2016

Papakura Radio Club

April

Newsletter

Inside this issue

This months presentationPresenter Ian Crawford... Committee member and technician...

Ian will be giving a presentation on connecting phone lines with computers and phones etc.

Come along and join with your mates and Ian with his presentationAfter the General Meeting on Wednesday the 6th April 2016.

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2 3 5 6 11 12 15 16 18 19 22 23 24

This months presentationMinutes of General Meeting and Special GMWhere is that smoke coming from.Operating from remote locations..DxpeditionsContestsBombay Pioneer Settlers Fun RunRadio... And tramping in the bushOverheard on 6625...Pushing pipeJock White Memorial Field Day contestHawkes Bay HAMFEST 2016Club Directory

Minutes

Papakura Radio Club (Inc.) Minutes of General Meeting 2nd March 2016 at 19.37

Clubrooms, Wellington Park. The President welcomed the 15 members present. Apologies: ZL1ALZ ZL1DK/ZL1ASN Minutes of the February General meeting as per newsletter were taken as read. Matters arising: Nil ZL1BNQ/ZL1IRC Inward Correspondence: Newsletters from Branches 10, 29, 86 Mercury Energy $114.43 Westpac-00 $2,470.92 Westpac Online account -25 $10,214.07 SACC Traction magazine NZ post PO Box number account of $160.00 Address change ZL1RP Mercury Energy: changes to electricity pricing. Outward Correspondence: Nil ZL1AOX/ZL1ASN Finances: Dave ZL1MR reported that we had 32 paid up members. Accounts to pay: Rolly ZL1ASN for AL strip for exit door $18.98 Richard ZL1BNQ for paint and turps $88.20 NZ Post PO Box $160.00 Moved Ian ZL1AOX, seconded Ian ZL1IRC that accounts for payment be approved. Carried. General Business: 1. Meetings 2016: March 2nd :EchoLink and RaspberryPi April 6th: TBA May 4th : Remits plus Nigel ZL2SEA on his solar power and Amateur Radio on his farm June 1st : (Note: Richard ZL1BNQ absent May & June meetings)

2. EchoLink progress: Updated in presentation and confirmed as working.

3. Club Rooms cleaning: Bernard had said that he could help later in March. Ian ZL1AOX to clean rooms meantime. More volunteers needed or a paid cleaner will be required.

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4. Proposed Club Rule changes: To be attended to at the Special General Meeting to follow.

5. Rakon Visit: Graham ZL1AUG had recently met with Brett and toured the factory. Graham to check if possible tour for up to 20 people could be arranged for the 2nd or 4th Wednesday of a month.

6. Power Bill: Jack ZL1IJ compared his power bill from 2003 and 2015. 900 units July 2003 cost $79. 700 units in 2015 cost $275. Main increase in costs was due to line charges increasing from 10 cents per day to 109 cents per day. 7. JWFD report: David ZL1DK reported that he worked as ZL1VK on 80 and 40. John ZL1BYZ operated as Huntly ZL1BL and Ian ZL1AOX home station, and Cliff ZL1RP as operator with Branch 10 ZL1SA. 8. 6625 back on air: Richard ZL1BNQ reported that 6625 was back on air with a new controller. Still needs fine tuning of some audio levels.

Meeting closed at 20:10 and was followed by the Special General Meeting to amend Club Rules.

Papakura Radio Club (Inc.) Minutes of Special General Meeting 2nd March 2016 at 20.10

Clubrooms, Wellington Park.

15 members present as per roll book

Apologies: ZL1ALZ

Business: 1. To discuss the proposed rule changes to the Papakura Radio Club Inc. rules.

David ZL1DK moved and Bill ZL1BAB seconded that Draft 2 be approved as the Rules of the Papakura Radio Club Inc.

Carried unanimously.

Meeting closed at 20:22 ..

Minutes

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It would be advisable not to trust everything that is written in the User Guide of items that you buy.....

The User Guide for this item stated that it has fool proof protection for over voltage etc.... HA!!!

Where is that smoke coming from..

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Operating from remote locationsOne of the benefits of operating from remote locations, well away from the mains, is the low noise background. Pristine natural beauty is a benefit too, but not always (for amateurs) the prime advantage! Lack of neighbours and room for antennae are further benefits.

I like to take my caravan to remote locations, especially DOC camps, where there's nobody around, no noise, and plenty of peace and quiet. The down side of course is lack of facilities a long way from the shops, no power, often no water supply except a stream, and sometimes not even a toilet. But that's OK I'm fairly self-contained, even though the caravan does not have Certified Self Containment (it lacks holding tanks for grey water)[1].

In this article I'll describe the caravan, the electrical and radio gear, and describe a typical short trip, up the Kaueranga Valley, near Thames.

