october spectrum 2014 - qsl.net

SPECTRUM h p://www.qsl.net/zl1bq 1 Vol 51 October 2014

SPECTRUM October 2014 Vol. 51 No. 10

The Official Newsletter of the

Auckland VHF Group Inc.

Spectrum

Dr. Boon Chong Seet from AUT with lecture on teaching electronics

SPECTRUM is the official journal of the Auckland VHF Group Inc. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect club points of view.

The closing date for SPECTRUM articles is by the 1st of each month. Articles to be submit-ted to the editor Steve ZL1TPH [email protected]

Office Name Call sign Home Work / Mobile E‐mail

President Peter Loveridge ZL1UKG 377 3398 [email protected]

Vice President Grant Taylor ZL1WTT 021 02 340 270 zl1w [email protected]

Secretary Adam Cumberlege ZL1CCA 410 8923 [email protected]

Treasurer Doug Cooke ZL1TTE 846 6075 0274 978 121 d‐[email protected] Commi ee Vaughan Henderson ZL1VH 418 1071 021 844 804

Merv Thomas ZL1SK 828‐7174 27‐499‐0262 [email protected] John Dunn ZL1JD 473 9514 021 731 907 [email protected] Dave Probine ZL1TND 6308044 AREC Sec on Leader Laurie Mathews ZL1ICU 634 5130 0274 817 463 [email protected]

Deputy Sec on George Raffles ZL1TUX 626 6944 021 735 361 [email protected]

ZL1BQ Trustee John Dunn ZL1JD 473 9514 021 731 907 [email protected] Repeater Trustee John Dunn ZL1JD 473 9514 021 731 907 [email protected] Klondyke Managers ZL1VH ZL1BK 690 Manager Dennis Seymour ZL1UET 532 8666

850/670 Manager Vaughan Henderson ZL1VH 418 1071 021 844 804 [email protected]

ATV/Beacons Grant Taylor ZL1WTT 021 234 0270 zl1w [email protected]

Spectrum Editor Stephen Hayman ZL1TPH 0274 732663 [email protected] Trading Table David Probine [email protected] Hon Auditor Rod Bradnam ZL1CD Webmaster Vacancy [email protected] Club Web Page h p://www.qsl.net/zl1bq ATV Interest Group h p://www.qsl.net/zl1qf/atvug/ATVusers.html

ZL1VHD Dstar gateway administrator; Laurie Mathews ZL1ICU 6345130 [email protected] Dstar gateway registra on URL:http://zl1vhd.dstar.org.nz


Auckland VHF Group Inc. Branch 66 NZART

PO Box 10138, Dominion Rd, Auckland 1446 Clubrooms: Hazel Ave, Mt Roskil

Club News and Net:

The combined Auckland VHF Group and Auckland Regional Branch News and Net are held on 146.625 MHz and 439.875 MHz at 8.15 pm each Sunday or after the ZL6A National Broadcast on the last Sunday of the month. Club meetings are held at the Clubrooms at Hazel Avenue, on the second Monday of each month at 7.30 pm. For other details, listen to the News and Net each Sunday evening.


From the President

At the October meeting there will be two topics. First Mark Foster will describe the coming Australasian Linux Users Conference that is coming to Auckland from 12 – 16 January 2015. This is likely to cover recent developments in Linux releases and work plus development envi-ronments plus the tools and applications that have been created to help you. The Linux commu-nity is working collaboratively on a number of projects. Hear about the targets they are setting out for. You may be persuaded to leave the Microsoft fold! The location is the Auckland Uni-versity Business School.

For the remainder of the time we will watch a DVD documenting the development of the Black Propaganda service during WWII to reach the German population from the UK and be heard over potential jamming. Documents have been found/released telling how it worked.

The November meeting is the AGM of the Auckland VHF Group. The activities of the Group will flow more freely when there are people ready to give some of the time to help organise them. Please consider making yourself available for the Committee or other offices of the Group. For example the honorary Auditor is stepping down through ill health.

After the AGM has been completed we will hear David ZL1TND presenting a topic from his store of experience to round out

the evening.

The club web site has been kept up to date with Meeting details recently but not much else is changing at the moment. The Committee has been discussing what is wanted in the ZL1BQ web site. It must : Inform the membership; Provide links to amateur radio related web sites; Provide downloads to distribute Spectrum and Trading related material. Future uses could make it more interactive to allow capture of information as well as providing downloads. This would require more sophisticated hosting services rather than the free service from www.qsl.net.

