Biggles Hubbard…...
(Nov 2006)
Flying High
On Saturday 14th October, I was lucky enough to be asked to go along for a ride in a light aircraft owned by one of our members, Geoff VK3ZGW.

For those who haven’t spoken to Geoff about his career, you would find he has enjoyed flying helicopters for many years with lots of exciting vocations in his resume. Although he doesn’t own a helicopter, he does own a Piper 4 seater which is a high wing aircraft that Geoff has rebuilt from the frame up and has done a fantastic job; one because it looks great and two because it stays in the air – Ha! He has spent many hours setting up the communications within the craft to allow pilot and passenger to switch between air traffic control channels to Amateur Radio communications. The setup includes having internal intercom between pilot and passenger at all times even if the pilot is on a separate comms channel. This makes it very convenient. In saying the above, you have to remember that in a light aircraft, you all need headphones to communicate due to the high internal noise.

Not having flown in a small aircraft for nearly 15 years. I had forgotten that I had to keep my elbows to myself but I did remember to use the deodorant before jumping aboard. Geoff says it is cosy which says it all. He took off from Tyabb airport where the Piper is hangered and picked me up from Tooradin airport (yes he did land to do that). A continuous contact was held with some Club members. These included Ivan VK3ARV, Helmut VK3DHI, Pat VK3OZ, Noel VK3CJJ, Reg VK3UK and Bruno VK3BFT at the .

We flew over the BQO house in Nyora first and took several photos. Unfortunately I could not make myself heard on the mobile phone when I called home to get the insiders to come out and wave at us. I must admit it was surprising to see the back yards of our neighbours that had eluded us since we moved in to our 5 acre property about 18 months ago. There is more to our neighbours than we thought.

With a short time of indecision, we then flew over to Drouin where the Jackson’s Octagonal house was very easy to locate. Once again we could not muster up any activity so several more photos and a wave goodbye saw us heading to Pakenham where we circled Helmut’s house. The DHI abode is nestled amongst many houses in downtown Pakenham so it was hard to get a bearing even though the man himself was out in the back yard guiding us in. I managed to snap a shot or two of Helmut’s tower and I must admit, I took a couple of shots of I don’t know what when I thought I was looking straight at the house. However the mission was accomplished.

So on to Cranbourne where Bruno (Sadie) was busily cleaning the Club Rooms. Bruno could be seen waving his mop at us but he could not hear us on his hand held although we could hear him. The floors looked pretty clean from up there Bruno. Good job.

Our journey took us back to Tooradin where we circled Pat Pavey’s House before returning to the airport. A slight bumpy touch down prompted a “ it was the wind which caused that” comment from the pilot who did not have to justify any of his flying to me as the whole flight was excellent. .

If I am lucky enough to be asked again to go along for the ride, I would not spend time taking so many photos; more time spent enjoying the ride. Thank you Geoff for a great time.
Albert VK3BQO.

Biggles Hubbard (Who’s flying that thing then?)

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GGREC MARYBOROUGH WEEKEND 2006
(Nov 2006)
By Dianne Jackson
Friday: Ian VK3BUF and I, VK3JDI, arrived at the caravan park at about 7pm . We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then joined Kerry Clayton VK3KFC at the meeting of the local amateur radio club, where we were warmly welcomed. Kerry and his wife Lynne are both GGREC Life Members and have both been associated with the Club since the late 70’s

Saturday: We opened up the recreation hall and staged a barbecue lunch. Those present were: ourselves Ian and Dianne, Kerry and Lyn, Albert VK3BQO, Trish and Anita, Dave VK3XMF, Cathie, Kate and William, Bruno VK3BFT, Paul VK3TGX and Marianna, Pat VK3OZ, Phil VK3YB, Cathy, Kerry May and Bradley, Grahame VK3YCG, and Susan, Barrie VK3NJB, Rita and their cute little puppy Gilly, as well as a half a dozen of the local amateurs that we had met the night before.

After lunch we all went off to have a look at the Maryborough railway station, which now houses an antique shop and a café, were we had coffee and a very yummy cake.

Dinner at the pub was delicious but I think I would have exploded had I eaten anything more on this weekend.

