WESTLAKES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Inc.
Weekly Broadcast 21st March 2010.
This is a summary of news and events for Amateur Radio Operators on behalf of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.
The Broadcast can be heard at 09.00 hrs Each Sunday on 146.775 MHz and is followed by the VK1WIA news. There is a replay on 80 metres Sunday morning and again at 19.00 hrs courtesy Warren VK2UWP. Tune to 3.565 +-.
Those who attended the club yesterday had to eat humble pie. Gloria was away leaving the catering duties to Barry VK2BZ, who I must admit serves up a reasonable pie and sausage roll. Mushrooms as well as peas were an option to go with the pies. But fear not Gloria they just could not compete.
Barry had to run solo yesterday as his back up Dave VK2RD is away touring.
During the afternoon the club played host to past member Alan Forster VK1AL. After a nostalgic tour of the premises Alan promptly filled out a membership application form. This will be presented at the April 10 General meeting. Alan anticipates residing in the Rathmines area in the near future
Barry VK2BZ drew this weeks meat tray allowing Alex VK2ZM to take it home.
The draw however, was not without incident as I inadvertently emptied the barrel prior to the draw, to the best of our knowledge all the tickets were returned allowing the draw to continue.
As next Saturday is the Easter weekend and the possibility of a very reduced attendance there will not be a meat tray on offer.
Mark your calendar for the following Westlakes events..
April 17. Video presentation of the 1996 Dx-pedition to Peter1 Island
Antartica. Courtesy Oscar K1 IYD
Project days Activity Room:-
Unfortunately yesterdays introduction to making a signal generator was a non event. Our lecturer failed to arrive. At this stage it is not known when Les will be available but it appears that the series will be put back one month making April 24 the introduction to a signal generator and May 22 The assembly of the above project.
We apologies to those who waited in vain yesterday.
Another event which it is hoped will gain a good response is the CQ repeater contest 1st to 7th May. Open to all VK’s, all you need is the ability to access UHF/VHF repeaters. The rules can be found on the club’s website.
Westlakes Mini field day will be held Sunday May 30. Gates open 9am.
As in the past quality items are welcome for the auction.
Last Tuesday The Norah Head Lighthouse Trust held their monthly meeting and as the Lighthouse weekend was on the agenda I was invited to attend representing Westlakes ARC
It was pleasing to note the amount of enthusiasm shown by this group who intend campaigning via the various chamber of commerce in the area to promote the event. Suggestions will be sought on means to attract public interest in our hobby over the August weekend so put on your thinking caps.
Accommodation is still available for the Lighthouse weekend August 22/21, persons wishing to book for the weekend are asked to contact Barrie VK2CXA 0402 332830
Classes for the Standard licence will start Saturday afternoons at Westlakes ARC’s classroom commencing April 10 at 13.00 hrs.
Classes run for approximately 2 hours.
Although this initial class has been oversubscribed John VK2BAR has agreed to go ahead. I believe 12 persons have nominated. Initially 10 was the cut off point.
Persons wishing to study for a future Standard or Advanced class licence are asked to contact the Club Secretary.
Our oldest member, Bill Hall VK2XT is at present in Toronto hospital. Fortunately the reason is not life threatening and Bill expects to be discharged tomorrow.
Thanks to Norm Stanley VK2BNS for passing along the information
International News.
New format of hard drive storage coming in 2011
Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP reports.
Hard drives are about to undergo one of the biggest format shifts in 30 years.
By early 2011 all magnetic hard drives will use an advanced format that changes how they go about saving the data people store on them.
The move to the advanced format will make it easier for hard drive makers to produce bigger drives that use less power and are more reliable. However, it might also mean problems for Windows XP users who swap an old drive for one using the changed format.
According to Science On-Line, since the days of the original DOS operating system, the space on a hard drive has been formatted into blocks 512 bytes in size based on the floppy disks of that era. Each 512 byte sector has a marker showing where it begins and an area dedicated to storing error correction codes. In addition a tiny gap has to be left between each sector.
While 512 bytes made sense hard drives were only a few megabytes in size, its of less significance when drives can hold a terabyte or more of data. As a result, in large drives this wasted space where data cannot be stored can take up a significant proportion of the drive.
Drive makers say that moving to an advanced format of 4 kilobyte sectors means about eight times less wasted space. This will allow drives to devote twice as much space per block to error correction technology.
That concluded Westlakes segment of this week news
If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz
Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in
general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please
wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be
addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
De VK2FJL
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
WARC NEWSWESTLAKES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Inc.
