Scout Radio Victoria

Minutes - April Monthly Meeting

Tuesday 11th April 2023, 7.30pm

BATCave, Legana Street, Mount Waverley

Chair: Luke Byrnes

Minutes: Alice Hayllar

Meeting Opened: 7:36pm

Attendees

Luke Byrnes, Alice Hayllar, Matt Cengia, Daniel Gutsell, Andy King, Gemma Nash, Dimitrios Karagiannis, Murray Taylor, Kent Cochran, Adrian Robinson, Mark Perkins, Philip Adams, Jenny Adams, Peter Watkins, Karl Donald, Neil Wilson Anders Hamilton, Peter Watkins, Juliet Montague, Bibby Montague, Damien Kuzek

Apologies

Douglas Ahern, Col Herbert, Alan Stratford, Quintin Coutinho

Absentees

Absentees

Meeting Items

Administration

Chair's Comments

Previous Minutes

It was moved by Matt Cengia and Andy King that the minutes of the Scout Radio Victoria meeting held Tuesday 21st March 2023 be adopted. Carried unanimously.

Finance

Account Balance on Monday 20th March 2023
STEM - State Radio (Bendigo Bank) $8,840.87

Further details are included in the finance report attached as Appendix 1.

Work Health & Safety (WHS)

Program Review

Hoadley Hide

  • RadioActiv8
  • Hide Communications
  • StarLink Success
  • Invoice sent
  • Thank you to everyone involved in running RA8 and Comms for Hoadley

Program Planning

Trello update

The Trello board is looking very busy with plenty of information available. Cards and templates make it easier to plan RA8 activities and for Foundation courses.

Trello Item Review

Cuboree

  • Kent to work with Luke to send out an eDM to known Amateurs who are Scouting members to assist with Cuboree, particularily to Venturers
  • Scout support at Cuboree as Staff - any updates?
  • Jury is still out on Scouts being able to help as activitiy leaders
  • Site visit on the 30th to walk around site and plan, we are not near the tower, we are on Boyd's Feild 2.

Amateur Events

none for April

Training Courses

Foundation Amateur Courses

Foundation Course @ Bay Park, 31/3/2023 - 2/4/2023

  • Six attendees successfully completed Practical Assessment.
  • Thanks to trainers Phil, Luke, Kent, Sarah. Thanks to Gemma providing Catering.
  • Course had 6 participants, running a small loss (~$57) due to small numbers.
  • Only one outstanding photograph
  • Food was great
  • Action: Remind participants to have a headshot photo to bring with them to the course.
  • Dimitrios offered the Scout Hall in Oakleigh with its new kitchen as being free for radio courses if we would like.

Foundation Course @ Camp Warringal, 2/6/2023 - 4/6/2023

Completed a budget for the course, all Foundation courses should be $220 (excl. ACMA and Callsign costs).

  • Trainers Phil, Luke, Kent, Sarah. Val Paton has been asked to Cater.
  • Expecting a full course, possibly overflow - additional trainers may mean that we can increase our capacity.

Aim for a course in the West (suburban or rural) in the later half of the year - considering Geelong or Ballarat.

  • Foundation courses to be planned for 2023 to accommodate:
    • Interest from the 4x4 Team to host a course.
    • Interest from Mallee Mud Kamp attendees (x2)
    • Interest for Western Vic JOTA to have another course at Cooinda Burrong
    • Interest from MRP team members
    • Interest from Hurstbridge Scouts and Venturers
    • Follow up with registrants from previous course in Geelong who were unable to attend.

SRCOP

Dates proposed:

6 May 2023 @ GSWAC

Flexibility available for dates either the Saturday or the Sunday as there is also a sailing club course happening on the 7th.

Program Enrichment

Message Handling Course requested. Phil confirmed he is able to run a course at our next meeting.

Message handling course to be done at the May meeting. Please bring Message Handling Log Sheets and Log Books if you have them at home.

ScoutHike will not necesarily use the same message handling processes than what will be in the course, pending event requirements.

Discussion on communications expectations at ScoutHike to follow in May in prep for the event.

