Broadcast - 11 Sept 2022
This Wednesday’s club Tech Night was very well attended with Peter, VK7KPC arriving early and setting up one of the club radios to monitor the TestNet frequency, in anticipation of Nic, VK7WW starting the nights net proceedings. Once again from Ross, VK7ALH and his seemingly endless supply of radio equipment from under his bench, came a Wireless Set No.108 Mark II. This is of particular interest as it was designed and developed for the Australian Armed Services and was manufactured in 1941 by Radio Corporation Pty. Ltd. in Melbourne. This is a self-contained unit with batteries, intended for field use. Frequency coverage of this half watt AM transceiver is from 6 to 9 MHz, with an IF frequency of 1600 KHz, not the expected 455 KHz. It comes standard with dual VFOs and not the traditional crystal locked bank of channels. If the operator happens to be the person carrying the unit, luckily it also comes with two Boden Cables. These clip in either side of the unit and come forward to the person carrying, allowing for remote control, one for the Send - Off – Receive switch and the other to tune the receiver. The transmitter being tuned before placing the set on your back. This one is definitely going to be a long work in progress, but worth the effort Ross. Pictures of this item are available on the NTARC website under “Blogs”.
Peter has started to organise the club rooms ready for Jota/Joti and has successfully set up Echo Link and a DMR HotSpot using Pi-Star Digital Voice Software on the MMDVM - HotSpot Radio Station, which in turn uses Wi-Fi to gain access to the internet. Peter also produced pictures of his recently constructed dipole antenna to capture NOAA weather satellite images, he has produced some excellent results and is planning to raise the height, from the test position on his QTH gutter, to one that commands a better field of view. Can’t wait to the latest results on Discord.
There was a secondary team who were working at clearing timber and re-arranging cupboards to improve the ease of access for the Scouts moving between the club rooms. Unfortunately they must have disturbed something that had been happily decomposing, it did cause a mass exodus from the garage area until the offending source of the smell was removed and work could continue.
Lewis, Vk7IT had brought along a laptop to configure his new DMR radio, sounds simple enough, but the laptop may not have been turned on for quite a while and you guessed it... three quarters of an hour later Windows had finally finished all its updates and Lewis was able to successfully complete what he started, aptly assisted by Colin, VK7ZCF.
Bernie VK7BR, brought along his new compact, Lithium battery powered cordless Soldering Iron that was "Designed and Developed in the Netherlands" by FERM, and yes, it's made in China. This little unit, model SGM1023, is about 150mm long has an inbuilt work light that is facing the tip and is charged from a USB port. A very tidy little unit Bernie.
The Club’s newest antenna is still being tested via WSPR. Some propagation maps are available at the end of the NTARC extract from these VK7 broadcasts, under “Blogs” on the club web site. Current data is available on the wsprnet.org website under call-sign VK7TAZ.
Altogether a very busy evening with some eventful happenings.
NTARC’s shipment of the just released, “Your Entry into Amateur Radio” manuals are available for collection from the club rooms on Wednesday Technical Nights or any Friday coffee mornings. The cost is $35. For any information or enquiries please use the “Contact Us” option on the NTARC web site.
JOTA/JOTI for 2022 volunteers to assistance are needed
The Venue is the NTARC Club rooms, which is the Rocherlea Scout Hall, Archer St, Rocherlea. The sessions will be on Saturday the 15th of October from noon to 6pm and Sunday the 16th October from 10am till 3pm. Groups are planned to arrive in two hour blocks, split up and rotate through four activities.
At the Club Rooms we will need volunteers to assistance with:
The operation of each of the transceivers set up for voice chat by the participants.
Assembly of Morse code trainer kits, (no soldering required only a screw driver).
Sending and receiving each other’s names by Morse code on the practice keys. (No, not live to air)
Plus external to the Club Rooms:
We need local contacts to chat with the kids in case we can’t link up to other Scout venues. If you are able to assist for any length of time over the two days please let Peter, VK7KPC or the club Secretary know of your availability by e-mailing secretary@ntarc.net
Tassie Ham Expo in November.
NTARC has booked a display table for the day of the Expo. A pre-loved equipment table will also be booked by the club, if there are any people interested in helping to stock it. Take this as an opportunity to seriously look at your shack equipment. If there is anything that is now superfluous to requirements why not turn it into money. Then spend the money at the Expo and help support the vendors that have ventured down to this end of the country by buying more equipment for your shack.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Club Social Night - Wednesday evening the 14th of September. Registration will close Monday morning and final numbers will be forwarded to the caterers. Note there is no ability to cater for “Late Walk-ins” on the night. Venue is Mowbray Hotel, 6pm arrival for a 6:30 meal.
For those not attending the night there is…
TestNet and TechNet – Wednesday 14th September. 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 the “REAL” Nic VK7WW.
Club Technical night - Wednesday 21st September. Held at the NTARC Club rooms, 7.30pm until late.
SSTV Net - Held every Thursday night on the 70cm repeater, VK7RJG and linked to the South via repeater VK7RAF. Conducted from 7.30pm till about 9.30pm, at the moment. These SSTV images will be available on the NTARC website under ‘Blogs’.
Coffee Morning – Held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Get warm while you 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.
The club is following the Covid 19 recommendation to continue wearing face masks when gathering.
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.
