Author Archives: dave

RADIO SCOUTING. JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2007

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(RADIO-ZS Vol.60 No.1)

RADIO SCOUTING. JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2007

by Dave Gemmell ZS6AAW
and the Broomstick Warriors.

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF SCOUTING.
This year marks the date on which held the famous camp of Baden Powell at Brownsea Island which is taken as the start of the Scout Movement. The first day of the original camp was 1st August 1907 so a “Sunrise Ceremony” has been arranged for the same date in 2007.
The 21st World Scout Jamboree will be held at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex, just NE London from the 27th July until 8th August 2007. They are hoping for 32,000 Scouts and 8,000 Adults including the International Service Team. The Jamboree will feature a Amateur station GB100J. Another station GB100BI will be established at Brownsea Island, near Portsmouth, on the south coast of England.
Both stations will probably use the same frequencies and modes, that is, 20m, 15/10m, 17m, 40/80m, VHF and Echolink, plus PSK 31and a possibility of Slowscan TV.
South African hams who are interested in helping with operating these stations, are welcome but there a few conditions, such as, being over 18 and having to be a member of your SA National Scout or Guide Association. Dare say, you will have to pay your own airfare and “chip-in” accommodation costs, and so on. Successful applicants must be available from the 24th July to the 9th August to include set up and dismantling of the station. If authorised you may extend your period of help on site from 21st July to 14th August 2007. This could be an interesting experience!!

Copies of the Team Member ‘Invitation’, which states the all the conditions, and ‘Application Form’ are obtained from the e-mail address below.
Full information about the Jamboree can be found on the Scout Association Official UK Website . www.wsj.scouting2007.org
And www.scouts.org.uk/ukcontingent

SOUTH AFRICA’S ROLE.
Evan ZS6EVD in Mafikeng and Eddy ZS6BNE have expressed great interest in operating from at Mafikeng on 1st August and 50th JOTA. This station will probably have an very “desirable” important More details will follow in the next issue of RADIO-ZS once more definite plans have been arranged.

THE CENTENARY OF SCOUTING RADIO AWARD.
An Radio Amateur award has been organised by an English Scout Group for 2007.
The main objectives are to help celebrate and publicise the centenary of Scouting through the medium of radio. Although not intended for profit, any surplus made will go to support Radio Scouting in developing countries.
Duration. The Award will begin at 00:00:01 on 1 January 2007 and finish at 23:59:59 on 31 December 2007.
Stations are required to contact Scout and Guide stations especially at The World Jamboree, Gilwell Park and Brownsea Island stations.
More details can be found at www.scouting100award.org.

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

SA ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION

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Every Saturday the members of the SA Anitique wireless association meet on 7070 kHz LSB at 08H30 sast for the weekly net.
Membership of this association is free. Any licenced radio amateur with an interest in restoring old radio and electronic equipment may join.
A CW morse code) net is run on Saturday afternoons at 14H00 sast on 7020 kHz.
There is also an AM net (amplitude modulation) i.e. double side band full carrier, on 3615 kHz most mornings at 05H00 sast
New members and/or reports are welcome.

The ZS0AWA Net will resume operating once more at the times and frequency 7070kHz on Saturday 05-01-2008. Monitor 3615 kHz as well.

SA Model Jet Nationals

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17/02/2007 – 09:00
18/02/2007 – 17:00

SA Model Jet Nationals, with two hours of SAAFM Aircraft displays.
(All possible assistance is necessary if we are to make a success of this, our first event of the Year).

Flying of Museum aircraft viz Harvard, Kudu, Bosbok and the two Alouettes (II & III) will commence at 09h00 until 11h00. Thereafter it is the Model Jets competition with 22 aircraft participating until 17h00 on Saturday and from 10h00 – 17h00 on Sunday. A flyby at 11h00 of a REAL Spitfire Mk24 is also a strong possibility.

 

 

AIMS OF THE WIRELESS SECTION

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THE FRIENDS OF THE SAAF MUSEUM.
WIRELESS SECTION.

AIMS.

  1. TO SUPPORT AN INTEREST IN THE HISTORY OF RADIO IN
    MILITARY EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING RADIO IN ALL
    ARMED FORCES, PARA-MILITARY AND CLANDESTINE
    (RESISTANCE) GROUPS, AND EXTENDING TO RADIO
    EQUIPMENT OF OTHER COUNTRIES FOR COMPARISION.
  2. TO SUPPORT AN INTEREST IN, AND ASSIST IN THE
    PROVISION OF, AN EXHIBITION OF RADIO (AND OTHER
    ELECTRONIC) EQUIPMENT IN ACCOMMODATION
    PROVIDED BY THE SAAF MUSEUM.
  3. THE OPERATION OF AN AMATEUR RADIO STATION WITH
    THE CALL-SIGN ZS6MUS, USING BOTH MODERN
    HISTORIC EQUIPMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH
    THE PROVISIONS OF THE AMATEUR LICENCE.
  4. TO ADVANCE TO AIMS OF THE FRIENDS OF THE SAAF
    MUSEUM BY USING THE CHANNELS/MEANS PROVIDED BY
    AMATEUR RADIO. (THAT IS, PUBLIC RELATIONS.)

