Club NewsletterVoLUME 12, Issue 6 lurue 2004

Cockenzie & Port Seton Amateur Radio Club20th Anniversary Year

Editor ial

Special pointsof interest:

o Maseun ofFligbt

. 20n Contert detaih

c l44MHqrepoft

: r t . i ; ' . ' r3 i . r t t :a:

Inside thisissue:

M*.r- of nigh,

70cm HB9CV 3

Radio on Tiree 4

Events Column 5

20m Contest 6

I 144MHz Contest 8 :i Report :: ii Contest Calendar 9

Ii*.*-_-__*-**i

Once again this month I amwdting the editorial and my

newsletter input very eadythis is due to going off for atwo week holiday to sunnyBenidorm and by the time I

get home it will be past

John's MM0JXI's deadlinefor input. It is hard to believethat soon we will be movinginto the major holiday period,isn't time flying by?

Moving on to what has hap-pened over the past month,the frrst DF night of the yearhas come and gone and I am

sure it will have given ussome more stories to tell as

they are always a good funnight. Unfortunately due to

the date of writing, it is far

too eady to add comment.

To the future; this month,there are various contests HFField Day (CW), 6M Trophy,P\f QRP. The club will cer-tainly be active on HF FieldDay (Clif the 5s & 66Junefrom Barns Ness Lighthouse,Dunbar. I know some arehoping to take part in the PW

QRP 2M contest on the 13'h,

which is certainly a goodchallenging contest for begin-ners. It also offers quite a fewsurprises to what can beworked with only 3 watts.

S7e will also be putting on ademonstration station as partof the Port Seton Gala fort-night on GalaDay, Saturdayl2thJune in the park next tothe Communiw Centre.

\iX/hy not come along andtake part arrd help spread the

word about amateur radio.

This month we also have the

"Museums on the Air" week-end again from the Museumof Flight, East Forrune onthe weekend ofthe 18m &19s . This will give us theearly oppornrnity to maybesee the newly arrived Con-corde and I really think forthis one we will be runninglots of pile-ups when peoplerealise that we are whereConcorde is. These demon-stration stations offer every-one to have a real go at HFoperating using a tremendousHF set up so I hope you willtake the oppornrnity to comealong and give it a try.

Last but not least is our own20M contest on the 23rd]une.For all you non-contestefsthis is not a serious event butjust an excuse to go out for afew hours on a Wednesdayevening to "play at HF Ra-dio". If you can't get out thenwhy not go on the air fromhome as a single operatorand see what you can work.So please do not dismiss theidea about not doing ig go onand try and participate. Forall that do go out and nomatter how many contactsyou make can I please have acopy ofyour log by clubnight inJuly at the latest.PLEASE SEE THIS \'EARSRULES as there have beensome significant changes, a

copy of the rules is includedin this newsletter and a copywill be available on the website for downloading.

A busy month then all roundso I hope you can take part in

some or all of the events.

This month certainly has a lot

of operating activities so

there is something there for

everyone. Some of the eventswill certainly give you anopporn:nity to practice someof skills required to go con-testing so why not take timeout and give it a try.

Events like Gala Day, Muse-ums on the Air although theyare demonstration stationsthey can at the same time beextremely hectic. \X{hat they

offer is the opportunity touse the equipment and log-

ging programs and learn allabout them, and also how to

handle a pile up like we ex-perienced at the last event weruo at the Museum of Flight.It is better to have a go atthese fun events rather thantrFng to learn when you areinvolved in a major contest.The opportunity is there sov/hy not use it.

That's it then for me thismonth, I hope you will takepart in all of the events; itwould be tremendous to see.Enloy the newsletter.

Bob GM4LJYZ

..*-.:2a

Museum of Fl ight update

As you will all know we are onceagain activating the Museum ofFlight on the weekend of the 19'h &20,h June as part of Museums !V'eek-end. I was dor.vn visiting the Museumon the N{ay club night afternoonconfirming up that every thing is okregarding both our visit in June andalso the one on the 10s & 11'hJuly

which is part of an event that is mn-ning at the museum.

