WADARC – We boldly lead that others may meekly follow.
WEEKLY BULLETIN – 16 December 2016
THE PAST WEEK –
Highlight of the week was the very successful Christmas Party hosted by our President resplendent in his insigne of office. There were almost as many people as there were raffle prizes .
Our gallant chairman presented certificates of merit to richly deserving members whose efforts help to maintain in-being the most superior radio club in the South of England.
The buffet, again prepared by Joy Slater, surpassed the already high standards of previous years and we all owe her a big vote of thanks for her hard work. One visitor was seen to eat TWO mince pies and TWO helpings of choc pud with trifle and had to be driven home.
Ron’s Home Made Christmas cake was delicious and someone was overheard to tell him that if he were only 60 years younger and of the opposite sex, he’d have been asked to move in chez GVB.
HF
On HF this week, other than brief openings for no readily discernible reason, the higher end bands have been largely dead. Proof can be found in the fact that the Santa Claus stations in Finland have worked thousands of stations all over Europe but a paltry 373 from North America.
One of the openings was reported thus:
10 metres is rewarding for those who care to monitor it …..
| the week was exceedingly poor but the weekend produced prodigious contacts and DX,
YV1KK (Venezuela), ZW5B (Brazil), FY5KE (French Guiana), 4M1K (Venezuela) to name but four. But there were lots more……….
|
The lesson is clear, as always, Listen, listen and then listen……
Practical Doings
G1EXG communicated the following account of his recent doings.:
Today (16-12-16) I worked G3GVB (Shoreham) from my G1EXG Brighton QTH
for my first 160m top-band QSO 🙂
’59’ both ways with my ‘compromise’ set-up.
… so the message here is that if I can do it (with a limited space city
property) then it means others in the club can get to work on 160m too 🙂
Thank you Bryan
My gear:
Radio: IC706 MK II – started out with ’50’ watts but moved up to full
power ca. 100 W.
Antenna: full sized 40m inverted V (ca. 100 degree angle), feedpoint at
about 11m, two ends at about 1m from ground.
The inverted V was fed with about 35′ of 300 open wire feeder with the
two ends shorted together to form a weird T-shape like this /|\
The two feeder ends, that were shorted together, then went into a large
inductor (outside but close to the ATU) and then into my ATU.
The inductor (‘junk box’) was 24 turns of 16 SWG enamelled copper wire
ca. 100 mm long and 65mm diameter, coils spaced about 4mm apart.
This inductor probably needs to be a bit larger to make sure the ATU
does not struggle too much.
The coil had a self resonant freq of about 4MHz but I havent yet
measured where the antenna, coil and earth was resonant without the ATU.
ATU: Versa Tuner II MFJ 949E (according to the MFJ-949E book it uses a
“T” matching network and covers all bands between 160 and 10 meters.)
For a basic ‘give-it-a-try’ earth I used a short, thick wire with large
croc-clip connected from the earth connection on the ATU
onto the copper pipe of the radiator (don’t tell my terrace neighbours …)
Author’s biassed notes
Re: Jonathan – Luke 15:10
In a later test G4UDU Beeding was 5/7 in Shoreham with 100 milli-watts but to help comfort level in Hove had to increase power to 1 watt. LF ground-wave gets everywhere. Some deity somewhere designed it for local nets.
G3 wisdom proffering 160 metres for club nets has been predictably rejected by the younger generation who believe a manufacturer’s cardboard box for a ready-made antenna would have to be 260 feet long.
Little do they know that long ago, when “men were men” etc., the customary band for 10 watt moving mobile radio was 160 metres. I suppose we’ll have to explain it to them all over again (see addendum )
Rallies this weekend
You’ll just have to wait until the new year and even then do a bit of travelling.
THIS WEEKEND ON THE RADIO
Russian 160-Meter Contest 21.00 TODAY ! CW and SSB
Rules; (Google it )
Non-Russian stations: QSO with Russian station scores 10 points (regardless of continent); QSO with own entity scores 2 points; QSO with another entity within own continent scores 3 points; QSO with another continents scores 5 points. Use DXCC list for entity definition.
OTHER CONTESTS
AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 CW QSO Party,
NCCC RTTY Sprint, QRP 80-Meter CW Fox Hunt,
NCCC CW Sprint, AGB-Party Contest,
Feld Hell Sprint, (is this ‘Field’ in some unspeakable language?)
OK DX RTTY Contest,
RAC Winter Contest
Padang 40-Meter DX SSB Contest ( I assume this is a Field day because Padang is Malay for Field – ( boy, are you kids lucky to have G3’s around )
Summary – usual bedlam. wait ’til Monday.
Santa Claus DX
Here is yet another repeat of the Santa Claus info for those who are true believers.
Santa Claus’ call sign is OF9X /He has keen Elves helping on phone and Licensed Reindeer on CW. His ops. can spring up with their funny red hats on all modes and frequencies. Be patient all you hot shot CW merchants – I’d just like to see _you_ wearing headphones over _your_ antlers.
