The Journal of Horsham Amateur Radio Club - October 2020 - Est. 1938
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Club Call G4HRS Est. 1938
The Journal of
Horsham Amateur Radio Club
October 2020
Sponsored by: Affiliated to:
1
Contents
In this issue
3. Notes from the Editor
Fury friends and a change of software
4. News round
Space radio and a scenic voice
6. The box
A gain for all, 14:30 tea break, a bit of VHF and a big announcement!
9. Diary of events
Full listings for the month
Cover photo: Heathkit DX - 100U at QTH of G0FGX
Published by Horsham Amateur Radio Club
HARCNEWS is produced at home by G4JHI
2
Editorial
Most years’ in the October edition of this journal I give a rundown of how the
Autumn Junk Sale runs. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic this year’s has been
cancelled. Until further notice all club nights, socials and committee meetings
continue to be cancelled. However we are still running the Covid nets every
day on the 2 metre club channel at 11:00 and 14:30.
In my garden I often have visitors in the form of passing cats, pigeons, squirrels and foxes. However
this does come with some problems. The squirrels attacked my shack roof a couple of years ago so
I had to replace it to make sure rainwater didn’t come in.
Recently a fox decided to dig up and eat my earth wire to the shack! It took a bit of handicraft to
make the earth wire when I originally installed it out to the earthing stake. I will soon be replacing
it and will make sure it is well and truly hidden! I am about to start upgrading the Office version on
my home computers since the existing Office 2010 version is going end of life on October 13th 2020.
At the same time I will be making some changes to email although the addresses that club members
use for myself and this magazine will continue as before. During the changeover period there should
not be any issues however, if anyone does have a problem sending email to me over in the next
few weeks please try sending again a bit later on or the next day and all should be working again.
David G4JHI
Copy deadline for emailed items for November edition 20th
October - For written items the deadline is 12th October.
For items sent by email please send to this address:
harc.news@g4jhi.co.uk
3
News from HARC
First Element of ARISS Next Generation (Next-Gen)
Radio System Installed in ISS Columbus Module
ARISS News Release No. 20-13
September 2, 2020—The ARISS team is pleased to announce that set up and installation of the first
element of our next generation radio system was completed and amateur radio operations with it
are now underway. This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed
in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system
and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.
Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater mode using an uplink frequency
of 145.99 MHz with an access tone of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System
activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be
announced.
The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on board the SpaceX CRS-
20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an
ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables. The design, development,
fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement
accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for
ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio,
voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television
(SSTV) system.
A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later for installation in the Russian
Service module. This second system enables dual, simultaneous operations, (e.g. voice repeater
and APRS packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs. It also provides on-orbit
redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the event of an IORS component failure.
Next-gen development efforts continue. For the IORS, parts are being procured and a total of
ten systems are being fabricated to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and
astronaut training. Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band repeater
uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi,” that is just
beginning the design phase. The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV
operations.
G3ZBU
4
Where next for
Freddy Fox?
A date for your diary:
Sunday 22nd November
Due to ongoing restrictions it is likely
that our November HARC Fox Hunt will
have to be another ‘virtual’ event. The
event will be held, as originally planned,
on Sunday 22nd November at 11 a.m.
Freddy Fox (aided and abetted by Mike,
G8CKT, and Yvonne, G6CKT) will be
going to ground at a secret location
somewhere in West Sussex.
Full details in next month’s HARC News.
5
TV Addict
by David Miller G4JHI
SKY Arts goes free to air
The well-established SKY Arts channel became available as a free to air service therefore appearing
on Freeview, Freesat and other platforms from 17th September. Recently a concert was featured
from the ska band Madness and regular episodes of Tales of The Unexpected can be found.
A while ago Sky Documentaries channel launched and some former Sky Arts material is now being
shown on there. You can find Sky Arts on Freeview Channel 11 (don’t forget to rescan if it doesn’t
appear!), Freesat Channel 147 and Sky Channel 122. The HD version is only available on pay TV
platforms such as Sky and Virgin media.
For viewers with free to air satellite receivers the manual tuning parameters are:
Astra 2E @ 28.2E
Frequency: 12.070 GHz
Polarization: H
Symbol rate 27500
FEC 5/6
All aboard
A recent edition of Great Continental Railway Journeys entitled Linz to Bratislava saw Michael Portillo
stop off in Prague whilst firmly holding his Bradshaw Guide of 1936. In Wenceslas Square he visited
Restaurant Výtopna where one can find a whole live working miniature digitally controlled train
system. All food and drinks ordered arrive by one of the trains and you only get 20 seconds to
retrieve the offerings before they leave! I don’t recall any signs of this establishment in 2014 when
I visited the city. Maybe a future HARC club trip?
Reaching for the milk
6Amateur Radio
It’s back, yes TX Factor has returned! Episode 26 is currently available and visits Tim Kirby GW4VXE
and learns about his VHF/UHF interest and there is a visit to the QTH of presenter Bob McCreadie
G0FGX who reviews one of the first QRP Icom all-mode transceivers in the country the IC-705 SDR.
http://www.txfilms.co.uk/txfactor
Satellite operating
7Country wide - READ THIS!
I was recently contacted by the Assistant Producer of the BBC show ‘Have I Got New For You’ as
they were in the middle of production of the 60th series due to start soon. Having come across the
Journal ‘HARCNEWS’ they were potentially interested in featuring the magazine in an episode. In
each weeks’ show there is a ‘Missing Word’ round where newspaper headlines from the week are
read out with a vital word missing for the panel to guess the word which has been removed.
It is tradition for a guest publication to be featured alongside this. The show is usually recorded
the day before transmission and due to Covid-19 social distancing to a smaller closed audience.
Following emails and a telephone conversation it was looking very promising that the magazine
would be featured. Once an official licence agreement is completed so that the BBC can have access
to the magazine material we’re almost there!
Presuming this does happen it is likely to be at short notice and in the event of broadcast I will email
all those on this newsletter circulation list and you can all spread the word for publicity of HARC and
amateur radio!
8Diary
Oct 1st, Club Night: Junk Sale *** CANCELLED ***
Oct 5th, Autumn Series CW 20:00 - 21:30 80m
Oct 8th, Committee Meeting - *** CANCELLED ***
Oct 10th, RSGB 2020 Convention - Online 08:45 - 17:00
https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/rsgb-convention
Oct 11th, Online ASMSAT-UK Space Colloquium 11:00 - 17:00
https://amsat-uk.org - Registration required
Oct 14th, Autumn Series DATA 20:00 - 21:30 80m
Oct 15th, Social Evening: The Hare and Hounds *** CANCELLED ***
Oct 18th, 50MHz AFS Contest 10:00 - 14:00
Oct 29th, Autumn Series DATA 20:00 - 21:30 80m
For details on the above contests use this link and follow to the appropriate section
https://rsgb.org/main/radio-sport/what-is-radio-sport
All above times are BST
9You can also read
