THE FIRST CLASS C.W.

OPERATORS CLUB
Editor: G4BUE

NEWS SHEET 579

FOC CALENDAR

January 1998

A man should keep his friendship in constant repair - Samuel Johnson (1755).
Friends, June and I wish you and your families a very Happy and Healthy New Year. We are glad to get 1997 behind us in the hope that 1998 will be a better one for us. Apart from moving to our new QTH in May, the highlight of 1997 was attending the Florida Dinner and staying with N4TO in Sebring, Florida until 20 December. In recent years there has been an increasing number of members moving to central Florida and anyone passing through the area is assured of a warm welcome there. It was nice to be able to spend some time on the air with Vics new FT1000MP and super antennas (further yagis are planned to give stacked arrays on 40 through 10 metres!). I worked 106 members during our stay spread across all bands and at times I felt more like a DXpedition station than W4/G4BUE! It was also fun to take part in the ARRL 10 Meter Contest as a multi-single entry with Vic and WB4OSN. The beginning of a new year and time for New Year resolutions. Have you made yours? Are you going to keep them? In an attempt to persuade just a few of our members to show a little more tolerance in their operating on the air, one of my New Year resolutions is to be more tolerant in 1998. Please remind me of it during the year if you think I am stepping out of line!

BANDS OF THE MONTH FOR JANUARY ARE 160 AND 20 METRES

May - 80m and 20m 1 Deadline for FOCUS 36 8/10 North American Weekend 15/17 Dayton Hamvention 17 Dayton FOC Breakfast 28 Deadline for June News Sheet June - VHF and 10m 20 12th Harrogate Dinner 26 Deadline for July News Sheet July - 40m and 12m 28 Deadline for August News Sheet August - 30m and 10m 17 Deadline for FOCUS 37 28 Deadline for September News Sheet September - 40m and 15m 26 Deadline for October News Sheet October - 80m and 17m 3 Annual Dinner at Lords 9/11 RSGB HF Convention 28 Deadline for November News Sheet November - 160m and 20m 17 Deadline for FOCUS 38 27 Deadline for December News Sheet December - 30 and 15m 6 Florida Dinner 28 Deadline for January News Sheet

January - 160m and 20m 1 1998 Subscriptions due Jan/Feb HS/OH2EA 10 PJ9JT by W1BIH until 31 March 17-28 8Q7AA by N6NT 24 Committee Meeting 27 Deadline for February News Sheet 31 Deadline 1997 Windle logs to G3LIK February - 80m and 15m G3SED, G3WGV & K5VT Spratly Island 2-15 P4/K2LE by K2LE 5 9G1VJ by G4ZVJ until 1 March 5 TJ1GB by W6RJ until 1 March 6-8 Marathon 17 Deadline for FOCUS 34 20-24 FO by OK1KT 23 V2 by W1HL until 2 March 24 Deadline for March News Sheet 24 ZK1 (SC) by OK1KT until 4 March March - 40 and 12m 4/14 A3 by OK1KT 14/23 5W1 by OK1KT 23 3D2 by OK1KT until 1 April AUGIE NICKEL TROPHY by GW3KDB 27 Deadline for April News Sheet Congratulations to Doug, VE7NH, in quali- April - 30 and 17m fying for Augie Nickel No. 89. 24 Deadline for May News Sheet

1997 WINDLE TROPHY by G4BUE

Just a reminder to send your final scores for 1997 and tick sheet to Mick, G3LIK, as soon as possible, please. The first Windle table for 1998 will be published in the February News Sheet; please let us have your scores by 27 January.

Starred List

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION by G3MXJ

New Members
1693 VK6VZ (Steve) - S. Ireland, PO Box 55, Glen Forrest, WA 6071, Australia; tel - 8 9298 9330; xyl - Debbie; e-mail - sire@omen.com.au. 1694 K2ZR (Dick) - R. A. Stein, 849 Fairmont Avenue, North Tonawanda, NY 14120; Tel - 716 695 8289; XYL - Lynda; e-mail - dsadv@ibm.net. 1695 WL7E (Joe) - J. Jeffries, PO Box 325, Port Orchard, WA 98366, USA.

1998 MARATHON UPDATES

The following callsigns, which are not shown on the tick-sheets (information arrived after they had been printed), will be in operation during the Marathon: JE1JKL will be 9M2NK VE3BHZ will be VA3FOC G4ZVJ will be 9G5VJ (added to the tick sheet by hand) AA5DX is mistakenly shown on the tick sheet after K4DL instead of being with the other W5s. 9H1EL has produced a version of the CT Contest Logging Program which fully supports the FOC Marathon. It includes a list of members and provides scoring and printout facility for a tick-sheet. It also includes support for a connected FT1000MP. If you would like a copy, please send an e-mail request to me at <g3mxj@ compuserve.com>.

