In WIA News, the Wireless Institute of Australia Vice President Lee Moyle VK3GK reports on the work being done to identify and report intruders in the amateur radio bands
The WIA story says:
For those HF users in the past couple of weeks who have been active on the bands, you may have experienced a quite noticeable increase in the propagation, especially in the higher bands. Along with that come intruders to our bands, whether in the form of Over the Horizon Radar, taxis on 10m FM or just the annoying fishing boats, usually all from our northern neighbours.
The WIA IARU Monitoring System (WIMS) is a part of the IARU global monitoring activities of the Amateur Service across all three regions. Australia belongs to IARU Region 3. Information is shared with other national societies within the region and other regions to assist with locating and identifying intruders.
The WIA has a long established arrangement whereby amateurs can report possible unauthorised (non-amateur) transmissions within our primary HF bands to the WIMS Coordinator.
The nominated WIA Monitoring System Coordinator is Peter Young VK3MV who can be contacted by email on intruders@wia.org.au
Reports of identified intruders are also lodged with the appropriate spectrum management administration to enable removal action to be taken. The WIA IARU Monitoring System is an agreed mechanism between the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Wireless Institute of Australia to identify and instigate (compliance) action to remove non-amateur intruders which are causing substantial interference to Australian amateurs in amateur HF frequency bands which are designated by the ACMA for exclusive use by amateurs.
The ACMA interprets substantial interference as that level of interference which degrades reception by a considerable degree. The ACMA is obliged under the WIA IARU Monitoring System mechanism to investigate and as much as is practical resolve intrusions into amateur HF bands in which Australian amateurs have Primary status. The agreed procedure between the ACMA and the WIA for forwarding intruder complaints from the WIA has a 9 point process which can be found on the WIA website at https://www.wia.org.au/members/protecting/about/
The WIA and ACMA have developed a standard WIMS reporting form (an Excel spreadsheet), that should be used to record your observations, alternatively, you can use the On-Line Reporting form for reporting one off intruders which is found on the WIA website.
To file reports it is important to follow the proper established channels that are in place via the WIA, ACMA and IARU mechanisms, whether a local WIA affiliated club, online radio club or a dedicated individual as this will not waste precious volunteer time and actually provide proper reporting to the appropriate authorities to address the intruders and their removal from the Amateur bands. This is Lee Moyle VK3GK and WIA Vice President for WIA news.
