Javascript Menu by Deluxe-Menu.com

General Information

2010 Magazines

Other years

Amateur Radio January 2010

Delivery expected from January 30

Editorial

A New Year begins

With our production schedule, this issue was put together commencing in early January.

Hopefully all will notice at least one significant change with this issue. Firstly, we have placed the WIA Centenary logo in the magazine, including the cover. We have changed our printer, together with the paper used and have increased the number of full colour pages by dropping the old spot-colour pages. All members of the Publications Committee are hoping that the result will be a lift in the appearance of the magazine.

There are some other changes occurring in the background with the administration associated with Amateur Radio. Most will not be of concern to those outside the Publications Committee.

However, it is important that all Clubs note the procedure for Club advertising: such advertising can be either an internal advertisement in the magazine or the insertion of a flyer into those magazines mailed out to WIA members and subscribers. Requests must be made through the Secretary of Publications Committee by the first day of the month prior to the publication cover date – i.e. at least one month in advance.

We are also updating some of the details in the Club Advertising policy. The revised policy should be available on the AR magazine pages of the WIA website by the time that this issue reaches readers.

Centenary celebrations

As all readers should know, 2010 marks the centenary of the formation of the first organised amateur radio body in Australia, a body which was the forebear of our WIA.

We will be giving coverage to the celebratory events throughout the year, together with a series of articles detailing a short history of the WIA – the world’s oldest amateur radio organisation. In this issue, the first instalment outlines the very early years of amateur radio in Australia.

I am aware that much work is being undertaken by the WIA nationally, and I am sure that the situation will be similar with many clubs – it is probable that Amateur Radio NSW will be very advanced with their plans. I am sure that the WIA will soon have further details available about the Annual General Meeting Weekend of Activities, to be held in Canberra over the weekend of Friday 28 to Sunday 30 May 2010. See this month’s News and Comment for some details on the planned activities.

I am hoping to be able to attend the AGM Weekend of Activities, and look forward to catching up with many readers over the weekend.

Please do remember to ensure that someone in your club takes some good photographs and writes up an account of the activities undertaken by your club for submission to this magazine for publication.

Field Day season

Field Day season is upon us – in at least two meanings: Field Day contests and “hamfest” type events.

The Summer VHF/UHF Field Day is happening as I write this Editorial. Locally, conditions are flat and I am suffering lots of noise at home. But at least I am making some contacts. Coming up in March will be the John Moyle Memorial National Field Day – in the past, this event has provided a focus for many clubs to operate large portable stations and have lots of fun on the radios.

The other Field Days – the “hamfests” – are back in full swing. Two very large events are coming up in February: Centre Victoria Radiofest and Wyong (Central Coast ARC), plus others.
I plan to make the trip to Kyneton, but am unlikely to make Wyong – it is the day before teaching starts for 2010 and I have to deliver a lecture at 0900 Monday morning. Wyong is a little too far away to safely make it back in time for the first lecture.

These events are great places to catch up with many people, people who you may normally only catch on air. Of course, there is also the attraction of the new and pre-loved goodies that will be available for sale!

Cheers, Peter VK3PF


Cover photo

Travelling in the outback without radio communications (and possibly a satellite phone) would be irresponsible. Our cover photo this month shows one reason why — it is easy to become bogged when tackling some routes. Read all about the group trip undertaken by the Blue Mountains ARC through the outback to reach Poeppel Corner in the Simpson Desert, starting on page 31. Photo by Werner Schamberger VK2FWMS.

Table Of Contents

GENERAL
The Haverford seven metre fibreglass telescopic pole: Ernie Walls VK3FM
An arena of wonder – QSP: Peter Wolfenden VK3RV
Poeppel Corner 2009: Daniel Clift VK2DC
Tales from the South Pacific - Lord Howe Island Dxpedition VK9LA: Chris Chapman VK3QB
Amateur Radio Annual Index 2009

TECHNICAL
Bias and protection circuit for amplifier protection: Dale Hughes VK1DSH
Using RG58 coaxial crimp connectors with RG6 cable: Garth Jenkinson VK3BBK
A complete 8 MHz IF System for USB, LSB and CW for a HF Transceiver, Part 2 of 3: Peter Wathen VK3EPW

Poeppel Corner 2009

Daniel Clift VK2DC

This is the story of an off-road driving mini Dxpedition by a number of members of the Blue Mountains ARC, to Poeppel Corner, where Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory meet, it being very much a part of the ‘centre’ of Australia.

