The canteen was all cooks ahead with Penny and Michael looking after the hungry members. The menu was mince meat patties, salad and your choice of sauce. Well done and I am sure everyone appreciates what you do for the club.
Well yesterday was February's monthly meeting and with some faces that we haven't seen at the club for awhile. In the absence of President Geoff and Vice President Steve, Ted VK2UI was asked to chair the meeting. Welcome back Michael VK2ZEN and Keith VK2BKF. Some of the topics discussed was getting the QSL drawers to the Wyong field day on the 26th of this month,
Australia Day wrap up with a nice letter from Max VK2TTI. At the end of the meeting Penny and Michael put on a feast for the members present.Thanks once again.Would be nice to see more in attendance at our meetings.
The piers of the club have been fixed so hopefully the club won't sink into the Lake any further. The cost of repairing the piers was $1000. Money well spent.
Nomination forms for the club committee are now available, so do you think you might be useful on the Committee? Get someone to nominate you and tick the boxes. The club needs new ideas and you might just be the person. As they say New blood is needed.
This weeks lucky meat tray winner was none other than Herb VK2ZVF. Does this name sound familiar? Herb is a regular winner of the meat tray. Congratulations Herb.
Remember, Wyong Field day is on Sunday 26th of this month. Its where you go to spend all your money and meet up with old friends as well as meeting new friends. The gates open at 0630 am for boot sales and the major retailers will open at 0900. See you there.
The club has a number of low band vhf radios to give away. 78 to 80 MHz. These radios are 25 watts Transwest and these radios require crystals. So be early and don't miss out for this bargain.
The radio room is getting a new second hand radio. This transceiver I believe is capable of up to 800 watts CW so the club will have to get serious and build some more antennas. Barry VK2BZ and John VK2BAR will be doing the installation of this transceiver in the radio room. If you have any questions on this transceiver please direct your questions to the above persons.
Steady growth for the ILLW.
Among the latest to join the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend in August is South Africa, with entries at Great Fish Point and Doring Bays lighthouses.Australia on 31 is in the forefront with Germany having a worthy 20 entries putting it ahead of the USA on 15, followed by England with nine. Among the others are Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, France, Honduras, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Sweden and Wales. With only 22 countries and 115 entries so far, there was a long way to go to last year's record of 55 countries and entries reaching 470. The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is a 48-hour fun event. For guidelines, an entry form and other information about August the 18th and 19th this year visit the website illw.net
Jim Linton VK3PC
WORLD NEWS.
French Nostradamus HF Radar. A number of countries have installed HF Over The Horizon Radar (OTHR), the French system is called Nostradamus and operates from 6-30 MHz. The Nostradamus radar system is a set of 288 bi-cone antenna elements distributed over the arms of a three-branch star, with a buried infrastructure to shelter the transmission and reception electronics. It is claimed to detect any aircraft flying 700 to 2000 kilometres away.
FISTS marks a milestone.The organisation that supports the use, preservation and education of Morse code is called FISTS and it has been doing its sterling job for 25 years. Available to members are anniversary mugs from England and T-shirts have been produced in the United States of America. Other collectables are likely to be planned. FISTS the CW Club, also known as the International Morse Preservation Society, began in 1987, is organised though area chapters and still going very strong. Its members can he heard particularly on 1.808 MHz, 3.528 MHz, 7.028 MHz, 10.118 MHz, 14.058 MHz, 18.085 MHz, 21.058 MHz, 24.918 MHz and 28.058 MHz.
Jim Linton VK3PC
Well that's all the news I have this week. This is VK2ATZ. Is there anyone with any late news items?
Do you have a news item that you would like read out on a broadcast? Contact Richard VK2FRKO on email address vk2frko@tpg.com.au
or give the item to Richard at the club.
Now to wind up. Westlakes Amateur Radio Club Inc. is located in York Street, TERALBA - and is open on Saturday Afternoons from around 12 noon. Also on a Tuesday evening from around 6pm. To make contact at other times, try dialling (02) 49 581588 where an answering service
operates. Visitors are alway welcome at the club. We have plenty of tea, coffee, long-life milk, and an interesting selection of biscuits.