The CaravanMy home away from home is a 1974 CI Monroe Sprite, a truly retro 2-berth caravan in fairly original condition. Veteran caravans are much sought-after, and I've been asked many times if I would sell it. While small, the caravan has all the necessary domestic needs including a very efficient 12V fridge (compressor type), gas stove, a water supply, a portable toilet and LED lighting. It also has mains as well as 12V power and lighting. I use a second chest fridge (Peltier type) to hold my fruit and vegetables, and when I leave the caravan for the day, I take this with me to keep the drinks cool, powering it from the car to give the caravan battery a rest.

Fig. 1. Home away from home, Kaueranga Valley 2016 [DSCF1932a.jpg]

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Murray Greenman ZL1BPU

Operating from remote locationsElectrical SystemI've made a few changes here. The caravan now has two 100AH deep cycle batteries, one to power the 'House', the other the 'Radio' gear. There are two 230V AC chargers, a commercial 4A automatic charger, and a homebrew 15A unit designed to charge the House battery while under load. As you may be aware, commercial chargers are woefully inadequate when connected to a battery under load.

I also have an inexpensive Rydge Rider 30A solar charge controller [2], and two solar panels. The larger panel is an 80W polycrystalline BP Solar BP380J, although the glass front surface is damaged and it does not develop full power (I get about 20W). I have no mount for this panel, and I transport it in the car. In use I sit it flat on the roof of the caravan, or prop it up against a box (see Figure 1). It has Anderson connectors for quick and easy connection. The smaller panel is a DSE Z111 5W amorphous panel, which I have mounted on the lid of an equipment box, where it can be angled and rotated to the sun.

The chargers and solar controller have large battery clips on the positive output, so I can easily disconnect or swap them from one battery to another. The negative outputs are permanently connected, and I use heavy leads to minimise drop and so maximise charge current while under load.

Fig. 2. The powerhouse [DSCF2002a.jpg]The homebrew mains charger is a recycled 350W ATX type computer supply.

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Operating from remote locationsI added a switch, which turns it on and off and also sets it to float (13.8V) or charge (14.4V). I also added a dual display voltage/current digital meter. Modern computer supplies such as this are easily tweaked so the 12V output can be any voltage you wish up to 15V or so. Setting it to 14.4V allows it to fully charge the House battery while the fridge is running. Each installation is different, so the voltage is set to balance the voltage drop in the leads and the resistance of the battery against the load being drawn. Another tweaked computer power supply runs the fridge when AC power is available.

There is a further charging source while I'm on the road. My car does not provide a 12V feed to the caravan, so I've tapped off the parking/tail light feed, and connected a small boost regulator between there and the House battery. The boost regulator is a recycled laptop supply, capable of 1.5A at 15V, but conveniently runs in current limit, and via a diode supplies sufficient charge (if I remember to drive with the parking lights on) to keep up with the drain of the fridge while I'm on the road.

The fridge draws about 1A, with a typical duty cycle of perhaps 30%, and is efficient enough to keep ice-cream firm and cooler pads frozen. Of course 30% of 1A is 7.2AH over 24 hours, and it's a tall order for any solar system, even with a full day of cloudless sun, to keep up with that. I achieve about 1.8A with the big panel in full sunlight, and about 300mA with the smaller panel. I can survive three or four days easily with no mains power and no travelling around, and weeks on end with the occasional powered site and some travel every other day. Although I've not needed to take it with me, I also have a small 350W petrol generator. It's rather frowned on to use petrol power, especially at pristine forest sites.

The House and Radio batteries both have 'cigar lighter' connectors available so that I can connect accessories as needed. There are also multi-way 12V and 230V power panels at the 'entertainment' end of the caravan, used to power my stereo and TV gear. There is a switch panel near the batteries, which controls the main DC power loads.

The chest fridge operates from 12V and also has its own AC supply. It is handy for bulky items, such as fruit and vegetables, which are difficult to accommodate in a small upright fridge.

Radio Gear

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Operating from remote locationsMy particular interest is in HF digital modes, and I use an Icom IC-7200 and a Kenwood AT-130 tuner. The radio requires no digital interface, as it connects to my Toshiba Tecra R850 laptop via USB. The computer is fairly quick and runs Win7 Pro 64-bit. I use FLDIGI and FSQCall software. Operating at night without AC power, it can be quite difficult to see the computer keyboard, so I've adapted a cheap transformer-type desk lamp to operate from 12V as well as AC, and have fitted a lower power halogen lamp.

Fig 3. The operating position [DSCF1999a.jpg]

The endurance of a laptop battery is not ideal for portable use, so I need to charge it from time to time. I use a 150W sine-wave inverter (DSE M5150), powered from the Radio battery. This also comes in handy for charging my phone, stereo, tablet and even my shaver. It's best not to charge while operating, as the inverter can mess up the quiet radio environment.

I also have an old scanner (AOR AR-2002) and a car radio, which share a 2m 5/8 whip on the side of the van. Reception on AM on the car radio is very good, always an asset when FM reception in remote places is poor. The radio

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Operating from remote locationsdrives a pair of bookshelf speakers, which live in top cupboards while travelling.

