September 2013 COCCINELLIDAE CILLA ORGANELLESwestlakesarc.org.au/magazine/September 2013.pdf · "A...

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

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September 2013

COCCINELLIDAE CILLA ORGANELLES

Say that three times quickly! It means "ladybird antennas" and what remarkableantennas they are. Not only are they used for communication, they also can smell forfood and see infra red light. Similar to wind-up amateur antenna systems, when ladybirdssense the danger, such as ants or spiders coming close to them, they retract their antennaunder their body.Ladybirds are actually beetles and are considered a sign of good luck in many cultures


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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 and mentor: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 172107

Club Activities:Club Nets:Club broadcast,Sunday 0900146.775Mhzfollowed by VK1WIA News.Club Evening BroadcastSunday 1900followed by VK1WIA NewsCall backs follow each castEZB Net 146.775MHzSaturday 0800Stone the Crows NetSaturday 3.588MHz 0600

Internet HomePage:www.westlakesarc.org.auBusiness: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 VK2FINBWarren 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

Squid Pole 9 or 10 metresBarrie VK2ABD 49583359email [email protected]

Clipsal Post Office pattern Morsekey in box never used $50 onoDatong D70 Morse Tutor $35 onoAlan VK2AL 49 634001

SCREWDRIVER ANTENNA WORKSHOP 31 AUGUST AT 1 PM See Page 3

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

ANTENNA

that goes back to a time when people first realised that lots of ladybirds around meantit would be a good season for growing food. Early Australian farmers found them tobe lethal killers of crop pests.After hibernation in spring, the male activates his antenna at frequencies in the Gigahertzrange to find a mate. Tests have shown the distance covered by this calling frequencyexceeds 50 metres. Switching from transmit and receive mode to smell mode, aladybird antenna can detect a food source up to 100 metres.Infrared radiation was first known to humans from experimentsmade by the astronomer John Herschel in 1800. We now knowthat infared radiation stimulates gas molecules in the atmosphere.If we had infrared eyes, we would see beautifully psychedelicinfrared frequencies.These subtle fluorescences, are a keycomponent to assist a ladybird's antenna for navigation. In labexperiments in which irradiated pheromones and other organicgases with low-intensity UV light measured the response ofladybirds. The conclusions were that a ladybird antenna can notonly see infrared light but also can see ino the UV spectrum.But it gets trickier, how does a ladybird's antenna actually receive these frequencies?Oscillating gas molecules, be they pheromones or other organic scent molecules, dispersethrough the atmosphere and accumulate on or near the insect antennae which have astatic electric charge due to their waxy covering transmitting their specific infraredfrequencies down the sensilla antennae/waveguides. The frequency of the emittedinfrared or ultra violet signals are modulated through the beating of the wings. A ladybird'swings beat around 85 times a second.And we thought we were clever!

NEW MEMBERJoining Westlakes this month is John Williams VK2JJW from Buttaba. Welcome aboardJohn.

Thousands of small businesses, schools and community groups will be forced to paymillions to replace wireless audio equipment after the federal government sold theradio frequency on which they operate. The government has reaped nearly $2 billionfrom the sale of radio frequency in the the 700 MHz and 1800 MHz bandwidths to mobilecarriers in March. That decision will render obsolete more than 120,000 wireless PAdevices around the country.According to the Australian Wireless Audio Group, which represents thousands of usersand suppliers, the total cost of replacing the equipment is more than $200 million, andthe government is refusing to compensate users. More than 80 per cent of devices inAustralia are in the 700 MHz band that is being sold. Currently, audio wireless userscan use radio frequency between 520 MHz and 820 MHz. But after the auction of the700 MHz spectrum to major telcos last month, they will only be able to use radio frequencybetween 520 MHz and 694 MHz.The Australian Media and Communication Authority has indicated it will ask importersand suppliers of audio wireless equipment to sell only products that are compliant withthe new regulation. ACMA said it had been working with the wireless audio transmittercommunity since 2010 to plan for the changes. From Newcastle Herald - August 2013

FREQUENCY SELL OFF COSTS BIG TIME

SCREWDRIVER ANTENNA WORKSHOPMaurie VK2CD will be conducting a workshop on the construction of hisScrewdriver Antenna. As he is no longer manufacturing these, he still has partsin stock. It was suggested that he makeup kits and that is what he has done. Inthis workshop he will be assembling one of these kits which along with threemore will be for sale on the day. All of the machined parts are pre-assembledso that no special tools will be required - just a drill, soldering iron, pliers etc.As this is in kit form, the cost will be less the labour content which will besaving around $100. So for $250 you will have an all-band continuous tuningHF mobile antenna which covers 3 to 30 MHz. How good is that? The datefor this workshop will be Saturday, August 31 starting at 1 pm inthe Westlakes Library. If you need more information, contact Maurie on (02) 40234509 or email [email protected]

BAOFENG NO LONGER BAFFLING

The Baofeng UV-5R is a popular low-price dual band hand held radio, but the manual issomewhat baffling. The radio works very well and it is loaded with premium featuresincluding the ability to use CTCSS and DTMF codes. Most users report that the UV-5Ris difficult to program and the manual requires a mystical Chinese logic to understand.Not any more. A new site provides a detailed simple manual for the UV-5R. It isfree and an open source document for everyone. See http://radiodoc.github.io/

The 1kW High Power Trial for Advanced Licensees ends on Sunday the 31st of August.At a meeting between the WIA and the ACMA on Monday 5th August, the ACMA saidthat the arrangements put in place to authorise the use of higher power will not be madepermanent. This will be a disappointment to many Advanced licensees and the WIA.According to the ACMA, the trial demonstrated a lack of awareness by some AdvancedLicensees of their licence conditions. Of concern to the ACMA were issues of compliancewith electromagnetic energy requirements and that this lack of awareness is not confinedto the use of higher power than the 400 watts already permitted. The ACMA agreed tore-visit the matter, which could happen as early as next year (or not). VK2CW

HIGH POWER TRIAL ENDS FOR VK AMATEURS


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Steve VK2LW


A BOOK FOR LIGHTHOUSE FANS

"A Short Bright Flash" - Augustin Fresnel and theBirth of the Modern Lighthouse - by Theresa Levitt.Augustin Fresnel (1788–1827) shocked the scientificelite with his view of the physics of light. The lens heinvented was a feat of engineering that made lighthousesblaze many times brighter, further and more efficientlythan they had before. As secretary of France’s Light-house Commission, he planned and oversaw the lightingof the nation’s coast. Levitt’s scientific and historicalaccount, rich in anecdote and personality, is a compellingread. This book became avaialble in July 2013 • ISBN978 0 393 06879 5, 192pages, 60 illustrations and 6 maps.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO WARC OPERATING PROCEDURES

Following the resolutions of the Special General Meeting of 2 March 2013 whereProxy and Postal voting were removed from the Constitution, it is necessary toamend the Operating Procedures.In accordance with Section 19 of the Operating Procedures dated 24.03.09, it ismoved that the following changes be made to this document:1. Section 11.1 official address of the association be amended to PO Box 5 BoolarooNSW 2284.2. Section 10 'Proxy voting form be deleted.3. Under Section 20 Attachments, Appendix 4 'Proxy voting form' be deleted.

Procedural matters following approval of these changes.The sections will be re-numbered to reflect these changes and the Table of Contentswill be corrected.The date on the front cover of the updated OP's will be changed to accept the datethe changes were accepted by members. Steve Beveridge VK2LW President WARC

An Agenda Item for Monthly Meeting on 12 October 2013

A Sydney university student has designed aradical police motorcycle helmet that isjam-packed with the latest electronics. It'scalled, FORCITE, or as some havesuggested, ROBOCOP. It is the idea ofUNSW student 23 year old, AlfredBoyadgis.His helmet includes a "heads-up" displaythat shows critical information in front of thewearer's eyes, delivers turn-by-turn GPSby voice, and links to the automatic number-plate recognition system used by police,which identifies vehicle registration details and checks if there are any infringements.An automatic radio channel and frequency tuner is also built into the helmet, allowing anofficer to talk to the local area command, a nearby hospital for ambulance assistance orthe fire brigade. Another system can send live video footage to the officer's police station.The helmet also has a semi-modular visor system, which can help increase vision andimpact safety by more than 65 per cent.But to commercialise the Forcite Helmet, it will need about $1.5 million to allow it to besold for about $790, which is about $100 more than the high-range premium Japanese-made Shoei helmets. So for the time being, speeders and unlicensed drivers of unregisteredcars may be safe from helmeted officers of the law although from anecdotal reports ofthe automatic number plate recognition system deployed in highway patrol cars, they arebeing caught hand over fist.

LATEST HELMET

WESTLAKES FIELD DAY

ALL WELCOMEDrinks, lollies, chocolates

Badge PrizeStore SalesBarbecue

Radio Auction Boot Sales

Free Entry Gates Open 9 am

Sunday 15 September 2013 York Street Teralba


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THE LOW POWER - SPRATBOOK

This book contains the best of the G QRP Journal - the first150 issues 1974 - 2012. In the UK, the G QRP Club hasbeen a leading light in this area of operation since itsformation in 1974. Its journal, SPRAT is recognised as oneof the world's leading QRP publications and it has nowreached its 150th edition.This milestone is marked by this publication of this book,which is a selection the best of nearly four decades of low-power amateur radio circuits and ideas that have beenpublished in SPRAT. The Low Power Spratbook isdivided into seven parts, covering transmitters, receivers,transceivers, antennas, ATUs, Morse keys and keyers,

and a section for those circuits that do not fall happily into any particular part but whichmight best be categorised as 'miscellaneous'. Circuits vary in complexity from an "ultra-simple" 80m CW transceiver using just 14 parts to the more sophisticated 'Sparkford',designed by Walford Electronics and also for use on 80m CW.You will find early 'classics' within these pages, including the 'OXO' transmitter from 1981and the 'ONER' dating from 1985/1986, both GM3OXX designs. The Low PowerSpratbook also includes QRP classics such as versions of the 'FOXX' transceiver, the'Pixie' in its various guises, the 'Epiphyte' and the 'Naxos'. All are presented as exactcopies as they were originally printed.The Low Power Spratbook will appeal to the dedicated QRP enthusiast through to all thosewho have never tried QRP construction work before. This book is a veritable gold mineof ingenious designs and circuits and provides a superb introduction and reference bookdedicated to the art and science of low-power or QRP amateur radio. It is 320 pages.

