Construction Contest thankyou!

Firstly to Robin G4IWS for hosting yet another successful event.

Also to EVERYONE who entered,  but in particular a callout to two first time entrants:

Guy 2E0GDC: “electrical noise detector”

Bernard M0PIK: “Iambic CW Key – Capacitive Touch” (homebrew PCB + surface mount) + inspirational talk on surface mount and making PCBs.

Also to:

Michael M0MPM: shaver mic adaption. Now, if you google that, you may come up with “pye shaver mic”.  Believe me, it wasn’t that. Mike gave us a beautiful light hearted short talk encouraging us to check the legal aspects of using fist mikes whilst mobile. And shavers.

Roundup:

  • Dave G4BOO: compact  MF/HF receiver
  • Robin G4IWS matchbox sized TTL two tone oscillator
  • Guy 2E0GDC: electrical noise detector
  • Mike G4CDF: multiband SHF antenna feed (1.2/2.4) demonstrated using the club’s new spectrum analyser + VSWR bridge.
  • Bernard M0PIK: surface mount CW paddle circuit and homebrew PCB. (3rd).
  • Michael M0MPM: shaver mic adaption/hybrid
  • Jim G0LHZ: remote control ATU (1st)
  • John G4RDC: FT8 from mc micro taxi radio (2nd)

If I missed anyone or got anything wrong my apologies – let me know and I’ll fix it.

Jim deservedly took first prize and I was very deeply honoured to take second place.

Most importantly we have ideas, enthusiasm and passion for what we do which will undoubtedly result in more developments next year.

I will make sure we have other events during the year where people can share what they are up to.

If anyone has pictures, send them to me and I’ll put them up.

73

John

G4RDC

Construction Contest on Thursday 8th November!

It’s the RADARC Construction Contest on Thursday 8th November!

Venue: Woodford Park

Start time: 8pm

TWO trophies to be won (1st and 2nd prize).

Just bring your “thing” along on the evening in good time (plan to arrive before 7:45pm) to get a place on the tables. If you need the projector (eg. for a video or a software entry) then please let me know.

Depending on number of entries, expect 5-10 minutes or so to present your entry.

Entries so far:

  • A multiband microwave antenna feed: Mike, G4CDF
  • Guy 2E0GDC: an electrical noise detector
  • Bernard M0PIK: CW dual paddle iambic key using SMD components
  • Simon M0ZSU: Construction group update
  • Jim G0LHZ: Mystery software entry (now with one less bug)
  • Robin G4IWS: Two tone test oscillator to check audio distortion on an HF rig
  • Adventures with FT8 and an FM taxi radio: me

Both Mike and I still have work to do so you’ll be in with a very good chance.

Have a go and support your club!

Many thanks to Robin G4IWS for running proceedings.

Homebrew Asda biscuits, tea and coffee afterwards as usual.

73

John

G4RDC

Autumn Junk Sale, Thursday 25th October

It’s the Autumn Junk Sale next meeting (Thursday 25th October)!

Please bring along any unwanted broadly tech based items in order to support the club. RF based junk is always very desirable. Also bring
your cash along buy -er- lots of useful stuff!

Venue: Woodford Park, Woodley as usual. The auction will start 8pm sharp so it’s best to arrive early (eg. 7:30pm) to have a look at the wares.

Please note a couple of things:
* If you successfully bid on something, you’ll need to wait until the
end to settle up.

* If you bring junk along and it doesn’t sell then please be prepared to take it home with you.

Also please read the rules below.

If you have not been before – it’s a hoot. It is an auction run by the
club’s very own top auctioneers/jesters. Even if you don’t wish to buy,
the evening is always entertaining.

Prices tend to be extremely affordable – much better than rallies, for
example.

