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Issue 137 A publication of the Vintage and Military Amateur Radio Society August 2014

www.vmars.org.uk M0VMW Affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britain

1 August 2014

Your ‘new’ Committee at its first meeting after the AGM. Front row, left to right: Ian Underwood M0YMK, Ron Swinburne M0WSN, Pete Shepherd G7DXV. Back row, left to right: Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF, John Keeley GW6RAV, Peter Jones G8CDC, Stuart McKinnon G0TBI. Not included in the photograph is Tony Barron G3YYH who was co-opted onto the Committee after this photograph was taken.

VMARS Committee Chairman:

Ian Underwood M0YMK Roundwyck Farm Pipers Lane Balls Cross, Petworth, West Sussex GU28 9JZ +44(0)1403 820185 [email protected]

Hon. Secretary:

John Keeley GW6RAV 93 Park Crescent Abergavenny Gwent NP7 5TL +44(0)1873 850164 [email protected]

Hon. Treasurer & Publications Manager:

Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF 22 Farmers Way Copmanthorpe, York North Yorkshire Y023 3XX +44(0)1904 708704 [email protected] [email protected]

Membership Secretary:

Peter Shepherd G7DXV 25 Tomkins Close Stanford-Le-Hope Essex SS17 8QU +44(0)1375 640618 [email protected]

Ordinary Member:

Peter Jones G8CDC Tudor House Stoneleigh Road Blackdown, Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 6QR +44(0)1926 883345 [email protected]

Ordinary Member:

Ron Swinburne M0WSN 32 Hollywell Road Sheldon, Birmingham Warwickshire B26 3BX +44(0)1217 421808 [email protected]

Co-opted Member and Public Relations Officer:

Stuart McKinnon G0TBI 145 Enville Road Kinver, Near Stourbridge West Midlands DY7 6BN +44(0)1384 872157 [email protected]

Co-opted Member:

Tony Barron G3YYH Wren Cottage, Foxcote, Andoversford Gloucestershire GL54 4LP +44(0)7785 376518 [email protected]

Self-explanatory exhibit at the Royal Signals Museum, Blandford Forum. Photograph

taken by Mike Bayliff M0XGG while attending

the VMARS AGM on 9th August 2014. The NS Editor is curious

about the item of test-equpment to the right

on the shelf

http://www.vmars.org.uk/

mailto:[email protected]






Issue 137 The VMARS News Sheet

August 2014 2

From our Chairman

What a great pleasure it was to meet with so many VMARS Members who came with their wives, partners and friends to the Annual General Meeting held on Saturday August 9th. Talking to several Members’ wives, it became clear that the Dorset location and the inclusion of a speaker on Great War communications had encouraged many of them to come along and combine the day with a short break of two or three days to take in the local area. A number of Members who attended the meeting have commented on their delight at being joined by so many of our ladies, something that the Committee will be giving close attention to when we organize the 2015 AGM to take place at Neatishead on the Norfolk Broads and close to the lovely sandy Norfolk beaches.

From the arrival at the main gate of Blandford Camp and the smooth transfer of visitors into the museum and to the first class conference facilities that were provided to us, the management of the Royal Signals Museum made strenuous efforts to accommodate our meeting in the most professional manner. The meeting got off to a prompt start at 10:30 and all AGM business had been concluded by 12:30, after which we all walked round to the other ranks Colours Restaurant for a convivial lunch, paid for by the Society. My thanks go to Stuart McKinnon for working so diligently with the military authorities, the museum staff and the catering staff to make this event successful.

Major General E B Ashmore Our guest lecturer, Dr Elizabeth Bruton, gave an interesting insight into some of the aspects of wireless communications in the Great War, which included the importance of the development of direction finding for the location and destruction of enemy submarines and Zeppelin airships. Towns on the East Coast suffered the first Zeppelin raids in 1915 before the focus of attention turned to London and ports in the South East which suffered daylight bombing raids from both Zeppelin airships and formations of Gotha heavy bombers, some carrying 1000 kg bombs. On June 13th 1917, a Gotha attack on London killed 162 people and injured a further 432, the highest number of casualties in a single air-raid on Britain in WWI. To defend against these