FOR SALEPalm Size Digital Multimeter

RANGESDC volts 200mV to 500V, AC volts 250V 500VDC Current 2000uA, 20mA, 200mA, 10A

Resistance 200, 2K , 20K, 20M 200M OhmInput Impedance 10M Ohm

Continuity buzzer, Diode testerSquare wave output

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

FIELD DAY SPECIAL $19.50 PLUS POSTAGE IN AUSTRALIA $5.50Contact Geoff VK2GL at Westlakes or email [email protected]

MONITORING TIMES TO CEASE

If you own a radio, a shortwave receiver, ascanner or an amateur radio, Monitoring Timeswould be on your reading list. Produced monthly,it is 108 pages of a good reading.Open a copy of MT, and you will find it containsnews, information, and tips on getting more out ofyour radio listening. It is the most comprehensiveradio hobby magazine in the U.S.From longwave to microwave, for those interestedin communications, Monitoring Times is theguide to profiles of broadcasting andcommunications installations; home projects;and tips on monitoring everything from air, sea,and space.But it will all comes to and end in December 2013when the last issue will be printed after 33 years.Economics played the greater part of the demise

of the magazine coupled with the gradual drift downward of subscribers and advertisers.Publisher, Bob Grove W8JHD, said, " It is another casualty of print media in our digitalage."

Traditional recording of court and parliamentary proceedingsis under pressure as technology advances and stenographersare finding their existence has not long to go. In countriesincluding the United States and Britain, court administratorsare already replacing stenographers with voice recognitionsoftware to save money. Stenographers are few in numberbut high in skill.They are capable of recording up to 300 words per minuteusing machine shorthand and work in 20-minute shifts incourtrooms. Digital voice recognition software can nowaccurately record every word spoken during court proceedings

and parliamentary debates and it does not take sick leave, maternity leave, orannual holidays..

COURT REPORTERS SOON TO GO


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WHERE DID TANDY GO?

Tandy was originally founded in the United States in1950 as Tandy Leather Company. In 1963, Tandychanged its business to electronics when it acquiredcontrol of RadioShack, a forty year-old electronicsbusiness with nine stores and a mail-order arm. From 1963 to 1986, RadioShack grewto more than 6900 stores and dealers in the US, with a further 2100 stores and dealersin Canada, England, Europe and Australia.In November 1973, the first RadioShack-style Tandy stores in Australia opened forbusiness. They were administered from a rented office and warehouse in the Sydneysuburb of Rydalmere. Tandy quickly established stores in major towns and suburbsacross Australia and had a major presence by 1980. Many independent electricalbusinesses in smaller towns added Tandy products to their range.Tandy in Australia were especially well known for their audio and radio products, mostof which carried their Realistic home brand label. Their business expanded rapidly duringthe CB radio boom of the mid-1970s and the personal computer boom later. Their TRS-80 series of computers was particularly well-known. Tandy's position in the market hadsome similarities with its local competitor, Dick Smith Electronics. Both companiesproduced a substantial annual catalogue, though Tandy's was more consumer-orientedwith no data section. Its CB radio ranges were similar to DSE but it never carried muchamateur radio gear, preferring to focus on scanners and shortwave radio.In 2001, Woolworths Limited acquired Tandy and despite also owning Dick SmithElectronics, the Tandy stores continued to trade as separate entities. Beginning in 2009,the Tandy brand was retired and the tandy.com.au website closed down ending theTandy era in Australia.So there it is. What an unusual life had Tandy, from a leather company to sellingelectronic items and then finally collapsing under a pile of tomatoes and lettuces fromthe "Fresh Food People."

WARC146.775

A MOON REPEATER?Radio amateurs of the past pioneeredthe way and laid a very successfulfoundation for amateur radio whichexpanded during the 20th Century.But at the beginning of the 21stCentury there was already anoticeable drop in amateur activityand it was also observed by someradio clubs that it was mainly theolder generation who attendedmeetings.

KC2IOV SETS WORLD RECORDA 70-year-old radio amateur, Jeanne SocratesKC2IOV, from Ealing, West London has succeededin sailing single handedly around the world. Jeannesold her house to fund the challenge setting off fromVictoria, Canada on October 22, 2012 in her thirdattempt to circumnavigate the globe. When shedocked on Monday, July 8, 2013, she became theoldest person to complete the solo voyageAfter 259 days at sea and sailing 25,000 miles, thelone grandmother-of-three will have to wait forexperts to carry out an inspection on sensors onboard the boat to have her record verified. Theintrepid sailor's route, which saw her start in Victoria,Canada, took in the southern capes of Chile, South

Africa and Western Australia. Her trip took in some of the great southern capes: CapeHorn (Chile); Cape of Good Hope (South Africa); and Cape Leeuwin (WesternAustralia). These headlands are notorious for fierce winds, waves and currents.The intrepid grandmother's journey saw her achieve average speed of 5-6 knots. Thepurpose of the voyage by Mrs Socrates, whose husband George died of cancer in 2003,was to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. From the Daily Mail UK

The $51 million Murchison Widefield Array(MWA) radio telescope in WesternAustralia now in full swing so prepare fora wave of astronomical revelations. TheMWA is part of the growing MurchisonRadio-astronomy Observatory in a remotepart of the Western Australia whereradio frequency interference is virtually non-existent. it is a precursor to the $2 billioninternational Square Kilometre Array project and comprises 2048 antennas that capturelow frequency radio waves.It will step up observations of the sun to detect and monitor massive solar storms and willalso investigate a unique concept - seeing if stray FM radio signals can be used to trackdangerous space debris. A little further east, astronomers just have detected the firstpopulation of radio bursts known to originate from galaxies beyond our own Milky Way.The sources of the light bursts are unknown, but cataclysmic events, such as merging orexploding stars, are likely the triggers. The Murchison Widefield Array became fullyoperational in August 2013.

THE MWA FIRES UP


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word in the English language. Instead of three keystrokes to type "THE," one symbol ona keyboard would suffice.The symbol pictured is a combination of a capital 'T' and a lower case 'n.' Readingtests of the new symbol showed that people had no problem identifying it as, "THE."Because of its shape it has been dubbed the "tap.'

Edward Hope Kirkby was born on New Year's Eve 1853 onboard the ship SS Hope just 16 days out of Port Phillip.The family settled in Bendigo where he was educated andstarted his watchmaker/jeweller business. He moved toWilliamstown in Victoria and then to New South Wales inabout 1906 where he built the Shaw Wireless Works. Theseworks built most of the radio equipment for the CoastalRadio Service.


Why? An analysis from overseas indicates that amateur radio was at the crossroads andhad to make a choice to go forward or return to the past, and for some strange reason thelatter choice was made. Radio technology has developed a great deal over the years, and today we can find someof the most advanced radio developments in the field of radio astronomy. Sophisticateddigital-processing techniques have been in use for many years to detect astronomicalradio signals that are a million times weaker than the noise generated in the receiver.Megawatt radar transmitters are employed to map the obscured surfaces of planets suchas Venus, or measure distances to asteroids and comets, or establish microwavecommunications with orbiters and rovers on other planets. This is when a radioastronomer, Professor Joe Taylor, K1JT, invented a simplified version of digital datamodes for amateur use.Our younger generation of radio amateurs, who are very familiar with computers, willhave the honour of advancing the Amateur Radio Service into the radio world oftomorrow, operating hi-tech SDR equipment for digital data and voice communicationson the VHF, UHF and Microwave bands. Moon repeaters will follow providing 12 hourDX on Earth daily, and ultimately also extending the amateur radio range in thesolar system. From The South African Radio League

A PIONEER OF AUSTRALIAN WIRELESS WHO WAS NAMED AFTER A SHIP

In 1908 Kirkby patented an improved apparatus for conveying an alarm from premiseswhere sprinklers are installed to a distant station - this was the first sprinkler alarm forfire protection in Australia. His devices were made under licence by Wormald Bros.Within twelve months of Roentgen discovering X-Rays, Kirkby had built a fullyoperational X-Ray apparatus with which he experimented at the Williamstown Hospitalto test the machine's practical uses.In partnership with Archibald Shaw, after whom the Shaw Wireless Works wasnamed, Kirkby became interested in wireless telegraphy and a new company wasformed, the Maritime Wireless Telegraph Company of Australasia. This firm is creditedin establishing the first military wireless stations in Australia and the first officiallyrecorded stations on the continent to receive intelligible wireless signals.Edward Hope Kirkby died in 1915, a pauper and virtually unknown.

said David Hathaway of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.During a solar maximum, the number of sunspots increases. These dark temporary regionson the surface of the sun are thought to be caused by interplay between the sun's plasmaand its magnetic field. Sunspots are the source of the solar flares and ejections that can sendcharge particles hurtling toward Earth, which can damage satellites, surge power grids,cause radio blackouts and, more benignly, produce dazzling auroras above the planet.About every 11 years, the sun goes through a cycle defined by an increasing and thendecreasing number of sunspots. Solar Cycle 24 has been under way since 2011 and its peakwas expected in 2013, but there have been fewer sunspots observed this year comparedwith the maximums of the last several cycles. The quiet maximum is allowing scientists totest their knowledge of how the sun works and hone their predictions of the strength offuture solar cycles. A small Cycle 24 also fits in with a 100-year pattern of building andwaning solar cycles. Scientists don't know exactly what causes this trend, but there wereweak solar cycles in the beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries. From space.com August 2013

This amazing key features all brass construction, plastic fingerpieces, silver contacts and stainless steel main springs. Speed isadjustable from about 12 wpm to about 30 wpm by sliding weight. Alloperation points are fully adjustable. There are actually 9 points thatcan be adjusted or changed for personal preferences.Two knurled nut wire posts for connection to radio are provided onback side of bug. Surface finish is wire brushed brass matte. TheVIZ Vertical weighs in at about 2 pounds, 8 ounces. It is 7 1/4" talland 3 1/4" wide. From the front end of the finger pieces to the backof the U-shaped base is about 3 1/2". Included are completeadjustment instructions.