WESTLAKES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Inc.
Weekly Broadcast 21st March 2010.
This is a summary of news and events for Amateur Radio Operators on behalf of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.
The Broadcast can be heard at 09.00 hrs Each Sunday on 146.775 MHz and is followed by the VK1WIA news. There is a replay on 80 metres Sunday morning and again at 19.00 hrs courtesy Warren VK2UWP. Tune to 3.565 +-.
A reasonable group gathered in the Library yesterday where Marcel VK2FMDB gave a very informative talk and display on the Linux operating system.
Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail the various questions that were posed Marcel. Linux appears almost too good to be true.
This weeks meat tray was drawn early to allow the lecture to proceed uninterrupted. Barry VK2BZ walzed home with the goodies once again.
Rumour has it that last week winner Geoff VK2GL failed to take his prize home requiring a return trip to the club to allow dinner to proceed, albiet a little late.
If memory serves this is the second time that Geoff has had a memory loss where the meat tray was concerned.
Those in the Activity room yesterday were witness to a masterpiece of electronic assembly and precision soldering where Norm VK2KNC carried out a major modification to a black box belonging to VK2ZG. Well done Norman.. All it has to do is work!!!!
Mark your calendar for the following Westlakes events..
April 17. Video presentation of the 1996 Dx-pedition to Peter1 Island
Antartica. Courtesy Oscar K1 IYD
Project days Activity Room:-
March 27 Assembly of a Signal Injector probe Les Smith
April 24 TBC. Assembly of an AF-RF Signal Tracer Les Smith.
Another event which it is hoped will gain a good response is the CQ repeater contest 1st to 7th May. Open to all VK’s, all you need is the ability to access UHF/VHF repeaters. The rules can be found on the club’s website.
This week end hosts the John Moyle Field Day. While Westlakes did not enter as a club several of our members are taking part. We trust all involved are enjoying great propagation with plenty of contacts.
Westlakes Mini field day will be held Sunday May 30. Gates open 9am.
As in the past quality items are welcome for the auction.
Richard VK2FRMA has successfully passed his Advanced Licence exam and is awaiting a new call sign, possibly VK2CRA. Richard doesn’t believe in letting the grass grow under his feet. Congratulations Richard
Accommodation is still available for the Lighthouse weekend August 27/28 persons wishing to book for the weekend are asked to contact Barrie VK2CXA 0402 332830
International and National News..
Solar power efficiency break-through
Technology has been developed in Australia that makes solar panels four times more efficient in converting the sun’s rays into electricity and at a third the price. A company called Technique Solar will commercial produce the new panels there were originally developed at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). The new panels that can produce 1kW of power use acrylic lenses to focus the sun’s rays on photovoltaic cells, and the panel also tracks the sun as it moves across the sky. Car parts firm Magna Cosma International which more than 200 plants in 50 countries is set to make prototypes and could if negotiations are successful be the global manufacturer of the panels under licence.
NASA Science News for March 18, 2010
Researchers who once confidently stated that the Moon was bone-dry are now thinking the unthinkable: The Moon has so much water, there's actually a "lunar hydrosphere." International spacecraft have recently discovered no fewer than three "flavours" of moonwater and no one knows when the discoveries will end.
Back to the local scene
Classes for the Standard licence will be held Saturday afternoons at Westlakes ARC’s classroom commencing April 10 at 13.00 hrs.
Persons wishing to study for either Standard or Advanced class licence are asked
To contact the Secretary ASAP.
If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz
Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
That concluded Westlakes segment of this week news.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in
general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please
wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be
addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
De VK2FJL
Weekly Broadcast 21st March 2010.
This is a summary of news and events for Amateur Radio Operators on behalf of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.
The Broadcast can be heard at 09.00 hrs Each Sunday on 146.775 MHz and is followed by the VK1WIA news. There is a replay on 80 metres Sunday morning and again at 19.00 hrs courtesy Warren VK2UWP. Tune to 3.565 +-.
A reasonable group gathered in the Library yesterday where Marcel VK2FMDB gave a very informative talk and display on the Linux operating system.
Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail the various questions that were posed Marcel. Linux appears almost too good to be true.
This weeks meat tray was drawn early to allow the lecture to proceed uninterrupted. Barry VK2BZ walzed home with the goodies once again.
Rumour has it that last week winner Geoff VK2GL failed to take his prize home requiring a return trip to the club to allow dinner to proceed, albiet a little late.
If memory serves this is the second time that Geoff has had a memory loss where the meat tray was concerned.