Because FSQ is a very sensitive mode, I am able to keep in touch on 40m using just a whip antenna on the front of the caravan. The mount is a Hutton type; the mast is homebrew, using a 2.5m deer-fence fibreglass pole covered with coax braid. There are top loading coils and whips for all HF bands. The 40m one is an old Newtronics RM-40, and the 80m one is a 60mm diameter beauty made by Keith ZL1BQE. The rest are homebrew. The antenna is of course too tall to leave in place while on the road it stands 5m off the ground with the 80m coil and whip in place.

I take with me an equipment box (the one with the solar panel on the lid, Figure 4), containing a dual-band (80/40) fan dipole and balun, which also works quite well on 30, 20 and 15m. The 6m mast I use consists of three ZC1 poles, which are supported by polypropylene ropes. These ropes, along with the necessary tent pegs, also live in the equipment box. The ZC1 poles and HF whip top sections are stored in a PVC tube slung across the front of the caravan. I can also fit a 2m whip or LF/MF active antenna to the top of the mast.

Fig. 4. The solar equipment box [obliquebox.jpg]

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Operating from remote locationsTV and Stereo SystemWhere would we be without enjoying TV while out in the wilderness? I use an old Sky satellite dish and a tiny 12V operated DishTV[3] S7030 satellite receiver, which gives me all the Freeview channels and several radio stations. I made a homebrew tripod for the antenna (I also have a mount on the front of the caravan), and don't have any trouble finding the appropriate satellite using a simple satellite finder. You do have to take care where you plant the antenna though, as in forest locations it can be difficult to see the satellites over the trees. I peg my tripod down to the grass to stop the antenna blowing over.

To complete the 12V TV installation I use a 19in Veon 1912L digital TV set [4], which is 12V or mains operated (how convenient!) and also will play from USB, from the computer, from CD or DVD using a built-in drive, and will also record and play using a hard disc. Small TV sets (in fact most modern TV sets) have pretty dreadful audio, so I augment this with my portable stereo, which is a Logitech S715i powered speaker system. This has self-contained batteries and can also be AC or 12V powered. The sound is very good. The unit also has an Ipod dock, to which I can fit a Bluetooth adaptor [5]. The Bluetooth adaptor also comes in handy for playing music from my tablet, which is an Asus Nexus 7 with about 2500 music tracks (enough music for eight hours/day for nearly three years without any repeats!). Many powered speakers and most tablets and laptops now include Bluetooth.

The total current consumption of the TV system, including the satellite antenna and receiver, is about 4A at 12V. I can set up the gear for TV reception in about 20 minutes. The big advantage of satellite TV in a mobile scenario is that the set-up is the same everywhere. With terrestrial TV, reception can be spotty out in the wilds, and a different channel set-up is required in different parts of the country.

QRM SourcesOperating in remote locations, you very quickly discover that you carry much of the QRM about with you! I mentioned the 230V inverter earlier. Other sources of noise are the laptop charger (the laptop itself is quiet), slight noise from the USB cable on some bands, and surprisingly, the fridge, which is electronically controlled, makes odd beeping noises across the HF bands when it is running. Continued on page 14

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2016 Mar29 2016 Apr11 Juan de Nova & Europa FT4JA LotW2016 Mar29 2016 Apr22 Barbados 8P6DR G3RWL2016 Mar30 2016 Apr04 Svalbard JW LotW

April2016 Apr05 2016 Apr09 Spratly Is TBA OH2Y2016 Apr05 2016 Apr11 East Timor 4W TBA2016 Apr09 2016 Apr10 Market Reef OJ0W OH3WS2016 Apr09 2016 Apr16 Guernsey GP4BRS LotW2016 Apr11 2016 Apr24 Guyana 8R1A W1CDC2016 Apr12 2016 Apr19 Cambodia XU7AKC Club Log2016 Apr12 2016 Apr19 Jan Mayen JX9JKA JX9JKA2016 Apr12 2016 Apr22 St Vincent J88PI GW4DVB2016 Apr13 2016 Apr18 Palau T88SM See Info2016 Apr13 2016 Apr19 Botswana A25UK M0OXO2016 Apr13 2016 Apr19 Cambodia XU7AKC SP5APW2016 Apr14 2016 Apr26 Trinidad & Tobago 9Y K2HVN2016 Apr15 2016 Apr18 Liechtenstein HB0 EA5IDQ2016 Apr15 2016 Apr20 Lord Howe I VK9L LotW2016 Apr15 2016 Apr25 Iran EP2A LotW2016 Apr16 2016 Apr21 Mayotte FH F4FET2016 Apr16 2016 Apr24 Turks & Caicos VP5 KA3CNC2016 Apr17 2016 Apr30 Maldives 8Q7 Home Call2016 Apr19 2016 Apr25 Samoa 5W0XG JA1XGI2016 Apr19 2016 Apr29 Spratly Is 9M0S DF8AN2016 Apr21 2016 Apr28 Georgia 4L9PL2016 Apr23 2016 Apr30 Jersey MJ0KUC Auto Buro2016 Apr23 2016 May02 Norfolk I VK9NULotW2016 Apr24 2016 May03 Belize V31OK LotW2016 Apr24 2016 May10 South Cook IsE51DLD W6HB2016 Apr26 2016 May06 Ogasawara JD1BOI JI1LET2016 Apr27 2016 May06 Ogasawara JD1BMH JG7PSJ 2016 Apr28 2016 May01 Bahrain A91HI LotW