!7e are hoping to set-up the equip-ment on the Friday afternoon onboth occasions so ifyou are avatfableto lend a hand it would be more thanappreciated. This year due to Con-corde arrir.ing we will not be in thenormal main hanger as this is whereConcorde is at the moment beingreassembled. Sadly no visitors areallowed in the hanger so I am afraidyou won't be able to go and have alook. The reason for this is simple asit is purely down to Health and

Safety issues. So r.vhere are we oper-ating from? The answer is the hangerlocated next to the Comet and Vul-can Bomber. Our location within thehanger is at the €xtreme left handside as you enter the main door forthe hanger. The aerials will be locatedjust outside rvhere we are located andis in an areathat will make it easierfor us to rope off with regard forsafety.

The last thing is-if you intend com-ing along can you let me know whichdays i.e. Sarurday only, Sunday onl1,or both, as I have been asked to letthe Museum know rough numbers,so your help would be appreciated.

Right I hope you will come along andhave some fun on both the two Mu-seum Events.

Bob GM4UYZ

DF Hunt photos

l

Honourable runners upl (nice car thoughl)

The winners @ob,Lrz and Christopher)

HB9CV for TOcm

"Another aerial that may be of inter-est to the new Foundation LicenceHolders or others. I came across itsearching thtough the files I have onmy laptop. It originally came fromthe Stockpon Radio club."

This antenna is a simple 2-elementbeam, which can be used as a verygood DF (direction finding) aerialbecause ofits unusual radiation pat-tern. As well as a single front lobe,there is a well-defined null at theback of the antenna, which is usefrilat close range.

The aerial can be constructed foraround d6, using parts from a sur-plus TV aerial and some cheap alu-minium tube, You will also need: - 3x solder tags, 2 x 6 mm metal cable

"P" clips, 25cms of sleeved singlestrand copper wire (from 13ampmains cable), a small 10pf variablecapacitor, abott2 metres of UR43qpe 50 ohm coax feeder and a BNC

Pluc.

Purchase a surplus 9 element TVaenaland mast clamp for arotnd f,4- (from Aerial Communications En-gineers & Supplies, Hempshaw Lane,Stockport)

Dismantle the TV aerial - to salvagethe boom, balun box and some fit-tings.

Cut the boom to 27cms - about3cms from the balun box. (See dia-gram)

Drill 2 x 6mm holes in the boom,8.5cms

^p^4 for the 2 eler*ints,

being carefirl to align the holessquafe to the boom.

Remove the balun box and refit witha solder tag under the fixing screw.

Purchase a'1-mere length of 6mmaluminium tubing (d1.70 fromB&Q).

Cut the 2 elements from the 6mmtubing at 344 mm and 310 mm.

Push the elements through theboom and secure with self-tappingscrews ftom the underside.

Fix a metal cable "P" clip to eachelement about 50mm from theboom.

Bend the sotd copper wire asshown, spacing about 5 to 10mmfrom the elements and boom.

Remove some sleeving and wind thewire around the brass terminal underthe balun box, and connect to the

"Ptt clips on each element.

The coax braid is connected to theearth tag. A small vaiable capacitoris soldered in series with the centreconductor and the brass terminal.This is then tuned for minimumSWR at 434Mhz.

(Iip - use a tie-wrap around the coaxto stop it pulling through the balunbox.)

Al&nrrx

8mn

&f,&run.r.

fmm

<'gF >'

Peee 4

Radio on Tiree

"The Martians have landedl"

That rvas the cry a few years agowhen the first di-poles and yagi's (yes

I did listen and inwardly digest Bob)appeared on the top ofthe sand-dunes at Creepy Crawly Hollowacross the machair from the LodgeHotel.

A couple of rveeks ago, I had a smileto myself when I looked across theroom and saw the grin on Callum'sface as he rvas informed by a po-faced Cambell that he had passed theexam for his Amateur Radio Licence.

