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WICEN Newsletter Jun 2019

WICEN Newsletter Aug 2018

WICEN Newsletter July 2018

WICEN Newsletter May 2018

WICEN Newsletter April 2018

WICEN Newsletter Jan 2018

WICEN Newsletter Dec 2017

WICEN Newsletter Nov 2017

WICEN Newsletter Oct 2017

Sept 2017

WICEN Newsletter Sept 2017

WICEN Newsletter Aug 2017

WICEN  Newsletter July 2017

WICEN  Newsletter  June 2017

April 2017

This year WICEN SA are providing a radio safety net to competitors and officials at two car rally's. 

 'Rally of the Heartland' and 'Rally of SA'

   Charlie McEachern has had to retire from organising this event for WICENSA, due to health issue. We thank Charlie for the fantastic job he has done over the years.

   Louis Coleshill has agreed to be the organiser for the Car Rally's, on behalf of WICEN SA. 

Louis can be contacted via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  We need assistance in June. Please consider volunteering.

Oct 2016

WICEN SA communication exercise on Sunday 2nd October 2016 - Report.

Aug 2016

WICEN Newsletter August 2016

July 2016

From Facebook page and WIA broadcast 31 July 2016

WICEN says thankyou to all who have volunteered to assist at this year’s Lightforce Rally SA. WICEN still require more operators for Saturday 10^th and Sunday 11^th of September. This year WICEN is providing a safety net by tracking the cars through each stage as well as sending the competitors times back to Rally Control.

If you can assist WICEN at the Lightforce Rally SA, please register as soon as you can so that we can complete the roster and you can be in the draw for these great prizes. If you will have your, partner, a friend or children with you they must also be registered for insurance purposes.

Registration is via the Lifgtforce Rally SA website at http://lightforcerallysa.com.au

For more information about the role of WICEN at the Ligfhtforce Rally SA contact Charlie VK5KDK on 0417808900 via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

thanks again to those who have already volunteered and if you haven’t and can help please register by August 13 to be in the Officials prize draw.

 73's  from Charlie VK5KDK and I hope to see you at the rally.

June 2016

WICEN SA Newsletter June 2016

May 2016

 From our F/book page....

Over the weekend of 7-8 May 2016 WICEN SA supported the Adelaide ‪#‎True_Grit‬ Riverland event at the Caudo Vineyards,(Hogwash Bend) Cadell by supplying a small technical team to manage the site communications. The crew set-up communications on Friday night and camped overnight Friday and Saturday to finally clear the event late Sunday afternoon.

 The communications network was set-up as a safety net for the 34 Obstacle safety volunteers at each location and medical staff on site. The network was predominantly run on UHFCB with backup for medical staff and St John’s on their own simplex channels.

 The WICEN crew enjoyed the weekend, we got a bit wet Sat Night, Sun morning but we were well looked after during our stay and have been asked back for next years event. 73's.

Newsletter and AGM details emailed to members. A copy of the newsletter can be downloaded here.

Website calendar and Committee Minutes updated.

WICEN South Australia are providing a radio and computer data network for the Rally of South Australia (RoSA) event. The event runs from 1st to 3rd August 2014.

We have some volunteers, but extra people required especially for the Friday afternoon, 1st August... if you can assist, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

 Calendar tab updated. Including AGM, Horse Endurance Trial and RoSA

Hello,

RE: WICEN SA response planning to assist SAVEM with communications

With this upcoming week of hot weather it is a good opportunity to explain the recent WICEN SA Committee's decisions on 'WICEN SA response to SAVEM (SA Veterinary Emergency Management) requests for Communications assistance'.

SAVEM (SA Veterinary Emergency Management) have approximately 250 plus volunteer members who are vets or nurses. They have vet equipment, funding, training, volunteers and resources to provide "...Triage, Treat, Rescue and Reunite POST EVENT..." animals.

But no radio communications, which they have asked WICEN SA to provide.

What SAVEM aim to do is (reference http://www.savem.org.au/):

• Our Field Operations teams will work to rescue, triage, treat and return animals to their owners.
• Our Planning teams will collate information from the field and plan to be one step ahead to meet the needs of Field teams.
• Our Logistics teams will resource the needs of the operation - we can get supplies and veterinary and non-veterinary volunteers into the area after it is re-opened by the Controlling emergency services.
• We will work with wildlife and companion animals, and support PIRSA's role concerning livestock and horses.

This is all POST EMERGENCY EVENT (eg bushfire) timeframe called emergency incident recovery service. They and us "..can't go into an emergency area BEFORE we get the all-clear from the Emergency Service which is the designated Control Agency, for example, the CFS is the Control Agency for a bushfire..."

