Dear Members,

The other day we went to see the film TITANIC. One can quite understand the reason for it costing so much. The sound followed the modern trend of being too loud but I suppose the operators think they have to turn up the wick for us to appreciate the wrap around sound. Still we thoroughly enjoyed it.

I HEREBY GIVE NOTICE that the Annual General Meeting of the SRCC will be held on Monday 6th April at the club room 7.30 for 8.00pm. Following our usual practice this notice is over a month ahead, but this is to comply with club rules, and also allows time if there are any proposed alterations to the rules, or to give you an opportunity to raise any points at the AGM, the committee would appreciate notice of important ones. We also ask for nominations for committee, such nominations ( and acceptances) must be received by the committee prior to the opening of the AGM. With the next newsletter I will include a nomination slip for the committee, the agenda and also a copy of the minutes of the 1997 AGM.

I ALSO GIVE NOTICE that at the AGM, there will be presented for the approval of the meeting, an alteration to the club rules. This will be to make the club's financial year to end earlier in order to give more time for the accounts to be completed instead of the rush that we now have when the financial year is just prior to the AGM. The full wording will be included in the next newsletter.

This meeting will be on the 2nd MARCH and we normally get a good turn-out for these events. Maurice has now largely reduced his stock for the sale which means that now we need YOU to bring along gear surplus to your requirements that we can dispose of. Incidentally the club benefits by a good addition to club funds, which is one reason why the club subscription is as low as it is. I hope you will bring along as much gear as possible to make this a successful event, and don't forget the club welcomes all "donated" gear. All members, and visitors they have brought along, must sign the attendance book, and all must be conversant with the rules. Note that the club accepts no responsibility for goods sold at this private sale and the purchasers buy on the understanding that they are capable of determining the usability, fitness for purpose and SAFETY of goods obtained.

When arranging talks one cannot be certain of the presentability of speakers and this is always somewhat of a gamble. However the gamble paid off with our last speaker. Duncan Tribute, G10EQ, having served in the RAF now represents a US principal, offering Engineering and Installation Design and Certification services to airlines across Europe and further afield. We found him a very accomplished speaker and he addressed us without hesitation, repetition or deviation. He started by showing us as fair size book containing acronyms used in the aircraft industry, and he seems to know the lot and was able to explain them in terms we could understand. Space prevents me from going into detail with his talk, but the thing that impressed me was the complexity of the installations in aircraft, on the ground and with satellites, and also with the backup and duplication systems to ensure safe operations. If anyone wishes to go into more detail I have a copy of Duncan's talk notes covering three pag es and with fourteen headings!! His easy manner of address made this a very interesting talk and our thanks go to Duncan for a very interesting and informative evening.

I make no apology for reminding you all of this meeting in May, so that you can keep it in mind when finishing off those items you have constructed. Although this meeting has a small competitive element it is really designed to promote construction, but perhaps more to see what other members are doing and to encourage others. So items small or large are welcome, items that have won a prize at SRCC can be included for interest only. Following the talk that Gareth gave us the other meeting, we expect to see entries using PICs and if there are enough, who knows, perhaps we will have a separate category??? I appreciate the amount of construction by members is falling off, nevertheless past meetings have been well attended and so do fulfill a useful service.

Another reminder. On Wednesday March 11th Ralph Barrett will present this talk at the Maple Room, Fairfield Halls, Croydon, at 7.30pm. This meeting has been arranged by the IEE, coffee and sandwiches at 7.00 pm. AND NO CHARGE. Non-members are welcome, no tickets, just turn up. Details were from Ray Herbert, G2KU who most of you will know was associated with J.L. Baird and has given us several talks in the past. A different speaker will add interest and should be a good evening. Thanks Ray.

I'm glad to report that Harry is progressing satisfactorily and that it is expected that the plaster cast will soon be coming off. Best wishes for a full and rapid recovery. I hear he hopes to be at Sandown!!

30 foot sectional mast, in wooden transit case (6ft. long), believed to be complete and has not been used. Free but must be collected. Clearing out shack. Phone Derek Sheen G4CCW (Selsdon) 0181 651 1410

I am reminded that there are several members active on 144 on Thursdays and Fridays. Thursday at 7.30 starting on calling freq., and on Friday at 8.30. The Sunday morning net on 29.111 MHz is still going strong generally, well chaired by Charles G3JCL and, I understand, we have several listeners who are not able to get on the air. If you can't support this net, why not give the 2 meter nets a try???

We welcome a new member who has just received his call M1CKT. He is Michael O'Dell, 133 Ridge Langley, South Croydon CR2 OAQ. We hope he will enjoy the facilities of the club. This is a good moment to remind members that in the club we have many technical people who are only too willing to discuss or explain any technical problems that arise.

As I mentioned in last newsletter, Gareth is still searching for the Old 2 meter Antenna Handbook, printed by Newnes, which is out of print. Loan or purchase. ALSO he is looking for an FM transceiver CB, 40 channel. He is prepared to pay in the order of f10 for this. Gareth, 0181 462 2837

It was very nice to have Dave on the 10 meter net on Sunday. Dave does not get to the club very often, but in his younger days we was very active at the club and in fact he presented the club with the Coronation Cup. Incidentally many happy returns of your birthday Dave, just 81!

