Welcome, to the April 2016 edition of the Stockport Radio Society (SRS) Newsletter Written and compiled by SRS members, ‘QUA’ (Have you news of… ?) is your source of news, views and informed opinion on all matters relating to - and about
L-R Alan G0ROW, Heth M6HNS, Peter M1PTR & Tony M0SAV
Defending our Title at Narsa 2016 Winners of 2015 Best Website / Best Stand @G8SRS @Peak_Contest
StockportradioSociety peakcontestgroup
Diary Dates 2016 April Tuesday 5 April – John Kay M0PEK - A Demonstration on crimping, cable making and a multitude of different methods on how to make the best connection Sunday 10 April – Narsa Blackpool Thursday 14 April – On air from Members QTH (2m 145.374+/- 7.30pm start) Tuesday 19 April – Radio Night (All stations available for use) Tuesday 26 April – Skills Night (Help and assistance from Members)
May Tuesday 3 May – Society Night Thursday 12 May – On Air from Members QTH (2m 145.374+/- 7.30pm start) Saturday/Sunday 14-15 May – Mills on the Air Tuesday 17 May – Radio Night (All stations available for use) Tuesday 24 May – Skills Night (Help and assistance from Members) Saturday/Sunday 28-29 May – CQ WPX CW 48hr Contest
Stockport Radio Society are affiliated members of RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britan and NARSA (Northern Amateur Radio Society Association)
If you are interested in doing a presentation please contact Tom M0DCG at a club meeting or email secretary@g8srs.co.uk QUA is complied by Heather Stanley M6HNS. If you have any articles, reviews or announcements that you would like to see on the pages of QUA, please send your information to srswebsite@g8srs.co.uk, or give Heather a call on 07506 904422 2
SRS Committee for 2016 President Chairman Vice-Chairman Treasurer Secretary/Media Manager Programme Co-Ordinator Assistant Co-Ordinator Membership Liaison Narsa / HF Ladder Outings Co-Ordinator SRS Rally Organiser QSL Card Co-Ordinator
Alan Gurnhill Tony Smithies Steve Holgate Bernard Naylor Heather Stanley Tom Spence Evan Duffield Nigel Stanley Pete Ridley Kieron Murphy Nigel Roscoe Carsten Steinhoefel
G0ROW M0SAV G8YTP G3SHF M6HNS M0DCG M0TJU 2E0CKA M1PTR M5KJM G0RXA G0SYP
Emails General Secretary Treasurer Website / QUA Courses Contesting
info@g8srs.co.uk secretary@g8srs.co.uk treasurer@g8srs.co.uk srswebsite@g8srs.co.uk courses@g8srs.co.uk peakcontestgroup@g8srs.co.uk
Websites SRS - www.g8srs.co.uk Peak Contest Group www.g8srs.co.uk and click on Peak Contest Group
Date of Next Issue of QUA 1 June 2016 - Articles to be with QUA by 14 May, 2016 If you have news, events, contest information etc that you would like to share with your fellow members, please email : srswebsite@g8srs.co.uk 3
SRS Links: RSGB www.rsgb.org
The Peak Contest Group G5O An Introduction
RSGB Region 3 www.rsgb-region3.org.uk UK FM Group Western www.ukfmgw.org.uk Ofcom www..ofcom.org.uk ARRL www.arrl.org QRZ.com www.qrz.com UK Repeaters www.ukrepeater.net Raynet www.raynet-uk.net Summits on the air www.sota.org.uk BYLARA www.bylara.org.uk Echolink www.echolink.org Ham Links www.eham.nets Hack Green SDR www.hackgreen.co.uk
Peak Contest Group (PCG) is the contest section of Stockport Radio Society. Taking part in most of the annual world wide contest from our location in the Peak District National Park.
Our contesting caravan is kitted with two fully operating stations plus a managers station for overseeing the incoming call signs on the cluster. Custom built auto antenna switching and bandpass filtering compliments the installation. The most important part of the kit, is of course, the kettle and an area reserved for time off from operating. Although PCG is a part of SRS you do not have to be a member to join the contest group and visitors and licensed operators are always welcome.
The picture shows the antenna array, with the caravan painted green to blend in with the countryside. Contact us Email : peakcontestgroup@g8srs.co.uk Call : 07506 904422 4
Welcome to our New Members SRS welcomes the following new members to the society.
Allan Maiden - M6ZTD
Local Radio Clubs: Macclesfield Wireless Society Manchester Wireless Society
Jeffrey Swann - SWL
Mid Cheshire ARS North Cheshire RC Northern Amateur Radio Societies Association (NARSA)
M6’s Congratulations from SRS to
Oldham Radio Club
Philip M6XYA, Ben M6FCF, Darren M6FCJ, William M6FOL, Andy M6RPE, Matt M6MVR, Rob M6ZRD, Brian M6PFP and Dale M6FOQ
RSGB Region 3 Website
On passing your intermediate exam.
