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VK7AX > NEWS 23.08.09 02:01l 410 Lines 27103 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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To : NEWS@WW
VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST
FOR SUNDAY 23RD AUGUST 2009
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RD & ILLW – Reports
Last weekend was the Remembrance Day Contest and the International Lighthouse and Lightship weekend and there were many stations active throughout VK7.
The following are some reports from the ILLW stations around VK7:
The first report comes from Winston VK7EM who operated the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse (AU0040):
After arriving at the Mersey Bluff at Devonport early Saturday morning 15th August, I erected masts and wires for two separate antennas, an 80, 40, 20 metre multi-dipole inverted `vee' and a squid pole vertical for 40 and 20 metres. I had my FT757GX with a battery bank of approximately 300 amp/hours in capacity.
By 11.00am there were numerous calls, so for the next few hours I made contact with many lighthouse stations around VK and ZL, as well as receiving a weak signal from Tanjung Gelang, in West Malaysia. Later I talked to Doug W6A at the historic Point Fermin lighthouse in Los Angeles.
On Saturday night, the weather was mild. Around midnight I became aware of electrical storm activity, with thunder and large heavy rain drops on the van roof disturbing my sleep several times throughout the night. Just as the Bass Strait passenger ferry entered the river, I crawled out of bed..and had breakfast.
I had by now logged a respectable list, so just tuned around looking for any new stations. Suddenly I received a call from Wayne VK7FWAY at the Table Cape lighthouse. There was fear in his voice as he told me he had just pulled down his G5RV before it broke during a tremendous wind storm that had just passed through and was now heading my way.
For an hour or so it remained dead calm, although the sky was getting darker all the time. As I was chatting with visitors Bernie VK4EJ and his wife Linda in my van, the storm struck. Although I had checked my antennas after Wayne called, a rope came loose and I had to race out and drop the squid pole. For the next two hours I virtually just hung on. There was no way I could lower my mast in these conditions, so I drank coffee and chatted on 2 metres to local operators who were checking the weather maps for me.
By mid afternoon the wind eased a little and I was able to pack up.
It was a most enjoyable couple of days. My battery held up well and the only problem encountered was when water blew inside the squid pole 20 metre coil, wetting the trimmer and throwing it off tune.
Amateurs who visited me were Bryan VK7KBE, Charlie VK7FOXX, Ross VK7RW, Keith VK7KW and Bernie VK4EJ. Other curious onlookers learned something about amateur radio.
I was happy with my 24 lighthouses logged and look forward to next year.
Winston VK7EM.
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The second report comes from CCARC members Wayne VK7FWAY and Eric VK7FEJE who operated from the Table Cape Lighthouse (AU0039):
Early Saturday morning Wayne VK7FWAY headed up to Table Cape Lighthouse. By the time Eric VK7FEJE and Vernon VK7VF arrived Wayne had all the antennas up and running with only a small amount of testing to do.
After contact with Winston VK7EM at the Mersey Bluff lighthouse (Devonport), and Bill VK7MX at Low Head lighthouse, everything was organised for a great weekend of contacts with other lighthouse stations.
During the course of the day several club members from the Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club visited the lighthouse to offer us assistance which was greatly appreciated. During this period lots of contacts were made around Australia and New Zealand, using both the club callsign and our own F calls.
After most people departed late in the day we settled down to working some stations and lighthouses in the northern hemisphere.
This year was not as cold as last year and we able to work much later into the night. We called it quits about 1:30 am only to rise again at 5:00am and check on other stations on the Eastern seaboard to see how they fared during the night, especially the VK3's who like us, suffered from strong winds during the night.
Early on Sunday the strong winds and thunderstorm cells appeared out of nowhere, and as our antenna were very exposed to the strong nor-westerly winds, we took evasive action at about 10:30 am and pulled down the G5RV and the HF squid pole. A quick word was passed on 2 metres to Winston to be aware that strong winds, thunder and lightning were on the way from the west towards him, so he could take action if need be.
Then it was just a matter of packing up, heading for home for a quick shower and much needed rest so we can plan again for next year.
Cheers from Wayne VK7FWAY and Eric VK7FEJE.
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Our third report for the ILLW weekend is a short one from John VK7ZZ who operated the Cape Bruny Lighthouse (AU0005):
And John writes….Well it was a wild weekend. Unfortunately not from sex drugs and rock n roll, but the usual bottom of the world weather.
