March 2005 Presidents Comments.

In this issue you should find nomination forms for election of the 2005/2006 committee. Please remember that the GGREC AGM takes place on Friday April 15th when all positions become vacant. Forms duly signed by a proposer, seconder and the nominee should be in the secretaries hands by April 8th . Every member of the existing committee is willing to stand for a further year except myself
Various members are on the move this month. Those who went on the 4x4 trip to the high country 4th-7th April have been heard back 'on air.'No doubt stories and photos will follow. Five or so families will be making their way to Beechworth for the labour day weekend, We will be found most days on 7.1 Mhz + QRM between 0930 &1000, with a listening watch on this freq when travelling. Some members will also be away over the Easter weekend, (25th to 28th) listen same 40 Mtr freq + various repeaters, Details at next meeting.
Our thanks to all those involved in the removal of the clubs radio cabinet from the guide store room, this done we will really need to assess our need or otherwise of the guide hall for prac nights.
Saturday 2nd of April will see the official opening of our new club facility. Various persons who have helped us from outside bodies have been invited to the event. Afternoon tea/coffee and cakes will be served, be there for the cutting of the obligatory ribbon at 4 pm. It would be nice if HF conditions allow for some interesting QSO's on the day.
The talk Fri 18th March by Peter Freeman VK3KAI focusing on the 1296 Mhz band will begin at 8pm sharp, this will be followed by our monthly formal meeting. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE.
We still need a volunteer to assemble the club magazine each month if you can help with this please let Bruno know.

Enough from me for this month, keep the event queue in mind when upgrading your diary dates. Hope to work some of you while we are away portable.
73s Peter VK3VB
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4wd Trip To The Snowy River
A week and a half ago several Club members embarked on a trip in the mountains North of Orbost. The trip included a tour through the Buchan caves, crossing the historic McKillop’s Bridge and a steep drive through the rugged Snowy wilderness area via the Deddick trail. Graeme VK3BXG and his son AndrewVK3HJK traveled in their highly capable Lada. Jim VK3UFO was in his Kia Sportage and his son Iain was in his Suzuki Sierra. Ian VK3BUF, Eric and Hal were in the L300 van. Peter VK3KCW and Albert VK3BQO were also traveling in the region and a short rendezvous was made with them high on an alpine trail.

Contact with other Club members took place on 80M each evening from our campsite on the Snowy river and other locations. Strong signals on the 80M dipole overrode the huge static crashes present on the Saturday night.

Plenty of wildlife was in evidence, with roos, wallabies, emus frequently sighted. Even a pair of 1.2metre goannas marauded through the campsite for a couple of hours.

Weather conditions were good, with little of the high rainfall in Melbourne that weekend reaching our campsite. This ensured that the tracks remained dry and stable.
The trip was highly successful and subsequent trips to the region will be contemplated for the future.

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Older 'n Dirt!!
"Hey Dad," one of my kids asked the other day, "What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?"
" We didn't have fast food when I was growing up," I informed him. "All the food was slow."
" C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?"
" It was a place called 'at home,'" I explained. "Grandma cooked every day and when Grandpa got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it."

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card. In their later years they had something called a revolving charge card. The card was good only at Sears Roebuck. Or maybe it was Sears AND Roebuck. Either way, there is no Roebuck anymore. Maybe he died.

My parents never drove me to soccer practice. This was mostly because we never had heard of soccer. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pound! s, and only had one speed, (slow). We didn't have a television in our house until I was 11, but my grandparents had one before that. It was, of course, black and white, but they bought a piece of colored plastic to cover the screen. The top third was blue, like the sky, and the bottom third was green, like grass. The middle third was red. It was perfect for programs that had scenes of fire trucks riding across someone's lawn on a sunny day. Some people had a lens taped to the front of the TV to make the picture look larger.

I was 13 before I tasted my first pizza, it was called "pizza pie." When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered itself against my chin and burned that, too. It's still the best pizza I ever had.

We didn't have a car until I was 15. Before that, the only car in our family was my grandfather's Ford. He called it a "machine." I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone in the house was in the living room and it was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home. But milk was.

All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers. I delivered a newspaper, six days a week. It cost 7 cents a paper, of which I got to keep 2 cents. I had to get up at 4 AM every morning. On Saturday, I had to collect the 42 cents from my customers. My favorite customers were the ones who gave me 50 cents and told me to keep the change. My least favorite customers were the ones who seemed to never be home on collection day.

Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies. Touching someone els! e's tongue with yours was called French kissing and they didn't do that in movies. I don't know what they did in French movies. French movies were dirty and we weren't allowed to see them.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?
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Have You Waved Your Microphone
At A Policeman Lately?

