THE FIRST CLASS C.W.

OPERATORS CLUB

NEWS SHEET 613

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

Editor: G4BUE

November 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 NOVEMBER ARE 160 & 20 METRES

If you received a blue paper with your October News Sheet, it means your subscription for 2001 is due by 31 December. Have you paid yet?
A flurry of objections in recent months has caused considerable distress. They have also triggered debate about the Clubs direction. Last month Pete, G8VG, proposed that contesters and DXpeditioners who do not participate in regular QSOs are not welcome. This led to numerous responses all of which are much appreciated and are available to the Committee. A considered response has been received from K2VUI which offers a broad view on this topic. Here are Joes thoughts: In last months News Sheet, Pete, G8VG, raised serious questions about the future of the Club if we permit CW operators to join when they are active only in contests or on DXpeditions. I emphasise the word only because I believe that this is where the concern lies, that most of us have nothing against contest operators or DXpeditioners as long as they appear on the bands outside of contests or DXpeditions. In recent times, however, the word contester has become a pejorative to some of our membership, and in recent months the argument over whether such undesirables should be permitted to join has been carried to a higher and ever more strident level. It seems to me that this issue has become somewhat of a tempest in a teapot - it has received considerably more attention and generated more heat than it deserves. Pete expressed concern that the Club might be taken over by contesters if we change the rules for membership and suggested that if they want a contest club, they ought to form their own. I observe that this has already happened, and we have such single-minded contest clubs as the YCCC and the PVRC, to name just two. The contesters already have their own clubs. (CQ Contest lists over 230 contest clubs around the world -

2001 SUBSCRIPTIONS

TOPICAL ISSUES by G3SXW

G3SXW). I submit therefore that, while I share Petes concern, I think they are unlikely to hijack our club. I personally prefer to see nominations of operators who have a broader interest than just contests, or just DX, or for that matter, just ragchewing. Is a member who only engages in ragchewing a qualitatively better member than the DXer or contester? Unlike some members, I think not. I do believe that, for our purposes, broader interests are better, but does that mean that we shouldnt have as members some who are more narrowly-focused in their hobby? Will it deal a fatal blow to FOC as we know it (or as we think we know it) if the occasional exclusive contester or exclusive DXer slips through the nomination net? I think not. Should we be discouraging truly first-class CW operators because they are more narrowly focused than some of us like? I believe, within bounds, we should not. While it would be nice if everyone could do everything (had the time, energy, interest, etc), we need to think very carefully about the current hostility to certain operators because of their apparent operating history. And lets not forget, Rule 8 talks about a satisfactory level of activity .. demonstrated by consistent CW activity outside the Clubs Marathon weekend. It does not say anything about excluding contests or DXpeditions. Rule 5 says only that someone operating exclusively in contests or DXing may not be sufficiently broad to be a good member. Assuming exclusively has the usual meaning in the English language, then someone engaging in regular QSOs even occasionally would seem to fit our membership criteria, even if their primary activity were in contests or the DX arena. Who among us will presume to be the best judge of sufficient or enough when applied to someones operating habits?

