December 2013 BIRD SEED FOR CHRISTMAS?vkqrpclub.org/pdf_files/WARC December 2013.pdf · service Golos Rossii (Voice of Russia) will stop its short-wave broadcasts from 1 January 2014

Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. - Magazine June 2010 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine June 2010

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Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013

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CARDIFF RSLSUB BRANCH

December 2013

BIRD SEED FOR CHRISTMAS?

If the eight or so feathered friends above could communicate to the owner of the emptybowl thay would say, "bird seed please." Bird-to-bird, their voices are the most noticeableform of communication by singing, calls, squeaks, squawks, gurgles, warbles, trills, rattles,gulps, pops, whines, clicks, croaks, drums, whistles, howls, tremolos, thumps, honksand many other sorts of sounds depending on the species.


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Published by Westlakes AmateurRadio Club Inc. York Street Teralba,as a magazine of news, informationand opinions on amateur radio andassociated topics for the benefit ofthe members .Copyright:In general there is no copyright onarticles, they may be copied at will.The exception being those articlesfollowed by an asterisk *preceding the named source.

Founder:Keith Howard VK2AKX (SK)Patron:G.Piper MLALife members:Gregory Smith VK2CWPaul Lorentzen VK2ATRAlec Efimov VK2ZMLeslie Payne VK2ZPAPeter Sturt VK2ZTVDavid Myers VK2RDGeoffrey Clark VK2EO

Correspondence to: The Secretary W.A.R.C., Box 5, BOOLAROO NSW 2284Telephone:- (02) 49 581 588(24 hour answering service)Email:[email protected]

Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.is an affiliated club with theWireless Institute of Australia.

Radio CallsignsClub Callsign: VK2ATZClub Repeaters:VK2RTZ 146.775MHzVK2RZL 146.875MHzClub Digipeater:VK2RTZ 147.575 MHz IRLP Node 6040 Echolink 356838Club Nets:Club News broadcast,Sunday 0900146.775Mhzfollowed by callbacksand the VK1WIA News.

EZB Net 146.775MHzSaturday 0800Stone the Crows NetSaturday 3.588MHz 060040 Metre Net7.150 MHz Mon, Wed, Fri0930Internet HomePage:www.westlakesarc.org.au

Business:Tuesday after 1700Saturday after 1200Club Distance Record:2m SimplexVK2FGM 2040 kmQRP CW VK2YA 2680 km

Note: Opinions expressed in thismagazine are those of thecontributors and do not necessarilycoincide with those of the Executivenor the members in general.

a

Club meeting: 1st Saturday ofeach month 13.30

Membership RatesAll members................ $20.00 P.AJoining fee.................... $ 5.00

WANTED

Club fees are due 1st February

FOR SALE

Magazine assembly day "OZZI HAMS" Maxi Port-a-pole


Proof reading by: Stella

President:Steve Beveridge [email protected] President:Geoff Linthorne VK2GLSecretary:Barrie Downward: [email protected]:Greg Smith VK2CWCommittee:Allan Brown VK2JEDHerb Herivel VK2ZVFKen Jackson VK2KJLeonie McGuiness VK2FHRKBarry Finlay VK2VBFWarren Payne VK2UWPBarry Sullivan VK2BZMichael Welsh VK2CCWDiane Wilson JP VK2FDNEMagazine Editor:Greg Smith [email protected] Liason Officer:Alex Efimov VK2ZMStoreman:Aly Zimmer VK2AFZProject Officer:Norm Cameron VK2KNCMaintenance Officer:Barry Sullivan VK2BZRadio and Contest Officer:Dave Myers VK2RDPublic Relations:Diane Wilson JP VK2FDNESecurity:Warren Payne VK2UWPInternet Webmaster:Geoff Clark VK2EOExaminations Officer:Geoff Linthorne VK2GL

Club Directory

STONE THE CROWS 3.588 MHz SATURDAYS 6AM

THE EZYBEE NET 146.775 MHz SATURDAYS 8AM

PROJECT CORNER

Yaesu YS-200 power/SWR meter Geoff VK2GL at Westlakes or email [email protected]

Rak Balun BL- 50A (new if possible) Greg VK2CW at Westlakes or email [email protected]

SILENT KEY - VK2UXTerry Ryeland VK2UX wasvery active in Institute andclub affairs. He passed awaythis month. He will be sorelymissed by BMARC and themany new radio amateurs hehelped in education

SILENT KEY - VK2JRCJohn Cannon VK2JRC passedaway this month. He was amember of Westlakes manyyears ago and worked in theVK2 QSL Bureau. He was anactive member of WICEN.

HF Barrell with many bells and whistles. Used twice. Alec Gow 49546212

WESTLAKES 40 METRE NET7.150 MHz

Monday, Wednesday, Friday9.30 AM

For all project ideas and enquiriescontact Norm vk2knc@gmail .com

GOOD HEAVENS!Check out the January 2014 WestlakesMagazine for the events coming up. Youwill be amazed! I am, and I write this stuff.Clue: it is the club's 50th Anniversary.

VK2CW

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Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. - Magazine December 2013

WHY THERE ARE NO PIRATE RADIO STATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian radio audiences have had virtually no exposureto pirate radio stations unlike Europe and the UK in particular.There were no broadcasts as part of the World War IIpropaganda campaigns. The absence of pirate stations here isbecause of our multitude of commercial and community stationsalongside the taxpayer funded Australian BroadcastingCommission were available during the mid to late 1980's andearly 1990's - a period when the UK was experiencing a surgein illegal broadcasts.

A large number of commercial licences were issued in Australia particularly afterWorld War 2, additionally, the lack of availability of imported broadcasting equipment andthe likely application of severe, legislated penalties including jail for offenders, was alsoa factor. A mere handful of pirate radio incidents are documented:But the development of which we can all be extremely proud is community broadcasting.We lead the world in terms of number, diversity and quality of licensed community-controlled broadcasting stations. Australia is in the healthy situation of having more licensedcommunity radio stations (358) than the number of commercial (274), ABC (65) andSBS (4) stations put together. So with so many radio stations broadcasting 24 hours a daythere is not much incentive to be a pirate.

THE END OF RADIO RUSSIAThe Russian government’s international radio broadcastingservice Golos Rossii (Voice of Russia) will stop its short-wave broadcasts from 1 January 2014. The internationalshortwave service is closing due to funding cuts.Voice of Russia was established in 1929 and currentlyuses RTRBN transmitters to broadcast to foreign countriesusing short and medium waves. After the shortwaveservice goes off the air, only three low-power mediumwave transmitters will be used to broadcast to othercountries. The radio service will mostly use FM bandtransmitters based abroad.

RADIO ON THE LONDON EYE

The London Eye is the largestobservation wheel ever built, andthe fourth tallest structure inLondon. It is designed to be bothbeautiful and enjoyable, providingbreath-taking views in a uniqueand different way. The designand realisation for the wheel, hasdrawn on many areas anddisciplines of engineering.

But things can go wrong, as when hundreds of passengers were stranded on the Eye in2008 for up to an hour while urgent repairs were carried out. About 400 people wereinstructed, via intercom, to open emergency supplies of water, blankets and commodesas the wheel was halted. Engineers at the attraction on the South Bank of the RiverThames removed one of four mechanical wheels, which was faulty, before restarting it.Guests were offered a hot drink and a refund once they had come down.Two-way communications with each of the 32 air conditioned capsules is essential toavoid panic by passengers who are stuck 135 metres above ground. There are dual radiosystems (one for back up) and they operate on 2.4 Ghz and 5.4 Ghz. Operation of otherradios on these frequencies within 10 km of the Eye is strictly prohibited.

COMING EVENTSWestlakes Monthly Meeting Saturday 7 December

Christmas Frolic and Frisbee Flip Saturday 14 December (See Page 5)

RAC IS BACK IN THE BLACKRadio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) were told their Annual GeneralMeeting in November that the organization is now solvent. RAC wason the brink of bankruptcy but a membership drive and severe costcutting have removed that threat and all is now "under radio control."

Young birds develop their singing abilities in strikingly different ways, depending ontheir species. For example, songbirds such as wrens, sparrows, thrushes, and warblerslearn their songs from others. In contrast, flycatchers and their relatives don't needto learn their songs--they inherit all the genetic instructions they need to sing theappropriate song. Can birds learn to communicate with humans? We have all heardtalking parrots (and even talking budgies at a pinch), but no one really believes they canunderstand the words.But for all those who doubt birds cannot converse with people, Pierre the Parrot fromMexico has proved them wrong. He can tootle along in Morse Code at about 12 wpm.See for youself. Google the URL below and be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WkrxlHKRR3Q

VK2CW


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next page

Steve VK2LW


41 MEGAPIXELSFOR CHRISTMAS?

Geneva-based Hyetis announced its new luxurywatch - a product with a 41 megapixel camerain its side. It is available right now in better watchshops in Sydney and Melbourne.It is able to interact with iOS, Android andWindows 8 handsets and it costs $1,200. Withthis watch you only have to position your handand extend your arm to take a picture.

Ofcom THROWS IN THE TOWEL

website, perhaps to hide the fact that they no longer published them. It may be speculatedthe reason the statistics no longer appeared was because Ofcom had stopped undertakingenforcement action. Currently in London there are over 25 pirate stations operating inthe 88-108 MHz band. Many operate 24/7 so are not exactly difficult for Ofcom to locateif it wished.In the Pirate Radio page, Ofcom points out that it has issued Community Radio licencesto former pirate radio stations such as Rinse FM and Kane FM. The inference that maybe taken is Ofcom would like pirate radio stations to apply for community radio licences. From Southgate Radio

The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has publishedinformation about tackling pirate radio. Although Ofcomhas occasionally raided pirate stations operating in the 88-108 MHz band, such enforcement actions have been fewand far between.After the 2008/9 financial year, Ofcom stopped publishingtheir Prosecution/Formal Warning Statistics andsubsequently removed all prosecution statistics from their

IT'S MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIMEBecause it promotes low power (5 Watts or less) in all communication modes the CWOperators’ QRP Club is perhaps now better known as the VK QRP Club. Alive, active,and continually growing, the club keeps its members informed with its quarterly publicationLo-Key and its regularly updated website. In addition the club’s weekly SSB Natter Netand CW Net, using any power level, are very active. Several international members, andothers, have claimed the Milliwatts Per Kilometre (MPK) Award. Founded on 12 December 1983 by Len O’Donnell VK5ZF (sk), the present club rosefrom the ashes of the VK CW QRPp Club. The latter, started in 1979 by Jack SwineyVK6JS (sk) unfortunately closed 3 years later.Now with a combined international and Australian membership of 255 amateur radiooperators and SWLs, the VK QRP Club will soon celebrate its 30th birthday and hasreached the milestone of 120 issues of Lo-Key. We invite you to celebrate with us.More details are available on the club website www.vkqrpclub.org Club membershipis available to anyone interested in QRP (5 Watts or less) operating or home-brewing.Email the Club Secretary at [email protected] From Garry VK2YA

VK QRP CLUB TURNS 30The Australian VK QRP Club willcelebrate its 30th birthday inDecember 2013. With its motto “Wedo more with less” the club aims toadvance the use of all modes of lowpower communication and encouragehome-brewing in the Amateur RadioService.VK5ZF VK6JS

The Royal Air Force station at Henlow in Bedfordshire, UK and the RAF Signals Museum,will be open for business under the Permanent Special event callsign GB4SMH witheffect from 1 November 2013. Normal operating times will be 10:00 UTC to 16:00 UTCon each Tuesday and on the first Saturday of each month. QSL via the RSGB Bureau. Thewebsite can be found at: www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk

RAF SIGNALS MUSEUM IS NOW ON THE AIR

A WESTLAKES CLUB NET ON 40 METRES

It started last month, a club net on 7.150 MHz at 9.30 am eastern time on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday. How long will it last is anyone's guess. Have a listen and callin. All are welcome to join the group. Call sign for net control is VK2ATZ/p.

