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MONTHLY MEETINGS 1st and 3rd MONDAYS, 7.45 for 8 pm.

AT THE T.S. TERRA NOVA, 34 THE WALDRONS, S. CROYDON.

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"A" MEETING: 2nd FEBRUARY WHAT’S NEW IN AVIONICS G1OEQ

"B" MEETING: 16th FEBRUARY INFORMAL GATHERING AND TECHNICAL CHINWAG.

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Dear Members,

At the dawn of mankind, man and women had to do everything for themselves and they learnt by experience and their mistakes to hunt, build shelters, make clothing, etc. This knowledge and expertise was passed down from parents to children. The centuries went by and certain sections of people realised that it was easier to get others to do the manual work so they lived off the backs of others and these people did not have manual and craft skills to pass to their offspring’s. This has gone on until the present day and a large proportion of children are not taught at an early age to combine manual and mental skills. Is this the reason why so few children do not acquire these skills? And is this the reason why we get so few youngsters joining the amateur ranks???

NEXT MEETING. WHAT'S NEW IN AVIONICS.

As we know, it is very difficult to keep up with the advances in electronics, and probably none more than in that related to aircraft, internally and in communications. We are fortunate in having persuaded Doug Tribute, G1OEQ to give us what promises to be a very interesting talk and to bring us up to date with the latest techniques. This talk is one not to be missed.

LAST MEETING. HISTORY OF SSB AND SHORT TALKS.

Unfortunately the prescribed talk we had arranged for this meeting by Tim Drew G8JXV had to be postponed but we hope to have it at a later date. At very short notice Ron Glaisher G6LX stepped into the breach with "The History of SSB". Ron started by pointing out that the idea of SSB originated before radio and was devised to enable more than one simultaneous transmission along telegraph lines (Morse). He then went on to outline the difficulties and demonstrations needed to gain the imagination of the radio services, and Ron had taken part in some of the world-wide experiments for this purpose. He also showed how simple, with very few valves, some of the early transmitters and receivers were and also he described the different systems of generating SSB. All there found the talk very interesting and Ron could have gone on much longer. Thanks Ron. My contribution to the evening was to introduce to those who had not realised that one can buy crystal oscillator modules at half the price of a cry stal. Very simple - 5 volts in and the RF out. The only snag is that the frequencies available are limited but it is worth while for members to check if the required frequency is on the list. The rest of the evening was taken up when Gareth Evans G4XAT described the versatility of PICS. Gareth teaches physics at a school and he requires his pupils to build simple circuits, many of the fastest ones are based on the PIC, which is a miniature microprocessor. He showed several of the circuits, programmable high intensity LEDs as rear lights on bicycles, a clock and a Noughts and Crosses player.

Incidentally, in the January issue of Radcom there is a circuit f or a tiny Cosmos Keyer that vies for the title of being the smallest and cheapest keyer in the world!!!! The snag ( and there always is one) is that one has to work out the truth tables and then to have the PIC programmed (blown) . Gareth has the facilities to blow these, but it may be possible to obtain the PICs already programmed. Thanks Gareth, everyone there found your talk very interesting and added to our knowledge of "simpler circuits"!!

DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES.

2nd FEBRUARY. WHAT'S NEW IN AVIONICS.

21st FEBRUARY. CLUB DINNER. WINDMILL WALLINGTON.

22nd FEBRUARY. RSGB VHF NATIONAL CONVENTION. SANDOWN

2nd MARCH. SURPLUS SALE.

11th MARCH. BAIRD THE MAN. FAIRFIELD HALLS, CROYDON

30th MARCH. VHF NFD MEETING. MONDAY QTH G3ZPB.

6th APRIL. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

11th MAY. CONSTRUCTION CONTEST.

1st JUNE. TBA

22nd JUNE. VHF NFD MEETING. MONDAY QTH G3ZPB

4/5th JULY. VHF NATIONAL FIELD DAY.

6th JULY. TBA

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CLUB DINNER THE WINDMILL WALLINGTON.