Sunday: We all went off to the Sunday Market in the morning. We met Kerry and Lyn at their stall. Kerry was selling antennas and scanners and Lyn was selling her lovely ceramics. Our arms were getting tired from carrying all the goodies we bought, including some cheap books and a 1 kilo bag of delicious, locally grown apples.

After the market we went to Maldon. We grabbed some pies at the bakery and walked up and down the road listening to all sorts of musicians as we went. We waved to the Campbell family as they rode through the streets of Maldon in a horse drawn carriage, and we marvelled and giggled at the brightly coloured Morris Dancers, prancing around with sticks, hoops and bells. Due to the music festival in town unfortunately the road to the lookout tower was closed. We will have to go back there next time because it afforded brilliant views.

Dave VK3FW and his wife Roz arrived at the caravan park just in time to join us for a take away meal in the recreation hall.
After dinner we went to Talbot. We had a quick drink at the pub, then across the road to the observatory. Who would have thought that there was that much math’s involved in looking through a telescope? Or that the sun was really an exercise ball.

Monday: Ian and I were chauffeur driven to some wineries in Avoca by Bruno, in his Citroen, very comfortable. Next on the itinerary was Moliagul, where the welcome stranger gold nugget was found. We walked through the bush for a while and then we were off to the Dunolly bakery, where we picked up a coffee scroll that was the size of a dinner plate, yum.

Tuesday: Said goodbye to Kerry and Lyn at the caravan park in the morning, then drove home in light traffic. We had a fantastic time and I thank Kerry and Lyn for all their help with planning and organizing this great weekend.
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Intrepid Travellers (September 2006)
(Sorry I Forgot Last Month)

Dorothy and myself will be away on holiday from the 19.08.2006 - 18.09.2006.
Our trip will be to Alice Springs, Halls Creek, Wyndham, Kakadu, Mataranka and back to Alice Springs. From there home. We will be on the Travellers Net daily between 12.00 - 13.00 hours every day. If anyone wants to contact us, the Traveller Net is on 14,116 Mhz.
We will be on 80 metres as well. Time will be about 21.00 hours every Friday, Sunday and Wednesday. Frequency is 3,640 Mhz +/- QRM. We may hear you there.
Best 73 de Helmut VK3DHI and Dorothy
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Editor’s Musings (September 2006)
Well I sit here on Monday evening all ready to put the magazine together and realise I have nothing (or next to nothing) to put in it. I am not a technical guru as you have all guessed by now, I can’t write technical articles. I can waffle a bit but that wont fill the mag. I can find little bits off the internet that might fill a page or two but it’s not about the club so don’t know if it’s worth it. I don't , at the moment, have time to chase people for articles so either you just decide to do it or nothing will happen. End of whinge, don’t complain to me about the lack of stuff in here I am only the Editor!

As I said earlier this year I am happy to do the mag for another 12 months (expires at the Annual General). It will be somebody else's turn then.
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Confessions of New Chum (September 2006)
Well nobody else wrote anything so I will babble on a bit.

Have just started taking an interest in Community Radio. I have always wanted to be a radio dj so now I get my chance apparently.

103.1 3BBR FM is the local Community Radio Station down at Drouin. Hey I have lived down this way for 12 years and I never knew about it so don’t feel bad!

So what is Community Radio? Well to put it simply it is a bunch of volunteers getting together to present programs that are meant to add to the lifestyle of the people they are aimed at. Now that’s pretty broad and is meant to be I think. 3BBR provides lots of local content (e.g. it broadcasts the local footy finals). Community Radio is also an outlet for music that would not get played on mainstream radio. So you are a member of the Ham Radio Punk Band and want your music played you could probably find a station that would you give you an airing (not 3BBR I hasten to add!)

3BBR aim is to present family friendly programmes so you wont hear too much rap music (sorry to all you rap fans) but there is a wide variety of music on the station from jazz to techno, gospel to country and just about everything in between. During the day they play middle of the road stuff (Music for West Gippsland) but from 6pm there is quite an interesting array of programmes run from Trad Jazz to Classics to Rock to Sports Programmes. I am hoping to be on Wednesday nights from 8pm playing music to move too (healthy lifestyle promotion etc) and ending with some relaxation music from 10 to 11pm.

