RobL's world of wonder

Train trip....!

Its fair to say I have always enjoyed train travel (mostly!) and more often than not enjoy visiting our great capital.  The other day I combined the two by visiting London to do a due diligence survey on a 1920's hotel.  All good stuff even though it was bitterly cold and snowing!!  The problem came with the transport there and back, 45 minutes delay in the morning and guess what...?  45 minutes delay on the way back.  Sum result being I left home at 5.30am and didn't get home much before 10pm!!!

The worst bit (though I couldn't help but laugh!) was leaving Paddington at 6pm there is the usual rush hour scuffle for seats or risk standing to at least Reading and possibly even Taunton.  I was able to get a seat but soon discovered that I was sat next to a student who it turned out was more camp than the caravan club!!  He spent almost all of the trip back to Plymouth on his violet mobile phone to Adam, thumbing through the pages of Vogue and applying his lip moisturiser and facial powder from a compact mirror with a brush.  Apparently he thought Tunbridge Wells was in France!  Debs reckoned he was in touch with his feminine side!!  I've no wish to appear homophobic but if he touched me with his feminine side it would have taken special equipment to remove him from the gap behind the seats opposite!!

Next time I may take the sleeper where you get a cabin of your own!!

Poor old bus!!

Or...:  Bl#*dy car's up the spout again!!!  Well this year has seen a few bills on my poor old Merc (also know as Das HitlerWagen, Der Panzer and just occasionally as"... right thats it, you've got one more chance!!!!"

Poor old thing developed an ignition fault late last year prompting a full diagnostic, new plugs etc, misfiring got worse and then traced to a faulty ignition coil, seemed okay but emissions were up so the catalytic converter had to be replaced (ouch!!), then the misfiring again so the other ignition coil was replaced and LO!!!!  Its still misfiring!!  Now it seems it may be the ECU (ouch again!!) and that is likely to cost a bit.  Have it on good authority though that they can be repaired so here goes!!!  Further posts may be from Cattedown Wharfs, third cardboard box from the left!!!! 

So whats this Echolink thing all about then…?

To say I was sceptical about Echolink (which involves voice communication beween radio amateurs via the internet) may be understating it.  To me amateur radio was about just that…, the use of radio communications and if we want to talk to people over the internet we can just use Yahoo right?  Well maybe but having actually taken the plunge and given it a try it is so much more.
 
For starters it can only be used by licensed radio amateurs and for those amateurs who for whatever reason can not maintain their amateur radio station for reasons of old age, ill health or simply where they live it is clearly a good thing to be able to keep in touch, not only with friends but also to make new friends.
 
Now I will not profess to be anything like an expert, as with all things ‘you never stop learning’ and there is plenty to learn with this particular area of communication.  The reason for this diatribe if that is the correct term is just to provide comment on experiences so far and for those who have not tried it yet to provide a (very) basic introduction.
 
Essentials will include a computer with speakers and a microphone (sounds obvious but you never know!) and an internet connection, allegedly a dial up connection will work but broadband will work better.  It is easy to connect and join to Echolink via www.echolink.org, involves downloading some software, nothing too substantial however and providing proof of your amateur status (emailing a scanned copy of your license with callsign clearly visible and legible is adequate).
 
Once that has all been verified, you are connected and ‘on the air’, so to speak.  The Echolink system works either directly station to station, menu’s allow you to navigate through callsign listings according to country, (and I mean all countries!!) showing who is on line whilst you are connected or alternatively via nodes (a subject for another day!) and even Echolink enabled repeaters (such as GB3IE, GB3NC and GB3SW).  The entertaining thing you will soon discover is that repeaters such as these can obviously be accessed by radio as well as via the internet so you never know who may pop up!!  I was sat in the car in Falmouth recently tuned to GB3NC on 2 metres when there was a CQ from an American station in upstate New York!!  He was trying via Echolink to get hold of someone in of all places Dobwalls (hmm, wonder who that could be)!!!  Sometimes it’s a little more arbitrary, amateurs generally are inquisitive souls and people will just link in and call CQ because they’ve heard of the area!!!

I know this will be emotive but...!!

Love it or loathe it Citizen’s Band radio has been with us in one form or another for something like 30 years, in its legalised form for 25 years (MPT1320 and MPT 1321 in 1981, the latter of these for 934MHz now withdrawn) and with the inclusion of the CEPT or MPT1382 European channels since 1995.  Now before I get any further with this I’d better make it clear that the following comments are a personal opinion and do not in any way reflect the views, policies or opinions of Plymouth Amateur Radio Club or any others amongst the membership or committee, as individuals we are all entitled to an opinion though, just before the flak starts up!!

The very existence of Citizen’s Band, CB, Charlie Bravo or the Chicken Box is something of an anathema to a lot of people particularly it seems to radio amateurs.  The fact of the matter is though that CB has done more in its comparatively brief existence in the UK to encourage people onto the airwaves with a very accessible means of radio communication and in turn, for those who are really interested to study for what was the RAE and latterly for their Foundation license (self included) and beyond.

The unfortunate thing is that because of its accessibility and comparative cheapness the hooligan element is attracted too, that’s life and we all as individuals have a choice.  I made that choice many years ago when I said I would hang up the mike on CB for good and did so.  I’m not ashamed to say I enjoyed my CB days for the comparatively short time I partook however but in the (even shorter!!) time I have held my amateur license I have derived even greater enjoyment from the hobby of radio communications and intend to continue doing so.  We have a truly great hobby that we can all enjoy whatever our background and however others may perceive us!

Back in the USSR?!?

Last December (and since then come to think of it) I have had the good fortune to achieve a number of contacts with HF amateur stations behind what was colloquially known as ‘the iron curtain’.  As is often the case most of these are the good old ‘rubber stamp’ QSO’s, quick exchange of callsign, operator name, location and signal report and that’s about it until next time!!  Last December’s contact on 20 metres was a nice one though as this particular station stopped for a little more of a chat even going a step beyond what the weather was like and happened to mention that his full details were on QRZ.com (a marvellous invention!) if I was interested.
 
Gennadij (pronounced ‘Genn-are-dee’ I believe) clearly has an interesting story to tell and with thanks and all due deference to him and to QRZ.com I reproduce it here for those who may be interested…,
 
“UN7QF
 
I was born in Alma-Ata, Kazakh Soviet Social Republic of the USSR on July 22,1945.
From 1952 to 1963 I attended public school in Alma-Ata.
Near the end of 1964 I was called to active military service. I was a Private of the signal service regiment in Kaluga, UA3X area untill end of 1967.
In 1974 I graduated from Kazakh State University in Alma-Ata and having received my diploma and being professionally qualified as a physicist in field of the nuclear physics and continued working in the university.
In 1976 I joined the Institute of Astrophysics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakstan near the city of Alma-Ata ,working in the department of Stellar Dynamics in the section of Exterior Galaxies.

• Posted by Rob Luscombe on 02/03/2006.
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