,

Enclosed with this magazine you will find an invitation to renew yourmembership of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. for the 2014/15year. Those who receive the magazine by email, the renewal form willarrive by Australia Post. If no renewal form arrives, you are paid up forthe coming year. The good news is that the annual fee once againremains the same i.e. $20

Further to the Exams report on Page 5, the following membershave new call signs: Barry Finlay VK2VBF, Barry Gilbert

VK2MHA, Michael George VK2FMRG, Marcel Post VK2HAQ, Paul VidlerVK2FBUZ, Peter Waeger VK2FAEH, Kate Warner VK2FKAT, and Tony O'DonnellVK2QW. Congratulations to all


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RSM has advised that from 6th December 2013 onwards (just in time for the annualVHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contest.) Amateurs throughout New Zealand will haveaccess to the bottom end of the 6 metre band (50 to 51 MHz) without needing to apply fora permit

A BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS?

It's called SolderSmoke- Global Adventures inWireless Electronics by Bill Meara N2CQR. Ittells the story of a normal kid, from a normalAmerican town. But around the age of 12 he gotinterested in electronics, and he has never beenthe same. When he got older he became a diplomat.His work has taken him to Panama, Honduras, ElSalvador, the Spanish Basque Country, theDominican Republic, the Azores islands of Port-ugal, London, and, most recently, Rome. In almostall of these places his addiction to electronicscaused him to seek out like-minded radio fiends, tostay up late into the night working on strangeprojects,

SolderSmoke is no ordinary memoir. It is a technical memoir. Each chapter containsdescriptions of Bill’s struggles to understand radio-electronic theory. Why does P=IE?Do holes really flow through transistors? What is a radio wave? How does a frequencymixer produce sum and difference frequencies? If these are the kinds of questionsthat keep you up at night, this book is for you. Finally, SolderSmoke is about brotherhood.International, cross-border brotherhood. It looks like a good read.

WESTLAKES CHRISTMAS FROLICAND FRISBEE FLIP

A range of Amateur licence assessments were undertaken at the Club in October with a100% success rate - 8 successful out of 8, involving a total of 16 assessments.Congratulations to the following: Michael George, Paul Vidler, Peter Waeger and KateWarner were all successful in gaining their Foundation Callsigns. While they did the work,a big vote of thanks is due to Geoff Linthorne VK2GL for the tremendous effort he putinto each and every one of them in preparing them for the assessments over the previoussix weeks.Also successful were Barry Finlay VK2FINB, Barry Gilbert and Marcel Post VK2FMDBwho all achieved their Standard licences.Tony O'Donnell VK2NCD was successful ingaining his Advanced licence.We are indebted to Graham O'Brien VK2FA and Kim PiperVK2ZW for their invaluable assistance. Grahame and Kim bring a wealth of experienceas Assessors, which was greatly appreciated by Geoff and myself.Dave VK2RD did an excellent job as the 'on-air contact' for the five candidates whorequired to demonstrate their competency as part of the assessment. In all this took nearly7 hours - a big thank you on behalf of the candidates Dave. Michael VK2CCW did asterling job feeding the Assessors and candidates - thank you Michael.So, keep an eye out for a whole lot of new callsigns at Westlakes and congratulations onceagain to all. From Steve VK2LW President and WIA Assessor

THE EXAMS

A Christmas Frolic plus a Frisbee Flip?Yes, it takes place in the Westlakes Club Grounds on Saturday 14 December at 12 noon.

A

all-you-can-eat barbecue lunch and salad. The only thing to bring is a chair and the Christmas drinks of your choice. First Aid personnel will be in attendance in case of Frisbee accidents. Plus several surprises have been arranged.

REMEMBER, WESTLAKES CHRISTMAS FROLICAND FRISBEE FLIP

FREE BARBECUE - ALL WELCOMESATURDAY 14 DECEMBER

12 NOON

The good news is everything is free including an

A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR ZL'sNew Zealand's last Channel1 television transmitter closeddown in November and the

CAN YOU STILL BUY THESE?

The RAK Balun model BL-50A is a fully sealed unit and as suchis inherently weatherproof. No rubber seals, silicones or other suchweatherproofing needed. These were sold locally in VK/ZL byDick Smith Electronics years ago when they serviced our amateurcommunity.They have a band width from 1.8 to 30Mhz continuous and a powerrating of 2Kw PEP 1Kw CW. Impedance is 50 ohms. Transformationratio is 1:1 with an insertion loss of less than 0.2db.

I have one that has been in use for 20 years and it is still in as new condition. I wouldlike another one or two. Any clues for a source? VK2CW


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Even earlier than this in 1907 the Englishman, Henry J. Round discovered the basis ofelectroluminescence, after noting 'yellowish light' after applying 10Volts across acarborundum crystal. Low powered , often red, LEDs were first used commercially inthe 1960's but today they are used for residential and automotive lighting, backlightingin flat screen televisions, and in a host of electonic products.

WHAT IS A PHANTOM CIRCUIT?

A phantom circuit can be created when electrical wires forone circuit are also configured to conduct signals for another.It is often used for telephone systems and electricalengineering, as well as to power audio recording and broadcastmicrophones.

Phantom circuits are typically dependent on the operation of an audio transformer calleda repeat coil, which often includes different lengths of wire wound around an iron, nickel,or other type of core. These coils are usually part of a simplex circuit normally consistingof cables connected to the main electrical line and to the wiring of the telephone equipment.Two simplex circuits can be combined to form a third; this additional circuit is alsocalled a phantom group.When one winding in the repeat coil, also called a centre-tapped transformer, is exposedto an Alternating Current, the other wire usually has an equally strong signal. Theconnection of telephone lines with repeat coils is therefore suitable because voice andringing signals are typically AC powered. Repeat coils are located at either side of thephantom circuit, while connections between the wires can be made at the ends or themiddle of the circuits. A current applied at the midpoint is usually divided equally amongeach wire, if the electrical resistance of each is the same.Two currents on the same line typically travel in different directions and can cancel eachother out. Telephone signals that are connected to a simplex electrical circuit also typicallydon’t get carried to the endpoints of the other lines. Other capabilities, like Morse codefunctions, can be added to the phantom circuit without degrading telephone function,especially if the Earth is used as a conductor. Frequent maintenance of these circuits isusually important, because electrical interference in the lines can make voice signalsunintelligible.If more repeat coils are used to form more connections, multiple phantom circuits can becreated. The technology was first used in the early 20th century. Telephone companiesoften tried to maximize how many circuits there could be on long-distance lines withouthaving to build extra equipment. A phantom circuit can also be applied to Direct Current(DC) signals in telecommunications, while more modern carrier telephone systems oftenuse it as well. The phantom circuit configuration normally enables a telephone companyto get a cable plant to handle the most traffic. This potentially saves revenue, becauseoperators often need less equipment and can add more subscribers to each line.So now you know all about phantom circuits......BOO!

RADIO ROW

Radio Row is a nickname for an urban street or district specializing in the sale of radio andelectronic equipment and parts. Radio Rows arose in many cities (including Melbourne andSydney) with the 1920's rise of broadcasting and declined after mid century. The mostfamous were New York's Radio Row in Cortlandt Street and London's Radio Row inTottenham Court Road.New York City's Radio Row, which existed from 1921 to 1966, was a warehouse districtin the West Side of Manhattan. It held several blocks of radio and electronics storeswith used radios, war surplus electronics, junk, and parts often piled so high they wouldspill out onto the street, attracting collectors and scroungers.The New York Times made a reference to "Radio Row" in 1927, when Cortlandt Streetcelebrated a "Radio Jubilee". The Times reported that, "Today... Cortlandt Street is 'RadioRow,' while Broadway is just a thoroughfare." The street was closed and decorated withflags and bunting, and the Times reported plans for New York's mayor to present a "keyto Cortlandt Street" to the then-reigning Miss New York, Frieda Mierse, while a contestwas held to name a "Miss Downtown Radio."Radio Row was torn down in 1966 to make room for the World Trade Center.After theclosing of these stores, whole city blocks containing a concentration of radio retailerswas not duplicated again anywhere else in the world.

FROM AN ISOTROPIC TO A 2-LETTER CALLJust when we thought there were no 2-letter call signs left, Garry Saunders has pulledone out of the hat. He is no longer VK2DBI but is now VK2PE.


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DCN CHANNELS


AREA 51

No trespassing, no cameras, no mobile phones, notwo-way radios, and no admittance. Area 51, alsoofficially known as Groom Lake is a remotedetachment of Edwards Air Force Base. Accordingto the CIA, the correct names for the Area 51 facilityare the Nevada Test and Training Range and GroomLake.The base's current primary purpose is officiallyundetermined; however, it most likely supports

development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems. The intensesecrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theoriesand a central component of UFO studies. In July 2013, following a Freedom ofInformation Request in 2005, the Central Intelligence Agency publicly acknowledged theexistence of the base for the first time. It took eight years to admit Area 51 existed.The rectangular area measures 23 by 25 miles of restricted airspace and was the CIAfacility for Project Aquatone, development of the Lockheed U-2 spy aircraft in April1955. Apart from that, the amount of information the United States government hasbeen willing to provide regarding Area 51 has been minimal.Theories of activities at Area 51 include: * The storage, examination, and reverse engineering of crashed alien spacecraft includingmaterial supposedly recovered at Roswell, the study of the alien occupants living and dead,and the manufacture of aircraft based on alien technology. * Meetings or joint undertakings with extraterrestrials. * The development of exotic energy weapons for the Strategic Defense Initiative. * The development of means of weather control. * The development of time travel and teleportation technology. * Activities related to proposed One World Government.So now you know all about Area 51 and why you cannot go there carrying a 2 metre handheld - even if you do have a VK Advanced Amateur Licence.

HOW OLD ARE LED LIGHTS?

Russian Oleg Vladimirovich Losev, working in a Soviet radio laboratory reported thecreation of the first LED in 1927. In the introduction to his 1927 patent application he stated,"The proposed invention uses the known phenomenon of luminescence of acarborundum (a compound of silicon and carbon) detector and consists of the useof such a detector in an optical relay for the purpose of fast telegraphic andtelephone communication, transmission of images and other applications when alight luminescence contact point is used as the light source connected directly to acircuit of modulated current."

