8589357292

SOCIETY

AFFAIRS

A brief report of the Council meeting held at Society HO on 5 April 1971

Present: Mr F. C. Ward (Presldeni, łn the Chalr) Dr £. J. Alławay, Messrs B. D. A. Armstrong, J. Bazley, R. J. Hughes, G. R. Jessop, W. F. McGonigle, L. E. Newnham, C. H. Par son s, J. W. Petty, W. A. Scarr, A. W. Smith, R. F. Stevens, G. M. C. Stone, E. W. Yeomanson (members of Council), D. A. Flndlay, generał manager, A. W. Hutchlnson, edltor.

Apologles for absence were recelved from Messrs J. 0. Brown, E. G. Ingram, A. C. Morris and Or J. A. Saxton.

Computerisation of membership rscords Mr Hughes reporled that Mr Walllng, G3RZK, had attended the Flnance and Staff Commlttee meeting on 31 March 1971 when the computerlzatlon of subscrlption records had been discussed.

Membership and afAlfatlon

It was resolwed:

(I)    to elect39 corporate members and elght associates;

(II)    to wałve the subscrlptions of flve members on the grounds of blfndness or other dlsabllity;

(HI) to accept reduced subscrlptions from four members;

(lv) to grant llfa membership to one member;

(v) to grant afflllatłon to the Clacton and Dlstrict Radio Club. Kaduna Polytechnlc Communications Society, Banbury Amateur Radio Society and the Blcester Amateur Radio Society.

Society Hlstorłan

Mr Jessop suggested that there was a need for a Society hlstorłan and it was agreed that MrLE. Newnham, G8NZ, beinvlted toact as Society Hlstorłan. Mr Newnham accepted the fnvltatlon with pleasure.

70cm band

Mr Stevens reportod that he had attended a meeting with MPT on 18 March, whlch had been calied to dlscuss reductlons In the allo-catlon of frequenc)esfor use by amateurs In the 42<M50MHz band.

Amateur TelevIsion Ucence

It was reported that the BATC had asked MPT to consfder a revla-lon of the torms of the Amateur (Te(evision) Ucence. Coples of the suggested alteratlons had been sent to the Society, and Council members wlshlng to make any comment were askod to adviso Mr Stevens as soon as posslble.

Proposed alteratlons to USA telephony sub-bands Mr Stevens explalned the proposed aiterations to the USA telephony sub-bands as outllned in the FCC Oocket 19162. He stated that the proposals whlch affected the 14,21 and 28MHz bands were detrimental to amateur operatlons outsldethe USA and accordingty a letter to this effect had been sont to the FCC.

Telecom 71 ExhibHlon at Genewa durlng Space Conference It was reported that durlng the Space Conference in Genewa, June-July 1971, an exhlbHion known as 'Telecom 7t" would be held. at whlch IARU Region 1 would bo organlzing an amateur exhibll In addlllon there would be a speclal Press Exhlbltlon at whlch coples of Radio Communkatlon and the VHF{UHF Manuał would be dlsplayed,

Reglonal meeting

Mr Scarr reported that an ORM would be held on Sunday 19 September, at Weston-super-Mare.

Report on WTD 1970

Mr Stewens reporled that an 1TU booklet on the 1970 World Tełe-communicatlon Day contalned wery complimentary remarks on the parlicipalłon of the Society.

VHF beacons: GB3GM, Dounreay: GB3LER, LerwicK Mr Smith reported that the 144 and 70MHz beacons at Dounreay were opcrational. Mr Stone confirmed that the MPT had agreed in principle to the establishment at Lerwick of a beacon operating on 50*1MHz during the night hours, and plans for (ts installatlon were being madę.

Presidential wisits

The President reporled that he had wisłted St Dunstans, Brighton, on 19 March, and the Sutton and Cheam Radio Society Dinner on 27 March.

Minutes of committee meetings

Council approved tho minutes of tho HF Contests Committee (4.3.71) and Membership L Representation Committee (12.3.71).

A

Mr C. G. Allen, G8IG

"Beri" Allen of Keston, Kent, who dled in April, was an early Pioneer of radio. In the early 'łwentles his sxperlments included transmlttlng from a traln and Communications with aircraft He was oleo the flrst person to recelve Australian broadcasting outslde the USA. and to obtain a WAZ phone. G8IG held the Rotab trophy and No 5 EDX certlflcate, and a year ago, after a luli In actlwity, he ob-talned ssb equipment and agaln became a well-known cali on the bands.

Mr N. Hardy, G3VXG

Norman Hardy died on 8 April, aged 47. A well-known amateur in the York area, he was actiwe until shorlly before his death on both hf and vhf bands.

We have also boon adyJsed of the deaths of:

Mr R. G. Drewery, G60Y, of Hull, on 25 Nowember 1970.

Mr Thomas Hill, G3UMY, of Rosewood Awenue, Chester, at the age of 48, on 1 April.

Mr P. H. Hawkes, G3NLO, of Monks Kirby, Warks, on 8 April.

Mr John Bain, GW2FMM/G2FMM/ZS1 MM.

YOUR OPINION

The Edltor

Radio Communlcatlon

Sir—May I ask the chalrman of the VHF Contests Committee for a national justlflcatlon, in your columns, for Rule 13c (VHF NFO) whlch prohibits pre-arrangement of contacts on other bands durlng VHF NFO.

For the beneflt of those not famlliar with the pattern of UHF opera-tion in Europę and the USA, t should explain that because of the uso of high-gain aerlals with beemwidths less than 10° and the ten-dency of operatora to spread out over a 2-3MHz rangę (compare 14MHz) It is necessary to pre-aiign aerlals and exchange frequency data on a lower frequency band. Before the G8+3 was even a gleam in the RSGB's eye, this was the way, remember, that 432MHz contacts were madę. Eventually. I agree, as eweryone starts to use 3dB NF translators, preamps. reasonable transmitter powers and ssb at legał limlts 1,296MHz will go, as 432 has done, to a modę of non pre-arranged contests. This Is some years of!.

In recent years on NFD it has been possible to make some 1,296 QSOs by calling CO. In generał these have been shorl rangę, 40-50 milee. Longerdlstances worked without pre-arrangement have been madę by "(ollowing up" a nearby statlon who hlmself madę the

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RAD/O COMMUNICATION June 1971