How do we fund the club activities? About 50% of the cost comes from subscriptions with the rest from Trading activities. At the AGM the subscription for next year will be set. If you have a list of developments you would like to see on the ZL1BQ web site please think about them and let the committee know. It may result in an increase in the Subscription cost for the 2015 year.


Following the presentation from Dr Boon-Chong Seet from AUT the VHF Group was invited to have further interaction with AUT. As a result I delivered a guest lecture to the RF student class about Amateur Radio. Some of the students have now visited the Klondyke repeater site. The upshot is that two students plan to obtain their amateur licence at the North Shore Club training weekend coming up on 11-12 October. If you know of any students who are already part of the way to understanding radio a presentation to their class could be a fertile recruiting ground for new members.

If you know anyone who would be interested in using radios as we know them, let them know about the North Shore Branch 29 weekend immersion class leading to an amateur licence. The dates are 11 – 12 October at their clubrooms, 400 East Coast Road, Mairangi Bay. Contact Al-lan Wooller ZL1AUW or Vaughan ZL1VH.

An interesting link was given to me by Dr Seet. It introduces a way to make more efficient use of spectrum called “Cognitive Radio”. These radios are secondary users of spectrum. You may read the article at

http://www.sensorsmag.com/sensors-mag/rising-spectrum-crunch-cognitive-radio-rescue-11064 .

These radios sense whether spectrum is in use. If two radios sense the same spectrum is not in use they proceed to use it, checking periodically for RF energy from the primary frequency us-er. There are power limitations on this type of use that make it a largely local service.

The clubroom has now received all of the available surplus analogue TV equipment. The dis-mantling sessions have been completed and scrap metal removed. Temporary storage will in-volve the container until sales promotion begins. There will be a list of modules in the next Spectrum when we have written some documentation to help people see the value that can be derived from them.

The experiments on the AB1 amplifier conversion for 144 MHz use have shown the original 225 MHz PCB is too frequency conscious to adapt for 144 MHz use. The PCB available from VK4DD designed for the BLF248 should allow the BLF368 to be dropped in. BLF368 is de-signed for a slightly higher Vdd. It has the same maximum parameter values and the same ap-plication note. Watch for a recipe in Spectrum.

We are now waiting for Douglas Birt to be notified of the hearing date for the NZART Antenna submission. It is likely to be 2015 from the limited information on the www.aupihp.co.nz web site.

Peter Loveridge 03 October 2014


Auckland VHF Group (Inc) Branch 66

Meeting notice

13th October 2014 7.30pm, Hazel Avenue Club Rooms

(Located on left at the end of Hazel Avenue)

The Evenings Subject:

“Linux User Conference and WWII broadcast DVD”

The Australian Linux Users Conference is coming to Auckland from 12 - 16 January 2015. Mark Foster ZL1VMF will tell the us about the themes of presentations to be heard at the Con-ference. It will take place in the Auckland University Business School. The latest software re-leases and development projects will be outlined.

In addition there will be a video describing the Black Propaganda transmissions made from the UK to Germany during WWII. It is based on papers recently found / declassified papers de-scribing how it was done. It was powerful enough to resist jamming.

Another meeting not to be missed!

EVERYBODY WELCOME


The Fox hunting page

Amateur radio Direction Finding

by Wallace, ZL1WAL

Interbranch ARDF Hunt Cornwall Park 15 Nov. 2014

• The start point will be the Archery Club car park @ 1300 Saturday 15 November 2014

• There will be five foxes hiding (hi hi). Over 65 year olds need find only 4 foxes

• You will need a map, pencil and $10 (it covers cost of batteries) to buy a “control card” on which you write name, branch, call-sign and age. Please write this detail twice because we shall be keeping half of this card.

• Competitors start individually at 5 minute inter-vals. When you are ready, present your control card to the Starter who will write your start time (in unique ink) onto your control card; he will keep half of it to know who is still out.

• Even if you abandon the course, you must hand in the control card otherwise we will think that you are lost and we may send out a search party.

• Each fox broadcasts its identity in slow Morse code (on 144.700 MHz) for one minute each. That is, each fox is silent for four minutes until its turn to transmit again. The Morse codes are:

MOE sounds like “dah dah dah dah dah dit “ (listen for 1 dit)

MOI sounds like “dah dah dah dah dah dit dit” (listen for 2 dits)

MOS sounds like “dah dah dah dah dah dit dit dit” (listen for 3 dits)

MOH sounds like “dah dah dah dah dah dit dit dit dit” (listen for 4 dits)

MO5 sounds like “dah dah dah dah dah dit dit dit dit dit” (listen for 5 dits)

• Each fox appears at eye level, as an orange and white prism-shaped flag near the transmitter. Beneath the flag is a clipper / punch which you use to impress a pattern onto

your control card thus proving that you visited it, and thus scoring 20 points for each fox visited.