I started off using the VK7JJ squid pole, which works really well. But as I wasn't dressed for going down to the Ross Sea to pick up the bits, I had to get it down (which took some effort) and shift the van over to the Lighthouse and use the flag halyard to hold up the squid pole wire. This worked OK, but as I was so close to the lighthouse it made a bit of a blind spot with signals from the East.
Actually things were going fine till the RD Contest started, then I couldn't get a word in edgeways…HIHI.
So up till then, I contacted 29 Lighthouses. One of these was Malaysia, one U.S. and quite a few in N.Z. No big deal, but I enjoyed myself.
Cheers John VK7ZZ.
[Ed – John sent through some great photos including one with the squid pole antenna shown almost bend at right angles]
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Our fourth ILLW report is Bill VK7MX's extensive and humorous report on his operation at the Low Head lighthouse (AU0048):
Following on our late decision to activate the Low Head Lighthouse in 2008, we booked early for this year's event. As events transpired, Duncan VK7FLAK was unable to take a full part in this year's proceedings but Peter VK7KPC stepped in to fill the gap. This year Yvonne, VK7FYMX decided she would also take part, especially since we had also booked the head light keeper's house as our accommodation for the weekend.
Saturday 15 August dawned relatively calmly at the home QTH here in the Northern Midlands. We arrive on station shortly after 10.00 am. While VK7FYMX set up house, VK7KPC and VK7MX set up their respective operating positions, at the long desk previously occupied by the head light keeper when doing his paper work but which has now been converted into a sunroom for guests hiring the cottage accommodation.
It is difficult to paint in few words the marvel that this spot represents, some 20 meters from the foot of the light house and just 5 meters or so from the eastern cliff face. The view to the east is unblemished, as is that to the North and North West. To the west the only impediment is the light itself. The view to the south is towards George Town and the Tamar Valley, back towards Launceston. The scenery is simply spectacular, with the Tamar emptying into Bass Strait immediately below us, and on a clear day, Table Cape and far-off The Nut plainly visible. All of that vista is to be had outside the cottage but most of it is also available at our operating position, behind full-wall windows for which we rapidly became extremely grateful!
VK7KPC and VK7MX both came equipped with squidpole HF verticals, so it was decided that Bill would operate on 40 initially, with Peter VK7KPC on both 20 and 80 meters. Peter had also brought along his newly acquired rotator system and a vhf/uhf beam, so that was also set up on the rear bumper mount of his vehicle, parked alongside the cliff-edge but with a clear shot westward down the coast and across Bass Strait. Bill at first though he had dealt himself the short straw, as 40 sounded awfully dead at that hour, while Peter immediately began working other lighthouses on 20 meters. Being the self-appointed ringmaster, Bill immediately called for a lunch break and sure enough, on resumption there was life on 40.
The afternoon past fairly quickly but very pleasantly, with a nice social pace that is fairly unique to the ILW event. Old acquaintances were renewed, including Peter with some of his old VK5 cohorts and Bill with his in VK1 and of course, many new friendships were made. The event really is to be recommended to those who have yet to try it and is such a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the RD Contest , which got underway just a few hours later. There was considerable interest and questioning on our squidpole vertical antennas, including many who had visited VK7JJ's website and were keen to learn just how we had implemented our own versions.
We were more than a little stunned therefore when the 2 meter FM rig suddenly burst to life with the unmistakable Welsh tones of Brin, VK7FBAW giving a severe weather warning for damaging winds across all Tasmania, developing in the late afternoon and evening. While we all appreciate the invaluable service that Brin provides and his immediate access to the source information through the Tamar Radio service he also provides from his home QTH, this was not exactly what we were expecting or wanted to hear! For the first and probably only time, he was asked to repeat the warning. There was no mistaking the message, we looked set to be climatically challenged before the weekend was out.
Outside though, all continued serenely, so we plugged on a bit longer before breaking for a barbeque tea, a bottle of red, followed by coffee flavoured port that Peter produced from his camping gear, before a few more hours' operation. By then though, the RD was in full swing, so the pace was considerably busier than earlier in the day. Around 11.00 pm, with the port finished and the scotch as well, we became aware that the wind had indeed built, so we decided to call it a day and lower the squidpoles.
Next morning found a very strong wind blowing, so the squid poles that had been re-erected before breakfast were taken down again while we ate and had a chance to re-assess things. Sure enough, we soon saw the storms heading our way. Not that we had needed to see them. Their arrival had been heralded by immense rain static before we had dropped the antennas. At 20 dB over 9 plus plus, the static was making both 20 and 40 meters unusable while it lasted. This feature was to continue throughout the day and is something I had not experienced to this extent previously - maybe because this was the first time I had operated solely with a vertical antenna.
