CCARC NEWS 12-36

CCARC Club News 13/10/2012 | 0

CCARC NEWS 12-36

THE PERIODIC NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL COAST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

ISSUE No 12-36 13th. October 2012

In this Issue:

VK2AFY and the largest contest in the World – CQWW.
What’s in the give-away boxes?
JOTA is nearly here.
Project group show & tell evenings.
PCBs in a “flash” lecture next Friday.

1. VK2AFY and the largest contest in the World – CQWW.

As half of the members who planned to attend the OCDX contest couldn’t make it, here’s another chance to experience some HF contesting and also for those who took part and have got the contest “bug” now, the next BIG contest is just around the corner:

CQWW SSB Contest: 0000Z October 27 through 2359Z October 28 2012

Full rules can be found here: http://www.cqww.com/rules.php

I suggest we take a similar (easy) approach to this contest and just run for a few hours of the contest. As the contest starts at 11 AM local, I suggest we start after the Field day planning meeting (1-3pm) at 3pm and run through the grey line time to say 8pm – all interested, please contact me (Ed VK2ARE, CCARC Contest Manager). The main thing is that we put the big signal from VK2AFY on the air again (don’t forget – contacts with VK2AFY, VK2EH or VK2WFD during contests count for double points in the Central Coast Award).

Ed VK2ARE.

2. What’s in the give-away boxes?

The club has, at the back of the lecture room, four boxes into which club members can put articles that are too good to be thrown away, so that other members can take benefit from them.

The latest additions are some computer printer ink cartridges for Canon and HP printers from Bruce VK2ZAD – thanks Bruce. There are too many different cartridges to list so if you’re interested get in there quick, the “gannets” have already started searching through last night at the project meeting.

Ed VK2ARE

3. JOTA is nearly here.

Jamboree on the air takes place on Saturday the 20th. and Sunday 21st. of October (this month) but set up work needs to start already on the Friday. Anyone who can help on any of the three days please contact Doug VK2MDC or Andrew VK2FHSV as soon as possible.

Ed VK2ARE.

4. Project group show & tell evenings.

First of all let me say it was great to see a good turn out last night at the project meeting, including some “first timers” for this year – welcome Christine, Bob & Geoff. Jim had his valve HF linear present for viewing and operation and the some of us puzzled over my construction of a QRP SSB transceiver, trying to find what I had messed up in the TX side (thanks Col for rewinding the toroid transformers for me) – the puzzle continues as we still have no output power.

Do you wonder what the projects & development group are working on? Well why not come along and see at any of the Friday evening meetings (except when there is a lecture on – check the online club calendar to be sure). Better still we have changed the format of the projects meeting when it falls on the first Friday of the month, to be a “show & tell” where club members can bring along things they have built or are still building to show others. This doesn’t have to be things you’re working on at the club, they can be any construction project. When at the “show & tell” evening if you see something that was made as part of the project meetings, we’ll tell you how to get the kit and help you to build it.

This first meeting of the month will also be used to decide what new projects will be “kicked off” during the month. So if you have some suggestions please come along and let everyone know.

Ed VK2ARE.

5. PCBs in a “Flash” Lecture next Friday night.

Friday 19th. October 2012 19:30 at the club rooms at Kariong.

Not to be missed is a very interesting lecture and demonstration from Col VK2ZCO next Friday evening on the production of PCB boards from designs in magazines or off the Internet using a Laser printer to provide the “iron-on transfer” used to mark up the bare copper PCB board followed by the usual etch process. The results are impressive and well worth a look.

Col started this project so that we are able to take on projects where only a design, not a full kit of parts is available in the projects and development group. This opens up a whole range of possible simple and not so simple projects for the coming months. Thanks Col.

Ed VK2ARE.