THE FIRST CLASS C.W.

OPERATORS CLUB

NEWS SHEET 627

(http://www.firstclasscw.org.uk)

Editor: G4BUE

January 2002

A man should keep his friendship in constant repair - Samuel Johnson (1755)
(3525, 7025, 10120-10125, 14025, 18080-18085, 21025, 24905-24910 and 28025kHz)

BANDS OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY ARE 160 & 20 METRES

June and I wish you all a very happy New Year. Let's hope that 2002 will be full of good health, good conditions and lots of CW activity on the bands. I will return to the activity theme after covering some other points. Please remember that all regular mail for FOCUS 50 and the February and March News Sheets should be sent to our Florida address (see W4/G4BUE in the Call Book), where we will be between 10 January and 9 March. If you have not paid your subscription for 2002, then you are overdue! If you wish to remain a member of FOC, then I suggest you get in touch with GW3KGV immediately, and in any case before the next Committee meeting on 9 January. With this News Sheet should be your Marathon, Windle and WAFOCC tick-sheets. Our thanks to G3WGV and G3MXJ who compiled them. The Windle tick-sheet reflects the new rules for 2002 (see the December News Sheet) and I intend running a progress table in the News Sheet if you give me your overall points score each month. As space permits, I will also run a table based on the 2001 rules (the total number of members worked) so we can compare scores with previous years. FOCUS 49 is also enclosed and I ask you to read my Editorial on page 1. I really do need more articles, photographs and contributions from you, please. With 2002 being the centenary of the birth of Bill Windle, the original G8VG, I thought it fitting to have his photograph on the front cover of FOCUS. My thanks to Pete, his son and the current holder of G8VG, for searching the family photographs to find it for me. Bill played such an important part in the history of FOC that after his death the Bill Windle Memorial Award was started from an idea by G3SXW in an attempt to encourage on-air activity, something which Bill felt very strongly about and the cause of many inactive members leaving the Club while he was Secretary. G3SXW once wrote that within FOC, the name Windle has been used as a noun (as in I got a new Windle this morning), an adjective (Thanks for the Windle point) and a verb (I had a great time Windleing on 025 last night). Rogers description is as true today as when he wrote that, but

EDITORIAL by G4BUE

since then the Club has become embroiled in a debate as to what should constitute activity, and consequently the type of radio amateur we should be encouraging to join, or not to join, FOC. The new Committee will very shortly be addressing this important issue and, as always, will welcome your views and opinions. In an attempt to initiate more debate and assist the Committee in their difficult task, I am publishing the views of two members who responded to G3WUXs Christmas Message in the December News Sheet, and the Editorial by G3XTT from the CDXC Digest. The latter carries an opinion as to why the day to day level of ragchewing on the bands is declining but the level of contest and DXing activity is increasing. It is an opinion that I had not really considered before. How about you? Bob, GADE, writes, Just to let you know that I think the article on the front page of the December News Sheet by G3WUX is the best that has appeared on the front page in regards to operating that we have seen in a long time. Congratulations to that young fella. Hopefully a lot of the boys will take heed and get the club back to CW operating in the proper way again. John, G3JVC, writes, Interesting to read the bit by G3WUX in the December News Sheet on activity. I checked my computer log, which I began in January 1994, and it would seem that I have never had a QSO with Terry, or, heard others in QSO with him, during that period. This applies to several other members of the Committee, and lots of the members too. I think this problem seems to revolve around individual operating habits. Perhaps it is time for each member to describe their average daily operating regime, for example I normally get on the bands around 1000z, beginning on LF, then after lunch I go HF. After tea I am back on LF, and around 2200 on HF into the early hours. Perhaps if each member was asked to produced a simple schedule, such as that and without a commitment in stone, which could be included in the Call Book, then at least one would have a better chance of finding them, without going to the extent of arranging a sked via e-mail for that missing Windle point, which must be cheating. On Terrys note about insufficient contests for novices, I cannot agree with that. Becoming

