THE FIRST CLASS C.W.

OPERATORS CLUB

NEWS SHEET 631

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

Editor: G4BUE

May 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 MAY ARE 80 & 20 METRES

This will be the last News Sheet to be produced from Florida until the autumn, as we return to the UK on 22 May for the summer. I hope those of you going to Washington this weekend, and to Dayton in two weeks time, have a great time and meet lots of members. I will await reports of both events with interest. Talking of meeting members, I was pleasantly surprised to QSO 52 different members among the 547 CW QSOs I made in the Florida QSO Party this last weekend. June made the 477 SSB QSOs (we did a multi-single all mode entry) and she also worked several of you on that mode (including one who never worked me on CW!). We used the FT-840 barefoot and so it was a good test for our new two element five band quad at 46 feet. I plan to put up a similar quad at our UK QTH this summer and if it works as well as the one out here, then we will be very pleased. I understand that many of you enjoyed the article on page 2 in the last issue of FOCUS about our new London Dinner venue at Greenwich. I have also since learnt that a number of overseas members are either coming, or strongly considering coming, for the 5 October function. The latest callsigns include N3BB, N4JT, DL7AKC, W9KNI, PABW and 4X4NJ along with their respective ladies. To book your tickets please contact Maud, her address is in the back of the FOC Call Book, and place your order. As mentioned in the FOCUS article we are now able to offer a choice of meals, and you should state when ordering your ticket your choice of either lamb, fish or vegetarian. Our thanks to Maud for her invaluable help with ticket sales. Although it is a little early in the year, I would like to take the opportunity to ask members if they are able to supply any raffle gifts for the days event and if they are able to accommodate a guest from overseas. Whilst the local Greenwich Ibis Hotel can offer quality accom-

EDITORIAL by G4BUE

modation at a very reasonable rate, (see G3MXJs note about the e-mail contact for the Ibis at the end of this article), FOC hospitality should be extended to overseas members or to perhaps UK members who are travelling a great distance for the event. Dennis, G3MXJ, and Tim, G4VXE, will be producing a FOC Website with more information about the location in due course but in the meantime, if you require any further information about 5 October, please e-mail either Dennis or myself. DE G3MXJ: There have been a couple of reports of problems booking rooms through the Accor Website. These now seem to have been resolved. Go to <www.accorhotels. com>. You can short-cut a lot of the steps by using the Direct Access/Express Reservation frame on the opening page. The hotel code is 0975 and you need to select Ibis as the brand. Again this year we will have the FOC Breakfast on Sunday 19 May at the Crown Plaza Hotel, 33 E. 5th Street, downtown Dayton, formerly the Stouffers Hotel. The time will be 8.30am, breakfast buffet only, and the cost is $8.25 each plus any tip. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. This is an informal affair, so enjoy yourself. Re-published from the Daily DX (Howie has decided to resign from FOC and by coincidence this reference to him has just been published in the Daily DX. Howie joined FOC in June 1964 and those visitors to Dayton will remember him as one of the organisers of the New Jersey DX Associations hospitality suite, at which FOC members were always given a very warm welcome. We wish Howie well and that he soon has a QSO with P5!- G4BUE Two of DXCCs leading DX men worked Ducie Island for country number 390. Steve Adell, KF2TI, Secretary of the North Jersey DX Association confirms Old Timers Howard Wolfe,