• Time allowed is 1 hour. One point will be deducted for each minute late in returning. As you finish, we shall record your elapsed time, check the control clips and compute your score. We will display your card on a clothes line so that you may compare your score with others, and discuss your respective strategies.


• We have some regenerative AM Direction Finding Radios for use. The fact that you do not hear the next fox simply means that:

You are too far away from the fox that is transmitting

There may be a hill between you and the fox, i.e. no line of sight. Wait until the minute has elapsed then listen for the next fox to start transmitting.

A hand-held radio works very well, provided you hold it close to your chest to shield RF from behind you.

When you are near a fox, use a paper clip as an antenna, to attenuate the signal, else directivity is lost.

Yagi antenna, for construction details, refer to our web page www.qsl.net/ZL1AA then click on Newsletters > 2012 > March, then scroll down to page 6.

Triangulation tip: This means, orient your map (if you have a compass, the top of the map is magnetic north), then plot the direction towards each fox that you can hear. Go further along the road to a corner, then plot another set of bearings. A third set of bearings from the next corner will give you a precise intersection of these plot lines to show where the foxes are. Then study your map to plan how to run around the area by the fastest / shortest route, visiting and scoring each fox as you go. This is better than bush-bashing towards each fox in turn. Remember to keep track of your time else you will have points deducted if you are late back.

Previous years’ winners:

2011 at Dingle Dell Franklin Branch by Tom McDonald ZL1TO and Rod Radford ZL1RK

2012 at Dingle Dell VHF Group by Vaughan Henderson ZL1VH

2013 at Churchill Park Franklin Branch by Rod Radford ZL1RK

73

Wallace ZL1WAL,

Secretary / Treasurer

Auckland Branch , NZART Inc.


NZART WRC-15 Travel Fund

Supporting our Delegate, Don Wallace ZL2TLL, to attend the 2015 (WRC-15) ITU Conference, in Geneva

Platinum: Donations $200 and over

Gold: Donations $100 - $199

Silver: Donations $50 - $99

Bronze: Donations $10 - $49

NZART is planning to send one Delegate to the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, from the 2nd to the 27th November 2015. WRC-15 Agenda Item 1.4 will consider a possible new allocation to the amateur service on a secondary basis in the band 5 250 to 5 450 kHz.

The Association’s budget for next year will not cover the expected costs without reducing re-serves as happened in 2012. We ask our members to make a donation towards this vitally im-portant conference where Amateur access to the radio spectrum is decided.

This may be making a donation of your annual rebate, or a little more if you are able. All dona-tions will solely be used for attendance at an ITU-R conference.

Make your donation to NZART HQ and your Call-sign or Branch will be added to the Honour Roll list which will be printed in the September / October 2015 issue of Break-In. Some donors may wish to remain anonymous, provision for that is made.

Your Association is committed to the maintenance and expansion of the Amateur Service in New Zealand and having our ALO, Don ZL2TLL representing us at this conference is yet an-other example of our work in this area.

NZART HQ

Email: <[email protected]>

Postal Address: PO Box 40-525 Upper Hutt 5140


AREC heritage walk 27/9/14 By Laurie Mathews

SPECTRUM h p://www.qsl.net/zl1bq 11 Vol 51 July 2014

Amateur Radio Emergency Communication. Volunteers in radio communications.

Using our resources to help the community.

INFORMATION

The Auckland VHF Group has an active AREC section that works closely with Auckland City Civil Defence. They provide advice, resources and manpower to assist in times of need. The

Auckland VHF Group clubrooms provide a backup system to complement the existing systems maintained by Auckland City Council Civil Defence.

The AREC section is headed by Section Leader Laurie Mathews ZL1ICU.

From time to time the VHF Group has training sessions and exercises. Members also assist with

sports events, parades and Rally NZ.

For further information about AREC please see the NZART web site.

JOIN BRANCH 66 AREC

All members of the Auckland VHF Group are encouraged to join the AREC section. Your con-tribution, large or small is appreciated by all involved.

For further information about joining branch 66 AREC contact the Section Leader or his Deputy.