To get there I have to do some training sessions. I have already got a handle on the mixing desk in the Production Studio. A variety of delivery methods are used, including CD, cassette, MD (mini disk - I had not seen these before - quite interesting!), and of course the old turntable to play those big black CD things. The next step is into the live studio, I have already sat in with a couple of the other presenters and have been made to feel very welcome. There is also some theory sessions to do but I think they are keen to fill the empty spot so I might be on air earlier than I think!

Like I said it is all voluntary, maybe you could help out at a local station –does not have to be ON AIR. The only problem I have is NOT saying VK3BBR!
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Remembrance Day Contest (September 2006)
Remembrance Day Contest 2006
On the weekend of 12th and 13th of August, the club’s station VK3BJA was once again activated for this time honoured event. At 6.00pm local time on Saturday, Albert VK3BQO, Bruno VK3BFT, Graeme VK3YCG and Mike VK3KTO were all manning VHF, UHF and HF rigs, and ready for the action that came thick and fast.

They were later joined by David VK3XMF and Paul VK3TGX. As operators gradually headed off to their warm beds, the station was kept alive by VK3KTO during the small hours. At around 7.00am VK3KTO was joined by VK3YCG and a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs was partaken of. A little later in the morning the “Jackson Three” in the form of Diane VK3JDI, Ian VK3BUF and Ross VK3ZAP arrived, closely followed by David VK3BJV; so allowing VK3KTO to depart for some badly needed horizontal polarization. It was pleasing to note that all rigs performed without fault during the event and the club’s new 6 metre antenna worked well, even at only 20 feet, although the SWR is a little high down the bottom end as to be expected, since it is really designed for the FM portion of the band. The logging program of John Drew VK5DJ is certainly a beauty and John is to be greatly commended for making it available to all participants.

In comparison to last year the level of participation by club members was rather disappointing, but those who took part had a great time and managed to make an almost identical number of contacts on 80 and 40 metres to last year and even 10 more on 160. A breakdown of the logs is as follows.160 metres:44 contacts for 88 pts
80 metres: 51 contacts for 67 pts, 40 metres: 86 contacts for 86 pts, 10 metres: 4 contacts for 4 pts. 6 metres: FM 15 contacts for 18 pts, SSB 4 contacts for 5 pts. 2 metres: FM 101 contacts for 144 pts. 70 cm FM 62 contacts for 68 pts. SSB 8 contacts for 9 pts. No activity took place on 20 or 15 but four locals were worked on 10 metre SSB and FM.

The activity on VHF and UHF seemed well down on last years, perhaps due to the 2005 results fiasco. Please remember that the Remembrance Day Contest is held on the weekend closest to the 15th of August every year and let us try to make a big effort for next year. Mike Ide VK3KTO.
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Editor’s Musings (August 2006)

It’s good to see that so many people actually read the mag when it is distributed and are happy to pick the living daylights out of me if I get things wrong! Ok so it was not the Fiddlers Green so sue me!

Congratulations to all involved in the HAMFEST, it appears that it was once again a remarkable success. The strength of any club lies in its members willingness to put in we are very lucky at GGREC to have plenty of those!
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Peter Pavey Honoured by GGREC (August 2006)
At the last General Meeting it was unanimously decided to honour the memory of Peter Pavey (VK3VB - SK) by naming our club rooms after him.

Peter was instrumental in organising, cajoling, pushing for, participating in building and sundry other words ending in ing” in order for the club to have the fine building that we have now. Whilst Peter would not want us to downplay the contributions of every other member involved, this tribute is a fitting one for a fine club member and past president.

The committee is working on the exact wording to be used let them know if you have any ideas. We will have some more on this, and about Peter, in the next issue.
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Jim Francis, VK3UFO
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Rest in peace , Peter
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The Golden Days of Radio…. (July 2006)
Maybe this story should be subtitled “What goes up must come down...somewhere”. With thanks to Jim Francis VK3UFO for the following entertaining story which will appear over a couple of issues. Ed.