proficient at hitting a couple of keyboard keys, and sending 5NN continuously does not make for a fluent and capable CW operator. One has only to listen to some of our existing members and note the fumbling that goes on once they are drawn into sending text for a while. And our Club and members are supposed to be setting an example as the best 500 around!. In a later writing, John says, As a working lad my hobby had to fit around my work shift patterns. However, I was still able to take the odd check on the bands by using a spare receiver and the 300 acre antenna farm at my work QTH whilst having a coffee break. I always envied the retired members of the Club, who, it then appeared, were having such a great time whilst the workers toiled, and I very much looked forward to a similar situation when I retired. When it happened, this was the case for a while, but the Internet has, in my view, had a disastrous impact on general amateur radio, and maybe on the activity of FOC. This may have been self inflicted by the introduction of the Discussion Group, enticing people off the air to chat on line, as opposed to being on the key. I did not subscribe to the Discussion Group for that reason, but the news and information update service I did find very useful.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by G3MXJ

Starred List
3. VK3XU (Drew) : G4BUE, ZL1MH, G3IGW, VK6VZ, G4FM, G3IGW, G3LCS, F5VEX. 2. MCVR (Dan) : GJWB, GADE, G4OEC, G3XNG, G4CEO, G8VG, AC5K, W5ZR, K9QVB, W1HMD, K1JD, W8XM. 2. G4PPG (Jim) : G3HSP G3CWW, G3IY, AC5K, K9QVB. , 2. EI6FR (Declan) : 9V1YC, W4ZYT, K5DQ YV1NX, F5VEX, VK6VZ, GM3YTS, G3NKS, G4YNU. 2. W8LX ( Rob) : KT4P, DL4CF, G4OEC, HB9QO, W3MC, W9NN, W8LX. 1. N4XP (Tom) : OK1GT, OK1KT, SM5COP N1DG, SM3EVR, , K4BAI, KC7V, EA8CN, G4CEO, G3SXW, G4PKT, GEBW. 1. G3ZRJ (Tony) : G4VXE, G8VG, G4BUO, VP2MT, ZL1AH, K9WA. 1. KF3B (Alan) : N3RS, DK8IT, G3IY, G3ZYV, ZL1AH, DL4CF, EA8CN.

An invitation will be sent to ND4AA. An objection to LY2PX is under consideration by the Committee.

Additional Nominations

Those who read my RadCom column may recall that in the October issue, I commented on how quiet the HF bands can be, especially during the week. One reader took me to task, saying that this was because the RSGB and other bodies encouraged competitive HF activity to the detriment of day-to-day rag-chewing. Ive been thinking about this, especially in the light of a brainstorming session I attended recently regarding the future of amateur radio. At that session, the majority of those present felt that there was a definite trend in the hobby towards the competitive aspects, albeit recognising that some specialist activities such as QRP and PSK are also on the increase. I wonder whether the answer is really very simple, but we try to turn our backs on it. Which is that the Internet really has taken over the simple day-to-day communications aspect of amateur radio. I know of one friend, an early G4, so not exactly a recent licensee, who no longer goes on the bands to maintain his regular skeds with friends in the USA and elsewhere, but uses Internet telephony. With a flat rate Internet connection, the marginal cost of such communications is zero and, in his case at least, there is an added benefit in that he no longer needs outside antennas or risks TVI (he lives in an apartment in Central London). My son, who at one stage got halfway through a Novice course, found he could communicate very effectively via the Internet, and lost interest in the amateur radio side. For example, when he got into designing Web pages, if he reached an impasse he would simply post a question on one of the bulletin boards and invari-

(Republished from the Editorial of November 2001 CDXC Digest, journal of the Chiltern DX Club (CDXC)

