The IARU Region 3 Newsletter Issue 2, June 1999 P. O. Box 73, Toshima, Tokyo 170-8691, Japan E-mail: iaru-r3@jarl.or.jp >>> The New IARU President and Vice President open their office <<< On May 9, 1999 our new IARU President Larry E. Price, W4RA and Vice President David A. Wardlaw, VK3ADW opened their office for a term of five years. Our new Secretary of IARU was appointed by the ARRL, the hosting society for International Secretariat, as David Sumner, K1ZZ whose term is expected for five years, too. >>> Your Director David Wardlaw attends Asia Pacific Telecommunity Meeting <<< IARU was invited to attend the APT (Asia Pacific Telecommunity) Seminar on World Radio Conference (WRC) Issues and the 2nd APT Conference Preparatory Group Meeting for WRC-2000 (APG2000-2). David Wardlaw VK3ADW then IARU Region 3 Director attended the APG2000-2 meeting from 12 to 16 April 1999 in Bangkok, as an observer. The meeting was to review agenda items and related matters for WRC-2000 and to harmonize the views of countries in this region. The IARU International Secretariat provided an IARU position paper for WRC-2000 which was presented by David in the International Organization session. IARU Region 3 Director Young-Soon Park HL1IFM and KARL ex-President Dr. Joong Guen Rhee HL1AQQ attended as members of Korean delegation. >>> Your Secretary visits PARA <<< While visiting Manila, Philippines in May for a business meeting, Secretary Keigo Komuro visited the PARA office and discussed amateur radio matters with the PARA immediate past President Bobby Garcia DU6BG. Bobby flew from his home in Iloilo city to meet Keigo. The PARA office in Pasig City north of Manila City is in a room in the Semicon Centre building by courtesy of the owner of the building. Bobby and Keigo met Executive Vice President of Semicon Integrated Electronics Corp., Joey Uy Yeung Wai, DU1RAA with attendance of their President, Leo Villalon, DU1AAA, to say our thanks for their support to PARA. The PARA office is about 20 to 25 square meters. It is well appointed with air-conditioning and office tables and computers. The club station DX1PAR operates on all bands. There are pigeon holes for QSL card sorting, most of the cards are from Japan. The secretariat staff is led by Ms. Doroles Gonzales, DU1PDD. The office is open from 9:30 am to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Bobby advised that Jose Mari Gonzales DU1JMG, who was IARU Region 3 Director from April 1982 to January 1985, is now a Congressman. Keigo spoke to Joe on the phone but they could not meet because of Joe's official commitments. New PARA officers were elected at a recent AGM as follows: President: Eric Villegas, DU1EBV Executive VP: Jimmy Corato, 4F9CIA(DU9CIA) (4F9 indicates 1st class operator) Secretary General: Rolando Pocana, DU1JYO IARU Liaison: Roberto Garcia Jr., DU6BG The following government and administration activity was described by Bobby: 1) Amateur Radio Consultative Panel (ARCP). This is a committee established by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) consisting of three NTC and two PARA members to discuss general amateur radio matters. 2) National Disaster Communication Committee. This is a committee established in the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) for emergency telecommunications including amateur radio operations. It has fulfilled important roles in recent disasters in the Philippines, volcanic eruption, floods and earthquakes. Bobby said that amateur radio equipment is still hard to import and to buy in the Philippines. The import tax was once 100 per cent. Although now around 30 per cent, an ICOM 775 for example is around USD 3,500 plus import tax. This is not a generally acceptable price! Bobby invited Keigo to a local restaurant to talk over dishes of delicious Filipino seafood. >>> Robert Jones re-elected Director of ITU <<< Standing as the sole candidate, Robert Jones (who is VE3CTM) was re-elected Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) on 22 October 1998 by the Ninth Plenary Meeting of the ITU Minneapolis Plenipotentiary Conference. Bob was first elected to this position by the 1994 Kyoto Plenipotentiary Conference and took office in January 1995. He kindly participated in the 10th IARU Region 3 Conference in Beijing in 1997. >>> World Amateur Radio Day, Present and Future <<< The next World Amateur Radio Day will be celebrated on 18 September 1999. This is the last time that World Amateur Radio Day will take place in September. From the year 2000, the day will be marked on the anniversary of the IARU, on 18 April. >>> Use of ZM Prefix for Y2K Celebration <<< In New Zealand the Ministry of Commerce has advised that the ZM prefix may be used by all New Zealand amateurs instead of the ZL prefix for the period October 1, 1999 to March 31, 2000, to mark the arrival of the new millennium. >>> New Prefix in CANADA <<< The new Canadian Territory of Nunavut came into effect on April 1, 1999. Nunavut 'Our Land' has a total population of some 25,000 persons in an area of Northern Canada about the size of Europe. To reflect this new Canadian territory, Nunavut has been allocated the prefix VY0. This will become a separate multiplier in some HF contests commencing with the RAC Canada Day Contest on July 1, 1999. >>> VE8AT Beacon Operational from Nunavut <<< The VE8AT beacon is back on the air from March 21, 1999. The new site is located at 