73

John
G4RDC

RADARC Junk Sale Rules

1. All buyers must be in possession of a bidding number before the auction starts. Non-Members will be required to either join the Club or pay a fee (£2) for this number. Registering for a bidding number implies acceptance of these rules (Non-members bringing material for sale for club funds are admitted free);

2. On completion of a sale, the purchaser must make clear their number and the price paid before taking the goods;

3. Viewing is only allowed up until the point the meeting begins. Following this, all purchasers must keep away from the main selling area in order to allow the event to proceed in an orderly manner. Under no circumstances will bidders be allowed to view articles which are in the process of being sold;

4. It is assumed that all goods are sold for the benefit of the Club. For any person who wishes to have an item sold on their behalf, the Club charges a 10% commission. In the case of non-members, a minimum fee of £5 applies. The fact that it is a commission sale and the name / callsign of the beneficiary must be made clear by a label attached to each item;

5. In the event of item 4 not being satisfied, the Club will retain all proceeds of the sale;

6. Any reserve price, whether for a commission sale or not, must be made clear before the auction starts by means of a label attached to the item. Otherwise it will be for the auctioneer to make whatever price they can for the article;

7. For a commission sale (item 4) or with reserve (item 6) it is in the interest of the seller to ensure that the auctioneer is aware of this fact prior to the sale;

8. Settlement of bidders and sellers fees will only occur after the auction of all items ends. Attendees who cannot wait until the end of the auction should nominate someone who can settle on their behalf after the auction of all items ends.

9. At the end of the event, all unsold goods must been removed by the person who brought them;

10. The auctioneer’s decision is final;

11. All good are sold “as seen”

12. Caveat Emptor!

“Mr Marconi and his marvellous invention: Maritime wireless telegraphy from the Kingstown Regatta in 1898 to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and beyond.” + demo!

Folks,

Dr. Elizabeth Bruton is back with us again to kindly give us a talk
entitled “Mr Marconi and his marvellous invention: Maritime wireless telegraphy from the Kingstown Regatta in 1898 to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and beyond.”

Peter G4JNU with David M0DHO’s help will also demonstrate a Marconi detector in action.

Venue: Woodford Park, Woodley
Time: 8pm

In the aftermath of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and the
subsequent enquiry, the then-Postmaster General Herbert Samuel publicly declared: “Those who have been saved, have been saved through one man, Mr. Marconi … and his marvellous invention.” But what were the origins of this “marvellous” and life-saving invention and what impact did it have on maritime safety? From young Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi’s world’s first of live event reporting by wireless at the Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) Yachting regatta in July 1898 through to Marconi’s experiments at Crookhaven between 1901 and 1914 and hence to the vital, life-saving use of Marconi wireless telegraphy on board the Titanic in 1912, this illustrated talk will uncover the practical and commercial application of wireless telegraphy for the maritime world and its potential impact upon maritime safety in the twentieth century.

Dr Bruton is Curator of Technology and Engineering at the Science
Museum, London specialising in communications. Previous roles include Heritage Officer at Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, University of Manchester; Co-curator and researcher for the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) project and exhibition ‘Dear Harry: Henry Moseley, a scientist lost to war’ at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford; and postdoctoral researcher for AHRC-funded project ‘Innovating in Combat: Telecommunications and intellectual property in the First World War’ at the University of Leeds. She was one of the 2014-2015 Marconi Byrne-Bussey Visiting Fellow at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford and also catalogued and researched the Marconi Collection at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.

In case you haven’t seen her before, she is also a brilliant speaker and
communicator.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be in abundant supply.

73

John
G4RDC

Folks,

Thanks to Michael M0MPM, we have a talk entitled “An Introduction to 3D Printing for the Radio Amateur” by James Patterson, M1DST.

Date: Thursday 27th September
Venue: Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Haddon Dr, Woodley, RG5 4LY
Time 8pm.

From James:

“We will introduce you to the fascinating world of 3D printing where we will learn about the different 3D printing methods with a focus on
inexpensive FDM machines. You will leave with an understanding of how the machine works and how 3D printing can be used as a tool to improve your Amateur Radio life. We will discuss the tools used to take an idea from your head to become a finished item.”