EDITORIAL by Don Field, G3XTT, Editor of the CDXC Digest

6. K5ALU (Red) : K5XK, W5GEL, K5DQ, KT4P, G3NOH. 5. N1RL (Rick) : VA3LK, W9NN. 5. K6MD (Jerry) : K6TS. 5. MUFAL (Colin) : N4AF. 4. K1LKP (Carmen) : K2ZR, K1JD, W4PM, W1FZY. 4. K8LSB (Marc) : K2ZR. 3. 4Z4KX (Mark) : 4X4NJ. 3. N5AW (Marv) : ZP6CW. 3. G3MBN (Brian) : ZP6CW, G3XNG. 3. G3PJT (Bob) : 5B4AGC, G3WGV, ZL1AH, G3SXW. 3. ZL2TX (Nigel) : G3LCS, G3CWW, G3SXW, F3OA, ZL1MH. 2. HS/G3NOM (Ray) : F5VHC, G4UZN, G3IGW. 1. GOPB (Tony) : G4VXE. 1. NSS (Tony) : KT5X, K1JD. 1. G4OHX (Sam) : VP2MT. 1. G3HJF (Jim) : GM3JKS.

Amendments

G3KGB (664): Resigned. G4SIE (1503): new address - 35 Princes Gardens, Blyth, Northumberland NE24 5HL; telephone - 01670 360188. ably would receive several, extremely knowledgeable replies. With the Internet offering this unbelievable level of interconnectivity, and the problems increasingly faced in getting on the air, it is perhaps not surprising that day-to-day activity is on the wane. The RSGB HF Convention was a great success yet again, and I think here is a pointer to something which CDXC is at the very heart of. What the Internet does not, and cannot do, is provide the sort of thrill and challenge that comes from competitive amateur radio. The chase involved in snagging a DX station, or the cut and thrust of contesting is simply alien to the predictable environment of the Internet. You are up against the vagaries of propagation, the technical challenges involved in building and maintaining a competitive station and, obviously, the operating challenge itself. This, I suspect, is why contesting and DXing have not faded in the way that ragchewing ap-

What can we do in CDXC? Well, your Committee is already hard at work preparing presentation material which will be downloadable from our Web page, and can be used when, for example, speaking about DXing at radio clubs. It looks as though we probably need something similar for contesting as well. But, either way, it looks as though CDXC has quite a task ahead in helping to nurture one of the aspects of the hobby which has survivability and which is therefore crucial to its future.

pears to have done. Even our VHF bands are dead nowadays, but when an aurora appears on 2 metres or Sporadic E on 6 metres, all hell breaks loose. It seems that there is plenty of enthusiasm still out there, and it is a form of enthusiasm that CDXC is ideally placed to nurture and encourage. What is more, this sort of competition is exactly what is needed to bring about the self training which many of us still believe is an important aspect of the hobby. To that extent, it is perhaps surprising that many radio amateurs remain in ignorance of these exciting pastures. D68C and the article in RadCom which preceded it, actually served to educate many amateurs in how to get on and work DX. Hopefully, at least some of them will stick at it. On the contesting front, the HF Contests Committee is recognising that, again, there is widespread ignorance in our ranks. At Windsor, one of the really keen new DXers in CDXC was heard to say that, as far as contesting was concerned, he really didnt know where to start. Curiously, there isnt really a how to book to point him to, either - maybe a sequel to DXpeditioning, Behind the Scenes is required!

4X4NJ: Riki was QRV as 4X3A in the Stew Perry Topband Challenge 28/29 December. 9V1YC: James will be part of a multi-national group to be QRV from South Georgia and South Sandwich in late January and early February. The group have secured the Braveheart (used to take the ZL9CI team) for a 30 day period and the exact dates and callsigns will not be announced until they are QRV Other members . of the group include new member K4UEE and EI6FR who is currently on the Starred List. Planning for the DXpedition has been going on for two years and is being funded by the team members and a grant from NCDXF. They will not have a Website, on-line logs, pilot station or promises of bands or modes and their objective is to give as many as possible an overall new one. Due to environmental concerns the team will have ultra-light generators, simple antennas and low power. South Georgia ranks 17 on the ARRL Most Wanted List while South Sandwich ranks 20 - thanks Daily DX. DJ8FW: Ben was QRV as CT3AS in December. DL8LBK: Karsten was on holiday in Palm Desert, California in December and was QRV as W6/DL8LBK for a couple of hours. He thanks K6DDO, who spontaneously invited us to visit him in Hollywood and says, Dave gave us a great insight into the history of Hollywood, showed us many photographs and played the