Those in the Activity room yesterday were witness to a masterpiece of electronic assembly and precision soldering where Norm VK2KNC carried out a major modification to a black box belonging to VK2ZG. Well done Norman.. All it has to do is work!!!!
Mark your calendar for the following Westlakes events..
April 17. Video presentation of the 1996 Dx-pedition to Peter1 Island
Antartica. Courtesy Oscar K1 IYD
Project days Activity Room:-
March 27 Assembly of a Signal Injector probe Les Smith
April 24 TBC. Assembly of an AF-RF Signal Tracer Les Smith.
Another event which it is hoped will gain a good response is the CQ repeater contest 1st to 7th May. Open to all VK’s, all you need is the ability to access UHF/VHF repeaters. The rules can be found on the club’s website.
This week end hosts the John Moyle Field Day. While Westlakes did not enter as a club several of our members are taking part. We trust all involved are enjoying great propagation with plenty of contacts.
Westlakes Mini field day will be held Sunday May 30. Gates open 9am.
As in the past quality items are welcome for the auction.
Richard VK2FRMA has successfully passed his Advanced Licence exam and is awaiting a new call sign, possibly VK2CRA. Richard doesn’t believe in letting the grass grow under his feet. Congratulations Richard
Accommodation is still available for the Lighthouse weekend August 27/28 persons wishing to book for the weekend are asked to contact Barrie VK2CXA 0402 332830
International and National News..
Solar power efficiency break-through
Technology has been developed in Australia that makes solar panels four times more efficient in converting the sun’s rays into electricity and at a third the price. A company called Technique Solar will commercial produce the new panels there were originally developed at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). The new panels that can produce 1kW of power use acrylic lenses to focus the sun’s rays on photovoltaic cells, and the panel also tracks the sun as it moves across the sky. Car parts firm Magna Cosma International which more than 200 plants in 50 countries is set to make prototypes and could if negotiations are successful be the global manufacturer of the panels under licence.
NASA Science News for March 18, 2010
Researchers who once confidently stated that the Moon was bone-dry are now thinking the unthinkable: The Moon has so much water, there's actually a "lunar hydrosphere." International spacecraft have recently discovered no fewer than three "flavours" of moonwater and no one knows when the discoveries will end.
Back to the local scene
Classes for the Standard licence will be held Saturday afternoons at Westlakes ARC’s classroom commencing April 10 at 13.00 hrs.
Persons wishing to study for either Standard or Advanced class licence are asked
To contact the Secretary ASAP.
If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz
Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
That concluded Westlakes segment of this week news.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in
general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please
wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be
addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
De VK2FJL
Saturday, March 13, 2010
WESTLAKES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Inc.
Weekly Broadcast 14th March 2010.
This is a summary of news and events for Amateur Radio Operators on behalf of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.
The Broadcast can be heard at 09.00 hrs Each Sunday on 146.775 MHz and is followed by the VK1WIA news. There is a replay on 80 metres Sunday morning and again at 19.00 hrs courtesy Warren VK2UWP. Tune to 3.565 +-.
We begin with news of a Silent Key Members of the Port Stephens ARC were saddened to learn of the passing on the 26th January 2010 of Bill Neil VK2KWN . I believe Bill was actively involved in the training program for the club. He will be sadly missed
Vale Bill Neil VK2KWN
Westlakes March meeting was held yesterday where a very pleasing number of members attended.
Among matters discussed were the acceptance of three applications for membership. Richard Armstrong who since filling out his application has passed his Foundation exam and is now VK2FRMA. and Col Cuneo who intends along with Richard to sit for their Standard licence. We wish them every success
Past member Michael Mihailovic VK2OZ has reapplied. All three applications were approved by the meeting. Congratulations, We trust that your association with Westlakes ARC will be an enjoyable one.
Geoff VK2GL enjoyed his recent tasty meat tray win so much that he accepted the prize again this week courtesy of last week multiple winner Greg VK2CW..
In past years March must have been a very productive month. Yesterday those member in attendance celebrated multiple March birthday’s, in excess of five members were honoured with a very nice chocolate cake courtesy of Gloria. Happy Birthday to all.
VK2ZG, I was advised not to mention to you that the cake was filled with ice cream. But why lie. Pity you were not there Norm, however rest easy as Allan ate your share.
Mark your calendar for the following Westlakes events..
Lectures Library:-
March 20 next Saturday 13.30 Follow up lecture on Linux by Marcel VK2FMDB.
