THE FIRST CLASS C.W.

OPERATORS CLUB

NEWS SHEET 611

(http://members.aol.com/focuk)

Editor: G4BUE

September 2000

A man should keep his friendship in constant repair - Samuel Johnson (1755)
(3525, 7025, 10120-10125, 14025, 18080-18085, 21025, 24905-24910 and 28025kHz)

BANDS OF THE MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER ARE 40 & 15 METRES

TOPICAL ISSUES by G3SXW

Several important issues have been raised in recent months concerning the Club: purpose and direction of FOC, sponsoring suitable people, Marathon rules. There has been a lot of input on all these topics, both directly to me and via the Internet Discussion-Group, all of which is gratefully received. It is time now for Committee to begin debating these points. They will do so at this months meeting. So this month we turn our attention to a wider issue. We welcome commentary from John, G3WGV on the important matter of deteriorat, ing operating habits. Is Amateur Radio sliding into anarchy? Time was when we CW operators could casually observe the lid behaviour found often enough in the phone section, shake our heads and console ourselves with the fact that this sort of thing just doesnt happen on CW. Not any more! As we near the top of the sunspot cycle, DXpeditions to rare places are everywhere and with it the pile-ups. Sadly, today pile-ups are accompanied, even on CW, by the most appalling examples of bad behaviour, deliberate QRM, foul language and sheer bloody-mindedness. It is easy to criticise the other guy. It seems that a lot of the disorder originates from Southern and Eastern Europe but that is neither being fair to the many excellent operators in those nations, nor is it giving a true and complete picture. Example: the DX catches a fragment of a call, say WGV and sends something like WGV? 599. Why, then, do I frequently hear wellknown DXers who have none of the letters W, G and V let alone in that combination, continu, ing to call? Yet it happens all the time. These are not people who dont really understand the language or are inexperienced and do not know when to call. They are long-standing, experienced radio amateurs, members of clubs such as FOC, CDXC, NCDXF and so on. They ought to know better. Closer to home, increasingly I hear com-

plaints that members are breaking into established QSOs with the sole objective of getting a Windle point. Or calling a member during a contest in which the caller cannot participate because of the rules. Or calling for a Windle when I am clearly calling someone else (some juicy morsel of DX perhaps). Not only does this happen, it happens a lot. It is getting worse, a trend that I dislike intensely and it is one that calls our claim to be First Class Operators into dispute. Ultimately, it adversely affects the reputation of the club as a whole. If we are to legitimately lay claim to be First Class Operators, then we must behave thus. Not just most of us - all of us. Of course, you would be absolutely right to say that it is a minority of members that creates the problem but this minority seems to be growing in size and surely none of us believes that is a good thing? Enshrined within our Code of Conduct is the principle of setting a good example to others by considerate operating. Each of us has a unique callsign from which we can be immediately identified, so there is quite simply no hiding from that obligation. So, if you are one of the people who calls out of turn, breaks into QSOs or calls at the wrong time, please think again; the prestige of FOC and your personal standing amongst your peers is at stake. Oh yes, the usual caveat: these are my personal views and should not be construed as representing the Committees position. My apologies for omitting the Windle Table from the August News Sheet, but space just beat me. I think this months table is worthy of comment as an indicator of members activity: This September there are 11 members with 300 or higher points compared with 4 in 1999, 3 in 1998 and 4 in 1997; 29 members have 250 or more points compared with 13 in 1999, 9 in 1998 and 11 in 1997, and finally 49 members have 200 or more compared with 28 in 1999, 18 in 1998 and 26 in 1997. Surely this very large increase in activity this year cannot all be down to better HF conditions, can it?