THE VIZ VERTICAL

This unit can be fabricated as a left-handed unit with prior notice at no extra charge.The VIZ Vertical sells for only $255.00 plus $12.00 postage and comes with yourchoice of either 1/8" or 1/4" phone plug. E-mail [email protected]

British computer expert, Paul Mathis has solved a problem - the amount oftime we waste typing out the word "THE." It is the most frequently used

A TAP SHORTCUT


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COUNTRIES NO LONGER REQUIRING MORSE FOR AN AMATEUR LICENCE

AUSTRIA 26 November 2003AUSTRALIA 1 January 2004BELGIUM 31 July 2003BULGARIA 27 August 2004CANADA 22 July 2005CZECH REPUBLIC 1 May 2005DENMARK 1 February 2004FINLAND 1 November 2003FRANCE 4 May 2004GERMANY 15 August 2003HONG KONG 11 February 2004IRELAND 15 September 2003ITALY 12 August 2005KENYA 2 April 2004NETHERLANDS 1 September 2003NEW ZEALAND 17 June 2004NORWAY 18 August 2003PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6 October 2003POLAND 14 August 2004SOUTH AFRICA 4 February 2005SPAIN 1 March 2005SWEDEN 20 April 2004SINGAPORE 15 September 2003SRI LANKA 6 March 2009SWITZERLAND 15 July 2003UNITED KINGDOM 26 July 2003USA 23 February 2007

A SICK SOLAR CYCLE

Though the sun is currently in the peak year of its 11-year solarweather cycle, our closest star has been rather quiet over all.This year's solar maximum is shaping up to be the weakest in100 years and the next one could be even more quiescent."It's the smallest maximum we've seen in the Space Age,"

700 kHz.500 kW.100%modulation

WLW - THE BIG ONE

WLW was the pride of Powel Crosley'sempire. Constructed to sell the radios hisfactory produced, WLW became the mostpowerful AM broadcast station everlicensed for use in the US. Over the years,WLW grew from 20 watts to 500,000watts. In order to sell more and cheaperradios, Crosley understood he had to havemore and more powerful transmitters.

The transmitter site was located to the NE of the city of Cincinnati. The transmitter wasa 500,000 watt monster, built by RCA. It took 17 operators at a time to run it. As soon asthis transmitter was turned on, there were complaints that it was interfering with stationCBL on 690 kHz in Canada. Everything about this transmitter was huge. The tubeassembly was as tall as a person. The UV-862 tubes (all 20 of them - 8 modulators and12 PA tubes!) went into sockets allowing water from the pond out front to circulate forcooling. The filaments alone took 33 volts and 207 Amps of current.The transmitter was 15 feet high and 60 feet wide and 12.5 milliwatts of audio couldproduce 100% modulation at 500 kW (1050 kW of PA input power), an amplification of28,000,000 times. Two 33 kV power lines came to the transmitter building, 2300 VACentered the building. A 75 foot square pond held the water used to cool the transmitter,which needed 10,000 gallons of cool water a minute. Another remarkable part of WLW,certainly the most visible to the public, was the 739-foot tall Blaw-Knox tower:By 1939, there were political pressures to stop WLW's superpower. Whether it wasattributed to WWII or to political intrigue by WLW's competitors, on March 1, 1939, WLWreturned to radiating "only" 50 kW aside from some special broadcasts, on behalf of the USgovernment, to send a message to Germany. During the late 1930s and 1940s, more than15 stations filed applications with the FCC for power levels in excess of the normal 50,000watt level yet, no authorizations were granted and today the maximum power on AM inthe US remains 50 kW. Why was it that WLW alone achieved the "superpower" statusamong radio stations?


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conductor being connected to the helix at the feed point and the outer conductor attachedto the ground plane. From Moonraker Australia Courtesy of Barry VK2BZ

HERE'S A FUNNY ONE.THE LIGHTHOUSE AT ALICE SPRINGS

At the geographic centre of Australia and 1,500kilometres from the coast is Alice Springs, which hoststhe famous Henley-On-Todd Regatta each August ona usually dry river bed. The Northern Territorians andmany visitors take the annual iconic event very seriouslywith up to 3,000 witnessing the regatta, which began in1962.Greg Mair VK8GM said that with the help of theHenley-On-Todd team, a lighthouse has been built topromote the spirit of amateur radio and lighthouses.The Alice Springs lighthouse joined nearly 500 others

around the world last month and certainly attracted the attention of local, nationaland international news media as an entrant in the 16th 2013 International LighthouseLightship Weekend.

YET ANOTHER TENDERThe club has on offer to members a Swan 350 HF transceiver with matchingpower supply plus remote VFO. These items are on display at Westlakes butplease note they have not been tested and are offered as "condition unknown.''The reserve price is $100. Send or hand your offer in an sealed envelope to theSecretary, Barrie VK2ABD. The tenders will be drawn in the Club Libraryat 1pm Saturday 14 September.

COMING EVENTSScrewdriver Antenna Workshop 31 August (See Page 3)

September Monthly Meeting Saturday 7Westlakes Field Day Sunday 15 (See Page 4)

ALL SHOWAND NO GO?

Pictured is my Yaesu FRG965 (notFRG9600) scanning receiver. The 965 isthe Japan only model, the 9600 is foreverywhere else. The two units are ident-

ical except the 965 manual is in Japanese. Mine came from the WIA deceased estatesale at the 1998 Central Coast Field Day. I paid $399 for it.This receiver was introduced in 1985, as a companion to amateur radio operators for theirtransmitters. The FRG965 receiver enjoys the distinction of being the first receivercapable of computer control. It is an all-mode scanning receiver that covers 60 through905 MHz continuously and comes complete with 100 keypad-programmable memorychannels. In addition to FM-Wide , FM-Narrow, and AM wide and narrow, the FRG-965also provides SSB and CW reception up to 460 MHz.Now the bad news. The scanning set up has 100 memory channels but when it scans andstops on a memory channel the display digits start to blink from left to right and then itresumes scanning cutting off the conversation. This renders it virtually useless as ascanner although you can scan 10 channel blocks at a time and not the full 100 channelbank. The scan speed of 6 channels a second is only fair.Reception - others have described the FRG965 as being as "deaf as a post." Mine isconnected to a D130J discone, up high on the roof, fed with RG213, and from anelevated QTH. Even so, I would rate the set's sensitivity as only average. The FRG965also has a clock that can turn the set on and off at programmed times. What a night-mare of an operation it is to set the clock. Turn off the 13.8v power and all the 100memories are retained but the clock settings are lost.It is a pretty radio with excellent ergonomics, easy to use (except for that clock timer)and after you obtain an English translation owner's manual.I wonder how long the back-up memory battery will last. If my FRG965 was made in themid-eighties and I know the battery is the orignal, it's still OK after 28 years. VK2CW

A VIBRATING PEN?The New Indian Express have reported on the inventionof a new pen which will vibrate if it senses that the writeris making a spelling mistake. It is a normal pen with realink, but it has a special motion sensor inside and a smallbattery-operated Linux computer with a Wi-Fi chip.

This allows the pen to recognise specific movements, letter shapes and a wide assortmentof words. It vibrates if the user is not careful with letters. It will be able to correct thewriting of those who depend on spell checkers.

A wise man once said, "The only reason people yell 'Women to the lifeboats first! Is to test the strength of the boats." Anonymous (Why he was wise is because he remained anonymous)

October Monthly Meeting 12 October (A week later than usual)


10 10 10 10 Page 15 15 15 15 15

AA

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

In 1997, HAARP transmitted test signals on HF frequencies 3.4 MHz and 6.99 MHzand solicited reports from amateur radio operators and short-wave listeners around theworld to determine how well the HAARP transmissions could be heard. In 2007HAARP succeeded in bouncing a 40 metre signal off the moon. Earlier this year,HAARP scientists successfully produced a sustained high-density plasma cloud inEarth’s upper atmosphere - a sort of man-made ionophere.

HELICALSWhen you look at helical antennas,you could be forgiven that thinking thatthey are straightforward anduncomplicated. Take the small antennaon your hand held transceiver, for

example. It certainly doesn't look like there is a lot involved in it or that it may not be whatyou assume it to be.In the case just mentioned, they are mostly physically short antennas encased in arubber-like protective radome, making use of a helically wound radiator to provideelectrical loading to maximise performance like a coil. Very small types known asstubbies often don't even contain a helix inside. On the other hand, helicals can alsobe broadband antennas used to provide circular polarisation over an appreciablebandwith.Circular polarisation is frequently used for satellite and space communications to harnessthe random rotations of elliptical polarisation. In space, waves are not subject to theinfluence of the earth and the concepts of vertical and horizontal polarisation haveno meaning. As a linearly polarised signal passes through space, there is a tendency forit to rotate resulting in unpredictable polarisation, caused by Faraday Rotation whichgives rise to significant fading if linearly polarised antennas are used.In satellite communication circular polarisation is used by GPS navigation and weathermonitoring systems like the NOAA TIROs-N satellites and the SAR ELT (search andrescue emergency locator transmitter) service which is primarily for aircraft.Circularly polarised antennas are also useful in polarisation diversity systems toovercome long term fading due to barometric pressure, rain, etc., especially above 420MHz where they eliminate the need for both vertical and horizontal antennas withFM, SSB, and CW.The helical antenna was invented by J D Kraus in 1946. Basically it is a simple broad-band VHf or UHF antenna which is circularly polarised. Circular polarisation occurswhen the electric field sector rotates as it moved forward. The electric field can beresolved into orthogonal components (at right angles to each other and to the directionof travel) which has a 90 degree phase difference. The sense of rotation can be clockwiseor anti- clockwise (also called right handed of left handed circular.)In most cases helical antennas will need to work against a ground plane, though this isnot always the case. The ground plane can be flat or cupped in the form of a cylindricalcavity or in the form of a frustrum cavity. The antenna is fed by coaxial cable , the central