I think we have a sufficiently broad and diverse membership that we can afford to welcome participants in all branches of CW, and that in fact we are doing ourselves a serious disservice by being openly hostile to certain of those branches. Moreover, is there one member out there who can honestly say that he or she has never seen someone change their operating habits when they join a group such as ours? I know several such people, some of them among our most active members today. As always, good common sense yields the best result (lets try to avoid extreme candidates, either to the right or to the left), but if we miss once in a while, we will still survive quite nicely and in fact, we might just be the better for it. This News Sheet is being published a little late this month as June and I did not return from our honeymoon until Friday 3 November. We had a great time cruising around the French Polynesian Society Islands for 15 days in glorious warm and sunny weather and are now trying to get used to the cold and wet weather in the UK. We spent three days in Los Angeles before flying to Tahiti, and spent a most enjoyable day with K6DDO. Dave collected us from our hotel and spent the whole day showing us Hollywood and the work he and his friends are doing to preserve the many historic buildings there. Watching CNN on the television in our cruise ship stateroom, we were shocked to see the hurricanes, storms and heavy rain that hit the UK at the end of October. After catching up with all the e-mail, faxes and snail mail waiting for us on our return, I am not aware of any UK members suffering bad antenna damage or flooding. Having said that, the danger from flooding is continuing, especially in the Midlands and Yorkshire, and as I write this on Sunday morning (5 November), the UK is again bracing itself for another three days of severe storms and rain. It is not any coincidence that yesterday (the day after we returned), June was on the telephone trying to get air tickets for Florida next month! We have recently got into the habit of visiting N4TO each December, and attending the Florida Dinner, to try and break up the UK winter and having just spent three weeks away, wondered whether we could justify another break in the sunshine so soon. The recent UK weather has made us decide that we can! I am pleased to report that while we were away, the RSGB appear to have sorted their problems with their Internet server and our email is now working properly. Please continue to use our new <g4bue@thersgb.net> address. In the September News Sheet editorial, Chris, G4BUE, asks why there has been an increase

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by G3MXJ

Starred List
3. KY7M: DL7AKC, G3SXW, G3ZEM, KC7V, NP3G, DK8IT. 3. WCGR: G2FFO, JA1NUT, K4EFZ, K5DQ, N4OO, W4PM, K1JD. 2. SM6CLU: W8XM, K4BAI, KF2AT, 5B4AGC, NP3G, SV1AOW, G4ZVJ. 2. V31JP (K8JP): N9RD, VK6VZ, OK1KT, W4ZYT, DK8IT, ZL1MH, SV1AOW, K8MFO, G3LIK, DK8IT, GW3KGV 2. VK4EMM: VK2BJ, VK6VZ, VK6WT, G3CWW, N3BB. 2. K1VR: K2VUI, K5NA, DL7AKC, WL7E, G3SWH. 1. DF5JT: K4EWG, DL4CF, K1JD, W8XM, SM5COP N9RD, , DK8IT, GM3UA. 1. OK1RP: OK1RR, W4PM, G0EBW, W4ZYT, G8VG, K1SS, W3NZ.

EDITORIAL by G4BUE

An objection to G4BWP is under consideration by the Committee

Additional Nominations

5. K4WJ: K4EFZ, K2UFT, YV1NX, W1HMD. 5. W4PRO: W4ZYT, W4IF. 5. VK4XY: VK6WT, G3CWW. 3. DK4AN: DJ5ZN, DL4CF, DL7AKC, KL7HF, W1HMD. 3. N6TR: VK6VZ, K4OJ, 4X4NJ. 3. G3ZGC: G3RVM, GORH. 1. VE3HX: VA3LK. 1. K6LQA: K6TS. 1. K4UEE: W4ZYT. 1. VE3OU: K2UFT. 1. W6JD: W6CYX.

New Members

1740 VA3UZ: (Yuri) Y. Onipko, 66 Cavell Avenue, Etobicoki, Ont M8V 1P2, Canada; XYL Taniya; tel - 416 252 3572; e-mail <va3uz@ rac.ca>.

Amendments

G2FDF (158): Silent Key. DJ9SB (1047): Resigned. W4ML (1728): Silent Key. in the this years Windle scores. In my opinion the increase is due to the Y2K programme. I know that I might be a lone voice, but I for one would dearly love the Y2K to continue. I honestly believe that it has increased the level of FOC activity over all the bands. I know that we do not need too many number games to chase, however, I am wondering if it could not in some way take over from the present Windle set-up? I am sure it would increase the Windle totals submitted by members. I guess I might get howled out of court for this! (See Committee Report in the October News Sheet for the Committees thinking on the Millennium Award at this stage - G4BUE). Further to the information published on page 35 of FOCUS 44 about the Second Galveston Get-Together on 13 January 2001, we are asking for $25 per person to help cover the cost of the hospitality room, breakfast munchies, drinks, and a barbecue supper. Please send your cheque to Richard King, K5NA, at 17726

