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Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society
G0MWT, GX0MWT, GB5HF, GB5SM, GB2TAM, M2T, GB100MWT & GB5RVA

CARS Meetings   July - September 2011


Award for All
July Meeting:-
7.30pm, Tuesday 5th July, 2011.
"CARS Quality Table Top Sale”.
By Colin Page, G0TRM.

CARS held their Annual Table Top Sale in July this year to fit in with Louis Varney, G5RVs evening.

Sellers arrived at 6.30pm to set up their Table(s) and Buyers entered at 7.30pm.   Raffle Tickets were on sale before in the Hall where they had a drink of coffee; tea etc from the machine or from the Licenced Bar.   Entry was free as usual.

Tables were £3 each for CARS Non-Members and Free for CARS Members.

July Meeting
Photo by Colin, Organiser of the great Meeting. This years Tabletop Sale was once again deemed a success both socially and financially.

The evening yet again produced a whole range of new and not so new electronic, audio and other radio related items both in complete form and to much delight of some buyers, many smaller but valuable individual components destined to become part of their next project.   Perhaps the knowledge that the next meeting is the Constructors Competition helped the purchaser’s to decide on what to buy.

July Meeting July Meeting
Photos by Colin.

July Meeting
Another photo by Colin.

As usual we had visitors from far away who came to buy and others who came to sell and in some cases, went home with more than they brought.   Many leaflets were produced for display in local libraries, bookshops and public notice boards, all containing the necessary information clearly displayed.

Six local Radio stations were also contacted and requested to advertise the event.

My grateful thanks to Brian Thwaites G3CVI and Peter Graves G0KSJ.   Brian for holding the punters at bay until the start time, recording those who attended and for arranging the deployment of the tables, and Peter for buying the prizes and selling tickets, resulting in the excellent Raffle result.

Thanks to a number of Club members who came along to sell or to buy or maybe to chat, contributing to the atmosphere.
Thanks too, to those who donated items to be sold for Club funds.

Finally, my thanks to all who played any part in helping to make it a very worthwhile event, and to those Members who contributed a percentage of their takings to Club funds.

Those that did not buy the great equipment on offer - enjoyed the Social Aspects of the evening and had a good natter!

Colin Page, G0TRM. Organiser.



August Meeting:-
7.30pm, Tuesday 2nd August, 2011.
"Constructors Competition” by CARS Members”.
Organised by President, Carl, G3PEM.

It was that time of the year when CARS Members pack the Marconi Meeting Hall to demonstrate their efforts in the field of electronic and mechanical construction.   There are very few rules, but it should be electrically safe.

Organiser Carl reports: -

"A very good meeting last night, a very nice lot of entries. For your information: -

We had 8 entrants with a total of 9 Home Constructed Items.

John G8DET 80 mtr Dipole
Peter G3SUY A mobile station 2nd Prize
Colin G0TRM A display of Morse Keys
Vic G6BHE A folder down Aerial Bracket
Andy G1GKN A Portable Rig Case contaning home constructed items 1st Prize
Patrick M0XAP A Spot Frequency Frequency Generator 3rd Prize
Patrick M0XAP A MW/SW Valve Receiver
Carl G3PEM A HF Ferrite Choke Balum
Martin G4TOO Supported Coil HF Tuner Unit Special Prize"

Carl

CARS also had its now famous Raffle with at least 10 prizes.



Last Meeting:-
September 6th at 7.30pm.
"Programming your Modern VHF/UHF Rig".
by CARS Members

A number of CARS Members had mentioned to the Committee that having bought modern rigs – they are faced with making them work.   Not that they are faulty but simply (or complex) understanding the Chinglish or Japalease Manuals and procedures.

Norman Crampton, M0FZW introduced the range of modern rigs available fron China with their atributes - both good and bad and typical prices.   This set the scene of the evening.

September Meeting
Norman, M0FZW operating his computer and showing the range of VHF/UHF set available.
Photos by John G8DET

Mark Sanderson, M0IOE then produced a schedule of how to typically program a VHF/UHF rig using his own for the demonstration.   This was projected onto the large screen so that all could follow what was happening.

September Meeting
Mark, M0IOE (blue tie) operating his computer and showing how to programme the Chinese Rigs.
Andy, (right) is setting up his computer for the next session

Mark then invited the audience to produce a rig and CARS Life Fellow, Harry, G5HF offered his.
Mark coupled it to his computer and the Red LED lit this time to show it was being fed from a computer and in just a few seconds it was loaded with all the repeaters around Chelmsford.   A round of applause greeted the successful programming.   Later it was tried out on GB3DA OK.

Mark answered a few questions and settled down to program more rigs quietly.

September Meeting September Meeting
Andy, operating his computer and showing how to control a rig using Ham Radio Deluxe.

Andy Tyler, G1GKN then projected an interesting 25 minutes of how to use Ham Radio Deluxe to control your modern rig.
Andy went though just a fraction of the program available as Issue 5 Beta.

The Break provided time for a quick drink and the chance to nobble Mark and Norman in person.

September Meeting September Meeting
Andy, (right - yes, he has a left arm!) is answering a technical question.   Right, James, 2E1GUA (white shirt) talking while Norman concentrates on his computer.

Luke from Canvey Island drew the now famous CARS Raffle provided by Peter.

September Meeting
Luke Halsey, M3LNT drawing the Raffle.

John, G8DET had visited Duxford Aerodrome on the previous Sunday as it was "75 years since the first Spitfire flew" event.
He showed photographs of the planes both static and giving an air display.

September Meeting September Meeting
Left - Ex Spanish MH109 now fitted with a Merlin engine!   Right - Lancaster, Pride of Lincoln - Battle of Britian Memorial Flight.

Photos were shown of the outside of Duxford Amateur Radio Society nice hut, tower and Log-aperiodic Aerial - SHUT!
Opposite however the Duxford Radio Society had their doors open and showed off their huge array of Aviation Radios - well done to them.

September Meeting September Meeting
Left - Outside the Radio Hut - tuning in a PCR Receiver   Right - Inside - look at the rigs on display.

September Meeting
Fairey Swordfish from Yeovilton and is the type which the late Les Sayer, MBE, DSM, M3HDT was a Petty Officer Rear Gunner/Telegraphist in it as it attacked the German Battleship, Bismark in WWII.   Note the Torpedo slung underneath.
Les came to CARS a few years ago and told how he was the only person looking to the rear (the Pilot was Lt Percy Gick, later Rear Admiral) and saw the Torpedo strike the rear of the Bismark, so jamming its rudder so that it could only sail in a large circle.   It was sunk later by the large guns of HMS King George V and HMS Rodney.   The interesting thing is that due to social class nobody asked Les what he saw and it was only some 50 years later that this story was told and verified!   Les died 1st November 2008 aged 93.

A very interesting and fruitful evening thanks to Norman, Mark and Andy.





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