CELESTIAL RADIO

Tune into 95.9 FM for Celestial Radio, aradio station housed on a glittering sailingboat, broadcasting a psychedelic hour-long soundwork inspired by SydneyHarbour. Catch a glimpse of thedazzling vessel covered in 60,000 mirrortiles as she sails around the harbourexploring the metaphorical oceans oflife’s big questions both cosmic andmicroscopic.Celestial Radio is a station with a differ-ence and focuses on: health, well-beingspirituality, horoscope and tarotscopereadings, mind, body & spirit events andmany more related topics.The mirrors which cover the boat reflectthe surroundings. On sunny days, the boatdazzles and can be seen from miles around.On gloomy days, it reflects the landscapeand vanishes into it. The mirrors also actas a kind of portal between two worlds. The mirrors, mixed with sound, open up allkinds of realities.People can look at the boat as it’s a sculptural object and its location schedule is: 10.00am – 11am Moored in Campbell’s Cove 11.30am – Midday Sailing to the Commissioner’s Steps Midday – 1.30pm Sailing around Sydney Harbour 1.30pm – 3.30pm anchored at Farm Cove near the Botanical Gardens 3.30pm – 4.30pm Sailing around the harbour 4.30pm – 5.00pm Sailing to the Commissioner’s Steps 4.30pm onwards moored at the Commissioner’s Steps.Celestial Radio transmits 24 hours a day on 95.9 FM. (Words fail me - Ed)

SMASHING JAMMERSThe ACMA must be having a smashing time destroying jammers. The Sydney MorningHerald reports that the ACMA has destroyed nearly 100 illegal signal jammers that canprevent mobile phone and GPS devices from working correctly and most jammershad been seized in the mail. The jammers were found in intercepted international mailparcels after a crackdown. Jammers are illegal in Australia and the operation, possessionor supply of such a device can attract a two-year prison term. I wonder how the ACMAdestroys captured jammers? Jump on them I suppose. VK2CW


Page 14

Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. September 2013 Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. September 2013

"We are pretty certain that this doesn't impose pain onthe insect and they still have free will because theyadapt very quickly and ignore the stimulation," hesaid. However the Royal Society for the Preventionof Cruelty to Animals has announced it has concerns."The RSPCA believes it is inappropriate to encouragechildren to dismantle and deconstruct insects," said aspokesperson. "The fact that the neuroscientist is'pretty certain,' that this doesn't impose pain, is frankly,not certain enough."Despite these cruelty concerns, the RoboRoach project is going ahead in leaps and boundsand kits made in Michigan are now available on the Net. The kits come with backpacks,batteries and electrodes as well as optional insects. The RoboRoach pictured above is thedeluxe model equipped with Bluetooth technology. From BBC News

A Canadian school-girl has invented a flashlight poweredonly by body heat. Ann Makosinski, a high school junior inVictoria, British Columbia, was trying to think of a way ofharvesting untapped energy when she was inspired to makethe flashlight. She realized that the warmth generated bythe human body was an overlooked energy source.Her project objective was to create a flashlight that ransolely off the heat of the hand. That objective wasaccomplished when she discovered Peltier tiles, whichproduce electricity when one side of the tile is heated and theother is cooled.

15 YEAR-OLD INVENTSBODY HEAT FLASHLIGHT

Makosinski realized she could use these tiles to create energy for her flashlight if she leftthe device hollow. Holding the flashlight on the outside would cause the tiles to heat upon one side while the ambient air would cool down the tile on the inside of the flashlight.The power created by the tiles was enough to power an LED light, but it did not createenough voltage. To troubleshoot that issue she created a circuit that would allow fortransformers, upping the voltage. It worked! The flashlight does have one issue: it worksbetter in colder temperatures since the inside is better able to cool down comparativeto the person's body heat.

IT'S CALLED HUD

HUD stands for 'head up display' and sat-nav firm Garmin has made a portable HUDfor cars that projects turn-by-turn directionson to a vehicle's windscreen. The portableHUD works with a smartphone and a Garminapp to generate navigation information.Information is projected via the HUD'sattached reflector lens or on to a plastic filmstuck to the window glass. The navigationsystem can also provide voice prompts via asmartphone's speaker or a car stereo thatworks with the Bluetooth short range radiotechnology. The app associated with the sat-nav system is available for iPhones, Androidphones and Windows Phone 8 handsets. The HUD automatically adjusts brightnesslevels to ensure that projected information is easy to read during the day and at night.HUDs are starting to be standard in mid-range vehicles and were no longer confined totop-of-the-line models. HUDs cut down on driver distraction as people spend less timelooking down at instruments and more with their eyes on the road. BBC News

ARRL IS IN THE MONEY

According to the American Radio Relay League's website, the organisation has an annualincome of 14.37 million USD and 22.52 million USD in assets. Not bad going for anon-profit organisation.

HAARP HAS HAD IT

HAARP stands for the HighFrequency Active Auroral ResearchProgram and has been a subject offascination for many amateur radiooperators and the target of conspiracytheorists but now it has closed down.The sprawling 35-acre ionosphericresearch facility in remote Gakona,Alaska, has been shuttered since earlyMay. No one is on site, access roadsare blocked, buildings are chained andthe power is turned off.

The cause of HAARP’s shutdown was both fiscal and environmental. The dieselgenerators on site no longer pass the Clean Air Act. Repairing them to meet EPA standardswill run to $800,000. Beyond that it costs $300,000 a month just to keep the facility openand $500,000 to run it at full capacity for 10 days. Jointly funded by the US Air ForceResearch Laboratory and the US Naval Research Laboratory, HAARP is an ionosphericresearch facility. Its best-known apparatus is its 3 to 10 MHz ionospheric researchinstrument feeding an extensive system of 180 antenna elements and used to “excite”sections of the ionosphere. Other onsite equipment is used to evaluate the effects.


Page 13

All the know-how in regard to the improvement in our military system seems likely toresult in the usual non-effective manner. To my simple mind, we could not do better thanby simplifying the whole business in copying the example which the experience of oldercountries give us. That is a modiform of conscription.I know that such an idea is repugnant to the feelings of Australians and other Britishborn people. Most things which call for a little self-denial and effort are. I hold that muchof the time which hangs heavily on the shoulders of our young men, which is whiled awayin the pursuit of things which have an unhealthy-indeed, injurious-influence, mightbeneficially be given to a course of military training which is certain to stand them in theevent of a more than probable invasion of a foreign foe.Japan, Germany, France, America, and other smaller but equally aggressive and earth-hungry countries are slowly but effectually planting their feet in the Pacific Ocean onislands which Great Britain was too indolent to annex, and the day cannot be too fardistant when a dash may be made on our large seaport towns by one or the other ofthese countries, and how are we prepared to meet them?They could get past the barges which Great Britain considers good enough to defendour 700 miles of coast without firing 100 shells, and once landed it would be a case of"jump and hold" until the foreign yoke was firmly around the neck of Australia. We mustface this question of every man a soldier some day, and the sooner it becomes the customthe better. Courtesy of Geoff VK2YFA

CONSCRIPTION (By B.B.)From Kurri Kurri Times August 1906


THE TRIAL IS OVER

The trial for Jack Ravenenscroft VE3SR, is over. Testimony was presented in Octoberand observers from the Canadian Radio Relay League (CRRL) felt the trial went well.Jack, from Ottawa, was sued for $35,000 for allegedly interfering with a neighbour'smicrowave oven, furnace control, and home entertainment system.During the trial, CRRL Director, Ray Perrin VE3FN, testisfied that Jack could not beheld responsible for the interference. He compared the problem to rain entering a holein the roof. There will always be rain. You have to fix the roof. The analogy must havebeen appropriate. DOC personnel also indicated that Jack's station was clean and thatJack had been operating within the law. The personnel also testified that even their ownhand-held transceivers created problems for the plaintiff's equipment.The plaintiff then produced a tape recording of a CW transmission copied on their homeentertainment equipment. But to his embarrassment it was not transmitted by Jack butwas a transmission by another amateur operator a block and a half away. In finding Jacknot guilty of anything and ruling all costs of the trial against the plaintiff, the Judge added,"It was a pity the plaintiff could not read Morse code." From CRRL News

MEMS stands for micro-electro-mechanical systems and is a brand newway to accurately measure the powerrequirements and outputs of all existingmechanical and electronic devices.MEMS was displayed for the first timeat the TechConnect World Conferencein Paris last month.MEMS are very small devices that canbe used as remotely powered sensors tomeasure variations in the physical envir-

MEMS HAS ARRIVED

onment such as changes in force, light, or motion, or conversely as actuators that convertchanges in energy back into motion. They generally range in size from 20 micrometresto a millimetre and are made up of components that interact with the outside environmentsuch as microsensors and a central unit that processes data allowing MEMS tomake decisions based on the information they receive.Applications include: * accelerometers in airbag deployment systems * automobiles,detecting the rapid negative acceleration of the vehicle * inkjet printer heads, reacting topatterns of heat provided by electric current by dispensing tiny droplets of ink at preciselocations to form the image on the paper * in smartphones, measuring the rotation ofthe device to create an intuitive user interface.MEMS technique works by applying a current across the device with a varyingfrequency and allows an analysis the of harmonic content of the output voltage of thecomponent parts. It all means that product manufacturers' products should becomemuch more reliable and cheaper.

CYBORG COCKROACHES

Cyborg cockroaches have been created and demonstrated at an electronics conferencein Edinburgh. The insects, intended as a neuroscience learning tool, are controlled via amobile phone. Nicknamed RoboRoach, it is the brainchild of neuroscientist Greg Gage.The cyborg insect is created by attaching a backpack that communicates directly withneurons in the cockroach's antennae. The neurons convey information back to the insect'sbrain using electricity.The cockroach needs to undergo what Mr Gage calls "short surgery under anaesthetic"in order to have wires placed inside the antennae.The backpack is detachable and canbe placed on the insect and its movements controlled via a mobile phone or other device."This is not just a gimmick, the technique is the same as that used to treat Parkinson'sdisease and in cochlear implants," Mr Gage said. He said that the team had thought a lotabout the ethics of using insects in this way.


