Subj : Amateur Radio Newsline (B
To   : All
From : Daryl Stout
Date : Thu Jan 24 2019 11:47 pm

BUILD-A-THON GETS HAMS READY FOR WYONG FIELD DAY

JIM/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in New South Wales, Australian amateurs are
prepping for next month's Wyong Field Day, by building, soldering,
and mentoring, as we hear from Ed Durrant, DD5LP.

ED: What do you do while preparing for the largest gathering of Amateurs
in the Southern Hemisphere? Well, run a Build-A-thon of course! At least
that what's the Central Coast ARC did.

In order to get members and their families building, Tom, VK2VC,
organized, and ran a Build-A-Thon at the club rooms near Gosford on
Saturday, the 12th of January. Graham, VK2GRA, gave a short soldering
course, and 5 kits were sold. Three were built during the meeting. The
other two being taken home by Brad, VK2NMZ, so that he could build his
along side his daughter, building hers with some guidance from him.

VK2NMZ said his daughter was amazed and pleased that her first build
worked first time!

Clubbing the "old fashioned way" one could say. Now that's over, it's
back to the important preparations for the Wyong Field day on February
24th, which all are on schedule, with a good array of commercial sellers,
exhibitors, and presentations lined up.

More about the event on the club's website at ccarc.org.au.

This is Ed Durrant, DD5LP, on behalf of the CCARC.

**

ROLLING BACK THE CLOCK FOR A RALLY ON AM MODE

JIM/ANCHOR: If you've ever made contacts on AM, or wanted to, you've got
the chance to do it in a big way, as Paul Braun, WD9GCO, tells us.

PAUL/ANCHOR: There seems to be a lot of focus on all of the new digital
modes in ham radio today. A growing sense of nostalgia plays a role,
however, in events which celebrate the hobby's early years such as
"Straight Key Night." If you want to go back, but not quite that far back,
then the upcoming AM Rally might be just for you. I spoke with one of the
organizers, Clark Burgard, N1BCG, about the event:

BURGARD: There seems to be not only a popularity resurgence among users,
but also in the manufacturing world. We wanted to build on that, with an
event that would showcase the mode. Some people call it a "contest" - it's
not, it's an operating event that was created to showcase that mode, and
some of its capabilities. Really, just say, "Hey! If you have an AM button
on your rig, press it, and try it out, so you have one more tool in your
arsenal of communication."

PAUL/ANCHOR: The event has been growing in popularity, according to Burgard.
He said something that has really helped has been the involvement of the
League through W1AW:

BURGARD: The ARRL has decided to get behind it, because we made it
educational. They said that they would only be involved with events that
were non-selective - meaning anyone can participate - and were educational
in some way.

The ARRL will be using their recently-converted Gates BC-1T transmitter.
They will be on most of the time with that rig, so you'll have some classic
"heavy iron" involved right from the headquarters.

PAUL/ANCHOR: The AM Rally begins at zero-hundred Zulu on Saturday,
February 2nd, and runs through 0700 Zulu on Monday, February 4th. Burgard
said that operations will mainly center around the standard AM frequencies.
Full details, along with information on optimizing your rig for AM
operation, can be found at the group's website, AMRally.com.

Burgard stressed that while it's not a contest, you can still submit your
log, and earn certificates. And who doesn't like certificates? So, give
your sideband filters a well-deserved break, and modulate that carrier.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Paul Braun, WD9GCO.

**

PLANS UNDER WAY FOR D-DAY COMMEMORATIVE EVENT IN WALES

JIM/ANCHOR: The North Wales Radio Society has plans for a D-Day
Commemorative Event. Here's Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.

JEREMY: Seventy five years have passed since the D-Day Landings on the
beachfront of France, and the North Wales Radio Society is busy planning
Special Event Station GB2ORM, to operate on the Great Orme, Llandudno in
North Wales. The selection of the station's site is significant: It is a
3-story building that is the former Aerial Defense Research and
Development Establishment (ADRDE) also known as "X3."

According to the radio society's website, the building apparently housed
a secret radar experimental station above the Royal Artillery School on
the Great Orme. The school itself played a prominent wartime role, and
over time, it grew beyond its gunnery wing, adding wireless and
searchlight wings in 1940.

Depending on propagation, station operators on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of
June, are hoping to contact as many hams within the UK, Europe, and
beyond, on as many bands and frequencies as possible.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot, G4NJH.
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