High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University. It has the potential torevolutionize scientific research. The custom built split magnet took $2.5 million tocomplete, and operates at 25 Tesla – which is 500,000 times stronger than our planet’smagnetic field.If you are ever caught in one of these devices, you won’t live to tell the tale.The previous world’s strongest magnet was only 17.5 Tesla and was set in France in 1991.The scientists will be using the magnet to probe the unusual properties of materialsunder extreme conditions of heat and pressure. The strong magnetic fields should makeit easier to observe atoms or molecules much more easily then if they were under lessextreme conditions.

WORLD'S STRONGEST MAGNET The world’s strongest magnet hasbeen created and sits in the National

MARINE RESCUE NSW

Marine Rescue use a Discrete CommunicationsNetwork (DCN) consisting of five channels forpassing internal communications that do not needto be heard on the marine band. DCN 1 – 164.1875 ctcss 162.2 DCN 2 – 164.650 ctcss 162.2 DCN 3 – 165.100 ctcss 162.2 DCN 4 – 154.450 ctcss 162.2 DCN 5 – 154.625 ctcss 162.2 Repeater locations – DCN 1 – Sydney Nth Head, Port Macquarie, Byron Bay, Narooma DCN 2 – Batemans Bay, Barrenjoey Head DCN 3 – Nelson Bay, Bomaderry, Coffs Harbour DCN 4 & 5 is for simplex use Callsigns used –Callsigns begin with the Unit’s name, such as Lake Macquarie, Port Jackson (PJ),and Middle Harbour etc 10 – Cat 1 vessel 11 – Cat 1 vessel 12 – Cat 1 vessel 20 – Cal 2 vessel 21 – Cat 2 vessels 22 – Cat 2 vessels 30 – Cat 3 vessels 31 – Cat 3 vessels 50 – Road vehicle

Courtesy of Richard VK2FRKO


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THE EDDYSTONE 870 A SCARY RADIO

I had one of these but I gave it awaybecause it scared me. The Eddystone870 was a general coverage receiverfrom the 1950's which was marketedas a ship’s cabin radio for passengerson ocean liners. The receiver had fivevalves and a built-in speaker.

It picked up stations on all wavebands; long wave, medium wave, and two short wavebands. The set was "interesting" because although designed for use on AC or DC mainsit did not use an isolating transformer. I imagine this feature must have resulted in muchexcitement over the years as the internal chassis can be at mains potential.The outer metal case is isolated from the inner chassis by numerous fibre washers andthere is no way this type of design would be allowed now because of today's much morestringent electrical safety standards. Mine had the original 2 pin mains connector so I wasleft with a 2 pin plug connected to 240 volts to a radio with a metal case. Hmmm.My 870 came from Westlakes about 20 years ago after an unknown donor had left it.It worked perfectly and I remember how heavily weighted and smooth acting was thecentral tuning knob. As I said, that metal case with no transformer scared me. I gave itaway to another club member who will be reading this and smiling.PS. I remember when I started the Novice Licence class at Westlakes in 1986, KeithHoward VK2AKX (SK) told the class, "Amateur radio is a perfectly safe hobbyproviding you don't horse about with 240 volts or fall off the roof." VK2CW

RADIO STATIONS IN THE U.S.A.

Guess How Many Licensed Radio Stations there are in the U.S.A.? According to the FCC,as of 30 September 2013 , there were 14,865 radio stations in the U.S. That representsa 55 station increase since 30 June 2011. Non-commercial educational FM stations (whichinclude college radio, public radio, community radio, and religious radio) fared the best,picking up 59 more frequencies. AM stations decreased in number. Here’s a breakdownof the types of licensed stations:

AM Stations: 4,763 FM Commercial Stations: 6,530 FM Educational Stations: 3,572 Total Radio Stations: 14,865

Throw in another 738,497 licensed US amateur radio operators and there is a lot of RFfloating about.

NOW YOU SEE ITNOW YOU DON'T

By Richard Chirgwin

Sandy Island has been 'undiscovered' again asamateur radio operators beat science by a decade.It’s the story of a tiny little Coral Sea island wheregroup of scientists on expedition visited the spotwhere the island is marked on the maritime charts,only to find it is not there.It's called Sandy Island and is supposed to exist inthe ocean between Australia and New Caledonia.and It appears on Google Maps. As one of the

expedition told the Sydney Morning Herald, “We all had a good giggle at Google as wesailed over the island, then we started compiling information about the seafloor, which wewill send to the relevant authorities so that we can change the world map.”But the 'undiscovery' was made before and was first reported in the year 2000, by agroup of amateur radio operators on a DXpedition. The operators in question reportedthat Sandy Island was not there because its existence would have disqualified thenearby Chesterfields from being a worthy DXpedition location. To be added to theDXCC List as another new entity, it required that there should be an open waterseparation of at least 350 kilometres from Chesterfield Islands. If Sandy Island existed,the separation would not be sufficient, and the bid to make this a new DXCC entity wouldhave failed. So it wasn't and it didn't. From Sydney Morning Herald

FORGET Wi-Fi GET Li-Fi

150 Mbps FROM A LIGHTBULB

Scientists in China are reporting great success in replacing traditional Wi-Fi radio trafficwith Li-Fi, a system that uses the light signals from an LED lightbulb to provide a line-of-sight data stream. Li-Fi, or light fidelity, was developed by Professor Harald Haas atthe University of Edinburgh, who was disenchanted with radio as a data transmission tool.Using light instead of radio opens up 10,000 times more available spectrum than radio –and it's highly energy efficient compared to radio towers that use most of their powerfor cooling and only five per cent for data transmission.Using a single one-watt LED lightbulb with a signal modulation chip, data was sent tofour PCs at 150Mbps. The team used specially designed signal modulators and areceiving station to achieve these speeds, but say the potential of the system couldallow much higher rates of data transfer. From The Register - November 2013


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The installations were knownas 'stations' and weredesigned to provide long-rangedetection of aircraft. Thissystem had shortcomings innot being able to detect aircraftat lower altitudes and thuswas used in conjunction withthe Chain Home Low systemwhich could detect aircraftflying at a minimum altitudelevel of 500 ft. This was furtherrefined by the addition ofChain Home Extra Low,which gave cover down to 50ft but at short ranges of onlyapproximately 30 miles.

CHAIN HOME

Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal Early Warning radar stationsbuilt by the British before and during the Second World War. It was one of the first practicalradar systems and the main component of the world's first integrated air defence system.The system consisted of fixed cable array antennae slung between three or four 360 ftsteel towers. The radar transmitted on the HF 12 m frequency band between 22-25 MHzdepending on operational requirements.

The Chain Home system was simple and basic by 1935 standards and 'primitive' by modernones. Hindsight of seventy years is often dismissive of Chain Home, viewing it as obsoleteand dead end technology but it was a considerable technical achievement to produce anintegrated air defence system from green field trial in 1935 to success in battle in 1940. Itwas a world first.In September, the Thames Amateur Radio Group visited the Chain Home station inCanewdon, Essex and housed in the tent pictured above, activated special eventstation, GB75CR to mark 75 since the completion of the Chain Home Tower radarstation in Canewdon and various various military units attended. As the day coincidedwith the annual Canewdon Village Fete, a jolly time was had by all.

WIA TRAVELLER'S BADGE FOR CHRISTMAS

Here is just the thing for WIA members - and inexpensivetoo. Wireless Institute members who are fond of travellingand wish to be recognised by fellow amateur radiooperators in Australia and abroad, now have thishandsome badge in the green and gold of Australia,produced by the WIA, which will provide that recognition.The first batch of these badges sold out but more shouldbe in stock by now Place your order with the WIA. Priceto members is only $10.

suspended sales of the popular RockMite QRP transceiver although he will ship out thelast several dozen orders shortly. Also he will continue to support requests for replacement/missing RockMite parts from existing customers over the short term.Attempts are being made with another QRP vendors to have them assume production/sales of the RockMite. The Small Wonder Labs website will remain active for a year, andit will maintain documentation for firm's earlier products.

PER TRAINFrom Kurri Kurri Times

16 February 1906

T.L. writes: I remember when I first struck theKurri district, the train service from Maitland wasa wrath-raising institution. We would frequentlyhave to wait 25 minutes for coal trains to pass,and at best, it was the slowest thing in the way

of trains that was ever invented for the annoyance of travellers.For a long time on the contraptions called carriages bore an inscription which in its waywas humorous and certainly was a choice bit of sarcasm. It ran, "Passengers arerequested not to get out to gather wild flowers while the train is in motion."Now a day or two ago I had occasion to visit a town lying north of Kurri, and I wentper train. The engine snorted and belched sparks of fire and lumps of coal cinders, andmust had been covering upwards of four miles an hour, when, with a shriek from ahoarse whistle, the train came to a standstill.Most of us did not notice any difference in the rate of travelling, but a commercialtraveller from Newcastle who, was apparently anxious to reach his destinaion beforeold age claimed him for its own, "got to the guard," as they say in Weston. He was toldthat a calf was on the line, but had been hunted on by the fireman.The train got a fresh start, and had been travelling for about 25 minutes, when once morethe engine pulled up. The commercial traveller jumped to his feet with a remark thatplainly showed that he had never led a prayer meeting. "What's wrong now?" asked hewith blazing eyes. "A calf on the track," softly replied the guard. "But I thought yousaid the fireman hunted it." "So he did, but we caught up to it again." And then wemoved on. Courtesy of Geoff VK2YFA

A "HUGE" MISTAKE In last month's Magazine there was an error. Onpage 5 in the article, 'What's the Delay?' I had the time

taken for a radio signal to reach the moon as 1h 3s. An observant reader, Wayne VK4WSsays," A huge mistake in your Magazine...It doesn't take 1 hour and 3 seconds for a signalto reach the Moon. From my EME experience the round-trip is about 2.5 seconds. I madea typo - it should have been 1.3s one-way, or about 2.5 seconds return. VK2CW


Page 10 10 10 10 10 Page 15 15 15 15 15

AA

Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. - Magazine December 2013 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013

YAESU FT101

The FT101 was a very popularAmateur Band transceiver whichsaw the start of many an amateur'sstation.The following details arecompiled mainly from NW2M’swebsite. The FT-101 is a hybridradio that employs a solid statetransmitter, receiver, and a tube finalamplifier.The solid state features ofthe radio offer high performance,

low-current characteristics, while the tube amplifier provides a nearly "bullet-proof"transmitter and tuner stage. The tube amplifier consists of a 12BY7A pre-driverstage that feeds a pair of 6JS6C tubes providing a nominal output power of 130 watts PEPSSB, 90 watts CW, 40 watts AM. The 6JS6C tubes are matched to 50 Ohms through aconventional pi output network.The pi-network transforms the 3000 ohm output impedance of the tubes to a 50 Ohm feedsystem, provides harmonic attenuation, and can actually match to a variety of outputimpedances from 25 to 100 Ohms with ease. The transceivers were made with plug-inboards that could be sent to the factory for replacement or repair. This modular design wasunprecedented in the amateur community, which explains why so many FT-101's are stillin use today. In fact, board extenders could be purchased to extend any board above themain chassis for measurement, alignment, and repair. For any plug-in board, all voltages,grounds, and signal traces were routed through a single edge connector (facing down intothe main chassis). This removed the need for wires and cables to these circuit boards. Thisyielded a clean and trim internal upper chassis. The bulk of the wiring harness is below thedeck of the main chassis where all main circuit board edge connectors are fed. Yes, thereare many wiresThe FT-101 series of transceivers first appeared outside of the United States in 1970 andthen inside the United States in late 1971. It gained overnight approval of amateur radiooperators for its quality of signal, flexibility and for professional attention to workmanshipand design. The modular design of 10 solid state circuit boards on a common chassis witha tube amplifier caught the eye of discriminating hams world wide. Courtesy of Oxley Region ARC - Oxtales