April 17. Video presentation of the 1996 Dx-pedition to Peter1 Island
Antartica. Courtesy Oscar K1 IYD
Project days Activity Room:-
March 27 Assembly of a Signal Injector probe Les Smith
April 24 TBC. Assembly of an AF-RF Signal Tracer Les Smith.
Another event which it is hoped will gain a good response is the CQ repeater contest 1st to 7th May. Open to all VK’s, all you need is the ability to access UHF/VHF repeaters. The rules can be found on the club’s website.
International and National News..
Lip reading mobile promises end to noisy phone calls
Technology that could see an end to the bane of many commuters - people talking loudly on their mobile phones - has been shown off by researchers.
The prototype device could allow people to conduct silent phone conversations.
The technology measures the tiny electrical signals produced by muscles used when someone speaks.
The device can record these pulses even when a person does not audibly utter any words and use them to generate synthesised speech in another handset.
"I was taking the train and the person sitting next to me was constantly chatting and I thought 'I need to change this'," Professor Tanja Shultz of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology told BBC News.
"We call it silent communication."
The device, on show at the Cebit electronics fair in Germany, relies on a technique called electromyography which detects the electrical signals from muscles. It is commonly used to diagnose certain diseases, including those that involve nerve damage.
The prototype that is on display in Germany uses nine electrodes that are stuck to a user's face.
These capture the electrical potentials that result from you moving your articulatory muscles," explained Professor Shultz. "Those are the muscles that you need in order to produce speech."
The electrical pulses are then passed to a device which records and amplifies them before transmitting the signal via Bluetooth to a laptop.
There, software translates the signals into text, which can then be spoken by a synthesiser.
In the future, said Professor Shultz, the technology could be packed in a mobile phone for instantaneous communication.
Nanometre 'fuses' for high-performance batteries
Minuscule tubes coated with a chemical fuel can act as a power source with 100 times more electrical power by weight than conventional batteries.
As these nano-scale "fuses" burn, they drive an electrical current along their length at staggering speeds.
The never-before-seen phenomenon could lead to a raft of energy applications.
Researchers reporting in Nature Materials say that unlike normal batteries, the nanotubes never lose their stored energy if left to sit.
The team, led by Michael Strano of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coated their nanotubes - cylinders just billionths of a metre across - with a chemical fuel known as cyclo trimethylene trinitramine.
"One property that nanotubes have is that they conduct heat very, very well along their length, up to a hundred times faster than in metals," Dr Strano told BBC News.
"We asked what would happen if you perform a chemical reaction near one of these, and the first thing we found is the nanotube will guide the reaction, accelerating it up to 10,000 times."
The team used a laser or an electric spark to set off the reaction in a bundle of coated carbon nanotubes, filming the results using a high-speed camera.
But they also found that, through a mechanism that is still poorly understood, the process creates a useful voltage - a phenomenon they have dubbed "thermopower waves".
Their nanotube bundles carry, gram for gram, up to 100 times as much energy as a standard lithium-ion battery.
Since just a tiny amount of energy is needed to start the reaction before it becomes self-sustaining, Dr Strano says it could be initiated in a small device with the energy in the push of a finger.
And unlike standard batteries, the stored energy would not leak away over time, and requires none of the toxic, non-renewable metals in many batteries.
Back to the local scene
Classes for the Standard licence will be held Saturday afternoons at Westlakes ARC’s classroom commencing April 10 at 13.00 hrs. As it is proposed to keep the classes to 10 candidates I’m advised that following a great response that there is room for just one more.
Persons wishing to study for either Standard or Advanced class licence are asked
To contact the Secretary ASAP.
Last week mention was made of the Lighthouse weekend 21/22 August and the fact that Westlakes have booked a cottage. Interested members wishing to book accommodation for the weekend are asked to contact Barry VK2CXA
If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz
Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
.That concluded Westlakes segment of this week news.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in
general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please
wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be
addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
De VK2FJL
Weekly Broadcast 14th March 2010.
This is a summary of news and events for Amateur Radio Operators on behalf of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.
The Broadcast can be heard at 09.00 hrs Each Sunday on 146.775 MHz and is followed by the VK1WIA news. There is a replay on 80 metres Sunday morning and again at 19.00 hrs courtesy Warren VK2UWP. Tune to 3.565 +-.
We begin with news of a Silent Key Members of the Port Stephens ARC were saddened to learn of the passing on the 26th January 2010 of Bill Neil VK2KWN . I believe Bill was actively involved in the training program for the club. He will be sadly missed
Vale Bill Neil VK2KWN
Westlakes March meeting was held yesterday where a very pleasing number of members attended.
