The winds of change in Australia - Almost a new Board for the WIA

Lots of very interesting comments - and especially Jim N2EY's Comments

I agree 100% with everything that Jim says.... Omnia Omnibus is the Latin - All things for All People... Impossible... but should be the ethical position that is tried to be achieved.

BUT... The way to AVOID "the firing line" is to NOT to exercise Information Control. Be open... Never ignore... Communicate everything. Commercial-in-confidence must NEVER be a defence for people-based organisations. You explain what you are doing, why you are doing this and provide a clear, open two-way back channel that is open to everyone. Use these methods and you can turn your greatest critic into your greatest supporter.

Abuse and bullying must NEVER be tolerated !!!

If people WANT to attend Board meetings LET THEM !!! IF people WANT to be a part of committees and/or divisions LET THEM !!! If people behave in manners that are not within normal acceptable community standards then that is when leaders should step in - and counsel the person/those involved. If the behaviours continue then they may need be suspended - but again that is a matter for Committees/Divisions to recommend to Boards...

There cannot be protection of mates or factions; all must be treated the same and equally.

PEOPLE - and that means the VAST MAJORITY, MUST COME FIRST !!!

"Volunteerism" is never an excuse for treating people with disrespect or for acting incompetently either...

Explain your actions - be 100% clear - be honest - keep people, their concerns and the politics in the open - and you SHOULD have a representative organisation

 

I am OK with regulation by the Moderators.
In this case the Mod probably did not read my post or understand it fully , but he made the choice and its his job to do so , so OK.

I am NOT OK with the viciousness and attacks by others which seems so very common on these forums now days. - its terrible.
The reason why my post was removed was because of your tirade that followed it , no one else had a issue , only you.
In fact it had several likes , no doubt from people that read it instead of flying off the handle over nothing.

Your post was removed when the moderator came and took a look , and so as not to take sides , removed both my post and YOURS.

As your post was removed I don't think that you are in the position to mockingly make the suggestion that I should go read the rules...

YOUR post was vulgar and highly offensive and FAR below what I consider acceptable from a fellow Ham.

And sorry , but my original post was historical , and based on FACT.
If people don't like facts , or history , and prefer ignorance instead of knowing the way the world around them really works , then they should grow up , and leave their self righteous antique Gung Ho attitudes elsewhere.


gregW OH2FFY

 

Nothing changes but the faces...

 

Agreed - but most of the members don't seem to care, let alone DEMAND.

73 de Jim, N2EY

 

YAWN

 

My hopes are with the new board, we are the only under powered AMATEURS in the world, it is an embarrassment to try to work a dx station, when we have a JA wall all using their full power calling the same contact. The only hope we have is if the operator asks for only VK and ZL to call. So i hope this new WIA board does do something for it's members, I have been a member of the WIA for over thirty years, and 400 watts is a little out of date .

Ron VK4QO

 

Ron,

Matters on "High Power" are still heavily being worked on from behind.... The problem is... Not prioritised by the WIA as it has significant other issues brought on by issues of ethics being raised. Allegedly the WIA scuttled the trial, that was allegedly a foregone conclusion according to inside ACMA operatives, by raising EME issues. Now there is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER of sustained health issues at 1Kw (even 5 Kw) exposure levels WORLD WIDE for transmissions 30MHz and below. Higher bands - yes - EME restrictions are needed.

Note that I have been one of the FEW publishing materials via the formal WIA forum - "Amateur Radio" - and thus educating Amateurs on EME ... even if it IS SUBLIMINALLY ;-) That HAS been noted by the ACMA.

Now that leaves us with the real issue that set off discontent - the issue of licence fees.

Note that I am a WIA member - but compelled to be a member as I am an Assessor. The ACMA is our regulator... but is it regulating? All are matters for a strong, representative organisation to be supporting Amateurs on. Competition leads to clean, representative bodies. Regulation leads to a clean, fair society.

These are all facts to consider....