Duncan VK7FLAK joined us in the early afternoon, his arrival announcement via VK7RAA being interrupted by my mag mount being blown over on the corrugated tin porch roof! He was accompanied by his infant twin daughters, who proceeded to run riot through the cottage and by Ros, XYL of VK7KRR (S.K.). All were fascinated by the sight of my squidpole, by this time re-erected in a sense of desperation and lashed to a steel fence post- the heavy rain having caused its star picket mount to lose its grip on the few inches of soil the site offers. While still nominally a vertical antenna, the squiddy had developed a definite omega shape in the howling gale but it stayed up and stayed functioning - until I stupidly intervened.
I decided that I would spend the closing minutes of the RD Contest on 80 meters. As it would be my first appearance there for the contest, I was confident that I could quickly build my score. Admittedly not enough to challenge Laurie VK7ZE, who we heard handing out numbers in the 700s, or Norm, with numbers in the 500s but certainly enough to be respectable and probably boost the VK7 position a tad.
I therefore braved the gale to rig the 80 meter loading coil in circuit. As I approached the struggling squidpole, I became aware that with the constant savage whipping from the wind, a considerable portion of the vertical wire had unwrapped from its intended slow spiral configuration and was now ballooning downwind with some gusto. I decided to take it down and rectify that before venturing on 80. I really should have well enough alone. In trying to bring it all back to ground where I could work on it, the second smallest and the tip section collapsed of their own volition, falling back down inside the other still extended sections, preventing my collapsing those.
Ordinarily I should have been able to remove the bottom cover and bring things to right but I had filed away a ridge on the bottom cover to enable the whole shooting match to slip into my rod-holder base. In so doing, I had managed to key the removable bottom onto its mating surface of the base section and try as I might, I could not unscrew it. I did have a spare squidpole with me but with only minutes of the RD to run, I decided against trying to either deploy it in that wind or find the tools required to repair the valiant but now out-of action original.
So that was that, a slightly early retirement from radio activity for the weekend but still a very enjoyable and gratifying experience, from which much was learnt. Hopefully we will be still better prepared next year, no matter what the weather throws our way. Not that it will matter much, with that location and good dry warm beds. I could happily spend the weekend at that operating desk, radios on of course but probably content just communing with the souls of keepers past, not to mention those of the crews of the pilot launches who have also been plying their trade past this spot since 1805.
The results? Well, the last minute operator-induced failure aside, the squidpole emerged triumphant from its first major field trial and can be fully recommended to all as a marvellous yet simple and cheap portable antenna. It brought me several pages of light house contacts in the log, including all of the VK7 lights apart from Cape Bruny, which I could hear faintly but really needed a horizontal antenna with its higher radiation angle to pull in. Additionally, I logged 90 RD contacts, all on 40 meters. These were nearly all incidental to playing light house keeping. My days of serious RD contesting are long behind me.
Next year? Well, the accommodation is again booked but this time including the Friday night, and the Light again registered. I really need to find some portable mast or find a way to get a horizontal wire or inverted V hanging from the light house itself, to augment the squidpoles, 2 of which I will deploy next year to avoid the need to weather the storm if I decide to switch bands. In their wisdom, the authorities have long since dismantled the old yard arm that once stood next to the cottage and that would have enabled easy erection of all sorts of wire antennas.
Oh, and I also intend to have one of my hombrew PicaSTARS finished and in operation, so I can join two VK3 fellow-builders who had their's on air this year. I might even aim to have a homebrew PicATUne remote antenna coupling unit operational too.
73, Bill, VK7MX
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The Broadcast Editor did speak with Gavin VK7VTX who operating from the Pot Boil Channel lighthouse on Flinders Island (AU0062) during the night and he was being inundated with lighthouse and RD contacts and loving it in usual Gavin style…HIHI.
On ya Gavin!
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All in all a great weekend was had by Lighthouse and RD operators around VK7.
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Contest News
Remembrance Day Contest
GET YOUR LOGS IN TO THE CONTEST MANAGER
Did you operate during the weekend and get 10 or more contacts?
Well then you need to support VK& and submit your logs to the contest manager Peter Harding VK4OD.
Logs can be submitted by electronic mail or postal mail.
By mail, send logs and summary sheets to: RD Contest Manager.
Endorse the front of the envelope " Remembrance Day Contest ".
Peter Harding VK4OD 40 Centaurus Cres Regents Park, QLD 4118.
E-mail, PLAIN TEXT logs only may be sent to rdlogs(AT)wia.org.au.
