The
Pres Says…..
Welcome to ’07. I trust you all had a great Christmas
followed by an even better New Year. I am going to assume
that if you are reading this, you had a safe time as
well. I too enjoyed the festive period, a time during
which the lead up is usually hectic and hard to keep
organised. However as usual we all come out on the other
side ready for another 12 months of the same thing.
If you
think that ’07 is going to be the “Same
old – Same old” then let’s see if the Club
can’t help to fix that. The Committee has already met
to organise and get things started for the New Year and pretty
much the first thing coming up is the Australia Day celebration
at the Club Rooms. You will find more details elsewhere in
this edition so come along and share a chop or two on the
26th (yep that’s the Friday).
Our last
social get together was the December break-up. Even though
the
temperature soared to 37 degrees, a large
contingent of the membership turned out to exchange Christmas
cards and good wishes and of course have an ale or two. We
should thank Helmut and Ivan who made it their mission to
be at the appointed location as early as possible so we didn’t
miss out on the best seating. Apart from having to chase
away some infiltrators, they did the job well and our celebration
was held in comfort. The Club Hamper was won by our newest
member – Maree Vandeligt. Congratulations; we hope
you enjoyed the contents.
Some members may be interested to know that the results
of the 2006 RD Contest were published in December AR. Guess
what? VK3BJA got highest individual score for Victoria. How
about that? A certificate is on its way and will be proudly
displayed in the Club rooms. Shows that sometimes it is worth
spending 24 hours with little or no sleep to gain some recognition.
Thanks Mike VK3KTO for pushing us along. Count me in for
2007.
Of course
you all know that the first General Meeting for ’07
is on Friday 19th January. I trust we will see you there
to kick off 2007.
73s Albert Vk3BQ
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The
2007 John Moyle contest
If you think you are ready for providing communication assistance
at any time then give it a try. You will be surprised at
all the things that can go wrong, or right if you plan well.
A great way is to combine your trial with a contest. The
most appropriate is the John Moyle.
The aim is to encourage portable operation, and provide training
for emergency situations. The rules are therefore designed
to encourage field operation. The contest takes place on
the 3rd full weekend in March and runs from 0100 UTC Saturday
to 0059 UTC Sunday, 17-18 March 2007.
This is your chance for a time away from home, play radios,
and test your skills. You will meet a lot of fellow amateurs
as well. Enter either the 6 hour or the 24 hour section.
Designed for you to enjoy, so send your logs to Denis Johnstone
VK4AIG / VK3ZUX and make sure he has plenty to do as Contest
Manager.
More details on the WIA Website (from which this article
was taken!)
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Tower
Winches
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For
those who purchased tower winches late last year you
may be interested to know that Noel VK3CJJ has developed
an easy mount method for installing the tilt over winch.
Please see the photo and check out the Club’s
tower or mine to see how easy it is to mount. If you
would like to mount yours the same way, talk to Noel
and he could make you a mounting plate for a price.
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Australia
Day Celebration
We try to do something special for Australia Day each year.
This year a BBQ has been arranged at the Club Rooms. Kick
off will be at around 10am and it will be BYO everything.
Perhaps you may want to bring a small table and seats as
well as I doubt it will be held indoors. Come along for a
great social outing and a chance to chat about Club proposals
in a non formal environment. The Club will even throw in
a few dollars towards the days festivities.
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WANTED
A new editor for this Magazine. That’s right folks
I have had enough so come April somebody else will have to
take up the baton.
Full assistance will be provided but no volunteer means NO
mag in May.
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VK3 fire emergency communications
The Red Cross communications arm RECOM provided communications
last month at the bushfire relief centre that was set up
at the Bairnsdale racecourse in Gippsland.
Red Cross communications volunteers John Patterson VK3ATQ,
Robbie Ashlin VK3EK and Mark Dods VK3ZR were responsible
for sending the details of evacuees registering at the relief
centre to the State Inquiry Centre in Melbourne.
This enabled the relatives and friends of the evacuees a
single contact point for information on their whereabouts.
RECOM, established in around 1999, provides communications
support for the Victorian Red Cross emergency service. -
Amateur Radio Victoria. (from their website)
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PROPOSED GGREC MICROPROCESSOR
TRAINING
Have you dabbled
with electronics (transistors, diodes, relays etc.) but
been too frightened to take the plunge beyond
the silicon ceiling? Would you like to construct your project
with a microprocessor where most of the problems can be solved
with software?
Early in 2007 the GGREC will commence serious training
sessions to help people to design and modify their own projects
using the versatile AVR microprocessor family.
On JANUARY
the 19th (a general meeting night) Ian Jackson VK3BUF will
introduce one-chip microprocessors to the members
in a talk & demonstration. This will show how these now
cheap and readily available devices can be used in all sorts
of applications. The talk will also feature a simple overview
of the AVR microprocessor and some details of the proposed
training sessions.
Following
the meeting night an expression of interest will be
sought for potential candidates from the Club to participate
in this 8 session training program. This will probably
be on Wednesday evenings at fortnightly intervals from
a date to be determined.
The course will take serious project
builders through the basic steps of microprocessor
circuits, programming language
and structure. A course fee of around $100 would apply. (amount
to be confirmed) This would include course notes, a commercially
built AVR USB programmer, and a GGREC Micro Development Kit
that the candidates will assemble and use on their software.