EDITORIAL by G4BUE

FOC keeps all details about members on the Clubs data base (maintained by G3MXJ). The data base is used, as well as keeping members personal details, for historical purposes. In order to comply with the new Data Protection Act 1998 which became effective in March 2000, members are required to notify the Secretary (G4BUE) within two months of this News Sheet being published if they wish to make either of the following two statements: 1. I object to personal data being held by FOC on a computer. 2. I do not wish my personal details to be made known in a published membership list (the Call Book and tick sheets). If you do not have any objection to either of the above statements, then you do not need to do anything, but if you agree with either of the above statements, then please write to the Secretary giving your objection. Congratulations to Dave, G3RXP on being , nominated by the Committee to be President for 2001. Dave was very honoured to be asked and, by chance, is retiring at the end of August and will have more time to devote to it. He will be installed at Lords on 7 October. Just over a month to go to the first Lords of the new Millennium! Mark the date in your diary and book your tickets (31.50) with Maud (Mrs M Slater, Wychwood, Park Lane, Maplehurst, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 6LL, telephone 01403 891342) right now, whilst it is in your mind. The menu this year, by popular demand is: Chargrilled Chicken served in a bowl of Caesars salad Roasted shank of Lamb in a minted gravy, herb roasted olivette potatoes and a selection of seasonal vegetables Raspberry and strawberry crumble served with traditional English custard or double cream Coffee and mints The same good deal for cheaper bottles of wine as last year is being repeated this year. As in previous years, coffee and tea will be available free in the morning and afternoon and lunch will be available in the Lords Tavern, together with some fine English ale, for those who are arriving early. If you cannot attend the actual dinner in the evening then you are welcome to be there during the morning and/or afternoon to meet members and share in the daytime activities (cost only 5 on the day), including Chris, G3TUX, who will have his usual key display and promises to find some more unusual items for the stand this year.

THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by G3MXJ

Starred List
3. VA3UZ (ex-UT4UZ): GW3SYL, LZ1AF, K2VCO, KT5X, N6NT (+K4BAI, N3BB). 1. G4BWP: G3HEJ, G3SWH, G3SXW, KC7V, 5B4AGC (+GW3YDX). 1. KY7M: DL7AKC, G3SXW, G3ZEM, KC7V, NP3G. 1. WCGR: G2FFO, JA1NUT, K4EFZ, K5DQ, N4OO (+W4PM, K1JD).

Invitations have been sent to W3MC and KT4P .

PRESIDENT 2001 by G4BUE

LORDS UPDATE by G3PDL & G3WGV

6. K1VR: K2VUI, K5NA, DL7AKC. 6. N6FB: K4EF. 6. K1KY: K4AO. 6. G8FF: EA6ZY. 6. KP2F (WCG): K4LT, K8MFO. 6. N1TO (VQ9VK): W4QM, G3NOH, SV1AOW. 6. VK4EMM: VK2BJ, VK6VZ, VK6WT, G3CWW. 5. DF5JT: K4EWG, DL4CF, K1JD, W8XM, SM5COP N9RD, , DK8IT. 5. EI5DS: G4CEO, G4OEC, EI5IY. 3. SM6CLU: W8XM, K4BAI, KF2AT, 5B4AGC, NP3G, SV1AOW. 3. K4WJ: K4EFZ. 3. W4PRO: W4ZYT. 3. VK4XY: VK6WT, G3CWW. 2. V31JP (K8JP): N9RD, VK6VZ, OK1KT, W4ZYT , DK8IT, ZL1MH, SV1AOW. 1. DK4AN: DJ5ZN. 1. N6TR: VK6VZ. 1. G3ZGC: G3RVM. 1. OK1RP: OK1RR.

Additional Nominations

New Members

1735 G3LCS (Des) D. Shepherd, 35 The Crescent, Haversham, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK19 7AN; telephone - 01908 313379; XYL - Sheila; e-mail - <desg3lcs@aol.com>. 1736 F5NZY (Steph) S. Collas, 16 Ave Gambetta, 75020 Paris, France.