attacks, air defences were significantly overhauled with the formation of the London Air Defence Area which received reports from visual ground observation posts and DF tracking stations plotting them onto large table-top maps at several area control centres and providing information to fighter aircraft stations, searchlight posts and anti-aircraft guns by telephone with position, speed, direction and altitude information. The air defence system, which consisted of 200 police aircraft observation posts, a line of searchlights located 25 miles (40 km) from the south and east coasts as far as Scunthorpe and a ring of anti-aircraft batteries around London, as well as squadrons of fighter aircraft located in Essex and Kent, was developed by Major General EB Ashmore, an artillery officer who was also a pilot who had commanded the Royal Flying Corps in France. The defence system became known as the ‘Ashmore Ring’. Valuable lessons learned from this early and effective air defence command and control system were incorporated and formed the basis of the later RDF and Observer Corps based air defence system developed in 1939 and used so effectively for air defence in the Battle of Britain.

The Royal Signals Museum has an unique and extensive collection of wireless and radio equipment and includes a large and impressive medal room. As well as awards made to those serving with the Royal Corps of Signals since its formation in 1920, the medal display includes awards to its predecessor units, the Royal Engineer Signals Service, the Telegraph Battalion of the Royal Engineers and “C” Telegraph Troop of the Royal Engineers which first saw action in the Anglo-Zulu War.

For those of us who have a particular interest in military wireless sets there are many interesting and mouth-watering exhibits to be seen at the Royal Signals Museum, but one piece of equipment that particularly commanded my full attention was the robust mobile Wireless Set No.10, known to General Montgomery as his ‘number ten thing’ and accorded the highest levels of wartime secrecy. The WS No.10 was extraordinarily advanced for its design date of 1943 and was used extensively by Monty and other field commanders for secure communications between each other during their progress across France and the Low Countries to Germany. Additional WS No.10s were located at some distance behind the front lines where they could be connected into the wired telephone network for routing over secure lines to London and provide direct contact between the combat zone, Churchill and Whitehall.

WS No.10 trailer with parabolic dishes mounted

The VMARS News Sheet Issue 137

3 August 2014

Using a sophisticated system of time division multiplexing with a pulse width of 3.5 µs for each channel, providing eight independent duplex wireless voice channels, the WS No.10 is designed to work over distances of up to 50 miles (80 km) in line-of-sight, with an additional capability to use up to seven relay stations to extend the range and work around or over geographical obstacles. The frequency used for transmission is around 4.6 GHz in the microwave band, a frequency that we usually associate with much more recent equipment. To achieve this, a 200 mW magnetron is employed and the microwave signal sent down a waveguide to a 4 foot (1.22 m) parabolic dish aerial. For reception, a second dish is used, with the incoming signals converted to a 45 MHz IF using a crystal mixer and the 3rd harmonic of a tuneable 1500 MHz triode oscillator. The narrow transmission beam of 3 degrees provides a high degree of security against interception, but it requires considerable skill by the operators at each site to line-up accurately the dish aerials. Each mobile WS No.10 installation, which includes a telephone exchange and two generators, is mounted into a 2 ton closed trailer which can be deployed and made fully operational within 30 minutes.

One of the earliest deployments of the WS No.10 was shortly after D-Day when it was used to provide a telephone link from London via the high ground behind Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, to the hilltops behind the French port of Cherbourg, a distance of c. 70 miles (112 km). This was stretching its 200 mW RF output just a little too far. Although the microwave telephone channels could work well for several hours at a time, the link was susceptible to the vast movements of ships in the Western Channel and to the rise and fall of tides which caused the communications link to be lost for several hours before returning again.

