Broadcast - 22 Dec 2024
It’s always nice to have some good news to report so over to Peter VK7PD
“Last Saturday 2 assessments for the Foundation Licence were held in the NTARC Clubrooms. The first for some time. This was conducted by Andrew, VK7DW. Thanks are extended to Andre’ VK7ZAB for setting up radios on HF and VHF for the practical component, and likewise to Kerry, VK7PAK, Peter, VK7ZPE and Rick, VK7HBR for providing contacts on the various bands.
Both candidates were pleasantly surprised by communication from the ACMA on Monday afternoon offering immediate licence issue. We now have Adam, VK7AJP and Matt, VK7AAJ on air. Please give them a call if you hear them on local repeaters or 40 metres. Appreciation is also conveyed to Andrew for submitting the results so promptly.
Congratulations Adam and Matt and Season's Greetings.”
For an end of year treat Colin brought us up to date on the coming together of his portable setup.
Colin was the one studiously turning out 3D printed Yagi element mounts, enclosures, co-axial cable spools and anything else he needed. This time it wasn’t his 3D printing success but his metalwork lathing prowess
Colin found some suitable thickness aluminium strapping in the “scrap box”, cut a square piece off the end, lathed it up into a disk then drilled and tapped some holes on the thin edge perimeter to take radials. The radial arms for the ground plane were old elements that were courtesy of a Fracarro TV antenna, found in the “too good to through-out” scrap heap. A quick tapped thread on one end, cut it to length and screw it into the aluminium disc. The antenna itself was a repurposed commercially available copy of a Diamond mobile antenna that Colin has optimised for 70 cm. The pack-away ground plane and antenna are mounted on a collapsible tripod, all coming together to make a professional looking build.
Colin also found and purchased a fairly sturdy 5.2 m telescopic antenna on the internet. So he lathed up an adaptor to fit it onto his spigot mount heavy duty base. The adaptor replaced the very hefty spring found on top as it was originally meant for mobile use, no spring this time as it is intended for fixed location. This time another lathed aluminium disc was mounted under the base and used as the counterpoise hub for the spreading radial wires. The whole antenna assembly is mounted on another internet find item, a clamp sold as a Truck mirror mount! A very nice clamp in its own right and well worth a look.
There does seem to be a recurring theme here, Internet finds and the excellent use of the so called scrap heap, plus heaps of ingenuity and skills. I love this repurposing and reuse of items and we await next year’s field trial results.
Ross VK7ALH finished off the year by bringing in his Heathkit SB-101 HF transceiver, circa late 1960s. A fine example of an amazing kit, but importantly he had worked his magic conversion once again! He had replaced the original rubber band or “O” ring belt that connected the control knob shaft to the ganged tuning capacitors with a full gear and chain combination usually found in a Kenwood. Very elegant Ross.
I will leave the square records that turned up for show and tell for next week. Yes I did say square and record in the same breath and I do mean that they were for those old things called record players. I will leave you with that mental picture!
There was a great turn out for the final Friday morning tea of the year and with much merriment, chatter, coffee and the obligatory food was consumed. A happy ending to the year and the recognition of 20 years since NTARC came into existence back in 2004!
We were also lucky with the timing of our last morning tea as it allowed for a fleeting visit from Mogens the Chief Operating Officer from ADSB Support in Denmark. He is briefly visiting Tasmania before returning to Denmark next week. What was going to be a fleeting visit stretched somewhat with Mogens giving a not so quick, on the spot, Question and Answer session on Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast or ADS-B for short.
In a nut shell and I quote, “an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation or other sensors and periodically broadcasts its position and other related data, enabling it to be tracked”, thank you Wiki.
Thank you Mogens for taking time out and visiting for a cuppa and a somewhat longer than anticipated chat.
Note my description doesn’t do Colin’s work justice, and as they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so as always, pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast. NTARC Blogs
Finally – As all club events are now in recess but the broadcast soldiers on, a reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup then please email them to the Secretary at the following address news@ntarc.net .
As this weekly news is the last till that man in red arrives in just three more sleeps, or if its Tuesday night rebroadcast, then it is one more sleep. This is our final opportunity, to wish everyone a Merry and Safe Christmas. For those of us travelling over this period please take it easy. Enjoy your Christmas feast with family and friends, see you all next year.
That’s all folks,
73, Stefan VK7ZSB, on behalf of the NTARC Committee.
