Presidents
Notes January 2005.
What a holiday period and what a calamitous start to
a new year. I cannot remember anything like the destruction
we have seen around the Indian ocean rim in my adult lifetime.
The one good thing that could result from all the suffering
is greater understanding among all the nations involved, with
more sympathetic co-operation from the have's to the have
not's
Those
who attended the party at Dianne and Ian Jackson on new years
eve had a very enjoyable evening. The provision of adjacent
caravan facilities was a great idea and much appreciated,
saving the drive home in the small wee hours.
2004
saw the successful siting of the clubs shack/workshop, and
we have only a few minor bits and pieces to complete the building
phase.We are intending to operate the clubs rig from the new
shack on Australia day with the yet to be confirmed AX prefix.
Start time yet to be decided (poss abt 0930) the clubs BBQ
will be on site and it is hoped many members will drop in
and take a turn at the mic and use the club call. The committee
are looking for two or three members willing to oversee the
fitting out of the building including the orderly transfer
of gear from the guide hall. This will include transceivers
computer antenna leads test equipment etc.
There
is no set programme for the January meeting, but on Friday
Februrary 18th Ian VK3BUF will outline the electronics involved
in the power converters he is currently working on. March
18th Peter Freeman VK3KAI from the Gippsland group is coming
to give us an insight into the 1296 Mhz Transverters this
group has been building.
On a
more somber note we have to report the passing of Colin Santos
VK3CLS. One of our quiet members yet a very active Radio Amateur.
With interests in many facets of our hobby and an antenna
farm many of us only dream of. A neighbour and friend of Reg
VK3UK his call will be missed on the air waves. Vale Colin.
Colin's son Greg himself a Radio Ham graciously donated the
entire antenna system to the GGREC for us to use or dispose
of on the proviso that it was dismantled within two weeks.
A small group from our club under 3BUF's direction removed
the entire system in about 5 hours. One of the outcomes of
this will be the upgrading of our HF antenna to a 8 element
Log Periodic giving us access to the 18 and12 Mtr bands in
the future. The remainder has yet to be catalogued.
Enough
from me for this month except to say that both Pat and I wish
each one of you a year that from now onward flows with peace
and good health
73 Peter
VK3VB
PS Next
committee meeting in the new room 7.30 pm. 31/1/05.
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The
Big Gig
(By Ian VK3BUF, Pictures supplied by Paul VK3TGX)
On New Years Eve a number of Club members made their way down
to Drouin West for the evening. The turn up was good with
about 35 persons in attendance. Most of these stayed overnight
in accommodation they had brought with them. Eight caravans
and a tent were parked on the front lawn for the night.
The
weather was kind that evening with few mosquito's and bugs
to spoil the fun. The Club's barbeque was set up for dinner,
and later a supper of baked potatoes were served.
Geoff VK3HGG brought along his 600cc buggy for a bit of fun.
Several members had a go in the bottom paddock well into the
night, with the last ride at around 1am. (below) Geoff gives
Jim VK3UFO some last minute instruction on gears, ejector
seat etc.
Geoff has created this vehicle from scratch and it performed
extremely well on the freshly baled bottom paddocks.
Dianne
VK3JDI (left) diplomatically reminds Ian VK3 BUF that the
spuds should have been put in the webber over an hour ago.
Outside the air was still and warm, while in the courtyard
Helmut VK3DHI and Reg VK3UK experimented with cameras and
barbeques
Geoff
3HGG also brought along a remote control flying saucer (seen
rising on Left) which was spectacular to watch with its dual
spinning red and blue Led lamps.
Other
activities on the night included darts, billiards and table
tennis doubles.
At midnight
sparklers were distributed and waved around in the prescribed
manner and a good time was had by all, as demonstrated by
Ivan VK3ARV and Marriana (below)
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Tower Without Glory
(Ian
VK3BUF)
Graeme
VK3BXG planted a pole in the ground this week in preparation
for his tower installation. It is a standard Nally tower that
he is relocating to his QTH after repairing and sleeving the
pole to its original spec.
It will replace an existing guyed mast (in the background)
that is difficult to service without a lot of manpower needing
to be present.
The 2.8m hole was professionally bored by a drilling company.
It only took about 7 minutes. The drilling truck had a crane
attachment that also placed the pole into the hole before
It left.
On the
following day the concrete was poured. It took about 0.4 of
a cubic metre of concrete to fill. The pole was guyed with
rope until the concrete had set.
Graeme
should have the complete installation fully operation very
soon.
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Strays
Graeme VK3BXG
Six
Dog Night, Or What Ever Happened To The Cat?
Working
with livestock somehow the smell penetrates into your clothes
and even into your body. This I feel does offer some protection
whilst visiting farms as dogs smell you as one of the pack
and in particular after just having visited a slaughter house
- well it just melts the hardest hearted dog.
Pulling into a property one day I was greeted by a pack of
six dogs followed up by one cat. No two of the dogs were even
remotely the same breed or even size. There was everything
from farm work dogs to children's pets. Now I could see from
the body language of the dogs that they were anxious to meet
me so without hesitation I got out of the car and with each
with each dog pushing past the other trying to pat me and
I returning the compliment.
I looked back, and there was the cat doing what the dogs should
be doing - up against the back wheel of the car spraying the
tyre. "Get out of it you dirty animal", I motioned
towards the cat whereupon, in a valiant effort to please,
all six dogs set upon the cat.
After a bit of a struggle the cat did manage to break free
and get away with a couple of lives still intact whilst the
dogs returned back to me seeming to expect some praise for
a job well done. The welcoming continued nevertheless.
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For Sale
One used radio equipment cabinet
Room
for a computer, and several radio's. Cupboards underneath
All offers
welcome
Contact
the club president, Peter VK3VB, or a committee member.
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For Sale
70cm 11element Yagi
With A 11.5db Gain Over A Dipole
Thse Antenna's Are Ideal For Mobile Use As They Come In Two
Pieces And Can Be Used As A 6 Or 11 Element Antenna
Special Price For Club Members. $80 Each ($30 Goes To The
Shack Building Fund)
Contact Reg Vk3uk
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Wisdom from Grandpa .
Whether a man winds up with a nest egg, or a goose egg, depends
alot on the kind of chick he marries.
Trouble
in marriage often starts when a man gets so busy earnin' his
salt, that he forgets his sugar.
Too many
couples marry for better, or for worse, but not for good.
When
a man marries a woman, they become one; but the trouble starts
when they try to decide which one.
If a
man has enough horse sense to treat his wife like a thoroughbred,
she will never turn into an old nag.
On anniversaries,
the wise husband always forgets the past - but never the present.
A foolish
husband says to his wife, "Honey, you stick to the washin',
ironin', cookin', and scrubbin'. No wife of mine is gonna
work."
The bonds
of matrimony are a good investment, only when the interest
is kept up.
Many
girls like to marry a military man - he can cook, sew, and
make beds, and is in good health, and he's already used to
taking orders.
Eventually
you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age,
and start bragging about it.
The older
we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Some
people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people
to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long
way and some of the roads weren't paved.
How old
would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
When
you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth....
Remember about Algebra.
You know
you are getting old, when everything either dries up, or leaks.
I don't
know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
One of
the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is
such a nice change from being young.
Ah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled
and bald, they don't recognize you.
If you
don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to
laugh at when you are old.
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