This means we should get advanced notice of a possible request for assistance. Possibly an hour to half a day.

Interim plans for a WICEN SA activation are:

1. SAVEM or another agency calls 0424 250339 or Nic McLean (President) or Andrew Macmichael (Secretary) for assistance.
2. Nic (or delegate) will contact others via telephone advising what is requested.
3. Nic or Louis (Vice President), with assistance from other people, will determine an existing amateur repeater that could have communication into the area we have been requested to respond to.
4. A WICEN SA member will be asked to monitor radio frequency and identified repeater from their shack. This will provide a safety net to field amateurs and provide assistance through use of telephones & computer access in their shack.
5. Up to two WICEN SA member will be asked to travel to the location with their field or vehicle radio kits (amateur UHF, VHF, CB, mobile telephone) to provide assistance. They will determine if mobile telephone access is available at the field location and determine detail of what is require
6. While people are travelling, Nic and others will determine if a repeater or translator is required and where it could be established.
7. A WICEN SA member will be asked to travel to either Mount Pleasant, Port Noarlunga South or Houghton to collect equipment (eg UHF Commercial repeater, tripod, handhelds, antenna, translator, batteries, solar panels, etc) and deliver to the location.
8. Further resources from WICEN SA and other clubs to be determined for shifts.

For the interim (assuming no mobile telephone communications available at the field location);

• SAVEM will operate from the UHF Commercial handhelds that WICEN SA have. This will be between their field base and field teams.
• WICEN SA will provide repeaters and assistance to SAVEM.
• WICEN SA to operate a amateur radio link between field base and a amateur in their shack. This could involve translator & tripod being setup.
• WICEN SA to document messages and complete communications logs.

Primarily, we are planning response to the near Adelaide regions. For example, Adelaide Hills, Barossa, Fleurieu Peninsula and Adelaide plains.

In the near future:

• WICEN SA to have finished builds of VHF Commercial repeaters and VHF amateur repeaters.
• WICEN SA to finish build of portable field radio kit for a base environment. Currently in planning stages to have CB, HF (eg 6m), 2m and 70cm radios.
• SAVEM to have installed Citizen Band (already purchased), satellite phone (negotiating) and WICEN SA VHF Commercial (being investigated) radios in their SAVEM vehicle (a Jeep).
• Standard Operating Procedures to be written.
• Creation of a telephone tree system to activate WICEN SA volunteers to a response
• Use of VK5WIE callsign being reviewed.
• Training to be conducted
• WICEN SA membership list to be reviewed and people contacted to update details and provide interest in response capability.
• Expand plans to ensure we can respond if SA Police via the SA State Emergency Centre request communications assistance....or anyone else.
• Actively chase funding grants to build capacity of equipment.

We genuinely hope that no emergency incident occurs so that animals are not hurt. The last major incident that SAVEM were involved in was post the Cherryville fire in May 2013.

IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED IF YOU WOULD RESPOND to this EMAIL URGENTLY (to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) if you are INTERESTED (YES or NO) to being part of a WICEN SA RESPONSE CAPABILITY.

Everyone has private lives and this request is to have a pool of names that we can call during the next few months.

If a request occurs, you might not be available immediately, but maybe in a few hours. This would give us a shift change ability.

You might not be available for the immediate request, but possibly for the next request. No problems...

If you have any questions, please contact myself, Nic, Louis or any of the Committee members. Contact details are listed at http://www.sa.wicen.org.au/index.php/contacts

Thanks,

Andrew Macmichael

Secretary, WICEN SA

0403 791488

VK5FMAC

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PS. Please remember that WICEN SA membership list will be reviewed in the next few months and people will be contacted (hopefully by telephone) to update details and provide interest in response capability.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in becoming a member of WICEN SA, then please contact me with the details. Thanks.

 Updated Minutes & Agenda on the Documents webpage, under Meetings headings.

On next Saturday 28th December, WICEN SA will be manning a fundraising BBQ at Bunnings store, Mount Barker.

We need assistance cooking sausages, serving people & chatting to the general public about amateur radio. Any amount of time would be appreciated because this will enable others to take a break during the day.

Some of the funds raised can be used for:

• buy parts to complete UHF Commercial repeater.
• buy parts so that the donated Motorola VHF repeaters can be used.
• costs to respond to SAVEM requests for communications in emergency incident recovery response.
• training & get together days to be no cost to participants.
• pay donations to keep VK5RMvB repeater active
• etc, etc

For more details, please contact Nic McLean 0417 822728 or Andrew Macmichael 0403 375918 as soon as possible.

