Presidents Notes January 2004.

I trust you all had a peaceful break over the Christmas new-year period. How many are sporting nice new shiny rigs following the visit from the old guy in red? With morse code now withdrawn as anecessity for access to the H.F. bands its great to welcome all those labelled limited in the past to the mysteries of L.F. & H.F. propagation.

There were not as many T,U,X,Y,Z as I expected to hear on new years day and very few of the "H" calls either. This was surprising seeing the nice list of prizes offered for only a small amount of effort. Anyway welcome to all those now able to experience the fun of H.F.ing for the first time.

Things seem to happen slowly in January and this year is no exception, yet the committee has already met and set a few dates to note. Check the Events Queue for details. Some to mention though are 26^th Jan BYO BBQ at Venus Bay. 6/7/8^th March Weekend away centred on the caravan park Foster, I suggest you book now especially if hoping for cabins or on site vans. 13^th March 1^st Exams for year at Tooradin application forms to me by Friday 20^th Feb. On Saturday 27^th March we are planning a dinner at the Cranbourne RSL to celebrate a number of members birthdays.

Nothing new to announce about our hoped for relocatable except that we are expecting some fencing to arrive soon and will be looking for volunteers to help erect it when that happens.

There are some E-Mails doing the rounds regarding the re- organization of the WIA. Those of you with this information may like to take note of what is being suggested with a view to a discussion at one of our club meetings soon.

That’s enough from me for this month hope to see you all at the next meeting, or catch you on "air". Don’t forget 6.225, not all of us can successfully use RLP yet.

73s to all.

Peter VK3VB.
Link to top of Page


Up And Comming Projects

In an effort to build funds for the club and also start the grey matter working, several projects have been proposed.

Link to top of Page



Venus Bay BBQ

 The club will be having a lunchtime BBQ on the Monday of Australia Day at the QTH of SM0YKS. The address is 14 Saturn Pde, Venus Bay. You can get to Venus Bay by heading towards Phillip Island and through Wonthagi or down the South Gippsland Hwy through Korrumbura and Leongatha. The distance is identical and on a long weekend I would suggest the Leongatha route. You will see a sign to Venus bay about 14 km after you leave Leongatha - be careful you actually turn right towards the end of an overtaking lane. When you are in Venus Bay you need to proceed past the shops and turn left into Jupiter Boulevard, which in on a left hand bend. Saturn Pde is the second street on left and the house is on the RHS with the name "Ko-Ko-Mo" on the front! We will have a radio on 146.225. Repeater coverage back to Melbourne will be through 147.100 +600 offset.

As normal BYO drinks, meat, chairs etc.


Link to top of Page


ACA review outcome – some decisions made

The ACA has decided that Australia will fully participate in the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) licensing system that gives radio amateurs total reciprocal operating privileges.

While Australia is one of about 60 countries in the CEPT system, it has not signed up for the CEPT Recommendation T/R 61-01 that enables radio amateurs to operate in another country without needing to take out a licence in that country.

The ACA says it’s now talking to the CEPT about the matter and expects to be able to announce by mid-2004 that VK radio amateurs and foreign CEPT radio amateurs on short term visits to Australia will have mutual visiting rights privileges.

In other decisions made:

Emergency Communications

The ACA will not make any changes to current regulatory arrangements in regard to amateur communications during disasters. 

The ACA is still considering whether to permit the encryption of transmissions for operations and training with emergency services. And the issue of using abbreviated callsigns during training and emergency communications is still undecided.

Prohibition of international communications under certain conditions
If another country seeks a prohibition on communication with its radio amateurs, then this will be published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, and communicated to the amateur radio community.

Third party communications

The ACA will remove the prohibition on third party communications with overseas countries, unless another country seeks such a prohibition.

Amateurs must be qualified to a minimum competence level

The ACA will continue to verify the operational and technical qualifications of any person wishing to operate an amateur station.

Operating parameters - purity & stability of frequency, and maximum power

The ACA will continue to impose limits on the purity and stability of emitted frequencies, and maximum power limits on amateur stations in accordance with the ITU's requirements for transmitting stations.

The ITU requirements will be incorporated into the ACA's public information documents in early 2004 to ensure that they are available to amateur licensees.

Amateur-satellite service

The ACA will not make any changes to current regulatory arrangements in regard to interference to other stations by stations in the amateur-satellite service.

Amateur Internet linking systems

The ACA will update the Amateur Internet Linking System (AILS) consumer fact sheet to incorporate changes to third party communication arrangements.

Morse code requirement

The ACA had earlier announced that the Morse code proficiency requirement for amateur licensing would end, and as an interim measure Limited and Novice-Limited licensees will gain operating privileges below 30MHz from 1 January, 2004.

The big review continues

The ACA is working through the 1,400 submissions it received in response to its review of amateur service regulations in relation to the remaining proposals, including the licensing structure and the no-interference policy.

It expects to announce decisions by mid-2004.

(Contributed by Jim Linton VK3PC)

Link to top of Page




Link to top of Page


This Hobby Sure is Changing...