MEMBERS NEWS by G4BUE

tourist guide. We enjoyed it very much!. F5NZY: Steph bought a new IC756PRO to replace his IC765 recently and has been having problems with receiving on it. The French dealer does not want to help but Icom France are trying to find a solution for him. Steph says, There is nothing I can read on the IC756PRO that I cannot read on the IC756. I am not sure that DSP is the solution for us but good crystal filters sound to me to be the best solution. Of course, the colour TFT screen is really superb, but that has nothing to do with a good CW transceiver, of course! The audio is nice, with bass. So, save your money and hope! Do not purchase an IC756PRO!. GIVZ: Jan was QRV in the ARRL Ten Meter Contest as M5X with G4TSH. G3GPE: Ex-member Ken Smethurst is listed as a Silent Key in the January RadCom. Ken was a member of FOC (629) between May 1959 and May 1968 and also held the call signs GI3GPE, VQ4IN and 9M6KS - thanks ZL1AH. G3IGW: Congratulations to Mike who, not only celebrated his 70th birthday in 2001, but 50 years with his call sign. He has averaged 40.42 QSOs per week for the whole of that 50 years. G3KGB: Ron has decided to resign from FOC after what he describes as a lengthy and very enjoyable association. He says he is no longer as active on the bands as he thinks members should be and would like to leave his slot for an up and coming operator on the QRX listing. Ron says that he has for some time been of the opinion that the Club has lost touch with the ideals of the OM, the late G8VG, and his concern that CW chatting was the life-blood of our Club. Just being QSX on the bands leads me to think that e-mailing has become the norm amongst members and just finding stations to chat with on the lower bands is not at all easy. G3LIK: Congratulations to Allison and Mick on getting engaged in Florida in December. G3YXX: Liz and David will be in EA8 in early January and hope to meet EA8CN again. G4PKD: Some great news from Jack. He writes, Lorraine and I are both over the moon about our recent news. After lots of treatment over the last two years for cancer, we were told that the laser treatment one me has been successful. The feeling is better than winning the lottery. Money doesnt mean a thing. GW3SB: Chas had a heart attack in November but is making a good recovery and has been on the air for a few contacts. K2LE: Andy will be QRV 29 January/2 March as P4/K2LE (or possibly P4LE) in the Marathon and WARC bands and as P49V in the ARRL DX CW Contest (M/S). Andy says he worked a ton of members during the CQ WW CW Contest at the end of November, but I cannot get on the air from the home QTH right now. I have to drive to Vermont (320 km away), thus activity outside contests is low. I will be trying to remedy this awkward situation next spring. K2OZ: Paul is still QRV with a TS850 and 140 feet wire from his sons QTH but is very restricted as he spends 21 hours a day in bed. He spends three hours daily in a wheelchair when he can use the rig but is finding it uncomfortable using the paddle - thanks G3JVC.