He's grown a bit and has moveda'uvay from the Island but he wasdesperate to come back to do thecourse and pass rhe exam.

You see, i t 's a bi t l ike dr is . . . . . . . . inmy house the year revoh.es aroundthe'Hams Visit'and the'competition'. It's not the date or the

week the fam;lt1 are coming home fortheir summer holidays. But rather, isit before or after the Hams? lfi'hen

are you coming o\rer to the mainlandNIum? Before or after the Hams? Orthe worst . . . . . . . 'Damn! I '11 miss the

Hams. I rvill change my holidays'.Even the youngest, Aaran is infected.He adds the date of next year's com-petition the day the 'Hams' arriveand it's the first date that goes on thecalendar at the staft of a New Year.When we found a laminated cribsheet r.vith the callsigns on for IOTA,it was as if he had found the crorvnjer.vels! It's been filed away with allhis lmportant things' along with thesheet made up in a hurrv a couple ofyears ago rvith the tea and coffee list,who took sugar milk etc.

\{'hat all this means is p1 that we aresmal1 minded Islanders who crave anannual rveekend of mayhem, mad-ness and a ferv small sherries becausenothing else happens in their lives,but that we really look forward to thecompan) of friends who enioy ourIsland as much as rve do. Folk whocare rvhat we have been doing andwhat has happened to us over thepast year, as much as we care aboutthem. That's the most important andvalued memory of the Cockenzie andPort Seton Amateur Radio Club onTiree.

I could of course mention ChristmasTree Lights, green tomato sauce,r.vhite Y-Fronts, assorted bodill' func-tions r,vhich I always was told boysgrew out of, the occasional smallglass of wine, clogs drying in theoven, dre odd small snack or otherthings which I rvill be pleased to ram-ble on about in a further newsletter ifthe bribes are right, but I won't. Ithink you get that all ,vear in the publ

Ifthe guys and occasional lady rvhor''isit us and text and email and phoneare Martians, I'm moving to Marstomorrow! Thanks to a small enthu-siastic boy rvanting to help the gulrsin vans and tents'uvho were a bitrveird but fun, we, in Ormer Cottage,are all the richer, have been infectedwith the radio bug and look fonvardto a long and happy friendship.

EIaine

MN{3 stillwaitingforacallsignbudisten-i.g

DOUBLY OPTIMISED VHF / UHF YAGI ANTENNA DESIGN

I was going through some of my bits

and pieces on my laptop when I

came across the foliowing aerial de-

sign. It may be of interest to some of

the new MM3 callsigns as an aerial

project for UHF.

Frequencv :432.625Mh2

ElementDiameter :8mm

Boom Diameter :25 mm

Boom W'avelength :2.53

Elements through Boom, Dimen-

sions in mm.

The above dimensions were all calcu-

lated by a program that Nicky

El9CI</GM3NEX has. I have per-

sonally made up the above aerial and

it worked. Bob GM4UYZ

. T.a.dth. Spacing: Progressive: Gain (dBd)

0: 0:

166 : 166 :

52: 2t8i

L25 : 343 :

I49 | 492 :

I l3 : 666 :

L94 | 850 :

208 : 1058 :

278 : 1286 :

229 : 1515 :

239: 7154: L2.62

Reffector | 342

Driven Efement: 326

Director 1 : 307

Director 2 : 303

Di,rector 3 : 300

Director 4 i 296

Director 5 : 293

Director 6 : 29I

Director I : 288

Director 8 : 286

Director 9 : 283

Vor-uve 12, Issue 6 Pnce 5

Events Column

Forthcoming events from February until August are shown beiow. Please make an effort to attend as many as you can.

These events are provided for your enjoyment and do take a lot of organizing on vour behalf. It's a great shame that

more callsigns are not in evidence on these nights which are ideal for learning more about our hobby as well as enioying

the company of like minded friends.