Amendments

G3UOF (1640): new address - 67 Station Road, Bardney, Lincoln LN3 5UD; telephone 01526 399289. DJ3KR (1293): amend name - Juergen. HA7PB (1654): new address - 299 Waverley Street, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0V9, Canada; telephone - 613 230 4527; new call VE3/N3SZQ. N3RD (1149): amend telephone - 610 935 9719. N3RS (888): amend telephone - 610 458 8184. W4LZ (1719): new address - 562 Christianburg Road, Shelbyville, KY 40065, USA; telephone 502 461 7070. There is a full programme of supporting activities during the weekend too, see page 46 of FOCUS 43 for the details. Raffle prize donations would be very welcome (the raffle makes a major contribution to the overall costs as well as sending some folks home with broad smiles). Overseas members booked include DL7AKC, Donna and K1AJ, Ruby, Ginger and K4LTA, N4AR, SM5COP Margareta and SMCCE. ,

Accommodation has been a problem in the past but with the advent of the Internet, many suitable hotels and guest houses can be found easily. Those with Internet access can do their own research and a suitable starting point was given in last months News Sheet. Members should note that the Marylebone Hotel, mentioned in last months News Sheet has now decided to shut up shop for October whilst the hotel is redecorated and the proprietors take a holiday! An alternative hotel that a number of members have already booked into (including DL7AKC, G2FFO, SMCCE and SM5COP) and which is reasonably close to Lords is Dillons Hotel, 21 Belsize Park, Hampstead. This hotel charges 28 per night for a single room and can be contacted by telephone at 0207 794 3360. A printed listing of many other hotels in the area is available from me on receipt of an SAE, together with a street map of the area showing where the hotels are in relationship to Lords. Lords is one of the great social occasions in the FOC calendar, with good food, excellent wine and even better company. See you there! My thanks to the following members who made generous donations during 1999:
9J2BO A45XR DF2IC DJOS DJ3KR DJ5ZN DL1PM DL6TQ DL9TJ EI9BG F3AT GCHV GCMM GIVZ GORH G2ALM G2FDF G2FFO G2HKU G3AAE G3AXI G3AZ G3BFP G3DOJ G3GFG G3HZL G3IAF G3IGW G3IY G3JLB G3JZV G3KGB G3KMQ G3KTZ G3LIK G3LNC G3LTV G3LWI G3MRP G3MXJ G3NKS G3NOH G3OHP G3PDL G3RCU G3RTE G3SJJ G3VMK G3VMW G3WGV G3WPF G3XAQ G3ZEM G3ZQS G4BUE G4BUO G4FNL G4KGG G4OEC G4SIE G4VXE G4YNU GM3AWF GM3JKS GM3PFQ GM3YTS GW3AHN GW3KGV JA1NUT K1AR K1JD K1YT K2TT K2VUI K3TW K4EF K4EFZ K4II K4XG K6DC K6OU K6TS K8EJ K8NW K9BG K9QVB K9WA LA1IE LA8XM N2UU N4LS N4OO N4UB N5TJ N7BG N8GZ NR7O OH2BDA OH2KI ON4WD OZ5DX PAINA SMBDS SM3BCS SM3EVR SM5AHK SM5COP SM5GLC SM6BGA SM6CPY VK2BJ VK2BPN W1FJ W1NV W3LPL W4CK W4DGJ W4OO W4PM W6IJ W6RGG W6THN W8VSK W8XM W8ZD W9GW W9IV W9VNE

DONATIONS by GW3KDB

DJOS: Cliff is making slow but definite progress, his speech is good and his left hand and side is ok. He can now move two fingers on his right hand and has some feelings in his right foot and leg. Hilda has left his answer-phone on the fax for any messages of encouragement for him, which he is most grateful for - thanks G3XNG. DJ8FW: Ben was QRV from Madeira with his new CT3AS callsign at the beginning of August.

