A big attendance at the club yesterday, where the May Magazine was assembled in the Library. Check your mail box on Monday. The electronic version will go out attached to this news cast for those who prefer the email method. Problems with the setup in the IRLP unit have meant that the WIA news has not worked correctly. Geoff VK2EO is attending to this matter and hopefully all will be corrected. If you miss the morning one you can generally hear it at 19:30 on here or on 3.565 relayed by Warren VK2UWP.
The meat tray went to a worthy recipient yesterday with Graham VK2FCLR being the lucky winner. The draw was performed by Frank VK2FJL in the absence of Frank VK2FJW.
_______________________________________
Mark your Calendar for next Saturday the 8th May. This being the Clubs AGM starting at 13:30 hours or 1:30pm. Please be there to hear reports from the Executive and to witness the changeover of committee and executive for the next 12 months. There are no items of business to conduct and no election is needed, as all positions as nominated are filled.
_______________________________________
Did you happen to be on 40 and 80 metres last Sunday afternoon/evening? No doubt you could have thought that the Commercial AM Stations were back. No-It was just VK Amateurs taking the opportunity to use the AM and CW Modes in celebration of Anzac Day. Makes you appreciate SSB as there were some VERY WIDE carriers on the band. But in the end it was great to see the participation by VK Amateurs. Well done.
On the subject of Anzac Day, as mentioned in last Sundays News, Port Stephens ARC set up a station at Newcastle’s Fort Scratchley to celebrate the day as well. Things did not go well for the crew, Torrential rain, and then after only 4 contacts on 40 metres, they were hit with a 30 over S9 noise which put paid to any further contacts. After changing Antennas and going to battery power the problem was not resolved so 2 metres became the order of the day. Bad luck guys; let’s hope next year all will be well.
While on Port Stephens club, Today is their AGM, commencing at 10:00am at the Coast Guard Station, Lemon Tree Passage.
A visitor dropped into the club last Tuesday night in the form of Adam VK6GA / VK2YK. He was on leave from work and spending a few weeks back here before heading out to VK3.
From AR News line: Birthday of Samuel Morse.
Samuel Morse, who introduced telegraph communications in the United States, was born 219 years ago on April 27, 1791 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. On 24th of May 1844, he famously sent the message "What hath God wrought" by telegraph from Washington D.C to Baltimore. His full name was Samuel Finley Breese Morse and he lived from April 27, 1791
till April 2, 1872.
_______________________________________
Congratulations to Mal VK2FVON who last weekend sat for and passed the Standard Grade licence exam. Mal is now eagerly awaiting his new call. Well done.
Westlakes Mini field day will be held Sunday May 30. Gates open 9am.We urge all members to sort out their unwanted radio gear to help the auction but please... NO TV’s or VCR’s. Unfortunately we have been advised that Lee Andrews will not be attending owing to other commitments.
Accommodation is still available for the Lighthouse weekend, August 21/22 at Norah Head. Persons wishing to book for the weekend are asked to contact Barrie VK2CXA 0402 332830
Well it started Friday night at midnight. I refer to the Westlakes CQ Repeater Contest which runs from Midnight on the 1st to Midnight on the 7th. The aim is to contact as many stations throughout VK via a repeater. 1 point for each contact on any available repeater. IRLP is not permitted. Logs to the Contest Manager, Allan VK2JED by the end of May.
The days of the 3.5-inch floppy disk are now officially numbered. Sony, which boasts 70 percent of the anemic market, announced Friday that it would end Japanese sales of the ancient storage medium in March 2011, according to a report in the Mainichi Daily newspaper. The 3.5-inch floppy was a ubiquitous and necessary component for storing and transferring files between personal computers for nearly three decades. Sony pioneered the 3.5-inch floppy disk in 1981, eventually replacing the 5.25-inch floppy disk that had previously been the popular storage format. However, as the size of files and programs grew, the floppy disk was pushed aside by inexpensive and larger-format storage medium. Thanks to the creation of storage methods such as CDs, DVDs, Zip, and USB drives, Sony saw its Japanese sales of floppies decline from a record 47 million disks in fiscal 2002 to 12 million in fiscal 2009. Most other floppy disk manufacturers had long since pulled out of the market, and Sony itself has already ceased sales to most of its overseas markets. Certainly the writing had been on the walls for years. With the release of the iMac in 1998, Apple was the first computer maker to take the plunge and eliminate the floppy completely. Dell followed suit in 2003 when it dropped the floppy as standard equipment on one of its Dimension desktops.
_____________________________________
Well it is still on.., the Club's Tuesday RTTY and Easypal Digital pictures is still aired on this repeater on Tuesday evenings at 7.30 pm. Also, the slow scan is still held on this repeater, Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm. Join in and have some fun. Thanks to Robert VK2MF for keeping these groups active.
The next item is from AR News line
THE FUTURE OF AMATEUR RADIO IS WITH THE YOUTH
The future of amateur radio is with the youth and we need to adapt if we want to
attract them. This was the message from IARU Region 1 President Hans Blondeel
Timmerman, PB2T as he d delivered the after-dinner address at the S.A.R.L. Awards
Banquet in Port Elizabeth last week. He said that the expectations of the youth were very different from those that moved the current generation to become radio amateurs. What interested us at that time no longer enthuses the youth of today. He continued to say:
"My advice is let go on much of what we know and love and let them do what they
love. Their focus is more visual. They are keen on new technologies but also want
it to happen fast. "Clubs can do much to promote amateur radio. Start a junior section with a young leader in your club. Focus on visual, virtual and new technologies.
Promote amateur radio as an art and a science, different from the Internet and cell phones. Senior members should provide the resources and support and let youngsters off the leash. We urgently need a new approach."
_____________________________________
Don’t forget the Stone the Crows net every Saturday morning at 06:00, on 3.588 Mhz. Ted VK2UI is the ringmaster with checkins coming from all over VK. A jovial and friendly get together and everyone is most welcome. 2 hours later is the turn of the EZB net at 08:00 on 146.775 Mhz where the main aim is to pass on information as to what’s happening at the club that day. A general chat as to what everyone has been up to ensures, and everything that they have been doing during the week. Join in and have your say.
______________________________________
That concludes the news from Westlakes for this week. We will do it all again next week. If you have any item of news for inclusion in the cast, then please email to vk2rd@exemail.com.au or vk2cw@bigpond.com
No comments:
Post a Comment