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- Written by: Maintenance Guy
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A new historical video has been uploaded to our videos page thanks to Mike Pollock G8KMP (source material), Gordon King G3XTH (editing) and of course the artist K J Farmer.
It makes interesting viewing and I'm sure it will bring back some memories for many of our long-standing members.
The original painting still resides in our shack of course, and the club is also proud to retain Louis' famous G5RV callsign.
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- Written by: Chris G4ZCS
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If you read last month’s edition you will not be surprised that the last remaining US states got into my log in the first couple of days of March. Alaska and Vermont made it a full house. Now to try for some elusive DX; Galapagos, Nepal and of course New Zealand.
One day I’ll turn the wire direction from N-S to E-W and work Antarctica and over the pole to the Pacific. Still, just over 140 DXCCs this year on my wire loop with 100W. I don’t think the pigeons and squirrels would appreciate it if I wound the wick up to 1 kW!
This month has been good for me, as I have contacted 4 ATNOs (All Time New Ones). I’m getting close to the big 300. All the outstanding ones are remote islands with the exception of Syria. March was also good for islands, 26 in all; 4 in Europe, 6 in Asia, 8 in North America, and 8 in Oceana.
As promised last month, a few tips based on personal experience, on how to get the DX in the log. First of all, get a logbook (or a computer log) HI. Then turn on the radio, check the antenna, PSU, tuner and anything else you might need.
I find it useful to pick a band that is active, so read up on propagation or watch one of the web-based sources. There is little point in shouting into the mic’ if there is no propagation. All pretty obvious so far.
If you are a bit short of experience, voice might not be your preferred mode. Don’t forget there is CW and numerous data modes to choose from as well.
I find that a quiet band is OK provided you can hear something going on. If you hear any station calling CQ answer him to get warmed up, then be brave and find a quiet spot and call CQ yourself. You might have to wait for a number of calls before you get a reply, however, remember if you don’t put out any calls no one can reply!
I have found that using FT8 with my CQ call loaded into the system can produce surprising replies including some of my rare DX! Quite often you can call a rare station for a long time with no luck, however, I have found that without telling anyone the DX has a 'list' it is easy to give up - but unknown to you, you might be next on his list. This happened to me with Fiji. After 8 minutes of calling, I stopped but I kept listening and two of his contacts later I was sent a signal report!
So go on give it a try, but remember listen, listen, listen then make a noise.
This year I managed to get to the club’s AGM, it was great to catch up with some of the 'old' faces again after such a long break. It is noticeable that the club is growing again with new faces & callsigns. Some of the new tech’ is leaving me behind but it was great to see Bob N4XAT, Phil EA8 portable and others more local joining in from afar. All overseen by our RSGB regional rep’ Keith. I had an interesting chat with him about training and the changes Covid has brought to our hobby.
That’s enough for this month, now let’s see what April can bring.
Chris G4ZCS
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- Written by: Maintenance Guy
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It was brought to the committee's attention at the AGM that the committee meeting summaries for the last two 2024 meetings were missing from the members section of the website. Alan agreed to ensure that they were forwarded to the webmaster for inclusion. I have now received them, and have duly posted them in the members-only section.
Don't all rush to log in at once, but they do make interesting reading, and if you don't log on, you won't know what your committee is doing with your club and it's funds.
Log in here: https://midsussexars.org.uk/members-only
Forgotten your Username? You can find it by following this procedure: https://midsussexars.org.uk/component/users/remind?Itemid=101
Forgotten your Password? What are you like? 🙂 Get a password reset organised here: https://midsussexars.org.uk/component/users/reset?Itemid=101
Regards,
Berni M0XYF
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- Written by: Maintenance Guy
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I was glad to meet one or two members at last weeks AGM that I had not met before and encouraged them to take part in one or more of the nets operated by MSARS to help keep members in touch.
We run HF, VHF and UHF nets on most days of the week and the operating times are set out in the website. The HF nets have been running for more than 45 years and now include members and friends spread across 3 continents with other amateurs spread even further afield sometimes calling in just for a chat.
These nets help MSARS members to set up their equipment and improve their efficiency and have proved very helpful now that the recent Ofcom licence changes permitting increased power output levels have come into force. You don’t need a beam or high power, wire antennas and 25 watts will be enough.
All the MSARS nets are primarily there to encourage members to keep in touch with each other, no rules just keep the overs short and the net controller will (try to) keep things in order.
You don’t have to come on every day or stay for hours at a time so why not warm up your gear and drop your callsign in when the net controller calls for joiners. You will be made very welcome.
73, Ken G3WYN
President MSARS.
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- Written by: Chris G4ZCS
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February got off to a good start as conditions seem to be improving all the time. Just for a change from working 60 metres, I spent some considerable time setting up the station for 15 metres, both voice for the lunch time net, and the FT8 segment of the band. The tuning is very sensitive but eventually I got to put 200W out on voice and 100W on FT8, all without smoke! This band is almost the opposite to the 5 Meg’ band that I have been using this last 6 months, being open during daylight hours and dying off late in the evening. My usual operating period is late afternoon to evening time.
The propagation is such that I have multiple contacts with Australia, Indonesia, China, and many Middle East stations. Southern Africa is pretty good as well. To the west, USA is very busy, for example, one evening I worked (without trying too hard) 10 DXCCs and 22 USA States. In fact, this month I worked so many US stations that my county count rocketed well above 600. Apparently, there is an award for working 500 and another for 1,000. For those who don’t’ know this, there are 3,077 US counties all together. Another target? I don’t think so. However, a quick check of the log for February showed that I had worked all but 1 of the 'Lower 48 States'. I just need Vermont. Mississippi and Nevada were a bit tricky to get - there is a guy working out of Vegas but a bit difficult to get through his pileups. One evening I was trying for Mississippi but got called by an Hawaii station instead. So only VT and Alaska for a full house, and all in a month!
Some evenings I leave the station turned on just to see if there is any activity. One day I put out a CQ on a very quiet band and was inundated with DX. Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominica, Colombia, and half a dozen Caribbean islands. All just before bed- time!
By the middle of the month I noticed that I had worked the magic 100 DXCCs (just behind Dick, and way behind George) so I guess my next target is to try and work 200 in the year.
Following a discussion on the lunch time net, we discovered that Bob N4XAT has been using FT8, so we arranged to watch out for each other one evening. Sure enough a success. I had just worked St Helena Island ZD7, quickly followed by a rare DX from Haywards Heath, Dick G0LFF, then about 45 minutes later I was called by N4XAT with good reports both ways.
On the technical front, the amplifier PSU started to run warm with the cooling fan cutting in occasionally. Some checks with my multi-meter showed the 'capacitor' car battery had decided to give up. Well, it was over 10 years old and 3rd hand anyway. A quick hunt around Burgess Hill produced a brand new one that has cured the problem.
For anyone reading this, it's not as complicated as it might seem to get the DX in your log, so some tips next month.
PS. As I write this Alaska has been on the band. 3 stations to work, One however was in Florida but the one I worked is in Fairbanks! Now just Vermont.
PPS. This evening I worked Vermont for a full house of USA in a month and 4 days!
There were several new African stations on, I bagged 3!
Last night it went really dead, apparently the aurora was the culprit, but today made up for it.
73's
Chris G4ZCS