SMALL WONDER LABSHAS CLOSED

Small Wonder Labs was a US supplier ofquality QRP kits for amateur radio enthusiasts from 1996 to 2013 - but not any more. Itwas founded by Dave Benson, K1SWL but he has "had enough." He says he has

For instance, the Commission could impose separate forfeitures for each day on whichthe hair dressing lights, acting as incidental radiators, cause harmful interference. From Common Law Magazine - November 2013

HAIR DRESSER'S LIGHTSJAM 4G CELL SITE

ion against incidental radiators such as lights that cause harmfulradio interference. The Perfect Cuts Salon in San Antonio,Texas, has been emitting a radio signal on 705 MHz used byAT&T for 4G services.AT&T contacted the FCC about the interference and the FCChas now issued a Citation and Order - Incidental Radiator Causing Harmful Interference- which says: "If, after receipt of this Citation, Perfect Cuts again violates Section15.5(b) of the Rules by engaging in conduct of the type described herein, theCommission may impose monetary forfeitures not to exceed $16,000 for each suchviolation or each day of a continuing violation, and up to $112,500 for any singleact or failure to act."

The US communicat-ions regulator, the FCCbelieves in taking act-

vk2 and over 500 registered so far in vk4 with some large regions still to go. All regionsof VK2 are registered so there are summits all over the state. In VK4, the two south-east regions and the Capricornia and Wide Bay & Burnett regions are registered at thispoint. I can also pass on the news that VK6 is being surveyed at present.SOTA is not a contest but is an operating award programme. You can record yourcontacts in an online log and claim points for your contacts. A major benefit of particip-ating in the SOTA programme is that to activate a summit you must do at least somewalking (the last 25m of altitude). As many mountains have no vehicle access any-where near the top, this sometimes means you and your fellow activators need to walk1 or 2 km, carrying your radio station, food and water, navigation and safety equipment.Many radio amateurs around the world are now enjoying this combination of amateur radiowith some level of bushwalking. It is good for the health.For more details about the award, the summits already registered, activators' guides andonline maps and spotting websites, start your search at SOTA.org.uk. From Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH Association Manager for SOTA in VK2.

SUMMITS ON THE AIRSummits on the Air (SOTA) programme continues to grow in VKand is now operational in vk2 and vk4, with over 1000 summits in

HOW TO MAKE A MANPACK Michael VK2CCW has brought hishome-made ManPack to Westlakes

over the the past weeks and it's looking impressive. He has made it for "show as well asgo." The Pack will hold a Yaesu 857, LDG tuner, battery, and antennas. Full details andphotos will be in next month's magazine.


Page 14 Page 11

Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013

tall, in that case, your horizon is 5.1 km away. Now you are in a hotel overlooking the beach,and your eyes are 20 metres off the ground the horizon is then 16 km away. The higher youare, the farther away the horizon will be be and the greater distance can be reached byline-of-site radio transmissions.

Height in metres Distance to horizon in km

The following table may be of use:

0 0 2 5.1 10 11.3 20 16.0 100 35.7 1000 111.2 5000 252.3 12000 391.0 100000 1132.7

SPY RADIO

Encrypted messages, fancy technology;spies use them all to communicate, butsometimes the best way to hide is inplain sight. Right now, broadcastingacross the airwaves around the world, areautomated, anonymous shortwave AM

radio stations that most governments won't acknowledge even exist, much less explain.Best of all, you can hear recordings from them right now, and if you have the right gear,tune in and listen yourself.Then there's numbers stations. Numbers stations are anonymous, shortwave AM radiostations that broadcast messages at pre-set times, sometimes periodically and sometimesrandom, on specific frequencies. They're notable for their unusual tone and content, asthe stations can be silent for most hours of the day or week, then jump to life with acollection of artificial human voices, sounds, Morse code, short songs, or even nurseryrhymes. They also broadcast in a number of different languages. If you've ever listenedto a numbers station, it's one of the creepiest things you've ever heard.You can see how they'd be ideal for spies: transmit a one-way message to someoneanywhere in the world—literally thousands of miles away from the origin point—on anunlicensed station so no one knows who you are. Send them a code that can be decipheredusing information only they know, or even a one-time pad that's never used again andchanges from message to message. It's no wonder they are still in use today.The beauty of shortwave AM radio is that it's blasted through the air, free and clear. Allyou really need is a shortwave AM radio you can use to pick up the broadcasts, and anidea of when to listen. Even if you don't have one though, there are some ways you canget an idea what these secret messages sound like. The site Spynumbers.com has anold—but still mostly accurate—list of numbers stations, recordings from them, and theirknown frequencies and times of broadcast. Numberstations.co.uk does so as well, andthe Global Frequency Database can help you learn more if you know a frequencyalready.

FOR SALEA MULTIMETER FOR CHRISTMAS?

Palm Size Digital Multimeter

RANGESDC volts 200mV to 500V, AC volts 250V 500V

DC Current 2000uA, 20mA, 200mA, 10AResistance 200, 2K , 20K, 20M 200M Ohm

Input Impedance 10M OhmContinuity buzzer, Diode tester

Square wave output

Complete with leads, battery and Protective HolsterBIG 1/2" LCD DIGITS

Still Only $19.50 PLUS POSTAGE IN AUSTRALIA $5.50Contact Geoff VK2GL at Westlakes or email [email protected]

2014 CALL BOOKS Last month, Westlakes ordered 24 Call Books (the min.quantity with free postage) from the WIA. Finally, we had

takers for the lot, encouraged no doubt, by the generous offer by Geoff VK2GL of a prizewhich was one of the mutimeters pictured above. A draw of the 24 names was held andthe winner was Geoff VK2YFA. Thanks for the donation goes to Geoff VK2GL.

CONTACTLESS CARDSTRANSMIT ON 13.560 MHZ

A researcher at the University of Surrey hasintercepted the HF 13.560 MHz signal used bycontactless debit and credit cards. Using home-built equipment, the researcher could reliably eavesdrop on synthesised payment data atat a distance of more than two metres. Inconspicuous equipment included a shoppingtrolley, a backpack and a small antenna which were used to intercept the data. Duringa wave-and-go transaction, customers hold a card near a reader to pay for purchaseswithout entering a PIN code, and without security it seems. BBC News November 2013


Page 12 Page 13


A DAY CLOCK FOR CHRISTMAS?

Who is the DayClock for? Retirees for a startbut a Day Clock is aimed at helping peopleliving with dementia by simply and clearlydisplaying what day it is. As people age, theycan lose the ability to know what day of theweek it is and missing key events.The Day Clock has a number of features whichare specific to people with dementia includingtamper proof button sequencing to ensure thatrandom pressing of the buttons does not resetthe clock.

The Day Clock will revert back to the correct day when switched off and then on, alsoif it is unplugged. The Day Clock is clearly visible at night without being bright and it comeswith corner night lighting which make the display more prominent at night and which canbe turned off if not required. Where do you get one? Google day clock.com

The ACMA will be contacting all amateurradio operators early in 2014 to advise theapproval of a new mode of digital transmissioncalled Triambic Carrier Wave (TCW.)

TRIAMBIC CARRIER WAVEMORSE IS HERE!

TCW consists of three different duration bursts of carrier, one dot length, two dot lengths,and three dot lengths, with the usual letter and word spacing.It is generally agreed that the saving in time and speed increases 50 percent or so willmore than offset the slightly more difficult learning process as there will be 39 charactersof three units or less each. On air tests suggest the TCW mode is especially good at cuttingthrough static and QRM. The table below shows the new characters.

Key: . dot o dah (two dot lengths) - dash (three dot lengths) A .. B o- C .-- D -o E . F .o G ..- H -. I o J .-- K .-. L o.. M oo N o. P .o- Q .-o R -- S ... T - U .- V ..o W .o. X o.o Y oo. Z o.- 1 -.. 2 -.- 3 --. 4 -o. 5 -.o 6 -oo 7 -o- 8 --o 9 --- 0 o-. ? oo-o-o

GIVE A COIN FOR CHRISTMAS Never fumble for your Ohm's lawpower formulas again! Here is agood study aid to have on hand,whether you're an electrician, anapprentice or student. Just pull it outof your pocket and you'll be able tostudy when you have a few minutesto spare.2D two Dimensional Ohm's lawformula coins! AC and DC Ohm'sLaw power wheel formulas on an

approximately 2" Solid Copper Coin, 3mm thick and finished beautifully! AC power wheelohm's law formulas on one side - and DC Ohm's law power wheel formulas on theother!The would-be Morse man is not forgotten. Also available is a double-sided Morse cointhat has all the letters and numbers on one side and all the symbols on the other. Both theOhm's Law and the CW job are available on eBay for around $12 each. Google: morsecode coin decoder and you are half way there.

HOW FAR IS THE HORIZON? By Phil Plait

Standing on the Earth, assuming the Earth is aperfect sphere, because that makes things a loteasier, it looks something like the diagram. Thecircle is the surface of the Earth, which has a radiusof R. The Earth’s radius varies with latitude, butjust use 6365 kilometres as a decent average. Theman standing on the Earth is a human of height hholding a hand held radio.The line-of-sight to the horizon is the red line,labelled d. Finding the value of d is the goal here. Note that the radius of the Earth is aconstant, but that d will vary as h goes up or down. The key thing here is that at the visiblehorizon, the angle between your line-of-sight and the radius line of the Earth is a rightangle (marked in the diagram). That means we have a right triangle, and — reach backinto the dim, dusty memory of high school — that means we can use the PythagoreanTheorem to get d. The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of theother two sides. One side is d, the other is R, and the hypotenuse is the Earth’s radius plusyour height above the surface, R+h. This gives us the means to find d.If you are 0 metres off the surface of the Earth (lying down really really flat), the horizonis 0 kilometres away. That makes sense — you’re tangent to the surface! Imagine youare standing on a beach, looking out over the ocean to the horizon and you are two metres

Musical Chairs? No Musical Call Signs is the name of the game at Westlakes.Follow this if you can. Peter who changed from VK2TPC to VK2QG only amonth or so ago is now VK2BR. Our Secretary, Barrie who was VK2ABD,a week ago is now VK2QG.

DOTS, DASHES, AND DAHS


Page 12 Page 13


A DAY CLOCK FOR CHRISTMAS?