Among matters discussed were the acceptance of three applications for membership. Richard Armstrong who since filling out his application has passed his Foundation exam and is now VK2FRMA. and Col Cuneo who intends along with Richard to sit for their Standard licence. We wish them every success
Past member Michael Mihailovic VK2OZ has reapplied. All three applications were approved by the meeting. Congratulations, We trust that your association with Westlakes ARC will be an enjoyable one.
Geoff VK2GL enjoyed his recent tasty meat tray win so much that he accepted the prize again this week courtesy of last week multiple winner Greg VK2CW..
In past years March must have been a very productive month. Yesterday those member in attendance celebrated multiple March birthday’s, in excess of five members were honoured with a very nice chocolate cake courtesy of Gloria. Happy Birthday to all.
VK2ZG, I was advised not to mention to you that the cake was filled with ice cream. But why lie. Pity you were not there Norm, however rest easy as Allan ate your share.
Mark your calendar for the following Westlakes events..
Lectures Library:-
March 20 next Saturday 13.30 Follow up lecture on Linux by Marcel VK2FMDB.
April 17. Video presentation of the 1996 Dx-pedition to Peter1 Island
Antartica. Courtesy Oscar K1 IYD
Project days Activity Room:-
March 27 Assembly of a Signal Injector probe Les Smith
April 24 TBC. Assembly of an AF-RF Signal Tracer Les Smith.
Another event which it is hoped will gain a good response is the CQ repeater contest 1st to 7th May. Open to all VK’s, all you need is the ability to access UHF/VHF repeaters. The rules can be found on the club’s website.
International and National News..
Lip reading mobile promises end to noisy phone calls
Technology that could see an end to the bane of many commuters - people talking loudly on their mobile phones - has been shown off by researchers.
The prototype device could allow people to conduct silent phone conversations.
The technology measures the tiny electrical signals produced by muscles used when someone speaks.
The device can record these pulses even when a person does not audibly utter any words and use them to generate synthesised speech in another handset.
"I was taking the train and the person sitting next to me was constantly chatting and I thought 'I need to change this'," Professor Tanja Shultz of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology told BBC News.
"We call it silent communication."
The device, on show at the Cebit electronics fair in Germany, relies on a technique called electromyography which detects the electrical signals from muscles. It is commonly used to diagnose certain diseases, including those that involve nerve damage.
The prototype that is on display in Germany uses nine electrodes that are stuck to a user's face.
These capture the electrical potentials that result from you moving your articulatory muscles," explained Professor Shultz. "Those are the muscles that you need in order to produce speech."
The electrical pulses are then passed to a device which records and amplifies them before transmitting the signal via Bluetooth to a laptop.
There, software translates the signals into text, which can then be spoken by a synthesiser.
In the future, said Professor Shultz, the technology could be packed in a mobile phone for instantaneous communication.
Nanometre 'fuses' for high-performance batteries
Minuscule tubes coated with a chemical fuel can act as a power source with 100 times more electrical power by weight than conventional batteries.
As these nano-scale "fuses" burn, they drive an electrical current along their length at staggering speeds.
The never-before-seen phenomenon could lead to a raft of energy applications.
Researchers reporting in Nature Materials say that unlike normal batteries, the nanotubes never lose their stored energy if left to sit.
The team, led by Michael Strano of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coated their nanotubes - cylinders just billionths of a metre across - with a chemical fuel known as cyclo trimethylene trinitramine.
"One property that nanotubes have is that they conduct heat very, very well along their length, up to a hundred times faster than in metals," Dr Strano told BBC News.
"We asked what would happen if you perform a chemical reaction near one of these, and the first thing we found is the nanotube will guide the reaction, accelerating it up to 10,000 times."
The team used a laser or an electric spark to set off the reaction in a bundle of coated carbon nanotubes, filming the results using a high-speed camera.
But they also found that, through a mechanism that is still poorly understood, the process creates a useful voltage - a phenomenon they have dubbed "thermopower waves".
Their nanotube bundles carry, gram for gram, up to 100 times as much energy as a standard lithium-ion battery.
Since just a tiny amount of energy is needed to start the reaction before it becomes self-sustaining, Dr Strano says it could be initiated in a small device with the energy in the push of a finger.
And unlike standard batteries, the stored energy would not leak away over time, and requires none of the toxic, non-renewable metals in many batteries.
Back to the local scene
Classes for the Standard licence will be held Saturday afternoons at Westlakes ARC’s classroom commencing April 10 at 13.00 hrs. As it is proposed to keep the classes to 10 candidates I’m advised that following a great response that there is room for just one more.