Rochdale & DARS
Don’t forget to update us with your new callsign
South Cheshire ARS
Radio Millennium Lodge
South Lancashire ARC
RSGB - Club of the Year Competition SRS have entered into the RSGB Club of the Year competition. What this space for the latest news in the next issue to see how we got on. Can I say a big thank you to Ed 2E0CFM for his help with the entry,
Fingers Crossed!
‘
5
South Manchester Radio & Computing Club The Simpson Amateur Radio Society Warrington Radio Club West Manchester RC
Morse Code A
._
B
_...
C
_._.
D
_..
E
.
F
.._.
G
_ _.
H
….
I
..
J
._ _ _
K
_._
L
._..
M
__
N
_.
O
___
P
._ _ .
Q
_ _._
R
._.
S
…
T
_
U
.._
V
…_
W
._ _
X
_.._
Y
_._ _
Z
_ _..
SRS Station 1
- this is one of two stations nearly completed. The stations are in regular use on radio and skills nights, and we are just waiting to load the various software and interfaces to complete the stations. Come down and have a go on one of our nights, both stations are kitted out with all aspects of radio from 2m, HF and CW to RTTY, data and lots more. We have also recently had a dedicated internet point put into the JB Room, ensuring that we can offer our colleagues who are doing presentations, and also if we are doing short run contests at the club, a problem free internet connection.
6
Morse Code
ODE TO THE S.R.S S.R.S was born in ‘20 Post ware times were lean and empty Not much cash to spend in’t pub Better far to start a club.
1
._ _ _ _
2
.._ _ _
Crystal sets were ‘hit and miss’ Two valve jobs would howl and hiss One good chap - keen and tireless Formed our club to sort out wireless.
3
..._ _
4
…._
5
…..
Soon the snags were all corrected Morse and speech could be detected Rigs were huge in days gone past Coils and valves and tall steel mast.
6
_....
7
_ _...
8
_ _ _..
9
____.
0
_____
Time moves on dear brother, sister, Some bright lad produced transistor All components now so tiny No more ‘tubes’ all bright and shiny. That’s ok - but heres the rub Problem now for radio club What we need - on contemplation Members young - this generation So you lads and lassies bright Shun that disco, just one night Make you way now helter skelter Join our club at Dialstone Centre
One last verse, you're glad to hear Celebrate our seventieth year May we all have cause to bless Membership of S.R.S
Our Morse classes run
on each club night from 7.00 to 7.30 pm. Come and speak to Mike M6MPC
E.M.F
if you would like to learn.
A POEM FROM THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY NEWSLETTER 1990 TAKEN FROM OUR ARCHIVES
7
Phonetic Alphabet A
Alpha
B
Bravo
C
Charlie
D
Delta
E
Echo
F
Foxtrot
G
Golf
H
Hotel
I
Indigo
J
Juliet
K
Kilo
L
Lima
M
Mike
N
November
O
Oscar
P
Papa
Q
Quebec
R
Romeo
S
Sierra
T
Tango
U
Uniform
V
Victor
W
Whiskey
X
X-Ray
Y
Yankee
Z
Zulu
Members Profile Bernard Naylor - G3SHF I was first licensed in August 1963 when I lived in North Lancashire. Homebrew HF CW transmitter with an old CR100 receiver, 20m ground plane and a 400 ft long wire kept me busy with the old RAF morse key. An old Creed 7B teleprinter saw early activity
on Digimodes. My work took me to Manchester so I moved to Poynton around 1976. With work and family being the focus of my time for many years, I eventually joined SRS in the late ‘80s at their Dialstone Lane venue. I was persuaded to join the SRS committee and some years later became Chairman for a year until my work took me to Liverpool c.1998. SRS was meeting at TS Hawkins at this time. I was again persuaded, this time, to be SRS Treasurer prior to our venue moving to Bramhall Air Scout HQ and then eventually onto Walthew House.
8
While at Bramhall I enjoyed supporting both Bramhall and Poynton Scout Troops with their ‘Jamboree On The Air’ events and subsequently, when their interest waned, I supported JOTA at the Linnet Clough Technology camp for a few years.
Frequencies LF (Low Frequency) 2000m : 135.7 - 137.8Khz
MF (Medium Frequency) 630m : 472 - 479Khz 160m : 1.81 - 2.0Mhz
HF (High Frequency)
My interest in CW Contesting saw me supporting the SRS AFS, NFD and SSB FD events. Around 2008 I was involved with the setting up of the G5O Contest Group, a subset of SRS activities, based at Common Barn Farm where maintaining and developing the station takes up more time than the contesting. With the introduction of the 3 Stage Licence structure I’ve been involved with other SRS members running Foundation, Intermediate and Advance Courses since c. 2002. My main interests are still HF, CW and contesting though construction, digimodes and now Software Defined Radio distracts me into some of the many other fascinating aspects of a hobby that I will never exhaust.
