WICEN has been asked to assist NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue during a remote canyon exercise from February 15th to the 17th in the Waratah Ridge - Bungleboori Creek area of the Wollemi National Park. The aim of this exercise is to test and compare the effectiveness of three systems; GRN, HF, and Garmin InReach satellite based text messaging; in a remote canyon environment. Please contact WICEN Operations if interested.

Today WICEN is holding their training day here in sunny Dural. (Ask a participant what they learnt about NVIS antennas.)

WICEN NSW will be at the Wyong Field Day, on Sunday, February 24th. This is a good opportunity for members to pay their annual membership, now $20. Volunteers are sought to staff the stand.

The 2nd and 3rd of March are planned as a training weekend at Newnes, near Lithgow. This is the site of the Glow Worm Marathon, which WICEN will again support, on June 15th and 16th.

True Grit, an obstacle course running event, is scheduled for the 1st and 2nd of June, and the OCR World Championship 24 hour on the 8th and 9th of June, both at Lower Portland, in outer NW Sydney.

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

WICEN Northern Rivers has a weekly net on Tuesdays at 8:00pm, on the Lismore repeater VK2RSC on 146.8 MHz, requiring a 123 Hz tone. Listen for VK2WIR. Their next meeting is February 10th, and 10:00 at the SARC rooms.

The WICEN Mid North Coast Region monthly meeting is held on the first Saturday of the month, at SES HQ, Central Road, Port Macquarie, beginning at 15:30. The region runs an HF net on Thursday evenings at 19:00, on the WICEN frequency, 3.600 MHz.

WICEN ACT is part of the Canberra Region Amateur Radio Club, and supports events in the "Capital Country" region, and on the South Coast. Dementia Australia is kicking off the 2019 Memory Walk & Jog season in Canberra, on the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin, on February 24th, 2019. The Canberra Two Day walk is March 30th and 31st. Friday May 10th, and Saturday 11th are the BMSC National Rally. Rallies at Bega and Bateman's Bay will be supported in June. Visit http://www.crarc.ampr.org to find out more.

WICEN Victoria is supporting the 2019 Pajero Challenge this weekend, at Big River. Duncan's Run, an ultra marathon is Saturday, March 23rd; while the Sunraysia 400, an off-road motorsport event is April the 27th and 28th. The Kenda Rally is Sunday, May 5th. The group holds a net on 3.6 MHz each Tuesday at 8:30 pm. Their site is at: http://vic.wicen.org.au

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