MEMBERS NEWS by G4BUE

GBQV: Mary will be QRV 22/30 September as TK/GBQV with others (including F5TFP and F6BQV) from the lighthouse on the Isle of Rousse, Corsica. GORH: Ken has been off work for the last four months with a bad virus affecting his hearing. He has tinitus and seeing a specialist in October and says it has affected my amateur radio activities in the receiving dept, but not my enthusiasm for FOC. G2FDF: Bill will be QRV 2/27 September from Fresno with 100 watts and a doublet. G3HEJ: Derek is greatly looking forward to meeting all his FOC friends at Lords for yet another great weekend. Doesnt time fly; it seems just a few weeks since the last one. G3IZD: Ivan will be QRV 20 September/3 October as SV8/G3IZD from Thassos (EU-049), CW only on RNARS and FOC QRGs. G3UOF: Mike is gradually getting his shack sorted out after the QTH move on 7 July. He says the new garden is a typical Victorian one, an almost 300 feet long back garden but only 21 feet wide! It is south facing and open fields, and I have got a temporary 135 feet doublet up whilst the HF9V and cubical quads are being sorted out. G3ZEM: Karen and Bob arrived in Cape Town on 28 August on their way to ZD9 (see page 22 of FOCUS 43) and appreciated KLM not charging them extra for their excess baggage! Bob spent the following day trying to locate the equipment that he had sent on ahead. They expect to sail on 31 August on board the MV S A Agulhas, arrive in Tristan Da Cunha on 4 September and be QRV as ZD9ZM the following day. Bob now has a home page at <http:// www.dxtechnology.com/zd9zm/> and QSL is via K4CIA. G4XRV: Rupert was QRV /M from Cornwall for a week in August and says the TS-130V and G-Whip antennas do continue to surprise me as to how well they work. The best /M DX was V26 on 40m and I found 30m to be a very good /M band. GW3SB: Charles has antenna damage from a recent storm when the halliard, which supports the antenna at the bottom end, snapped. Before replacing it, I am renewing the antenna and changing the design. At the moment, I am using 132 feet of wire strung around the garden from bush to bush, nowhere higher than about six feet so I dont expect to work much for a week or so!. HA7PB: Joci was posted to Ottawa, Canada on 1 August and hopes to be QRV soon. K1AJ: Donna and Bruce will arrive in the UK on 6 October for Lords and afterwards will tour southern England by hire car. K4LTA: Ruby, Ginger and Bill will be attending Lords again this year. K6OU: Bruce has been going through a bad spell. He writes, Early this year I had a relapse of an illness of two or three years ago that

kept me quite weak and with lack of ambition. I felt I was about recovered when on 26 July, while doing some work in the garage, I fell only two feet off a ladder and landed in such a manner that my left hip bone was completely shattered. I was taken to the hospital by emergency ambulance where the hip was replaced the next day with a stainless steel counterpart. I came home 14 August and am now being cared for by two therapists who really put me through the mill, but the results are great. Until yesterday, I had been using a walker to get around the house but have now graduated to a cane. The doctor and therapists tell me I am doing very well. NNM: Jon was QRV from Colorado for three weeks in July and had a blast going mobile. He says I worked many members and had some great rag chews (RC), but one of the biggest frustrations I have as a father of young children is that the uninterrupted time on the air is an average of four minutes. So, while I am active now and in August, the QSO lengths remain frustratingly short at times, as I age in the club QSOs will get longer. Lets see, four minutes at 40, ten minutes at 50 and by age 60 I should be up to 1 hour RCs). N3BB: Jim says that any CW contact with S563X in WRTC was a QSO with him. N4OO: Ink was hit by lightning again on 20 July and this time it blew the L network of his 80m vertical into small pieces, and welded the male coax plug to the female socket on his RCS 8V remote antenna switch, I think this will be the fourth new RCS 8V relay that I have purchased in seven years!. Ink added, Thankfully nothing was damaged in the shack. Connecting the incoming coax cables directly to a shorting/ grounded plate seems to do the trick. I have now experienced several nearby hits with no damage inside. SMCCE: Margareta and Kjell will be attending Lords and then travel by train to Scotland for sight-seeing until returning home on 17 October.

(callsign in brackets indicate G4FOC operator)