Perfect, I thought, I like visiting remote bushland and I like camping so I'll buy a metal detector and combine them all into gold prospecting, it can't be that hard to find gold, can it? I think it was my old mum who was fond of the expression "Fools leap in where angels fear to tread".

My new, and rather expensive, purchase arrived. I had the four wheel drive packed before, my partner, Suzy had unwrapped the detector. A few hours later we arrive at my carefully researched location which, I had every confidence, was certain to contain gold nuggets in abundance. As it was late afternoon I decided to start prospecting in the morning and set up the camp and radio antenna first.

Antennas in the bush
Inverted vee of course! Only one high point needed, easy. As an ex. Pom it was clear to me that the old Robin Hood trick was the answer; an arrow with some string tied to it fired over high branches. I tie one end of an enormous roll of nylon string to the arrow pull back my trusty bow and... phut... the arrow, weighed down and pulled off course by the string lands about 10 feet away Suzy tries, but fails, to suppress her merriment - I'll deal with her later.

Plan B
String too heavy? No problem, out comes the fishing rod and I tie the end of the line to the arrow and instruct Suzy to hold the rod pointing in the direction I'm about to fire the arrow - phut... the arrow lands 12 feet away this time. OK it's true, I didn't tell her to take the brake off the fishing reel! Third time lucky: Suzy at the ready, brake off, bow drawn back to maximum tension, this time I know it will work, I release the bowstring... zoooooom... the arrow virtually goes into orbit (I fear phone calls from Air Traffic Control "Mr Francis? It's about Qantas flight 742...."). Twenty minutes later I find the arrow about 12 trees and 200m away, oh well at least I have a good high point for the antenna.

OK, let's get the gold
The following day, immediately after breakfast finds me striding into the bush detector at the ready. I'd given it a good talking to before I left: "Now look detector, you cost me a damn fortune so I don't expect any messing about, OK? All you have to do is show me where the gold is and I'll do the rest" Three hours later and it seems the detector has failed to heed my words however I am the proud new owner of five bullet heads, three pieces of rusty tin and a horseshoe. I may have to put a little more research into this prospecting thing than anticipated....

Day two
Deep gullies! That's the answer, it's obvious - gold, being so heavy, always falls to the bottom of the land so if I detect at the bottom of a deep gully I'm certain to find gold, can't imagine why I didn't think of it before.

Fearlessly I beat a path down the steep slope of Cemetery Gully, one of the deepest, darkest and dampest in the area; I can almost smell the gold... or is it mildew?

After three hours detecting in the dank and dark recesses of Cemetery Gully, finally, the detector emits a noise into my headphones so loud it would make a Heavy Metal rock band envious. This has got to be one and a big one at that I can feel it in my bones. I don't have to dig very far before seeing an odd shape poking through the soil. Excellent! Interestingly shaped nuggets fetch a much higher prince than the boring ones. I dig further and uncover more of the nugget’s flattish and curved shape. This could even be a "specimen" nugget perhaps a geological museum will want to buy it? Finally I'm able to pull the nugget from the ground in it's magnificent entirety - even better than I had imagined: a huge gold nugget in the exact shape of a horseshoe, most unusual. Disappointingly, tests with a magnet reveal the "nugget" is magnetic and is, in fact, a horseshoe. Oh well... all I need now is to find someone who owns a horse with two wooden legs and I can start making a profit from this gold prospecting thing.

(….to be continued)
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Free-range and Forage or How to Metamorphosis your Chooks. (July 2006)
Warning, some readers may find the following article “distasteful”. (I bet they all read it now!!! Ed)

At times as I reflect back over the years working for the Department of Agriculture, the 70’s, leaves some of the most indelible memories particularly back in the days when “dob in thy neighbour” was practically unknown. Working on inspections of abattoirs and knackeries would without a doubt have no equal – it was a totally different world out there.

The Bairnsdale and district knackery was located about 16 Km west of the town and the proprietor was on of the roughest characters I had ever met who absolutely distained authority. He was physically a very large man, even went so far as to tell the local town’s Senior Constable that “this town is not big enough for the two of us, and I’m not leaving!” Still, stay on the right side of him and he was very good hearted underneath.