Page 12

All the know-how in regard to the improvement in our military system seems likely toresult in the usual non-effective manner. To my simple mind, we could not do better thanby simplifying the whole business in copying the example which the experience of oldercountries give us. That is a modiform of conscription.I know that such an idea is repugnant to the feelings of Australians and other Britishborn people. Most things which call for a little self-denial and effort are. I hold that muchof the time which hangs heavily on the shoulders of our young men, which is whiled awayin the pursuit of things which have an unhealthy-indeed, injurious-influence, mightbeneficially be given to a course of military training which is certain to stand them in theevent of a more than probable invasion of a foreign foe.Japan, Germany, France, America, and other smaller but equally aggressive and earth-hungry countries are slowly but effectually planting their feet in the Pacific Ocean onislands which Great Britain was too indolent to annex, and the day cannot be too fardistant when a dash may be made on our large seaport towns by one or the other ofthese countries, and how are we prepared to meet them?They could get past the barges which Great Britain considers good enough to defendour 700 miles of coast without firing 100 shells, and once landed it would be a case of"jump and hold" until the foreign yoke was firmly around the neck of Australia. We mustface this question of every man a soldier some day, and the sooner it becomes the customthe better. Courtesy of Geoff VK2YFA

CONSCRIPTION (By B.B.)From Kurri Kurri Times August 1906


THE TRIAL IS OVER

The trial for Jack Ravenenscroft VE3SR, is over. Testimony was presented in Octoberand observers from the Canadian Radio Relay League (CRRL) felt the trial went well.Jack, from Ottawa, was sued for $35,000 for allegedly interfering with a neighbour'smicrowave oven, furnace control, and home entertainment system.During the trial, CRRL Director, Ray Perrin VE3FN, testisfied that Jack could not beheld responsible for the interference. He compared the problem to rain entering a holein the roof. There will always be rain. You have to fix the roof. The analogy must havebeen appropriate. DOC personnel also indicated that Jack's station was clean and thatJack had been operating within the law. The personnel also testified that even their ownhand-held transceivers created problems for the plaintiff's equipment.The plaintiff then produced a tape recording of a CW transmission copied on their homeentertainment equipment. But to his embarrassment it was not transmitted by Jack butwas a transmission by another amateur operator a block and a half away. In finding Jacknot guilty of anything and ruling all costs of the trial against the plaintiff, the Judge added,"It was a pity the plaintiff could not read Morse code." From CRRL News

MEMS stands for micro-electro-mechanical systems and is a brand newway to accurately measure the powerrequirements and outputs of all existingmechanical and electronic devices.MEMS was displayed for the first timeat the TechConnect World Conferencein Paris last month.MEMS are very small devices that canbe used as remotely powered sensors tomeasure variations in the physical envir-

MEMS HAS ARRIVED

onment such as changes in force, light, or motion, or conversely as actuators that convertchanges in energy back into motion. They generally range in size from 20 micrometresto a millimetre and are made up of components that interact with the outside environmentsuch as microsensors and a central unit that processes data allowing MEMS tomake decisions based on the information they receive.Applications include: * accelerometers in airbag deployment systems * automobiles,detecting the rapid negative acceleration of the vehicle * inkjet printer heads, reacting topatterns of heat provided by electric current by dispensing tiny droplets of ink at preciselocations to form the image on the paper * in smartphones, measuring the rotation ofthe device to create an intuitive user interface.MEMS technique works by applying a current across the device with a varyingfrequency and allows an analysis the of harmonic content of the output voltage of thecomponent parts. It all means that product manufacturers' products should becomemuch more reliable and cheaper.

CYBORG COCKROACHES

Cyborg cockroaches have been created and demonstrated at an electronics conferencein Edinburgh. The insects, intended as a neuroscience learning tool, are controlled via amobile phone. Nicknamed RoboRoach, it is the brainchild of neuroscientist Greg Gage.The cyborg insect is created by attaching a backpack that communicates directly withneurons in the cockroach's antennae. The neurons convey information back to the insect'sbrain using electricity.The cockroach needs to undergo what Mr Gage calls "short surgery under anaesthetic"in order to have wires placed inside the antennae.The backpack is detachable and canbe placed on the insect and its movements controlled via a mobile phone or other device."This is not just a gimmick, the technique is the same as that used to treat Parkinson'sdisease and in cochlear implants," Mr Gage said. He said that the team had thought a lotabout the ethics of using insects in this way.


Page 11


"We are pretty certain that this doesn't impose pain onthe insect and they still have free will because theyadapt very quickly and ignore the stimulation," hesaid. However the Royal Society for the Preventionof Cruelty to Animals has announced it has concerns."The RSPCA believes it is inappropriate to encouragechildren to dismantle and deconstruct insects," said aspokesperson. "The fact that the neuroscientist is'pretty certain,' that this doesn't impose pain, is frankly,not certain enough."Despite these cruelty concerns, the RoboRoach project is going ahead in leaps and boundsand kits made in Michigan are now available on the Net. The kits come with backpacks,batteries and electrodes as well as optional insects. The RoboRoach pictured above is thedeluxe model equipped with Bluetooth technology. From BBC News

A Canadian school-girl has invented a flashlight poweredonly by body heat. Ann Makosinski, a high school junior inVictoria, British Columbia, was trying to think of a way ofharvesting untapped energy when she was inspired to makethe flashlight. She realized that the warmth generated bythe human body was an overlooked energy source.Her project objective was to create a flashlight that ransolely off the heat of the hand. That objective wasaccomplished when she discovered Peltier tiles, whichproduce electricity when one side of the tile is heated and theother is cooled.

15 YEAR-OLD INVENTSBODY HEAT FLASHLIGHT

Makosinski realized she could use these tiles to create energy for her flashlight if she leftthe device hollow. Holding the flashlight on the outside would cause the tiles to heat upon one side while the ambient air would cool down the tile on the inside of the flashlight.The power created by the tiles was enough to power an LED light, but it did not createenough voltage. To troubleshoot that issue she created a circuit that would allow fortransformers, upping the voltage. It worked! The flashlight does have one issue: it worksbetter in colder temperatures since the inside is better able to cool down comparativeto the person's body heat.

IT'S CALLED HUD

HUD stands for 'head up display' and sat-nav firm Garmin has made a portable HUDfor cars that projects turn-by-turn directionson to a vehicle's windscreen. The portableHUD works with a smartphone and a Garminapp to generate navigation information.Information is projected via the HUD'sattached reflector lens or on to a plastic filmstuck to the window glass. The navigationsystem can also provide voice prompts via asmartphone's speaker or a car stereo thatworks with the Bluetooth short range radiotechnology. The app associated with the sat-nav system is available for iPhones, Androidphones and Windows Phone 8 handsets. The HUD automatically adjusts brightnesslevels to ensure that projected information is easy to read during the day and at night.HUDs are starting to be standard in mid-range vehicles and were no longer confined totop-of-the-line models. HUDs cut down on driver distraction as people spend less timelooking down at instruments and more with their eyes on the road. BBC News

ARRL IS IN THE MONEY

According to the American Radio Relay League's website, the organisation has an annualincome of 14.37 million USD and 22.52 million USD in assets. Not bad going for anon-profit organisation.

HAARP HAS HAD IT

HAARP stands for the HighFrequency Active Auroral ResearchProgram and has been a subject offascination for many amateur radiooperators and the target of conspiracytheorists but now it has closed down.The sprawling 35-acre ionosphericresearch facility in remote Gakona,Alaska, has been shuttered since earlyMay. No one is on site, access roadsare blocked, buildings are chained andthe power is turned off.

The cause of HAARP’s shutdown was both fiscal and environmental. The dieselgenerators on site no longer pass the Clean Air Act. Repairing them to meet EPA standardswill run to $800,000. Beyond that it costs $300,000 a month just to keep the facility openand $500,000 to run it at full capacity for 10 days. Jointly funded by the US Air ForceResearch Laboratory and the US Naval Research Laboratory, HAARP is an ionosphericresearch facility. Its best-known apparatus is its 3 to 10 MHz ionospheric researchinstrument feeding an extensive system of 180 antenna elements and used to “excite”sections of the ionosphere. Other onsite equipment is used to evaluate the effects.


Page 10 10 10 10 10 15 15 15 15

AA

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

In 1997, HAARP transmitted test signals on HF frequencies 3.4 MHz and 6.99 MHzand solicited reports from amateur radio operators and short-wave listeners around theworld to determine how well the HAARP transmissions could be heard. In 2007HAARP succeeded in bouncing a 40 metre signal off the moon. Earlier this year,HAARP scientists successfully produced a sustained high-density plasma cloud inEarth’s upper atmosphere - a sort of man-made ionophere.

HELICALSWhen you look at helical antennas,you could be forgiven that thinking thatthey are straightforward anduncomplicated. Take the small antennaon your hand held transceiver, for

example. It certainly doesn't look like there is a lot involved in it or that it may not be whatyou assume it to be.In the case just mentioned, they are mostly physically short antennas encased in arubber-like protective radome, making use of a helically wound radiator to provideelectrical loading to maximise performance like a coil. Very small types known asstubbies often don't even contain a helix inside. On the other hand, helicals can alsobe broadband antennas used to provide circular polarisation over an appreciablebandwith.Circular polarisation is frequently used for satellite and space communications to harnessthe random rotations of elliptical polarisation. In space, waves are not subject to theinfluence of the earth and the concepts of vertical and horizontal polarisation haveno meaning. As a linearly polarised signal passes through space, there is a tendency forit to rotate resulting in unpredictable polarisation, caused by Faraday Rotation whichgives rise to significant fading if linearly polarised antennas are used.In satellite communication circular polarisation is used by GPS navigation and weathermonitoring systems like the NOAA TIROs-N satellites and the SAR ELT (search andrescue emergency locator transmitter) service which is primarily for aircraft.Circularly polarised antennas are also useful in polarisation diversity systems toovercome long term fading due to barometric pressure, rain, etc., especially above 420MHz where they eliminate the need for both vertical and horizontal antennas withFM, SSB, and CW.The helical antenna was invented by J D Kraus in 1946. Basically it is a simple broad-band VHf or UHF antenna which is circularly polarised. Circular polarisation occurswhen the electric field sector rotates as it moved forward. The electric field can beresolved into orthogonal components (at right angles to each other and to the directionof travel) which has a 90 degree phase difference. The sense of rotation can be clockwiseor anti- clockwise (also called right handed of left handed circular.)In most cases helical antennas will need to work against a ground plane, though this isnot always the case. The ground plane can be flat or cupped in the form of a cylindricalcavity or in the form of a frustrum cavity. The antenna is fed by coaxial cable , the central