As usual any further events for inclusion in this page can be forwarded to me at GM4II{U@TISCALI.CO.UK

Ron GM4II{U

Date Time Event Contact Tel./E-Mail

04 June 04 7pm till late CPSARC Club Night in the Thornttee Inn Pot Scton Bob GM4UYZ 01875 811723

1,2 Jrne 04 Port Seton Gala, Demonsttation Station Bob GNI4UYZ 01875 811723

13 Junc 04 9:00 Practical \t/irclcss 1,44 Mbz. QRP Contest Bob GNI4UYZ 0t875 8rr723

1,9/20Jw-04TBA

t\{useums on the Air Weekend

Nluseum of flight Ifast Fottunc

Note in vour Diarv! An Excellent Weekend!

Bob GM4UYZ 01,875 811723

20 Jrne 04 10:30 Uvingston & District ARS Open Day &Junk Sale

23 June 04 7p- CPSARC 20 Metre Contest Bob GI\I4UYZ 01875 811723

02 July 04 7pm till latc CPSARC Ciub Nisht in the Thotntrcc Inn Pot Seton Bob GNI4UYZ 01875 811723

03 July 04 h,nd of Club 20 Year Competition

03 July 04 RSGB Field Dav Bob GM4UYZ 01875 811723

10July 04 Museum of Flight Annual Air Show GB2MOF Bob GNI4UYZ 01,875 811123

25 JtIy 04 13:00 locai RSGB IOTA CONTEST from TIREE Bob GNI4UYZ 01,875 81,1,723

06 Aug 04 7pm till late CPSARC Club Night in the Thorntree Inn Pot Seton Bob GNI4UYZ 01875 811,723

13 Aug 04 6:30pm CPSARC Annual Junk Night Bob GNI4UYZ 01,875 81,1,723

15-Aug-04 TBA Mid-Lanark ARS Rally; Summerlee Heritage Park

21 Aug 04 International Lighthouses Veekend Barns Ness GB2LBN Bob GNI4UYZ 01875 711,723

CPSARC 2Om Contest(1) Date 23 June 2004

Q) Time 19:00 to 22:00 Local Time

(3) NIodes SSB

(4) Pou'er lvlaximum Transmit Output 100 \X'atts (SI OPerators 50 Watts, SF Opetatots 10 Watts)

Sections Single Operator (S), Single Operator (SI), Single Operator (SF),

Nlultioperator'A' (NIA), Nlultioperator'B' (lIB)

Single Operator (S) = p"tt (Advanced) Licensee {ex-Class A ot B licence holders}

Single Operator (Si; = 1tr.-.Otnte l-icensee

Single Operator (SD = Foundation Licensee

Ivlultioperator'A' = All Operators must hold a Full (Advanced) I-icence

llultioperator'B' = There must be at least 1 x Full (Advanced) Licensee + at least '[ x Intermediate or Foundation

Licensee.

Each operator of a Multi-operator Station must make at least 1 contact.

NOTE: All operations associated with the contest must be within the terms and conditions of the individual

entrant's license. Any offences committed by a station will be the sole responsibility of the relevant station

licensee.

Cockenzie & Port Seton ARC will not be held responsible fot such offences.

(6) Eligible En-tfaflts

(a) Open to Al1 Cockenzie & Port Seton Amateut Radio Club r\Iembers.

ft) All operators must be club members.

(A Club trIember is anvone *'ho has attended a Friday Night Club Night in the Thorntree Inn since Norcmber 1992

as shorvn in the C&PSARC Statistics held b1' Bob Glasgorv GIvI4UYZ (see 12 belorv for the list). All Full

(Adlznced)/ Foundation / Intemediate (Novice) Licensees undet the age of 18 are deemed Club N{embers as are

unable to attend Club Nights due to the Public House's Licensing Laws relating to age.