May2016 May01 2016 May05 Palau T88RF LotW

Dxpeditions

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Contests+ UKEICC 80m Contest 2 0 0 0 Z - 2 1 0 0 Z , A p r 6+ SARL 80m QSO Party 1 7 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , A p r 7+ NRAU 10m Activity Contest 1800Z-1900Z, Apr 7 (CW) and

  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , A p r 7 ( S S B ) a n d  2 0 0 0 Z - 2 1 0 0 Z , A p r 7 ( F M ) a n d  2 1 0 0 Z - 2 2 0 0 Z , A p r 7 ( D i g )

+ NCCC RTTY Sprint 0 1 4 5 Z - 0 2 1 5 Z , A p r 8+ NCCC Sprint 0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 8+ JIDX CW Contest 0700Z, Apr 9 to 1300Z, Apr 10+ PODXS 070 Club PSK 31 Flavors Contest 1000Z, Apr 9 to 0 4 0 0 Z , A p r 1 0+ QRP ARCI Spring QSO Party 1200Z, Apr 9 to 2359Z, Apr 1 0+ SKCC Weekend Sprintathon 1200Z, Apr 9 to 2400Z, Apr 1 0+ OK/OM DX Contest, SSB 1200Z, Apr 9 to 1200Z, Apr 10+ New Mexico QSO Party 1400Z, Apr 9 to 0200Z, Apr 10+ Georgia QSO Party 1800Z, Apr 9 to 0359Z, Apr 10 and

  1 4 0 0 Z - 2 3 5 9 Z , A p r 1 0+ Yuri Gagarin International DX Contest 2100Z, Apr 9 to 2100Z, Apr 1 0+ International Vintage Contest HF 1 2 0 0 Z - 1 8 0 0 Z , A p r 1 0+ Hungarian Straight Key Contest 1 5 0 0 Z - 1 7 0 0 Z , A p r 1 0+ 144 MHz Spring Sprint 1900 local - 2300 local, Apr 11+ NAQCC CW Sprint 0 0 3 0 Z - 0 2 3 0 Z , A p r 1 3+ Phone Fray0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 1 3+ CWops Mini-CWT Test 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 4 0 0 Z , A p r 1 3 a n d

  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , A p r 1 3 a n d  0 3 0 0 Z - 0 4 0 0 Z , A p r 1 4

+ RSGB 80m Club Championship, SSB 1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 3 0 Z , A p r 1 3+ NCCC RTTY Sprint 0 1 4 5 Z - 0 2 1 5 Z , A p r 1 5+ NCCC Sprint 0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 1 5+ Holyland DX Contest 2100Z, Apr 15 to 2100Z, Apr 16+ TARA Skirmish Digital Prefix Contest 0 0 0 0 Z - 2 3 5 9 Z , A p r 1 6+ ES Open HF Championship 0500Z-0559Z, Apr 16 and

  0 6 0 0 Z - 0 6 5 9 Z , A p r 1 6 a n d  0 7 0 0 Z - 0 7 5 9 Z , A p r 1 6 a n d  0 8 0 0 Z - 0 8 5 9 Z , A p r 1 6

+ Worked All Provinces of China DX Contest 0600Z, Apr 16 to 0 5 5 9 Z , A p r 1 7+ CQ Manchester Mineira DX Contest 1200Z, Apr 16 to 2359Z, Apr 1 7+ Nebraska QSO Party 1400Z, Apr 16 to 0200Z, Apr 17 and

  1 4 0 0 Z - 2 3 0 0 Z , A p r 1 7+ Michigan QSO Party 1600Z, Apr 16 to 0400Z, Apr 17+ EA-QRP CW Contest 1700Z-2000Z, Apr 16 (20-10m) and

  2 0 0 0 Z - 2 3 0 0 Z , A p r 1 6 ( 8 0 m ) a n d  0 7 0 0 Z - 1 1 0 0 Z , A p r 1 7 ( 4 0 m ) a n d  1 1 0 0 Z - 1 3 0 0 Z , A p r 1 7 ( 2 0 - 1 0 m )

+ Ontario QSO Party 1800Z, Apr 16 to 0500Z, Apr 17 and  1 2 0 0 Z - 1 8 0 0 Z , A p r 1 7

+ North Dakota QSO Party 1800Z, Apr 16 to 1800Z, Apr 17+ Feld Hell Sprint 1 7 0 0 Z - 1 8 5 9 Z , A p r 1 6+ YU DX Contest 2100Z, Apr 16 to 0500Z, Apr 17 and

  0 9 0 0 Z - 1 7 0 0 Z , A p r 1 7+ WAB 3.5/7/14 MHz Data Modes 1200Z-1400Z, Apr 17 and