CELESTIAL RADIO

Tune into 95.9 FM for Celestial Radio, aradio station housed on a glittering sailingboat, broadcasting a psychedelic hour-long soundwork inspired by SydneyHarbour. Catch a glimpse of thedazzling vessel covered in 60,000 mirrortiles as she sails around the harbourexploring the metaphorical oceans oflife’s big questions both cosmic andmicroscopic.Celestial Radio is a station with a differ-ence and focuses on: health, well-beingspirituality, horoscope and tarotscopereadings, mind, body & spirit events andmany more related topics.The mirrors which cover the boat reflectthe surroundings. On sunny days, the boatdazzles and can be seen from miles around.On gloomy days, it reflects the landscapeand vanishes into it. The mirrors also actas a kind of portal between two worlds. The mirrors, mixed with sound, open up allkinds of realities.People can look at the boat as it’s a sculptural object and its location schedule is: 10.00am – 11am Moored in Campbell’s Cove 11.30am – Midday Sailing to the Commissioner’s Steps Midday – 1.30pm Sailing around Sydney Harbour 1.30pm – 3.30pm anchored at Farm Cove near the Botanical Gardens 3.30pm – 4.30pm Sailing around the harbour 4.30pm – 5.00pm Sailing to the Commissioner’s Steps 4.30pm onwards moored at the Commissioner’s Steps.Celestial Radio transmits 24 hours a day on 95.9 FM. (Words fail me - Ed)

SMASHING JAMMERSThe ACMA must be having a smashing time destroying jammers. The Sydney MorningHerald reports that the ACMA has destroyed nearly 100 illegal signal jammers that canprevent mobile phone and GPS devices from working correctly and most jammershad been seized in the mail. The jammers were found in intercepted international mailparcels after a crackdown. Jammers are illegal in Australia and the operation, possessionor supply of such a device can attract a two-year prison term. I wonder how the ACMAdestroys captured jammers? Jump on them I suppose. VK2CW


16 16 16 16 Page 9 9 9 9 9


conductor being connected to the helix at the feed point and the outer conductor attachedto the ground plane. From Moonraker Australia Courtesy of Barry VK2BZ

HERE'S A FUNNY ONE.THE LIGHTHOUSE AT ALICE SPRINGS

At the geographic centre of Australia and 1,500kilometres from the coast is Alice Springs, which hoststhe famous Henley-On-Todd Regatta each August ona usually dry river bed. The Northern Territorians andmany visitors take the annual iconic event very seriouslywith up to 3,000 witnessing the regatta, which began in1962.Greg Mair VK8GM said that with the help of theHenley-On-Todd team, a lighthouse has been built topromote the spirit of amateur radio and lighthouses.The Alice Springs lighthouse joined nearly 500 others

around the world last month and certainly attracted the attention of local, nationaland international news media as an entrant in the 16th 2013 International LighthouseLightship Weekend.

YET ANOTHER TENDERThe club has on offer to members a Swan 350 HF transceiver with matchingpower supply plus remote VFO. These items are on display at Westlakes butplease note they have not been tested and are offered as "condition unknown.''The reserve price is $100. Send or hand your offer in an sealed envelope to theSecretary, Barrie VK2ABD. The tenders will be drawn in the Club Libraryat 1pm Saturday 14 September.

COMING EVENTSScrewdriver Antenna Workshop 31 August (See Page 3)

September Monthly Meeting Saturday 7Westlakes Field Day Sunday 15 (See Page 4)

ALL SHOWAND NO GO?

Pictured is my Yaesu FRG965 (notFRG9600) scanning receiver. The 965 isthe Japan only model, the 9600 is foreverywhere else. The two units are ident-

ical except the 965 manual is in Japanese. Mine came from the WIA deceased estatesale at the 1998 Central Coast Field Day. I paid $399 for it.This receiver was introduced in 1985, as a companion to amateur radio operators for theirtransmitters. The FRG965 receiver enjoys the distinction of being the first receivercapable of computer control. It is an all-mode scanning receiver that covers 60 through905 MHz continuously and comes complete with 100 keypad-programmable memorychannels. In addition to FM-Wide , FM-Narrow, and AM wide and narrow, the FRG-965also provides SSB and CW reception up to 460 MHz.Now the bad news. The scanning set up has 100 memory channels but when it scans andstops on a memory channel the display digits start to blink from left to right and then itresumes scanning cutting off the conversation. This renders it virtually useless as ascanner although you can scan 10 channel blocks at a time and not the full 100 channelbank. The scan speed of 6 channels a second is only fair.Reception - others have described the FRG965 as being as "deaf as a post." Mine isconnected to a D130J discone, up high on the roof, fed with RG213, and from anelevated QTH. Even so, I would rate the set's sensitivity as only average. The FRG965also has a clock that can turn the set on and off at programmed times. What a night-mare of an operation it is to set the clock. Turn off the 13.8v power and all the 100memories are retained but the clock settings are lost.It is a pretty radio with excellent ergonomics, easy to use (except for that clock timer)and after you obtain an English translation owner's manual.I wonder how long the back-up memory battery will last. If my FRG965 was made in themid-eighties and I know the battery is the orignal, it's still OK after 28 years. VK2CW

A VIBRATING PEN?The New Indian Express have reported on the inventionof a new pen which will vibrate if it senses that the writeris making a spelling mistake. It is a normal pen with realink, but it has a special motion sensor inside and a smallbattery-operated Linux computer with a Wi-Fi chip.

This allows the pen to recognise specific movements, letter shapes and a wide assortmentof words. It vibrates if the user is not careful with letters. It will be able to correct thewriting of those who depend on spell checkers.

A wise man once said, "The only reason people yell 'Women to the lifeboats first! Is to test the strength of the boats." Anonymous (Why he was wise is because he remained anonymous)

October Monthly Meeting 12 October (A week later than usual)


17 17 17 17 Page 8 8 8 8 8


COUNTRIES NO LONGER REQUIRING MORSE FOR AN AMATEUR LICENCE

AUSTRIA 26 November 2003AUSTRALIA 1 January 2004BELGIUM 31 July 2003BULGARIA 27 August 2004CANADA 22 July 2005CZECH REPUBLIC 1 May 2005DENMARK 1 February 2004FINLAND 1 November 2003FRANCE 4 May 2004GERMANY 15 August 2003HONG KONG 11 February 2004IRELAND 15 September 2003ITALY 12 August 2005KENYA 2 April 2004NETHERLANDS 1 September 2003NEW ZEALAND 17 June 2004NORWAY 18 August 2003PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6 October 2003POLAND 14 August 2004SOUTH AFRICA 4 February 2005SPAIN 1 March 2005SWEDEN 20 April 2004SINGAPORE 15 September 2003SRI LANKA 6 March 2009SWITZERLAND 15 July 2003UNITED KINGDOM 26 July 2003USA 23 February 2007

A SICK SOLAR CYCLE

Though the sun is currently in the peak year of its 11-year solarweather cycle, our closest star has been rather quiet over all.This year's solar maximum is shaping up to be the weakest in100 years and the next one could be even more quiescent."It's the smallest maximum we've seen in the Space Age,"

700 kHz.500 kW.100%modulation

WLW - THE BIG ONE

WLW was the pride of Powel Crosley'sempire. Constructed to sell the radios hisfactory produced, WLW became the mostpowerful AM broadcast station everlicensed for use in the US. Over the years,WLW grew from 20 watts to 500,000watts. In order to sell more and cheaperradios, Crosley understood he had to havemore and more powerful transmitters.

The transmitter site was located to the NE of the city of Cincinnati. The transmitter wasa 500,000 watt monster, built by RCA. It took 17 operators at a time to run it. As soon asthis transmitter was turned on, there were complaints that it was interfering with stationCBL on 690 kHz in Canada. Everything about this transmitter was huge. The tubeassembly was as tall as a person. The UV-862 tubes (all 20 of them - 8 modulators and12 PA tubes!) went into sockets allowing water from the pond out front to circulate forcooling. The filaments alone took 33 volts and 207 Amps of current.The transmitter was 15 feet high and 60 feet wide and 12.5 milliwatts of audio couldproduce 100% modulation at 500 kW (1050 kW of PA input power), an amplification of28,000,000 times. Two 33 kV power lines came to the transmitter building, 2300 VACentered the building. A 75 foot square pond held the water used to cool the transmitter,which needed 10,000 gallons of cool water a minute. Another remarkable part of WLW,certainly the most visible to the public, was the 739-foot tall Blaw-Knox tower:By 1939, there were political pressures to stop WLW's superpower. Whether it wasattributed to WWII or to political intrigue by WLW's competitors, on March 1, 1939, WLWreturned to radiating "only" 50 kW aside from some special broadcasts, on behalf of the USgovernment, to send a message to Germany. During the late 1930s and 1940s, more than15 stations filed applications with the FCC for power levels in excess of the normal 50,000watt level yet, no authorizations were granted and today the maximum power on AM inthe US remains 50 kW. Why was it that WLW alone achieved the "superpower" statusamong radio stations?


18 18 18 18 Page 7 7 7 7 7

word in the English language. Instead of three keystrokes to type "THE," one symbol ona keyboard would suffice.The symbol pictured is a combination of a capital 'T' and a lower case 'n.' Readingtests of the new symbol showed that people had no problem identifying it as, "THE."Because of its shape it has been dubbed the "tap.'

Edward Hope Kirkby was born on New Year's Eve 1853 onboard the ship SS Hope just 16 days out of Port Phillip.The family settled in Bendigo where he was educated andstarted his watchmaker/jeweller business. He moved toWilliamstown in Victoria and then to New South Wales inabout 1906 where he built the Shaw Wireless Works. Theseworks built most of the radio equipment for the CoastalRadio Service.