73

Steve I
VK3VM / VK3SIR
Assessor: 3-072

 

A good outcome. At least we won't have to put up with any more patronising broadcasts about the nature of research or the perpetual excuses ("I was there") for the delays in the allocation of 60metres. Maybe it's time to rejoin the WIA. We may even see some dialogue on the return of 11 metres to the amateur service as a primary band. I'm sure that we can handle the intruder watch aspect. ( yes, I can visualise the old guard spluttering in their cocoa). Time for some new thinking. In Australia, we have the lowest ratio of Radio Amateurs per unit of population in the developed world. I wish the new board well.

73 - Jim VK4AQJ

 

Jim, matters are FAR from over. Allegedly already the blame game is starting. New Directors are being contacted FIERCELY by old guard and outgoing Directors. Allegedly cases blaming OTHERS that have not sat at The Board Table for some time are the subject of formulations in the blame game. I have also been told that I am being painted as a great destroyer of the WIA - just because I have considerable and extensive complaints into The WIA and ACMA under investigation...

[ The so called "tick" posts as everyone knows were complete bull...]

For the record, my complaints are based on making the REGULATOR do its Job - Regulation. If the ACMA had done its job from Day 1 by regulating and overseeing the WIA and the functions devolved to it then the WIA would NOT be in the mess that it is now and perhaps the outgoing Directors would still be there. If the energy was put into fixing issues rather than discrediting people then AR in Australia would NOT be in the mess that it is in !!!!!

How do I know this? As I have stated I have been a part of active and yet to report investigations that have been going on for quite some time; I have also been contacted by Incoming Directors myself; even last week I had emails accidentally sent to me that support what incoming Directors have communicated. I have only revealed one that I have received from the WIA President (that he dismissed this as an accident)... but there has been more ....
The Outgoing Board are STILL playing the man.... They should be playing the BEST INTERESTS OF AUSTRALIAN AMATEURS game ... and that is certainly not focussing on individuals.

The fact is the outgoing Board LET the WIA and AMATEUR RADIO get into the backward position that it is in now.

Go... The New Board has a hard Job to do - the Phoenix has burned - now its time to raise the new great bird from the ashes. Its time for old counsel (that has obviously been issuing advice that has led the WIA and Amateur Radio getting into the position that it is now) to stand well back.... Even during the election as a scrutineer for one of the candidates I heard advice issued from very senior and very trusted WIA counsel that was just blatantly wrong ... Other former Directors also tell me that MASSIVELY WRONG information is considered before accurate information - and is acted upon DESPITE PROTEST....

Time not only for a Board cleanout - but also for many that were providing counsel to the old Board to retire as well... Let a new, nationally inclusive group shape, mould and bring excitement, strength and vigour back to the WIA. The WIA is not just VK3... Its is not former Officials that have knowledge of their legacies and therefore do not test them... Its time for a new team with fresh ideas that are prepared to test the boundaries... Its a new era - a new age. It is a national organisation - it IS VK and must be completely representative OF VK !!!

Ps: I also wish the new Board well, and offer them my support. But like all Amateurs I will still be watching ... and communicating.

 

Yes, I prefer to give the new board the benefit of the doubt. A great many challenges lie ahead. Preventing the extinction of Ham Radio in Australia by encouraging new Radio Amateurs must be a high priority. We are dying out at a faster rate in Australia than anywhere else, because very little has been done to promote the hobby effectively. Unravelling the mess of spectrum management is another. How did we ever get to the stage where international satellite operation was permitted on a secondary/ non interference basis on 70cm? Did anybody stop to think about that, or consult organisations like AMSAT? We have the ridiculous situation in Australia where garage door remotes etc are interfering with satellite operations. Then there is the question of the Indonesian (I presume pirate) voice operations in the lower part of 40 metres (and the rest). What ever happened to intruder watch?

11 metres is a desolate wasteland with most illegal CB operations confined to one or two frequencies. Fortunately the propagation has been poor. I shudder to think what will happen to those few still on Marine 27 MHz CB when the band opens again. Emergency calls would be next to impossible. This has to be a fertile ground for recruiting new amateurs.

Then there is the question of the licence fees.