In all cases, logs must be received by last mail on Monday 15th September, 2009. Late entries will not be eligible. Electronically sent logs will be returned with a courtesy note, also Snail Mail will be returned unopened.
If you are sending your logs by electronic means, I would recommend that you set the flag to request "confirmation of receipt" and "when the file is read". This way you will receive two confirmation messages. If you do not receive either return message please send me an inquiry mail,
Take a look at the WIA website contest page for more details about this year's RD Contest.
http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/rdcontest/
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VK7 EVENTS CALENDAR
A summary of the events across VK7 over the coming months:
REAST – August 26th – ATV Experimenter's Group Queen's Domain Clubroom Studios from 7:30pm
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
CCARC – August 29th - Social meeting from 1:30pm on Saturday at the Penguin Lions club rooms, 19 Ironcliffe Road, Penguin - presentation on radio controlled model airplanes.
http://www.my-x15.net/ccarc
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NORTHERN NEWS
Northern Tasmanian Amateur Radio Club
At the Special General meeting for NTARC held a few weeks ago, attending members decided to go ahead with incorporation for the Club, and to adopt a new set of rules. Many Club members had input to shaping these rules, but none more so than Bill VK7MX, and we owe Bill a very big "thank you" for all the hard work that he has put in to this over recent months.
With that business out of the way, members thought that the rest of the night held no more surprises… how wrong we were! Leaving a special announcement until the end of the evening, Al VK7AN also announced his resignation as NTARC President.
Allen's departure leaves some pretty big shoes to fill, but for the time being we'll continue with `business as usual' until the next Annual General Meeting. So if you have leadership aspirations, here's a great opportunity to shape the Club over the next year…
I'm sure everyone will join me in thanking Allen for his leadership, and for his no-nonsense practical style that he bought to the Presidents chair, and the fostering and encouragement of new amateurs into the fold – myself included! From all of us in the Club, a very big `thank you' Allen, NTARC just wouldn't be the success it is today without you.
Thanks from
(Jason VK7ZJA, NTARC Secretary)
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NORTH WEST News
North West Tasmania Amateur Television Group
http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/atvgroup
Next Club General Meeting
The last meeting of the Club took take place at the Bass & Flinders Restaurant on Saturday 8th. August commencing around 4.30 PM.
The meeting was a Dinner Meeting and was attended by many members and their XYL's and partners. As this was an initial trial, it was pleasing to see many members' partners attending.
A highlight of the meeting was the receipt of the Club of a significant donation to assist the Club in pursuing its' promotion of the hobby particularly in the area of education and awareness
Replays of WIA National News & VK7 Regional News
Interested amateurs in the Central Coast Area of Tassie are advised that replays of the WIA National News and VK7 Regional news are now replayed on Sunday Nights at 19.30 Hrs. or 7.30PM Local.
The VK7 Regional news is recorded on Sunday mornings (when it is not supplied as an mp3 file) and replayed on Sunday Evenings at 7.30 PM automatically on IRLP Nodes 6616 and 6124 via VK7RTV 6Metres and 147.425 Simplex.
Automatic callbacks are taken at the conclusion of the broadcasts, so it would be appreciated if you listen to these broadcasts, that you take the time to check in at the conclusion of the broadcasts. This info is forwarded to the originators of both broadcasts.
A reminder for all interested persons that ALL broadcasts produced by the Club, that relevant information is available from the Web Site http://www2.vk7ax.id.au/spectrum/ and is available via Audio Stream and download of individual files.
73's until next time.
(Tony VK7AX, News Officer NWT-ATV Group)
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Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club (CCARC)
CCARC News
http://www.my-x15.net/ccarc
All members are notified there will be a social meeting of the Cradle Coast Amateur Radio Club at 1:30pm on Saturday the 29th of August at the Penguin Lions club rooms 19 Ironcliffe road, Penguin. The short business session will be followed by a guest speaker who will be doing a presentation on radio controlled model airplanes.
Members are invited to attend and non-members are also welcome at this interesting session.
So don't forget, Saturday 1:30pm on 29th of August.
(David Cleland, VK7DC, Secretary CCARC)
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Southern News
Radio and Electronics Association of Southern Tasmania
World Moon Bounce Day QSL
Justin VK7TW & Rex VK7MO have produced some commemorative QSL cards for the Echoes of Apollo – World Moon Bounce Day event that happened out at the Mt Pleasant Radio Telescope on 27th June 2009.
So, if you came out to the big dish at Cambridge then drop us a line and we will pass on one of these great full colour QSL cards.
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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REAST ATV Experimenters Night
We had a great roll-up last week and some very special video presentations.