 I was testing out a new 70 cm beam the other day, and tuning around the repeater segment for a loud signal so I could check the beam's pattern. I came across a big loud signal, but instead of the usual FM chatter, I was surprised to hear what sounded like a station tuning across an HF phone band, with SSB signals coming into then passing out of the passband. Obviously this apparently local repeater had a link to an HF rig somewhere. After a bit of listening, I guessed that the repeater's HF rig was on 20-meters, so I fired up my HF rig, and tuned around until I heard the same QSO on 20 that I was hearing on 70 cm. Not sure where the repeater's HF rig was located, I turned on my amplifier and called over the QSO in progress "Who is listening to this QSO on 70 cm in New Hampshire?" A somewhat surprised KD6LFW, who was mobile in Nashua, NH, answered me on the repeater. I suggested he QSY the HF rig to a clear frequency so we could talk.

I heard the repeater voice synthesizer report "Q-S-Y -- Fourteen Point Two Six Zero Point Zero." So I dialed 14.260 on my HF rig and called KD6LFW. It turns out the repeater is only about 5 miles from me, and its Icom IC-706 was hearing me fine on 20M...and hearing my 70 cm rig as well. So I alternated talking on HF and 70 cm for the QSO. When I talked on 20-meters, I heard myself coming back on 70cm. When I talked on 70 cm, I heard myself on 20-meters. KD6LFW had recently upgraded to General, and I was his first QSO on HF. Well...sort of anyway. I wonder how LoTW wants me to enter THAT one?

This was my first encounter with an HF-linked repeater...I'm sure others have worked through them, and through the Internet-linked machines as well. Last week I heard an OK2 on 50.125 getting a bunch of the locals all excited, until he announced he was using the W7DXX Internet remote base in Boston. Which got me thinking...how do we figure out where people are these days when we hear them on the air? Where do I point my beam when I hear W4AN on the air (Bill sometimes operates through a remote station in Washington state, and sometimes from his own home station in Georgia)?

And in the next contest, can I use one of these things to extend the band openings? I'll operate on 15-meters with my own station in the morning and work a bunch of Europeans, then when the band closes here in NH, I'll log in to a remote station in W6 or W7 and run JAs for a few more hours. Or maybe I'll log in to one in KH6 to keep the run going. Or KH0. And I suppose I could create some real excitement in Japan by logging into a remote base there and getting on 80 or 160-meters.

This hobby sure is changing...

73 Doug Grant, K1DG

Link to top of Page


Christmas Party Photos



Link to top of Page



GGREC Event Queue

Link to top of Page

New Years Eve Party Photos 2003

Renewing the "Thrill" of Ham Radio

I will never forget the thrill of my first ham radio contact in February of 1957. It was a cold snowy day in central Nebraska when I checked the mail and found my novice license. As I remember, it was almost 6 weeks since I had taken the test at KRVN's transmitter site. Bob Bitner, WØSOK had given me the test, and had pretty much told me that he thought that I had passed. But I wasn't secure until I had my "ticket" in my hands. I fired up my Heathkit AT-1 and Heathkit AR-2 on 15 meters, and KNØIMJ on the air. I called "CQ" and a station came right back to me, from Trenton, NJ.

That afternoon lengthened into the night, of course I switched to 40 meters when 15 meters went dead, and I made quite a few contacts. I was only 15 years old at the time.

I continued to be quite active for a number of years, but marriage and children slowed my radio activities down for a few years.

I would work contests and messed around a little with mobile work, but it just was not as fun as it once was. I did try the newer "stuff", packet etc, nothing seemed to keep my interest. Although my interest was a little low, I still kept my license current.

About 20 years ago, I became determined to relive my original "thrill". I decided to get another AT-1 and AR-2 and "do it again".

Well it really wasn't that easy, the Internet was not around, but eventually I did find both and started having a ball. This started the "ball" rolling. Next I started collecting old radio gear. It was cheap, (remember, this was before the Internet) and I had a ball finding the gear I wished I that I could have had, when the gear was current technology. I had Hallicrafters, Hammerlund, Collins, B&W, Eico, National, etc.

My love had always been Heathkit, so I always seemed to get more of the Heathkits than anything else. Soon I started to run out of space. So I made a decision that I could only collect one brand. It was not a hard decision. Heathkit was the one.

Now I have over 400 pieces (it has been over 700). My ham shack is set up so I can operate 9 different stations at any time.

My point is certainly not to tell everyone to collect Heathkit. It makes no difference what brand you collect, or even if you collect. But my point is sometimes it is great fun to go back to the basics.

When you get older, sometimes all you have are memories. There is a certain smell that a tube rig gives off, you will remember it, as soon as you smell it, and the tubes do warm up the shack on a cold winters night. A shot at reliving those memories is maybe the "shot" you need to rekindle the "spark" we once had.

P.S. If you would like to see some of my Heathkits, go to: http://www.heathkits.com/>

73 Gary KØIMJ

Link to top of Page

GGREC IRLP/70cm Repeater Project

John VK3XJW

Two weeks after the repeater had been installed, LIPD interference started to be a problem, so the tone access had to be enable at 88.5Hz. This stopped most of the interference but one LIPD produced some low frequency modulation that sometimes would trigger the repeater. What we are going to do about this problem I am not sure, anybody got any ideas? Last weekend we tried some new antennas on the repeater made by John VK3YTV. Both are collinear with about 6 to 8DB of gain. The antenna without the top hat preformed the best out of all the antenna’s tried and was installed on the mast.

