July to December 2009
Visit to Saw Mill at Tarpeena 4 Dec 2009
The SERG members who attended - excuse the blurry picture but the photographer's
hands shook after taking this wild lot around a working mill.
Many thanks to Andrew, Steve, and Charles who organised the visit to Auspine's
facility and showed us around. Special thanks to Auspine employee Michael
Ward who gave his time freely to show us around. Thanks Michael.
Looking back to the main saws, on this line the wood is measured with lasers,
best cut computed, log rotated and first cuts made.
Humans supervise the process only.
Finished product moving towards the wrapping process
Andrew's office (VK5KET) where a full size world map reminds him of the DX
he is missing while working.
Tom VK5EE (left) sorts out Andrew's geography for him.
While the rest of us play, Col VK5HCF has to work. Here he is, at the mill
wood yard in front of his truck used to cart the bark away for recycling
Club DXpedition to Northern NSW for January
Four club members are preparing for a DXpedition to work
Norfolk Island on all bands to 10GHz. Here are two of the antennas under
construction for 2M and 70cm.
Col VK5DK is our glorious leader for the trip. David VK5HDW, Tom VK5EE and
John VK5DJ will be assistant operators, cooks, dishwashers.
The Car Trial in November
Again this year the club provided the communications for the South East Car Club's Hill Climb. A write up will folllow but this photo shows how stressful the event is.
Andrew VK5KET on duty
Antennas go up at the clubrooms
Saturday 3rd October 2009 it was agreed to meet just after
10:00am to start putting the antennas on the tower.
Tom EE had pre-assembled the TE33 over Christmas so it was simply a matter
of applying the appropriate grease to the joints. 5HD was present along with
Colin 5DK and James 5HJP and Andrew 5KET. Trevor 5NC came along a bit later
as did Steve 5GL and much later in the day Linley 5FRED. Our President Charles
VK5HD was the camera man except when he was up the tower The club owns safety
harnesses to ensure that if the tower falls Andrew and Charles were not left
up there..
James VK5HJP, Trevor VK5NC and Andrew VK5KET assemble antennas
2m/70cm Vertical was installed first at the very top of the mast to provide
access to local repeaters and IRLP.
2m Beam was installed next but this is where the first snag was. The U-bolts
for mounting to the mast were too narrow. Checking the bolts on the HF
showed the same thing. Work was delayed while a solution was found. Larger
U-bolts
were modified along with the brackets and everything was good to go.
2m Beam was finally installed and braced.
Trevor 'Niv' watched by James checks the U-bolts and finds a problem
TE33 was raised in pieces. The elements were all assembled on the ground,
as was the boom. The electrical connection to the driven element was
also completed on the ground and raised with the element. The ground crew
Colin,
Trevor, James and Steve worked on the driven element while Charles and
Andrew atop the tower put the rest together. The boom was installed first,
then
the director and reflector installed and the driven element last.
Andrew VK5KET and Charles VK5HD installing the 2M yagi made by Col VK5DK
First test of the finished system was made by the starlings
With all the antennas installed the connections to the coax were terminated
and sealed.
Andrew checks the antennas with an antenna analyser
The rotator was tightened to lock off the antennas.
Col VK5DK checks the HF equipment
and the new 20M beam
Monday was the public holiday and as the rotator had been previously
installed and cabled it should have been a quick job to setup
and set the direction.
Rotator would move fine but the indicator on the controller wouldn't
move much at all. Investigations showed that there was a cracked
gear in the
indicator. The gear was removed and glued up and the whole thing
put back together.
A quick location check and it was deemed good enough.
Lighthouse and RD Contest Weekend - August 2009
In August, members of the South East Radio Group travelled to Kingston where once again Tony VK5ZAI and Jill his wonderful wife played hosts. Gear was set up in the Lighthouse and many contacts were made. Because the Lighthouse Weekend again clashed with the Remembrance Day Contest some contacts were made in the RD too.
The story goes something like this...
It was a dark and stormy night (day) when the intrepid SERG setup the radio
gear in the Kingston Lighthouse.
 Tony VK5ZAI, Steve VK5GL, Col VK5HCF |
 Bill VK5WCC at the HF mike |
 Chris VK5MC (How do I get this onto EME?) |
 Col VK5HCF fixing the log |
VK3ILH lighthouse outing
Some of our club members helped out at VK3ILH (Portland Radio club's special
call) activation of the Cape Nelson Lighthouse for the international lighhouse
weekend.
Thank you Ian VK3FNBL for providing the photos of the Portland Club
in action.
 |
 |
 |
 |
A great photo looking down from the top of the lighhouse. Portland aluminium
refinery can be seen in the top right corner
Tony VK5ZAI runs the ARISS contact at a Mt Gambier School
Members of the SERG in the foreground. A remarkable display of bald spots.
VK3FXJR Birthday
A number of the club members attended John VK3FXJR's birthday party in Ocotber. Happy Birthday John.
Guess what John got for his birthday?
Now that is what I call a birthday present. Editor John VK5DJ got to sit
in it and go "Brmm, Brmm under his breath"
First Aid Class
After the election of office bearers they were overhelmed with the pay
Wayne VK5ZX rushes to the rescue of President Charles
and despite Charles protests gave him a good dose of
resuscitation - Linley was very decent about it..
The attentive group at the club activity night in Sept
John VK5DJ describes the difference between 'Oscillate' and 'Osculate'
prior to his and Andrew's VK5KET demonstrations about CROs.
AGM 2009
Andrew VK5KET (left) and Charles
VK5HD (right) are the recipients of the President's Award for 2008/09
David VK5HDW (centre) as outgoing President makes the presentation.
Linley VK5FRED receives the Roy Goodwin Award for Foundation Licensees from
David
After the AGM there was feasting. Tim VK5AV
guards the food from Bill VK5WCC explaining
how large a Pizza he can eat in one
sitting.