(you will need a computer at home with a USB port to do this)
Each session will include some homework to help fortify the
new knowledge. |
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The development board will show how to use software to
scan a keypad, measure voltages, drive relays, generate audio
tones, control the speed of small motors and transfer digital
information between the board and a standard PC serial port.
A GGREC Certificate of Completion will be issued to all
candidates who finish the course, and there may be follow
on training and projects after the eight sessions are completed.
Apart
from being a financial Club member, there are no formal
prerequisites.
However, having a fundamental understanding
of electronics to the level of ‘Standard’ amateur
license (Old novice theory level) would be an advantage,
and candidates will need to be a financial members of the
Club.
This
is a rare opportunity to exercise the ‘E’ in ‘GGREC’ and
should only be considered if the candidate has a genuine
interest in wanting to learn the technology and create their
own circuits. It should not be used as an alternative to
lousy TV programs on Wednesday nights.
There
is very little technology in Amateur Radio training that
is not 30 years old and it is hoped that this course
will help members to address this limitation and advance
their skills into the present century.
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CTCSS FOR IRLP IS NOW 123Hz
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Happy
Birthday to you……..
Andrew Clinkaberry (VK3HFA)
Jenny Goddard
Brett Neve (VK3ZBN)
Betty Shilton
Graeme Brown (VK3BXG)
All these
members are a year older in January. Not listed? We don’t know then, please tell us!!! Let the Treasurer
know…...
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GGREC Event Queue
| Jan
19 |
First
General Meeting for 07 |
| Jan
26 |
Aust
Day BBQ at Clubrooms (Friday) |
Jan 26, 27, 28 |
Australia
Day weekend (no scheduled trips anywhere) |
| Feb
3 |
Working
Bee + BBQ |
| Feb
17 |
Pub
Night - where to be decided at Jan GM. |
| March
24th / 25th |
Foundation
Licence course |
| April
20 |
AGM |
| April 28th |
Saturday
Fox Hunt |
| July
21 |
GGREC
Hamfest |
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This is American, but you'll get the picture …
How old is Grandpa???
One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about
current events.
The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about
the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things
in general.
The Grandfather replied, "Well, let me think a minute,
I was born before: television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen
foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill.
There were no credit cards laser beams or ball-point pens
Man had not invented: pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers,
clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the
fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon
Your Grandmother and I got married first, . . . and then
lived together. Every family had a father and a mother.
Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir".
And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every
man with a title, "Sir."
We were before gay-rights, computer- dating, dual careers,
daycare centers, and group therapy.
Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment,
and common sense.
We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong
and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country
was a bigger privilege.
We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.
Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with
your cousins.
Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when
the evening breeze started.
Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the
evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums. We never
heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters,
yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the Big
Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.
And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out
listening to Tommy Dorsey.
If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk.
The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school
exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard
of. We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually
buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice-cream cones, phone calls,
rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.
And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps
to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.
You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . . . but who could afford one? Too
bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.
In my day: "grass" was mowed, "coke" was a cold drink, "pot" was
something your mother cooked in and "rock music" was your grandmother's
lullaby. "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office, “ chip" meant
a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store and "software" wasn't
even a word. And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady
needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and
say there is a generation gap... and how old do you think I am?
Pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.
This man would be only 59 years old
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Meeting Minutes
Date: 17th November 2006
Start time: 09:25 PM.
Location: Guide Hall Cranbourne.
Chairperson: Albert Hubbard VK3BQO
Minute Taker: Phil Pavey VK3YB
Present: As per attendance sheet.
Visitors and Guests: Nil
Apologies: Dianne Jackson VK3HDI, Ross Jackson VK3ZAP, Bruno
Tonizzo VK3BFT
Correspondence Received:
EMDRC Monthly Magazine. AR Magazine, GGREC Gateway, ACMA
approval to relocate 70cm repeater
Correspondence Sent:
Nil
Treasurer’s
Report:
Income : $xxxxx.00 Expenditure : $xxxxx.44 Balance : (See
tabled financial report).
Read by: Mike Ide, VK3KTO Moved by: Mike Ide VK3KTO Seconded
by: Henry Vandeligt, VK3FHTV Carried: Yes
New Call signs – Susan Coleman VK3FXXX, Henry Vandeligt
VK3FHTV, Maria Vandeligt VK3FSAT, Chris Op’tHoog VK3FABF
Previous Minutes: As printed in the November 2006 GATEWAY
magazine.
Read by: Albert Hubbard Moved by: Helmut Inhoven VK3DHI Seconded
by: Steve Harding VK3EGD Carried: Yes
Business Arising from Previous Minutes:
Pat Pavey VK3OZ would like to receive gateway magazine in
print.
Christmas
Breakup – details
as per magazine. Remember to bring some chairs
JOTA 2006 is now behind us. Event was OK, but very poor
propogation.
Maryborough
weekend was a great success with 25 attendee’s.
Moorabin Airport Trip is on 25th November at 10:30. Only
8 people have paid at this point.
New Business:
Reminder of no prac night in January
Ian Jackson spoke about the possibility of some nights
on programming AVR processors. This will be revisited in
new year.
Another
project is proposed by Albert Hubbard and Phil Pavey – Desk
mic
David
Campbell raising money for “Movember” – mens
health.
Meeting Closed at around 21:55.
Next Committee Meeting
Next Prac Night: Friday 2nd January 2007.
Next General Meeting: Friday 19th January 2007
Next Committee Meeting: Monday 8th January 2007, at the Club
Rooms starting at 8:00pm
