Inside the Shack

We have now completed the refurbishment of our club radio shack in the Scout Headquarters building.
The new shack features two operating positions and one logging position, with room for interested visitors
A new feature is the prominent place occupied by our wall mounted lcd monitor screens.
These display our current radio setup and electronic logbook as well as propagation information and digital mode decoding output.
The HFsetup consists of a computer controlled Kenwood TS-2000 Transciever connected to an Alfa Delta DX-CC antenna or a Comet HF vertical (both antennas are switchable).
The shack also features a Linear Amp UK HF Linear Amplifier.

The VHF/UHF position is occupied by a Kenwood TM-V71 Dual Band Transciever running into a roof mounted co-linear antenna.
A neat feature of the shack is that all the equipment is removed at the end of the operating period and stowed in our off-site secure storage facillity.

Bob and Laurence at the summit

Club members were out and about in the Lanarkshire hills last weekend.
We continued our quest for points in the Summits on the Air (SOTA) challenge and activated Tinto a 700 metre plus hill.

While on the summit we completed 10 contacts with other amateur radio stations in central and southern Scotland.
We also successfully located the Tinto geocache and left our club Geocache badge and also the Greenock and District Scouts Badge.

Activity was somewhat curtailed by a heavy snowstorm while we were on the summit.

Tinto cache

The publication of DXEtiquette in the March 2010 issue of QST sparked a new world-wide effort to get all hams to operate in a manner consistent with that Resolution. To that end an international group of DXers have developed a DX Code of Conduct.  Since introducing it, hams from all continents have joined in this effort. You can play an important role in spreading the word. This is one project of which it can truthfully be said, “We are all in this together, and we can all benefit.”

Many have also said that the fight against impolite behavior is a lost cause, but we don’t agree. If one person throws a stone in a pond, the ripples die out quickly. But if tens of thousands of us each throw a pebble in the pond, the waves will be huge. We’d like every active HF operator in the world to support higher standards of conduct knowing that tens of thousands of others support him too.

Inconsiderate operating standards are just not in keeping with the high moral standards of our hobby. More to the point, it is counter-productive and simply inconsistent with the aim of our hobby, to have FUN.

DX Code of Conduct

Bob MM1AWV and George GM8YUI with Jane from the County Media Team

The Club was invited to set up an Amateur Radio display at Girlguiding Renfrewshire’s Annual County Review. George McClintock and Bob and Eunice Lynch took along and displayed Amateur Radio equipment and a selection of activities that are available to young people at Special Events.

There was a lot of interest with guiders asking if a special event was being planned for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year! (What a good idea! Ed.)

County Commissioner Moira Johnstone presented Club members with a special Centenary Thanks Badge in grateful appreciation for all their hard work in providing Special Amateur Radio Events for the young people during the Centenary year and beyond.