The biggest problem for his establishment was that there was no pick-up for what was left after the carcases had been boned out for pet food. To overcome this he systematically had trenches about three meters deep, two wide and fifteen long dug in the black sand (not unlike Frankston soil) in the sand hills at the back of the property. Into these pits all the leftovers off the work’s floor would be tipped and eventually or theoretically would be, or should be, covered over with soil backfill. But he was never in any hurry as “it costs money” to do this.

Now complications will always arise at a meat works when there is another industry run in conjunction with it. So it was that our friend free-ranged about twenty White Leghorn (well I think they were) hens which laid prolifically, beautiful golden yoked eggs. There were no needs for fencing to keep the hens in – they just headed straight for the pits each morning where they spent their day picking at the meat remnants or anything else that hatched as a result.

Now all this poking around in the pits and jumping down and in and out of the carcases covered their wings and body feathers with fat to which the black sand stuck. The extra weight of all this caused their wings to droop to the point where the flight feathers touched the ground whilst their heads covered in blood, where red from the comb to the bottom of the hackle feathers. These birds no longer ran or walked, they now looked exactly like vultures as they loped along the ground.

Graeme
VK3BXG
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Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:
S *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask the person to TALK . To SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (I.e. . It is sunny out today)
R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
{NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue... If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke}
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 000 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
Editors Note : All of these symptoms could be caused by a number of conditions (e.g. drunkenness) but it is better to be safe than sorry in all instances.
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The week Christmas-New Year was the thirty-seventh Murray River Canoe Marathon and the fourth that I have done over seven years in assisting Wicen with the radio communications.

As past marathon participants will attest, there are many official groups and individuals other than competitors whose voluntary services contribute to a smooth running and safe event although to the untrained eye it may look like organized chaos.

Firstly, the whole event is coordinated by the Red Cross and all competitors and all volunteers are registered by them through them, even Wicen. However, in the field, they primarily look after health, hygiene and first aid and camp layout and can be quickly identified as they are the ones who wear the red shirts. Those wearing the blue shirts manage traffic movement and parking in the field whilst those in yellow shirts which includes the Land Rovers Club of Victoria (LROC), the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol and Wicen look after recording , safety and communications. (Apologies if I have missed anyone).

The first two nights we camped at the football ground in Tocumwal just over the border in NSW. The day starts at 5am with a mobile public address driving around the oval playing Cat Stevens’ “Morning has Broken” followed by a few instructions for the day. Day 1 the event as always starts from Yarrawonga. Ahead of the first canoes and on each day is a Coastal Patrol (screen) Boat which closes the river to all other river traffic and it always remains just ahead of the first canoe.

The first canoes are away at 7am. The starters gun is an antique muzzle loaded percussion-cap fired black powder shotgun (without the shot) and when it goes off it not only gets the canoeists going but leaves all the spectator’s dogs barking, toddlers screaming and clears the galahs for miles. By 9am the first day there were over 220 canoes (all Kayaks this year) on the water and by the end of the day, with relay and half starters over 600 competitors had participated and all heading for the day 1 finish at Tocumwal. By the end of each day there maybe six to eight hours between the first and last canoe.. (there is a lot more to this story, we will continue the journey next month Ed.)
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Further UP the Creek with a paddle….. (March 2006)
Red Cross Murray River Canoe Marathon 2005 (Graeme VK3BXG)

Along the route each day are four check points – “Alpha”, “Bravo”, “Charlie” and “Delta” and a prerequisite for these is that they have road access. At these points we in Wicen set up our portable communications both on HF and VHF (2 meters) to communicate up and down the course and to the official boats. Red Cross also sets up a first aid post here and Lroc sets up their checkpoint and account for all competitors as they pass through. Half way between the main land checkpoints another patrol boat is positioned for safety and communications whilst behind the last canoe follows the “Water Safety Officer’s boat which technically reopens the river behind it to other river traffic

Because of the distances and no repeaters in the area HF is used to establish communication between “Start”, “A”,”B”,”C”,”D” and Finish and HQ (VK3AWI). This is a controlled net and formal messages are the order of the day whilst the VHF net is for communication with the official boats and maybe the next checkpoint and is therefore not a controlled net. At each Wicen checkpoint a minimum of two operators is needed – one on HF and one on VHF. I have done both on my own but it is hard work keeping track.