Here is the Elf list – they give their personal ID during/after the QSO – so OF9X will always be the calll
Arto, OH2KW (ART);
Arttu, OH2FB (ATU);
Jyri, OH2KM (JYR);
Martti, OH2BH (MAR);
Niko, OH2GEK (NIK);
Pauli, OH5BQ (PAU);
Pekka, OH2TA (PEK);
Pertti, OH2BEE (PER);
Raimo, OH2BCI (RAI);
Tom, OH6VDA (TOM);
Pertti, OH2PM (SIM)
Erik, OH2LAK (LAK)
BTW ‘Tom’ is lazy and b****y deaf to call-signs involving GVB
Here is a table to “Tick the Box” for your “ELF’ COUNT”
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31340563/OF9X%20Worked%20Chart.pdf
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- Wed 11th January – 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm THE SUN by Chris, M0VUE. [ Whether as in ovoid or tabloid is not disclosed…]
Wed 18th January On The Air.
- Wed. 25th Soldering teach-in
After that is still the subject of some cogitation.
DX News
KENYA, 5Z. Sila, AK0SK plans to be QRV as 5Z4/AK0SK from Taveta from December 22 to January 6, 2017. Activity will be on 80 to 10 meters using SSB. QSL to home call.
SENEGAL, 6W. Members of the Association des Radio-Amateurs du Senegal are QRV as 6V1A from Goree Island, IOTA AF-045, until December 18. Activity is on the HF bands using CW, SSB and various digital modes. QSL direct to 6W7JX.
ALGERIA, 7X. Operators 7X2FK, 7X5PY, 7X7QB, and one SWL will be QRV as 7T0A from Djanet in the Great Sahara Desert from December 18 to 22. Activity will be with two stations on 160 to 10 meters using CW and SSB. QSL via operators’ instructions.
THE GAMBIA, C5. Vlad, UA4WHX is QRV as C50VB. Activity is currently on 40, 30, 20 and 17 meters using CW, SSB and various digital modes. His length of stay is unknown. QSL to home call.
PHILIPPINES, DU. Robert, DU7ET is QRV as 4F7OC from Negros Island, IOTA OC-129, until January 15, 2017. QSL direct to home call.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HI. Operator K6BIB is QRV as K6BIB/HI from Punta Cana until December 23. Activity is on the HF bands using 15 watts. QSL via operator’s instructions.
- LUCIA, J6. Bill, K9HZ will be QRV as J68HZ from December 17 to January 2, 2017.
HF Propagation
Truly, I can still do no better than direct you to useful sites … thus :-
VOACAP Online – professional-grade high-frequency (3-30 MHz) point-to-point propagation predictions
You put in where you are and what country you seek to contact and bingo it tells you what band to use, when and in what direction ! Even a G3 can JAM to use it. Luke 15:10 again
I wish one of our captive club programming gurus would reconfigure a version for reverse action : ie you put in which country you never want to hear and it tells you what bands, times and directions to avoid. 🙂
Rallies to plan for.
| 15 January West Manchester Radio Club’s Red Rose Winter Rally Lowton Civic Centre, Hesketh Meadow Lane, Lowton, WA3 2AH. |
| 29 January Horncastle Winter Radio Rally Horncastle Youth Centre, Willow Close, Cagthorpe, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6DB. Hot drinks and snacks available (including bacon butties). |
10 February 71st Orlando Hamcation [Friday-Sunday]
Central Florida Fairgrounds & Expo Park, 4603 West Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL. 32808.
Open 09:00 until: 18:00 Friday, 17:00 Saturday and 14:00 on Sunday.
Admission: at the gate $15.00, in advance $13.00 for all three days.
Trade. Talkin. Free parking. Car boot sale. Forums. SIGs. Prize draw.
Family attractions. (No bacon butties).
11 February Ballymena ARC Rally [Saturday]
Ahoghill Community Centre, 80 Cullybackey Rd, Ahoghill Ballymena, Co Antrim, BT42 1LA.
Further details: Hugh Kernohan, GI0JEV, 02825-871481, hkernohan@aol.com
Ballymena ARC
19 February Audiojumble for Norman
The Angel Leisure Centre, Angel Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1SF
Secondhand and vintage hifi event. Vintage & modern hifi, valve amps, speakers, turntables, tuners, tape-recorders, CD players, records, components, books & vintage radios.
26 February Central Coast ARC Rally
Wyong Racecourse, Howarth St, Wyong NSW 2259, Australia
The largest AR event in Australia. ( (including Kangaroo butties).More information at http://www.ccarc.org.a
Author’s rumination !
We are all pretty much p’d off with rising electronic noise levels and naively assume that our taxes are funding people who will ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING. Hah! Fat chance !! In answer to the question :
WHAT IS NEEDED TO GET OFCOM TO TAKE ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST SERIOUS INTERFERENCE TO AMATEUR RADIO,?