Why? An analysis from overseas indicates that amateur radio was at the crossroads andhad to make a choice to go forward or return to the past, and for some strange reason thelatter choice was made. Radio technology has developed a great deal over the years, and today we can find someof the most advanced radio developments in the field of radio astronomy. Sophisticateddigital-processing techniques have been in use for many years to detect astronomicalradio signals that are a million times weaker than the noise generated in the receiver.Megawatt radar transmitters are employed to map the obscured surfaces of planets suchas Venus, or measure distances to asteroids and comets, or establish microwavecommunications with orbiters and rovers on other planets. This is when a radioastronomer, Professor Joe Taylor, K1JT, invented a simplified version of digital datamodes for amateur use.Our younger generation of radio amateurs, who are very familiar with computers, willhave the honour of advancing the Amateur Radio Service into the radio world oftomorrow, operating hi-tech SDR equipment for digital data and voice communicationson the VHF, UHF and Microwave bands. Moon repeaters will follow providing 12 hourDX on Earth daily, and ultimately also extending the amateur radio range in thesolar system. From The South African Radio League

A PIONEER OF AUSTRALIAN WIRELESS WHO WAS NAMED AFTER A SHIP

In 1908 Kirkby patented an improved apparatus for conveying an alarm from premiseswhere sprinklers are installed to a distant station - this was the first sprinkler alarm forfire protection in Australia. His devices were made under licence by Wormald Bros.Within twelve months of Roentgen discovering X-Rays, Kirkby had built a fullyoperational X-Ray apparatus with which he experimented at the Williamstown Hospitalto test the machine's practical uses.In partnership with Archibald Shaw, after whom the Shaw Wireless Works wasnamed, Kirkby became interested in wireless telegraphy and a new company wasformed, the Maritime Wireless Telegraph Company of Australasia. This firm is creditedin establishing the first military wireless stations in Australia and the first officiallyrecorded stations on the continent to receive intelligible wireless signals.Edward Hope Kirkby died in 1915, a pauper and virtually unknown.

said David Hathaway of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.During a solar maximum, the number of sunspots increases. These dark temporary regionson the surface of the sun are thought to be caused by interplay between the sun's plasmaand its magnetic field. Sunspots are the source of the solar flares and ejections that can sendcharge particles hurtling toward Earth, which can damage satellites, surge power grids,cause radio blackouts and, more benignly, produce dazzling auroras above the planet.About every 11 years, the sun goes through a cycle defined by an increasing and thendecreasing number of sunspots. Solar Cycle 24 has been under way since 2011 and its peakwas expected in 2013, but there have been fewer sunspots observed this year comparedwith the maximums of the last several cycles. The quiet maximum is allowing scientists totest their knowledge of how the sun works and hone their predictions of the strength offuture solar cycles. A small Cycle 24 also fits in with a 100-year pattern of building andwaning solar cycles. Scientists don't know exactly what causes this trend, but there wereweak solar cycles in the beginning of the 19th and 20th centuries. From space.com August 2013

This amazing key features all brass construction, plastic fingerpieces, silver contacts and stainless steel main springs. Speed isadjustable from about 12 wpm to about 30 wpm by sliding weight. Alloperation points are fully adjustable. There are actually 9 points thatcan be adjusted or changed for personal preferences.Two knurled nut wire posts for connection to radio are provided onback side of bug. Surface finish is wire brushed brass matte. TheVIZ Vertical weighs in at about 2 pounds, 8 ounces. It is 7 1/4" talland 3 1/4" wide. From the front end of the finger pieces to the backof the U-shaped base is about 3 1/2". Included are completeadjustment instructions.

THE VIZ VERTICAL

This unit can be fabricated as a left-handed unit with prior notice at no extra charge.The VIZ Vertical sells for only $255.00 plus $12.00 postage and comes with yourchoice of either 1/8" or 1/4" phone plug. E-mail [email protected]

British computer expert, Paul Mathis has solved a problem - the amount oftime we waste typing out the word "THE." It is the most frequently used

A TAP SHORTCUT


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WHERE DID TANDY GO?

Tandy was originally founded in the United States in1950 as Tandy Leather Company. In 1963, Tandychanged its business to electronics when it acquiredcontrol of RadioShack, a forty year-old electronicsbusiness with nine stores and a mail-order arm. From 1963 to 1986, RadioShack grewto more than 6900 stores and dealers in the US, with a further 2100 stores and dealersin Canada, England, Europe and Australia.In November 1973, the first RadioShack-style Tandy stores in Australia opened forbusiness. They were administered from a rented office and warehouse in the Sydneysuburb of Rydalmere. Tandy quickly established stores in major towns and suburbsacross Australia and had a major presence by 1980. Many independent electricalbusinesses in smaller towns added Tandy products to their range.Tandy in Australia were especially well known for their audio and radio products, mostof which carried their Realistic home brand label. Their business expanded rapidly duringthe CB radio boom of the mid-1970s and the personal computer boom later. Their TRS-80 series of computers was particularly well-known. Tandy's position in the market hadsome similarities with its local competitor, Dick Smith Electronics. Both companiesproduced a substantial annual catalogue, though Tandy's was more consumer-orientedwith no data section. Its CB radio ranges were similar to DSE but it never carried muchamateur radio gear, preferring to focus on scanners and shortwave radio.In 2001, Woolworths Limited acquired Tandy and despite also owning Dick SmithElectronics, the Tandy stores continued to trade as separate entities. Beginning in 2009,the Tandy brand was retired and the tandy.com.au website closed down ending theTandy era in Australia.So there it is. What an unusual life had Tandy, from a leather company to sellingelectronic items and then finally collapsing under a pile of tomatoes and lettuces fromthe "Fresh Food People."

WARC146.775

A MOON REPEATER?Radio amateurs of the past pioneeredthe way and laid a very successfulfoundation for amateur radio whichexpanded during the 20th Century.But at the beginning of the 21stCentury there was already anoticeable drop in amateur activityand it was also observed by someradio clubs that it was mainly theolder generation who attendedmeetings.

KC2IOV SETS WORLD RECORDA 70-year-old radio amateur, Jeanne SocratesKC2IOV, from Ealing, West London has succeededin sailing single handedly around the world. Jeannesold her house to fund the challenge setting off fromVictoria, Canada on October 22, 2012 in her thirdattempt to circumnavigate the globe. When shedocked on Monday, July 8, 2013, she became theoldest person to complete the solo voyageAfter 259 days at sea and sailing 25,000 miles, thelone grandmother-of-three will have to wait forexperts to carry out an inspection on sensors onboard the boat to have her record verified. Theintrepid sailor's route, which saw her start in Victoria,Canada, took in the southern capes of Chile, South

Africa and Western Australia. Her trip took in some of the great southern capes: CapeHorn (Chile); Cape of Good Hope (South Africa); and Cape Leeuwin (WesternAustralia). These headlands are notorious for fierce winds, waves and currents.The intrepid grandmother's journey saw her achieve average speed of 5-6 knots. Thepurpose of the voyage by Mrs Socrates, whose husband George died of cancer in 2003,was to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. From the Daily Mail UK

The $51 million Murchison Widefield Array(MWA) radio telescope in WesternAustralia now in full swing so prepare fora wave of astronomical revelations. TheMWA is part of the growing MurchisonRadio-astronomy Observatory in a remotepart of the Western Australia whereradio frequency interference is virtually non-existent. it is a precursor to the $2 billioninternational Square Kilometre Array project and comprises 2048 antennas that capturelow frequency radio waves.It will step up observations of the sun to detect and monitor massive solar storms and willalso investigate a unique concept - seeing if stray FM radio signals can be used to trackdangerous space debris. A little further east, astronomers just have detected the firstpopulation of radio bursts known to originate from galaxies beyond our own Milky Way.The sources of the light bursts are unknown, but cataclysmic events, such as merging orexploding stars, are likely the triggers. The Murchison Widefield Array became fullyoperational in August 2013.

THE MWA FIRES UP


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THE LOW POWER - SPRATBOOK

This book contains the best of the G QRP Journal - the first150 issues 1974 - 2012. In the UK, the G QRP Club hasbeen a leading light in this area of operation since itsformation in 1974. Its journal, SPRAT is recognised as oneof the world's leading QRP publications and it has nowreached its 150th edition.This milestone is marked by this publication of this book,which is a selection the best of nearly four decades of low-power amateur radio circuits and ideas that have beenpublished in SPRAT. The Low Power Spratbook isdivided into seven parts, covering transmitters, receivers,transceivers, antennas, ATUs, Morse keys and keyers,

and a section for those circuits that do not fall happily into any particular part but whichmight best be categorised as 'miscellaneous'. Circuits vary in complexity from an "ultra-simple" 80m CW transceiver using just 14 parts to the more sophisticated 'Sparkford',designed by Walford Electronics and also for use on 80m CW.You will find early 'classics' within these pages, including the 'OXO' transmitter from 1981and the 'ONER' dating from 1985/1986, both GM3OXX designs. The Low PowerSpratbook also includes QRP classics such as versions of the 'FOXX' transceiver, the'Pixie' in its various guises, the 'Epiphyte' and the 'Naxos'. All are presented as exactcopies as they were originally printed.The Low Power Spratbook will appeal to the dedicated QRP enthusiast through to all thosewho have never tried QRP construction work before. This book is a veritable gold mineof ingenious designs and circuits and provides a superb introduction and reference bookdedicated to the art and science of low-power or QRP amateur radio. It is 320 pages.

FOR SALEPalm Size Digital Multimeter

RANGESDC volts 200mV to 500V, AC volts 250V 500VDC Current 2000uA, 20mA, 200mA, 10A

Resistance 200, 2K , 20K, 20M 200M OhmInput Impedance 10M Ohm

Continuity buzzer, Diode testerSquare wave output

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

FIELD DAY SPECIAL $19.50 PLUS POSTAGE IN AUSTRALIA $5.50Contact Geoff VK2GL at Westlakes or email [email protected]

MONITORING TIMES TO CEASE

If you own a radio, a shortwave receiver, ascanner or an amateur radio, Monitoring Timeswould be on your reading list. Produced monthly,it is 108 pages of a good reading.Open a copy of MT, and you will find it containsnews, information, and tips on getting more out ofyour radio listening. It is the most comprehensiveradio hobby magazine in the U.S.From longwave to microwave, for those interestedin communications, Monitoring Times is theguide to profiles of broadcasting andcommunications installations; home projects;and tips on monitoring everything from air, sea,and space.But it will all comes to and end in December 2013when the last issue will be printed after 33 years.Economics played the greater part of the demise

of the magazine coupled with the gradual drift downward of subscribers and advertisers.Publisher, Bob Grove W8JHD, said, " It is another casualty of print media in our digitalage."