My Day 1 location was at “C” on the Victorian side of the river at Cobram. I shared the day with Ian VK3DVO and primarily looked after the 2mx net.

Day 2 again started with “Morning has Broken” at 5am with the day’s start from Cobram. My assignment for the day was Bravo – the next point west of Tocumwal (Alpha). As a result of the heat the previous day, two of our operators were stood down for day 2 in the interest of their health so I found myself on my own having to run two nets. For a couple of hours though I had the help of YL, Cherrie, my “message runner” who was of great help but had burnt and blistered her feet running across the river sand the previous day.

It was a particularly hot day and getting hotter and I think every Land Rover must have had an electric car refrigerator in it. The electronic noise generated from them on HF was horrendous in what should have been a very low noise or noise-free area. But other than to make note of this, signals were still above this noise level and stayed that way for the day.

Day 2 finished in the Millewa State forest about 8Km south of Moroco West on the NSW side of the border and that afternoon we all moved camp to Echuca to the football oval.

We will continue this intrepid adventure next month. I have some pictures as well that I will slot in somewhere!!! Andrew
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Way UP the Creek with a paddle….. - (April 2006)
Red Cross Murray River Canoe Marathon 2005 (Graeme VK3BXG)

Day 2 finished in the Millewa State forest about 8Km south of Moroco West on the NSW side of the border and that afternoon we all moved camp to Echuca to the football oval.

Day 3, and after “Morning has Broken” I went back and rested for a couple more hours because I was on HQ (VK3AWI) for the day – plenty of help, it was already set up and all I had to do was walk about twenty meters from my tent.

Today the course for the canoeists was from Picnic Point, (about 10 Km east of Mathoura) to Echuca and all went well. With three of us and sometime four at ‘AWI we were able to swap around HF VHF and even take time out. But unlike other check points ‘AWI stays on all day and unlike the other check points which are closed when the Water Safety Officer boat is approaching the next checkpoint down stream, ‘AWI must stay on until the last person has returned to camp.

Day4-“Morning has Broken” failed to play – vandals got in during the night and cut the cables! Some in Wicen nevertheless had set alarm clocks and alerted others so relatively soon everyone was ready. Day 4 for me was at “Start” Echuca not far from our camp site and HQ so 2mx was more than adequate and also gave good coverage to Alpha and again with Cherrie as my runner (despite her blistered feet) there was little to do for a while but to sit by the river and have muesli for breakfast and watch the start.

For the canoeists Day 4 is a short day finishing at Torrumbarry with only three land check points A,B, and C for the day. Meanwhile the camp moves from Echuca to Cohuna and during the course of the day so does ‘AWI and sets up on the football oval there. The day is getting hotter and by early afternoon we measure 43C and 8% humidity in the shade of our gazebo. Later that afternoon we lost another YL to the heat and she ended up in hospital.

Communications from ‘AWI Cohuna back to the finish at Torrumbarry has always been notoriously difficult but this year we had the luxury of a 2mx repeater at Torrumbarry and this proved to be a beneficial alternative to all check points on Day 4. Day 4 ended when Wicen came to the rescue and soldered up the cut cables for the public address van.
There is more for next month,…...Ed.
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SO far up the creek we can see the end….. (May 2006)
Red Cross Murray River Canoe Marathon 2005 (Graeme VK3BXG)

Day 5, last day, we are awoken to the music from “Apocalypse Now” and warnings of extreme temperatures expected for the day and seek help immediately at the first signs of headache or nausea. I am assigned to the “Start”, at Murrabit, and as I have done this one before I know there is not much room to move so I put my HF antenna in the same place as on a previous occasion. Despite this only a doctor in a 4wd could be capable of hooking it down and putting me off air for a few minutes!