If not, then it’s probably a good thing. However, it is worth noting that Amateurs, CB’ers etc. are exempt from the laws governing the use of Mobile Phones while driving. The following Rule 300 is an extract from the Victorian Road Rules as taken from their current web site:


Victoria Government Gazette P 2 28 October 1999 219

Road Rules – Victoria
r.287

Part 18- Miscellaneous Road Rules

Division 1- Miscellaneous rules for drivers

____________________________

300. Use of hand-held mobile phones

(1) The driver of a vehicle (except an emergency vehicle or police vehicle) must
not use a hand-held mobile phone while the vehicle is moving, or is stationary but not parked, unless the driver is exempt from this rule under subrule (3).

Penalty: 2 penalty units.

Note Emergency vehicle, park and police vehicle are defined in the dictionary.

(2) In this rule-

mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two-way radio.

(3) This rule does not apply to a driver if the Corporation has by notice in writing,
exempted the driver from subrules (1).

No longer need you feel guilty about talking to your microphone, muesli bar or whatever while driving. Just tell them about Rule 300 and they will be forced to fall back on some other transgression for you to contribute to their cause.
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2.4GHz LAN Technology
Hello,
I am writing to you to see if the GGREC is interested in wireless 2.4GHz LAN technology?

You club rooms are n a great position to act as a "central" point for the Cranbourne area.

I am involved in the Melbourne wireless (MW) organisation that is attempting to build a free high speed wireless network around Melbourne. I am also involved in building a wireless lan network around the Hampton Park/Berwick/Narre warren/Hallam with other hams and non hams, VK3GK,VK3YY,VK3GL just to name a few.

If the GGREC was to place a Omni directional Access point up on their tower that could serve most of Cranbourne (NSEW)/Clyde/Carram Downs/Skye/Devon Meadows (???) It could then further extend a network serving its members via directional hi gain point to point links, down to Toridin/Pearcedale etc. Naturally, paths etc require in-depth study.

Myself could act as a focal point to allow the GGREC to reach out further north into our existing and planned network, eventually allowing GGREC and us locally to join into the greater MW network.

The cost for individual is really not that bad. Approximately $50 - $200 for an Access Point/Client hardware (I suggest an Ethernet based AP as these can then be mast mounted to reduce cable loss at 2.4 GHz). The antennas used can vary from common Collinears, either built or purchased for varying $ values, to waveguide antennas, also built or purchased, to high gain ex MMDS Pay tv dishes that can be had for nothing is salvaged from the roofs of ex mmds customers, my main source of antenna!

For GGREC to establish a single central omni AP for the Cranbourne area could be done very cheaply. Naturally as point-to-point links are added the cost of setup also increases but a rue of thumb I have found, if using salvaged dish antenna that it is around $200.00 per side of the link.

I am more than prepared to (if topography allows) point a dish (and of course attached AP) in the direction of any "node" that GGREC establish. My experience would tell me that in addition to any "omni" general user AP a secondary point to point link would need to be established by GGREC of the high gain nature facing in my direction to establish a workable link to me.

What can this system offer your members.....
Basically anything that can be done on the internet can be done on a wireless lan. I have had full duplex video qso's with audio while sending email and downloading files over the link with very little problems. Your club "could" offer internet services to its members as an added attraction to attract new members. Even without internet connectivity, the wireless Lan would allow the setting up of GGREC's own email/ftp/http servers that could be attractive to potential members.

My motivation is mainly to spur interested in 2.4GHz wireless systems by AMATEURS after all, 50% of the 802.11b allocation is part of our 2.4 GHz band! I also love working with networks and RF together.

Please consider the GGREC moving into the wireless LAN world. I would be more that happy to answer any questions you may have, if I cant then the internet is a wonderful resource that is sure to supply answers.

Regards

Mark Aitken VK3JMA
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Moorabbin and District Radio Club
HAMFEST
Saturday 7th May 2005
Location - BRENTWOOD SECONDARY COLLEGE
Watsons Road, Glen Waverley.
Melways Reference 71 D7 (Enter via Heath Street.)