LEFT Collinear with top hat for beam down tilt. RIGHT Standard Collinear

Testing Antenna's before installing on mast.

Standard Collinear Beam width. Top Hat Collinear Beam width

Link to top of Page


50 Years Ago

A little house with two bedrooms and one car on the street,
A mower that you had to push, to make the grass look neat.
In the kitchen on the wall, we only had one phone,
And no need for recording things - someone was always home.

We only had a living room, where we would congregate,
Unless it was at meal time, in the kitchen where we ate.
We had no need for family rooms or extra rooms to dine,
When meeting as a family, those two rooms would work out fine.

We only had one TV set and channels - maybe two,
But always there was one of them, with something worth the view.
For snacks we had potato chips, that tasted like a chip,
And if you wanted flavor, you made Lipton's onion dip.

Store bought snacks were rare, because my mother liked to cook,
And nothing can compare to snacks in Betty Crocker's R book.
The snacks were even healthy - with the best ingredients,
There was no label, with a hundred things that made no sense.

Weekends were for family trips, or staying home to play,
We all did things together, even go to church to pray.
When we did our weekend trips, depending on the weather,
No one stayed at home because, we liked to be together.

Sometimes we would separate, to do things on our own,
But we knew where the others were, without our own cell phone.
Then there was the movies, with your favorite movie star,
And nothing can compare to watching, movies in your car.

Then there were the picnics, at the peak of summer season,
Pack a lunch and find some trees - and never need a reason.
Get a baseball game together, with the friends you know,
Have real action playing ball - and no game video.

Remember when the doctor used to be the family friend,
And didn't need insurance - or a lawyer to defend

The way that he took care of you, or what he had to do,
Because he took an oath, and strived to do the best for you.

Remember when the country, was united under God,
And prayer in schools and public places, was not deemed as odd.
Remember when the church was used for, worshipping The Lord,
And not used for commercial use, or for some business board.

Remember going to the store - and shopping casually,
And when you went to pay for it, you used your own money?
Nothing that you had to swipe or - punch in some amount,
Remember when the cashier person, had to really count?

Remember when we breathed the air, it smelled so fresh and clean,
And chemicals were not used on the grass, to keep it green.
The milkman and the bread man used to go from door to door,
And it was just a few cents more, than going to the store.

There was a time when mailed letters, came right to your door,
Without a lot of junk mail ads, sent out by every store.
The mailman knew each house, by name and knew where it was sent,
There was not loads of mail addressed to: "Present Occupant".

Remember when the words "I do" meant, that you really did?
And not just temporally, till someone blows their lid.
There was nothing as "no one's fault;" we just made a mistake,
There was a time when married life, was built on give and take.

There was a time when just one glance, was all that it would take,
And you would know the kind of car, the model and the make.
They didn't look like turtles, trying to squeeze every mile,
They were streamlined, white walls and fins - and really had some style.

One time the music that you played, whenever you would jive,
Was from a vinyl, big holed record called a forty-five.
The record player had a post, to keep them all in line,
And then the records would drop down, and play one at a time.

O sure we had our problems then - just like we do today,
And always we were striving - trying for a better way.
And every year that passed us by, brought new and greater things,
We now can even program phones, with music or with rings.

Oh the simple life we lived, still seems like so much fun,
How can you explain a game - just kick the can and run.
And why would boys put baseball cards, between bicycle spokes?
And for a nickel, red machines had little bottled cokes.

This life seemed so much easier - and slower in some ways,
I love the new technology but I sure miss those days.
So time moves on and so do we - and nothing stays the same,
But I sure love to reminisce, and walk down memory lane.
Link to top of Page


I've just been checked in.

A couple from Minneapolis, Minnesota decided to go to Florida for a few days to thaw out during one particularly cold winter. Since both spouses worked, they had difficulty coordinating their schedules, so the decision was made to have the husband leave for Florida on a certain day, with the wife following him one day later.

The man made it down to Florida and arrived at his hotel. Upon getting to his room, he decided to open his laptop and send his wife back in Minneapolis an email. However, he left off one letter in typing his wife's email address and sent the email off without realizing his error.

In another part of the country, a widow had just returned from the funeral of her husband, a Methodist pastor of many years, who had been called to glory just a few days earlier. She decided to check her email because she was expecting to hear from her husband's relatives and friends.

Upon reading the first email, she let out a loud scream, fainted and fell to the floor. The woman's son rushed into the room and found his mother on the floor. He glanced up at the computer screen and saw the following email message:

To My Loving Wife:

I've just been checked in. Everything has been prepared for your arrival here tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Your Devoted Husband.

PS: Sure is hot down here.
Link to top of Page

2M 25W DSE Commander radio

& 13.8V power supply

BOTH for $60

See Paul VK3TGX,
50% goes to the club.