193 canoes started day 5 and each hour for the rest of the day the situation was reviewed but despite the conditions the Marathon finished at Swan Hill with the majority of paddlers having covered 404Km. over the 5 days. The Marathon ends with the New Year’s eve celebrations in Swan Hill. The majority of Wicen camp at Pental Island Caravan Park and are content to have a quiet New Year’s Eve. As for me I turned and headed for home in the heat of the day and consumed 6 litres of water and electrolyte over the six hour trip back home. I ended up too tired to attend anyone’s party anyway.

The Lessons Learnt

During my first Murray Marathon I relied on a convenient tree to hoist up a multi-band trapped dipole using the old lead sinker over-the-bough trick. But after once missing a bough and bouncing the sinker off a car bonnet I decided this method was not in the best interest of the public. I now use a portable mast, six meters high and I can position it wherever I like and maybe use trees to hold the end up a couple of meters off the ground. The antennas, we have found from experience, do not need to be high in this situation.

With the multi-band trapped dipole the traps kept getting tangled in the undergrowth and because Wicen only uses 80meters or 40meters, I now use an 80meter dipole that clips / unclips in the middle making it a 40meter. However there is no doubt from the exercise that those using a half wave dipole seem to have the edge signal wise on all other types of antennae. They may be longer but well worth the effort.

For 2metre work I also take along a portable 5 element beam which can be quickly assembled / disassembled to work up and down the river and to give reliable communications all the way to the next check point.

Personal care. It is most important to keep drinking good quality water with or without mineral (electrolyte) replacer. We are advised not to drink the local water although it seems to be clean, nevertheless I take along 20 litres of our own Drouin tank water and that just lasts me the 5 days with other purchased mineral drinks. The local water seems to be fine for washing and cleaning.

Meals can be purchased through Red Cross but orders have to be in and paid the day before. Some choose to do this but it is cumbersome so but the majority of the volunteers tend to eat out of an evening. For breakfast and lunch we tend to provide our own and in my case I take no perishable food and look forward to a good evening meal in town.

Finally at the end of the day – or any time you like, two semi-trailer shower trucks for “them and us” are provided. Each trailer would have about a dozen shower heads in it and each behind a curtain. The water is just about the right temperature (no adjustment, you just turn it on); but then if you are shy or proud you can always go to the local caravan park and pay for your own private shower.

Thanks Graeme for this great insight into the trials and tribulations of a volunteer radio operator.
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I know some of you found the traffic and parking situation a bit of a headache, thanks for trying. At the moment I am out on strict medical supervision and hope to stay that way until a definite diagnosis is made and I can return to a normal life and routine.

We both feel very fortunate to have scored the hamper this year, it has been a great help believe me. Thanks guys, your turn next year. HI.

We have been longingly looking at the caravan and hoping we might join in one of the club Weekends soon. Little bit of maintenance to do there.

2006, a new year we hope it is a great year for each of you in GGREC and a year of growth for our Club.

Once again our sincere thanks at what for us was a difficult time.

PS. I keep hearing Club members saying the bands are dead; Amateur Radio is going down the tube. Believe me this is not the case. It is just that most of you are sound asleep when the bands are active. 20, 40, 80 mtrs (even 15 & 160) are open to DX roughly from midnight to 4am local time.

Since coming home from hospital I have worked about 30 countries spread over all continents. My medication is the cause of being up, then sleep comes after 4am.

So please when on 2mtrs or other bands that seem quiet, Amateur Radio is not dying, it’s just that the best conditions are when you’re in bed asleep. The Amateur Radio world is very much alive.

73s Peter
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RFID Access to Clubrooms
Ian VK3BUF has, in amongst all his other projects, almost completed the task of building the RFID access system for the clubrooms. Basically this means those members that are interested in using the clubrooms at times other than regular club nights will be able to do so. However , there will be some rules and regulations that we will need to enforce to make it fair for all.

Over the next few pages you can read the proposed rules/bylaws/regulations. There will be opportunity for refinement/changes at the January General Meeting.
Ian has some ideas on how it should work including getting the committee to test the system over 6 weeks to make sure it is functioning properly. We will also need somebody to take responsibility for the allocation of tags and the maintenance of the database.