ENTRY ONLY $6.00 (Doors Open 10am - entry tickets on sale prior)
( INCLUDES FREE DRAW IN THE MAJOR DOOR PRIZE….. )
Tables available at $18 each, (1.8m long) includes lunch voucher.
For further info or to book a table please contact:
Lee Moyle, VK3GK. Tel: (03) 9705 1051. Fax: (03) 9705 1054.
Email: lee@noremac.com.au
Graeme Lewis, VK3GL. Tel AH: (03) 9702 1199 or Mobile (0418) 289928
Email: vk3gl@tpg.com.au
Talk in via VK3REC 2M repeater on 147.075MHz and on
439.900 70cm VK3RSE
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Medical radiation on the 70cm band
A radio-wave cancer therapy may be the latest in a string of devices to share the 70cm band and join door openers, remote weather stations, wireless headphones, alarms and a gaggle of other LIPDs. In Melbourne a leading foxhunter Mark Harrison VK3BYY has tracked down a signal that was triggering his club's UHF repeater.
He was warmly welcomed after entering a Collins Street Melbourne premises and shown radio-wave equipment operating on 433-434MHZ. It was explained to him that a cancer patient receives an injection of a substance that acts on cancer cells. The theory is that the UHF radiation blocks sugars reaching the cells to enable the therapy to be effective.
The patient has a folded dipole antenna placed near their body for several hours a day for three weeks. The radiation seems to be a narrow band frequency modulated signal with a tone.
A doctor told Mark VK3BYY that everything was approved for use, and then adds that the radiation is 40 watts.
A member of the WIA/ACA Liaison Team has several discussions with the ACA in Melbourne. The ACA understood that it was Low Interference Potential Device, LIPD running milliwatts.
A solution is being sought, with talk of the device needing a shielded enclosure to prevent it radiating on the 70cm band, that is a primary allocation to Australian Defence and secondary for the Amateur Service.
There are reports that a dozen more similar radio-wave cancer treatments units are planned for use throughout Australia
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Optical distance record claim
The clean air of Tasmania was chosen for a successful attempt to set an Australian distance record for optical or voice-over-light communications.
On Saturday 19 February between 1100 and 1200 UTC, two-way full duplex voice communication was established at 475 THz over a distance of 167.77 km, between Mt Wellington near Hobart and Mt Barrow near Launceston in the state's north.
Both transmitters used current modulated one watt red Luxeon Lumileds (high powered LEDs) into 200mm diameter fresnel lens. The signals were detected using silicon photodiodes.
At Mt Wellington were Mike VK7MJ and Justin VK7TW, while at the northern location were Chris Long who has long experiment with optical communications in Melbourne, Joe VK7JG and Jason VK3ZJA.

- Amateur Radio Victoria
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IOTA DXers plan a special event station
A team of DXers - "The VK3 IOTA Group" - is preparing to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the death of a Dutch explorer with a special event station VI5PN from St Peter Island IOTA OC-220.
The Island off the far west South Australian coast near Ceduna is within the Nuyts Archipelago (Conservation Park), both named after Pieter Nuyts, the Dutch explorer and East India Company when it was discovered in February 1627.
VI5PN will be operated by Peter Forbes VK3QI, Keith Proctor VK3FT, Jack Bramham VK3WWW and Max Chadwick VK3WT, 7-11 April, 40/30m with an emphasis on CW and 20/17/15m both CW and SSB.
It will be the latest in a string of successful IOTA activations by the group that includes (2002) VI3JPI Lady Julia Percy Island OC-251, (2003) VI5WCP Waldegrave Island OC-261 and (2003) VI5BR Baudin Rocks OC-228.
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BPL Hobart trial update
The main energy company in Tasmania, Aurora Energy is expected to run a commercial trial of BPL in May this year as a follow up to its limited trial that occurred in July 2004. Aurora's first very limited area trial that lasted two months with seven online users involved four homes and two floors of its office building in Hobart, did not use overhead power lines.
The expected commercial trial could involve 1,000 properties and is expected to rely on fibre optic cabling that is piggy-backed or strung under power lines.
This "last mile" method uses fibre optic cabling to deliver broadband into homes rather than using overhead power wiring to directly feed properties. It can still remain a BPL system using powerlines to carry broadband into an area with final distribution into properties being via fibre.
The WIA is closely watching developments with the new proposed Hobart the trial site and monitoring will occur to see if it results in radio frequency pollution on the HF spectrum.
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South Australian school on ISS waiting list
St Martins Lutheran School in Mt Gambier is one of 60 schools pencilled in for a contact during 2005 with the International Space Station.
AMSAT has indicated that current plans are for an average of one school contact per week. St Martins students will be talking via the VK5ZAI telebridge - not date has been set.

