THE FIRST CLASS C.W.

OPERATORS CLUB
Editor: G4BUE

NEWS SHEET 589

(http://members.aol.com/focuk)

November 1998

A man should keep his friendship in constant repair - Samuel Johnson (1755) (3525, 7025, 10120-10125, 14025, 18080-18085, 21025, 24905-24910 and 28025kHz)

BANDS OF THE MONTH FOR NOVEMBER ARE 160 & 20 METRES

1999 SUBSCRIPTIONS
Did you receive a blue subscription renewal form with your October News Sheet? If so, have you paid yet?
Friends Are the new WARC club frequencies working? (see page 2 of the August News Sheet). Several members have reported a lack of FOC QSOs despite calling many CQs there. Please remember to check them occasionally and let us know if they are working for you.

73 de Chris

FOCUS 36 ERRATUM by G4BUE

My apologies to Mike, ZL1MH, for a typo in his Letter to the Editor on page 14 of FOCUS 36. The last sentence of the second paragraph should have read, CBers who work DX legally, and not CBers who work CW legally!

MEMBERS NEWS by G4BUE

4X1FC: Daniel asks members to note the difference between his call and 4X4FC who is Alec, and who is at the same QTH and a good friend of Daniels, but with a limited ability to converse other than in Russian. DJ8FW: Ben has been QRV at the end of October as CT3/DJ8FW. EA8CN: Andy and Iram have been visiting Germany again, will be back in EA8 land on 20 November, and are not sure where they will, spend Christmas, it might be a white one in the summer house up in SM3. GORH: Ken and Ian, G3RVM, will be QRV in the ARRL 160 Meter Contest as M8N with a quarter wave vert and two 800 feet Beverages. G3ASM: Hank Hincks became a Silent Key recently at the age of 78. He was a member of FOC for 20 years from 1976 to 1996 (1311). G3HEJ: Derek has been QRV on 136kHz and has yet to make his first FOC QSO on the band. Have any members made FOC QSOs on 136kHz? G3SWH: Phil will be QRV 17/24 November as FR/G3SWH, while on holiday with Jan, CW 8010m with IC-706 and wire antennas, mostly early morning and evenings local time. G3VMW: Steve says the log for their recent ET3AA DXpedition is available for searching on the Internet at <http://www.bramham.demon.co. uk/>. They made 10,300 QSOs (10m 2266, 12m 1451, 15m 1994, 17m 1431, 20m 1321, 30m 700, 40m 648, 80m 40 and 160m 1). G3WUX: After someone felled the elm tree at the bottom of Terrys garden, he effectively lost his Windom antenna which rather curtailed operations. He has now erected a 40 feet mast,

(callsign in brackets indicate G4FOC op) Until 4 Nov EA4/G2FDF (588) Until 7 Nov D68BW by DJ2BW (587) Until April ZF2NT by N6NT (588) November - 160m and 20m (G3MXJ) Nov 9G5ZM & 5V7ZM by G3ZEM (585) Nov 9G5VJ by G4ZVJ (585) 3/18 E31DX by K5VT & W6RJ (588) 7 Committee Meeting 16 Deadline for FOCUS 37 17/24 FR/G3SWH (589) 18/24 VO1/W4ZYT (589) 20 9G by G3VMW/G4ZVJ (585)

FOC CALENDAR

23/2 Dec VP5/N4TO (588) 24/1 Dec 8P9HT & 8P9z by K4BAI (586) 25 Deadline for December News Sheet 27/28 CQ CW Contest 5V7A (585) 8P9Z by K4BAI (586) VP5DX by N4TO (588) YB9 by OH2KI? (588) 29/28 Dec PJ9/PAVDV (589) December - 30 and 15m (GW3KGV) 1999 Subscriptions due (CB) 4/6 M8N by GORH and G3RVM (589) 6 Florida Dinner (F 35)