Program Support

ScoutHike 20/21 May 2023

Still working on implementation of a DMR solution.

If it doesnt come together for this year, we will use 2m Amateur as our primary service. Long term allows to not just support ScoutHike but to also provide program at it.

Hoping to have a resolution by the end of April and will be in contact with those who expressed capability to assist with ScoutHike directly in the coming weeks.

Peter Chaplin has requested to be notified of what is required - this will be done as soon as we have a plan forward, no later than end of April. 2m Amateur is a Yes, it's a matter of what we're doing commercially still to be finalised.

Availability Summary:

  • Daniel is available with no preference
  • Karl is available
  • Murray is unavailable - same weekend as JOTT
  • Andy avaiable and same sleep point as last time is fine
  • Mark is available and has a preference for sleep point 3
  • Kent is unsure, most likely only the sunday, will know closer to the date
  • Gemma is a maybe
  • Phil only availble if twilight sailing falls apart, will only know a week before
  • Peter Chaplin has advised he is unable to attend this year, but will happily prepare the trailer for the event as required.
  • Alice is doing first aid at sleep point 5
  • Adrian is tentative but leaning towards yes
  • Col
  • Neil is planning to be there, no sleep point preference
  • Requirement for Matt McKernan to be on a specific sleep point
  • Neil knows 2 Venturers who are licensed and may be interested in joining
  • Douglas is a maybe depending on Mafeking working bee
  • Matt Cengia is a no
  • Neal W is interested to learn and can probably be available

Youth Net - past notes

  • No development at this time, to be followed up with this offline - hopefully this month.
  • Echolink is a struggle with youth registering, can be overcome, however mindful it is a barrier.
  • Scout radio Victoria have 4 talk groups on DMR. 1921-1924.
  • It works really well, if we can link it into IRLP and Echolink, DRM bridge it will allow more accessibility. Most important thing is getting radio in hand.
  • Kent has concerns around linking DMR and Echolink but is resolved happy hearing we have control over it.
  • It is a well dispersed network with very limited access points.
  • Would like to eventually buy some hotspots to send out with the radios.

Comments from Peter Chaplin

Re: TG’s 1921 – 1924 - VKDMR no longer supports permanently linked talkgroups. These talkgroups no longer bring up all the DMR repeaters VK3RAJ, VK3RSA, VK3RSU, VK3RYN.

To work these talkgroups, a user at both ends have to trigger the repeater within the same 10 seconds. i.e. If someone keys up VK3RAJ, only other people with VK3RAJ selected will hear the call.

For someone on another repeater, for example VK3RSA, has to key up the RSA repeater within 10 seconds of RAJ being de-keyed for the link to come up. The only talkgroup that is permanently linked is 505 resulting in everyone using it for chatter and tying up TS2 on every repeater in the country so no one can make a call to setup a QSO on a “User triggered TG” like 1921-1924.

I’m seriously considering removing these repeaters from the VKDMR network and setting them up as their own IP Site connect network with both TS1 and TS2 linked across all four sites.

Support Development

Hamfests

  • To-do:
    • Identify old surplus equipment
    • Booked Moorabbin table - 6th May 2023. RadioActiveScout Gazebo is able to be used indoors.

Scout Radio Victoria Assets

New box for it purchased, ethernet adapters and other kit to be ordered shortly. Interestingly had issues connecting to it this month.

Filters

Mark has updated exstensive notes in Trello - great work! These cards are an excellent example of how to fill in detail on a Trello card, so please use them for reference if you're looking for guidance.

Looking at low band system filters, there is a supply issue as they are based in Russia. Would like to open up to the group if they want filters to be able to do a bulk order - payment to be made to the scout bank account if filters are ordered.

Probably not going to be purchased from this supplier until after the war ends if we purchase from the Russian supplier. Will need to ask branch to check with DFAT as to whether we can even trade with them in the first place.

VK3RRC

Comments from Peter Chaplin

VK3RRC

This was licenced for Tree Tops as part of a project to relocate the 15m tower from Gilwell Park to Treetops. A change of management at Treetops saw the project abandoned.

