QNEWS REPORT PREPARED BY VK4BB FOR THE WIAQ AGM MARCH 22 2003 40,865 logged checkins on RF and Internet recorded. Audio checkin reports during Council year in excess of 15,000. CB rebroadcasts in both VK2 and VK4 accounted for some 1500 callbacks. New RF rebroadcasters this Council year, from VK2, are the Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, Sydney Western region sponsored by the Nepean ARClub and in the Snowy region VK2KV over the Cooma Repeater. These broadcasts are segs 1 and 3, VK2 Divisional news selects Seg 1 and/or "specials”, eg the 17-minute interview with the RSGB President. Tony VK7AX is rebroadcasting QNEWS throughout VK7 following their Sunday morning news, this until their SPECTRUM-TASMANIA recommences later in year. In VK4 Far North Queensland, Cairns, VK4JKL and Ingham’s VK4FUQ have started a 7070 kHz service, again at 9am local, and VK4BOO puts QNEWS out on 6 meters from SE Queensland. We continue to broadcast in Papua New Guinea thanks to P29KFS Rick Warnett. South Africa, ZR1EL Andre, Aokdale ARC on Capetown 145.750 and ZS5BR Bruce, Durban 145.600 repeater. Most noticeable change this council year is the regular voiced contributions by VK4FUQ, VK4DFD, VK4CO, VK4BAT, VK4EHT, VK4AA and VK2UW. Others heard (are/will be) VK2YGF and VK4SSB. On the encoding front, the master recording(s) are; minidisk still for the Brisbane area (VK4AFS) and Audio CD which is 'ripped' into MP3 on the web (VK4JPH). The use of Audio Ripping means a more than 75% saving in time! The QNEWS web page now follows the same layout/navigation as our Federal site, and with no further 'complaints' (total of 5 were received) feel pretty confident of getting the front page at www.wia.org.au/vk4 up for the new council year. The complaints all related to Netscape 4 point something or other, which resulted in users getting a blank screen. Same users had same problem on Federal page. Those users who had the WIA Callbook on CD also experienced it. Problem is in using a "freebie" or stripped down copy of Netscape, maybe from a magazine even, and/or not having their SUN-JAVA applets enabled. A switch to IE or Netscape 7 and no more problems. This coming year will involve the "new" reporters even more, it sure is a help in my time management already! With fear of not acknowledging ALL by call and name I'll just say a huge blanket "thank you" to all involved, rebroadcasters, reporters, from the RSGB Jeremy Boot and Bill, Bob and the Gang at ARNewsLine in the States, our checkin operators, packet rebroadcasters..... you all know who you are! But especially Peter and Bruce. VK4JPH our encoder for putting up with me trying to improve the audio quality and VK4EHT for providing YOU the member with regular weekly council reports! Total checkins/hits for Council year 2002-03 = 40865 In excess of 17,000 personal emailed QNEWS editions In excess of 15,000 RF checkins In excess of 8,000 Web Hits to the QNEWS site. Highest RF check-in week, July Seven with 351 individual callsigns taken Brisbane 2mtr, 1916 highest in a week 50 Gold Coast 2mtr, 1508 highest in a week 43 Maryborough 2mtr, 1497 highest in a week 52 Sunshine Coast 2m 1074 highest was 31 VK2 CB checks, 884 highest in a given week 39. VK7 Spectrum 866 highest of 37 VK2 Westlakes, 793 with highest in a week being 33 14.342 MHz, 702 with highest of 19 VK4 CB checks, 678 highest 21 Rockhampton 2mtr 608 highest 17 VK2 Summerland, 571 highest of 18 Townsville 2 mtr 557 highest of 19 (Sun Mornings) Townsville 2 mtr 438 highest of 14 (Sun Nite incls NQ net) 1.825 MHz, 415 highest of 11 7.118 MHz, 410 highest of 15 Mackay 2 mtr, 281 highest of 9 VK4 Far NQ 40mtr 227 highest of 11 10.135 MHz, 208 highest in a week was 9 Dalby 2 mtr, 99 high of 8 3.605 MHz, 69 high of 4 (Sun Morn) 3.605 MHz, 35 highest in a week was 3 (Mon Nite) BaySide ARC 2 mtr, 32 highest in a week was 8 Cairns 2 mtr, 32 highest in a week was 6 52.525 MHz, 27 highest since starting recently 4 Logan 70 cms, 22 highest since starting recently 9 21.175 MHz, 21 highest in a week was 3 28.400 MHz, 14 highest in a week 5 (currently no rebroadcast) GraHam Kemp VK4BB MARCH 2003 Email qnews@wia.org.au Packet QNEWS@VK4WIE.#BNE.QLD.AUS.OC (sp message)