Persons wishing to study for either Standard or Advanced class licence are asked
To contact the Secretary ASAP.
Last week mention was made of the Lighthouse weekend 21/22 August and the fact that Westlakes have booked a cottage. Interested members wishing to book accommodation for the weekend are asked to contact Barry VK2CXA
If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz
Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
.That concluded Westlakes segment of this week news.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in
general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please
wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be
addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
De VK2FJL
Saturday, March 6, 2010
WESTLAKES AMATEUR RADIO CLUB Inc.
Weekly Broadcast 7t March 2010.
This is a summary of news and events for Amateur Radio Operators on behalf of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.
The Broadcast can be heard at 09.00 hrs Each Sunday on 146.775 MHz and is followed by the VK1WIA news. There is a replay on 80 metres Sunday morning and again at 19.00 hrs courtesy Warren VK2UWP. Tune to 3.565 +-.
Westlakes March meeting will be held next Saturday March 13 commencing at 13.30 hrs. Committee are asked to be in attendance at 11.30hrs.
This weeks meat tray was taken home…. AGAIN by Greg VK2CW
The badge prize from last weeks Wyong Field Day won by Greg VK2CW
Congratulations to Mark ex VK2TTJ who is now VK2CMS. Well done.
The March issue of Westlakes Magazine was assembled and made ready for posting yesterday. Thanks to those who assisted in this operation As advised nomination forms for Executive and Committee will be included. These positions will be filled during the May 8 AGM.
The electronic version of the magazine will go out as an attachment to this cast.
Mark your calendar for the following Westlakes events..
Lectures Library:-
March 20 Follow up lecture on Linux by Marcel VK2FMDB.
Project day Activity Room:-
March 27 Assembly of a Signal Injector probe Les Smith
Members are requested to suggest possible future projects that may be of interest.
Another event which it is hoped will gain a good response is the CQ repeater contest 1st to 7th May. Open to all VK’s, all you need is the ability to access UHF/VHF repeaters. The rules can be found on the club’s website.
International and National News..
Consumerism 'doomed',
Western governments may not realise it yet, but consumerism as we know it is doomed and a resource war with China inevitable, the world's biggest fund managers were told yesterday.
The unsettling message, was issued in Tokyo yesterday at the close of one of Asia's largest annual investment forums. which focused on the potentially destabilizing shortfall of rare technology metals used in everything from mobile phones to guided missiles.
At the moment, China dominates the global supply of rare earth metals, a group of 15 consecutive lanthanide elements whose properties make them critical to dozens of technologies on which the modern Western consumer is heavily dependent.
China made a decision more than two decades ago to be to rare earth metals what Saudi Arabia was to oil.
Beijing has reduced export quotas for rare earth metals every year for nearly a decade, and has become a ravenous consumer in its own right.
Big state-backed wind farm projects are expected to bring Chinese domestic demand to 100 per cent of supply.
Countries around the world are going to have to get used to the idea that, unlike other markets, it doesn't matter how much money they offer for the product, China may not sell.
The Japanese Government, in an effort to help to preserve the businesses of its electronics companies. Visibly panicked by the prospect of a supply crunch, the state-backed natural resources corporation has begun to survey rare earth mining rights in Vietnam.
The group has its eye on a source of dysprosium at a site north of Hanoi that would supply enough of the element to build one million hybrid cars.
That article supplied by Barry VK2BZ
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
More than 100 registrations have been received so far at the website illw.net for this year's event on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of August.
It will be the 11th annual weekend run by Scotland's Ayr Radio Group GM0AYR. The registrations to date are from 19 countries with nearly half of them from Germany and Australia who always strongly support this fun event.
Other countries include Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Honduras, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, USA and Wales.
It's only early days and organisers of the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, the Ayr Radio Group, is hopeful that with improved HF propagation the record of 442 registrations set last year could be beaten.
Westlakes ARC will be operating as VK2ATZ portable from Norah Head Lighthouse where we have booked accommodation for that weekend.
Online news has become more popular than reading newspapers in the US, according to a survey.
It is the third most popular form of news, behind local and national TV stations, the Pew Research Centre said.
"News awareness is becoming an anytime, anywhere, any device activity for those who want to stay informed," it said.
Newspapers in the US and UK have been going through financial difficulties, leading many to examine charging for their news online.
Newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic have been going through difficult times as advertising slows and more readers migrate to the internet.
