Broadcast - 3 March 2024
I think the Launceston Cup half day holiday on Wednesday must have confused some of our members for our Tech Night, we only made it into the low teens for numbers. To be honest we didn’t realise there was a holiday, we were busily setting repeaters up for this weekend’s Equine Endurance Ride at Wattle wood during the day.
Ross VK7ALH was one member who remembered and also brought along a couple of items. Not a vintage transceiver this time but an excellent helper for the “Do It Yourself” amateur that may be working on antenna mounts or similar projects. It was a Boss Weld Mini Arc 140, the use of the word “Mini” may not do the description justice…. It is an Ultra-portable switch mode DC Stick and Lift Arc TIG welder. It weighs in at just on 2kg and only measures 210 x 100 x 137mm but is capable of 140 Amps with a 15 percent duty cycle. Certainly ticks all the boxes for a home enthusiast. If you are wondering, like I was, what the term “Lift Arc TIG” well evidently according to wiki “a positive development as an alternative to scratch starts or high frequency arc starts. Lift start provides consistent, positive arc starts for welding with a DC output.” Well that sounds good for an intermittent user like me plus no high frequency arc RF noise has got to be an improvement.
To complete the ensemble Ross also included an auto darkening welding helmet manufactured by Lincoln electric, model: 1740. This unit incorporates an LCD viewing port that as the manufacturer’s description says, it will auto darken when an arc is struck. It is solar-powered with battery assist and is very light weight coming in at about 500 grams. The inside of the helmet also has controls for sensitivity, shade amount, activation delay and a test button.
The other interesting item from Ross was a book, a second edition copy of “Reflections” by Walter Maxwell W2DU and released by CQ publishing.
This extensive 400-page manual delves into the intricacies of radio communication, focusing on critical topics such as: Transmission Lines, SWR or Standing Wave Ratio, Smith Charts for graphical analysis of impedance and transmission line characteristics, Matching Networks and Conjugate Matching which is the art of impedance matching for optimal signal transfer.
“Reflections” also offers interesting sections on radio history and its evolution. For those who appreciate practical applications, the manual includes printed computer programs to enhance your understanding and aid in real-world scenarios. Definitely worth a read, thank you Ross.
After checking out the offerings Ross brought in we concentrated on setting up the TV and new laptop for next week’s REAST presentation on “Space Junk and Amateur Radio”. While testing we unfortunately or in this case fortunately became side tracked watching the current REAST weekly presentation. We came in at the end of Tony’s excellent valve amplifier presentation which captured everyone attention. From then on we were completely side tracked with the Geiger counter / Dosimeter unit that Justin was testing. We may not have achieved any more work that night but at least we know everything is up and running for next week’s presentation.
As always, pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast.
In the picture of the mini welder, you can see in the background the power cord and normal household three pin power plug, using that as a size reference its certainly one small welder!
Mug Order - yes, we are talking about the white mugs for drinking out of, those that have our club logo on one side, personalised with your name and call sign on the other. We are placing another order so if you would like one then please see André at the Friday coffee mornings or at the Wednesday bi-weekly club Technical Nights. Those members who have already requested a mug, please email secretary@ntarc.net to confirm order, and anyone else who wants one please specify what name is to be printed above the call sign. The final price will be about $12 depending on eventual quantity ordered.
Remember next Wednesday the 6th of March NTARC will be opening the club rooms for a group gathering to watch the REAST presentation on “Space Junk and Amateur Radio”. Rather than sit at home watching, feel free to come along and watch it on a large screen TV, in a distraction and stress free environment. See you Wednesday.
UPCOMING EVENTS
TestNet and TechNet session - Every Wednesday, TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7pm till 7.30pm…. and a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30pm till about 8.30pm. Your host for the evening will be Nic VK7WW.
Coffee Morning - held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there. So why not pop in and join us for a cuppa, there is endless tea and coffee along with biscuits available for a donation.
Club Room gathering - to watch the REAST presentation on “Space Junk and Amateur Radio”. Wednesday the 6th of March, doors will be open by 7:00 pm.
Finally - A reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup, no matter how trivial, then please email them to the Secretary at the following address news@ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
That’s all folks,
73 from Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC Inc.
