(RADIO-ZS Vol.60 No.2)
MUSEUM NEWS. MARCH – MAY 2007.
by Dave Gemmell ZS6AAW
and the Old Timers.
PAST ZS0AWA PRESIDENT VISITS ZS6MUS.
The usual Saturday get together on 7070 continues to be the highlight of the average weekend but the 12th of May was a little more notable!! Cliff ZS6BOX brought a friend John Sealy-Fisher to visit the Museum at Swartkop AFB who used to ferry military aircraft during WW2. Another friend of Cliff is John Howie is busy restoring the museum’s ANSON aircraft of the type John flew.
This ANSON is slowly taking shape but we are still looking for a 1083 transmitter and 1082 receiver (and the power supply). In fact I’d even settle for just the front panels and knobs. As a poor second would be a photograph of these as then we may be able to make dummy panels. Any info. about these items will helpful and very much appreciated.
This 1082/1083 combination was also used in Wellington bombers and all RAF reconnaissance aircraft. Hats off to the lads who operated the sets as I believe they were regen. receivers! Then, in the ANSON type aircraft the wireless operator had to maintain and use the machine guns. (Good grief, and some of us hams complain about the strangest things in peace time!!)
One of the aims in my ham life is to be able to operate from the ANSON one Saturday morning on 7070!!! It will take a wee bit of organising equipment wise as this aircraft is inside the display hall and if an outdoor antenna is used then the feedline would need to be about 40 – 50 metres long!
MORE EXCITEMENT AT ZS6MUS.
ZS6AAW is not really famous for DX but Saturday 19-05-2007 was the occasion! Normally I operate on 40m but when ZS0AWA closes I like to scan 20m quickly for a likely station and fire up the old FT-101B to check the 80-40-20 trap dipole. This time I heard ZS1FAD/p7 Anton from SANAE busy with om Frank ZS1QRM in Parrow and decided to break-in when they had finished. Anton produced a 5/6 signal but gave me a 4/6 (may be a 4/7). Any way it was an enjoyable QSO.
Anton was standing-by for ZS1OAR who were manning a station at Hermanus Magnetic Observatory for a Science week/day. I understand that there were students visiting and Anton was there to chat to them about the work being done at SANAE.
There was another station ZS5HAM operated by Gary ZS5NK and I did try to contact them to let me know about ZS1FAD/P7 and ZS1OAR but no luck.
The only comment I dare make is how can we (especially myself) keep on top of all the special event stations involved with occasions such as Science weeks etc.??? A central point is required to advise all interested about special event stations. Vee at SARL HQ has enough to do trying to get you wayward hams to fill in the forms correctly. Think about it and lets hear from you chaps.
PUBLIC RELATIONS/”ATTENTION GRABBERS”.
(This paragraph was actually included after an extremely interesting “debate” with Alan ZS6BIK regarding ham radio demos.!! It must also be read together with The Radio Scouting Column)
The main reason for the “existence” of the wireless room is PR and many occasions a welcome group of visitors arrive. Apart from viewing the exhibits a “quick” demo. is always well received (pun??) Believe me even though technology has advanced there is still a small place for the old and ancient in education. In this case you should actually call education general knowledge! (Remember the term!!!) Both words are really synonymous.
With these thoughts surely this is the time to start thinking about a Radio Amateur Digital Museum. I would really enjoy a visit to one of these. “Computer controlled” rigs really started making there impact on the hobby about 1980. (?? Any comments??)
MORSE CODE.
There’s still a lot of life left in CW and it remains a good attention grabber!!!!
Two members of the Friends of the SAAF Museum, who wish to remain anonymous were amazed that morse is still used and quite popular. Signals from the Non-Directional Beacons (NDB) are modulated according to the morse code for identification purposes. I believe it is still a requirement for the learner pilot’s licence.
The amateur yachtsman, have to learn a few letters of the morse alphabet as well!
I repeat that CW is still a good starter for an interested student in ham radio! Any such “demonstration” should be done with a straight key and should definitely NOT be “seen” as an “instructional lesson” when all 26 letters are given. Unless asked for more such an intro. shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes!
This may be a good time to point out that when reducing the number of letters sent is similar to “writing” an SMS. The same applies to the use of the Q-code!
Once again I “publish an apology paragraph” in this Column!
Many Readers may think too much is said about CW and AM in this Column. They may be correct! If so, please send me material on other subjects!!
JUST A THOUGHT.
Instead of complaining about what you think the SARL & councilors should be doing, try thinking up your own PR stunt and try it out. This can be, and is, a lot of fun!!
Let me know about your success!
The address is (as usual!!!); davegemmell@bmknet.co.za and
P.O.BOX 77, IRENE, 0062 and TEL: 012 – 667 2153