GALVESTON GET-TOGETHER by K5DQ

ACTIVITY by G3LWI

FM 973 North, Manor, Texas 78653. Dutch lunch will be in a seafood restuarant nearby. Dont forget that suite reservations for the Victorian need to be made early. Yall come! AA5DX: Rons new house is nearly finished and he says, we are at 7100 feet so it will be interesting to see what the bands sound like from this hilltop QTH. DJ6SI: Baldur was QRV at the beginning of October as CU6/DJ6SI. DJ9SB: Renata has decided to resign from the Club. She writes, There are just too many things around that will not allow me to be regularly active in the future and I cannot see that most of these things will get better as time goes by. Let us hope that I will have the possibility of sometimes being active again so I will be able to meet up with old friends in the future. We hope so Renata and wish you and Gerd all the best for the future. GKDZ: Our best wishes for a quick recovery go to Margaret who suffered severe head injuries in a road accident on 11 October. GORH: Congratulations to Ken and Ian, G3RVM, who, with Richard, G3ZGC, won the G6ZR Trophy in NFD this year. G2FFO: Dick writes, I would just like to thank, most sincerely, all those members of FOC who sent Get Well messages to me when the grapevine reported that I had been admitted to hospital. Anno Domini led to a minor problem with the waterworks which necessitated a surgical operation but I am very happy to report that the specialist concerned has reported that there was no malignancy. I will have to return to hospital in about a months time to enable the surgeons to tidy things up! I now feel much more hopeful that I will be able to welcome the arrival of the 21st Century and Third Millennium at the end of next month!. G3AAE: G3KMA and G3GIQ writing about G3AAE on the Internet, said John was a skilled DXer, a long-standing FOC member, and a meticulous operator. He held the top UK positions on both the DXCC and the IOTA Honor Rolls; a real achievement when one considers that he never used a linear amplifier. An RSGB Council Member, he served in a leading capacity on several of the Societys Committees. Over recent years he was a strong and loyal supporter of IOTA and was involved for over five years with the programs administration. He had many other interests, all of which he approached with the same enthusiasm and thoroughness as his DXing. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him, and especially his close friends in amateur radio, with whom he was in daily contact. G3NKS: Derek writes, In response to G3PQCs comment last month, I suggest Doug tries theRSGB 80 Metre Slow Morse Cumulatives where, usually, a number of FOC mem-

