ZS6NOM.
On the 24th and 25th of November, Leon Lessing, ZR6ANA organized an amateur station ZS6NOM on behalf of the Battle Group South as part of it’s exhibit at the Military museum in Johannesburg. He setup the whole station single handed.
he set up an 1980’s long-range patrol camp and operated the radios. Fortunately the rain which delayed the erection of antennas didn’t dampen Leon’s enthusiasm. He actually slept over at the museum on Saturday night! The equipment used was two B25’s and a FT-101 ZD.
Unfortunately this same precipitation was the cause of the relatively low number of contacts made on all bands, 18 to be exact, 80m = 2, 40m = 13, 20m = 2, and 15m = 1. I wonder if these figures “mean anything” regarding prop. conditions or “normal ham usage” over the week-end.
Interestingly enough Leon has had a 160m (1840 kHz) contact with Denny ZR6ZIP on 07-11-2007. (Has anyone else used the 160m band recently ???)
There were German, Afrika Korps, British, American and South African air-force equipment exhibits as well. One visitor to this station served in the Afrika Corps of the German army. He received an Iron cross first class for destroying 3 tanks with a PAK40 anti tank cannon. A cannon similar to the one used is on display at the war museum.

ZS1MUS & ZS6MUS.
These stations are still going strong but we wish that the propagation conditions between the two were just as strong.
A recent visitor to Swartkop Museum Wireless Room was OM Richard Dismore ZS5TF. Over the past few years he has been busy with the restoration of a T1154 transmitter and a R1155 receiver. He is still looking for a matching power which was used with this combination TX & RX. He is also looking for a “bath tub” morse key and the antenna switch type-J which goes with this arrangement. It is not the usual type of antenna change-over but also connected the DF (direction finding) loop to the receiver when necessary. An important feature was to prevent accidentally transmitting into the loop while the R1155 receiver was being used for DF purposes.

JERICHO.
No, not in 4XA but the TV story about a small town near Denver (USA). The story is about how the small town folk handle the situation when this nearby city is hit by a nuclear bomb.
The part that interested me was an ex-policeman who tunes in on a ham band and can read the morse. This scene was shown when the ex-cop at the controls of an FT101-F (I’m sure it wasn’t an FT101-E). The annoying part is that when I heard the CW I dashed to the TV set, pen and paper in hand only to have the scene change as I started to write!
I wonder if the HamNet chaps took a few notes about this programme? Hi Hi!!

The rest of the address information stays the same, namely;
e-mail = davegemmell@bmknet.co.za
and P.O.BOX 77, IRENE, 0062 and TEL: and FAX: 012 – 667 2153

(RADIO-ZS Vol.60 No.3)

MUSEUM NEWS. June – August 2007.

by Dave Gemmell ZS6AAW
and the Old Timers.

MANY THANKS!!
In reply to my request for Brian ZS5AZH sent some photo’s of his late father Mauritz Burger sitting the wireless operator’s seat of an Anson. In fact the front panels and knobs of the 1083 transmitter and 1082 receiver (and the power supply) are clearly visible. I believe the receiver of this combination was a regenerative type were the reaction had to be adjusted almost every time you QSYed. On top of that the wireless operator was the gunner as well! Mauritz was an air mechanic flying so, to it seems he had three jobs!
I recant what I said that photographs would be a poor second as these shots show the wireless operator (Dad!) as well as the “bath tub” morse key. Many thanks Brian, we do appreciate your efforts! These photos will be well received by John Howie, a friend of Cliff ZS6BOX, who is restoring the ANSON.

MORE INFO.REQUIRED.
Sarel Rossouw ZS6APO is also looking for names and stories of hams who took part in WW2 or any other conflicts involving SA forces. So please gentlemen, if you have details and photos of these chaps please contact Sarel at SarelR@bankserv.co.za

ZS4AFW! (The Editor’s “little bit”) (delete this quip if you feel like it!!)

Thanks Dennis, put your “contribution” here! At least there’ll something new!
Hi Hi!

YOUTH! WHAT’S HAPPENING.
So why mention this in the Museum Column? Well, because it’s the same OLD story!
Individual Hams should realize that the subject of radio and electronics is so vast and ham radio is the hobby where we can try our latest constructional master piece live on the air.
Well people, my opinion is that we must emphasize that ham radio is not “just chatting on the air”!! There are other subjects which go with it. Remember the public relations for ham radio you are providing when helping out with comms. or just a running a demo. station at any event. The list is only limited by our imagination or lack of it!!
The first example, that springs to mind, is the ZS0AWA net on 7070 kHz, 08H30 Saturday mornings. This net has encouraged quite a few hams to restore and use old or ancient equipment. Here are a couple of others:
Contests, (especially the local SA ones),
Home construction – the building and trying the rigs out;
Field days – such as JOTA, Kon-Tiki, Comms. at Rover and senior scout night hikes.
As I said the list goes on but YOU must complete it! (that is, if it can be completed!)

If the average age of the SARL membership is more than 50% how come is this “history” column so short???
Please me news of your MUSEUM, VETERAN, ANTIQUE, VINTAGE or JUST PLAIN OLD activities of a radio nature to:- davegemmell@bmknet.co.za or P.O.BOX 77, IRENE, 0062 and TEL: 012 – 667 2153

(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

(RADIO-ZS Vol.60 No.1)

MUSEUM NEWS. JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2007.

by Dave Gemmell ZS6AAW
and the Old Timers.

IONOSPHERIC PROPAGATION.
Some of you my think this Column is not Museum News but delving into the history a bit makes interesting reading!
MNI TNX to Hannes ZS6BZP for comments.
Some points have arisen over the past year. As most hams know, the SA Antique Wireless Association, ZS0AWA net on Saturday mornings 08H30 to about 10H00 on 7070 kHz. I join in from the “Wireless Room” at the SAAF Museum, using my 30 year old FT-101B and three band Trap Dipole. Like any Ham worthy of this title, I keep a log ………..
The following signal report analysis makes interesting reading. The values are very subjective because I “estimate” these values by ear and not the set’s S-meter. {The explanation will be in the next issue of RADIO-ZS.
There are not really many readings to go on but very interesting all the same!!!! As you see I have taken an “average” of several stations of each Region. Unfortunately my R/S at the other stations wasn’t given to me very often.

Is it due to; a) due to poor ionospheric conditions, b) equipment and/or antenna or c) Type of antenna d) All three!
The fact that the above summary has stayed more-or-less the same of at least 18 months, if not two years, makes the subject more interesting!
One last point, I’ve been dealing with JOTA Reports for 10 years now, that’s almost one whole sunspot cycle. Invariably these stations complained about poor conditions. I’d accept this reason for two or three years but for 10 ????
The main question is …….. “Are we trying hard enough or just given up before we start???”
Can listening to some of the overseas BC stations give an idea of how ionospheric propagation conditions are behaving. I have listened to BBC transmissions on 6195 kHz from Swaziland and noticed that the signal fades away, completely at times, but does come back again. I know that the signal of this BC station has got a wollop, quite a few kilowatts but it does give you an idea!!!

The address is (as usual!!!); davegemmell@bmknet.co.za and
P.O.BOX 77, IRENE, 0062 and TEL: 012 – 667 2153