Ofcom ( the people who are over-paid with your taxes) replied – from the depths of their postprandial leather club armchairs :
“Ofcom published a statement on 24 March 2016 ‘Decision to make the Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Apparatus) Regulations 2016’ in which we address this issue at section 3 ‘The legislative setting’. For your convenience I have copied the following extract:
Ofcom has enforcement powers in relation to undue interference. These are set out in primary legislation. In particular, section 55 of the Act provides for the giving of notices by Ofcom prohibiting the use of apparatus (“enforcement notice”). However in order to avail of this existing power to serve these notices, regulations must first be made under section 54 setting requirements to be complied with. 3.2 Enforcement notices may be given in the limited circumstances set out in the Act. These circumstances are where, in the opinion of Ofcom: 3.2.1 apparatus does not comply with the requirements applicable to it under regulations made under section 54(1); and 3.2.2 either the first or the second condition below is satisfied.
3.3 The first condition is that the use of the apparatus is likely to cause undue interference with wireless telegraphy used
– 3.3.1 for the purposes of a safety of life service; or
3.3.2 for a purpose on which the safety of a person, or of a ship, aircraft or vehicle may depend.
3.4 The second condition is that-
3.4.1 the use of the apparatus is likely to cause undue interference with wireless telegraphy other than wireless telegraphy falling within the first condition;
3.4.2 the use of the apparatus in fact has caused, or is causing, such interference; and
3.4.3 the case is one where Ofcom consider that all reasonable steps to minimise interference have been taken in relation to the wireless telegraphy station or wireless telegraphy apparatus receiving the interference.
The principles of enforcement
Ofcom strives to ensure our interventions will be evidence-based, proportionate, consistent, accountable and transparent in both deliberation and outcome. These principles apply both to enforcement cases and to how we manage enforcement activities as a whole.
Targeting
Targeting involves relating enforcement action to the risks. Our resources are not infinite, and we are therefore more likely to focus on more serious circumstances. It is neither possible, nor necessary for the purposes of the protecting and managing the radio spectrum, to investigate all issues of interference or non-compliance. In selecting which complaints, or reports of, to investigate and in deciding the level of resources to be used, Ofcom will take into account the following: • The severity and scale of any potential or actual harm; • The seriousness of any potential breach of the law; • The practicality of achieving results; • The wider implications of the event, including whether there is serious public concern.
Consistency
Consistency of approach does not mean uniformity. It means taking a similar approach in similar circumstances to achieve similar ends.
Transparency
Transparency includes helping stakeholders to understand what is expected of them and what they should expect from Ofcom.
Accountability
Ofcom is accountable for our actions .We report annually to Parliament and we publish information about our enforcement activities.
Ofcom will exercise discretion in deciding whether incidents or complaints should be investigated.
Questions from RSGB for Ofcom – S54 Regulations | 11 Dec 2016
Page 9 of 9 Duties and functions
The Communications Act 2003 requires that Ofcom secures the optimal use for wireless telegraphy of the electro-magnetic spectrum. In performing its duties, Ofcom must have regard to the different needs and interests of all persons who may wish to make use of the electro-magnetic spectrum. Ofcom must also have regard in performing its duties to the desirability of preventing crime and disorder. The Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 makes it a general function of Ofcom to give advice, provide services and maintain records as we consider appropriate for facilitating or managing the use of the spectrum. Ofcom may also carry out research. Ofcom has a function of providing advice and assistance to persons complaining of interference.
In summary – Our duty is to provide advice and assistance. We do not have a duty to enforce and we do not guarantee that interference will not occur. When deciding whether to investigate or to take enforcement action we are required act reasonably and responsibly and maximise the use of resources and do so in a proportionate, accountable, transparent and consistent way. We treat each case on its merits. “
(and actually, in point of fact, truly, thoughtfully and sincerely allocate considerable time and money to making preparations for responsibly,sympathetically, and in a wholly meaningful way while respecting tolerance, faiths and celebrating diversity…….just talking about it .)
Humbug! (oops is that racist?)
So There! now you know why the noise persists.
BRYANGVB
***************
Addendum:
For a 160m mobile or portable or base station antenna , you will need :
an 8 ft, bamboo cane
a 4ft whip (or even a 4 ft. skinny cane)
A 9″ length of 4″ / 5″ / PVC pipe or a 2 ltr. plastic bottle or a fat jam-jar or even a plastic wine-bottle (glass ones are too heavy)
A piece of plastic pipe about the size of a toilet-roll cardboard core (or -in-extremis, an actual TP core )
100 feet of enamelled or _thin_ plastic covered wire. (unwind an old transformer ? ) Surely you have this in your junk-box?
12 feet of 3 core or 2 core mains power lead that you salvaged from an old Hoover or lawn mower.
A roll of tough double sided tape and a roll of duct tape. (Screw-Fix is much cheaper.
A small tin of old left-over paint or varnish .
Big crocodile clip
Iddy biddy crocodile clip
2 hours of spare time.
I’ll give you all 24 hrs. to assemble the stuff. There will be a ‘special edition’ Addendum 2 on Sat. afternoon so that you can begin assembly at once and be in operation for trials on Sunday all ready for 21 st Dec. net meeting which will either be on 160m or there will be a mass protest rally outside LPH.
Ends.