a) Exchange Report (RST) + MB or NIA or S or SI or SF Chb Menber Clontacts

Report (R.ST) A// Otlter Contact.r

(8) Scoring Basic QSO Points

5 Points for each contactlq4dqby a Single Opetator (SF) Station

4 Points for each contact 4q4g!g-[y a Single Opetatot (SI) Station

3 Points for each contact pg4g!q!y a Multi-opetator 'ts' (MB) Station

2 Points for each contact lnadg-by a Singie Operatot (S) Station.

1 Points for each contact @dg-by a Multi-opetator'A' (NIA) Station

Bonuscs ([n additjon to individual QSO points)

10 Points for llach New DXCC Countrv Contacted

5 Points for each C&PS ARC Single Opetator (SF) Station Contactcd

4 Points for each C&PS ARC Single Opctator (SI) Station Contacted

3 Points for each C&PS ARC Multi-opetatot 'B' (MB) Station Contacted

2 Points fot each C&PS ARC Single-opetator (S) Station Contactcd

1 Point For each C&PS ARC N{ulti-operator 'A'O{A) Station Contacted

2Om Contest rules

O llsn*dyclE bqm m4lddgar.cdtl

"Ifc thelrtear luoflNdor lnoffcer*jrrilkn ya* oon1rur srrhe& rn dr bf lr *'|ltnr$

lrr tmrr rrunt bangyolrr h?ad tn ftqst*adort."

(e) Entries Each entfy must contain :

Contest Summary Sheet

Iog

Summary sheet showing all C&PSARC Stations Contacted,

I.e. All S Stations * Contact Sedal Number.

All SF Stations * Contact Serial Nmber

All SI Stations -f Contact Sedal Number.

All MA Stations t Contact Serial Numbet,

All MB Stations * Contact Sedal Numbet.

(10) Closing Date Closing Date fot the Logs is Ftidan 9thJuly 2004.

(1 1) Retutn hgs

to

Bob Gl"sgo- GM4LJYZ,7 Casde Terace, Port Seton, Prestonpans, East Iothian, EH32 OEE

Email bob.gm4uyz@biflrcmet.com

(12) Club Members

Since

Nov 1992

(See Note (6)Above)

Qast update12/5/04)

Full (Advanced) License Holders. {ex Class A or B License Holders) Highlighted Callsigns = Silent.lSey

DCOFO, EISCK GOJCN, G4ILG, MORNR, GMOALS, GMOALIOT, GMOADq GMOB\yU, GMOCB& GMOCFIT,

GMOCII, GMOCLN, GMOEHL, GMOERM, GMOFAL, GMOFCP, GMOFZM, GMOGNT, GMOHLK GMOICF,

GMOKDC, GMOLPK GMOLUF, GMONAI, GMONTL, GMOOTU, GMOPGG, GMOPKP, GMOPPE, GMOPQV,

GMORLZ, GMOSNT, GMOSRD, GMOSUY, GMOTLD, GMOTQK, GMOUSL GMOVEQ, GMO'{rDD, GMO!rDF'

GMO\DrFB, GMOTTHM, GMO!4Y, GMOWP'{r, GMOWRY, GMOWSN, GMOWZO, GMIFAF, GMIPDL'

GMIPLY, GMIRCP, GMISYC, GMIYXM,GM3PQU, GM3VEI, GM3WKB, GM4DIZ, GM4DKO, GM4FIB'

GM4GGF, GM4Gq, GM4GZW, GM4IKT,GM4IKU, GM4IPK GM4IRU, GM4TAL, GM4IJYZ' GM4VAW,

GM4\'EJ, GM4VJV,GM4WJL, GM4!Vrr, GM4WYR, GM4XBR, GM4XZZ, GM4ZR& GM6AOF' GM6JAG'

GM6NEI, GMTDR! GMTFKH, GMTGRH, GMTLT)q GMTLUN, GMTNLT, GMTNLU, GMTOBI, GMTOUV,

GMTPPN, GMTPSH, GMTRY& GMTVLC, GM7\?P, GMSPAH, GMSWNY, MMOAMV, MMOANT, MMOBPV'

MMOBQI, MMOBXK MMOBYE, MMOCBE, MMOCCC, MMODXC, MMOGEQ, MMOJXI, MMOSRU, MMOZDB'

MMIAPS, MMIATY, MMIBEM, MMIBJO, MMIBKT, MMIBRT, MMlB\'\fl, MMlCPP, MMIFHL,ONIKSZ'

SMOELV

Intermediate fold'NOVICE) License Holders.