The sets proved to be extremely reliable in the field and provided a pivotal line of communications for Montgomery’s 21st Army and other allied commands. For more information on the Wireless Set No.10, including recordings of the experiences of original users and a more detailed technical description, go to the Oral History of Defence Electronics site at this link:- http://histru.bournemouth.ac.uk/CHiDE/ Oral_History_of_Defence_Electronics/ws10_intro.htm

Ian Underwood M0YMK

VMARS AGM Photo Gallery courtesy of Robin Maddison G0GNE

Outside the Royal Signals Museum, Blandford Forum

Tony Bell VK5UA

A number of our Members were accompanied by

their partners who seemed to enjoy the day


August 2014 4

Our Guest Lecturer, Elizabeth Bruton, now a VMARS Member

See the ‘penultimate’ page of Signal Issue 32

The facilities for the AGM were of a high standard


5 August 2014

Worcester Centenary Event. Pitchcroft, The

Racecourse, Worcester. 16th August 2014

This event was organised for the 150th Anniversary of 214 Battery Royal Artillery who have had a very long association with the City, along with their RA predecessors and were to exercise their right to march through the City of Worcester as holders of the Freedom of the City. It was also the first Centenary event marking the start of World War 1 to be held in the City.

Peter Bannon M0XPB had been asked by the Commanding Officer of 214 Battery if he might be able to provide a display for this event (later made a VMARS sponsored event).

Due to Army requirements and organisation, we were requested to set up from lunchtime on Friday 15th. Luckily the weather being slightly cooler than of late, quite dry and overcast, conditions were ideal for setting up. 214 Battery R.A. erected two 12x12 military tents for our fixed displays, “Communications 1914” and “Clansman in the Falklands War 1982”.

The first job was to unload the multiple display boards and secure the display materials inside the tents which was achieved with help from Jeremy (Jem) Carvill 2E0JEM and Pauline Bannon. Ron Swinburne M0WSN arrived with his Austin 1954 K9 Royal Signals Truck, shortly followed by Robin Maddison G0GNE in his Lightweight Land Rover and Tony Barron G3YYH by car. Peter and Jem’s next task was to erect the main dipole antenna. This comprised of Peter’s 27 foot Larkspur mast and a reduced height 12 m Clark Mast provided by Jem. Tony’s station was set up in the Falklands Exhibition area where he was using his RT321/Turf unit. Next arrivals were Steve Tyler M6AZK and Steve Harris M0WFO in a Land Rover 90 FFR and a Land Rover Lightweight S2, respectively.

The afternoon ran on with each of us making preparations. Pauline provided some much needed tea and cakes. Tony had a slight problem setting up his special callsign station GB2WAC with his RT321 set-up, which eventually just proved to be a dodgy cable. Tony and Robin went off to find the TA Drill Hall and dinner. In the early evening we were

visited by 214 Battery Quartermaster and were invited to join them for food provided in their gazebo on the field.


August 2014 6

Ron worked steadily on his Windom and Peter raised the Clark mast on his 110 FFR to elevate one leg of Ron’s antenna. Notices were applied to the racecourse rail, partially bounding our site, except that it was useless for dogs as they cannot read and this is a popular dog-walking area. Tony had decided not to go to the drill hall but to stay in the Falklands tent overnight. Jem also popped home and came back with reports that VMARS had a mention on the local radio station.

The next morning came bright and early and the food provided by the Army guys was hot and welcome. As it looked like being a fine day, we looked forward to a good showing. The exhibits had to be completed and everyone got to work on their displays.

Some of the more precious artefacts for the communications display were brought from safe storage and placed on display. These included two WWI field telephones, one WWI exchange telephone, one gentleman’s field telegraph set, signal lamps, flags, ‘Sniper’ long range telescope, heliograph, Q and I telegraph meter, naval telescope, Marconi Morse key along with various tools, torches, gas rattle, medals, and the good technical training copybook of a signalman dated 1918. These, along with the storyboards containing pictures and text upon several communications subjects, comprised the exhibit.

Clive Smith arrived with his Wolf Land Rover 110 FFR and, along with Jem, the contingent was now complete. Clive and Jem are both members of the Worcester Radio Club and are frequent helpers in the Worcester area. Health and Safety checks were all completed and we were all ready to go.

Using the special event callsign GB2WAC, Ron, Tony, Robin and the two Steves, occupied the airwaves and joined in the VMARS Saturday Morning Net. They made many

further contacts during the day from as far away as Dundee in the north and down to the South East Coast.

At noon, the Army held a parade through the centre of Worcester and then marched down to the racecourse. The event was now open to the public and a wall of people came towards our displays. This was the start of a continuous stream of people throughout the afternoon and we were all kept busy.