Starred List

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by G3MXJ

1. G3UFY: VK8AV. 1. ZL2AZ: ZL2AGY. 1. DJ7AA: N9RD.

3. 9H1EL: G3VMW, G3ZEM, GIVZ, NP3F, W4AN (+ ZP6CW, K9WA, N4TO, OH2KI, N9RD). 2. LZ1AF: G3HZL, N3JT, N6NT, OH2KI, YO3AC (+ W8KJP ZL2AGY). , 1. N8DCJ: EA8CN, G2FDF, K4LT, K8MFO, W8AV. 1. N2NT: GW3SYL, GORH, K4OJ, N5TJ, N6NT (+ W4AN). 1. OK1TN: G3KKQ, N9RD, OK1KY, SM3BCS, VE7NH. An objection to DJ6SI is under consideration by the Committee.

New Members
1703 G3KMQ (Gerry) - R. G. Heslop, Fairways, Meadow Drive, Bude, Cornwall EX23 8HZ; Tel - 01288 352214; xyl - Noreen. 1704 SV1AOW (George) - G. Thanos, 30 Rodopoleos St., Rodopolis-Attica, 145 65 Greece; Tel - 1 6210809; xyl - Amalia.

Additional Nominations
5. K6RIM: W6CYX, W9KNI. 4. K6ZSR: W6THN. 4. G3HSP: GCMM, F5VEX, G3LIK, G4YNU, GBQV. 4. JY9QJ: KL7HF, K8MFO, W1PL, SM3BCS, ZL2AGY. 3. G3HCT: G3NKS, PALOU, K4LT, G3VMW. 2. 3DACA: KT5X, K4LT, N9RD. 2. OZ4FF: W1PL. 2. GKDZ: F5VEX. 2. K8NA: YO3AC, N8GZ. 2. W4PA: K4FW, K4LT, VA3LK. which is considerably higher than the tree, so he should be QRV again on LF this season. G4GLL: Geoff recently moved back into his new house after 8 weeks with his furniture in store, after cracks appeared and urgent repair work had

Amendments
G3RFE (1579): new address - 15 Blenheim Road, Street, Somerset BA16 0QD. 4X1FC (1411): amend address - PO Box 2412, Natanya 42-123. Israel; new tel - 09 8331845. PASOL (1570): delete from records Resigned. N2AA (1059): transfer to Associate Membership.
to be carried out. He will be back on the air soon. G4PKD: Lorraine and Jack have booked their flights for the Florida Dinner, on the same flight as Kathleen and Bill, G3LTV. LA1IE: Otto visited Bob, LA2UA, on his way

Score updates can be passed to G4BUE or any committee member. An asterisk against the call indicates the score has been updated this month. Table shows the scores received by 1300z 30 October 1998.
K4KQ W9GIL EA8CN* K4FU* G3LIK* W1HMD DL6TQ GORH* W6CYX W3NZ* G4BUE* N2KW G4PKT* GM3POI G3KTZ G3LIK YV1NX G4OEC* HA7PB OZ4UN* 337 309 308 305 300 300 289 275 275 269 266 265 255 251 250 250 250 243 240 238 SMCCE 238 G3TXF* 234 GW3KDB*233 PAVDV* 225 W8EGB 220 G3GFG* 214 PABW* 214 WA4SNI* 214 ZS6QU* 212 G3IY* 211 G4BJM* 209 N4TO* 209 G3ZEM 208 G4HZV* 207 GW3KGV*203 G3HZL 201 G2FDF 200 G4ZDB 200 K5DQ* 200 W4QM 200 ZP6CW* 195 K2VCO* 191 VE1BN 190 SM5COP*188 GEBW* 187 NP3F 187 ZL1MH 185 F5VEX 184 NP3G 184 N4AR 183 YO4PX 181 G4PKD* 180 K4BAI 178 OH2FOC 177 N4TY 175 OK1KT 175 N3BB 174 KF2AT* 173 GIVZ 168 G3WGV* 158 W9GW 168 ZS6AL* 155 W4DGJ 154 W8KJP 154 G3KKQ 152 XE2/NR7O152 AC5K* 150 G3SXW* 150 ZL2AGY 148 G4BUO 147 K4DQ 147 LA1IE 146 K4II 143 G3LTV 142 W2DX* 142 4X1FC* 141 G3LHJ* 141 G3PDL* 141 G3JJG* 139 W6TZD* 139 GCHV G3IZD DJ5ZN G3PQC JA7SSB ON4RU W1NV EA6ZY W8XM GBQV W4YE* K4XU GM3JKS K4EF WIAK DK4LX* K7UOT VK6RU G3AZ G3HEJ 138 136 136 135 135 135 135 134 134 133 133 131 130 130 130 129 129 126 125 125 I7ALE W4ZYT* F3AT G3MCK KT5X* GW3SB* W6THN N4LS G3LWI G3RFE G2FFO* K6RA N4WJ* W1BIH* G8VG N9RD* PADIN N4JT K1YT G4XRV 124 124 119 119 119 117 117 115 113 113 112 112 112 112 110 110 108 106 105 104
GM3HUN*104

