May - June 2025
May - June 2025
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Editorial
The below quotation recently set me pondering about my penchant for quoting poetry in my editorials. If poetry is not your “thing,” turn the page now.
“In a world where people are increasingly quick to judge, where difficult issues are reduced to binary judgements, poetry offers a space for empathy. It invites readers to pause and remember the complexity of human experience.”
This is from Robyn Davidson, writing in the May issue of The Monthly, published by Schwartz Publishing out of Melbourne, covering ‘politics, society and the arts.’ Robyn is an Australian writer best known for her book Tracks, published in 1980, and a best seller still in print. It’s about her 2700 km trek across the deserts of Western Australia with camels (Wikipedia).
The quote set me thinking. Immediately, for some perverse reason, I recalled lines from a song current over the 1960s-70s. Titled Put a light in every country window, it was written by singer-songwriter Don Henderson (1937-1991) and recorded by Gary Shearston (1939-2013).
While the recent federal election engendered wide debate about a host of issues, clearly one central theme was climate change and all the efforts under way to mitigate the now apparent impacts. Taking Robyn’s observation to heart, I have re-cast Gary’s lyrics as comment on that current issue affecting us all.
To conclude, I have to declare an interest. Since the passing of GippsTech following the pandemic, and having retired to Queensland, my counsel was sought about a successor. With experience mounting two like events, the Future Amateur Communications Techniques symposiums in 1978-79, I thought it possible, given some caveats. The Brisbane VHF Group, of which I’m a member, is hosting QTech2025 in November, advertised in this issue on page 13.
Humanity’s travails
Put a light in every household window
Solar panels where every dwelling stands
Get in and lay the cables so that one day we’ll be able
To cut emissions all over this wide land
Longwall miners dig coal seams at Kurri Kurri
But they’ll now abandon brownâcoal at Yallourn
The turbines still are yielding to the waters from lake Eildon
Andy Snowy two-point-oh is chugging on
Put a light in every household window
Solar panels where every dwelling stands
Get in and lay the cables so that one day we’ll be able
To cut emissions all over this wide land
Family farms and giant outback stations
Are now run by the Internet of Things
IT automation is now right across the nation
Let’s see EV chargers at ev’ry roadhouse spring
Put a light in every household window
Solar panels where every dwelling stands
Get in and lay the cables so that one day we’ll be able
To cut emissions all over this wide land
Wind farms to some are but an eyesore
To others they’re a saviour with white sails
Whether eyesore or a blessing there’s little point in stressing
It’s humanity that has brought us these travails
Put a light in every household window
Solar panels where every dwelling stands
Get in and lay the cables so that one day we’ll be able
To cut emissions all over this wide land
Table Of Contents
General
 Auroras – a tour for tyros - Brett Carter and Elizabeth A. Macdonald
WSJT and democratisation of the airwaves in amateur radio - Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW
Book Review - War Diaries: Stalemate - Richard Murnane VK2SKY
Annual Awards: 2024 authors awards - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH and the Publications Committee
Historic QSL Bureau - Fred Swainston VK3DAC, VK4FE
Technical
Shortwave receiver project reveals innovation and . . nostalgia - Dale Hughes VK1DSH
What happens when you hit push-to-talk - Dr George Galanis VK3EIP
Amateur Deep Space satellite reception - Trevor Benton VK4AFL
A simple 2-band antenna for 10 & 12 metres - Chris Flak VK5CF
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