The 5th World Digital Amateur Television QSO Party is being called “a huge success,” with stations participating from, Australia, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Sponsored by Amateur Radio Victoria and the Melbourne ATV Group, the August 21-22 event was also streamed on high-definition YouTube from the Melbourne-Geelong VK3RTV repeater.

Participants included viewers in Antigua, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Chile, China, France, Great Britain, Ireland, South Korea, New Zealand, Peru, Sweden, Slovenia, Turkey, and the US. Concurrent YouTube users peaked at 39, and the whole 25-hour extravaganza also was streamed on the British Amateur TV Club website.

The VK3RBO repeater in Central Victoria also streamed event video, mainly off the YouTube stream.

The World DATV QSO Party got its start with the centenary in 2011 of Amateur Radio Victoria. Organizer Peter Cossins, VK3BFG, said the program format primarily showed what ATV enthusiast do with the video mode. Some checked in to local ATV repeaters, while others took part via Skype. The Skype users this year experienced some technical problems, and DATV QSO Party participants may replace it with another service next year.

During the “Australian leg” of the event on Friday, August 21, the Melbourne ATV Group took turns via VK3RTV and then through other ATV repeaters, including VK2RTS at Lawson in New South Wales, VK2RTV in Sydney, and VK4RMG in Brisbane. Winston Nickols, VK7EM, aired a short video showing a trek to an inactive mine in Northern Tasmania. Cossins relayed the video and audio of Skype participants via 23 centimeters to the VK3RTV ATV repeater.

On Saturday, August 22, users of the Central Ohio (ATCO) WR8ATV repeater made their telecasts. Those were followed by users of W6ATN in Southern California, which featured tour of a commercial TV facility on Mount Wilson, conducted by Roy Frank, W6SVT.

Later, UK participants came on via GB3HV, the Home Counties ATV Group Repeater in Surrey, which has direct Skype access.

Art Towslee, WA8RMC, in Ohio and Don Hill, KE6BXT, in Southern California were the international net controllers. During the event some 700 operators were involved as ATV telecasters or viewers. — Thanks to Jim Linton, VK3PC