May - June 2026
May-June 2026
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Editorial
There’s an old joke, more a tall tale or “shaggy dog story,” that is told in differing ways but involving similar characters, the central character being a cook. The Australian version involves a group of stockmen droving cattle from one place to another for whatever purpose the cattle owner wished to do.
The US version involves Texas Longhorn cattle and, of course, cowboys. The UK version involves sheep and farm hands. The Irish version is generally similar to the UK version, with the exception that the cook’s name is, as you’d expect, Paddy. The New Zealand version involves Sam Neill as the cook.
One evening, the leading-hand drover indicates his choice of a stream-side flat for the stockmen to round up the cattle for the night and the crew set up camp.
The cook and his two apprentices set a campfire and get busy preparing the night’s meal for the crew. All goes well as everyone is practised at their assigned tasks. The cattle are quiet and each of the stockmen set out their swags wherever they think they’ll be comfortable.
In due course, the cook and his trainees have the meal ready to be served. This particular evening, the leading-hand drover dutifully says he’ll go last in line and all the stockmen queue up, shuffling past the cook who dishes out the meat (camp oven roast!), two potatoes each and a generous serve of green beans. Everyone retires to their swag to enjoy the meal. All is right with world.
Then, one of the stockmen, coming from good a good farming family whose parents taught their children polite manners and to do unto others what they’d want done unto themselves, quietly stood up and slowly walked over to the cook who was standing stream-side enjoying a smoke. The stockman stood close to the cook, plate in hand, and calmly said, “Hey cook. There’s a lizard in my greens!” The cook turned his head towards the stockman and in a hushed voice said quickly, “Shaddup, mate. The others will want one, too!”
This scenario reminds me somewhat of the situation that has developed over high power operation for Australian radio amateurs. Somehow, back in the distant past, when our regulator of the time fielded growing requests from individuals seeking specific permits to operate high power, a policy developed along the lines of, “if too many requests are granted, every amateur will want it, too.”
Many amateurs woke up to the fact that numerous countries permit high power operation for their amateurs. It was particularly aggrieving when our neighbours “across the ditch” got it, so “we others” want it, too.
Unfortunately, the cook here – the ACMA – is hog-tied by its legislative responsibility to ensure our greens aren’t amped-up with lizards. The only cook in the world so shackled.
I urge you to read Over to you this issue.
Table Of Contents
Technical
 A new twist to an old helix - Carmel Morris VK2NO
Ya don’t need a Yagi to get ya YaeComWood on-air - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
Stubs – a too long ignored antenna match problem solver - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
80/40 transceiver for Foundation operators and new-hand constructors Part 2 - Lou Destafano VK3AQZ
General
Need proof of Amateur Licence documentation from the ACMA? - Justin Giles-Clark VK7TW
Annual Awards - Roger Harrison VK2ZRH & PubCom
The Wireless Reserve and the WIA, Part 2 - Peter Wolfenden VK3RV
2025 DX Leaderboard - WIA DX Awards Committee
Files For Download
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