THE 1998 WINDLE AWARD

G3LZK* 103 ZL1AH 103 W1HT* 102 G3SED 101 W2GW 101 W1FJ 100 W4TAJ* 100 G3MXJ* 99 SM6AOU* 99 GW3HCL 98 W1WEF 96 K1AO 94 K6TS 93 G2HKU* 92 G3JJZ* 92 K2VUI 92 K4DL 92 PALOU 91

N4XR W4FOA WB2YQH G3YXX U3DR OZ1LO* GFJT W1HL* GW3SYL DJ9SB* G3NOH G3NKS K5AX* W4PM* VE3AR W5GEL N1DG W9NN G4DJX

90 89 89 88 88 87 83 79 78 77 77 74 74 73 72 72 70 68 66

OH2KI KC7V LA3FL W2MEL* W4CK W1RM W8VSK K2TT K2SX PAINA OH2EA K6RA OH6KI GVLW K7GE* VA3LK VK8AV N1BB K1AJ

60 58 58 58 58 50 50 47 46 43 42 40 40 36 35 30 27 26 25

home after Lords and gave him a report of the weekend. Sadly Bob was unable to attend Lords this year on Doctors orders. K2VCO: Vic is planning to put up a two element quad sometime in November and will be the first directional antenna he has had in about 15 years; hopefully it will be up in time for the CQ CW contest. Vic says, Propagation from California is getting better: on 5 October I caught 15 metres open and worked ten new Windles, all of them Gs. For my dipole on the West Coast, that is a great morning!. K6RA: Referring to FOCUS 36, Roy writes, Technical and Operating Tips is the best idea you have had since Windle. Thanks Roy but credit for the idea goes to Tony, W1OT. K9WA: Jim was scheduled for surgery for a double hernia on 15 October and expected to be off work for several weeks. N8GZ: Ted and Lee have purchased a second home in Sun City West, Arizona and will be spending the winter as N8GZ/7. Ted has a FT1000MP, a Command kW amplifier and TH11DX at 60 feet already in place at the new QTH. N9RD: Jurgen recently retired after 34 years at the steel mill and now has more time for amateur radio. He has purchased a TS-450S for mobile and portable operation and was due to make a trip to Florida during October operating /M and /4 on the way. NP3F/G: Karen and Terry appear to have survived the 150mph winds of Hurricane George without damage to their home, although all their outbuildings are gone. In a 40m QSO with N4OO, Terry told Ink they were without power, water and telephone after the storm. A generator kept the fridge and freezer going and an antenna was put up to get back on the air. They anticipated waiting two weeks for their electricity to be re-connected because the whole system is being rebuilt. OH2KI: Jorma was one of the operators of the B1A multi-multi CQ SSB Contest station of the SCSDXT and the Beijing DX Club. OZ1LO: Congratulations to Leif and Andy, YO3AC, for a QSO on 6 metres in October to give both of them their first FOC member worked on 11 bands (160-6m and satellite).