  1 8 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , A p r 1 7+ ARRL Rookie Roundup, SSB 1 8 0 0 Z - 2 3 5 9 Z , A p r 1 7+ Run for the Bacon QRP Contest 0 1 0 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 1 8+ 222 MHz Spring Sprint 1900 local - 2300 local, Apr 19+ Phone Fray0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 2 0+ CWops Mini-CWT Test 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 4 0 0 Z , A p r 2 0 a n d

  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , A p r 2 0 a n d  0 3 0 0 Z - 0 4 0 0 Z , A p r 2 1

+ RSGB 80m Club Championship, Data 1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 3 0 Z , A p r 2 1+ NCCC RTTY Sprint 0 1 4 5 Z - 0 2 1 5 Z , A p r 2 2+ NCCC Sprint 0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 2 2+ 10-10 Int. Spring Contest, Digital 0001Z, Apr 23 to 2359Z, Apr 2 4+ SP DX RTTY Contest 1200Z, Apr 23 to 1200Z, Apr 24+ Helvetia Contest 1300Z, Apr 23 to 1259Z, Apr 24+ BARTG Sprint 75 1 7 0 0 Z - 2 1 0 0 Z , A p r 2 4

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+ SKCC Sprint 0 0 0 0 Z - 0 2 0 0 Z , A p r 2 7+ Phone Fray0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 2 7+ CWops Mini-CWT Test 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 4 0 0 Z , A p r 2 7 a n d

  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , A p r 2 7 a n d  0 3 0 0 Z - 0 4 0 0 Z , A p r 2 8

+ 432 MHz Spring Sprint 1900 local - 2300 local, Apr 27+ UKEICC 80m Contest 2 0 0 0 Z - 2 1 0 0 Z , A p r 2 7+ NCCC RTTY Sprint 0 1 4 5 Z - 0 2 1 5 Z , A p r 2 9+ NCCC Sprint 0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , A p r 2 9+ SBMS 2.3 GHz and Up Contest and Club Challenge 0600 local, Apr 3 0 t o 2 3 5 9 l o c a l , M a y 1+ Russian WW MultiMode Contest 1200Z, Apr 30 to 1159Z, May 1+ Florida QSO Party 1600Z, Apr 30 to 0159Z, May 1 and

  1 2 0 0 Z - 2 1 5 9 Z , M a y 1

May+ AGCW QRP/QRP Party 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 9 0 0 Z , M a y 1+ RSGB 80m Club Championship, SSB 1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 3 0 Z , M a y 2+ ARS Spartan Sprint 0 1 0 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , M a y 3+ Phone Fray0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , M a y 4+ CWops Mini-CWT Test 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 4 0 0 Z , M a y 4 a n d

  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , M a y 4 a n d  0 3 0 0 Z - 0 4 0 0 Z , M a y 5

+ MIE 33 Contest 2300Z, May 4 to 0300Z, May 5+ NRAU 10m Activity Contest 1700Z-1800Z, May 5 (CW) a n d

  1 8 0 0 Z - 1 9 0 0 Z , M a y 5 ( S S B ) a n d  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , M a y 5 ( F M ) a n d  2 0 0 0 Z - 2 1 0 0 Z , M a y 5 ( D i g )

+ NCCC RTTY Sprint 0 1 4 5 Z - 0 2 1 5 Z , M a y 6+ NCCC Sprint 0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , M a y 6+ 10-10 Int. Spring Contest, CW 0001Z, May 7 to 2359Z, May 8+ Microwave Spring Sprint 0 8 0 0 - 1 4 0 0 l o c a l , M a y 7+ SKCC Weekend Sprintathon 1200Z, May 7 to 2400Z, May 8+ ARI International DX Contest 1200Z, May 7 to 1159Z, May 8+ F9AA Cup, PSK 1200Z, May 7 to 1200Z, May 8+ 7th Call Area QSO Party 1300Z, May 7 to 0700Z, May 8+ Indiana QSO Party 1500Z, May 7 to 0300Z, May 8+ FISTS Spring Slow Speed Sprint 1 7 0 0 Z - 2 1 0 0 Z , M a y 7+ Delaware QSO Party 1700Z, May 7 to 2359Z, May 8+ New England QSO Party 2000Z, May 7 to 0500Z, May 8 and

  1 3 0 0 Z - 2 4 0 0 Z , M a y 8+ Phone Fray0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , M a y 1 1+ CWops Mini-CWT Test 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 4 0 0 Z , M a y 1 1 a n d

  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , M a y 1 1 a n d  0 3 0 0 Z - 0 4 0 0 Z , M a y 1 2

+ RSGB 80m Club Championship, Data 1900Z-2030Z , May 11+ NAQCC CW Sprint 0 0 3 0 Z - 0 2 3 0 Z , M a y 1 2+ NCCC RTTY Sprint 0 1 4 5 Z - 0 2 1 5 Z , M a y 1 3+ NCCC Sprint 0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , M a y 1 3+ VOLTA WW RTTY Contest 1200Z, May 14 to 1200Z, May 15+ HPC World Wide DX Contest 1200Z, May 14 to 1159Z, May 1 5+ CQ-M International DX Contest 1200Z, May 14 to 1159Z, May 1 5+ MARAC USA QSO Party 1 4 0 0 Z - 2 4 0 0 Z , M a y 1 4 a n d