WIRELESS SECTION REPORT. For MARCH 2006.

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FRIENDS OF THE SAAF MUSEUM, SWARTKOP, 6th APRIL 2006.
WIRELESS SECTION REPORT. For MARCH 2006.

Many thanks also go to a fellow amateur James du Toit ZS6JDT who donated a carpet from the Wireless Room.
The normal Saturday mornings radio net with the SA Antique Wireless Association, took place as normal. Nevertheless, the research for aircraft radio history and the search for equipment continues.
We are looking for information on World War 2 Radio and RADAR jamming equipment used by the American “Secret Squadrons of the Eighth” which operated from the UK. The systems used went under the names of; Jackal, Carpet I, Jostle, Dina, Mandrel, ELINT.

HISTORIC DATES.
18/04/1944 First operational use of the Munro bomb (Used for distribution of leaflets. See explanation below)
20/04/1897 Adolf Hilter’s Birthday
25/04/1874 Guglielmo Marconi’s Birthday.
06/05/1937 Hindenburg, crash and destruction at Lakehurst, U.S.A.

The Munroe T-1 BOMB.
This bomb was invented by Capt. James Munroe of the 305th Bomb Group and could be dropped by B-17 Flying Fortresses. He used some old laminated paper containers for M-17 incendiary bombs, 48″ long and 16,5″ diameter. standard M-111 bomb time fuse connected to primer cord in pipes around the sides of the container at 6″ intervals. These “bombs” could be exploded any where between 30 000ft and 2 000ft, a big improvement on the older methods of releasing propaganda leaflets .

WIRELESS SECTION REPORT. For FEBRUARY 2006.

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FRIENDS OF THE SAAF MUSEUM, SWARTKOP, 02nd March 2006.
WIRELESS SECTION REPORT. For FEBRUARY 2006.

Capt. Mark Edwards’ Aircraft.
(that is, the Mirage between the Club House and the Radio Room.)
We have made contact with Capt. Edwards and are trying to establish the necessary/correct “lines of communication” to get the Air Scouts busy with the cleaning of this particular “Mirage”.

MORE ABOUT THE Q-Code.

QBP I am flying in and out the clouds. I am a little confused
QFN You may descend below the clouds. You are a little confused.
QFG You are overhead. You have finally seen the point!!!

WIRELESS SECTION REPORT. For JANUARY 2006.

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FRIENDS OF THE SAAF MUSEUM, SWARTKOP, 02nd February 2006.
WIRELESS SECTION REPORT. For JANUARY 2006.

SATURDAY MORNINGS.
Although the usual Saturday activity (4 mornings in
January) is to join with the SA Antique Wireless Association, we do get a few visitors. The children are the most intrigued by the use of Morse Code.
Saturday 28-01-2006 was of particular interest as we made contact with a special event station ZS5A1GP run by the Durban Hams and set up somewhere near the track of the A1 Grand Prix in Durban!!!

THE Q-Code.
Some of our “research” involves a “bit of paper work”. The following item resulted from a request from Evert for something regarding Morse Code for publication in The String Bag.
In order to shorten any message a system of three letter groups, each one beginning with the letter “Q” representing often sent phrases, was devised. Two examples are QSY = Change frequency to ….. and QTH = My position is ……
When asking a question, a question mark is added after the last letter, QTH? = What is your position?
The longest sentence we have come across contains 32 words!!
QNH is slightly shorter with the question representing 29 words and the answer 31!!
The series QAA to QNZ are reserved for aeronautical services whilst QOA to QQZ are for maritime use.
I general radio amateur “conversation” abbreviations of words, similar to those used cell-phone SMS’s are used.
Some cell-phones also make use of morse code, the letters SMS are sent as dididit dadah dididit.
The following items in the Q-code might be of interest to the Friends”. The “Unofficial” meaning is put in the right hand column.
Little is known about the origins of this

Official Meaning. Unofficial Use
QAW I am about to overshoot the runway. I have made a slight error!!
QBF? Are you flying in the clouds? We think you are a little confused.
QTW? What is the condition of the survivors? Did you have a good good party?

Another story comes to mind During the liberation of some Far Eastern Country (probably Burma) the Allied forces were approaching a POW camp which house certain air force officers, mainly RAF. In order “encourage” their liberators the letters QED were written on the roof of a building! The polite meaning is “Please hurry up”

HISTORIC DATES.

01/02/1920 START OF SAAF
02/02/1946 Last Lancaster delivered to RAF
22/02/2003 B-P Birthday (Boy Scout Fame!!)