We wish everyone a safe, enjoyable and festive Christmas period.

 WICEN SA to assist SAVEM in a response capability

Nic Mclean and I met with 'South Australian Veterinary Emergency Management (SAVEM)' Co-ordinator (Rachel) and Logistics (Emilis) last Sunday.

SAVEM are an animal emergency recovery management group, to co-ordinate resources for animals immediately after an emergency event. Currently they have 250 volunteers (majority vet doctors & vet nurses) registered and contacts for many more who are interested in assisting them.

Because this is a recovery organisation after the emergency incident is declared safe, they will have a longer timeframe to respond. But could have frequent responses has animals are found by the general public up to 14 days after the Incident.

For example, they have been placed on standby during the Cherryville bushfire incident and responded when the fireground was declared safe. They will assist with any animal (domestic, wildlife & rural) in the incident area.

At present, SAVEM do not have any radios or communications ability beyond mobile telephones and they would like assistance from WICEN SA.

Now when SAVEM are requested, they will contact WICEN SA for assistance with incident communications & 'Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System' command system.

This could involve deployment of a repeater and people to operate radios. But it also could involve just giving advice. We anticipate this will primarily in the near Adelaide area at this time.

We all hope that we never respond and this is a possibility. But we never know !!

Immediately,

• Nic is co-ordinating quotations for a satellite telephone and UHF CB radio to be installed in the SAVEM Jeep vehicle. The cost will be paid by SAVEM, but they have requested our advice and installation expertise.
• Nic will evaluate options to install a radio capable of using the WICEN SA UHF Commercial frequencies and the Icom based repeater system we have.
• Possibly install extra fittings to install another radio quickly (eg amateur) will be investigated. This would be operated by licensed amateur operators if available.
• Provide some Standard Operating Procedure templates on emergency communication (eg. activation, incident & de-activation) to continue discussions.

The install in the SAVEM Jeep vehicle will give SAVEM the basic ability to talk to farm vehicles and other people when they respond. A more comprehensive plan will be developed using both organisations abilities during 2014.

Also in 2014, SAVEM will look at placing people in our training and exercises. We hope also that more amateur radio people will attend their courses and it will be a combined exercise in August 2014. More details on their courses can be found at http://www.savem.org.au/training.htm

WICEN SA would also develop plans in 2014 to use the VHF Motorola repeaters (recently donated) and the recently purchased VHF high-band radios for SAVEM.

WICEN SA Final call for volunteers to ROSA

Thank you to the twenty (20) volunteers who will be assisting WICEN SA at the Rally of South Australia event which is part of the Australian Car Rally series.

The event runs on Friday 24th, Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May 2013.

This is THREE WEEKS away.

We still have a few spots empty in the draft roster for the event that is being co-ordinated by Charlie McEachern (VK5KDK) and Nic McLean (VK5ZAT).

WICEN SA have been asked to handle the scoring traffic between each stage and Rally Headquarters. This will involve voice links at each stage, as well as computer links to send the scores to Rally Headquarters.

You do not need experience or equipment, just enthusiasm. Some people will be observers to see the car numbers and assist as required. Others will input data or send voice messages. A variety of tasks exist.

You will be situated with another person and thus be close to the vehicles and other officials.

Any extra volunteers who are considering assisting on any day during the weekend would be welcome.

If you can assist, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Nic McLean VK5ZAT) as soon as possible with your return telephone number. 

Nic will discuss the options with you and assist you register.

Thanks,

Andrew Macmichael

VK5FMAC

0403 791488

http://www.sa.wicen.org.au/

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rally of South Australia 2013 (24th & 26th MAY)

Currently Charlie McEachern VK5KDK is in contact with the co-ordinators.

WICEN have been asked to handle the scoring traffic between each stage and Rally HQ. This will involve voice links at each stage as well as computer links to send the scores to Rally HQ.

If you are able to help please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your details, days that you can assist and any equipment you can provided eg. Laptops, radios, batteries, inverters etc.

It is also important that you register on the Scouts RallySA website at http://scoutsrallysa.com.au/officials and follow the links on the official’s page"....

I personally found both letters interesting in their opposing viewpoints. Thought it might be of interest.

The information was posted on the 'SAVE tarmac Rally in South Australia' http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/346126928786337/ facebook group.

Please note that the letters are not linked to WICEN SA.

Letters to editor re car rally.... and reply letter

Andrew Macmichael VK5MAC

Request for radio communications people for 'Endurance Horse Ride, 9th & 10th June 2012'

SES & Army exercise this weekend. Some members of WICEN SA are involved.

Media Release from SA SES and email from WICEN SA

WICEN SA Facebook group updated with photographs.