  1 4 0 0 Z - 2 4 0 0 Z , M a y 1 5+ Arkansas QSO Party 1400Z, May 14 to 0200Z, May 15+ Portuguese Navy Day Contest 1500Z, May 14 to 1500Z, May 1 5+ FISTS Spring Unlimited Sprint 1700Z-2100Z , May 14+ 50 MHz Spring Sprint 2300Z, May 14 to 0300Z, May 15+ WAB 7 MHz Phone 1 0 0 0 Z - 1 4 0 0 Z , M a y 1 5+ UA2 QSO Party 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 6 5 9 Z , M a y 1 5+ Run for the Bacon QRP Contest 0100Z-0300Z , May 16+ Phone Fray0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , M a y 1 8+ CWops Mini-CWT Test 1 3 0 0 Z - 1 4 0 0 Z , M a y 1 8 a n d

  1 9 0 0 Z - 2 0 0 0 Z , M a y 1 8 a n d  0 3 0 0 Z - 0 4 0 0 Z , M a y 1 9

+ RSGB 80m Club Championship, CW 1900Z-2030Z , May 19+ NCCC RTTY Sprint 0 1 4 5 Z - 0 2 1 5 Z , M a y 2 0+ NCCC Sprint 0 2 3 0 Z - 0 3 0 0 Z , M a y 2 0

Operating from remote locationsThe little boost regulator that charges while I'm driving tends to noise up the FM radio in the car, but that's not surprising since it's quite close to the car antenna on the back window. It is not a big issue, as I prefer to listen to my tablet while driving when out of town.

I've also discovered that it's best to disconnect the caravan lighting connector from the car when parked, as I've found that operating on 80 or 40m can otherwise cause the car to modulate the car and caravan parking lights!

The Kaueranga ValleyWhat a lovely place! There are about 10 different campsites up the valley (east of Thames), tucked into native forest, well maintained, and even at the height of summer it is not difficult to find a secluded spot. The road is mostly gravel, 14km or so from Thames to the DOC headquarters, but not a problem towing the caravan. You must make sure you have all the necessary food and water with you. Water is available from streams, but you may need to lug it some distance. I warn you the streams are freezing cold, so you need to be the hardy type to go swimming!

The Kaueranga Valley is very quiet, especially at night. You can hear Morepork and Kiwi calling, and if you have an active LF antenna or a VLF Whistler receiver (I have a PA0RDT type antenna and a McGreevy WR-3), there are amazing signals to be heard at night, since the place is electrically so quiet. Where I was parked there was no FM broadcast reception available, no terrestrial TV and no cellular coverage.

I had no trouble working FSQ into Gisborne day and night from the forest on 40m using the whip. Because the site was so quiet, the normal noise-prone reception disadvantages of whip antennas did not apply. (Motor camps are notoriously noisy). There was a lot of SSB chatter on the 7105 kHz channel at night, but I could still copy HB9AVK quite well, and easily worked the South Island. There were unfortunately not many other FSQ stations about, even though it was holiday time. I was so busy doing other things that I didn't have the opportunity to work any SSB or other DX.

I was able to operate three-hour sessions without the laptop battery going flat, provided I recharged it between sessions. During the day I made trips to Tairua and Coromandel, but I stayed in the same spot in the Kaueranga

14

Operating from remote locationsValley for four days (and three nights), running the radio gear and the TV, and did not run out of power in either of the batteries. I had some rain and mostly overcast weather, so solar charging was fairly limited in both rate and duration. It took a day or so to fully recharge both batteries from the mains once I was home.

[1] https://www.nzmca.org.nz/self-containment/[2] supercheapauto.co.nz, search for 362088[3] www.dishtv.co.nz[4] thewarehouse.co.nz, search for VN1912[5] dx.com/409135

Saturday the 19th of March 2016 saw some of our AREC team active with assistance from the Franklin AREC team. The activity was the Bombay Pioneer Settlers Fun Run organised by the Bombay Lions and ran from the Bombay School down Great South Road and back. Ian Grayson ZL1ASO/ZL1DM asked for our help and were only too happy to assist. The task involved setting up stations alongside the water stations and also mobile operators in the lead and trail vehicles and base. The operators in the field were Bob ZL1BBZ, Ian ZL1PZ, Durleen ZL1ULK, Bill ZL1BAB while lead was Cliff ZL1RP, trail Ian ZL1AOX and base David ZL1DK. We used the simplex channel of 146.525 which happened to also be a local channel used by the Western Suburbs Radio Club members. The field operators called the first group of runners into base and then stood by in case of more urgent need. The lead car was sent out ahead of the runners and then returned while the trail car traveled around and Ian tole me that they had been to the end of the half marathon and back at least 3 times and around the finishing circuit a half dozen times or more. Ian Grayson stood just outside the entrance to the finishing circuit which was a run around the school oval sending base the runners numbers.

