CCARC NEWS 12-34

CCARC Club News 28/09/2012 | 0

CCARC NEWS 12-34

THE PERIODIC NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

ISSUE No 12-34 28th. September 2012

In this Issue:

Cheaper D-Star. *UPDATED*
Oceania DX contest.
October HF net postponed.
*STOP PRESS* Three new Standard Calls!

1. Cheaper way to get onto D-Star.

With the imminent release of the ID-51A dual band D-Star HTT, some ICOM dealers in Australia have some good deals on a limited number of the single band (70cm) ID-31A D-Star HTT.

Both Strictly Ham in Victoria and ATRC in NSW have reduced the price of the ID-31A to A$239 from its RRP A$495 (normally sold at A$399).

Here are the web links for further info – if you are interested act quickly as there are limited numbers of units offered at these prices:

ATRC: http://www.atrc.com.au/ (click on “Hot Specials”)

Strictly ham: http://www.strictlyham.com.au/icom-id-31a

UPDATE Please note these radios are selling quickly the original six that Chris VK2YY preordered have already been taken up by club members and the ATRC stock is now exhausted. Chris will try to get Les to get more from ICOM Australia if members still want these however so please contact Chris via email before Tuesday morning if you want one of these radios. Please note you require either a standard or advanced license to operate a D-Star radio.

Chris’s email address is vk2yychris @ gmail.com.

This information supplied by Chris VK2YY.

2. Oceania DX contest.

As several members have expressed an interest, VK2AFY will be active from the start of the contest at 6pm local on October 6th. until 10pm that (Saturday) evening.

This is a HF only contest and we will be taking part in the multi-operator single transmitter, high power section. I will send in the log however we do not expect to come high up the tables but to take part in the contest is publicity for the club. This is the contest that we sponsor a plaque in for top VK station running QRP.

Full details are available on the OCDX website: http://www.oceaniadxcontest.com/index.html and a brief overview is also on the WIA website: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2012/20120917-1/index.php

Ed VK2ARE

3. October planned HF Net tests postponed.

On the advice of several Amateurs, I have installed an antenna known by some as a “bucket antenna” or a “ground antenna”. This antenna consists of a horizontal dipole suspended just 7 inches above the ground which is supposed to have very good NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) characteristics, and hence be good for short range HF communications.

My tests over the last week however have not reflected this. While as a receiving antenna, signals are strong and background noise is greatly reduced (as on a beverage antenna), on transmit it appears to me that my signal is being absorbed into the ground. This theory was born out with tests with several local club members over this last week and while I could receive them better than on the normal antenna, they had difficulties hearing me. The range of this antenna is also not short range as I worked a station 50Kms north of Coffs Harbour who was a solid 5-9+ signal to me but he could only give me a 5-5 up to a 5-7 at times and we were both running similar rigs. So this again proves this is a good receive antenna but not a good transmit antenna.

So for the time being I will not be performing these tests again next Wednesday evening as I have no changes that I can make to the antenna and as such would expect the same results.

A suggestion was made to move the HF Net onto the 10m band given the short distance nature of that band however over the last week stations from Fiji, the USA and Canada have been coming in at 5-9+ and have been easily workable, so 10m is not currently a short distance band.

Ed VK2ARE.

4. STOP PRESS – Three new standard calls.

On Saturday 29th. September at the CCARC education & testing day at Kariong, two people took their Regs & Theory exams and a third took Regs, Theory & Practical exams resulting in three new Standard calls, these are:

Rod – Currently VK2FVRJ – will apply for VK2LAX

Andrew – Currently VK2FHSV – will apply for VK2PAM

Peter (Andrew’s dad) – currently not licensed – will apply for VK2PPM.

The CCARC congratulates these members on their progression to the Standard call.

Ed VK2ARE