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WICEN NSW, is a communications support squad of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association. Due to COVID-19, administrative and training activities have been moved on-air or online.

The group held training here at ARNSW in Dural this morning. Remote training sessions will be conducted on January 9th and 10th, 2021.

In October, WICEN NSW presented Bob Ridgley VK2ZAR with his certificate of Honorary Life Membership of WICEN NSW. Bob has been a member with the Central Coast Regional Group for over 30 years, and is still active at 92.

Trek for Timor Blue Mountains is now a "virtual" event; the upside being it is possible for you, or a group from your club, to take a sponsored walk in any location. See: http://trekfortimorbm.org.au

Members have been experimenting with WINLINK and JS8CALL to pass text messages, on Monday evenings, supported by a Google Meeting. Details are on the calendar in the VRA email system. Software is available at: http://js8call.com/ and http://winlink.org/

WICEN has a weekly net, each Sunday evening. The main net is at 1800, and a secondary check-in net at 1830.

On 1st, 4th, and 5th Sundays the main net will be on the Chatswood 2m repeater at 1800, followed by the (non-Amateur) Kurrajong VHF High-band digital repeater -R52 TAC 7 using Time Slot 1, at 1830. On 2nd, and 3rd Sundays the Kurrajong - Berowra 70 cm FM system will be used, followed by a net on the DMARC Talkgroup 3810, also Timeslot 1, at 1830.

Members are also encouraged to take advantage of the free courses offered by OEM at: https://www.emtraining.nsw.gov.au/

WICEN hopes to be at the CCARC Field Day at Wyong on February 28th, 2021.

Members are asked to activate, and periodically check their vrarescue.org email addresses.

For Facebook users, there is an official WICEN NSW page; and an informal national WICEN group.

WICEN ACT is part of the Canberra Region Amateur Radio Club. The club has moved events such as lectures, online or on-air, continuing through at least November. The BMSC "National Capital Rally" is November 28th and 29th.

Immediate booking is required for CRARC's Foundation licence course, on November 21st and 22nd, and the all-level Australian exams on the Sunday. For more information on WICEN or these exams, visit the group's website: http://www.crarc.org.au or the CRARC Facebook page.

WICEN Victoria - The Baw-Baw Extreme is now April 16th to 18th, 2021, subject to confirmation, and the Kenda Motorcycle Rally is May 2nd. Their weekly net is on each Tuesday at 8:30 pm, on 3.6 MHz. WICEN Victoria's interesting website is: http://vic.wicen.org.au

Submitted by Julian Sortland VK2YJS/1, on behalf of the WICEN State Management Committee.