SOUTH DORSET RADIO SOCIETY

CATSWHISKER JULY 2001

The newsletter of the South Dorset Radio Society

Posted 26/06/01

A full colour version of this Newsletter with pictures is now available in 'PDF' format and can be accessed from the Catswhisker Index page.

Next SDRS meeting is on July the 3rd
 Click here for more information on coming club events

EDITORIAL Welcome to yet another newsletter, so what has been happening since our last edition? Well, now you can have your 'Catswhisker' in full colour!  Yes, with a connection to the internet you can either log onto the SDRS web site and view our newsletter in Adobe Acrobat format or if you would like, you can have it e-mailed to you direct. So if you like what you see and would like me to e-mail it to you, then please drop me a line via 2e1hfy@g3sds.org

Another special event has been and gone, Museums on-the-Air Weekend organised by Jon M0BQQ. What a wonderful weekend it was and all those that worked the station or visited thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Please, if you have not as yet renewed your membership, then this should be done before the next copy is sent out. Feel free to use the attached form. For those that have rejoined, please pass the form onto someone you feel may like to make use of it! (This form is available for download in 'PDF'format from the Catswhisker Index page)

Until next month, regards from Neville, 2E1HFY

WANTED Has any reader got, or can remember, the SDRS car sticker that was issued in 1975. According to contemporary sources it was the RSGB diamond with South Dorset Radio Society around it.  I would also appreciate one or two photos of the Alderney NFD excursion that took place in 1976. Can you help please?

John M0BQO m0bq0@g3sds.org.uk

SECRETARY'S REPORT Hiya all, well here you are, the month of May has come and gone and here I am writing another report.
It has been a busy month for everyone with organising the Nothe Fort event " Museums on the air". This was the first year of this event and everything went well even though band conditions were down. I would like too take this opportunity to congratulate everyone for getting this event on the air.

At the moment I am working on promoting our Society within other societies this being passing on information about our monthly meetings. I am hoping that we might get visitors from afar who might want to join. This might be a bit enthusiastic but it needs to be tested as our membership needs to be increased. What do you feel ?

Don't forget the GX8SDS/P Monday evening net; 8pm, 145.350MHz

Anyway I will keep it short (yawn, hi hi) more next month.

Pat, G1XJH

SUBSCRIPTIONS It's not too late to re-join or if you have and know of someone who may like to, then feel free to use the enclosed application form. (This form is available for download in 'PDF'format from the Catswhisker Index page)

Cheques to be made out to: South Dorset Radio Society.

Mrs E. Illsley
15 Victoria Place
Portland
Dorset DT5 2AA

Phone: 01305 823232

Feel free to give the enclosed application form to someone who may like to come along to our meetings or just join in some of the special events during the year. You never know! Give it a go. It's interesting talking to others with a similar interest. You don't have to be an amateur to join, just an interest in the hobby of radio.

Emma, M1CCJ

NATIONAL MUSEUMS-ON-THE-AIR WEEKEND

Organiser : Jon M0BQQ

Event call sign : GB2WNF

It was decided to take part in the new event, museums on the air, this year and to make use of the facilities at Nothe Fort in Weymouth. We had already used the site once for Marconi day so we knew what to expect and had all the equipment ready from the previous outing. We ran the main station on the 40m band as 80m was too noisy, and due the changeable nature of the bands recently we used a G5RV antenna to an SGC231 auto ATU between the 600Ohm feeder and the coax to give the main station flexibility if required. We also ran two other HF stations on the higher bands, which was hoped would give the DX stations a chance to work us. This was not too successful mainly due to poor conditions. We also ran a 2m FM station and UI-view.

On day one the shack was very noisy with visitors and several operators competing against to hear each other, the room echoes badly which makes the problem worse. It was decided that all operators should use headphones on day two which improved the situation dramatically, although the visitors could no longer hear the contacts. For the first time while I have been a member of the SDRS we made extended use of CW, expertise provided by Alex Shannon G3KKJ, thank you Alex. This was fairly successful and accounted for the majority of DX contacts.

We hope to provide a CW station at future events so hurry up and pass your test Neville!

Conclusions:- On the whole the weekend went well but it could have been much better. There was a lack of professionalism at times by several operators which had to be addressed on day one. This will not be tolerated again at an event organised by myself. There was also a lot of band changing and a lack of continuity, ie the main station changing from being an event station to chasing others and losing the frequency.
In my opinion we are here to provide a special station for others to work, so the main station should stay where it is for others to find.
In the future we plan to use a directional antenna for the DX stations and keep the main station on frequency to provide contacts. I would like to see a return to the type of operation that the club used to do when I first joined, to this end I will be asking the committee to draw up a code of conduct for operators.
Thanks everyone for the support on the event, maybe we can see some other club members at the next event not just the same old faces.

Jon Illsley M0BQQ

TALKS ON LIFE ! I was listening to 6m the other day and thought how dull it is nowadays. Barely a soul about, it felt like Pat's shoe!! Anyways, lets move onto the Nothe Fort, and what a beautiful weekend it was, well the 3 hours I saw of it! It seemed highly echoey, especially with the 'Dream Team' performance (coming to a Theatre or Fort near You!) but it seemed to be quite a nice 2 days, with endless stations being received, from as far a field as ASDA's supermarket car park! But, generally, the day seemed to be a flying start to a great weekend of fun, frolics and eating breakfast (bacon butties) at 10.30am on Saturday morning (Pat, Mark, Richard, (Myself) but as I went on the Saturday afternoon with a splitting, well, you don't wanna know...........

Owen Morris, 2E1OZY

Another RAE question but where's the answer to last months Neville?

Every Radio Receiver need NOT contain a,

a) Mixer

b) Detector

c) Amplifier

d) Demodulator

Supplied by Geoff, G0EVW

ITEMS FOR SALE

Duel-band mobile collinear with mag mount £10:00

Multi band aerial analyser £150:00 ( Was £325:00 when new )

Contact George, G3DLG on 01305 780328

Tektronix 7633 Storage Oscilloscope (100MHz.)

With service manual. Only £150:00

(Proceeds towards running costs for training etc.)

Contact Neville, 2E1HFY.

To be honest, I was rather surprised at Owen's comments. As far as I can see every RadCom has a comprehensive range of material at all levels across the whole spectrum of Amateur Radio interest such as the regular feature 'Down To Earth' that includes 'Newcomers News' and wonder if we are reading the same magazine!

As regards Advertising, many people actually want to know what equipment is available to the Radio Amateur and I am not sure where else you would find such information other than in a magazine devoted entirely to Amateur Radio! It's also an essential source of income to the RSGB and subsidises the cost of producing RadCom.

The RSGB has to take into account the views and requirements of all of it's members and these range in age from the very young to centenarians and this is reflected in RadCom but the Society works very hard to encourage newcomers of all ages since without new blood our hobby will die.

73 de Geoff, G0EVW, Aged 58 and three quarters!

(This is only a small extract from one of the letters received)

Please keep your letters coming in, whether critical or not. Neville, 2E1HFY 2e1hfy@g3sds.org.uk

(Full details of the Society and it's committee can be found on the SDRS Information page)

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