Who is the DayClock for? Retirees for a startbut a Day Clock is aimed at helping peopleliving with dementia by simply and clearlydisplaying what day it is. As people age, theycan lose the ability to know what day of theweek it is and missing key events.The Day Clock has a number of features whichare specific to people with dementia includingtamper proof button sequencing to ensure thatrandom pressing of the buttons does not resetthe clock.

The Day Clock will revert back to the correct day when switched off and then on, alsoif it is unplugged. The Day Clock is clearly visible at night without being bright and it comeswith corner night lighting which make the display more prominent at night and which canbe turned off if not required. Where do you get one? Google day clock.com

The ACMA will be contacting all amateurradio operators early in 2014 to advise theapproval of a new mode of digital transmissioncalled Triambic Carrier Wave (TCW.)

TRIAMBIC CARRIER WAVEMORSE IS HERE!

TCW consists of three different duration bursts of carrier, one dot length, two dot lengths,and three dot lengths, with the usual letter and word spacing.It is generally agreed that the saving in time and speed increases 50 percent or so willmore than offset the slightly more difficult learning process as there will be 39 charactersof three units or less each. On air tests suggest the TCW mode is especially good at cuttingthrough static and QRM. The table below shows the new characters.

Key: . dot o dah (two dot lengths) - dash (three dot lengths) A .. B o- C .-- D -o E . F .o G ..- H -. I o J .-- K .-. L o.. M oo N o. P .o- Q .-o R -- S ... T - U .- V ..o W .o. X o.o Y oo. Z o.- 1 -.. 2 -.- 3 --. 4 -o. 5 -.o 6 -oo 7 -o- 8 --o 9 --- 0 o-. ? oo-o-o

GIVE A COIN FOR CHRISTMAS Never fumble for your Ohm's lawpower formulas again! Here is agood study aid to have on hand,whether you're an electrician, anapprentice or student. Just pull it outof your pocket and you'll be able tostudy when you have a few minutesto spare.2D two Dimensional Ohm's lawformula coins! AC and DC Ohm'sLaw power wheel formulas on an

approximately 2" Solid Copper Coin, 3mm thick and finished beautifully! AC power wheelohm's law formulas on one side - and DC Ohm's law power wheel formulas on theother!The would-be Morse man is not forgotten. Also available is a double-sided Morse cointhat has all the letters and numbers on one side and all the symbols on the other. Both theOhm's Law and the CW job are available on eBay for around $12 each. Google: morsecode coin decoder and you are half way there.

HOW FAR IS THE HORIZON? By Phil Plait

Standing on the Earth, assuming the Earth is aperfect sphere, because that makes things a loteasier, it looks something like the diagram. Thecircle is the surface of the Earth, which has a radiusof R. The Earth’s radius varies with latitude, butjust use 6365 kilometres as a decent average. Theman standing on the Earth is a human of height hholding a hand held radio.The line-of-sight to the horizon is the red line,labelled d. Finding the value of d is the goal here. Note that the radius of the Earth is aconstant, but that d will vary as h goes up or down. The key thing here is that at the visiblehorizon, the angle between your line-of-sight and the radius line of the Earth is a rightangle (marked in the diagram). That means we have a right triangle, and — reach backinto the dim, dusty memory of high school — that means we can use the PythagoreanTheorem to get d. The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of theother two sides. One side is d, the other is R, and the hypotenuse is the Earth’s radius plusyour height above the surface, R+h. This gives us the means to find d.If you are 0 metres off the surface of the Earth (lying down really really flat), the horizonis 0 kilometres away. That makes sense — you’re tangent to the surface! Imagine youare standing on a beach, looking out over the ocean to the horizon and you are two metres

Musical Chairs? No Musical Call Signs is the name of the game at Westlakes.Follow this if you can. Peter who changed from VK2TPC to VK2QG only amonth or so ago is now VK2BR. Our Secretary, Barrie who was VK2ABD,a week ago is now VK2QG.

DOTS, DASHES, AND DAHS


Page 14 Page 11


tall, in that case, your horizon is 5.1 km away. Now you are in a hotel overlooking the beach,and your eyes are 20 metres off the ground the horizon is then 16 km away. The higher youare, the farther away the horizon will be be and the greater distance can be reached byline-of-site radio transmissions.

Height in metres Distance to horizon in km

The following table may be of use:

0 0 2 5.1 10 11.3 20 16.0 100 35.7 1000 111.2 5000 252.3 12000 391.0 100000 1132.7

SPY RADIO

Encrypted messages, fancy technology;spies use them all to communicate, butsometimes the best way to hide is inplain sight. Right now, broadcastingacross the airwaves around the world, areautomated, anonymous shortwave AM

radio stations that most governments won't acknowledge even exist, much less explain.Best of all, you can hear recordings from them right now, and if you have the right gear,tune in and listen yourself.Then there's numbers stations. Numbers stations are anonymous, shortwave AM radiostations that broadcast messages at pre-set times, sometimes periodically and sometimesrandom, on specific frequencies. They're notable for their unusual tone and content, asthe stations can be silent for most hours of the day or week, then jump to life with acollection of artificial human voices, sounds, Morse code, short songs, or even nurseryrhymes. They also broadcast in a number of different languages. If you've ever listenedto a numbers station, it's one of the creepiest things you've ever heard.You can see how they'd be ideal for spies: transmit a one-way message to someoneanywhere in the world—literally thousands of miles away from the origin point—on anunlicensed station so no one knows who you are. Send them a code that can be decipheredusing information only they know, or even a one-time pad that's never used again andchanges from message to message. It's no wonder they are still in use today.The beauty of shortwave AM radio is that it's blasted through the air, free and clear. Allyou really need is a shortwave AM radio you can use to pick up the broadcasts, and anidea of when to listen. Even if you don't have one though, there are some ways you canget an idea what these secret messages sound like. The site Spynumbers.com has anold—but still mostly accurate—list of numbers stations, recordings from them, and theirknown frequencies and times of broadcast. Numberstations.co.uk does so as well, andthe Global Frequency Database can help you learn more if you know a frequencyalready.

FOR SALEA MULTIMETER FOR CHRISTMAS?

Palm Size Digital Multimeter

RANGESDC volts 200mV to 500V, AC volts 250V 500V

DC Current 2000uA, 20mA, 200mA, 10AResistance 200, 2K , 20K, 20M 200M Ohm

Input Impedance 10M OhmContinuity buzzer, Diode tester

Square wave output

Complete with leads, battery and Protective HolsterBIG 1/2" LCD DIGITS

Still Only $19.50 PLUS POSTAGE IN AUSTRALIA $5.50Contact Geoff VK2GL at Westlakes or email [email protected]

2014 CALL BOOKS Last month, Westlakes ordered 24 Call Books (the min.quantity with free postage) from the WIA. Finally, we had

takers for the lot, encouraged no doubt, by the generous offer by Geoff VK2GL of a prizewhich was one of the mutimeters pictured above. A draw of the 24 names was held andthe winner was Geoff VK2YFA. Thanks for the donation goes to Geoff VK2GL.

CONTACTLESS CARDSTRANSMIT ON 13.560 MHZ

A researcher at the University of Surrey hasintercepted the HF 13.560 MHz signal used bycontactless debit and credit cards. Using home-built equipment, the researcher could reliably eavesdrop on synthesised payment data atat a distance of more than two metres. Inconspicuous equipment included a shoppingtrolley, a backpack and a small antenna which were used to intercept the data. Duringa wave-and-go transaction, customers hold a card near a reader to pay for purchaseswithout entering a PIN code, and without security it seems. BBC News November 2013


Page 10 10 10 10 10 Page 15 15 15 15 15

AA

Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. - Magazine December 2013 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013

YAESU FT101

The FT101 was a very popularAmateur Band transceiver whichsaw the start of many an amateur'sstation.The following details arecompiled mainly from NW2M’swebsite. The FT-101 is a hybridradio that employs a solid statetransmitter, receiver, and a tube finalamplifier.The solid state features ofthe radio offer high performance,

low-current characteristics, while the tube amplifier provides a nearly "bullet-proof"transmitter and tuner stage. The tube amplifier consists of a 12BY7A pre-driverstage that feeds a pair of 6JS6C tubes providing a nominal output power of 130 watts PEPSSB, 90 watts CW, 40 watts AM. The 6JS6C tubes are matched to 50 Ohms through aconventional pi output network.The pi-network transforms the 3000 ohm output impedance of the tubes to a 50 Ohm feedsystem, provides harmonic attenuation, and can actually match to a variety of outputimpedances from 25 to 100 Ohms with ease. The transceivers were made with plug-inboards that could be sent to the factory for replacement or repair. This modular design wasunprecedented in the amateur community, which explains why so many FT-101's are stillin use today. In fact, board extenders could be purchased to extend any board above themain chassis for measurement, alignment, and repair. For any plug-in board, all voltages,grounds, and signal traces were routed through a single edge connector (facing down intothe main chassis). This removed the need for wires and cables to these circuit boards. Thisyielded a clean and trim internal upper chassis. The bulk of the wiring harness is below thedeck of the main chassis where all main circuit board edge connectors are fed. Yes, thereare many wiresThe FT-101 series of transceivers first appeared outside of the United States in 1970 andthen inside the United States in late 1971. It gained overnight approval of amateur radiooperators for its quality of signal, flexibility and for professional attention to workmanshipand design. The modular design of 10 solid state circuit boards on a common chassis witha tube amplifier caught the eye of discriminating hams world wide. Courtesy of Oxley Region ARC - Oxtales

SMALL WONDER LABSHAS CLOSED

Small Wonder Labs was a US supplier ofquality QRP kits for amateur radio enthusiasts from 1996 to 2013 - but not any more. Itwas founded by Dave Benson, K1SWL but he has "had enough." He says he has

For instance, the Commission could impose separate forfeitures for each day on whichthe hair dressing lights, acting as incidental radiators, cause harmful interference. From Common Law Magazine - November 2013

HAIR DRESSER'S LIGHTSJAM 4G CELL SITE

ion against incidental radiators such as lights that cause harmfulradio interference. The Perfect Cuts Salon in San Antonio,Texas, has been emitting a radio signal on 705 MHz used byAT&T for 4G services.AT&T contacted the FCC about the interference and the FCChas now issued a Citation and Order - Incidental Radiator Causing Harmful Interference- which says: "If, after receipt of this Citation, Perfect Cuts again violates Section15.5(b) of the Rules by engaging in conduct of the type described herein, theCommission may impose monetary forfeitures not to exceed $16,000 for each suchviolation or each day of a continuing violation, and up to $112,500 for any singleact or failure to act."

The US communicat-ions regulator, the FCCbelieves in taking act-

vk2 and over 500 registered so far in vk4 with some large regions still to go. All regionsof VK2 are registered so there are summits all over the state. In VK4, the two south-east regions and the Capricornia and Wide Bay & Burnett regions are registered at thispoint. I can also pass on the news that VK6 is being surveyed at present.SOTA is not a contest but is an operating award programme. You can record yourcontacts in an online log and claim points for your contacts. A major benefit of particip-ating in the SOTA programme is that to activate a summit you must do at least somewalking (the last 25m of altitude). As many mountains have no vehicle access any-where near the top, this sometimes means you and your fellow activators need to walk1 or 2 km, carrying your radio station, food and water, navigation and safety equipment.Many radio amateurs around the world are now enjoying this combination of amateur radiowith some level of bushwalking. It is good for the health.For more details about the award, the summits already registered, activators' guides andonline maps and spotting websites, start your search at SOTA.org.uk. From Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH Association Manager for SOTA in VK2.

