BARSCOM. August Aerial Clinic - Another busy club night for BADARS members at our new venue GX3XG BRAINTREE COLCHESTER G3XG G6BRH

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1 BARSCOM STEBBING GX3XG BRAINTREE RAYNE HALSTEAD COLCHESTER DUNMOW COGGESHALL G3XG G6BRH NOTLEY WITHAM Monthly Communication of the Braintree and District Amateur Radio Society August 2017 Aerial Clinic - Another busy club night for BADARS members at our new venue

2 Chairman s Chat John, M5AJB Coming up in August we have the showing of TX Factor14, this is the continuation from TX Factor 13. Then the 2nd meeting we have a natter night, a good chance to catch up with each other for a rag chew. So what s happening with our BZ repeater? Well we are hoping to have Digital and Analog on the same repeater. This will give us more scope to use a different mode of amateur radio. It will also mean we will have to use BZ!! Is anybody using it? Even the visiting mobile operators would seem to not bother with it because no one answers their calls. So let s put out some calls, mobile or from home and have a quick chat with each other, and use our great repeater. Well that s all for this month. Best 73 s John M5AJB Thought for the month "Be glad of life because it gives you a chance to love and to work and to play and look up at the stars." Henry Van Dyke. Summer tiiiime an the livin is ea-sy Especially if you come to the BADARS Summer Camp. August Bank Holiday 26 h - 28 th August 2017 At John, M5AJB s QTH (By kind invitation) Contents Chairman s Chat 2 Meeting Reports RSGB Band Plans Club Meetings and Nets. 12 Rallies/Contests 13/14 Committee Info Club Info 15 2

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4 Meeting Reports Geoff, G1WRH charging the same, a voltage meter, usb charger outlets, and a nifty drawer for the storage of leads and other accessories. There were nine entries for the 2017 construction competition. As interesting as the examples submitted, were the explanations of problems encountered during their construction and the steps exhibitors had taken to resolve these. Edwin entered a frequency counter constructed from a Chinese kit which could be used independently but was so compact as to be able to be used as a module in a more complex project. Paul submitted a neatly constructed KRC 2 regenerative receiver which covers CW and SSB medium wave to 30MHz. Edwin had also built a portable power supply housed in a upcycled classic wooden equipment case. Incorporated into this were a lead acid gel type battery, a power supply for The regenerative stage is fixed at 10.7MHz and used as an IF amplifier. The main receiver board 4

5 uses only one transistor and an audio IC. It was referred to as "a very sensitive little receiver" by Rob Mannion of Practical Wireless. Geoff had brought along firstly an Elecraft KX3 transceiver where he had added an internal battery charger (and real time clock) pcb to overcome the risk of damage to the delicate ribbon cable linking the two halves of the body shell every time batteries were changed. Finally Geoff put a 70 MHz slim jim constructed from 45Ω balanced feeder on the table. It was difficult for members to judge the entries due to their diversity and the variety of skills involved, however eventually after much deliberation the score cards were handed in and totted up. He also showed an Elecraft K3S base model to which he had added an internal ATU module, all mode 2 meter module and 100 watt internal amplifier module. Additionally added were roofing filters, 6kHz for AM, 2.7kHz for FM and SSB, and 400 and 200 Hz for CW. 5 Third place was awarded to John for his kit built air band receiver MHz fm with an impressive range of 130 miles.

6 of mounting components and self wound coils on pads, but when they are completed skilfully they are both functional and attractive radios with the scope for individuality in the final arrangements. This was a prime example. John had to overcome a few problems with the kit, firstly that although there was a full complement of parts the instructions were contradictory and without illustrations. Additionally there had been problems regarding power and where to put the extra switch that was provided! Power was checked down through to the output stages and found to be present, but audio output was still proving to be problematic all examples of problem solving on the hoof. John also found himself in second place with his QRP Sudden CW transmitter. These kits offer their own challenges with their method 6 The construction shield was awarded to Mike for his scratch built 360 night sky camera. This project involved combining skills in fine engineering and electronics theory and practice with the use of dedicated computer software. An all sky fish-eye lens borrowed from Mike s main home telescope was mounted in a self built quick release holder under a weatherproof security camera Cont.d on P8

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8 dome fixed on top of a length of black PVC pipe. A problem which became apparent was the formation of dew on the underside of the dome, and so a system of resistors with heatsinks as dew heaters was evolved. To control these Mike constructed a unit that could supply the heaters to this and all of his other equipment with eight outputs in all, utilising dual 555 timers controlling heatsink mounted switching transistors. A USB socket on the side of the unit connects to a laptop running HandyAVI by AZendant Software which can detect motion (e.g. meteors, or more commonly unwanted aircraft!) and trigger time lapse recording. A pre recorded example was available for scrutiny. Chairman John M5AJB, presents the Constructor of the Year Trophy Awarded in memory of Rob Taylor G8ZHF to Mike G8DJO. The second meeting in July was the Aerial Clinic. The meeting hosted by G0DEC Dave was an aerial testing evening using Daves aerial analyser and the newly modified winch up mast from Melvin G0EMK. Members aeriels were tested in turn with printouts of the results given to each one. With 18 members present the range of aeriels was considerable, with all members joining in helping to raise and lower the mast and mount mobiles ontodave s mag mount. The range of aeriels tested included: the clubs dual band X30 A 20 metre and 40 metre dipole 8