79.59 N, 85.54 W, at Eureka on Ellesmere Island in the new Canadian territory Nunavut (formerly N.W.T). The VE8AT beacon is part of the NCDXF/IARU beacon system and was previously operating from Edmonton, Alberta. The VE prefix for this beacon may change in the near future. The Eureka location is expected to provide information on valuable propagation paths to amateurs around the world. >>> International Space Station (ISS) Commander is a radio amateur <<< The commander of the first International Space Station crew is now an amateur radio operator. U.S. astronaut William G. "Shep" Shepherd now has the call sign KD5GSL. Shepherd will soon join Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev on board the ISS. >>> AP2AHQ operates his home-built station <<< Arshad Quadri, AP2AHQ is operating a home-built Eplphyte-2 SSB Transceiver. The kit was a gift presented by The G-QRP Club and NorCal and is one of several taken into Pakistan by Jo-Anna Dobbs, G0OWH, on an educational trust visit. Arshad, and other radio amateurs who find equipment difficult to obtain, will shortly receive kits for the NorCal-20 transceiver. >>> Saturday at RSGB HQ <<< RSGB Headquarters will be open from 10am to 2pm on one Saturday each month over the summer. The bookshop and the GB3RS shack will be available to visitors, as will the National Amateur Radio Museum and Library. Morse Tests will be available on demand between 11am to 1pm. If you propose to visit, check before you visit on a Saturday to ensure that the HQ is open. >>> Australia makes the International News <<< The Radio Society of Great Britain GB2RS news broadcast has carried the story about a controversy surrounding the use of the 70 cm band during the time of the year 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The use of 70 cm by other interests is watched with concern by amateur radio operators all over the world. >>> IARU Luminaries Meet in London <<< Important issues affecting member societies of IARU Region 1 were discussed at a recent meeting in London. The financial position of Region 1 was addressed as well as the possibility of a major fee increase levied against member societies. The meeting was attended by senior board members of the RSGB, from the German radio society DARC, French society REF, Belgian society UBA and the Dutch society VERON. Other matters discussed included the IARU and IARU Region 1 Constitutions and possible changes. The gathering also turned its attentions to global pressures on the Amateur Service, EC legislation affecting amateur radio and the need for closer co-operation between societies to combat legislation that threatens the well-being of the Amateur Service. >>> HL1BX appointed as Korea's Minister of Science & Technology <<< On April 23, 1999, Dr. Jung Uck Seo, HL1BX was appointed as Minister of Science and Technology of Korea. The participants to the Region 3 Seoul Conference in 1988 will remember him welcoming us. He was then Vice President of Korea Telecom. >>> PARA congratulates DU1JMG, DU1VST, DU9AXX and DU6AF <<< The Honorable Jose Mari Gonzales DU1JMG, is newly elected Congressman of San Juan, Metro Manila. The Honorable Vincente S. Sotto, DU1VST is elected Senator, Philippine Senate. Alex Bascug, DU9AXX is elected Congressman. Ricardo Galvez, DU6AF is now occupying the prestigious job as Solicitor General. >>> YV5AMH elected to Andean Parliament <<< Reinaldo Leandro YV5AMH of Caracas, Vice-President of IARU Region 2, and President of the Radio Club Venezolano, was recently elected a member of the Andean Parliament comprised of the Andean Pact countries whose members are Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. The Parliament meets twice-yearly in its official seat at Bogota, Colombia. The Andean Parliament is similar to the European Parliament of the European Union countries but on a smaller scale. >>> Book Review <<< Two Australian books, "Amateur Radio Study Course" and "Radio Amateur License Study Guide", written by Graeme Scott, VK2KE are here reviewed by Ron Cook VK3AFW. These books provide a bridging course for the Novice for upgrading to either the Limited or Unrestricted license. In its seventy-six pages the Amateur Radio Study Course packs fifteen chapters and a trial AOCP theory exam. To get the best from your efforts in reading this book, you need the companion Radio Amateur License Study Guide. After studying Chapters 1 and 2 of the Study Course, the student can then attempt the questions in the Study Guide for those chapters. The questions are in the same multiple-choice format of the AOCP exam, Correct answers are provided. This is an excellent and proven self-training system. >>> Correction to Award Directory <<< We have received the following statement. Awards enthusiasts please note: The Award Directory published by Ted Melinosky K1BV, shows awards from Costa Rica: the TT1 award, the TY1 award and the FRACAP award. Some of this information is now obsolete. The only awards which are currently recognized by Radio Club of Costa Rica are the: *T10 AWARD: Confirm all TI call zones (TI1 to TI0) after November 20, 1945, and *TTI AWARD: Class 1; contact 7 of 8 call zones of Costa Rica after September 29, 1953. Class 2: 6, Class 3: 5. The Club Station, TI0RC, can replace any missing call zones. All requests should be sent to the following address: Radio Club de Costa Rica, Apartado Postal 2412, San Jose 1000, Costa Rica.