SEARS June 2016 Club Night

The June meeting of the South Essex Amateur Radio Society (SEARS) took place on Tuesday the 14th of June 2016.

The meeting was well attended, including the recently-passed SEARS Foundation candidates, who are patiently waiting for their new callsigns. Vic G6BHE, RSGB Deputy Regional Manager, was in attendance to welcome the county’s newest amateurs.

After some talk of the club’s upcoming events (Museums On The Air, Armed Forces Day, a club BBQ and another outing at RAF Boxted, it was on to the main event…

Confessions of a Radio and TV Engineer

This was the first part of a talk by Dave G4UVJ, on the subject of Dave’s early years, and his time spend servicing CB Radio kit.

Dave’s early days include selling paraffin (both blue and pink variants), riding a Lambretta, and getting started as an SWL with a Yaesu FRG-7. He went on to repair PYE Cambridge taxi radios, and after the film Convoy brought CB radio to the country’s interest, started working on repairing various CB radio models.

Dave, who went by the handle Sparky, showed a number of photos of CB models and press ads from the 80s (sadly missing the “Can’t lick a firestick” campaign). He then talked through some of his experiences at Canvey-based Selectronic, where one of his more interesting projects was working on filters for the Russian Wooodpecker.

Dave also brought along a modified Midland 3001 for a little show-and-tell, and wrapped up with some talk of his ham radio experience – taking his RAE in in 1980, joining SEARS when it launched in 1982, and made contact with the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Related Links

• South Essex Amateur Radio Society Website
• SEARS Club Profile
• Essex Ham’s reports on recent SEARS events