THE LONDON DINNER by G3VTT

DAYTON BREAKFAST by K8NW

W2AGW AND DUCIE ISLAND

W2AGW, and Ben Stevenson, W2BXA, worked the newest DXCC entity. These two top notch DXers have only missed three DXCC countries over the years - North Korea P5, French Indochina FI8, and Damao Diu CR8. The last two are deleted countries. Howie, who will be 96 next month, and Ben, in his late eighties, are still looking for a QSO with Ed, P5/4L4FN. For the record Ed Hawkins, K6ZO, also worked Ducie Island. The only countries the 87 year old DXer has not worked are French Indochina and Minerva Reef 1M. Ed has worked North Korea. Congratulations to all three of these top of the top DXers! I enjoyed W3URs mention of the several guys at the top of the DXCC totals - W2AGW (96 years old next month), W2BXA (late eighties) and K6ZO (87 years old). Ducie was number 390 for each of the three. These guys are at the very top of the DXCC list, says Bernie. K6ZO has worked P5/4L4FN; the other two have not. It is interesting that W2AGW and W2BXA both missed the same two deleted countries way back when, FI8 and CR8. K6ZO also missed FI8 and missed 1M, but did get CR8. I suppose that may mean that FI8 is the rarest of all DXCC countries ever, with CR8 the second rarest and 1M perhaps the third rarest - at least among DXCC participants still living. And, it shows the keys to DXCC success: work every country (entity) that comes on the air and live a long time. Will any of us ever reach the 400 level? Could be. Keep those new ones coming!. DJ6SI: Baldur was very QRV for ten days at the end of April as A25/DJ6SI on all bands from Maun, in the northern part of the country. DJ8FW: Ben was QRV at the end of March as CT3AS. EI5IY: Stans widow Jean now has his equipment up and running thanks to a visit from Denise and G4BUO. Dave says Jean Was extremely pleased that the station was back on the air with Stans 120 feet doublet, and would be very keen for FOC members to visit, and use the station. When you go there you can see why Jean and Stan both fell in love with the place, a marvellous view south to Dunmanus Bay, with Mount Gabriel beyond on the Mizen peninsula. It is excellent country for walking and touring, yachting etc. The station is usable on 80-10 metres, including WARC, and Stans Ten-Tec Corsair puts out about 80 watts on all bands. F5NZY: Steph will be in Djerba, Tunisia 8/15 May for a holiday and has sent a fax to the Tunisian Embassy asking for permission to be QRV as 3V8/F5NZY. G3IY: Jim puts his lower activity level this year down to the purchase of a new computer with Windows XP which he is getting to grips with, with help from G2FFO and GJWB. G3LIK: Congratulations to Allison and Mick who are getting married on 22 June.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by G3MXJ

Starred List
3. 4Z4KX (Mark): 4X4NJ, LZ1AF, G3UOF, N3JT, S5A, DL4CF, OK1RR, OH2KI, G3XSN, 4X1FC. 3. G3MBN (Brian): ZP6CW, G3XNG, K6TS, G4OEC, VA3LK, ZL1MH, W4LZ, WCGR, G3MCK, SV1AOW. 3. NSS (Tom): KT5X, K1JD, K2VCO, G3ZYV, W4QM, N3JT, G4CEO, G3XAQ, GM3JKS, PR7PO. 3. ZL2TX (Nigel): G3LCS, G3CWW, G3SXW, F3OA, ZL1MH, GM3YTS, KC7V, ZL2AZ. 2. G4OHX (Sam): VP2MT, G3CWW, W1HMD, VK6WT, SV1AOW, W6TZD. 2. HS/G3NOM (Ray): F5VHC, G4UZN, G3IGW, G3SED, VK2BJ, 5B4AGN, K3ZO, LZ1AF. 1. TL8DV (Dave): W5ZR, WIAK, W3MC, G4OEC, G3LCS, G4HZV, OZ5DX, K4BAI, GM3POI, DK8IT, N3JT, 9J2BO. 1. WK2G (Merill): VE3DZZ, K5DQ, W4AN, G3XNG, LZ1AF, G4SIE, KT5X, DJ5ZN. 1. G4TSH (Justin): G3WGV, G4BJM, GIVZ, ZF2NT, G4ZVJ, K4AO, G3VMW. 1. W8FJ (John): N3RS, K8MFO, ZS6QU, N3RD, K4LTA, GW3KGV, N2UU.

Invitations will be sent to GOPB and G3PJT. An objection to 4Z4KX has been considered by the Committee and overruled. Due to personal reasons, WA2SON has indicated that he does not wish to be considered for membership at this time.