Solar Cycle 24 update
Those closely following developments will know that two new sunspot groups, 1050 and 1051 appeared in the last week of February resulting in 38 days to date of continuous sunspots. Coupled with this are widespread reports of good propagation on the 10 and 12 metre bands, along with improvements on other HF bands.
Our access to the internet is being transformed by wireless devices.
The downside is that current and new services being proposed need lots and lots of spectrum. In the USA the Congress is examining the question of whether the rapid expansion on wireless technology will be stopped in its tracks due to a lack of spectrum.
The approach is to look for un-used or little used frequencies. The eyes will be on all allocations including those for the Amateur Service.
While HF is likely to be safe, the microwave bands are not. In fact the Amateur service does not have any exclusive bands in that part of the spectrum but shares them with other services.
Tiny ear listens to hidden worlds
A micro-ear could soon help scientists eavesdrop on tiny events just like microscopes make them visible.
It may allow researchers to listen to how a drug disrupts micro-organisms, in the same way as a mechanic might listen to a car's engine to find a fault.
A team from three UK institutions are building the device, which they hope will become standard lab equipment.
The micro-ear is based upon modifying an established technology that uses laser light to create so-called optical tweezers. These are already used to accurately measure tiny forces.
They work by suspending very small glass or plastic beads in a beam of laser light. Measuring the movement of these beads as they are jostled by tiny objects allows measurements of tiny forces that operate at molecular scales.
We are now using the sensitivity afforded by the optical tweezer as a very sensitive microphone," said Professor Jon Cooper from the University of Glasgow, who is heading the micro-ear project.
"The optical tweezer can measure or manipulate at piconewton forces," said Professor Cooper. A piconewton is a millionth of the force that a grain of salt exerts when resting on a tabletop.
Back to the local scene
Persons wishing to study for either Standard or Advanced class licence are asked
To contact the Secretary ASAP. Come on you Foundation calls here is your chance to study for your upgrade under expert tutoring. As advised classes will be held Saturday afternoons at Westlakes ARC’s classroom, date to be decided.
To date seven persons have signed up for the Standard Licence.
If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz
Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
That concluded Westlakes segment of this week news.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in
general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please
wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be
addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
De VK2FJL
Weekly Broadcast 7t March 2010.
This is a summary of news and events for Amateur Radio Operators on behalf of Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc.
The Broadcast can be heard at 09.00 hrs Each Sunday on 146.775 MHz and is followed by the VK1WIA news. There is a replay on 80 metres Sunday morning and again at 19.00 hrs courtesy Warren VK2UWP. Tune to 3.565 +-.
Westlakes March meeting will be held next Saturday March 13 commencing at 13.30 hrs. Committee are asked to be in attendance at 11.30hrs.
This weeks meat tray was taken home…. AGAIN by Greg VK2CW
The badge prize from last weeks Wyong Field Day won by Greg VK2CW
Congratulations to Mark ex VK2TTJ who is now VK2CMS. Well done.
The March issue of Westlakes Magazine was assembled and made ready for posting yesterday. Thanks to those who assisted in this operation As advised nomination forms for Executive and Committee will be included. These positions will be filled during the May 8 AGM.
The electronic version of the magazine will go out as an attachment to this cast.
Mark your calendar for the following Westlakes events..
Lectures Library:-
March 20 Follow up lecture on Linux by Marcel VK2FMDB.
Project day Activity Room:-
March 27 Assembly of a Signal Injector probe Les Smith
Members are requested to suggest possible future projects that may be of interest.
Another event which it is hoped will gain a good response is the CQ repeater contest 1st to 7th May. Open to all VK’s, all you need is the ability to access UHF/VHF repeaters. The rules can be found on the club’s website.
International and National News..
Consumerism 'doomed',
Western governments may not realise it yet, but consumerism as we know it is doomed and a resource war with China inevitable, the world's biggest fund managers were told yesterday.
The unsettling message, was issued in Tokyo yesterday at the close of one of Asia's largest annual investment forums. which focused on the potentially destabilizing shortfall of rare technology metals used in everything from mobile phones to guided missiles.
At the moment, China dominates the global supply of rare earth metals, a group of 15 consecutive lanthanide elements whose properties make them critical to dozens of technologies on which the modern Western consumer is heavily dependent.
China made a decision more than two decades ago to be to rare earth metals what Saudi Arabia was to oil.
Beijing has reduced export quotas for rare earth metals every year for nearly a decade, and has become a ravenous consumer in its own right.
Big state-backed wind farm projects are expected to bring Chinese domestic demand to 100 per cent of supply.