Details of this was given in the last newsletter. Please try and get there as soon after 7.30 as possible so that the food does not get cold!! We are limited to a maximum of 35 and already we have had deposits f or 30 which is a comfortable number for the room. The menu will be quite flexible, but the chef would appreciate some advance notice of members requirements. I would therefore like to know your pref erences in advance. It is suggested that the starters would be either SOUP or PRAWN COCKTAIL. For the main course there is available ROAST BEEF, ROAST LAMB or FISH, with the usual vegetables. Vegetarians can be catered f or. I will be taking your wishes by fone, but people with special dietary needs can ring Linda on 0181 773 9141. We will be having the usual things that make these dinners go with a swing but no long speeches!! We are looking forward to it.

We had an inquest/policy meeting last Monday when 10 attended, with representatives of each section, and it was very nice to have had a new recruit, Gareth Evans G4XAT. Others who are interesting in lending your support please have a word with me, we could do with more operators, check operators, helpers in assembling the stations or just supporters. It is not necessary for you to be on site for the whole weekend. We will again enter the Mix and Match section and this time, 70 cms will be in the open section with several improvements in equipment. It was suggested that in order to improve operating that we enter other contests, there are several listed, 29/3 70 MHz, 31/3 and 6 and 16/4 144 SSB, 2/5 432 Trophy, 2 and 3/5 432, 16 and 17/5 144, 21/6 432 FM. Those of you wishing to participate in any of these with the idea of getting some practice, please get in touch with me.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

The AGM will be as usual in April but I am taking this opportunity of bringing to your attention that your Chairman Ray Howells G4FFY has done his three years as chairman (the maximum allowed by our rules) so we will require a new one. There are members on the committee eligible for this but you are at liberty to propose anyone you like who could be voted in at the AGM. And if any of you wish to serve on the committee, get someone to nominate you. Formal notice of the AGM will be given in the March newsletter. And while talking of the newsletters, thanks to the good offices of Ray G4FFY in future the newsletters will be scanned and be available on PACKET under "clubs"

 TO FAX OR NOT TO FAX, THAT IS THE QUESTION.

Ted Jones G3EUE, one of my regular contributors sent me the following:-

An Australian friend whom I have known for a number of years serves in the Antarctic on the Australian bases as a base manager and currently is on Macquarie Island which is about mid-way between Tasmania and the Antarctic mainland. We usually exchange letters around Christmas time, mine taking around six months to reach him. This year he sent me a letter by fax and I decided to use the same system. Unfortunately his fax number only applied to messages from the mainland. The following is a nearly exact record of my attempt to get the right number.

Me: Hallo, could you please tell me the fax dialling code for Macquarie Island?

BT: Er, where's that?

Me. It's an Australian Antarctic Survey station on an island South of Tasmania.

BT: Just a minute., long pause.

BT: I am not sure but I think you have to add a 6.

Me: Thank you ( I decided to add the figure and dial. Phone rings but doesn't sound like a Fax response)

Lady's voice: Hallo.

Me: Is that Macquarie Island?

Voice: No - I am speaking from a farm house in Warribungle, New South Wales, who do you want?

Me: Sorry I am phoning from England and I think I have a wrong number. (Put the phone down)

Me. Hallo, BT. Could you please tell me the fax dialling code for Macquarie Island? (A different operator).

BT: Where's that. (I tell him).

BT: All calls in that area are routed via New Zealand.

Me: How is it that I have just had a fax direct from Macquarie?

BT: Hold on. Hallo New Zealand - I have a caller who wants to send a fax to Macquarie Island, what is the fax code?

NZ: What number is he trying/ (It's a threeway conversation).

Me: (I tell him).

NZ: We use a different number to the Antarctic bases.

BT: OK, New Zealand, thank you.

BT: Try dropping 61.

Me: (I do so and get straight through!!).

The answer seems to be that the calls go direct to the island, and not via Australia. It was an entertaining 15 minutes.

Thanks Ted for that interesting snippet.

He went on to say that he is pleased with the Trio 530 which he bought from Charles Lawson following the advertisement in the newsletter. It proves that some people read it!!!