SUMMITS ON THE AIRSummits on the Air (SOTA) programme continues to grow in VKand is now operational in vk2 and vk4, with over 1000 summits in

HOW TO MAKE A MANPACK Michael VK2CCW has brought hishome-made ManPack to Westlakes

over the the past weeks and it's looking impressive. He has made it for "show as well asgo." The Pack will hold a Yaesu 857, LDG tuner, battery, and antennas. Full details andphotos will be in next month's magazine.


Page 16 16 16 16 16 Page 9 9 9 9 9


The installations were knownas 'stations' and weredesigned to provide long-rangedetection of aircraft. Thissystem had shortcomings innot being able to detect aircraftat lower altitudes and thuswas used in conjunction withthe Chain Home Low systemwhich could detect aircraftflying at a minimum altitudelevel of 500 ft. This was furtherrefined by the addition ofChain Home Extra Low,which gave cover down to 50ft but at short ranges of onlyapproximately 30 miles.

CHAIN HOME

Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal Early Warning radar stationsbuilt by the British before and during the Second World War. It was one of the first practicalradar systems and the main component of the world's first integrated air defence system.The system consisted of fixed cable array antennae slung between three or four 360 ftsteel towers. The radar transmitted on the HF 12 m frequency band between 22-25 MHzdepending on operational requirements.

The Chain Home system was simple and basic by 1935 standards and 'primitive' by modernones. Hindsight of seventy years is often dismissive of Chain Home, viewing it as obsoleteand dead end technology but it was a considerable technical achievement to produce anintegrated air defence system from green field trial in 1935 to success in battle in 1940. Itwas a world first.In September, the Thames Amateur Radio Group visited the Chain Home station inCanewdon, Essex and housed in the tent pictured above, activated special eventstation, GB75CR to mark 75 since the completion of the Chain Home Tower radarstation in Canewdon and various various military units attended. As the day coincidedwith the annual Canewdon Village Fete, a jolly time was had by all.

WIA TRAVELLER'S BADGE FOR CHRISTMAS

Here is just the thing for WIA members - and inexpensivetoo. Wireless Institute members who are fond of travellingand wish to be recognised by fellow amateur radiooperators in Australia and abroad, now have thishandsome badge in the green and gold of Australia,produced by the WIA, which will provide that recognition.The first batch of these badges sold out but more shouldbe in stock by now Place your order with the WIA. Priceto members is only $10.

suspended sales of the popular RockMite QRP transceiver although he will ship out thelast several dozen orders shortly. Also he will continue to support requests for replacement/missing RockMite parts from existing customers over the short term.Attempts are being made with another QRP vendors to have them assume production/sales of the RockMite. The Small Wonder Labs website will remain active for a year, andit will maintain documentation for firm's earlier products.

PER TRAINFrom Kurri Kurri Times

16 February 1906

T.L. writes: I remember when I first struck theKurri district, the train service from Maitland wasa wrath-raising institution. We would frequentlyhave to wait 25 minutes for coal trains to pass,and at best, it was the slowest thing in the way

of trains that was ever invented for the annoyance of travellers.For a long time on the contraptions called carriages bore an inscription which in its waywas humorous and certainly was a choice bit of sarcasm. It ran, "Passengers arerequested not to get out to gather wild flowers while the train is in motion."Now a day or two ago I had occasion to visit a town lying north of Kurri, and I wentper train. The engine snorted and belched sparks of fire and lumps of coal cinders, andmust had been covering upwards of four miles an hour, when, with a shriek from ahoarse whistle, the train came to a standstill.Most of us did not notice any difference in the rate of travelling, but a commercialtraveller from Newcastle who, was apparently anxious to reach his destinaion beforeold age claimed him for its own, "got to the guard," as they say in Weston. He was toldthat a calf was on the line, but had been hunted on by the fireman.The train got a fresh start, and had been travelling for about 25 minutes, when once morethe engine pulled up. The commercial traveller jumped to his feet with a remark thatplainly showed that he had never led a prayer meeting. "What's wrong now?" asked hewith blazing eyes. "A calf on the track," softly replied the guard. "But I thought yousaid the fireman hunted it." "So he did, but we caught up to it again." And then wemoved on. Courtesy of Geoff VK2YFA

A "HUGE" MISTAKE In last month's Magazine there was an error. Onpage 5 in the article, 'What's the Delay?' I had the time

taken for a radio signal to reach the moon as 1h 3s. An observant reader, Wayne VK4WSsays," A huge mistake in your Magazine...It doesn't take 1 hour and 3 seconds for a signalto reach the Moon. From my EME experience the round-trip is about 2.5 seconds. I madea typo - it should have been 1.3s one-way, or about 2.5 seconds return. VK2CW


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THE EDDYSTONE 870 A SCARY RADIO

I had one of these but I gave it awaybecause it scared me. The Eddystone870 was a general coverage receiverfrom the 1950's which was marketedas a ship’s cabin radio for passengerson ocean liners. The receiver had fivevalves and a built-in speaker.

It picked up stations on all wavebands; long wave, medium wave, and two short wavebands. The set was "interesting" because although designed for use on AC or DC mainsit did not use an isolating transformer. I imagine this feature must have resulted in muchexcitement over the years as the internal chassis can be at mains potential.The outer metal case is isolated from the inner chassis by numerous fibre washers andthere is no way this type of design would be allowed now because of today's much morestringent electrical safety standards. Mine had the original 2 pin mains connector so I wasleft with a 2 pin plug connected to 240 volts to a radio with a metal case. Hmmm.My 870 came from Westlakes about 20 years ago after an unknown donor had left it.It worked perfectly and I remember how heavily weighted and smooth acting was thecentral tuning knob. As I said, that metal case with no transformer scared me. I gave itaway to another club member who will be reading this and smiling.PS. I remember when I started the Novice Licence class at Westlakes in 1986, KeithHoward VK2AKX (SK) told the class, "Amateur radio is a perfectly safe hobbyproviding you don't horse about with 240 volts or fall off the roof." VK2CW

RADIO STATIONS IN THE U.S.A.

Guess How Many Licensed Radio Stations there are in the U.S.A.? According to the FCC,as of 30 September 2013 , there were 14,865 radio stations in the U.S. That representsa 55 station increase since 30 June 2011. Non-commercial educational FM stations (whichinclude college radio, public radio, community radio, and religious radio) fared the best,picking up 59 more frequencies. AM stations decreased in number. Here’s a breakdownof the types of licensed stations:

AM Stations: 4,763 FM Commercial Stations: 6,530 FM Educational Stations: 3,572 Total Radio Stations: 14,865

Throw in another 738,497 licensed US amateur radio operators and there is a lot of RFfloating about.

NOW YOU SEE ITNOW YOU DON'T

By Richard Chirgwin

Sandy Island has been 'undiscovered' again asamateur radio operators beat science by a decade.It’s the story of a tiny little Coral Sea island wheregroup of scientists on expedition visited the spotwhere the island is marked on the maritime charts,only to find it is not there.It's called Sandy Island and is supposed to exist inthe ocean between Australia and New Caledonia.and It appears on Google Maps. As one of the

expedition told the Sydney Morning Herald, “We all had a good giggle at Google as wesailed over the island, then we started compiling information about the seafloor, which wewill send to the relevant authorities so that we can change the world map.”But the 'undiscovery' was made before and was first reported in the year 2000, by agroup of amateur radio operators on a DXpedition. The operators in question reportedthat Sandy Island was not there because its existence would have disqualified thenearby Chesterfields from being a worthy DXpedition location. To be added to theDXCC List as another new entity, it required that there should be an open waterseparation of at least 350 kilometres from Chesterfield Islands. If Sandy Island existed,the separation would not be sufficient, and the bid to make this a new DXCC entity wouldhave failed. So it wasn't and it didn't. From Sydney Morning Herald

FORGET Wi-Fi GET Li-Fi

150 Mbps FROM A LIGHTBULB

Scientists in China are reporting great success in replacing traditional Wi-Fi radio trafficwith Li-Fi, a system that uses the light signals from an LED lightbulb to provide a line-of-sight data stream. Li-Fi, or light fidelity, was developed by Professor Harald Haas atthe University of Edinburgh, who was disenchanted with radio as a data transmission tool.Using light instead of radio opens up 10,000 times more available spectrum than radio –and it's highly energy efficient compared to radio towers that use most of their powerfor cooling and only five per cent for data transmission.Using a single one-watt LED lightbulb with a signal modulation chip, data was sent tofour PCs at 150Mbps. The team used specially designed signal modulators and areceiving station to achieve these speeds, but say the potential of the system couldallow much higher rates of data transfer. From The Register - November 2013


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DCN CHANNELS


AREA 51

No trespassing, no cameras, no mobile phones, notwo-way radios, and no admittance. Area 51, alsoofficially known as Groom Lake is a remotedetachment of Edwards Air Force Base. Accordingto the CIA, the correct names for the Area 51 facilityare the Nevada Test and Training Range and GroomLake.The base's current primary purpose is officiallyundetermined; however, it most likely supports

development and testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems. The intensesecrecy surrounding the base has made it the frequent subject of conspiracy theoriesand a central component of UFO studies. In July 2013, following a Freedom ofInformation Request in 2005, the Central Intelligence Agency publicly acknowledged theexistence of the base for the first time. It took eight years to admit Area 51 existed.The rectangular area measures 23 by 25 miles of restricted airspace and was the CIAfacility for Project Aquatone, development of the Lockheed U-2 spy aircraft in April1955. Apart from that, the amount of information the United States government hasbeen willing to provide regarding Area 51 has been minimal.Theories of activities at Area 51 include: * The storage, examination, and reverse engineering of crashed alien spacecraft includingmaterial supposedly recovered at Roswell, the study of the alien occupants living and dead,and the manufacture of aircraft based on alien technology. * Meetings or joint undertakings with extraterrestrials. * The development of exotic energy weapons for the Strategic Defense Initiative. * The development of means of weather control. * The development of time travel and teleportation technology. * Activities related to proposed One World Government.So now you know all about Area 51 and why you cannot go there carrying a 2 metre handheld - even if you do have a VK Advanced Amateur Licence.

HOW OLD ARE LED LIGHTS?

Russian Oleg Vladimirovich Losev, working in a Soviet radio laboratory reported thecreation of the first LED in 1927. In the introduction to his 1927 patent application he stated,"The proposed invention uses the known phenomenon of luminescence of acarborundum (a compound of silicon and carbon) detector and consists of the useof such a detector in an optical relay for the purpose of fast telegraphic andtelephone communication, transmission of images and other applications when alight luminescence contact point is used as the light source connected directly to acircuit of modulated current."