FOC CALENDAR

September - 40m & 15m (G3LIK) 2 Committee meeting 2/27 W6/G2FDF from Fresno (611) 5/20 ZD9ZM by 5B4AGN (608/10/11) 13/30 BV3/DJ3KR (610) 20/3 Oct SV8/G3IZD (611) 22/30 TK/GBQV (611) 27 Deadline October N/Sheet October - 80m & 17m (G3KTZ) KH5 by OK1KT+ (609) 7 Annual Dinner at Lords 8/14 3B6RF by K5VT+ (608) 28 Deadline November N/Sheet 30 JW/DJ3KR (610) SM5COP: Rune has booked for Lords. W4LZ: Mike went QRT 7 August due to a change of QTH and hopes to be QRV again in September. W9NN: Bob was back in hospital in the middle of August but went home after a couple of days - thanks W1PL & W9VNE. He obviously hasnt lost his sense of humour because on 22 August he wrote Im home again and they didnt leave any tools inside me!. W9VNE: Jim says, Many thanks to those members that took the time to look for us on the bands during my recent trip to Great Harbour Cay (Berry Islands, Bahamas). The highlight was an opening on 6m where we worked 400 QSOs. The 6m station was C6AJR (W8GEX) and we used the call, C6DX during the RSGB IOTA contest. ZL2AZ: Congratulations to Peter on being appointed the NZART IARU Liaison Officer, and leader of the delegation. He is now preparing for the IARU Region 3 Conference in Darwin at the end of August. ZS1OU: Ex-member Jack became a Silent Key recently - thanks G3XNG.

Score updates can be passed to G4BUE or any committee member. An asterisk against the call indicates the score has been updated this month. Table shows the scores received by 1230z 30 August 2000 and includes scores not published in the August News Sheet due to lack of space.
W4QM 359 W8XM* 379 LZ1AF* 361 W6CYX 340 G3SXW* 338 SV1AOW* 316 SMCCE* 314 EA8CN 313 W5ZR* 312 G4BUE* 301 G3LIK 300 G3KTZ* 299 W3NZ 299 LY3BA* 292 N6NT* 291 DL6TQ* 286 G3ZEM 285 GW3KDB 284 G2FFO* 282 GW3KGV*279 N4UB* 277 G3TXF 266 DJ5ZN* 265 G4BJM* 265 G3HZL 261 W9GW* 255 W4CK* 252 W4LZ* 252 PAVDV* 250 F3AT 245 PADIN* 243 PABW* 242 K1JD 239 K9QVB 238 GORH* 235 W4ZYT* 235 G2FFO 234 W6TZD* G2FDF* G4OEC* ZP6CW* K2VCO* N4AF K4XU W6OV G4HZV* OY3QN W4CK G3MXJ* GW3HCL YO4PX* F2MA NP3G G8VG* K7UOT 232 225 220 219 218 216 215 214 211 201 201 200 196 195 194 192 186 180 ZL1MH 176 W4DGJ 174 G3JJG* 173 EA6ACC 172 K4EF 168 G4PKD 165 SM5COP* 164 K1GUP* 163 ZS6AL* 162 G3LHJ* 157 NP3F 154 G3IY 147 GJWB* 145 G3CWW* 140 4X1FC* 137 K5DQ* 135 OK1CZ 135 N3BB* 134 GKDZ 134 N4LS* 133 OK1RR* 133 W2DX* 132 VK8AV 130 K6TS 128 AC5K 127 F5VEX 126 G3KKQ 126 LA8XM 121 GM3HUN*120 W1FZY 120 G3MCK 119 GM3JKS 118 GCHV* 117 SM6AOU*117 W9VNE* 117 W1WEF 115 N1DG W3ABC G3HEJ* W4PM G4XRV* G3NOH* G3PQC* KT5X G2HKU* W4YE G3LWI W1FJ GW3SB* OK1KT* OZ4UN W5GEL* WIAK G3NKS* 114 113 112 112 111 108 105 105 104 104 102 102 100 100 97 97 95 93 K5CA* K4II KF2AT* PALOU OZ4FF* VA3LK GBQV* DK4LX W4FOA AA5DX N4JT OH2KI G4PDQ K2ZR* W1HT W9NN* K6DC GW3SYL 92 91 91 91 90 90 88 86 84 83 81 80 79 76 76 71 70 67 W1HL OH2FOC F9LT K6OU* N4KG W2MEL VE3AR GEBW ZM2AGY NNM* K1SS* W4TAJ KC7V K6WG* VK4XA OH2EA W6THN DJ9SB 62 61 59 55 55 53 52 51 43 42 40 35 33 31 29 22 12 3

THE 2000 WINDLE AWARD