Presentations were made to the first three finishers in the starting groups. The whole exercise was all over by noon. The organisers were pleased with our contribution and asked if we would help next year.

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Bombay Pioneer Settlers Fun Run

A five day walk in the bush with a radio Dave ZL1MR Back on Auckland Anniversary weekend I had planned to go for a tramp in the Kaimai Ranges with my brother-in-law. Unfortunately he couldn't make it due to work so I headed off on my own. Of course I decided to take my trusty FT-817 and the associated equipment plus a new battery system that I had bought from Briscoe marine. My old setup consisted of a 2.5Ahr Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery ex a piece of medical equipment. It was relatively small but being made of lead was never a good idea to carry in a pack. This new battery unit was a bit expensive but is essentially a giant Li-ion battery

booster pack rated at 12+Ahr (5x more capacity than the SLA). It is normally used to recharge mobile phones, run computers and even start cars! Well I haven't tried the car starting but it has all the correct clips as per the attached picture. The output is switchable from 12V to 19V so will easily run a typical Netbook sized computer. Anyway long story short I managed to get away for my tramp leaving on the

Radio... And tramping in the bush

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Dave Wilkins ZL1MR

Radio... And tramping in the bushSaturday in the rain and stomped my way up the Kaimai Range from the SH29 saddle all the way up to Thompsons Track. I had plans to go further but the conditions on the track and my limited time (no-one at home to come and pick me up after Wednesday) meant it was better to pull out after five days than carry on.

I spent two nights in huts and two under a fly in the bush next to streams. I listened to the Central North Island Mountain Radio Service (CNIMRS) schedules on 3445MHz every night at 2030hr and had a chat to Barry ZL1ABR as well as he is one of the regular operators. Of course the FT-817 is super versatile and I was able to easily work the Waikato 146.950 repeater (not that anyone called me back) and also listen to FM Radio with the whip antenna connected.

On the last day I was staying at a hut on the top of a mountain (Kauritatahi

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Radio... And tramping in the bushHut) in the most remote of places at the end of a dead end track so I am unlikely to ever go there again. The hut happened to be just along the range from the site of the 1963 DC3 crash of ZK-AYZ so I decided to visit the site. I ended up clambering down a ravine using a rope some kind soul had left behind and found the remains of the undercarriage. Most of the wreckage

was buried after the army blew up the cliffs above the wreck as the shiny aluminium could be seen for miles across the plains. There is a piece of wing under some trees as well but I didn't have time to go searching. For more information just use a Google s e a r c h o r a number of other pictures can be

found here: http://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/11246. . It has been a while since I went on a longer duration walk in the bush so I had to re-learn a few lessons one of which was on the last day. It basically is listen to your feet. If your boots are coming loose stop and tighten them up! End result was I redid my left boot, and thought as I had better get going I would stop later and fix the right one up. Unfortunately I was focussing on speeding up to meet Frances who was coming to collect me and forgot the retightening of the laces. End result was a 50c sized blister. Lesson - never put off for later what you should do now. My seven lessons are a separate article for the Tramping Club newsletter - email if a you want a copy. So here are a few pictures of the Li-ion battery system, my camping spots,

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Overheard on 6625.....Nigel, our farmer from the north had his wife home over the Easter weekend and when she returned home she found a burst waterpipe and 20000 liters of water had run out thru the caravan..........................

Pushing pipeEarlier in the month I spotted a truck pull up over the road and being not that busy I got up out of my chair and walked out the front of the yard to see just what they were getting up to.Poles, pipes, hoses and a box on gear was unloaded. Soon they starter to set up around the manhole that covers the fibre cables that had previously been laid under ground. Even that was an interesting process where they push the poles underground from around 50 meters away or more. The plastic pipes that will eventually hold the fibre was then pulled back up the hole when the poles are being withdrawn.

The piece of machinery was a great setup. Two connections for compressed air input, a motor to run a set of rollers and the pressure compartment that when closed, encapsulates the fibre and fibre cable holder.The task for this couple of guys to complete was the feed the main

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Pushing pipe

fibre cable up the centre plastic tube the to outlet some 100 meters up the road. The centre tube is first locked into the pressure compartment with a small section passed into the compartment. The next step is to fed a blank slug into the center tube and I missed the next process but I er

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expect that this was send down the entire length under pressure to the other end to ensure the path was clear of obstacles. Then the compartment was reopened and the fibre cable was fed into the center tube. The compartment locked again and the air turned back

on and the motor started to feed the fibre cable into the centre tube. The air is forced into the pressure compartment and surrounds the fibre cable all the was down the centre tube to the other end of the journey. When the fibre cable is forced thru and the journey over the cables are cut and sealed awaiting the next process.....