OZ4UN: Paul was invited to watch the launch of a European satellite with an Atlas launcher from Cape Canaveral in October. He went there via Paris on a special chartered Airbus 310 with a group of about 60 people to Orlando, Florida, on the Thursday morning and was back home on Sunday afternoon. Paul says, The launch was on schedule and went ok. The whole thing was arranged with a very short notice and there was no time to see any members. Back home Paul hosted Glen, K6NA, who was in Denmark on business. Glen made a few QSOs back home to California but had a tough time with my old peculiar home-made paddle. But his fist was better than mine normally is! It was great to chat with Glen and we had a fine day. Glen was going to EA9 for the CQ SSB Contest. PASOL: Due to other time-consuming activities, Bob does not foresee a time where he will be able to become active on the bands again and has decided to drop out of the club. PAVDV: Joeke will be QRV 29 November to 28 December from Curacao Island, Netherlands Antilles, probably as PJ9/PAVDV at his sons house, and where his son has put up a ten metre high old lamp post to attach antennas to. SM5COP: Rune says, Got a four element Yagi for 12 metres now. But, where is everybody on 30 metres? My CQs on the suggested 1012010125kHz very seldom result in a FOC QSO. SM5GLC: Lasse was just about to put up his tower when his young next door neighbour was shocked when he saw the tower and does not want it to be put up, and it does not matter where in my garden. The neighbour claims to have the support of other neighbours so when Lasse went to the local planning office he discovered they had been briefed by my friendly neighbour who claimed it was to be 24 not 18 metres high. Lasse is now awaiting the outcome of planning permission and we wish him luck. VK6VZ: In a bid to further improve Steves 160 metre signal, plans are afoot to ditch the massive homebrew 40-10 metre quad and replace it with a small tri-band beam, so as to allow construction of a inverted vee-ish dipole or a top-loaded delta loop with the apex at around 90 - 100 feet. VK8AV: Alan is back in Brisbane and QRV as VK4IV again.

W3NZ: Fritz put up a Lightning Bolt quad on his 47 feet tower two months ago and finds it compares well with his TH6 tri-band beam at 72 feet. Fritz says, Last February our son visited us in Florida after one of his Orient trips and surprised me with a computer - Windows - the works. For hours I sat in front of the one eyed monster, mastered the word processor and installed some amateur radio related programs. After two weeks of this I took stock of my new life it shook me up! I now went walking once, swimming twice (no visit to the ocean), did not visit any friends and neglected to keep skeds with my PA friends. I called my son and said, this computer must go! I do not have enough time to spare with this new toy, at my age. I am now back to amateur radio, swimming, walking and good living. I had time to paint the tower and instal the quad. Life is so good once again! W4AN: Bill has completed his 8/8 yagi stack fixed to Europe for 10 metres optimised for F/B and bandwidth (8 elements on 48 foot booms at 43 and 18 feet). Testing it with a 5/5 (24 foot boom at 50 and 25 feet), a 7 element on 34 foot boom at 120 feet and a 7 element on a 34 foot boom at 37 feet resulted in very little difference between received signals from Europe, but on transmit the 8/8 was slightly better than the 5/5 for 90% of the time. Has anyone in the UK done similar tests?! W4ZYT: Don will be QRV as VO1/W4ZYT 18/ 24 November, including the ARRL SSB Sweepstakes, as KG4ZK 16/23 February and as KG4DZ in the ARRL CW DX Contest. W8KJP: Del planned to be QRV again 20/23 October as HL9DC or HL9DX. W9IV: Mac flew to Chicago on 7 October for hospital treatment for fluid on the lungs and then open heart surgery (installation of a new aortic valve and four artery by-passes). He flew back to Florida on 18 October and is now recovering at home, but will miss the Florida Dinner as recovery will take some time. ZL1MH: Mike made about 450 QSOs in the VK/ ZL CW Contest, including many on 10 metres with the USA East Coast, but none from Europe. ZP6CW: Doug is planning to attend the Florida Dinner. He has been concentrating on 6 metres a lot lately.