Thanks to everyone who came along to support April’s Essex Skills Night. This busy event took place at the Danbury Village Hall on the 17th of April 2017. Here’s our summary of the evening’s event.
The evening was well attended, with a great mix of people. For those interested in stats, we had 55 people along to this month’s event, including a few first-time visitors and people from outside Essex
The rather busy evening consisted of the following demos and activities:
10GHz demo:
Graham G8HAJ joined us last November to demonstrate the Hellschreiber data mode, and kindly returned this month with 10GHz SSB setup with a simple low-cost 3cm receiver using a standard satellite LNB and an SDR dongle.
Digital Voice / Raspberry Pi
This month, Steve M0SHQ took a break from satellites to show us his personal D-star Hotspot running on a Raspberry pi3 via a Dv-mega board with Blue stack. Thanks for another great demo, and one that was requested in March’s Essex Skills Night survey.
Radio Direction Finding
Thanks to Roy G4JAC for bringing along some RDF kit to encourage some fresh air radio direction finding activity in 2017. For more details on DFing and upcoming events in Essex, go to www.forjac.co.uk/df/multitx
Simulation
Sadly, we’re about to lose Steve G4GHO from the Essex Skills Night, as he’s moving away from the area. For his final appearance at the Essex Skills Night, he ran a “Getting started in simulation” session. Steve favourite apps include LTSpice, QUCS and Microwave Office for analogue, and MMana or 4NEC2 for antenna simulation.
High Altitude Balloons
Many thanks for Chris Stubbs for coming along to demonstrate High Altitude Balloon Tracking. Pete M0PSX also ran a rolling demo of decoding RTTY HAB signals using FL-Digi. Alex M6IPI also brought along his HAB project, to get Chris’s advice and guidance before the payload’s first trip into the air
Construction Corner:
Alan M0IWZ brought along the project he’s been working on most recently – his SWR analyser. This used an Arduino at its core and when complete, will be a low-price alternative to an expensive antenna analyser.
Essex CW Club:
Thanks to Dean G4WQI from the Essex CW Club for supporting the Morse mode this month.
Test Kit & Oscillator
Mike G4NVT returned with his spectrum analyser for testing antennas and handhelds. As something a little different, a working Colpitts Oscillator was assembled and tested, using cardboard packaging from a Snickers Easter Egg box. Well, why not?
Getting Started with Essex Ham:
On the Essex Ham table this month, a demo of High Altitude Balloon Tracking (but Chris’s was better), the RTL SDR dongle and FL-Digi. Newcomers and first-time visitors could take away copies of the Getting Started guides, and there was a rolling video of Essex Ham’s recent activities playing on our Raspberry Pi Zero video player.
Callsign Badges & Pens:
Skills Night regulars Jim 2E0JTW and Glynis 2E0CUQ were on hand with their engraver to create callsign badges and gold-plated engraved pens on demand.
CARS Quiz:
This month’s quiz was hosted by CARS Vice President Murray G6JYB – just for fun, and with an Easter theme.
Other Highlights
We were joined by the UK’s youngest Full licence holder, George M0UKK, plus his dad Remus M0UKL. They live in South East London, and George passed with the help of the Cray Valley Club, as well as LEFARS. We’re proud that Remus joined Essex Ham in 2016.
A big thanks too to Terry M6IPK for responding so well to a recent Monday Night conversation. The classic Tony Hancock show used amateur radio to call up a tray of bread pudding, which Terry kindly emulated. Thanks Tel!
Logistics
As always, a huge personal thanks to Myra and David for their continued logistical support in the kitchen providing the free tea and coffee. Also, to Essex Ham’s Sarah M6PSK (the event’s “dedicated greeter”).
Thanks all, and 73,
Pete M0PSX
Event Photos
Related Links
- Essex Skills Night – Event information from Essex Ham
- Previous Skills Night Reports – Our reports on Skills Night Events
- skills”>Chelmsford ARS (CARS) Skills Night Page
- The Skills Night Formula – How to run your own Skills Night