Pushing pipe

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The 27th and 28th of February 2016 was the Jock While Memorial Field Day. Starting at 3.00 pm on the Saturday I hada been at Kaiaua since later on the Friday afternoon. I had put the dipole up on the frame usually used to hole the HF HEX beam. This time I put a couple of extra poles up giving me a height of 13.5 meters. The play was to use twin aerials on 40 meters and the 80 meter dipole al on the same pole. I put my 40/80 dipole up first at the 13.5 meter level and the second 40meter dipole further down around 8.5 meters high. I was intending to use my new SO2R or Single Operator 2 Radios. I had purchased a MicroHAM u2R set but as luck would have it, it arrived in the country on the Tuesday and was cleared by customs the Thursday prior to the contest.

My switching set was okay but I did have to change the switching setup so I could hear both radios when the switch was in the central position. Having done that operation I had the sound working but now I couldn’t transmit on one of the radios. I ended up using the head set for the audio from both radios and a microphone and the boom mic for transmitting. In all I had fun operating and enjoyed the activity. I can remember when our Papakura Radio Club put out 4 or 5 stations, as a club station, single operator and home stations.... maybe one day we can return to where we used to be.

Jock White Memorial Field Day

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Napier Amateur Radio Club (NZART Branch 25) Saturday April 9, Nelson Park.

--------------- --------Official Programme -----------------------

Friday 8th April. 5:00-7:00 pm Registration at McInnes Pavilion, Nelson Park. Bar open.

Saturday 9th April 08:30 am Registration.

9:45 Official Opening and welcome by Wally ZL2MO, President Br 25

10:00 am '' D-Star digital radio'', Jan ZL2CZE and John Wysocki ZL2TWS

11:00 am '' H/F DX and propagation'', Holger Hannemann ZL2IO

12:00 Break for lunch & swinger no. Draw

1:00 pm "Fast Simple QSO'' Murray Greenman ZL1BPU

2:00 pm "Summits On The Air" Warren Harris ZL2AJ

3:00 pm Break for tea/coffee, and swinger no. Draw

3:30 pm "Microwatting" Peter Mulhare ZL2IK

4:30 pm close, bar available until 5:30

7:00 pm Dinner at Napier RSA restaurant, Station St. Napier (Pay as you go, not included in registration)

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Hawkes Bay Hamfest 2016

Club Directory 2016Papakura Radio Club Inc Branch 65 NZART Wellington Park, 1 Great South Road. PO BOX 72-397 Papakura 2244 PHONE 09-2965244Westpac 03-0399-0019896-00Club website: http://www.qsl.net/zl1vkElected Officers

President ZL1BNQ Richard Gamble Ph 09 5371238 021 729270Vice President ZL1FLY Robert Moody Ph 021 2215388Secretary ZL1AOX Ian Ashley Ph 09 2981810 021 1981810Treasurer ZL1MR David Wilkins Ph 09 2999346 021 1857903Committee ZL1RJS Rob Stokes Ph 09 2961152 021 307005

ZL1IRC Ian Clifford Ph 021 08248400 ZL1ASN Rolly Adams Ph 09 2966107 027 4785040ZL1DK David Karrasch Ph 09 2963180 021 560180

AREC Section Leader ZL1BNQ Richard Gamble Ph 09 5371238 021 729270CD Liaison ZL1AOX Ian Ashley Ph 09 2981810 021 1981810

Newsletter Editor ZL1DK David Karrasch Ph 09 2963180 021 560180Hall Bookings ZL1AOX Ian Ashley Ph 09 2981810 021 1981810Key Custodian ZL1FAV Fred Vermeulen Ph 09 2665155 022 0431176

Newsletter. Contact karrasch@ihug.co.nz Our newsletter is published monthly andnormally distributed just prior to the club meeting. Please forward articles etc to the editor Wednesday latest before general meeting. Do notify any change of address. After a period of grace, newsletters are only sent to financial members.

Meetings General Meetings are held at the Club rooms on the 1st Wednesday of eachmonth, starting at 7.30pm. Look at your calendar and mark these nights. A presentation speaker follows the General Meetings and finally a supper to end the evening.

Project Evenings are on the 4th Wednesday of each month.Committee Meetings are held on 3rd Wednesday monthly at 7.30pm, unless advised.Activity Nights are held on the 2nd Wednesday starting at 7.30pm.AREC Meetings are on the 5th Wednesday night, also starting at 7.30pmSubscription Full membership and newsletter $25.0003-0399-0019896-00 Family Membership and newsletter $35.00

Student or Country DX membership $15.00Working Bees As required.Branch 65 21 Award For contacts with ZL1VK (5 Points) and 8 Papakura Radio ClubMembers (2 Points Each) after January 2011. Total 21 Points. Cost $5-00. Certified list and$5-00 to secretary, Papakura Radio Club. Address above.

ZL1VK Club Nets 146.900 MHz Sunday at 8.30am. Controller ZL1QK Bill Stone. If the repeater is not available, listen 146.475 simplex.3.755 MHz Sunday at 9.00am + downlink on 146.675 Controller ZL1BNQ Richard Gamble

1960 201624