Broadcast - 17 April 2022
We begin this week by wishing everyone a happy Easter. If you are traveling please take it easy on the roads. Just take your time and make sure you arrive safely at your destination.
The John Moyle Memorial Field Day results show a good Tasmanian amateur participation and success rate. Congratulations to the following NTARC members, Peter VK7KPC, who came first in the “24 Hour Portable Operation – Single Operator, all mode, all band” section. Andrew VK7DW and JamesVK7JAM who came first and second respectively in the “6 Hour Portable Operation – Single Operator, phone mode, all band” section. Certificates for you three are literally “in the mail”. As well as Justin, VK7TW and Keith, VK7KW who came 6th and 20th respectively in “Home Station – 24 Hour, phone mode, all band” section. Also to Rick VK7HBR, and Bryan VK7KWB, who came 6th and 8th respectively in “Home Station – 6 Hour, phone mode, all band” section.
Congratulations to all winners and contestants. The links to website results are included in the text version of the broadcast. (https://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/johnmoyle/), (https://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/johnmoyle/documents/JMFDC%20Results%202022.pdf)
Last Wednesday was a Club General Meeting night. Proceedings were completed within the hour, everybody stayed on for drinks and various discussions. Including a follow up with Lionel VK7ZLB, notably about the progressive miniaturisation of valves presentation he gave at the previous Tech Night. Brendan VK7VIP, showed us some substantial steel brackets to be used in the next club “working bee”.
Last week’s broadcast was jam packed, so a catch up with the main item from the Test and Tech Net night which was missed and came from Nic VK7WW. He unveiled yet another QRP prototype. This time it was a four transistor Double Side Band transmitter on 3.580 MHz. Later to be tested after the addition of a one transistor Power Amplifier stage to bring it up to four or five watts output. With the assistance of Phil VK7ZPD, Peter VK7KPC, Rick VH7HBR and Lewis VK7IT providing readability and field strength reports throughout. Lewis was using his new “work in progress” dipole and Rick on his new “long triangle loop” antenna.
Thanks to Phil for providing an audio feed for those that are not physically close enough to receive all sides of the conversations, as well as providing terrain profiles. Phil’s “off air” MP3 recording files also provide valuable feedback to anyone testing equipment, in this case Nic’s Double Side Band transmitter.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Club Tech night – Wednesday 20th April. Held at the NTARC Club rooms, 7.30pm until whenever.
TestNet and TechNet – Wednesday 27th April. 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 again be Nic VK7WW.
There will be a presentation by Malcolm White planned for early June on a Club Tech night. Apart from being a licensed amateur at an early age, the major topic is to be his association with Ray Naughton VK3ATN at the time of Ray’s pioneering Earth Moon Earth (EME) achievements in the 1960s on the 2 metre band.
Coffee Morning – held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Catch up time is from 10am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there.
These coffee events represent a good opportunity to collect your QSL cards. We currently have cards awaiting collection, so why not pop in and check the QSL box and join us for a cuppa and chat.
Just a friendly reminder, please demonstrate your appreciation of all the effort that goes into operating the club, its facilities and the other services we provide, especially in these harder times, enjoying the company, coffee, biscuits and cake, by leaving a gold coin or two, or even a small bank note, in the jar to assist in our on-going operations. Again a reminder that masks are optional, but encouraged to be worn at these sessions.
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 from,
Stefan, VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC inc.