The original 5 year licence was paid for by a donor.

There was then a proposal to move the project to Rowallan Scout camp, but this hasn’t occurred. Mark Perkins was involved. I see in the financial reports that we paid the licence. Perhaps we label it in some way to not do so as I don’t believe this project will go ahead.

This has already been paid as Mark has expressed interest in a solution that doesn't necessarily involve the tower to be transferred. Meeting on this will occur after ScoutHike, refer to Trello for details.

Additional Business

  • Mark - I sent an email about ScoutHike - if we do go DMR it would be nice to have handhelds at the sleep points as well, this allows the ability to walk away from the base station and still hear comms.

    • Luke - Hoping to have enough radio operators so we can have multiple operators at each sleep point

  • Presentation of Hoadley Hide Certificate of Appreciation to Kent: thank you for the many years of service at Hoadley Hide

  • Certificate of Appreciation to the Radio team as a whole for our support to the event.

  • Kent - Would like to be included in the discussion of the tower at Rowallan

  • Karl - Request for information about ScoutHike

  • Once we have our numbers they are allocated to Sleep Points and the sleep points will provide info on all the details for the events e.g. catering.

  • Murray - anyone not going to ScoutHike and is available on Sunday 21st is welcome to come along to JOTT

  • Gemma - Tuesday the 18th April is world Amateur Radio day, could this be an opportunity to promote our events and show we use radios and participate in radio events on socials possibly in Be Informed as well

  • Phil confirmed World telecommunications day is the 17th May, the date for use of the AX prefix.

Meeting Closed: 20:46

Next Meeting: Tuesday 9th May

Appendix 1 - Finance Report

April 2023 Meeting

Prepared Tuesday 11th April 2023

STEM - State Radio (Bendigo Bank)

Date Description Reference Debit Credit Balance
Opening Balance 0 8,840.87 8,840.87
20-Mar-23 Bank Transfer from STEM Purchases to State Radio Balance from STEM Purchases returned 0 36.7 8,877.57
22-Mar-23 Luke BYRNES (...854) Pelican Case Purchase 320 0 8,557.57
26-Mar-23 Event Communication Solutions Stradbroke Radio Hire 605 0 7,952.57
29-Mar-23 Bank Transfer from State Radio to STEM Purchases Foundation Course Catering 480 0 7,472.57
30-Mar-23 Payment: Bay Park Stradbroke Cup SRV-1101 - Stradbroke Radio Hire 0 650 8,122.57
1-Apr-23 Bendigo Bank Interest 0 0.07 8,122.64
1-Apr-23 Payment: Will ALGAR (...685) SRV-1102 0 25 8,147.64
1-Apr-23 Bank Transfer from State Radio to STEM Purchases Foundation Course Catering top up 50 0 8,097.64
1-Apr-23 Bank Transfer from State Radio to STEM Purchases 0342635071 Starlink 00466161731203 174 0 7,923.64
1-Apr-23 Starlink 174 0 7,749.64
4-Apr-23 Bank Transfer from State Radio to STEM Purchases Foundation Course Exams and Call Signs 789 0 6,960.64
4-Apr-23 Payment: VicRovers SRV-1034 0 562.23 7,522.87
5-Apr-23 Bay Park Foundation Course Venue 460 0 7,062.87
5-Apr-23 Payment: Lerderderg Region Scouts SRV-1057 - Night Owl 0 1,000.00 8,062.87
5-Apr-23 Australian Communications & Media Authority Marine Licences 45 0 8,017.87
9-Apr-23 Bank Transfer from STEM Purchases to State Radio StarLink Double Transfer Return 0 174 8,191.87
9-Apr-23 Gemma NASH Foundation Course Catering 45.57 0 8,146.30
9-Apr-23 Bank Transfer from STEM Purchases to State Radio Balance of Catering returned to SRV 0 65.66 8,211.96
Total State Radio 3,142.57 2,513.66 8,211.96
Closing Balance 0 8,211.96 8,211.96
Total 3,142.57 2,513.66 -628.91