Although not used extensively, radio nevertheless was the glue that put the trip together, and which provided the basis for communication throughout the journey, both among the group itself, and with friends and other amateurs wherever found during the trip.

As might be imagined of a trip of this magnitude, not everything went as would have been liked, although nothing approaching an emergency eventuated either – with radio providing a continuing interlude and enjoyment for all concerned.

An arena of wonder – QSP

Peter Wolfenden VK3RV

As part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA), it is planned to publish a series of articles that present an account of its history – this is one of those articles, tracing as it does the background of the organisation and the development of issues that eventually led to its gradual morphing into today’s current and truly national representative amateur organisation.

For those interested in our amateur radio history, the life of the WIA is integral to that journey, and this particular article is extraordinarily interesting as it traces the creation of the WIA, and its evolution through the early part of the 20th century.

Bias and protection circuit for amplifier protection

Dale Hughes VK1DSH

The author apparently, inadvertently, damaged one of his own power amplifiers whilst working on a project in his shack; thus this article was developed as he wrestled with a means of ensuring that a similar issue never arose again.

To those who are builders, or are interested in higher power apparatus, this article will be of some particular interest – there are few of us who have not damaged power equipment, to some degree, for want of appropriate protection.

Using RG58 coaxial crimp connectors with RG6 cable

Garth Jenkinson VK3BBK

This article is a short ‘how to do it’ article that, like many of their ilk, can be tremendously
helpful to amateurs in their on-going attempt to gain optimum performance from their station equipment, while at the same time both showing clever initiative and containing expenses if at all possible.

Plus
Part 2 of the article "A complete 8 MHz IF System for USB, LSB and CW for a HF Transceiver" by Peter Wathen VK3EPW.

Missing text on pages 17 and 18


Our apologies for missing that some text mysteriously disappeared between out initial proof reading and the final magazine. The report in the VHF/UHF - An expanding world column is rather disjoint at the bottom of the right hand column on page 17 and on the next page (p 18).

The text should read:

"January 9th saw a good tropo opening across the Bight from VK3 and VK7 to VK6. At 0325 Z, Norm VK7AC worked Wally VK6WG on 2 m at 5x1 over a distance of 2633 km. At 0520 Z, Phil VK5AKK worked Wally on 23 cm at 5x1 over 1897 km. At 1030 Z, Mike VK3BDL worked Wally on 2 m (5x2) and 70 cm (5x2) over 2447 km. Wally again on 2 m by Jim VK3II (5x3 at 2483 km) and Graeme VK3GL
(5x1 at 2476 km).

The following morning, conditions were good on the VK2 coast. At 2040 Z, following a JT65 contact, Steve VK2ZT worked Rex VK7MO on 70 cm SSB at 5x6 over 1196 km. So, a bumper start to 2010 and I am sure there is plenty more to come.

Northern VK6

We do not hear very much, if anything, about weak signal activity in northern VK6. Steve VK6HV located in Wickham, approximately 1600 km north of Perth sent in a brief report on recent activity in the area:

VHF tropospheric ducting has arrived to the Pilbara region in the North West of Western Australia as usual and on schedule. In my 12 years in the townships of Karratha and Wickham, I can not say I remember NOT having numerous openings during the hot and humid summer months. And again, the beginning to this summer has been no different. I have just seemed to take a bit more interest in it this year."

Hopefully it will make sense if you read the above text together with the rest of the printed reports.

Peter VK3PF

Advertisers Index

 62 ATN
 63 Av-com
 Fly Bookshop
 30 CCARC (Wyong)
 16 Centre Victoria Radiofest
 6 Com-an-tena
 63 Cookson (Jackson Bros)
 15 EMDRC
 63 Hamak Electrical Industries
 OBC Icom
 63 Little Devil Antennas
 63 Ludatronics
 62 Radiowave
 63 RF Tools
 15 TET-Emtron
 63 Tower
 29, 60 TTS
 21 Yarra Valley ARG
 63 VKHam

 

WIA Members Only - Files For Download

Superhet 2 Block Diagram
Superhet2.jpg


Page Last Updated: Thursday 4 February 2010 at 10:3 hours

 

© 2024 Wireless Institute of Australia all rights reserved.
The National Association for Amateur Radio in Australia
A member society of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)