 

Ron, my view from day 1 is people - and what they want. The environment is such that minds are closed to what people want. Minds are closed to the systems themselves (i.e. Foundation callers getting Digital rights beyond voice I feel is a death-blow to the want to upgrade)... and much of this started with the attacks on licence fees and the perception that if we as Amateurs did not pay fees that we would get no service.... Crap.... We get no service (just seflection) now !!!!

And as for chaos in AR in Australia... its one Amateur after the next... Dog eat dog... I am a VERY active digital op myself... and I have written HEAPS to educate Amateurs on digital operations.. Yet we have morons putting out sigs that echo across bands ... you do the right thing and educate and then they get nasty ! You have QRP ops fighting against the QRO argument when really QRO ops are QRP ops greatest allies ! We have interference issues like to cannot imagine... We have RF exclusion zones especially in WA... This is let alone the "farters" and "burpers" on Repeaters... Do not let me get to the "callsign truncators" on repeaters either ! You have one Amateur REFUSING to be a member of the WIA or any other Club because back in 1970's something they did not like happened...

G A R B A G E .... We need to unite and be homogenous as one unified bloc... and NOT just in VK either !!!

We come to AR for order... We come to AR as it is REGULATED... But our "Self Regulator" is incapable of acting due to its chaos and it will be chaotic for some time until the new Board shows its teeth... if no teeth the WIA is gone... We have a Government regulator that will not act as almost NO ACTION they have taken has been successful once it has been through the Courts.

Sorry, chaos definitely exists. Self regulation has failed as there is no oversight. I replicated a post on a VK6 site and all hell broke loose - give the new Board a chance Steve... It will have a chance when the background resistance and blame games are put down and put down and hard. That is what these posts are about - smoothing the way for AR to reform - for Amateurs to unite as one homogenous group and keep the discussions within our own walls. That means a strong representative body.

We need the new Board to show its teeth and be able to show its teeth. We need the Regulator, the ACMA to Regulate. We need everyone to be active and listen. We need Amateurs united in one cause.

But most of all, AR is about people... HAM = Help All Mankind !

ps: I worked Palau whilst writing this !!!! 73

 

Well good luck on that.
QRZ forums repeatedly prove that most Hams are self centered with no real care for anything or anyone else, let alone Ham Radio.
Most cannot even interact with each other here in civilized way.

Indeed contesting which is perhaps one of Ham Radio most popular segments , is purely a self obsessed activity.

Then we have 'Oh its just a Hobby' Hams - Useless tits that consume , but rarely give anything back.

Most of the problem with Ham Radio is not Ham Radio itself , its the mindset of the growing majority of boobs that are in it.

Like CB radio , ultimately Ham Radio will destroy itself from within.

gregW OH2FFY

 

Interesting quotes here... In this case the "Star Wars" quote - often linked with nutters - is also apt.... With Amateurs apathy and self interest rules. Yet there are some of us WITH HOPE and will get off our butts and try... Reverse the quote ... without TRY there is no do...

 

Of course , and many do their part to help , but is it enough to counteract the hoard of mindless zombies ?
I hope so , but I doubt it.



gregW OH2FFY

 

Zombies only become mindless when they have ineffective leadership... I watch the movies too !!!

Amateur Radio and some of its uninspiring, entrenched, closed, information hiding leadership world-wide has led to many of the negative opinions expressed with regards to Amateur Radio and its operators here.

Good leadership provides enthusiasm - and hope. There is a reason why we are seeing so many extreme changes in Western societies these days - a reaction to entrenchment and more of the same.

I get accused of speaking in metaphors and riddles all the time; it upsets the politicians amongst us as they fail to in many cases have creativity and vision in their personalities (hint: this is how you detect a politician). There is an important metaphor for all this...

Maybe we are seeing the roots of change within Amateur Radio? Maybe what we have seen here in Australia is the wake-up call for all Internationally? ... From the comments here it sounds like it should be seen as a bloody loud wake-up call to those out there that have been riding the gravy train of Members' Funds and expense accounts for too long!!!