7 August 2014

Peter had now emerged as a 1914 Second Lieutenant of the Royal Engineers Signal Section complete with blue and white armbands.

Ron had a continuous queue of people waiting to visit the inside of the K9, Tony did sterling service in the Falklands display in which he said he had learnt a lot from the visitors.

Peter and Pauline were kept busy in the 1914 display.

Many of the visitors wanted to talk about their relatives and their shared experiences and had many, many questions. Many were surprised at the display on the Worcester Signal School, founded by Raymond Priestley in 1915, which grew to more than 2000 men and 200 officers before it moved to Bedford in 1917 and was the nucleus of what eventually became the Royal Signals.

Many children seemed to have WWI as a school holiday project and parents and children had many questions and enjoyed listening to Pauline sending Morse and whirling the gas rattle! A lot of interest was also shown in the five Land

Rovers on display. Below is a picture of two young recruits visiting Peter’s 110 FFR.

One special visitor to our site was the Mayor of Droitwich, Bob Brookes, in his mayoral chain, an electronics engineer with an interest in radio.

During the day there was a display by the RAF Falcons, cannon firing including a 105 Howitzer and a 28 lb WWI cannon by the local MVT. There was a display of Welsh heavy horse training as of the First World War. For children there was a carousel and mini-tanks and, for older ones, a climbing wall and paintball range.

Many military associated charities were present, Help for Heroes having several hundreds of pounds of donations.

All too soon, it had rolled around to 1715 and the last of our visitors had gone. It was now time to think of packing away at the end of a very successful day. I would like to thank Chris Suslowicz for the loan of his heliograph and some other items. I would also like to thank Clive and Jem for their help in setting up and dismantling some of the larger items in the display and checking and clearing the site.

Pauline M6ZPB and Peter M0XPB Bannon


August 2014 8

Trip to ON and PA

Anne and I had not been to The Netherlands for 3 years, health issues having got in the way of such a trip.

We stopped at Kalken (a village near to Ghent) to see friends at various ‘dumpstores’ (surplus stores in Dutch), bought a bag of bits and, on the next visit, I expect to pick up a big and heavy Telefunken Rainbow receiver.

Our main destination was Leidschendam in the province of South Holland where we spent 8 days with nice weather in between rain, thunder and lightning. A full-size half wave dipole for 80 m was strung up at 60 feet off the fire escape at the hotel, with inverted legs dropping down to a less than ideal 6 feet above ground. The main problem arose from the fact that the hotel now has free WiFi with its associated S9+20 noise level. This was not so much of an issue on 40 m and above, but we managed to communicate on 3615 kHz utilising G4FPH's on-line SDR receiver located in Staffordshire.

Four days into our stay, disaster struck as the laptop hard drive went down, ending all comms on 80 m, although I did manage to hear Ron M0WSN and Peter G8CDC on 40 m for a quick exchange, Ron and I using our old but faithful TS 450S ATs. Mine had travelled quite a bit: Hong Kong, Greece, Portugal, Jersey and Guernsey as well as a whole host of UK other British Isles locations.

A funny thing happened on the way to the theatre, they used to say and you know me, I always try and get to where others may not normally go. Anne and I went out for the day to the seaside at Scheveningen, a place we had been once or twice before. As we had found some free parking down at the old harbour we decided to see the tall ship that had just entered from the high seas. The ship was the Mercedes and it was a training ship for people of all walks of life. Whilst walking around the harbour inspecting all manner of whips and wires, we discovered a very smart looking vessel called the Aquarius-G, a Panamanian survey vessel, less than a year old. It was not long before Anne and I were invited aboard and given a tour by the chief Engineer; this was very interesting but what followed made the day.

On the Bridge of Aquarius-G We sat in the two luxurious leather seats normally occupied by the captain and first mate and, as I looked above the sitting position, I saw that they had not one, or two, but three sailor (Thrane&Thrane) VHF sets. We were listening to traffic from Scheveningen Harbour Master on Ch21.When I asked if I could give him a test call; “no probs” was the answer “fill your boots” another comment and duly received a loud and clear report !