Traditional recording of court and parliamentary proceedingsis under pressure as technology advances and stenographersare finding their existence has not long to go. In countriesincluding the United States and Britain, court administratorsare already replacing stenographers with voice recognitionsoftware to save money. Stenographers are few in numberbut high in skill.They are capable of recording up to 300 words per minuteusing machine shorthand and work in 20-minute shifts incourtrooms. Digital voice recognition software can nowaccurately record every word spoken during court proceedings

and parliamentary debates and it does not take sick leave, maternity leave, orannual holidays..

COURT REPORTERS SOON TO GO


Page 4 4 4 4 4 21 21 21 21

Steve VK2LW


A BOOK FOR LIGHTHOUSE FANS

"A Short Bright Flash" - Augustin Fresnel and theBirth of the Modern Lighthouse - by Theresa Levitt.Augustin Fresnel (1788–1827) shocked the scientificelite with his view of the physics of light. The lens heinvented was a feat of engineering that made lighthousesblaze many times brighter, further and more efficientlythan they had before. As secretary of France’s Light-house Commission, he planned and oversaw the lightingof the nation’s coast. Levitt’s scientific and historicalaccount, rich in anecdote and personality, is a compellingread. This book became avaialble in July 2013 • ISBN978 0 393 06879 5, 192pages, 60 illustrations and 6 maps.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO WARC OPERATING PROCEDURES

Following the resolutions of the Special General Meeting of 2 March 2013 whereProxy and Postal voting were removed from the Constitution, it is necessary toamend the Operating Procedures.In accordance with Section 19 of the Operating Procedures dated 24.03.09, it ismoved that the following changes be made to this document:1. Section 11.1 official address of the association be amended to PO Box 5 BoolarooNSW 2284.2. Section 10 'Proxy voting form be deleted.3. Under Section 20 Attachments, Appendix 4 'Proxy voting form' be deleted.

Procedural matters following approval of these changes.The sections will be re-numbered to reflect these changes and the Table of Contentswill be corrected.The date on the front cover of the updated OP's will be changed to accept the datethe changes were accepted by members. Steve Beveridge VK2LW President WARC

An Agenda Item for Monthly Meeting on 12 October 2013

A Sydney university student has designed aradical police motorcycle helmet that isjam-packed with the latest electronics. It'scalled, FORCITE, or as some havesuggested, ROBOCOP. It is the idea ofUNSW student 23 year old, AlfredBoyadgis.His helmet includes a "heads-up" displaythat shows critical information in front of thewearer's eyes, delivers turn-by-turn GPSby voice, and links to the automatic number-plate recognition system used by police,which identifies vehicle registration details and checks if there are any infringements.An automatic radio channel and frequency tuner is also built into the helmet, allowing anofficer to talk to the local area command, a nearby hospital for ambulance assistance orthe fire brigade. Another system can send live video footage to the officer's police station.The helmet also has a semi-modular visor system, which can help increase vision andimpact safety by more than 65 per cent.But to commercialise the Forcite Helmet, it will need about $1.5 million to allow it to besold for about $790, which is about $100 more than the high-range premium Japanese-made Shoei helmets. So for the time being, speeders and unlicensed drivers of unregisteredcars may be safe from helmeted officers of the law although from anecdotal reports ofthe automatic number plate recognition system deployed in highway patrol cars, they arebeing caught hand over fist.

LATEST HELMET

WESTLAKES FIELD DAY

ALL WELCOMEDrinks, lollies, chocolates

Badge PrizeStore SalesBarbecue

Radio Auction Boot Sales

Free Entry Gates Open 9 am

Sunday 15 September 2013 York Street Teralba

22 22 22 22 Page 3 3 3 3 3

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

ANTENNA

that goes back to a time when people first realised that lots of ladybirds around meantit would be a good season for growing food. Early Australian farmers found them tobe lethal killers of crop pests.After hibernation in spring, the male activates his antenna at frequencies in the Gigahertzrange to find a mate. Tests have shown the distance covered by this calling frequencyexceeds 50 metres. Switching from transmit and receive mode to smell mode, aladybird antenna can detect a food source up to 100 metres.Infrared radiation was first known to humans from experimentsmade by the astronomer John Herschel in 1800. We now knowthat infared radiation stimulates gas molecules in the atmosphere.If we had infrared eyes, we would see beautifully psychedelicinfrared frequencies.These subtle fluorescences, are a keycomponent to assist a ladybird's antenna for navigation. In labexperiments in which irradiated pheromones and other organicgases with low-intensity UV light measured the response ofladybirds. The conclusions were that a ladybird antenna can notonly see infrared light but also can see ino the UV spectrum.But it gets trickier, how does a ladybird's antenna actually receive these frequencies?Oscillating gas molecules, be they pheromones or other organic scent molecules, dispersethrough the atmosphere and accumulate on or near the insect antennae which have astatic electric charge due to their waxy covering transmitting their specific infraredfrequencies down the sensilla antennae/waveguides. The frequency of the emittedinfrared or ultra violet signals are modulated through the beating of the wings. A ladybird'swings beat around 85 times a second.And we thought we were clever!

NEW MEMBERJoining Westlakes this month is John Williams VK2JJW from Buttaba. Welcome aboardJohn.

Thousands of small businesses, schools and community groups will be forced to paymillions to replace wireless audio equipment after the federal government sold theradio frequency on which they operate. The government has reaped nearly $2 billionfrom the sale of radio frequency in the the 700 MHz and 1800 MHz bandwidths to mobilecarriers in March. That decision will render obsolete more than 120,000 wireless PAdevices around the country.According to the Australian Wireless Audio Group, which represents thousands of usersand suppliers, the total cost of replacing the equipment is more than $200 million, andthe government is refusing to compensate users. More than 80 per cent of devices inAustralia are in the 700 MHz band that is being sold. Currently, audio wireless userscan use radio frequency between 520 MHz and 820 MHz. But after the auction of the700 MHz spectrum to major telcos last month, they will only be able to use radio frequencybetween 520 MHz and 694 MHz.The Australian Media and Communication Authority has indicated it will ask importersand suppliers of audio wireless equipment to sell only products that are compliant withthe new regulation. ACMA said it had been working with the wireless audio transmittercommunity since 2010 to plan for the changes. From Newcastle Herald - August 2013

FREQUENCY SELL OFF COSTS BIG TIME

SCREWDRIVER ANTENNA WORKSHOPMaurie VK2CD will be conducting a workshop on the construction of hisScrewdriver Antenna. As he is no longer manufacturing these, he still has partsin stock. It was suggested that he makeup kits and that is what he has done. Inthis workshop he will be assembling one of these kits which along with threemore will be for sale on the day. All of the machined parts are pre-assembledso that no special tools will be required - just a drill, soldering iron, pliers etc.As this is in kit form, the cost will be less the labour content which will besaving around $100. So for $250 you will have an all-band continuous tuningHF mobile antenna which covers 3 to 30 MHz. How good is that? The datefor this workshop will be Saturday, August 31 starting at 1 pm inthe Westlakes Library. If you need more information, contact Maurie on (02) 40234509 or email [email protected]

BAOFENG NO LONGER BAFFLING

The Baofeng UV-5R is a popular low-price dual band hand held radio, but the manual issomewhat baffling. The radio works very well and it is loaded with premium featuresincluding the ability to use CTCSS and DTMF codes. Most users report that the UV-5Ris difficult to program and the manual requires a mystical Chinese logic to understand.Not any more. A new site provides a detailed simple manual for the UV-5R. It isfree and an open source document for everyone. See http://radiodoc.github.io/

The 1kW High Power Trial for Advanced Licensees ends on Sunday the 31st of August.At a meeting between the WIA and the ACMA on Monday 5th August, the ACMA saidthat the arrangements put in place to authorise the use of higher power will not be madepermanent. This will be a disappointment to many Advanced licensees and the WIA.According to the ACMA, the trial demonstrated a lack of awareness by some AdvancedLicensees of their licence conditions. Of concern to the ACMA were issues of compliancewith electromagnetic energy requirements and that this lack of awareness is not confinedto the use of higher power than the 400 watts already permitted. The ACMA agreed tore-visit the matter, which could happen as early as next year (or not). VK2CW

HIGH POWER TRIAL ENDS FOR VK AMATEURS


Page 2 2 2 2 2 23 23 23 23

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 and mentor: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 172107

Club Activities:Club Nets:Club broadcast,Sunday 0900146.775Mhzfollowed by VK1WIA News.Club Evening BroadcastSunday 1900followed by VK1WIA NewsCall backs follow each castEZB Net 146.775MHzSaturday 0800Stone the Crows NetSaturday 3.588MHz 0600

Internet HomePage:www.westlakesarc.org.auBusiness: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 VK2FINBWarren 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

Squid Pole 9 or 10 metresBarrie VK2ABD 49583359email [email protected]

Clipsal Post Office pattern Morsekey in box never used $50 onoDatong D70 Morse Tutor $35 onoAlan VK2AL 49 634001

SCREWDRIVER ANTENNA WORKSHOP 31 AUGUST AT 1 PM See Page 3


Page Page Page Page 24 24 24 24

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


(02) 49818097

(02) 9636 9060 (02) 9688 4301

WESTLAKES MAGAZINEIS SPONSORED BY

CARDIFF RSLSUB BRANCH

September 2013

COCCINELLIDAE CILLA ORGANELLES

Say that three times quickly! It means "ladybird antennas" and what remarkableantennas they are. Not only are they used for communication, they also can smell forfood and see infra red light. Similar to wind-up amateur antenna systems, when ladybirdssense the danger, such as ants or spiders coming close to them, they retract their antennaunder their body.Ladybirds are actually beetles and are considered a sign of good luck in many cultures

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