The Peak Contest Group is the ‘Contesting Arm of Stockport Radio Society’ 9
80m : 3.5 - 3.8Mhz 60m : Consists of 11 spot frequencies check band plan 40m : 7.0 - 7.2Mhz 30m : 10.1 - 10.15Mhz 20m : 14 - 14.35Mhz 17m : 18.068 - 18.168Mhz 15m : 21 - 21.45Mhz 12m : 24.89 - 24.99Mhz 10m : 28 - 29.7Mhz Note for operating on 80m Only available to advanced licence holders
VHF (Very High Frequency) 6m : 50 - 52Mhz 4m : 70 - 70.5Mhz 2m : 144.0 - 146.0Mhz
UHF
(Ultra High Frequency)
70cms : 430.0 - 440Mhz 23cms : 1240.0 - 325Mhz
Repeaters
Courses - FLC/ILC
www.ukfmgw. co.uk
GB3MN
Meet our new Course Secretary
145.650 Mhz FM Analogue Digital Fusion Stockport
John Marsh M0JFM has taken over the role of Course Secretary from Alan G0ROW who has decided to step down from the role, We all wish John all the very best in his new role.
GB3SM
433.3250 Mhz FM Analogue Stoke on Trent
GB3ST
433.2250 Mhz FM Analogue Stoke on Trent
Foundation Our next course is taking place in June 2016. Dates as follows.
GB3SE
1297.0750 Mhz FM Analogue Stoke on Trent
GB3SX
50.790 Mhz FM Analogue Stoke on Trent
GB3MP
145.7500 Mhz FM Analogue Denbigh
GB3VT
145.7250 Mhz FM Analogue Stoke on Trent
Saturday & Sunday 11&12 June – 9am to 5pm
Sunday 19 June Revision & Exam - 9am to 4pm
Intermediate We have just completed our intermediate course and are very pleased to announce 7 passes. If you are interested in taking the next intermediate course, please email us for further details and dates
of the next course.
GB3LI
433.2500 Mhz FM Analogue Liverpool
GB3LL
434.000 Mhz FM Analogue Llandudno 10
If you use a repeater on a regular basis please support them by subscribing to them
Repeaters
Courses - ALC
www.ukfmgw. co.uk
Advanced
GB3MR
The next advanced course is in the process of being scheduled for late 2016. Dates will be confirmed
433.3500 Mhz FM Analogue Stockport
shortly. If you are interested in taking the next course,
please email courses@g8srs.co.uk for more information.
GB3PZ
430.9000 Mhz FM Analogue Dukinfield
Course Fees Foundation
GB7WC
£45.00 - Based on a minimum of 6 students Intermediate
439.4875 Mhz Digital Warrington
£90.00 - Based on a minimum of 4 students Other costs : Kit from Kanga : £26.00 inc P&P / Text Book RSGB : £6.99 plus P&P
Advanced £95.00 - Based on a minimum of 4 students A deposit will secures your place on a course Prices correct at publication but maybe subject to change
If you, a friend, or colleague is interested in taking the foundation course, please email courses@g8srs.co.uk or call the bat phone on 07506 904422 for further information Individual £12.50 Family £20.00 per year Information correct as at July 2015
GB3MA
433.0250 Mhz FM Analogue Bury 11
GB3MF
433.0500 Mhz FM Analogue Macclesfield
GB3WP
430.9375 Mhz FM Analogue Hyde
GB7MA
145.600 Mhz Digital Bury
GB7DV
439.6125 Mhz Digital St Helens
GB3CR
433.1500 Mhz FM Analogue Marches
Membership
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
You can become a member of Stockport Radio Society by completing a membership form and, either emailing it to
Interested in tracking where the space station is at the moment
treasurer@g8srs.co.uk
Get a link to the latest news on the space station
or hand the form to the Treasurer at any Society Meeting.
https://principia.ariss.org/news/
Payable Annually on Dec 1st Senior Family Country Pensioner Junior
£12.00 £12.00 £ 7.00 £ 7.00 £ 1.00
Meeting Admission £ 2.00 per meeting.