- Amateur Radio Victoria
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QSL-free 5BDXCC
Achieving Five Band DXCC (100 stations each band) without QSL cards is now a reality with two such certificates being issued by the ARRL. The qualifying contacts have been verified by the ARRL's online Logbook of the World that now stores the details of 255,000 contacts.
Major contest station KC1XX New Hampshire and DX station VE3EJ Ontario now both have their 5BDXCC and several others a nearing qualification through LoTW verification. K3KO North Carolina also confirmed 221 DXCC entities.
Meantime the ARRL DXCC Desk has approved the VU4RBI and VU4NRO Andaman and Nicobar Islands operation from November 30 through December 31, 2004, for DXCC credit. Those stations also played a pivotal role in the Boxing Day Tsunami emergency communications.
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Draconian proposals seek to restrict antennas
The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters (NZART) is strongly opposing a proposal by the Waikato District on New Zealand's north island to set new limits on radio antennas and satellite dishes.
The plan includes limiting antenna heights in residential areas to 7.5 metres, imposing height controls based on the property size and limiting the number of antennas and/or antenna supports.
NZART President Peter Norden ZL2SJ in a submission to the Waikato District describes proposals are failing to accommodate the reasonable requirements of radio amateurs. The submission points out that if adopted the proposals will impact on the benefits Amateur Radio provides to the wider community.
The NZART wants antenna support structures to be permitted up to 15 metres high and addresses a series of other concerns with the proposal. A decision on the proposal could take until 2006.
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Australian Radio Amateur Callbook 2006
Work has begun on the mammoth job of producing next year's callbook that will be released well before the end of this calendar year. The WIA says that any changes or corrections to the reference material published in this year's edition are most welcome, can be emailed to callbook@wia.org or by post to Callbook, PO Box 2175, Caulfield Junction 3161.
If any corrections are required for the callsign information that must be submitted to the ACA before 30 June 2005.

- Amateur Radio Victoria
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A Vote for Understanding.
An event within the Club has brought about a difference of opinion as to how certain Rules apply to Club members
Does everyone realise that we have a “constitution” but it is called the Rules of Association as we are an incorporated body. This is a legal requirement of an Incorporated body (or Club).
There is also a moral obligation for all Members to do the right thing by other Members and also the Club itself. Therefore decisions need to be made that reflect the good of the Club in its entirety rather than for a couple or a few. Please read the following page(s) and decide for yourself.
As was advertised in Our magazine, many items were recently donated to the Club from the deceased estate of Colin VK3CLS. Colin was a fellow GGREC member.
Amongst these items were a log periodic beam and associated rotator. These items were seen to be of great benefit to the Club’s antenna array as our own HF beam has suffered the years of neglect and weathering and needs an overhaul. The decision was made by one or more Committee members outside of a Committee Meeting to replace our existing antenna with the donated items. It was also decided that the Club’s old items would be GIVEN to one of the Club members free of charge as part of a (supposed) package deal which included the Nally tower which was donated to the Club. This package deal was not mentioned in the minutes of the Special Committee Meeting on December 11th ; however I believe the minutes are to “post changed” to reflect this. The thoughts of many Members after hearing of this was; “Why has the Committee given away saleable items of Club assets when the Club is well known to be struggling for money and a plea has been made for monetary donations to assist with the situation?”
The question being asked is who made the decision, why, and was the person or Committee allowed to GIVE AWAY Club assets in the first place. (OR to sell Club assets without Members’ knowledge).
Our Rules of Association (Rule number 10d) states the following;
Rule 10 (D) The decision of the Club Committee shall in all NON-MONETARY matters relating to the Club, be final.
The act of giving away saleable items constitutes a monetary item and therefore becomes a decision that involves the General Membership, not just the Committee. Or would it be fair to say that the Committee has the power to sell or give away any or all of Our assets as they see fit. (Not that this is anticipated by this or any Committee)
Unfortunately this topic was asked to be discussed by Committee Member Reg VK3UK at a Committee meeting and the topic was refused. At a later organised Special Committee meeting, it WAS discussed and the Committee itself decided that it was doing the right thing and that it was their decision that the General Membership could not vote on or change. (And would not allow the Membership to change) It has been noted that certain Members did not wish to “cause trouble” by saying anything about this. However it should be brought to light and discussed. The General Membership should be the ones to decide whether the Committee has the power to sell or give away items that belong to the Club Members.
Within the Club’s Rules of Association there is no other RELEVANT Rule that describes how Club assets are to be dealt with. (Only an unrelated one which describes what would happen in the event the Club is dissolved) Therefore there has been a difference of opinion about the meaning of the Rules applying to Committee powers.
If there is any doubt as to the meaning of the Rule 10d quoted above or as to any other Rule, then Rule 17 applies. It states:
RULE 17:
Any doubt arising as to the application or meaning of any RULE of these Rules shall be resolved by a vote at a General Meeting; the decision shall be final and conclusive. Such ruling must conform to the Incorporation Act.