The HF rig is that small object on the bench in the centre of the picture

I said I was very happy to have used the VHF radios, but was disappointed not to have got my hands on a radio tuned appropriately to 3615 kHz. “No problem” said the Chief, “look over here” and, yes, there was another sailor set, modern MF/HF all-band. We switched it on, and you could clearly see that it was pre-programmed for ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship frequencies, but no 3615 kHz. I was unsure whether AM was possible. “Not a problem” said the Chief; he fiddled for a few seconds and typed-in 3615, set the mode to LSB then, to my surprise AM and, as if that was not enough, we monitored a transmission from GB100MWT. Too good to be true?

I knew the vessel only had vertical whips; would it work and could I be heard? Tony, who was the operator at GB100MWT acknowledged me and we exchanged reports, giving me 5/2 while he was a good 4/4. I later learnt from Ian M0YMK that he recalls this station using a T1154. All this made the very nice day out at the seaside even better.

We had a very nice meal on the beach front and got a lead from one of the very many kiters working the water’s edge. You may recall the untimely death of my 20 year-old kite in Sandbanks a year or so ago. The second lead we tried was at Schiedam, conveniently located between us in Leidschendam and the home of Peter Quakelstein in Vlaardingen. We were given a warm welcome at the shop and proceeded to negotiate a new kite, as it turned out, one that was slightly larger than the previous delta wing kite purchased at Malvern Kites 20+ years ago. I have yet to give it its maiden flight but, looking at the workmanship, I have no doubt it will be a winner. I remember the first time I flew a long wire on Skye some 20 years ago, put kit up at 16.30 hrs and it was still flying at 10.00 a.m. the next day with good DX to boot at Staffin.

Anne and I received a really warm welcome from Trevor Sanderson PA3BOH and the team at the Crash 45 Museum in Aalsmeer, a stone's throw from Schipol. We had visited the museum previously but, on this occasion, there seemed to be more exhibits and information about the museum. It was good to see, first hand, the work carried out by members of the VMARS 618T Special Interest Group: see: http://www.vmars.org.uk/sitedata/files/618T_SIG-1.pdf for further information. Gerrit (PA0GJC) very kindly took Anne and I up to the roof of the Crash Museum to look at recent antenna work. We were also able to enjoy the spectacle of


9 August 2014

KLM, BA, Delta and aircraft of other airlines flying by. Other helpers on the radio side of the museum are Anton (PE1JAS) and Herman (PH1DTC). All are 618T owners and, together with Trevor who heads up our 618T net and projects, can be heard on Wednesday afternoons on 7073 kHz at 13.30 local time. More information about the Crash Museum can be found at www.crash40-45.nl/.

Trevor Sanderson PA3BOH (left) working Peter Mellett G3PIJ on 40 m from the Crash Museum

Stuart McKinnon G0TBI

MEMBER OF THE BRITISH AIRCRAFT PRESERVATION COUNCIL

DONCASTER AERO VENTURE

MILITARY & AVIATION ELECTRONICS MART

Military — Radio — Radar — Electrical (up to 50s/60s)

SUNDAY 28th September 2014 9.00 am. 1.00 pm.

Venue: - S.Y.A.M. DONCASTER AERO VENTURE (UNDER COVER)

Contact Mike Diprose: 0143 363 1296 or Phil Jarvis: 01302 761616

Admission: Current museum charges apply (Includes free parking) with all proceeds to Doncaster Aeroventure.

Refreshments available

STALLHOLDER PITCH ONLY £7

The organisers plan the event for constructors, restorers and collectors of military equipment, electrical, radio and radar equipment up to the 50s and 60s (both commercial and military). To buy, sell and swap, pieces of kit, transmitters, receivers, components, connectors, cables, handbooks, test gear, etc. and odds and ends. N.B. Those turning up very early who are not stall holders will be asked to wait until 9.00 a.m. This event will be followed by The Tenth, Annual, IET, Airborne Radar/Radio Lecture by Dr. Mike Diprose entitled ‘Highways and Byways in Radio/Radar Development’. There is free admission to the lET lecture and refreshments only after 1.30 p.m. Prior to that, and for the Aerojumble, admission charges will apply.