Additional Nominations

MEMBERS NEWS by G4BUE

5. G3HJF (Jim): GM3JKS, G3MCK, G4BJM. 4. LA2TD (Odd): LA1IE. 4. SM7EH (Goesta): SM7BVO, SM6CLU. 4. K4OGG (Jay): K4BAI, W4AN, K4EWG, K4LTA. 4. LX1DA (Andre): OK1RR, SM3BCS. 3. N1TO (Ed): N4JT. 3. SV1LV (Castor): SV1AOW, VK8AV. 2. S53R (Robert): VK6VZ, OK1RR, G4ZVJ. 2. ON4WW (Mark): VK6VZ, G4ZVJ. 2. HS/OZ1HET (Finn): LA5HE, G3UOF, OZ5DX, K8JP, SMKV, SM6CLU, LA8XM, LZ1AF. 1. DU3NXE (Chuck): G4ZVJ. 1. G3PDH (Malcolm): G3LIK, GADE. 1. G3OWO (John): F5VHC. 1. GGKH (David) : G3LPN, GJWB. 1. GWKJ: G3WUX, G3LIK.

New Members

1774 G3ZRJ (Tony) A. C. T. Roskilly, 1 Haywood Cottages, Haywood, Callow, Herefordshire HR2 8BY; XYL - Sally; tel - 01432 279399; e-mail - <morse.key@btinternet. com>. 1775 N4XP (Tom) S. T. Harrell, 2011 New High Shoals Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677; XYL Linda (KB2MFL); tel - 706 769 9119; e-mail <n4xp@juno.com>. 1776 KF3B (Alan) A. D. Snyder, 971 Tower Road, Alburtis, PA 18011; tel - 610 941 0931; email - <kf3b@yardley.com>.

Amendments

G3IZD (1673): new address - 13 Thurlow Way, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria LA14 5XP . G4ZVJ (1564): add XYL - Nurie. GW3SYL (1387): transfer to Associate List.

K2ZR (1694): change address - 849 Fairmont Ave, North Tonawanda, NY 14120, USA. N8BR (1450): delete - subscription not received and no reply to correspondence. VK8AV (1526): amend telephone - 61 889 528 560. W1FH (834): resigned. W2AGW (A813): resigned. W4OO (985): amend telephone - 561 582 7936. G3LZK: Writing on 2 April, Barry says, I put up an inverted G5RV this afternoon which appears to be working and first call was answered by Andy, EA8CN, on 10 metres. It is good to be back again. G3MXJ: Anne and Dennis will be in France for two weeks from 2 May for the completion of the purchase of their new holiday home there. Dennis has shipped a Butternut vertical antenna so he can be QRV as F/G3MXJ. G3NOH: Together with G3HEJ, G3IAF and G3YXX, George was one of the operators of GB9MGY between 0930z 13 April to 0547z Monday 15 April, CW only, from Godalming, Surrey to commemorate the sinking of the Titanic, hence the rather strange finish time of 0547 when the ship actually foundered. G3VTT: Colin likes the Bands of the Month idea as it gives him an idea or where to concentrate his short bursts of operating time. He says, I have recently converted the 102 feet Collins doublet, fed with home-made 600 ohm line, to a switchable 35 feet vertical with top wire. I use an Edwardian double-pole knife switch, found in a Faversham flea market, to make the change over from doublet to vertical. The whole system took a day to devise and uses a tee match for the vertical. I only hope the insulation on the ancient switch holds out. If it doesnt, we shall be not amused!. G3XAQ: Alan will be QRV in the first week of May as J6/G3XAQ. He will visit St Vincent for a day to obtain a J8 reciprocal licence for later this year. G4BWP: Fred writes, Since Jens, DL7AKC, compiled the notes about this years Friedrichshafen on page 10 of FOCUS 50, the cost of the Ryan Air flight to Friedrichshafen from Stanstead has dropped. G5LP G4XRV and I are , booked at 46.23 each for a return trip. G4VXE: Tim is planning to visit a friend in Georgetown, Grand Cayman between 30 April and 13 May and will be QRV as ZF1VX. Tim says, Because my friend is not a radio amateur, I cannot take lots of equipment, but I will take my trusty FT-817 and some simple antennas. I will probably contact the guys at the club and see if there is any chance of using the club station, which might allow a rather louder signal! Bruces (ZF2NT) Web page about licencing in the Caymans was immensely useful. G4ZDB: Robbie will be moving to Newcastleunder-Lyme and will be QRT for some time thanks GW3KGV.