The main presentation was from the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking station alumni.
The DVD was produced by a group of former employees from the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station and include many home movies of the station back in the hay-day of the Apollo and Skylab days.
Also on the DVD there are many of the Apollo 11 EVA videos with a special audio addition of the command channel that carried the open audio channel between Houston, Goldstone, Madrid, Honeysuckle Creek and Parkes. This was a fascinating listen to heard what was going on in the background with the chatter on the command channel.
We also saw the first cut of the Moon Bounce Day celebration at the Mt Pleasant by Justin VK7TW.
Next week we continue with some special video material which includes the Belgium video on the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Aiming for Zero Emission video courtesy of the International Polar Foundation via Warren VK7FEET.
We will also be playing some of the preliminarily restored video from the Apollo 11 mission from NASA.
We get underway around 7:30pm for another great night of ATV and experimenting.
http://reast.asn.au/events.php#ATVnights
(73, Justin, VK7TW)
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Humour to FInish
The Seasons and DX
The winter solstice bell has rung
Cold winter's cloak will soon be hung
Sleepy Sol begins his southern swing
Or is it Earth's tilt and orbit rolling thing ?
The equinox brings sweet spring's light
And sets the adrenalising TEP to flight !
Thereafter wind-swirls at ionospheric heights
Gather shards of ionised meteorites
Mounting summer winds blow east and west
And compress the shards, which come to rest
In the calm between the wind shears' might
Where the ions see our Es DX right !
Posted as a gentle reminder.
(73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH via the VK-VHF Mailing List)
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Web & Email Edition Extra Bits!!
Stormtracker
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/stormtracker.jsp
Segway Inventor
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3353906/Dean-Kamen-part-man-part-machine.html
Cities from ISS
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/picture-galleries/5973258/Cities-at-night-from-space-photographed-by-NASA-astronauts-on-the-International-Space-Station.html
X-Ray shots of everyday items
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/5978621/Amazing-X-ray-photographs-by-Nick-Veasey.html
Coaxial Cable Specs Chart:
http://www.rfcafe.com/references/electrical/coax-chart.htm
http://www.nexans.com/eservice/Poland-en/documentDownload_28248/Coax%20catalogue (worth the wait to download)
Transatlantic Cable
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/04/17/gallery-an-illustrat.html
Science Week Experiments
http://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/scienceweek2009/
Honeysuckle Creek Web Site
http://www.honeysucklecreek.net/
Very Humorous - Diary of a Mad Ham's Wife - Thanks to Ben VK7BEN
http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2009/08/20/11030/
Do you have some interesting amateur related sites you have some across in the last week – send them in to justingc(AT)ozemail.com.au
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VK7 Regional News Group Email Addresses
Post message: vk7regionalnews(AT)yahoogroups.com
Subscribe: vk7regionalnews-subscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe: vk7regionalnews-unsubscribe(AT)yahoogroups.com
List owner: vk7regionalnews-owner(AT)yahoogroups.com
VK7 Virtual BPL Tours Update
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdcY0Eetvsw - Mt Nelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gsxpya3CnQ - North Hobart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7DfdxjRkpU - RU ready for BPL?
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If you are interested in becoming an amateur radio operator or upgrading your licence then we suggest you contact your local club for details and/or take a look at what the Radio and Electronics School has to offer. They have a range of courses that can be delivered through a variety of methods.
They can be found at: www.radioelectronicschool.com
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Finally today, a reminder to those people rostered for next week's broadcasts:
Newsreader: VK7IR
160m: VK7DM
80m: VK7TW
40m: VK7RO
20m: VK7IL
10m: VK7ZGK
UHF CB: VK7ZCR
HF CB: VK7TED
Thanks to all people and organisations who assisted with this broadcast.
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THAT CONCLUDES OUR VK7 REGIONAL NEWS BROADCAST FOR THIS WEEK.
YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO OR JUST MISSED VK7WI. NEXT WEEK THE NATIONAL WIA NEWS CAN BE HEARD AT 0900 FOLLOWED BY THE VK7 REGIONAL NEWS AT 0930 HOURS.
DETAILS TO SEND NEWS FOR THIS BROADCAST CAN BE FOUND AT REAST.ASN.AU AND THE DEADLINE FOR ITEMS IS 21:00 ON FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE SUNDAY OF THE BROADCAST.
VK7 Regional Broadcast & News Coordinator
Justin Giles-Clark, VK7TW
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- NEWS POSTING TO PACKET -
Courtesy Tony VK7AX VK7AX(AT)VK7AX.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
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