Recently I have received several packets of used STAMPS which go to the School. It is a voluntary organisation for handicapped children so these and donations help to keep funds in the black. So thanks to all of you who do send me packets of stamps, it is a good cause.

Always nice to have a letter from Ted and he included the following;–

I have an amateur friend in Italy, I2BFF. He knows of my interest in the historical side of wireless and telegraph and has sent me one or two items which he thought might be of interest. A few weeks ago he sent a blank QSL card with the call 1CR, the operator's name being Vicenzo Quasimodo. With it was a photocopy letter from an American station 8CPL to EI-ICR dated 27th April 1927. The letter reads as follows:–

Dear OM.,

Enclosed please find card to acknowledge our communication of April 20th. I was unable to QSL immediately due to the fact that I was unable to get your QRA during our QSO. Your signals were fine here but due to QRM from a nearby moving picture theatre I was unable to copy all your transmission. I surely would appreciate a card from you a.m. as I have no card from an EI station yet.

Am using a 50 watt tube here with 200 watts input from a mercury arc rectifier. Using the tuned plate and grid circuit and voltage feed antenna. Receiver is a standard "Schnell" with two stages of audio amplification. Thinking you may be interested I am also enclosing pictures of my station. Would be very glad to receive all dope on your station, kind of circuit, power used etc. Hoping to QSO again soon, I remain, yours very truly, C.F. Parcels. (Toledo, Ohio).

By coincidence recently I was sent a copy of the Italian Amateur Radio Handbook, 8th edition, dated 1932. This includes a list of licensed amateurs as at 1930 and friend Quasimodo, 1CR is included which authenticates the above material. One mystery is that the list starts with the call 1AA for the Italian Amateur Society then 1AB and so in almost complete alphabetical order as far as 1HZ but thereafter only about 50 calls to 1ZR. In addition there are 36 short-wave listeners with their individual identifications starting with 10001. I don’t know whether this sort of information is of interest to anyone else but I find it fascinations.!!!

I'm sure other members will also find this interesting. Thanks Ted.

Some of you will remember the LDV or the Home Guard during the war but some of you may take "Dad's Army" as fact. I am pleased to get a first hand account from Harry G4TWK of his service in the Home Guard.

SOME PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF THE 59th (Surrey) BATTALION HOME GUARD IN THE

SELSDON AND ADDISCOMBE AREAS 1942-1944.

In the spring of 1942 I was a little over 16 years of age and working in a factory in Purley Way, Croydon making radio transmitters for the Royal Navy. The working week was 57 hours with the working day being from 7.30 am to 7pm and Saturday morning 7.30 am to 12.00 noon. On reaching 17, I would be liable to some form of Civil Defence such as Fire Watching, Air Raid Precautions or Home Guard. This in addition to the very long working week that war work entailed. A school friend who lived near me in Addiscombe told me that his father who served in a cavalry regiment in the 1914/18 war had joined a Mounted Home Guard Platoon in Selsdon. We decided that we would do likewise but would need to increase our ages by a few months.

We presented ourselves to the Mounted Platoon H.Q. situated in a double fronted detached house in Addington Road where possibly the Stag Pub now stands. Two similar but semi detached houses are still in Addington Road numbered I believe 240/242. They are in a rather dilapidated state. We were readily accepted and found we had committed ourselves to one evening parade per week plus Sunday morning and 2 all night guard duties per month.

The parades took place in the Platoon H.Q., the Selsdon Recreation Ground or the playground of the Selsdon Primary School. The Platoon was commanded by a lieutenant assisted by a second Lieutenant and some NCOs. They mostly had had previous army experience and were responsible for the Platoon training. This was mainly foot drill, arms drill and lectures on various military matters. Some Sundays we spent all day at the rifle ranges at Marlpit Lane, Coulsdon or the chalk pits at Oxted. Other week-ends were spent on field exercises on the open ground that is now Forestdale or in the Farleigh/Chelsham areas. These exercises would involve other Home Guard units and Regular army units. One Sunday morning we had Airborne troops parachuting down onto Selsdon Vale.

The Selsdon units had two observation posts ready for manning if the need arose, one was a room on the top floor of the Selsdon Park Hotel overlooking the golf course and the area to the south, and the other located in a Grain silo on the Addington Hills above Featherbed Lane. For communication the hotel O.P. was linked by GPO telephone backed up by a field telephone line to Platoon HQ. The only link to the silo was by a signaling lamp which proved possible over the open ground that prevailed at that time.

The over night guard duties varied according to the locality. In some areas in addition to the provision of sentries at Home Guard HQ's, sentries would be on duty at vulnerable points i.e. Gas Works, Railway Yards, Bridges etc. The Selsdon Mounted Platoon did not take part in this type of guard duty but provided a 3 man mounted patrol of the Selsdon and Chelsham areas.

TO BE CONTINUED. Thanks Harry for that.

That’s the lot for this month, see you all in good form at the Sale, and please consider filling up the nomination form below.

I ................................................ wish to nominate ........................................................

for the position of Secretary/Member on the SRCC committee 1998/99

If elected I agree to stand .................................................... Date ...................................