G4ZVJ: Congratulations to Nurie and Andy on getting married in February in Jakarta. It was a big traditional Javanese wedding and we spent our honeymoon in Lombok. We are planning to be at the Harrogate Get-Together and the London Dinner at Greenwich in October. K2ZR: Dick is leaving Key West about 6 May for the drive back to North Tonawanda, NY. K8NW: Mike has just become QRV again after being off for over a year and a half. I did have the beam up at 10 feet and was looking forward to the Marathon, but the antenna/ tower man told me he was coming to put up my new self-supporting tower so I took the beam down from its 10 feet nesting point. The tower man never came and it took me another month to get him out here to put it up. Now that it is up, I am a little more active, although I only have the beam up at this time. More wire later. KF7E: Jim writes, After much looking around, we decided to purchase this QTH, which we have been in for three years. It seems the developers (and their evil anti-antenna restrictions) are all headed this way. Since I can put up towers here, and Martha can have her gardens, we decided to do it. Now, in addition to the time consuming clean-up and chores that have been keeping me off the air a lot, I at least can look forward to planting the 70 feet tower that has been awaiting its turn for attention. This means I can get my trusty two element five band quad from its present 40 feet height to well above the trees. So I look forward to being able to put a better signal out by the end of summer, and catching up with the new members as well as friends of long standing. LU6EF: Raul is currently QRV as AY6EF. LZ1AF: Dimiter will be QRV 1/31 May as LZ2JP (together with other LZ stations) to mark the first visit of Pope John Paul II to Bulgaria on 23/25 May. Special QSL cards will be issued and QSL is via the operators call or via the bureau. N2AA: Gene was one of the operators at A61AJ at the end of March. N4KG: Good luck to Tom who is due to have aortic valve replacement surgery on 21 May. OH2KI: Jorma was QRV in April as FM/OH2KI. OZ6XT: Peter is now QRV with QRP (5 watts) with a FT-817 and 20m dipole 18 feet high. He says, It is not easy to work FOC stations with QRP status. Only the strong signals are answered, QRP stations must wait for hours just to make a few QSOs. S57NW: Congratulations to Jelka who gave birth to a baby girl named Hana on 5 April. The proud father is Gabor, YU7WJ - thanks DL7AKC. VA3CH: Denise and Charles left Florida on 20 April to return to Canada for the summer. VK6VZ: Steve writes, Ive been passing the time while the 160 metre conditions are poor by restoring/playing around with a couple of old valve receivers - a Collins R-390 and a Kingsley

AR7 (an Australian receiver from World War 2). Also on the go is a metamorphosising constructional project based on an HRO dial and capacitor, kindly donated by Bill, K4CIA. It started off as a CW transceiver, but seems to be turning into a tunable/switchable Cohen LC filter! The aim is to put together a 1960s style station and show a few young people what steam radio was like - and have some fun on low band CW (especially 160 metres) with the old equipment. I am very keen to get hold of a Panda Cub 160-10 metres 50W CW/AM transmitter to complete this station. If a UK member has one gathering dust in their shack/garage that they are prepared to part with, please could they e-mail me at <sire@iinet.net.au> or write to me. VP2MT: Ursula came back to the UK at the end of March and stayed in the Warwick Hospital for a while before being moved to The Ellen Badger Community Hospital, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire CV36 4AX - thanks G3LPN and VA3CH. Her daughter, Eileen, says Ursula is making good progress but they think it will be a long process. She and her brother are going to Florida on 22 May to arrange shipment of her belongings back to the UK and arrange for the house sale as Ursula does not feel she will be able to visit the USA again. W1FH: Chas has decided to resign from FOC due to bad health reasons - thanks W2MUM and W4QM. W1HMD: Larry recently had a heart attack but is now reported to be doing well - well enough to be at the Washington DC Dinner in May next month. Larry is home, but not quite ready for radio - thanks N3JT. (I have worked Larry twice in the last few days so he is continuing to progress well - G4BUE.) W4CK: Mark will be on Kwajalein Island 14/21 May and QRV as V73BL (the same call he used in 1990 from Kwajalein). He says there is Some chance of a side trip to Wake Island but a slimmer chance of obtaining permission to operate from KH9. Mark will also be QRV 1/8 August as HR/W4CK. W9IV: Mac wrote on 3 April As of today, I am back on the Internet and the amateur bands after two months in hospital, following a bad fall in which I suffered multiple fractures in my left femur. I am lucky to have emerged from such