Refreshments available as usual.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

73

John
G4RDC

Provisional Intermediate Licence Course – 20/27 October and 3 November

Dear Members,

Please note that Ray G3SCZ and his team are hoping to run a RADARC Intermediate Licence Course on 20/27 October and 3 November this year at Woodford Park, Woodley.

There are currently only a few signed up, so if you are interested or know someone who may be interested please ask them to fill in the form on the Training -> Intermediate Training section on the radarc.org web site.

Thanks and 73

RADARC Committee

meeting 13th September “The Speed of Light” by Prof. Bob Lambourne

Next meeting Thursday 13th September, Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Haddon Dr, Woodley, RG5 4LY.

In the words of the great NGX, Eyes down 8pm.

With a huge thankyou to Ian 2E0DII, to kick off the Autumn season we welcome Prof. Bob Lambourne with a talk entitled “The Speed of Light”.

Bob says: “As a title I should like to speak about ‘The speed of light’. This will enable me to combine a number of topics that might be of interest to Radio Club members, including some historical info about James Clerk Maxwell and Oliver Heaviside. Since 1983 the speed of light (and of radio waves!) in a vacuum has been defined to be exactly 299 792 458 m/s.

This talk will examine the story of how the speed of light made the transition from a measurable speed, with a value that could be determined experimentally, to a quantity of such fundamental and practical importance that the decision was made to assign it an explicit and exact value that would put it beyond future measurement.  Along the way there will be a discussion of why the speed of light represents a local speed limit in Einstein’s special theory of relativity, even though many faster than light phenomena are easily demonstrated. According to currently favoured theories, all sufficiently distant galaxies are moving away from us at more that 1 light year per annum; consequently, after less than 14 billion years of cosmic expansion, the edge of the observable universe (the cosmic horizon) is at a distance of about 46 billion light years – a neat trick in a universe limited by light speed travel! ”

James Clerk Maxwell, for me, is the patron saint of radio. A truly beautiful mind. He mathematically worked out how electricity and magnetism work together to produce our beloved electromagnetic waves.

Bob Lanbourne is Professor of Educational Physics art the Open University and Director of Studies in Physical Sciences at the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. He was born and brought up in Reading but attended university in London, where he took a BSc in physics and a PhD in theoretical particle physics. His first university teaching post was in Durham where he taught the Maths Honours module in general relativity and cosmology. He has worked at the Milton Keynes campus of the Open University for over 40 years, where his roles have included three years as Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and five years as National Director of the Physics Innovation Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (piCETL). His work outside the OU has included periods as Senior Vice-President of the Institute of Physics, Chair the the Physics Education Division of the European Physical Society, and Chair of the International Commission on Physics Education, one of the Commissions of The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

“Night on the Air Take Two”

Next meeting Thursday 23rd August at Reading Rugby Football Club, Holme Park/Sonning Lane, Sonning, Reading RG4 6ST. Historically this is a “Drinks Evening”/relaxed social evening but I think we can squeeze some radio in too.

The new club rig will be brought out to play and weather permitting we’ll put on an HF station and/or possibly 6m/4m.

Feel free to bring along any items that may be of interest – possibly
acquisitions from recent rallies?

The bar will be open. Informally we’ll start at 7pm to make use
of the daylight (and the bar).

If you have any bright torches/lamps might be worth bringing one along to help us clear up as the nights are drawing in even more 🙂

Kevin G0PEK and Lauren 2E0HLR on the Thames!

Folks,

Kevin G0PEK and Lauren 2E0HLR will be passing through our neck of the woods active on at least 2 metres.  I understand they will be on a boat on the Thames, possibly canoeing and operating radio. Possibly all at the same time. They will be at Wallingford on Friday.

Lauren is only 12 and has climbed all 214 ‘Wainwrights’ and is a great advocate for amateur radio.

Be sure to give them a shout and a great Thames Valley welcome.

Lauren, M6HLR – Wainwrights success

Thanks to Dave G0TKV for spotting this.

73

John

G4RDC

Website for the Reading And District Amateur Radio Club