The December magazines are in the mail after a working bee in the club library yesterday. Included with this edition are two
inserts - the yellow one is a reminder of Westlakes Christmas Function at Teralba next Saturday afternoon - and the
important blue one is the invitation for membership renewal for 2011. Memberships fall due on 1st February each year.
There is no magazine produced in January. The good news is that membership fees remain the same, $20.
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This coming Tuesday - that's 7th December - the club grounds are to mowed. The job starts at 9.30 am and volunteers
are required. It would be good to see a few new faces turn up to assist the regulars - we have pleny of mowers and
snippers, we only need a few more helpers.
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The new air-conditioner in the common room had its first trial yesterday. Although the day was mild, the Chinese Kelvinator
certainly works. The only adjustment needed was a slight change of angle so that the condensation drips exited via the drip
hole. Perhaps a spirit level shound have been used in the first place?
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The long-awaited extension of the concrete pad at the rear of the club is getting closer. A quotation for the work is
expected to be received during the coming week - it won't be cheap.
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We have news of two deaths that occurred during the week. First is Alan Shawsmith VK4SS author of Halcyon days - a history
of amateur radio in Queensland. Over many years, Alan was a regular contributor of articles to Amateur Radio Magazine.
He reached 93years and One Day. His Funeral service held last Monday was conducted by VK4BSH the Reverend George Roberts.
Halcyon Days is a good read and the book is on the shelf in Westlakes library.
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The second passing is of Neutron bomb inventor Sam Cohen, who in 1958 designed the nuclear weapon intended to kill people but do
minimal damage to cities and other infrastrucure, He died in Los Angeles at 89 of stomach cancer. The neutron bomb used tiny
particles that could whiz through objects with little damage but still kill we humans. Cohen also helped build the atomic bomb
that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan in WW2. There may be some awkward questions to answer by Mr Cohen at the Pearly Gates.
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The first contest event of December is the ARRL 160m contest, taking place from Friday last, the 3rd to today Sunday 5th.
It is a slightly unusual event in that the duration is 42 hours. There is a category for single-operator QRP. Now there's
a challenge - QRP on 160 metres in daylight to the USA!
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The last meat tray raffle for 2010 was held yesterday and the winning ticket was belonged to Ted VK2UI. The popular meat
raffles will resume on 8th January 2011 when the club re-opens after the Christmas/New year break.
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LONG-DELAY RADIO ECHOES: During the geomagnetic storm of 27th November, a brief but intense G2-class event, amateur radio
operator Peter Brogl of Fürth, Germany, experienced a strange phenomenon. Forty-six seconds after he transmitted his call
sign at 7 MHz, he received an echo of his own transmission. "At first, I thought someone was playing tricks on me," says Brogl,
"but I changed frequency, re-keyed my call sign (DK6NP), and got another echo." This went on for more than an hour, enough
time for Brogl to make several recordings. First reported in 1927 by Norwegian civil engineer Jørgen Hals, long-delay radio
echoes are rare and poorly understood. Unusual propagation conditions linked to solar storms is one of many possible explanations.
Radio operators, if you experienced any similar phenomena on Nov. 27th between 1800 UT and 19:30 UT, please report your observations
to Peter Brogl for correlation. That item was submitted by Dennis VK2XDW. Who by the way, wants to thank all those who have
wished him well after his fall from the scaffolding. And to add to his bruises, we were told yesterday that it now been
discovered that Dennis also incurred multiple cracked ribs. No wonder he's been sore.
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Next Saturday at the club is Westlakes Christmas Function and the Krazy Golf organised by Geoff VK2GL. It's a free barbecue -
You only need to bring drinks and nibblies (and perhaps a chair). Westlakes Christmas hamper, which is getting bigger by the
day, will be drawn and late donations to the hamper, such as biscuits, nuts, festive drinks, and the like are welcome. Tickets
are $1 and will be on sale. Where else can you donate an item, buy a ticket, and win it back again? That's what Christmas is all
about - the silly season.
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Who want's a club cap - just the thing to wear to the Wyong Field Day. The secretary has a limited number for sale at $20. Be
quick, they won't last long.
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Now at last, a reminder of coming events:
Saturday 11th December - Westlakes Christmas Function and Krazy Golf starting around 1pm.
Balls and clubs are provided.
Please note that the club will be open on Saturday 18th December. However, as the following
two Saturdays fall on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, we will have a shut-down over those
two weeks and will re-open for business on Saturday 8th January 2011.
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