September 2008

Editor: Malcolm Andrew G8NRP

COMMENT

I wonder what happened to the summer this year?  A phrase that I often hear lately.  The poor weather certainly spoilt the VHF Field Day back in July and also the HF SSB Field Day this last weekend.  However, it has not spoiled our social events with record numbers attending our Summer DF Hunt and Annual Barbecue.  I have found some of the propagation on 10 and 6 metres fascinating and have managed to work some new countries.
I wonder if you use the RSGB QSL Bureau and were aware that their address has changed.  Their contact details are as follows:

RSGB QSL Bureau,
P.O. Box 5, Halifax, HX1 9JR.
Telephone: 01422 359362. 
E-mail: QSL@rsgb.org.uk

I also wonder when you last checked whether the envelopes your QSL Sub-Manager may be holding can actually be used to send your cards because of insufficient value postage stamps.  A full list of Sub-Managers can be found at
www.rsgb.org/membersonly/qslbureau/receivingcards.php#submanagers
together with information on receiving cards from the bureau.

Malcolm, G8NRP

JULY MEETING

Ron, G0BNC writes:
I had just managed to get set up, and cut the undergrowth for the 18:50 hrs first transmission.  I was surprised by first arrival at 18:56 of Alan, G6GNW and Val.  I first thought the Clover Leaf antenna must be working well, only to be advised they had spent some time up at Lynch Hill Leisure Park, 100 metres away.  Alan had been told where we were to meet and had come early to watch the wild life.

Next in was Dave, G0LJX.  He had driven round and round in circles, so had opened his envelope.

The true winners were Roger, G0AOZ with Derek, G0MGZ with Ray, G3LQC in tow in another car.  I have never seen Derek look so happy since he won the DF Hunt many years ago at Blenheim.

Colin, G3NNG and Val arrived at 20.28 hrs after spending some time at Lynch Hill lakes looking for my snorkel - sorry Colin the water's too cold for me!

The Red Lion, Northmoor was heaving with 28 of the HARS members when Val and I arrived.  There was Roy, G0KNV; Bob, G0ADH and Pat with sister Jean from Manchester; Malcolm, G8NRP and Anne; Angus, G0UGO and Elizabeth; Ann, G8NVI and Mike, G0CUL with Tom and Laura; Peter, David and Ellie; David, M0NUT with Cinzia & Elizebeta.  I can’t remember a higher turn out.  Everyone enjoyed the evening and the excellent food.

Ron G0BNC

LE TATTY PIECE DE PAPIER AWARD 2008

This annual award saw record numbers of entrants battling with the QRM to try and work F/M0CUL/P on 80m at the end of July.

The new holiday QTH in the village of Clecy, about 40km south of Caen in Normandy, presented G8CUL and G8NVI with some aerial dilemmas on their arrival.  Initially we operated using a long wire but this did not prove very successful and QSOs were hard work especially with the heavy QRM being generated by Eastern European stations.  After a week G6LNU and Marian joined us, John bringing with him a loaded dipole that he had built, together with his fishing rod!

The dipole was slung between the gite (one fastener being secured over the top of the roof - hence the fishing rod), and a fir tree at the top of the garden.  After a few adjustments this aerial seemed to work very well and communication, at least FROM France, became a little easier.

We are pleased to report that we worked 17 club members as well as many other stations, during the fortnight.  Many members worked us on several occasions but in the end, one station led the way, working us very regularly, with a consistently punchy signal despite running only modest power!

We were pleased to hear that, whilst we were busy adjusting our aerial in France, at least one club member, G4MJW (Mike), erected a dipole for 80m in order to work us.  Well done Mike!

In the meantime, Ray and Roger made trips to the WARs station in order to work us - much appreciated!

So ‘merci’ to all those who worked us, sincere apologies to any who tried to work us and that we failed to hear, and we look forward to hearing you all again next year!  (See QAV Xtra for photographs.)

Ann, G8NVI

ANOTHER OVER FROM THE CHAIRMAN

I am writing this again under cloudy skies and rain.  Just right for the HF SSB Field Day which is this weekend.  A few members of the club also took part in the 2m Trophy contest last night.  To enter the 6-hour section we needed to have a break of at least 1 hour.  This was lucky, as we had bad static rain for about an hour which rather decided which hour to have off.  We also had the 2m Club Championship last week as well as the one at the beginning of August.  HARS entered teams for both events and we are holding on to 2nd place.  The 80m championships are now over for the year - they only run from January until July.  Bob has done a great job cajoling us all into entering.

Since the last club meeting and QAV, a number of us took part in Ron’s 2m DF hunt in July.  Last month I reported that the pub was supposed to serve good food.  That was an understatement - the food was superb.  More from Ron about the DF hunt elsewhere in this issue.

In August we held the annual club BBQ which for the first time was held near the RAL clubroom.  The original plan was to use the RAL Social Club as the main venue, which is right next door to the clubroom.  Unfortunately, about 2 weeks before the event I was informed that the lounge area in the Social Club was due to be completely refurbished over the period covering both the BBQ and proposed open day.  This refurbishment work meant that we could not really use the Social Club at all.  As time was so short, we decided to carry on with the BBQ and hire a marquee to give cover in case of rain.  In a way, that was a fortuitous decision as it made the event a great success with the lighting and picnic tables arranged inside the marquee.  For the first time ever people were sitting chatting inside the marquee until quite late.  The only real problem was the time it took to cook on the fixed barbeques - no fault of course due to the chefs.

