November 2009

The formal part of the November 2009 meeting of RAST at Sena Place Hotel began with one minute's silence for two members who died in October.

Mike Wallace, HS0ZHS/NK2R, succumbed to cancer on October 20, while Dallas Carter, HS0ZBI/W3PP, died in a tragic air accident when the light aircraft that would have taken him to the Bahamas to compete as an operator of C6APR in the CQWW contest crashed just after take-off on Oct 21. (For an ARRL report and tribute click here -- opens in its own web page).

May these silent keys rest in peace.

After this date passed without any announcement from the NTC, RAST wrote a formal letter to the commission seeking the 100-KHz expansion of the band and this is now available to Thai intermediate class radio hams.

The decision was made by the NTC in a meeting of the commissioners on Oct 27-28 and is now effective. Details of the decision can be found in this announcement by the NTC, dated November 11 (the letter is in Thai and opens in its own web page -- thanks to Champ, E21EIC for this confirmation).

In another invitation received by the society from the Public Health Ministry RAST Secretary General Phatanadit, HS1WFK, would represent the society by attending a planning meeting regarding disaster communications on November 3, Gen Prasit announced.

Gen Prasit also explained that on the day of the meeting, RAST president Chaiyong was engaged in a RAST-sponsored kathin (merit-making) ceremony. He was at Wat Donkaew, Rongkao village, Amphoe Wangnue, Lampang province, for which RAST had raised supporting funds from both RAST and from members present at the October meeting.

The society is looking at this request, and believes that interest is strong, with at least 100 would-be candidates, according to one committee member. However, since Narissara (John), HS1CHB, was also unable to attend the Nov 1 meeting, follow-on action had been deferred.

RAST committee members also agreed that a letter should be drafted to make clear the society's views on the radio spectrum reallocations as proposed by the NTC and reviewed in a public hearing in May this year.

RAST had made its objections to several of the provisions known to NTC Chairman Gen Choochart Promprasit in a meeting on the eve of the hearing at the NTC Headquarters on May 18, with senior RAST representatives, President Chaiyong, HS1QVD, Mayuree, HS1YL, Kanchit, HS1JC, Narissara, HS1CHB, and Tony, HS0ZDX taking part.

A follow-on letter should reiterate its objections and elucidate why, a committee member explained. Kanchit, HS1JC and Joe, HS2JFW would help draft this letter, it was said.

RAST International Liaison Officer Tony, HS0ZDX, announced that 10 member societies had attended the IARU R3 conference with a direct presence, while another three societies, including RAST, had appointed proxies. Representing RAST was the Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitting Society, SARTS and the delegate heading the delegation was S. Jothinathan, 9V1JN (Jothi).

Here is a summary of the conference from Jothi, as made to RAST:

"There were 10 IARU member-societies represented in person with another three represented by proxy. SARTS held the proxy for the Thailand Society, RAST. Also attending was the IARU President Tim Ellam and Vice President Ole Garspetad. Region 1 and 2 was also represented.

"Three working groups dealing with IARU monitoring system, policy and operational issues met in parallel. A fourth working group met on emergency communications. SARTS was in the working group on policy matters that included education, training and development of amateur radio.

"The important issued discussed are the emergency communications where the conference considered the concept of emergency centre of activity (CoA) frequencies worthwhile, and adopted 3.600, 7.110, 14.300, 18.160 and 21.360 MHz. are not spot frequencies, but starting points + or – 5 kHz are not the only frequencies to be used, and are not mode specific and should be considered as being "all modes".

"The Conference identified the need to update and modernize the IARU protocols and procedures to effectively deal with intruders causing harmful interference in the amateur radio bands. Conference proposed a single website to more effectively collect data on intruders and to record action being taken on them. The amateur services must take action to protect their bands, the conference heard, because without complaints about an intruder causing harmful interference, it me be claimed that there is no breach of the ITU Radio Regulations.

"SARTS was invited to chair the Finance Committee meeting where it was resolved all accounting be in Japanese Yen and subscription will also be billed in Yen to standardized the accounting and reporting system. There may be an increase in member society's subscription rates to meet the expenditure, issue to be taken up at the next conference.

"The following were elected as Directors of IARU Region 3 for the next three years. They are Michael Owen -- VK3KI, who also was elected Chairman of Directors; Peter B. Lake -- ZL2AZ; Prof. Rhee-Joong Guen -- HL1AQQ, Gopal Madhavan -- VU2GMN and Shizuo Endo -- JE1MUI no change from previous term and Jay S. Oka -- JA1TRC as Secretary.

"The next conference will be held in Ho-Chi-Minh City, Vietnam in 2012."

Tony said that RAST was most grateful to Jothi and to SARTS for acting as its proxy this year, adding that hopefully, in three years' time when the next regional conference takes place, the society will be able to sponsor a delegate, especially since travelling to Vietnam is much more economical.

The SEANET conference in Korea this year was well attended, with over 200 delegates participating and the majority being from Korea and nearby Japan, according to Fred Laun, HS0ZAR, who took the opportunity to visit Korea as an extended stop-over on a trip to Thailand.

Also representing Thailand were Ponwat, HS1XIM, from Lampang and who had helped organise SEANET 2007 represented Thailand, along with Somporn, Fred's XYL.

Fred brought with him QSL cards for Thai stations that had contacted the Korean SEANET special event station during the convention and also a bound certificate to the winner of the SEANET contest this year, which in the Single Operator category was Narongdej, E21YDP. Fred also praised the hospitality and organisation by the Korean hosts, which included a visit to the demilitarized zone.

Finn also gave an update on his quest for a Thai-Danish reciprocal amateur radio licence agreement with the response to a letter from RAST written on mid-September and received late last month. The response, from Denmark's IT-OG Telestyrelsen (ITST), stated that Denmark's principle attitude was to support the international work within the CEPT, and not to make reciprocal agreements with other countries.

It also noted that he European Communications Office (ECO) was currently working on behalf of CEPT for several countries, including Thailand, to join CEPT recommendations T/R61-01 and T/R 61-02. The ITST recommended to wait for the outcome of the ECO's work, noting that if this ended successfully there would be no need for a reciprocal agreement.

Finn noted that he had replied to note that he had now been waiting nearly 10 years for a solution and that Thailand appeared not ready to join the CEPT for the time being, so that the ITST should change its view and make a reciprocal agreement. He added that he would make a follow-up on this in six months' time.

Champ, E21EIC, also brought with him award certificates for winners of the IARU World Championship Contest, namely Charly, HS0ZCW/K4VUD (pictured below receiving the certificate from RAST Vice President Prasit, HS1DN, at left) and Karl Renz, HS0ZDG. Vice President Prasit, HS1DN, presented the award to Charly while Honorary Past President Mayuree, HS1YL, presented the award for Karl to Fred, HS0ZAR (below, at right), who received it on his behalf.

(November 2009 meeting report and pictures by HS0ZDX)

Many of the recipients of contest awards pose for a group photograph at the August RAST get-together. Photo: Tony, HS0ZDX

Winit, HS1CKC, presents an award to winners in a group entry in the 2008 CQWW VHF contest. Contest co-ordinator Champ, E21EIC, makes the announcement at left.