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Volume XXXVIII

THE SHORT WAVE MAGAZINE

37

CLIJBS ROUNDUP

By *C/ub Secretary*

HOW nice ii is 10 tum to our task in a contented frame of mind, knowing the last Roundup got out on time, and that we havc a fat clip for this time. Indced the clip is so fat that we may have to be a littlc pcrverse and prunc down the multiple-entries from whom we*ve not heard lately.

More contentment: your conductor is, for the first time in a quarter of a century, not in any office of any club, radio or otherw-ise. What a blessing it is to have a rest! It won’t last long of coursc — oncc it’s been notcd that com-mittce meetings are things of the past, decorator’s gear will be brought out and shovcd under my nose!

However, let us turn to more interesting things than decorating!

Anywhere

Applies, we would think, to any club without a local affiliation: a national or international group. And, surę enough our first one is definitely just that, being the G-QRP Club. They are now up to some 700 mcmbers, and growing stcadily; most of this is undoubtcdly the interest aroused by low-power operating, but it is also much con-nected with the presence of a newsletter which is a pleasure to read. And a group of officers who accept that an AGM is all but impossible and just carry on, taking their guidancc from the “feel” of the membership they get on the air and through letters. Notę the Hon. Secs. address has changed again — see Panel.

The Royal Navy is another big group. If you served in it, or in the Merchant Navy, or a foreign navy, you qualify for membership. They also of course have their subsidiary groups, such as the one at HMS Belfast, who by the way will be operating GB2RN for their Easter Activity period, round the clock for several days. All details from the Hon. Sec. — see Panel.

Over the water to tire whcre the national society, I.R.T.S, is the contact if you want to find the local club — there are several local clubs, and the IRTS News is a delightful chat sheet, keeping all the members in touch with each othcr. The result is a ‘personality’ thing which makes you visualise the person concerned.

This same thing is the forte of the ^ł‘Radial”, newsletter of R.A.I.B.C. to whom one should point any disabled SWL or radio amateur. Of course they would like to hear from anyone who can help them in any way: reading “Radial” on to tape for blind members, cassettes for RAE courses, transporting things from A to B, repairing and servicing equipment or whatever. And of course, donations!

Next, B.A.R.T.G. and here we must say that one doubts whether it would be possible for the average chap to put together an RTTY station without some help from B.A.R.T.G. — there is the newsletter, and the “shop window” not to mention the Convention.

B.A.T.C. covers the intcrests of the number among us who are into amateur TV, whether by way of the normal fast-scan low-definition TV, SS/TV on the world-wide bands, or whatever. All are covcred adcquately in the magazine CQ-TV> of which we havc Issue 108 in front of us.

Everyone who is involved in amateur radio has heard of Oscar (Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio), and most maybe know also of the Russian ones, RS1 and RS2. AMSAT-UK is the British arm of the international AMSAT organisation based on Washington. If their Phase III plans are going to come to fruition as the past ones have, then they need members — lots of them. Among them one hopes there will be some who can actively help in one way or another. Write to the Hon. Sec. at the address in the Panel.

Southerly

Acton, Brentford & Chiswick start t he story; their old Hq having been burnt down, the Hon. Sec. says they will be at Chiswick Town Hall, High Road, and that members will be discussing their technical problems.

At Barking the main evening is still Thursday of each week, at Westbury Recreation Centre, Westbury School, Ripple Road, Barking, but the club shack is accessible to members on the other evenings should they desire.

If you are in Cambridge you will find the club at the ATC Hq, 730 Newmarkct Road, Cambridge, Cambs. The generał routine, says the Hon. Sec., is to alternate formal evenings, with talks, lectures, films or whatever — with others being informal. However, the first Friday in each month is set aside for beginners and new chums.

Deadlines for “Clubs“ for the next three months—

(April issue—February 29th)

May issue—March 28th June issue—April 25th July issue—May 30th

Please be surę to notę these dates!

Cheshunt are in business every Wedncsday, at the Church Room, Church Road, Wormley; March 5 is down to G8LNM who will be co-ordinator for a showing of club slides. On March 19 G3AAJ will be putting on his “other hat” as Region 19 RSGB rep., which leaves 12th and 26th for a natter evening with RAE and Morse.

At the time of writing the Chiltern club will be in AGM-time. Venue is the canteen of John Hawkins Ltd., Victoria Street, High Wycombc; March 26 is the next datę there and is down for the Construction Contcst. And, it is nice to notę, the newsletter carries a notę of thanks to Brian Hawkins for the meeting-place facilities he provides.

Now Clifton where we hear they are still foregathering at 225 New Cross Road, which lies opposite New Cross Bus Garage, evcry Friday. More details from the Hon. Sec. at the address in the panel.

We have the regular newsletter from Crystal Pałace, and from it we deduce that they get together on March 15 — one of the few clubs to have a Saturday datę — and at the time of writing the subject is to be advised.

We don’t have anything firm from Crawley although we understand they have the fourth Wednesday at Trinity