Notes:

1) For Satnav users: Doncaster Aeroventure is off Dakota Way, Doncaster, NOT Sandy Lane. Any Satnav directions for Sandy Lane are wrong and access cannot be obtained to the Aeroventure from this direction. A lengthy diversion will be required. The nearest Satnav postcode is DN4 7NW but that may not be the exact location as it can indicate the Vue Entertainments complex. On the Google map for DN4 7NW Aeroventure is marked on Dakota Way, which is off the roundabout at the junction of Lakeside Blvd. and Gliwice Way, past the Vue Cinemas and Doncaster Superbowl marks. GPS co-ordinates, I am told, are: Lat. 53.513 Long. W1.108. I do not have a GPS or Satnav so have not tested these myself. It is recommended to download the Google map for DN4 7NW for the final approach.

2) Phil Jarvis is looking for cockpit parts and avionics for a Harrier cockpit. Please contact him if you have any leads.

3) Mike Diprose is looking for a Voltage Regulator Type 34 (19 V) 5U/2693, a Junction Box type 254 and a Junction Box marked PED/RAD (possibly 88/2508?) for an AGLT system.

4) Please remember that admission to the lET lunch and Lecture for lET members and the general public is only free from 1.30 p.m. If you wish to attend the Aerojumble, admission charges will apply. If you turn up earlier than 1.30 p.m. then you will be charged.

5) Table Booking form

Name: No. of tables:

No. of persons on stall.

Contact (phone, address or e-mail):

The number of tables requested will be supplied with two chairs but no cushions. Please make cheques payable to SYAM. Please send to Mike Diprose at 26, Brookfields, Calver, S32 3XB or phone 0143 363 1296 or e-mail: [email protected] (as I shall be in and out and back and forth, post or e-mail are best). Please note that a stall holder and one helper are admitted for a £7 booking fee. Additional helpers will be charged £4.00. I will send a booking slip when I receive the form. Please bring it with you and show at the gate. It is likely that some booking slips will be dispatched first class around 25th September and should arrive on the 27th. There will be a list at the gate, however, in case the mail is late. Those turning up early who

VMARS at the National Radio Hamfest

26th and 27th September

Newark and Notts Showground, Newark

There will be a VMARS stand at this year’s National Hamfest. The

Committee hopes to meet as many Members as possible at the Hamfest and there will be a ‘gathering’ at the

stand at noon on each day for Members to meet each other. Please

come and visit.


August 2014 10

are not stall holders will be asked to wait to be admitted until 9.00 a.m.

The Institution of Engineering and Technqlogy, South Yorkshire Network

presents

The Tenth Annual Airborne

RadarlRadio Lecture

this year by

Dr Michael Diprose

Highways and Byways in Radio and Radar

Development

Sunday 28th September 2014 at 2.30 p.m.

(free refreshments from 1.30 p.m.)

Admission to the museum is free to lET members and members of the public from 1.30 p.m. only, for the

refreshments and lecture. Prior to that and for general admission, charges will apply.

The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster Aeroventure, Dakota Way, Doncaster, DN4 7NW.

(01302 761616)

Please note change of date from October

If you wish to register, this can be done by lET website: www.theiet.oxgLcvcns; under search enter UK North region and the date 28th September 2014 and that will show the event and register link, or by e-mail to: [email protected] or leave your name and contact with SYAM.

Highways and Byways in Radio/Radar development

Normally, when radio and radar aids were developed, there was a period during which a need was perceived, ideas sought, some pursued, proof of concept demonstrations given in a more or less convincing way, choices made, contracts awarded and then the development work began. A well-known case is the Chain Home Early Warning System. The Tizard Committee realised the need, Watson-Watt demonstrated an idea at Daventry, then the main development started at Bawdsey Manor, leading to the hugely successful intercept system used during the Battle of Britain and which contributed so much to that victory and the remainder of the war. Sometimes, however, stories start in strange ways or from accidental meetings or develop as side-shoots of existing programmes.