MEMBERS NEWS by G4BUE

bers will be found using straight keys (me included!). G3PQC: Doug is amazed that not one single comment has been received about using a straight key. Is it a lost art by FOC members?! I like to keep my hand in on the RNARS nets. (See G3NKSs remarks above - G4BUE.) G3RXP: Dave says next years Harrogate GetTogether will be on 23 June. G3SXW: The Voodoo Contest Group will be QRV again as 9G5AA as a multi-multi entry in the CQ CW Contest. The operators include members GM3YTS (9G5RF), K5VT (9G5VT), KC7V (9G5MF), and Roger (9G5SX). They will also be QRV with their personal callsigns outside of the contest. G3ZEM: Karen and Bob had to cancel their plans for Lords. After returning home from ZD9 and finding their home had been broken into, they both developed a heavy dose of flu. G4ZVJ: Andy was due on holiday and possibly QRV 15/22 October from Vietnam, 22/26 October as XU7AAV and 29 October/10 November as DU3/G4ZVJ. I6BQI: Angelo was due to be QRV 12/19 October as ZK1BQI from South Cook Islands and 22 October/1 November as A35BQ, all bands. I7ALE: My thanks to Sandro for correcting my caption under the photograph of W1HMD on page 31 of FOCUS saying this was the first year that two non-European members have attended the Con-Din. He says that three nonEurpoean members (K5VT, N2LK and WB6ZUC) attended the first ever Con-Din at Asendorf, Germany in 1985. K1SS: Sid has been out of commission for a while when the doctor told me I had a slight heart attack and had to have surgery. I am feeling better these days and am back on the air. K1ZZ: Dave says that anyone who worked 4U1ITU on CW on 15, 17, or 21 September worked him. He made just over 1000 QSOs including quite a few with members. Dave was in Geneva for some ITU meetings. K5DQ: Peggy and Don now have their two beams and new wire antennas up and are working the world, what a difference!. N3RS: Sig says he is on the bands on a regular daily basis. Since my return from Europe in August, I have been working diligently on getting back into the swing of things. I expect to make the 2000 for Y2K before the year ends. It has been great chatting with the gang once again. This retirement stuff is really sweet!. Sig says that only ARRL DX CW Contest QSOs with N3RS on 40m should count as QSOs with him, but those with 15m count for N3RD. In the CQ CW Contest Sig will only be QRV on 20m, although N3RS will be QRV all bands. N5TJ: Jeff writes, Sorry I have been so inactive this year. We are settled into a new QTH but I am only able to use an indoor dipole in the attic. I miss my tower and monobanders. Plans are to try a remote control station next year

using Yagis. I will be QRV 21/26 November as EA8BH from Gran Canaria, including a singleop all band entry in the CQ CW Contest. OZ1LQH: Rene has finished the refurbishments to his new radio/computer room but cannot complete the antenna work until the roof is finished. SM6CPY: Carl will not be QRV as S21YD in November as the area he was visiting is flooded, but will now be QRV 25 December/10 January. VE7NH: Doug was incapacitated for a month in April when he trapped a nerve in his left side and in June tore his left hamstring on the first day of a pro-am golf tournament and then pulled a muscle in his right leg the following week! He recovered to win the over 60s gold championship in July but says in the past six months I have had more injuries playing golf than in all the years I played football. In September he went down with bronchitis and is now trying to deal with hash interference on all bands from a new computer. Doug asks if members have any ideas for a cure?, (have you tried switching the monitor off while the computer is running to see if the hash is coming from the screen? - G4BUE). VK6VZ: Steve writes, Over the winter months I experimented with a 160 meter two element wire Yagi but the two elements were too close together (less than 60 feet), and when the antenna was tuned, the feed impedance dropped like a stone. I eventually gave it up, but intend to try again sometime in the future with two stub-loaded vertically-polarised delta loops as the elements, suspended off the top of the 90 feet support here, with the same tuning network as the Yagi. Other news is that I managed to come World 1st in the 1999 (Fourth) Stew Perry Topband Distance Challenge, with a score of 3480 points, which is far my biggest win in 160 meter contesting. I had some good conditions which I managed to make the best of. FOCers have done well in the Stew Perry Challenge since it started, topping the scores in three out of the four runnings so far (Clive, GM3POI, won the

(callsign in brackets indicate G4FOC operator)

FOC CALENDAR

November - 160m & 20m (G3MXJ) Until 10 DU3/G4ZVJ (612) Until 16 PJ2/PAVDV (612) 9/22 4S7WHG by G3SWH (612) 17 JW3FL by LA3FL (612) 19 Deadline FOCUS 45 21/26 EA8BH by N5TJ (613) 22/28 8P9HT by K4BAI (612) 27 Deadline December News Sheet CQ WW CW Contest 8P9Z by K4BAI (SOAB) (612) 9G5AA by G3SXW& others (MM) (613) EA8BH by N5TJ (SOAB) (613) first and second ones). W3MC: Mike set up a portable station at a local Boy Scout camp for JOTA and had over 600 scouts visit him. He made several QSOs all over the US and Europe including one with GB6LS with GIVZ at the mic! The boys had great fun talking to scouts in other countries. W3NX: Roy is QRT at the moment due to health problems - thanks N3RS. W3NZ: Congratulations to Jean and Fritz on their 65th wedding anniversary on 22 October. W4ML: Members will be shocked to hear that Jim became a Silent Key on 28 October after a massive heart attack. He was only 54 years old and many members met him at Lords last month. Our sincere condolences to Jims wife Prudy at this difficult time - thanks W4PM. W6IJ: Congratulations to Tommy on his retirement after 30 years in public service. He rewarded his dedication with a new Alpha 87A amplifier and a 72 feet tower and four element 40 meter Yagi . He says he is looking forward to more time on the bands and Windles. Deana and chief op will be at Orlando in December. ZP6CW: Congratulations to Doug on recenly making CW QSO number 100,000 from ZP .