2MrBKr4 2M1BYW,zMIDZUI,2M|EPK 2M1FM)q 2M1FOY' zM1GLD' 2M1GWV' 2M1HCJ,2M1HTT'

2M1HV& 2M1IBE, 2M1IBG, 2M1IBH,

'FOUNDATION' License Holders.

MM3AIB, MM3CIK MM3DHM, MM3ENM, MM3EWI, MM3BYM, MM3EYN, MM3FBC, MM3ISA, MM3ITA'

MM3JTA,MM3PCS, MM3SLK MM3TQK

I44MHz Contest Report

Here is a quick report on my activityin the RSGB May 144MHz Contest

RSGB MAY 144MHz CONTESTREPORT 16th MAY 2004 -GMOCLN/P

This was a long weekend due to an

Edinburgh holiday and I was in Dum-

fries & Galloway, staying with my dad

GMOBWU, for a few days with my

son Craig. Due to various constralnts

I only expected to be QRV for 2 or 3

hours and decided to aim my'just for

fun' entry at the 6 hour "Others" sec-

tion from a good loca1 site at IO84AT

near the town of Dundrennan. As it

turned out I was QRV fot 4 hours 50

minutes in total. Equipment rvas a

battery powered lcomIC746 and an 8

element Jaybe am yagl (both borrowed

from GM0B\X/I) on a small 10ft port-

able mast. Set up was completed at

07:55UTC with chairs set out in the

sun at the rear of the car and the radio

in the car boot. The first QSO,which turned out to be the best DX.

went in the los at07:56. Conditions

seemed good with the GB3VHF bea-

con in l{ent audible at reasonable

strength in S$7 Scodand. It seemed

to stay that way throughout although

some QSB was noted occasionally.

Actir,'ity levels were higher than ex-

pected with a steady stream of con-

tacts available. As mv operating pe-

riod progressed beyond the half way

mark I saw the power output slowly

dropping off and eventually the radio

cut-out due to a low battery voltage.

I changed to the car battery and con-

tinued as before. Sadly there were no

stations in Continental Europe either

heard or worked. However, I did

manage to ger G, GD, GI, GM, G\fl

and EI in the log.

From a total of 92 QSOs (incl 1 dupe)

in my paper log, the locator squares

worked were...

1063, 1064, IO70, IO73, IO7 4, IO7 5,

IO80, IO81, IO82, IO83, IO84,IO85,

1086, IO90, rO91,rO92,IO93, JO00,JO01,JOo2

Total QSO points were 23336 wiil.' amultiplier of 61. (6 countries + 55 post

codes) for a final score of1423496

points.

Although some time was lost keeping

Craig amused (I'm glad we took his

bike and a football!), I thoroughly

enjoyed the contest. It was my first

1,44MHz event since the Practical

Silireless QRP Contest ofJune of 2003

and it was good to catch up with some

stations I haven't heard or worked for

a few years! The weather v/as very

kind and resulted in T-shirts being the

clothing of choice with us both having

sun tans by the end! It was a fun and

leisurely contest and I'm looking for-

ward to the next event already!

73 Co\in Smith (GM0CLN)

Top Ten DX QSOs were...

UTC CALL

0756 G4CQR/P

1244 G3\.NN

0814 G5LK/P

1004 G4DBL/P

0944 G4ADV

1238 G3YVR

7236 G4\T.C

1,022 G6HOU/P

1049 GOKYS/P

1004 G2BOF

KN{

536

528

503

497

492

482

474

473

459

459

LOC

JOOODR BN

JOOOEU BN

ro90Jo Po

ro80Fr TQ

CODE,

IOTOLK TR

IO91WD RH

IOgONX GU

ro91QB GU

ro8OAQ trx

IO91VI SM