He also mentioned that eventually he got the answer to his query regarding the R1094 f rom a reader in Horsham who sent Ted copies of the relevant Air Publications. The R1094 was identical to the R1093 but in a different case. The R1094 was used as a standby receiver to the R0184 when installed in a general purpose vehicle, a self contained radio station. Ted has photographs of the interior which includes such goodies as a "bath-tub" key which must have made it hard work for the operator. There on the wall is MY HT/LT switch unit, which was the start of the original query. He thinks there are not too many examples of them around. The vehicle bodywork was constructed in teak with specially impregnated panels to withstand tropical conditions. It must have been a late 1930s construction because the Air Publication is dated 1938.

Thanks for all that Ted, it certainly was of interest.

CHRIS PROWSE G7MDV.

Chris has now moved to "moat End", 212 Castle Street, Port Chester, Fareham, Hants P016 9QL. He sends best wishes and said "The castle is the "ruin" at the bottom of our garden and the "moat" is tidal. So I hope to be going M/M next year. It is a great relief to stop commuting and get the family together again. Susan has settled in quickly and finds the neighbourhood much more friendly than Warlingham". Best wishes Chris, and I hope you will keep in touch. Bernard.

CONSTRUCTION CONTEST.

This will take place in May and we generally get some 15 to 20 exhibits of all standards. You needn't be afraid that your efforts will be ridiculed as the scoring takes into account your "engineering" facilities. So don't leave it too late, finish off that unit you have half completed and bring it along. Any item you have made, even kits, can be entered, only it must not have won an SRCC prize in the past.

SALE OF SURPLUS GEAR.

The meeting after next will be the Spring sale which will be run on the same lines as previously. I understand that Maurice has now disposed of nearly all stocks of surplus gear that he had stored, and there is now more room in his garage! So now is your chance, over the next month or so, to sort out those juicy pieces you wish to bring along to dispose of. You have now been warned.

SPECIAL SPACE FILLER.

The sister of Arthur, G3YRB, sent him the following, thinking it might be of interest. It is from the Gisborne Herald, New Zealand, September 1997. DISTRICT'S RADIO HAMS GET NEW STORAGE DATA SYSTEM.

A NEW data information storage system is allowing local amateur radio operators to receive calls at all hours of the day and night, from all over the world, and hold them in a voice mailbox system for later clearing.

The AX25 packet system is similar to the internet, but pre-dates it by several years.

Local operators were served by a packet system in the past from a local amateur's station but the new system is the district's own, with a registered call sign of ZL2AA, with the address ZL2AA#38.NZL.OC.

Messages are repeated from Gisborne to Napier by way of a 'digipeater" (radio data repeater) high up in the hills around Gisborne. From there it is repeated to Wellington, from where it is sent via satellite to the country of destination and then beamed to the national station for forwarding to specific amateur radio stations. The service is free to all licensed amateur radio operators and is run on a voluntary basis.

The local club is using the system to promote the district with its ongoing Gisborne 2000 Award programme which involves sending an award to callers from all over the world, in the form of a coloured panorama of the district, printed on A4 sized paper and sent as a confirmation of the call.

The award is now in its third year and features a stunning photograph of Gisborne taken from Kaiti Hill by photographer Stephen Jones.

The Gisborne club is running an active membership drive and is hoping to start classes for beginners early next year, leading to an amateur operators' exam. in September next year.

Age is no barrier, with the youngest amateur radio operator in New Zealand believed to be only eight years old.

Both males and females are welcome and anyone interested should contact president Gerry Huberts or secretary Ric Coleman.

THANKS Arthur for that account, it certainly shows that the problems of attracting new blood to our hobby are the same at the other ends of the earth as they are for the UK!!

Required, to purchase or loan, 2 Meter Antenna Handbook. Paperback by Newnes. This is now out of print ALSO FM transceiver CB. 40 channels. £10 or near. Gareth G4XAT 0181 462 2837.

With a further reminder for you to think of the dinner, the constructional contest, the next surplus sale and Sandown convention on the 22nd. I hope to see you on Monday at the talk on Avionics by Doug Tribute G1OEQ which should be very interesting.