This year’s Radio/Radar lecture will take a meander through some of the highways and byways of radio and radar ideas and development, with a variety of examples of projects varying from pre-war meetings in Vienna with mysterious Austrian inventors trying to sell radar systems to MIl6, country walks leading to a Fishpond, and how a glamorous international film star, a pianist and two metronomes led from WW2 to mobile phones.

Mike Diprose was born in Tottenham, North London in 1948. He attended Tottenham Grammar School then the University of Kent at Canterbury, from where he graduated in 1969. A period with Voluntary Service Overseas followed, working for a Medical Research Council unit based at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. He returned to the University of Kent to Study for a Ph.D. (Electronic Aspects of Three Phases of Coronary Care) and then transferred to The University of Sheffield to work with Professor Frank Benson in the Department of Electronic and Electrical

Engineering (1976) studying electrical methods of weed control, until he took early retirement in 2002. During the 1990s and, since then, he has been actively engaged in aspects of the public understanding of science and has worked extensively in primary and secondary schools. He was the Chief Lecturer for the 1996/1997 Institution of Electrical Engineers Faraday Lecture tour ‘But What’s The Use Of It, Mr. Faraday?’ Currently he has a company called ‘Spectrum-tec’ which specialises in electrical weed control and his interests include studying and lecturing on WW2 radio and radar and he has a collection of sets and components.

VMARS Reflectors (Groups) on the Web

The Society hosts two official Yahoo Groups (VMARS-Member and VMARS-Collector) exclusively for VMARS Members. These are closed groups and the discussions cannot be viewed by non-subscribers. Members can join both groups by invitation only. Invitations to join VMARS-Member are issued automatically to new Members or by application to Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF. Invitations to VMARS-Collector are issued by application to Ian Underwood M0YMK. Both Groups are moderated by the Committee and their purpose is as follows:

The VMARS-Member Group is a forum where Members can share technical and other specialised information about all aspects of VMARS Members' interests and within the scope of the Society. It is not to be used for the posting of advertisements for trade.

The VMARS-Collector Group is a trading platform for VMARS Members. Its purpose is to enable Members to buy, sell, exchange or request items which relate directly to vintage and military radio, radar and associated items.

Members are advised that another Yahoo Group calling itself VMARS is not an official VMARS site and correctly identifies itself as having nothing to do with the Society except in name.

Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF

Copyright Notice The VMARS News Sheet is a publication of the Vintage and Military Amateur Radio Society. Copyright remains vested in the authors, thus no material in this News Sheet may be copied and published elsewhere, in part or in full, by any means, without the express permission of the author. This may be sought either from the author direct, or from the News Sheet Editor, Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF.

Sending in articles, news items, letters and advertisements for VMARS Publications

Please send copy to Colin Guy G4DDI by post or e-mail, 7 Herrick Court, Clinton Park, Tattershall, Lincs. LN4 4QU Tel 01526 344715 [email protected] The copy deadline for the next issue of the News Sheet is 15th September. For articles for the next issue of Signal the deadline is 9th November, but copy would be appreciated as far in advance as possible.



11 August 2014

VMARS Members’ badges

Once again, Stuart McKinnon G0TBI is taking orders for VMARS Members’ badges, which he orders several at a time. If you would like to order a badge (at very reasonable cost) please let Stuart have details of your name and call sign as you would like for it to appear on the badge. He will be placing the next order shortly. My own badge is reproduced below to show the format though the font size of your name and call sign may be larger.

Bronek Wedzicha M0DAF

Saturday AM Net-Controller’s Rota

Date 1st op 2nd op 3rd op

20th Sep G3XGW M0TCM M0DAF

27th Sep M0TCM M0DAF G0TBI

4th Oct M0DAF G0TBI G4GEN

11th Oct G0TBI G4GEN G4BQF

18th Oct G4GEN G4BQF GW8TBG

25th Oct G4BQF GW8TBG G8AQN

1st Nov GW8TBG G8AQN M1PVC

Whenever possible Ian Underwood M0YMK posts a recording of the Saturday AM Net from his QTH in West Sussex on the VMARS website:

http://www.vmars.org.uk/Regular_NETS_Details

Committee Notices OFCOM consultation on proposed changes

to the Amateur Radio Licence

OFCOM has published a 32 page document available on-line at

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/amateur-radio-licence/summary/condoc.pdf

The most significant changes of relevance to VMARS Members are: Dropping the Regional Locators, e.g. "M" for Scotland,

"W" for Wales, except for Intermediate licencees. Relaxing how we use our callsigns on-air. Access to 5 MHz for full licencees without an NoV.