There are many people to thank for their hard work for that evening.  John and Malcolm of course for the cooking, Marian for preparing the salads, Ann for organising the marquee at the last minute and Dave, G8DVK for loaning his gas BBQ which certainly helped.  We must also thank the RAL Social Club for letting us use the premises but most of all, I want to thank you, the membership, for coming along and supporting the event.  I hope you all enjoyed the evening.  (See QAV Xtra for photographs.)

Due to the Social Club refurbishment work, we have had to postpone the planned September open day.  The refurbishment is not due to be completed until well into October, so we have decided to leave the open day until next year, probably April or May.

We had our annual trip to Normandie this summer, but this time to a different ‘Gîte’.  (Self-catering accommodation, but Colin will delight in telling you a different translation!)  80m aerial-wise it was an unknown quantity, and so it proved to be with signal levels in both directions being much worse than in previous years.  Those of you who came on to try and work us will remember the 2 Italian stations who insisted on sitting right on top of us.  Towards the end of the fortnight we used John’s loaded 80m dipole which made a big improvement over the end fed long wire I was trying to use previously.  I’m sure John will be delighted to let you know more details.  Le ‘Tatty Piece de Papier’ award was again a great success due to you all coming on to work us.  The results should be announced at the September meeting.

The day after our arrival, Ann and I took part in the 2m back-packers contest, operating from IN98SW.  We thought that maybe we would work a few South Coast UK stations, but in the few hours we operated, we made 24 contacts (in 14 different squares) including EI, F (obviously), DL and G as far north as Cumbria.  Mind you, we had a few stations confused as to the correct beam heading!  However, it was a great success with simple equipment and something we will definitely be trying again.

In September we have Alison, G8ROG coming to talk to us about The RSGB, Amateur Radio and the future.  October is Steve Drury, G6ALU - The MKARS80 - QRP transceiver, November is Mike, G8CUL and December the AGM.  Time certainly flies when you’re having fun!

Mike, G8CUL

THE CONFESSIONS OF A DF HUNTER

Oh!  Woe is me - and thrice woe!
So OK - my unblemished record at DF Hunting is in tatters!  But I have excuses!

Firstly - the rig with which I usually do so well, decided not to receive.  Therefore this required me to disconnect my FT847 from the shack and install it into the car.  Now don’t get me wrong.  The 847 is a great rig and works well - BUT - when used for DF Hunting, it’s “CRA….” Shall we say “not awfully good”.

The fact that Ron sent out his CW signal tone some 5kc (Surely kHz. Ed) away from his SSB signal didn’t help - but not to worry, I found the plain carrier signal.  Very weak - but I found it.  The next SSB transmission was found with no problem, so when Ron changed over to plain carrier I just tuned around a bit to find it.  Yes!  There it is…. and there it is again…and again…and again…on several different frequencies, each one seemingly coming from a slightly different direction.  After three or four transmissions from Ron, pencil lines on my map were “abundant”.  There were so many that I had to start putting arrows on them to remember which direction they were supposed to be in.

Things were definitely going down hill when I had to put my hand in my pocket to pay at the Toll bridge - and even worse when a few minutes later I had to pay again to come back over the Toll bridge.  Could things get any worse?  YES!  Since Pat and her sister, Jean, were now suggesting that it would “not” be a good idea if I managed to miss the dinner part of the evening, I reluctantly asked Pat to open the envelope.  Now we started to head down the VERY narrow lane from Stanton Harcourt to Northmoor, when suddenly we encountered six large black cows standing in the middle of the road, with no chance whatsoever of getting past them.  As I gently approached them they started to slowly move along the road.  Great - now all I have to do is keep them moving until I can get past.

Some considerable distance up the road I could see a truck type vehicle parked just off the road with a woman standing along side it.  Should be no problem - they should go past that quite easily.  Then suddenly the woman started to run towards the cows, frantically waving her arms in the air and shouting at the cows.  What do you think happened?  Yes!  The cows now panicked and turned back towards my car - my NEW - LESS THAN 2000 miles on the clock car.  I quickly wound the window down and quietly but firmly asked the lady what she thought she was doing. 

I said, “Excuse me madam - but please don’t drive them back towards my car - you silly person”. 

“They're not mine” she shouted.
“I don’t actually care whose they are, just don’t drive them towards my car” I replied.

OK - the above is a “slight” variation on what I actually said.  Fortunately, I managed to squeeze past without having the side of my car kicked in.  After what she had done I was not inclined to stop and assist her with what ever she intended to do next with the beasts, but continued on to the pub in Northmoor where we all enjoyed the rest of a very eventful evening.

Pat has just read through these notes and said it was “Bullocks”.  I can assure her, and you dear reader, that every word is true.

Thanks for another great summer's evening Ron.

Bob, G0ADH (with Pat & Jean)

NEW HARS EMAIL ADDRESSES

We have recently introduced new email addresses for the Officers in HARS.
Please use them rather than the personal addresses. They are as follows:

In addition, if any member would like a new email address, (anything-decent@g3pia.org.uk) with excellent automatic spam rejection, please send your request to editor@g3pia.org.uk. There is no charge for this service, all you need is an Internet connection.

HARFORD NET

Did you know there is a regular net on 2m? It is called Harford as it is used by both HARS and Oxford members. Please come and join in. 145.325MHz FM every Sunday and Wednesday 20.00 - 21.00hrs.

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