AREC: Section Leader; Laurie Mathews ZL1ICU 634 5130 0274 817 463 [email protected]

Deputy Section; George Raffles ZL1TUX 626 6944 021 735 361 [email protected]

*****

AUCKLAND VHF GROUP (INC)

SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE VHF GROUP THROUGH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2014

THE SUBS GO TOWARDS;

Maintenance and on-going improvements to beacons, repeaters and linking systems for the national system, including the Klondyke repeater site.

Provides on-time and free access to spectrum magazine as soon as it is available.

Provides facilities for good speakers and lecturers at our general meetings

Discounted access to our trading table goodies

Access to test equipment and technical help when needed

FULL MEMBERSHIP $30.00

ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP $26.00

FAMILY MEMBERSHIP ADDITIONAL $4.00

SEE ATTACHED MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM (next page)

REMEMBER TO KEEP US INFORMED OF YOUR INTERNET ADDRESS! OTHER-WISE WE CANNOT SEND YOU SPECTRUM!



NAME Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Christian or given Surname

Mr

Address

Phone: (home)

Phone: (work)

Phone (Cell)

Email

Occupation: Callsign

NZART Member Branch assigned

AREC Member Branch assigned

Category To pay

Membership Full $30.00 $

New/Renewal/Change Associate $26.00 $

Receipt # Family Add $4.00 $

Donations Auckland ATV $

Auckland/Klondyke $

Brynderwyn $

Data/D-Star $

IRLP $

Beacon/Repeater/Links/ATV Licences $

Other $

Total $

Payment

Circle one --> Cash Cheque Internet deposit

Invoice/Statement re-quired Please Advise Treasurer

Internet To account ASB 12-3020-0473626-00. Account name is: Auckland VHF Group Inc. Include your Name/Callsign for us to track. Note: this form needs to be returned to update records. FAX to 09 846 6075 or Email [email protected]

Post The Treasurer, Auckland VHF Group Inc., PO Box 10138, Dominion Road, Auckland 1446.

In Person Bring this form and payment to the next club meeting, 2nd Monday of the month or to the Committee meeting last Monday of the month.


The Auckland VHF Group Inc Branch 66 NZART gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship of Branch 66 Beacons, Repeaters

and Fixed Links license fees and the Group’s repeater operations by the fol-lowing radio amateurs and NZART Branches:

Doug Cooke ZL1TTE [email protected]

The Auckland VHF Group, Branch 66, would like to thank all those who came forward to sponsor the licence fee for our Beacons, Repeaters or Fixed Links for the period December 2013 to November 2014 or donate towards the Group’s repeater Operations.

Merv ZL1SK – [email protected]

Repeater frequency Repeater Sponsorship Amountand name location advised for 2014 paid

53.725 Repeater Klondyke Road Gwynne Rowe ZL1AAR $50.00

144.253 Beacon Nihotupu Stephen Hayman ZL1TPH $50.00

145.625 Data Rptr Klondyke Road NON-operational

145.650 Dstar repeater Klondyke Road Laurie Mathews ZL1ICU $50.00

146.625 Repeater Klondyke Road Laurie Mathews ZL1ICU $50.00

146.700 Repeater Ruaotuwhenua David Probine ZL1TND $50.00

146.900 Repeater Mt Puketutu Radio Franklin Branch ZL1SA $50.00

432.253 Beacon Nihotupu Vaughan Henderson ZL1VH $50.00

438.175 Dstar repeater Klondyke Road Laurie Mathews ZL1ICU $50.00

438.500 Repeater North Head Franklin Branch ZL1SA $50.00

439.850 Link Tx to Kaimai Klondyke Road Franklin Branch ZL1SA $50.00

439.875 Ak Nat Sys Rptr Klondyke Road Ian Robinson ZL2ATD $50.00

439.900 Link Tx to Egmont Klondyke Road Ian Robinson ZL2ATD $50.00

439.950 Link Tx to Brynderwyn Klondyke Road Ian Robinson ZL2ATD $50.00

1291.9 Repeater 217 Glenfield Rd Vaughan Henderson ZL1VH $50.00

Total Sponsorship $700.00

NZART Inc: Branch donations

Auckland Radio Club, Branch 02; NZART Inc: $100.00

Franklin Radio Club, Branch 10; NZART Inc: $50.00

Manukau Radio Club, Branch 21; NZART Inc: $100.00

Papakura Radio Club, Branch 65; NZART Inc: $300.00

Donations $550.00

Prepared by Merv Thomas ZL1SK and current as at 13/05/2014


TRADING TABLE

Currently our Trading Table is only open on meeting nights. Opening on Saturdays may re-sume later in the year so keep an eye out for announcements in Spectrum.