9 A home made ribbon antenna for 4 metres A dipole for 4 /2 metres 8 mobile antennas for 2/70 and 6 metres All in all a very good evening, thanks Dave and Melvin. Ian enjoying the feeder skipping competition Dave analysing Much discussion 9

10 Know your band plans! First instalment. 10

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12 Club Meetings, Activities and Nets Club Net pm local time, 2 Metres (S15) ( MHz) First, third & fifth TUESDAYS Apr 11th Talk/presentation from RNLI Sep 22nd-24th ROTA Apr 25 th Sausage and mash / Mills on the air planning May 9th QRP Operating Evening/Mills on the Air (MOTA)prep May 12,13,14 May 23rd The AGM MOTA Jun13 th Construction Evening Jun 27 th Club BBQ Jul 11th Construction Contest Jul 25 th Aerial Clinic Aug 8th TX Factor 14 Aug 22nd Natter Night Aug 26th-28th Summer Camp Sep 12 th Railways on the Air Planning (ROTA) Sept 26 th Natter Night Oct 10th Jamboree on the Air (JOTA) Planning Oct 20th-22 nd JOTA Oct 24 th TX Factor 15 Nov 14th Digital Radio Nov 28th Surplus Equipment sale Dec 12 th Christmas social Dec 26th Natter Night Don t forget! New Club venue, new Club nights, new Club Net nights, new Barscom dates 12

13 13 AUGUST 2017 FLIGHT REFUELLING ARS HAMFEST Cobham Sports and Social Club Ground, Merley, near Wimborne, Dorset. BH21 3DA 20 AUGUST 2017 RUGBY ATS ANNUAL RADIO RALLY Princethorpe College, Princethorpe, Rugby, CV23 9PY Details from Tony, G0OLS on or by to [ 27 AUGUST 2017 MILTON KEYNES ARS RALLY. Contact is Tim Cowell, G6GEI on or 28 AUGUST 2017 HUNTINGDONSHIRE ARS RALLY Ernulf Academy, Bardord Road, St Neots PE19 2SH. More from Malcolm, M0OLG on or by to 2-3 SEPTEMBER 2017 TELFORD HAMFEST & G-QRP CONVENTION Rallies 13 9 SEPTEMBER 2017 CAISTER LIFEBOAT RADIO RALLY Contact Zane, or m1bfidx@ntlworld.com [ 9 & 10 SEPTEMBER 2017 BATC CONVENTION (CAT 17) Finningley Amateur Radio Society, The Hurst Communications Centre, Belton Road, Sandtoft, Doncaster DN8 5SX 10 SEPTEMBER 2017 TORBAY ANNUAL COMMUNICATIONS FAIR Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon TQ12 3AF Further afield: See RSGB website for full listing.

14 VHF Aug MHz UKAC MHz Cumulatives # GHz UKAC MHz FMAC MHz UKAC SHF UKAC Sep MHz Trophy Contest th 144MHz Backpackers MHz FMAC MHz UKAC MHz FMAC MHz UKAC Contests HF Aug Autumn contest series Autumn contest series Sep SSB Field Day Autumn contest Next Month What items can you contribute??? Plus the usual New Events, Rallies, Contests, etc. Committee Chairman: John, M5AJB Ross Cottage, Southey Green Secretary/Membership Secretary: Edwin, GØLPO Panfield Lane, Braintree, Treasurer: Neville, G8CDG Ordinary Members: Geoff, G1WRH Melvin, GØEMK 14

15 Braintree and District Amateur Radio Society The club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at St Peters Church hall, St Peters Road, off The Causeway Braintree. Doors open at 7.30 pm, meetings run from 8 pm to 10 pm. Membership is 16 annually; Senior members (State Retirement age) and Junior members, under 18, pay 10. A door fee of 1 is also payable at each meeting by members and visitors. BARSCOM is sent to members by on the 7th of the month; paper copies are available at the first meeting of the month (plus postage if appropriate). Members may sell or exchange equipment etc. before the start of each meeting, during the tea/coffee break and may advertise in BARSCOM free of charge. The Club Net operates on 2 metres only. This should make it easier for all members to remember the frequency, and for non-members to find the net. The net will use V30 (S15) MHz, starting hrs local time on the 1 st, 3 rd, and 5 th Tuesdays of each month. Please send articles for publication to mike.adcock@physics.org The deadline for submissions for the next edition is 1st of the month. Items will be published in the first available edition subject to space availability. For more information and pictures of events and projects see our Web Site at Please contact our Chairman for details about commercial adverts. 15

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