K4UEE: Congratulations to Bob for being a member of the VP2E team that just set the new North America record in the CW WW Phone contest. The previous record, set at VP2KC, stood for an unprecedented 22 years. Bob had mixed emotions about the results as he was a member of the original VP2KC team as well. K5RC: Tom was QRV in the CQ WW CW and ARRL Ten Meter Contests with his club call NV7A. He worked 57 members among his 1334 QSOs (4%) in the Ten Meter Contest. Tom has developed a computer file to use with most logging programs such as WriteLog, CT and NA. The file is a merge of the newest master.dta with foc.dta. FOC members have their call and name truncated together so N3BB will show up as N3BB and as N3BBJim. Non-FOC members do not have a name in their call. You can also enter a name in the call sign field and it will return all calls with that name, ie entering Clive will return GW3NJW and GM3POI. K5VT: PIARA are planning a second attempt to be QRV from Ducie Island (new DXCC Entity) in the middle of March and Vince will again be one of the operators. They will depart from Mangareva on 12 March in the ship Braveheart (the same ship being used by 9V1YC and the VP8 DXpedition in January) and use a VP6 call sign (to be announced). There will be 24 hour operation on 21020kHz and 21295kHz, and 28495kHz and 14195kHz will be the other main SSB frequencies and 14020kHz the other main CW frequency. They will also be QRV on other bands (6-160 metres) and some RTTY. N7BG: Tony will be QRV in the Marathon as PJ2T from the newly rebuilt PJ9JT QTH. The Caribbean Contesting Consortium (Tony is a member) has renovated the entire facility and now have a world class station for SOAB, MS or MM operations. Tony will be trying to break the Marathon record. OK1RP: Petr has formed the Sommer Style Club where Sommer, DJ2UT, beam owners can share hints and tips about the beams, field tests, updates, extensions and help each other etc. If any member is interested in joining the group, Petr will be pleased to hear from you, <ok1rp@qsl.net>. Petr hopes to move to a new QTH in 2002 in Kostice near Louny (about 50 miles north of Prague) where he will install his Sommer XP504 beam and other antennas. SM5COP: Rune is part of a Scandinavian team QRV 4/11 February from Sao Tome as S9LA CW, SSB, PSK31, RTTY and possibly SSTV on 6-160 metres. They will have two 24 hour stations with an emphasis on the LF and WARC bands and 6 metres - thanks Daily DX. SM6CLU: Len was QRV from EA8 at the end of December. VK6VZ: Steve was planning to be QRV 29/30 December in the Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge from Australias first lighthouse as VK6VZ/6 at Cape Leeuwin. Special QSL cards are available via Steve - thanks Daily DX. W1CW: Ellen reports that Bob is making a really good recovery although it will take a while for him to regain vitality. He cant develop much enthusiasm these days even for amateur radio, although I am reasonably hopeful this is temporary! He is taking cardiac rehab thrice weekly

(callsign in brackets indicate G4FOC operator)

FOC CALENDAR

until Apr V31JP by K8JP (622) Until Apr ZF2NT by N6NT (624) Until 1 May NA-062 by K2ZR/4 (626/7) January 1 Final date for 2002 subscriptions 9 Committee meeting 12/13 Galveston Gathering (621) 23/6 Feb SV5/G3JZV (626) 29/2 Mar P4/K2LE by K2LE (627) 29 Deadline February News Sheet (FLA) 31 Deadline for Windle entries to GW3KGV Late Jan/Feb VP8 by 9V1YC & K4UEE (627) February 1/3 Marathon 9G5XA by G3XAQ (625) G4FOC by G3WUX PJ2T by N7BG (627) P4/K2LE by K2LE (627) SV5 by G3JZV (625) V31JP by K8JP (625) W4/G4BUE (627) 4/11 S9LA by SM5COP + others (627) 15 Deadline for FOCUS 50 (FLA) 26 Deadline for March News Sheet (FLA) March VP8 (Ducie Isl) by K5VT + others (627) and a few more weeks of that should help. W1RM: Pete writes, the long anticipated addition for our QTH (1100 square feet of new amateur radio shack/office, master bedroom and bath and a media room plus new basement area) is about to start. If we get our building permit digging will commence Christmas week. Unless we have some unbelievably bad weather, construction will continue through the winter. The plan calls for completion 16 weeks after start, so that will put me back in action somewhere around the end of April. During the period of construction, all the coax will be removed from the house so I will be off the air. W2MEL: Al is using a new 204 feet centre-fed with 96 feet of open-wire at 77 feet for LF. W9KNI: Bob reports that Bencher has recently had a minor problem with its sub-contractor that produces the chrome bases for the Mercury (N2DAN) and BY2 Bencher paddles. The bases have minor blemishes in the plating and are unsuitable for use in their normal manufacturing run. Bob is proposing to assemble some paddles using these bases and will make them available to FOC members at a significant discount over the normal price. Anyone interested should contact Bob direct. W9NN: Congratulations to Bob and Al, K4FW, on making a QSO at 1600z on 17 November on 40 metres to celebrate their first QSO made at 1246EST 17 November 1923, 78 years ago. Bob and Al are both 95 years old ZL1AH: John is due to attend his grandsons wedding in Sweden in 2002 and may be able to include attending the Annual Dinner at Greenwich afterwards.