NEW – NEW - NEW

We have heaps of parts from dismantled commercial analog TV gear – transmitters, filters, cir-culators, patch panels, power supplies, cabinets. Too much to list individually, so come along to the clubrooms and have a look

And there’s

more….


SO239 UHF Adaptor :

Just what you need to make up a mobile an-tenna. SO239 socket and mounting nut. The tube on the side is a screw-in fit for RG58 coax cable. Just strip the outer sheath off and allow about 6 to 7mm of centre conductor, screw the RG58 into the side of the adaptor and solder the center conductor to the centre pin of the fitting. A small plastic cap seals off the back of the adaptor (remove it to do the soldering).

Our price: $3.00 each

If you want genuine made in the USA PL259

Connectors, then we have them!

Genuine Amphenol 83-ISA brand.

Brown phenolic insulation.

Suit RG8/RG213 50 ohm coaxial cable.

$3.50 each.

Type N connectors for use with RG58 coaxial cable. These are sol-der clamp type, just the thing if you don’t the right crimp tool!

Only $3.00 each – be in quick, we only have limited stock.

N-Type connectors for LMR-400

Crimp-on only. $5.00 each


Other coaxial connectors available from the Trading Table:

Please note we have sold out of TNC connectors – these are no longer available.

BNC plugs 50 ohm for RG58 coax (solder/clamp type) $2.50 each

BNC plugs 50 ohm for RG58 coax (crimp on type) $2.50 each

BNC sockets 75 ohm – single hole mounting $1.50 each

N Type male solder on suit RG213 coax $4.00 each

N Type male right angle, suit RG213 coax $4.00 each

N Type male crimp on suit RG213 coax ** $3.00 each

N Type socket crimp on suit RG213 coax ** $3.00 each

N Type male right angle, solder on suit RG213 coax $4.00 each

N Type male sliver plated solder/clamp on suit RG58 coax $3.00 each

N Type male crimp on suit RG58 coax ** $2.50 each

N-Type adaptor Male to Male $3.00 each Adaptor TNC Male to UHF Female $3.00 each

** Crimping service available for these at club meetings.

Heatsinks for TO-220 transistors: These are Thermalloy THM-6071 top hat type with cutout.

20c each

DATA MODES & UTILITIES CD

Version 12.09 has even more updates and new programmes on this latest release. This is an ex-cellent selection of software, notes, links to web sites compiled by the late Doug ZL1AVY and this latest edition has over 300 applications, refer-ences and notes. These cover all digital modes, useful software applications for your pc, contest logging and e-qso programmes, radio interfaces, software defined radio information, slow scan tv software, test equipment utilities, satellite track-ing software, and much, much more.

Still only $10.00


Insulation tape Black 18mm wide, 20m roll $1.00 each

SMD Quartz Crystals: In addition to our selection of leaded holders, now have 6MHz and 20MHz crystals in SMD style housings:

6.0000 MHz HC49S SMD package 20pF load capacitance $1.00 each

20.0000 MHz HC49S SMD package P/No. 7D20000183BSAF25Q3 1.00 each

Capacitors, Surface Mount – most are 1206 size. Packed in bags of 10 for 50c

NPO 50V working: 0.68pF, 1.2pF, 1.8pF, 2.2pF, 5.6pF, 6.8pF, 8.2pF, 10pF, 15pF,

22pF, 33pF, 68pF, 82pF, 270pF, 470pF, 100nF.

63V working: 10pF, 47pF, 100pF, 270pF, 330pF, 470pF, 1nF, 1.2nF, 2.2nF, 4.7nF, 10nF 10uF 25V electrolytic

Capacitors, Metal Clad Mica (Unelco, Semco) $2.20 each

Values (in pF): Or 10 up for $2.00 each

3.9, 4.7, 6.8, 10, 12,15, 20, 22, 24, 27, 30, 33, 34, 47, 51, 62, 82, 100, 120, 130, 150, 220, 240, 300, 360, 680pF Most are rated 350V working ±5% tolerance. Similar to illustration, tab does not have hole:

Mixers:

Mini-Circuits Model TFM-2-408-1: 5 – 1000MHz 6dB insertion loss, +17dBm LO drive, 40dB isolation $25.00 each

Note: some of these mixers are labeled TFM-2-408-2. They are identical to the TFM-2-408-1.

END