 May 2010
  21. Australia’s women pioneers of telecommunications, National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame www.pioneerwomen.com.au, accessed 30 May 2010