(callsign in brackets indicate G4FOC operator)

FOC CALENDAR

May (G3LIK) 1/13 ZF1VX by G4VXE (631) 1/31 LZ2JP by LZ1AF (631) 2/16 F/G3MXJ (631) 3/4 North American Weekend (FOCUS 50) 3/9 J6/G3XAQ (631) 5 K3ZO & W3LPL Open Houses (FOCUS 50) 8/15 3V8/F5NZY? (631) 14/21 V73BL by W4CK (631) 17/19 Dayton Hamvention 19 Dayton Breakfast 22 Deadline for FOCUS 51 29 Deadline for June News Sheet 30 Con-Din Early Arrivers at DJ2BW (630) 31 Con-Din Buffet (FOCUS 50) June 1 Con-Din (FOCUS 50) 27 Deadline for July News Sheet 28/30 Friedrichshafen (FOCUS 50) July 6 Harrogate Get-Together (FOCUS 50) 10 Committee meeting an experience in good condition; at my age (a month short of 86) it could have killed me, or at least made life not worth living. As it is, however, I am looking forward to a nice summer with lots of amateur radio activity and many contacts with fellow FOC brethren. (To do something about my fist, which has become dreadful, I have acquired a Morse keyboard; after some practice I hope to be sending respectable code again!). ZS1EL: Vidi reports a Mini Dinner held in South Africa. He says, Jan and Phil, G3SWH, are in South Africa for a week and we had a wonderful get together at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront on 21 April. Kay and Al, ZS1AAX also joined the group. After a dinner at one of the many restaurants, we travelled to my QTH where Al, my XYL, Hester, ZS1ESU and I stood watching Phil in amazement as he worked 200 stations in a pile- up, which he started on 10 metres! Before the operating started I had to unpack the box containing my key collection so that I could provide a Vibroplex bug for Phil to use. To watch this artist at work was a pleasure in deed.

Score updates can be passed to G4BUE or any Committee member. An asterisk against the call indicates the score has been updated this month. Table shows the scores received by 2300z 29 April 2002. Two scores are total points and number of different members worked.
W4QM* W5ZR* G3LIK* G3KTZ* LZ1AF* G4BUE* SV1AOW W6TZD* G4BJM* KT4P* 573/326 465/275 330 314/219 310/222 297/220 290/203 265/194 237/178 218/154 K6LQA G3JZV* G3ZGC* K4EV* EA6ACC G4HZV* G3JJG* W4ZYT K5DQ KZ5D* 186 182/176 181 173/136 165/139 164/132 159/128 146/92 143/116 143/111 ZL1AH* K4EF VE3DZZ G4PKD* K6TS* G3NKS PABW* K2VCO* G5LP LY2PX* 143/119 140/118 122 116 112/99 109/102 107/87 104 102 102/93 WCGR G8VG W2DX* N4TY* K4XU W8LX* G2FFO* ZS1EL* G3MCK 100/81 83 83 82 77 76/67 75/71 75 71/70 W4CK G3IY* G2HKU F3AT G3LHJ* G3NOH OZ4FF* G3KKQ GW3SB 70 69 67 65 65 65/63 65 63 63/62 N4AF G3LCS W1HT K5CA LA5HE KC7V K6WG OH2EA OZ6XT* 56 55 54 51 42 37 29 10 8

THE 2002 BILL WINDLE CENTENARY AWARD