So from the above, it is the feeling of several of the Members that the following motion be put;
“ To have a SECRET ballot following discussion on the question; Do the Club Rules allow the Committee to have the power to sell or otherwise dispose of any of the Club’s assets without consulting the General Membership at a General Meeting?”
If the vote is to the Affirmative, the Committee will be given powers to give away or sell items to anyone and the Members will have no recourse. If the vote is to the Negative then the Club continues as it has been with at least a clarification of the meaning of our Rules. This “Clarification” would need to be read in conjunction with Our Rules in future until the Rules are changed to incorporate the extra wording. Please keep in mind that the Rules are made to legalise the operation of the Club and several sections have been written specifically to limit actions by individuals or groups. One example of these is;
Rule 12 (D) All disbursements other than petty cash shall be made by cheque which must be approved by any two committee members. The decision to spend any amount more than 12 times the annual full membership fee must be ratified by members at a General Meeting.
The above places limits on the Committee for purposes similar to this discussion but relates to the spending of Club funds. Some argue that Our Rules do not specifically mention assets and therefore it is already open to be interpreted as ok to do what was done. However by The Incorporation Act (1981) “Where in relation to any matter in relation to which the model rules make provision but the rules of the incorporated association do not make provision, the provision of the model rules shall, in relation to that matter, be deemed to be included in the rules of the incorporated association.”
This means that if we did not mention it in Our Rules, then the general rules apply and in this case:
Model Rule 15.(2) states “Except where otherwise expressly provided by this Act or by its rules, membership of an incorporated association shall not be deemed to confer upon members any right, title or interest, whether legal or equitable, in the property of the incorporated association.”
In other words, no one can give away Club property.
At last month’s meeting, a motion similar to the above with an amendment was moved, seconded and discussed, but as time was getting away, the vote was held over until this month’s General Meeting.
Unfortunately and totally unforeseen, a critical family engagement will see me not in attendance at this important meeting and I therefore urge all Members to think about the issue they to vote on and treat this as a vote to clarify our Rules for the future protection of both General and Committee Members. Voting can not be done by proxy and so I will not be able to vote but my feelings are well known. As to whether the present Committee acted incorrectly or not IS NOT what this vote decides. You as an individual can decide that for yourself.
Signed Albert Hubbard VK3BQO
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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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Comments On Proposed Rule Changes
An Opinion By Ian Jackson VK3BUF

From a personal perspective and in my present role as Public Officer of the Club I felt it important to make comment on the motion that will be voted upon at the March General Meeting.
The vote will determine how future committees must treat the sale or donation of any Club property. If the vote is passed it would become an integral part of the Club Rules. It is not really possible to have a binding ‘secondary’ set of rules that a committee must adhere to that does not actually appear within the Club rules. If the change is passed, we are then legally required (as an incorporated club) to pay the $61.40 fee and submit the amendment to Consumer Affairs Victoria

While the idea may have been well intended, I believe that this rule change is not practical in this form. It would mean that committee members will go to committee meetings and not be able to make any decisions on items the club may wish to sell.
As there is no reference to the value of assets within the proposal, this rule would also mean that at General Meetings the membership must vote upon all sale transactions. The sale of coffee mugs, raffle prizes, pricing of food at Hamfest events, even the giving of a bunch of flowers to a bereaved spouse must go to a General Meeting. The result will be that General Meetings will become longer while trivial details are voted upon.
This seems contrary to the reasons why most people attend meeting nights, which is to meet friends and discuss Amateur Radio. It also demonstrates a significant lack of faith in the capacity of an elected committees to make decisions on the day to day management of the Club, a process that has taken place for the past 28 years.

Later this year we will be required to make other changes to the Club Rules (incurring another $61.40 fee) as the designations of the new license structure will be introduced. (the new Entry/Standard/Advanced license grades) We must also make changes to our rules that refer to The Vic W.I.A, which no longer exists in this form.
I would recommend that the proposed change to the Club Rules not be passed at the March Meeting. Instead, wait until later in the year when other changes must be made, and then consider more practical amendments.

Presently the Committee is empowered to spend up to 12 times the present membership fee (a little under $450) without having vote upon it at general meetings.
A more practical outcome would be achieved by amending this rule to set the value of sales and donations to this same ‘12 times fees’ monetary threshold.

I find no difficulty with Club members wishing to examine and modify the rules of the club, but they also must be practical and workable by those who will be required to administer them. This should be carefully considered when exercising your vote at the March meeting.

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