Countries around the world are going to have to get used to the idea that, unlike other markets, it doesn't matter how much money they offer for the product, China may not sell.
The Japanese Government, in an effort to help to preserve the businesses of its electronics companies. Visibly panicked by the prospect of a supply crunch, the state-backed natural resources corporation has begun to survey rare earth mining rights in Vietnam.
The group has its eye on a source of dysprosium at a site north of Hanoi that would supply enough of the element to build one million hybrid cars.
That article supplied by Barry VK2BZ
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
More than 100 registrations have been received so far at the website illw.net for this year's event on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of August.
It will be the 11th annual weekend run by Scotland's Ayr Radio Group GM0AYR. The registrations to date are from 19 countries with nearly half of them from Germany and Australia who always strongly support this fun event.
Other countries include Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Honduras, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, USA and Wales.
It's only early days and organisers of the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, the Ayr Radio Group, is hopeful that with improved HF propagation the record of 442 registrations set last year could be beaten.
Westlakes ARC will be operating as VK2ATZ portable from Norah Head Lighthouse where we have booked accommodation for that weekend.
Online news has become more popular than reading newspapers in the US, according to a survey.
It is the third most popular form of news, behind local and national TV stations, the Pew Research Centre said.
"News awareness is becoming an anytime, anywhere, any device activity for those who want to stay informed," it said.
Newspapers in the US and UK have been going through financial difficulties, leading many to examine charging for their news online.
Newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic have been going through difficult times as advertising slows and more readers migrate to the internet.
Solar Cycle 24 update
Those closely following developments will know that two new sunspot groups, 1050 and 1051 appeared in the last week of February resulting in 38 days to date of continuous sunspots. Coupled with this are widespread reports of good propagation on the 10 and 12 metre bands, along with improvements on other HF bands.
Our access to the internet is being transformed by wireless devices.
The downside is that current and new services being proposed need lots and lots of spectrum. In the USA the Congress is examining the question of whether the rapid expansion on wireless technology will be stopped in its tracks due to a lack of spectrum.
The approach is to look for un-used or little used frequencies. The eyes will be on all allocations including those for the Amateur Service.
While HF is likely to be safe, the microwave bands are not. In fact the Amateur service does not have any exclusive bands in that part of the spectrum but shares them with other services.
Tiny ear listens to hidden worlds
A micro-ear could soon help scientists eavesdrop on tiny events just like microscopes make them visible.
It may allow researchers to listen to how a drug disrupts micro-organisms, in the same way as a mechanic might listen to a car's engine to find a fault.
A team from three UK institutions are building the device, which they hope will become standard lab equipment.
The micro-ear is based upon modifying an established technology that uses laser light to create so-called optical tweezers. These are already used to accurately measure tiny forces.
They work by suspending very small glass or plastic beads in a beam of laser light. Measuring the movement of these beads as they are jostled by tiny objects allows measurements of tiny forces that operate at molecular scales.
We are now using the sensitivity afforded by the optical tweezer as a very sensitive microphone," said Professor Jon Cooper from the University of Glasgow, who is heading the micro-ear project.
"The optical tweezer can measure or manipulate at piconewton forces," said Professor Cooper. A piconewton is a millionth of the force that a grain of salt exerts when resting on a tabletop.
Back to the local scene
Persons wishing to study for either Standard or Advanced class licence are asked
To contact the Secretary ASAP. Come on you Foundation calls here is your chance to study for your upgrade under expert tutoring. As advised classes will be held Saturday afternoons at Westlakes ARC’s classroom, date to be decided.
To date seven persons have signed up for the Standard Licence.
If you want to learn what is happening at your club in the coming week join the group each Saturday at 8am for the EZB net on 146.775 MHz
Early risers are reminded to tune to 3.588MHz each Saturday mornings at 6am for the Stone the Crows Net.
That concluded Westlakes segment of this week news.
To find out more about Westlakes Amateur Radio Club, or Amateur Radio in
general, leave a message on our 24 hour voice mail box on 02 49-581588. Please
wait for instructions before leaving your message. All correspondence should be
addressed to The Secretary, Box 3001, Teralba, NSW, 2284 or email: secretary@westlakesarc.org.au
Further information is available on our website at www.westlakesarc.org.au
Westlakes Amateur Radio Club is located in York Street, Teralba and is open for business on Saturday from 12:00 midday and from approximately 6.00pm Tuesdays Call in and say Hello.....Tea and Coffee are always on!
Amateur Radio is a great hobby become active and enjoy it.
De VK2FJL
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