Submitted by VK2YJS on

WICEN NSW, is a communications support squad of the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association.

Due to COVID-19 WICEN has cancelled participation in all but emergency activations, and moved meetings to its amateur and non-amateur radio resources, including DMR.

The HCC Committee has decided to continue preparing for the 2020 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic, subject to the requirements for Return to Sport being met. Importantly, the event supports Arrow, The Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation.

The daily check-in nets have been replaced by a weekly net, each Sunday evening. The main net is at 1800, and a secondary check-in net at 1830. On the 1st, 4th and 5th Sundays the main net will be on the Chatswood 2m repeater at 1800, followed by the Kurrajong VHF High-band repeater at 1830. On the 2nd and 3rd Sundays the Kurrajong - Berowra 70 cm FM system will be used, followed by a net on the DMARC Talkgroup 3810 at 1830.

Members willing to assist in a stocktake of WICEN equipment at Dural are asked to make contact via the web form.

Training in the use of chainsaws will be provided on the 3rd to the 5th of July. This primarily regards safely clearing fallen timber.

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

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 is moving all events, including lectures, online or on-air. The group has recommenced support of car rallies, via the provisions of equipment and advice. The next are the BMSC "Narooma Rally" on August 1st, and the LCCC "Blue Range Rallysprint" on September 5th. For more info visit: http://www.crarc.ampr.org or the CRARC Facebook page.

WICEN Victoria - The weekly net is on each Tuesday at 8:30 pm, on 3.6 MHz. Their first event back may be the Sunraysia Rally, south of Wentworth; followed by the Baw-Baw Extreme from October 31. WICEN Victoria's website, which includes a couple of propagation indicators, is: http://vic.wicen.org.au

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