An annual subscription can be paid - details on request.
https://principia.ariss.org/dashboard/
All UK ARISS Shortlisted Schools are now scheduled. See the list below or check out by using the link https://principia.ariss.org/all-uk-ariss-shortlistedschools-are-now-scheduled/
Apr 18 – Apr 24 : St Richards Catholic College, Bexhill on Sea Apr 18 – Apr 24 : Wellesley House Schools, Broadstairs, Kent Apr 25 – May 01 : The Derby High School, Bury Lancashire May 02 – May 08 : Ashfield Primary School, Otley, West Yorkshire May 09 – May 15 : The Kings School, Ottery St Mary, Devon Links supplied by Ray M1REK and dates from www.principia.ariss.org
12
Club Log (HF Ladder) If you wish to join Club Log and also get entry into the HF Ladder with the end reward of entry in the HF Ladder competition at the end of the year, and you chance to win a trophy for the year, follow the information below.
If you wish to join SRS DXCC league in Clublog, please follow these instructions:
Register your details with Clublog at www.clublog.org
Click ‘settings’ and then go to the ‘clubs’ tab
Select SRS - Stockport Radio Society and click ‘join club’
Your membership of SRS will show as pending until approved by the Administrator
The SRS DXCC League can be viewed from this link http://www.clublog.org/league.php?club=99
FOR SALE The items are being listed on behalf of Mike 2E0MBV 2 x Yaesu FT 290s mk1 & mk2 the price for both is £100 Alnico 596 mk5 in good working condition £70 comes with manual but no box If you are interested in either of these items, please contact Heth M6NHS in the first instance who will then give you Mike’s details. If you have anything you would like to put for sale in QUA, please send your details to srswebsite@g8srs.co.uk in time for the next issue. 13
HF Ladder Summary: 21 March 2016 New look, new rules and new leader. Welcome to the HF Ladder for 2016! As we are have just officially started spring (having passed the equinox), we can look back on the winter operating of our participants. Immediately noticeable is the massive haul of slots by HF Ladder newcomer Barry VK2BJ, whose home QTH is suburban Sydney, Australia. In fact, nearly half of the slot (i.e. point) total relates to Barry. Should we be operating under the previous regime of slot calculation, Barry’s haul would be even greater.
Looking at the new rules, slots are now gained only when new DXCC+Band combinations are worked. Before, a slot could be earned with each additional DXCC+Band+Mode combo. Therefore, if you worked Germany on 7MHz on all three modes (phone, CW and digital), you would have been entitled to three slots. Now, in such an instance you will only gain a single slot, for having worked Germany on 7MHz regardless of mode/s used to do so. During the discussion about the Ladder at the 2015 AGM, the dominant feeling was that the then-current method of slot calculation tended to reward the use of multiple modes, not operating ability. During its first meeting of this year, the SRS Committee approved the new rules, which apply to all HF Ladder activity from New Year’s Day. Also decided at this committee meeting was that, in additional to the Jim Barlow Trophy (for the operator with the biggest slot total at the end of November), there would be awards for those with the biggest slot totals (and the runners-up) from each of the three licence categories: Foundation; Intermediate; Advanced. It was felt that this is appropriate, given the particular power limitations and likely experience levels of operators with different licence types. So far this year, 10 members have been participating in the Ladder. Looking at the slot totals, CW and phone are equally popular, with seven entrants making QSOs on each of those modes. Digital remains the Cinderella mode of the Ladder, unfortunately; only three Ladder participants have made digimode QSOs. Still, much remains of 2016 for folks to make amends. As we move further into spring, with the lengthening days and the start of the sporadic E season imminent, the higher HF bands and six metres will become more accessible. Those operating the club rigs on Tuesday evenings will begin to notice European stations on 30 and 20 metres as well as on 80 and 40, the winter staples. There’s a thought: Does G6UQ want to become a Ladder participant? 14
15
80m 47 27 16 4 0 0 13 3 8 0 118
60m 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 6
40m 30m 20m 84 70 81 45 24 30 32 1 28 3 0 22 9 0 8 0 3 14 6 0 2 6 0 9 8 0 0 6 0 3 199 98 197
17m 37 16 3 4 17 10 0 0 0 0 87
15m 60 30 20 18 6 4 2 0 0 3 143
12m 23 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 28
10m 46 10 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 67
6m 2 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 7
HF Ladder March 2016
Ran k Callsign Name 160m 1 VK2BJ Barry S. 24 5 2 M6MPC Mike C. 0 3 M0TJU Evan D. 0 4 M5KJM Kieron M. G. G0ROW Alan 0 5 0 6 M1REK Ray K. 0 7 M0DCG Tom S. 0 8 GM4UYZ Bob G. S. G0SYP Carsten 0 9 0 10 G0RXA Nigel R. Totals: 29 474 187 110 54 49 34 23 18 16 14 979
Stockport Radio Society Walthew House, 112 Shaw Heath, Stockport SK2 6QS 07506 904422
QUA is sponsored by Manchester Office Supplies 16