There are a number of other changes proposed and Members have until 20th October to pass on their comments to OFCOM.

Ron Swinburne M0WSN

Applications for Membership

We wish to welcome the following new applicants for VMARS Membership:

Name, Callsign (Region) Interests

Mr D Ball M1BCB Hertfordshire

Vintage transceivers and receivers including military. Vintage test equipment.

Mr BA Wright G4HJW Cambridgeshire

Construction and operating AM on 80 m and 60 m. CW/SSB. Microwaves. Optical. General interest in the history of radio.

Mr K Jachimczyk Worcestershire

Cold War radio equipment. Warsaw Pact, NATO and WWII radio equipment. Manuals. Supporting museum military technique in Bielany Wrocławskie, Poland.

Ms E Bruton Oxfordshire

Early history of wireless, military communications, museums and WWI.

Mr HHA Sanders G3CRH Staffordshire

General interest in vintage radio, ex-WD and domestic. Restoration projects mainly ex-WD and amateur.

[Membership rules require names of applicants for Membership to be published, before they are formally accepted as Members. This allows existing Members to object, if they wish. If you want to object to any of the above, please write to our Hon Sec, John Keeley – Ed.]

Helplines 137/1 Marconi H16 boot mounted VHF radio I have rebuilt an ex-Portsmouth City Police patrol car, the last surviving, and in full Police trim. The car is a Riley 2½ litre RMF of 1953 vintage.

Originally the car was fitted with a Marconi H16 boot mounted VHF radio telephone.for which I have been looking for over 10 years without success. Not long ago I managed to buy a workshop manual for the H16.

The intention is to have the transmit and receive cases for visual purposes, there is no requirement for the internal workings. I have photographs of the sets and the intention was to fabricate the boxes, but it is all the ‘bits and bobs’ that go to make it look correct. If it is at all possible to locate a H16 or bits I would be truly grateful.

Contact details are: Steve Kinch, Longacre, Lower Common, East Runton, Cromer, Norfolk NR27 9PG. 01263 514880

Steve Kinch.

http://www.vmars.org.uk/Regular_NETS_Details


August 2014 12

Advertisements FOR SALE: Plessey RT-320 unmodified in used condition, all fins intact and in working order. Kit contains:

Radio Lithium battery NOS Nicad battery boxed/charged * Gooseneck Whip Ground radial set * Cold weather battery lead Battery charging cable Widney Aish 14/24 V PSU DCCU DCCU power cable Dipole antenna Dipole centre Coax cable Lightweight patrol headset * PTT cable * Morse key Handbook *

* Indicates New Item First £300 secures Redifon/MEL RT 2000 in very good condition with battery pack and case. Kit has the following

Transceiver Handset specific to RT 2000

Volume and channel change Battery Nicad good Antenna and whip assembly * Morse telegraphy key Carrier RT 2000 used but good condition Handbook RT 2000 (flip chart)

£1800

Larkspur receiver R210 tested and working, cosmetically good also.

£125

I have decided to offer them here first before they go on the famous website, also offering them here gives all members a chance to see them.

Buyers collect at a mutually convenient location. I also have a AN-GRC9, WS62, BC191, 191 dyno and a few other bits and pieces that will be listed soon.

Stuart G0TBI, Kinver, South Staffordshire 01384 872157

FOR SALE: Pye CAT receiver with plug and lead. Bags of volume on a 600 speaker, needs lining up on scale. To be collected. Offers.

Dennis Parsonage, Mansfield. 01623 481263

FOR SALE: Large NOS military awning, heavy duty canvas, door on each end and one internal door. All poles are wood, some missing, all spiders present. Comes in large canvas bag. £150. Can take to Malvern.

David Waters 07542 947501

More photographs from Worcester courtesy of Robin Maddison G0GNE

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