Score updates can be passed to G4BUE or any committee member. An asterisk against the call indicates the score has been updated either last month (when the table was not published) or this month. Table shows the scores received by 1200z 5 November 2000.
W8XM* W4QM* W1HMD* LZ1AF G3SXW* EA8CN* W6CYX W3NZ* W5ZR* SV1AOW SMCCE G3KTZ* G4BUE* G2FFO* G3LIK LY3BA N6NT DL6TQ G3ZEM GW3KDB 396 378 369 361 349 344 340 321 320 316 314 313 311 302 300 292 291 286 285 284 DJ5ZN* GW3KGV N4UB W6TZD* G3TXF* G4BJM* F3AT* GORH* G3HZL G4OEC* K1JD* G3LWI* W9GW W4CK W4LZ PAVDV ZP6CW* PADIN PABW K9QVB 281 279 277 274 273 273 265 265 261 257 257 256 255 252 252 250 250 243 242 238 G4HZV* 237 VE1BN* 235 W4ZYT 235 G3JJG* 227 G2FDF 225 G8VG* 223 K4BAI* 223 G3MXJ* 221 K2VCO 218 N4AF 216 K4XU 215 W6OV 214 YO4PX* 212 OK1RR* 205 SM5COP* 204 OY3QN 201 W4CK 201 GW3HCL 196 F2MA 194 K4EF* NP3G N3RS* K7UOT W2DX* ZL1MH W4DGJ OK1CZ* EA6ACC K5DQ* GJWB* G4PKD G3CWW* K1GUP N1DG* ZS6AL G3IEW* G3NKS* 4X1FC* 192 192 183 180 176 176 174 173 172 171 168 165 164 163 162 162 161 161 157 G3LHJ AC5K* N3BB* NP3F G3MCK* G3IY G3KMQ* W3ABC* GKDZ N4LS VK8AV K6TS F5VEX G3KKQ G3PQC* G3LZK* G2HKU* W6THN* LA8XM 157 155 155 154 149 147 141 135 134 133 130 128 126 126 125 124 123 122 121 GM3HUN 120 W1FZY 120 GM3JKS 118 GCHV 117 SM6AOU* 117 W9VNE 117 W1WEF 115 G3HEJ 112 K5CA* 112 W4PM 112 G4XRV 111 G3NOH 108 KT5X 105 W4YE 104 W1FJ 102 GW3SB 100 OK1KT 100 OZ4FF* 99 OZ4UN 97 W5GEL WIAK K4II KF2AT PALOU VA3LK GBQV DK4LX W4FOA AA5DX N4JT OH2KI G4PDQ K6DC* KT4P* K2ZR W1HT W2MEL* W9NN 97 95 91 91 91 90 88 86 84 83 81 80 79 79 78 76 76 72 71 GW3SYL W3MC* W1HL OH2FOC F9LT K6OU* N4KG VE3AR GEBW W1NV* OH2EA* ZM2AGY NNM K1SS W4TAJ KC7V K6WG VK4XA DJ9SB 67 65 62 61 59 59 55 52 51 47 45 43 42 40 35 33 31 29 3

THE 2000 WINDLE AWARD