High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University. It has the potential torevolutionize scientific research. The custom built split magnet took $2.5 million tocomplete, and operates at 25 Tesla – which is 500,000 times stronger than our planet’smagnetic field.If you are ever caught in one of these devices, you won’t live to tell the tale.The previous world’s strongest magnet was only 17.5 Tesla and was set in France in 1991.The scientists will be using the magnet to probe the unusual properties of materialsunder extreme conditions of heat and pressure. The strong magnetic fields should makeit easier to observe atoms or molecules much more easily then if they were under lessextreme conditions.

WORLD'S STRONGEST MAGNET The world’s strongest magnet hasbeen created and sits in the National

MARINE RESCUE NSW

Marine Rescue use a Discrete CommunicationsNetwork (DCN) consisting of five channels forpassing internal communications that do not needto be heard on the marine band. DCN 1 – 164.1875 ctcss 162.2 DCN 2 – 164.650 ctcss 162.2 DCN 3 – 165.100 ctcss 162.2 DCN 4 – 154.450 ctcss 162.2 DCN 5 – 154.625 ctcss 162.2 Repeater locations – DCN 1 – Sydney Nth Head, Port Macquarie, Byron Bay, Narooma DCN 2 – Batemans Bay, Barrenjoey Head DCN 3 – Nelson Bay, Bomaderry, Coffs Harbour DCN 4 & 5 is for simplex use Callsigns used –Callsigns begin with the Unit’s name, such as Lake Macquarie, Port Jackson (PJ),and Middle Harbour etc 10 – Cat 1 vessel 11 – Cat 1 vessel 12 – Cat 1 vessel 20 – Cal 2 vessel 21 – Cat 2 vessels 22 – Cat 2 vessels 30 – Cat 3 vessels 31 – Cat 3 vessels 50 – Road vehicle

Courtesy of Richard VK2FRKO


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Even earlier than this in 1907 the Englishman, Henry J. Round discovered the basis ofelectroluminescence, after noting 'yellowish light' after applying 10Volts across acarborundum crystal. Low powered , often red, LEDs were first used commercially inthe 1960's but today they are used for residential and automotive lighting, backlightingin flat screen televisions, and in a host of electonic products.

WHAT IS A PHANTOM CIRCUIT?

A phantom circuit can be created when electrical wires forone circuit are also configured to conduct signals for another.It is often used for telephone systems and electricalengineering, as well as to power audio recording and broadcastmicrophones.

Phantom circuits are typically dependent on the operation of an audio transformer calleda repeat coil, which often includes different lengths of wire wound around an iron, nickel,or other type of core. These coils are usually part of a simplex circuit normally consistingof cables connected to the main electrical line and to the wiring of the telephone equipment.Two simplex circuits can be combined to form a third; this additional circuit is alsocalled a phantom group.When one winding in the repeat coil, also called a centre-tapped transformer, is exposedto an Alternating Current, the other wire usually has an equally strong signal. Theconnection of telephone lines with repeat coils is therefore suitable because voice andringing signals are typically AC powered. Repeat coils are located at either side of thephantom circuit, while connections between the wires can be made at the ends or themiddle of the circuits. A current applied at the midpoint is usually divided equally amongeach wire, if the electrical resistance of each is the same.Two currents on the same line typically travel in different directions and can cancel eachother out. Telephone signals that are connected to a simplex electrical circuit also typicallydon’t get carried to the endpoints of the other lines. Other capabilities, like Morse codefunctions, can be added to the phantom circuit without degrading telephone function,especially if the Earth is used as a conductor. Frequent maintenance of these circuits isusually important, because electrical interference in the lines can make voice signalsunintelligible.If more repeat coils are used to form more connections, multiple phantom circuits can becreated. The technology was first used in the early 20th century. Telephone companiesoften tried to maximize how many circuits there could be on long-distance lines withouthaving to build extra equipment. A phantom circuit can also be applied to Direct Current(DC) signals in telecommunications, while more modern carrier telephone systems oftenuse it as well. The phantom circuit configuration normally enables a telephone companyto get a cable plant to handle the most traffic. This potentially saves revenue, becauseoperators often need less equipment and can add more subscribers to each line.So now you know all about phantom circuits......BOO!

RADIO ROW

Radio Row is a nickname for an urban street or district specializing in the sale of radio andelectronic equipment and parts. Radio Rows arose in many cities (including Melbourne andSydney) with the 1920's rise of broadcasting and declined after mid century. The mostfamous were New York's Radio Row in Cortlandt Street and London's Radio Row inTottenham Court Road.New York City's Radio Row, which existed from 1921 to 1966, was a warehouse districtin the West Side of Manhattan. It held several blocks of radio and electronics storeswith used radios, war surplus electronics, junk, and parts often piled so high they wouldspill out onto the street, attracting collectors and scroungers.The New York Times made a reference to "Radio Row" in 1927, when Cortlandt Streetcelebrated a "Radio Jubilee". The Times reported that, "Today... Cortlandt Street is 'RadioRow,' while Broadway is just a thoroughfare." The street was closed and decorated withflags and bunting, and the Times reported plans for New York's mayor to present a "keyto Cortlandt Street" to the then-reigning Miss New York, Frieda Mierse, while a contestwas held to name a "Miss Downtown Radio."Radio Row was torn down in 1966 to make room for the World Trade Center.After theclosing of these stores, whole city blocks containing a concentration of radio retailerswas not duplicated again anywhere else in the world.

FROM AN ISOTROPIC TO A 2-LETTER CALLJust when we thought there were no 2-letter call signs left, Garry Saunders has pulledone out of the hat. He is no longer VK2DBI but is now VK2PE.


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RSM has advised that from 6th December 2013 onwards (just in time for the annualVHF/UHF/SHF Field Day Contest.) Amateurs throughout New Zealand will haveaccess to the bottom end of the 6 metre band (50 to 51 MHz) without needing to apply fora permit

A BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS?

It's called SolderSmoke- Global Adventures inWireless Electronics by Bill Meara N2CQR. Ittells the story of a normal kid, from a normalAmerican town. But around the age of 12 he gotinterested in electronics, and he has never beenthe same. When he got older he became a diplomat.His work has taken him to Panama, Honduras, ElSalvador, the Spanish Basque Country, theDominican Republic, the Azores islands of Port-ugal, London, and, most recently, Rome. In almostall of these places his addiction to electronicscaused him to seek out like-minded radio fiends, tostay up late into the night working on strangeprojects,

SolderSmoke is no ordinary memoir. It is a technical memoir. Each chapter containsdescriptions of Bill’s struggles to understand radio-electronic theory. Why does P=IE?Do holes really flow through transistors? What is a radio wave? How does a frequencymixer produce sum and difference frequencies? If these are the kinds of questionsthat keep you up at night, this book is for you. Finally, SolderSmoke is about brotherhood.International, cross-border brotherhood. It looks like a good read.

WESTLAKES CHRISTMAS FROLICAND FRISBEE FLIP

A range of Amateur licence assessments were undertaken at the Club in October with a100% success rate - 8 successful out of 8, involving a total of 16 assessments.Congratulations to the following: Michael George, Paul Vidler, Peter Waeger and KateWarner were all successful in gaining their Foundation Callsigns. While they did the work,a big vote of thanks is due to Geoff Linthorne VK2GL for the tremendous effort he putinto each and every one of them in preparing them for the assessments over the previoussix weeks.Also successful were Barry Finlay VK2FINB, Barry Gilbert and Marcel Post VK2FMDBwho all achieved their Standard licences.Tony O'Donnell VK2NCD was successful ingaining his Advanced licence.We are indebted to Graham O'Brien VK2FA and Kim PiperVK2ZW for their invaluable assistance. Grahame and Kim bring a wealth of experienceas Assessors, which was greatly appreciated by Geoff and myself.Dave VK2RD did an excellent job as the 'on-air contact' for the five candidates whorequired to demonstrate their competency as part of the assessment. In all this took nearly7 hours - a big thank you on behalf of the candidates Dave. Michael VK2CCW did asterling job feeding the Assessors and candidates - thank you Michael.So, keep an eye out for a whole lot of new callsigns at Westlakes and congratulations onceagain to all. From Steve VK2LW President and WIA Assessor

THE EXAMS

A Christmas Frolic plus a Frisbee Flip?Yes, it takes place in the Westlakes Club Grounds on Saturday 14 December at 12 noon.

A

all-you-can-eat barbecue lunch and salad. The only thing to bring is a chair and the Christmas drinks of your choice. First Aid personnel will be in attendance in case of Frisbee accidents. Plus several surprises have been arranged.

REMEMBER, WESTLAKES CHRISTMAS FROLICAND FRISBEE FLIP

FREE BARBECUE - ALL WELCOMESATURDAY 14 DECEMBER

12 NOON

The good news is everything is free including an

A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR ZL'sNew Zealand's last Channel1 television transmitter closeddown in November and the

CAN YOU STILL BUY THESE?

The RAK Balun model BL-50A is a fully sealed unit and as suchis inherently weatherproof. No rubber seals, silicones or other suchweatherproofing needed. These were sold locally in VK/ZL byDick Smith Electronics years ago when they serviced our amateurcommunity.They have a band width from 1.8 to 30Mhz continuous and a powerrating of 2Kw PEP 1Kw CW. Impedance is 50 ohms. Transformationratio is 1:1 with an insertion loss of less than 0.2db.

I have one that has been in use for 20 years and it is still in as new condition. I wouldlike another one or two. Any clues for a source? VK2CW


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next page

Steve VK2LW


41 MEGAPIXELSFOR CHRISTMAS?

Geneva-based Hyetis announced its new luxurywatch - a product with a 41 megapixel camerain its side. It is available right now in better watchshops in Sydney and Melbourne.It is able to interact with iOS, Android andWindows 8 handsets and it costs $1,200. Withthis watch you only have to position your handand extend your arm to take a picture.