Anyway have a read and let us know what you think. If you cant make it to the meeting and want to contribute send me an email (clinks@dcsi.net.au), ring me up (5942 5396), fax me (5942 5896) or carrier pigeon!
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Proposed Regulations for use of rooms.
DRAFT DOCUMENT ONLY
GGREC SHACK OPERATING PROCEDURES
Purpose : This document outlines the use of the GGREC Shack including specific rules and regulations as determined by the Club from time to time

Outline : GGREC members have constructed a specially designed shack for the use of its members. The building was completed in early 2005. The use of the shack needs to be clearly defined so that future members can gain the benefit of the building and to ensure that the task of cleaning and maintenance is not left to one or two members.

All financial members of the Club will be given access to the building subject to the restrictions and rules outlined below. Two members will be appointed as caretakers responsible for ensuring the rules and regulations are adhered to.

Access : Access, in the main, will be on an unrestricted basis subject to the following :

Membership must be a current and financial. A minimum of 12 months continuous membership is required. All unfinancial members will have their access rights removed without warning.

To gain unrestricted access members will be required to put a deposit on an RFID tag. This deposit will be fully refundable on return of the device. The amount of the deposit will be determined by the membership but will not be less than the actual cost of the device to the club. Loss or damage of a tag will incur forfeiture of the deposit and another deposit fee will be required for a new tag. Any tag loss must be reported to the shack caretakers as a matter of urgency. Under no circumstances should any RFID key be marked with identification as to its use.

The member must agree to the logging of their access via computer.

The Club Shack is not available for unrestricted use on the fourth Monday (Committee Meeting), the first Friday (Club Prac Night), and the third Friday (General Meeting Night) of each month. There will be other times that the shack will not be available and these will be gazetted in the Club magazine.

In order for the club shack to operate there will be a requirement for one member to hang their tag on a hook to allow the power to operate. The last member to have their key on the hook will be ultimately responsible for the cleanliness of the shack on departure. This does not imply that the last person out must do all the cleaning up, just that they must ensure that it happens. Each member in attendance is responsible for cleaning up his/her mess. The logging system will be such that the last person to remove their key from the hook will be readily identifiable.

The member must agree to abide with the code of conduct contained in this document.

Code of Conduct

As a financial member of the Club you must agree to the following code of conduct in order to be granted unrestricted access to the Club shack :

I agree to abide by all Club rules as determined from time to time.

I recognise that the space around the Club shack may be used by the Girl Guides (or others) and I undertake not to interfere with their operations in any way. I accept that I must be circumspect in all my dealings with the Guides and use appropriate discretion when they are in attendance.

I agree to use the Club radios in accordance with my current license level.
I will log all radio communications in the club log book.

I will arrange for QSL cards to be sent on request when using the club call sign.

I will leave the building in a clean and operational condition.

I will co-operate with all other members in attendance.

If I am the last to leave I will ensure that the shack is secure.

I will report any shortcomings to the caretakers as soon as practical.

I agree to allow my details to be logged by the RFID system.

I understand that the role of the caretakers is to ensure the club rooms are used in an appropriate manner and agree to co-operate with them at all times.

Any breach of this code of conduct will be viewed very seriously and may result in the member losing their unrestricted access rights. All breaches will be investigated and discussed with the member/s concerned.

General Guidelines :
To discourage ants and/or other vermin the bins should be emptied after each session. Large bins can be found at the front of the Guide Hall.

Tea and coffee will be provided for members use, you will need to provide your own milk if using the rooms on a night other than a regular night. Unused milk should be removed from the premises on leaving. If supplies are getting low please advise the caretakers (don’t let them run out!)

All other foodstuffs should be kept in airtight containers.

Club equipment is available for use; please treat it as if it were your own. Particular care should be taken with equipment that is on loan (identified by a small green sticker).

Please respect our club rooms and we will get many years of enjoyment from them. Each member will be given a copy of this code of conduct and will be expected to sign a copy for club records.
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Articles
General articles
General Articles 2005
General Articles 2002 - 05
General Articles prior 2002
Shack Project

Presidents Reports
Reports for 2004
Reports for 2003
Reports for 2002
Reports for 2001
Reports for 2000
Reports for 1999
Reports for 1998
Reports for 1997

Please make any suggestions or comments on any of this by email:-
                  VK3XMF@ggrec.org.au