Ofcom THROWS IN THE TOWEL

website, perhaps to hide the fact that they no longer published them. It may be speculatedthe reason the statistics no longer appeared was because Ofcom had stopped undertakingenforcement action. Currently in London there are over 25 pirate stations operating inthe 88-108 MHz band. Many operate 24/7 so are not exactly difficult for Ofcom to locateif it wished.In the Pirate Radio page, Ofcom points out that it has issued Community Radio licencesto former pirate radio stations such as Rinse FM and Kane FM. The inference that maybe taken is Ofcom would like pirate radio stations to apply for community radio licences. From Southgate Radio

The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has publishedinformation about tackling pirate radio. Although Ofcomhas occasionally raided pirate stations operating in the 88-108 MHz band, such enforcement actions have been fewand far between.After the 2008/9 financial year, Ofcom stopped publishingtheir Prosecution/Formal Warning Statistics andsubsequently removed all prosecution statistics from their

IT'S MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIMEBecause it promotes low power (5 Watts or less) in all communication modes the CWOperators’ QRP Club is perhaps now better known as the VK QRP Club. Alive, active,and continually growing, the club keeps its members informed with its quarterly publicationLo-Key and its regularly updated website. In addition the club’s weekly SSB Natter Netand CW Net, using any power level, are very active. Several international members, andothers, have claimed the Milliwatts Per Kilometre (MPK) Award. Founded on 12 December 1983 by Len O’Donnell VK5ZF (sk), the present club rosefrom the ashes of the VK CW QRPp Club. The latter, started in 1979 by Jack SwineyVK6JS (sk) unfortunately closed 3 years later.Now with a combined international and Australian membership of 255 amateur radiooperators and SWLs, the VK QRP Club will soon celebrate its 30th birthday and hasreached the milestone of 120 issues of Lo-Key. We invite you to celebrate with us.More details are available on the club website www.vkqrpclub.org Club membershipis available to anyone interested in QRP (5 Watts or less) operating or home-brewing.Email the Club Secretary at [email protected] From Garry VK2YA

VK QRP CLUB TURNS 30The Australian VK QRP Club willcelebrate its 30th birthday inDecember 2013. With its motto “Wedo more with less” the club aims toadvance the use of all modes of lowpower communication and encouragehome-brewing in the Amateur RadioService.VK5ZF VK6JS

The Royal Air Force station at Henlow in Bedfordshire, UK and the RAF Signals Museum,will be open for business under the Permanent Special event callsign GB4SMH witheffect from 1 November 2013. Normal operating times will be 10:00 UTC to 16:00 UTCon each Tuesday and on the first Saturday of each month. QSL via the RSGB Bureau. Thewebsite can be found at: www.rafsignalsmuseum.org.uk

RAF SIGNALS MUSEUM IS NOW ON THE AIR

A WESTLAKES CLUB NET ON 40 METRES

It started last month, a club net on 7.150 MHz at 9.30 am eastern time on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday. How long will it last is anyone's guess. Have a listen and callin. All are welcome to join the group. Call sign for net control is VK2ATZ/p.

,

Enclosed with this magazine you will find an invitation to renew yourmembership of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. for the 2014/15year. Those who receive the magazine by email, the renewal form willarrive by Australia Post. If no renewal form arrives, you are paid up forthe coming year. The good news is that the annual fee once againremains the same i.e. $20

Further to the Exams report on Page 5, the following membershave new call signs: Barry Finlay VK2VBF, Barry Gilbert

VK2MHA, Michael George VK2FMRG, Marcel Post VK2HAQ, Paul VidlerVK2FBUZ, Peter Waeger VK2FAEH, Kate Warner VK2FKAT, and Tony O'DonnellVK2QW. Congratulations to all

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Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.- Magazine December 2013 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. - Magazine December 2013

WHY THERE ARE NO PIRATE RADIO STATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Australian radio audiences have had virtually no exposureto pirate radio stations unlike Europe and the UK in particular.There were no broadcasts as part of the World War IIpropaganda campaigns. The absence of pirate stations here isbecause of our multitude of commercial and community stationsalongside the taxpayer funded Australian BroadcastingCommission were available during the mid to late 1980's andearly 1990's - a period when the UK was experiencing a surgein illegal broadcasts.

A large number of commercial licences were issued in Australia particularly afterWorld War 2, additionally, the lack of availability of imported broadcasting equipment andthe likely application of severe, legislated penalties including jail for offenders, was alsoa factor. A mere handful of pirate radio incidents are documented:But the development of which we can all be extremely proud is community broadcasting.We lead the world in terms of number, diversity and quality of licensed community-controlled broadcasting stations. Australia is in the healthy situation of having more licensedcommunity radio stations (358) than the number of commercial (274), ABC (65) andSBS (4) stations put together. So with so many radio stations broadcasting 24 hours a daythere is not much incentive to be a pirate.

THE END OF RADIO RUSSIAThe Russian government’s international radio broadcastingservice Golos Rossii (Voice of Russia) will stop its short-wave broadcasts from 1 January 2014. The internationalshortwave service is closing due to funding cuts.Voice of Russia was established in 1929 and currentlyuses RTRBN transmitters to broadcast to foreign countriesusing short and medium waves. After the shortwaveservice goes off the air, only three low-power mediumwave transmitters will be used to broadcast to othercountries. The radio service will mostly use FM bandtransmitters based abroad.

RADIO ON THE LONDON EYE

The London Eye is the largestobservation wheel ever built, andthe fourth tallest structure inLondon. It is designed to be bothbeautiful and enjoyable, providingbreath-taking views in a uniqueand different way. The designand realisation for the wheel, hasdrawn on many areas anddisciplines of engineering.

But things can go wrong, as when hundreds of passengers were stranded on the Eye in2008 for up to an hour while urgent repairs were carried out. About 400 people wereinstructed, via intercom, to open emergency supplies of water, blankets and commodesas the wheel was halted. Engineers at the attraction on the South Bank of the RiverThames removed one of four mechanical wheels, which was faulty, before restarting it.Guests were offered a hot drink and a refund once they had come down.Two-way communications with each of the 32 air conditioned capsules is essential toavoid panic by passengers who are stuck 135 metres above ground. There are dual radiosystems (one for back up) and they operate on 2.4 Ghz and 5.4 Ghz. Operation of otherradios on these frequencies within 10 km of the Eye is strictly prohibited.

COMING EVENTSWestlakes Monthly Meeting Saturday 7 December

Christmas Frolic and Frisbee Flip Saturday 14 December (See Page 5)

RAC IS BACK IN THE BLACKRadio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) were told their Annual GeneralMeeting in November that the organization is now solvent. RAC wason the brink of bankruptcy but a membership drive and severe costcutting have removed that threat and all is now "under radio control."

Young birds develop their singing abilities in strikingly different ways, depending ontheir species. For example, songbirds such as wrens, sparrows, thrushes, and warblerslearn their songs from others. In contrast, flycatchers and their relatives don't needto learn their songs--they inherit all the genetic instructions they need to sing theappropriate song. Can birds learn to communicate with humans? We have all heardtalking parrots (and even talking budgies at a pinch), but no one really believes they canunderstand the words.But for all those who doubt birds cannot converse with people, Pierre the Parrot fromMexico has proved them wrong. He can tootle along in Morse Code at about 12 wpm.See for youself. Google the URL below and be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WkrxlHKRR3Q

VK2CW


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Published by Westlakes AmateurRadio Club Inc. York Street Teralba,as a magazine of news, informationand opinions on amateur radio andassociated topics for the benefit ofthe members .Copyright:In general there is no copyright onarticles, they may be copied at will.The exception being those articlesfollowed by an asterisk *preceding the named source.

Founder:Keith Howard VK2AKX (SK)Patron:G.Piper MLALife members:Gregory Smith VK2CWPaul Lorentzen VK2ATRAlec Efimov VK2ZMLeslie Payne VK2ZPAPeter Sturt VK2ZTVDavid Myers VK2RDGeoffrey Clark VK2EO

Correspondence to: The Secretary W.A.R.C., Box 5, BOOLAROO NSW 2284Telephone:- (02) 49 581 588(24 hour answering service)Email:[email protected]

Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.is an affiliated club with theWireless Institute of Australia.

Radio CallsignsClub Callsign: VK2ATZClub Repeaters:VK2RTZ 146.775MHzVK2RZL 146.875MHzClub Digipeater:VK2RTZ 147.575 MHz IRLP Node 6040 Echolink 356838Club Nets:Club News broadcast,Sunday 0900146.775Mhzfollowed by callbacksand the VK1WIA News.

EZB Net 146.775MHzSaturday 0800Stone the Crows NetSaturday 3.588MHz 060040 Metre Net7.150 MHz Mon, Wed, Fri0930Internet HomePage:www.westlakesarc.org.au

Business:Tuesday after 1700Saturday after 1200Club Distance Record:2m SimplexVK2FGM 2040 kmQRP CW VK2YA 2680 km

Note: Opinions expressed in thismagazine are those of thecontributors and do not necessarilycoincide with those of the Executivenor the members in general.

a

Club meeting: 1st Saturday ofeach month 13.30

Membership RatesAll members................ $20.00 P.AJoining fee.................... $ 5.00

WANTED

Club fees are due 1st February

FOR SALE

Magazine assembly day "OZZI HAMS" Maxi Port-a-pole


Proof reading by: Stella

President:Steve Beveridge [email protected] President:Geoff Linthorne VK2GLSecretary:Barrie Downward: [email protected]:Greg Smith VK2CWCommittee:Allan Brown VK2JEDHerb Herivel VK2ZVFKen Jackson VK2KJLeonie McGuiness VK2FHRKBarry Finlay VK2VBFWarren Payne VK2UWPBarry Sullivan VK2BZMichael Welsh VK2CCWDiane Wilson JP VK2FDNEMagazine Editor:Greg Smith [email protected] Liason Officer:Alex Efimov VK2ZMStoreman:Aly Zimmer VK2AFZProject Officer:Norm Cameron VK2KNCMaintenance Officer:Barry Sullivan VK2BZRadio and Contest Officer:Dave Myers VK2RDPublic Relations:Diane Wilson JP VK2FDNESecurity:Warren Payne VK2UWPInternet Webmaster:Geoff Clark VK2EOExaminations Officer:Geoff Linthorne VK2GL

Club Directory

STONE THE CROWS 3.588 MHz SATURDAYS 6AM

THE EZYBEE NET 146.775 MHz SATURDAYS 8AM

PROJECT CORNER

Yaesu YS-200 power/SWR meter Geoff VK2GL at Westlakes or email [email protected]

Rak Balun BL- 50A (new if possible) Greg VK2CW at Westlakes or email [email protected]

SILENT KEY - VK2UXTerry Ryeland VK2UX wasvery active in Institute andclub affairs. He passed awaythis month. He will be sorelymissed by BMARC and themany new radio amateurs hehelped in education

SILENT KEY - VK2JRCJohn Cannon VK2JRC passedaway this month. He was amember of Westlakes manyyears ago and worked in theVK2 QSL Bureau. He was anactive member of WICEN.

HF Barrell with many bells and whistles. Used twice. Alec Gow 49546212

WESTLAKES 40 METRE NET7.150 MHz

Monday, Wednesday, Friday9.30 AM

For all project ideas and enquiriescontact Norm vk2knc@gmail .com

GOOD HEAVENS!Check out the January 2014 WestlakesMagazine for the events coming up. Youwill be amazed! I am, and I write this stuff.Clue: it is the club's 50th Anniversary.

VK2CW


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W.A.R.C. is supported by..


(02) 49818097

(02) 9636 9060 (02) 9688 4301

WESTLAKES MAGAZINEIS SPONSORED BY

CARDIFF RSLSUB BRANCH

December 2013

BIRD SEED FOR CHRISTMAS?

If the eight or so feathered friends above could communicate to the owner of the emptybowl thay would say, "bird seed please." Bird-to-bird, their voices are the most noticeableform of communication by singing, calls, squeaks, squawks, gurgles, warbles, trills, rattles,gulps, pops, whines, clicks, croaks, drums, whistles, howls, tremolos, thumps, honksand many other sorts of sounds depending on the species.

Documents

December 2013 BIRD SEED FOR CHRISTMAS?vkqrpclub.org/pdf_files/WARC December 2013.pdf · service Golos Rossii (Voice of Russia) will stop its short-wave broadcasts from 1 January 2014