3. G4OEC: G4GLL, G4ZDB, G8VG, W2BA, W8EGB (+G3AZ, G4ZDB, K9QVB, DJOS, W4QM, DL7AKC). 3. K5AX: EA8CN, W4QM, K5DQ, NP3G, G3LIK (+ AA5DX) 2. G3HEJ: G3MCK, G3RVM, K1RH, W8EGB, K9QVB (+N4AR, W4QM, G3XAQ, W1HMD, G3KKQ, DL7AKC). 2. N4TY: G2FDF, G4BUE, K4FU, K4LT, N6NT (+W9VNE, K4LTA). 1. W4ZYT: G3LIK, JA1NUT, K1MEM, K5DQ, W3NZ (+G4PKD, K7UOT, SM3BCS, W4YE, G2FDF).

Amendments
G3VTT (1342): new address - Borkum Riff, 5 Hope Terrace, Church Street, Lower Higham, Rochester, Kent ME3 7LH: yl - Hilary. G4VXE (1623): new address - 2 Penoweth, Mylor Bridge, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 5NQ. GW3SB (71): fax - 01341 250351; packet GW3SB @ GB7BAY. JE1JKL (1523): new call - 9M2NK; new address - No 20-22-5 Ang Kupuri Condominium, Jalan 1/70C, Off Jalan Bukit Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. K7UOT (1601): amend tel - 435-864-3556.

Additional Nominations
6. G3PDH: G3RXP . 3. G3TOK: G3CWW 3. W8LAT: AA5DX, W1FZY. 2. N4IR: W4TAJ. 2. K7OQ: NR7O. 2. DK8IT: DL4CF, W1HMD, DL7AKC.

TEN-TEC OWNERS by N4AR

We are looking for interest within the TenTec user community regarding a lower centrefrequency 9MHz 250Hz CW filter. This filter is the one found under the NAR button on the OMNI V and VI, or the N1 or N2 button of the OMNI VI+. It also fits the OMNI B and C, and the Argosy. The current Ten-Tec model 219 is centred at 750Hz, which gives a useable audio bandwidth from 650Hz to 850Hz. If used below 650Hz, the loss in the receiver chain becomes unacceptable. In contrast, the 500Hz model 217 has a useable range of 200-250Hz, and does not suffer excessive loss at lower sidetone frequencies like the 250Hz filter does. Tom Salvetti at Ten-Tec has offered to take our request for a lower centre frequency filter to Network Sciences, the longtime source of their filters, and to quote the filter in the quantities we can secure commitments for. Obviously the more commitments we can obtain, the cheaper the filter will become. If you are interested in obtaining one of the filters, or want more information, about it, then please contact me via my Call Book address or by e-mail <n4ar@ukcc.uky.edu>) as soon as possible..

MEMBERS NEWS by G4BUE

AA5DX: Ron will be moving back to the USA in 1998, but is not sure when. (We have shown Ron as AA5DX on the 1998 Marathon and Windle Sheets but inadvertently after K4DL instead of with the W5s - sorry Ron!) GORH: Ken says he Ive really enjoyed my first five months with the FOC family, what a swell bunch the gang are. We have decided to go to the USA in 1999 for the dinner. We were trying to arrange for next year, but my son Tim, is flying out to Mexico with a group of young people (mostly girls) on a trans-world expedition, so thats costing me a pretty penny. G3CFG: Lee, G3XNG, reports ex-member G3CFG became a Silent Key on 26 December after a spell in hospital. Dick resigned from FOC in 1996. Our condolences go to his xyl Isabel. G3NOH: George is QRV on RS-12 and has met a few members there. G3RXP: David has just bought a FT-1000MP and is sending his TS930 to have the warm up fault on it repaired. G4VXE: Tim has now returned to the UK following his spell of activity from VE3 land, and starts a new job in London on 5 January. He is looking for a new QTH. G4ZVJ: Andy will be QRV from Ghana again 5 February/1 March as 9G5VJ, including the FOC Marathon, ARRL DX CW Contest and RSGB 7MHz Contest. JA7SSB: Jun made a business trip to England 14/21 December and visited Kings Lynn, Norfolk and Basingstoke, Hants. JE1JKL: Saty has moved to Kuala Lumpur for at least two years, and has changed his call to 9M2NK. He is QRV with an IC-736 into a wire antenna hung down from the veranda of his room facing north on the 22nd floor of the building. Saty made 2359 QSOs as 9M6NA from Labuan island on 10 metres in the CQ CW Contest. K7UOT: Tom is spending time on 80 metres looking for his last countries for 5BDXCC. LA2UA: Bob suffered two heart attacks and Brenda has been quite ill in 1997, hence his lower than normal activity. LA3FL: Per rejoined his ship in December in Florida and will be leaving on another world cruise from Los Angeles on 14 January. The vessel arrives at Tilbury Docks, London on 25 April when per will next be on leave. N3JT: Jim says Nina had major surgery on 10 December and is now home recovering. She will be off work and home for four to six weeks but is recovering surprisingly quickly. OH2EA: Hans hopes to be QRV occasionally January/February as HS/OH2EA. OH2KI: Jorma made about 1200 QSOs as ZB2X on 10 metres in the CQ CW Contest from 20 hours operating. It was a difficult field day type operation using a generator. OK1KT: Vrata, OK1TN and OK1VD of the OK DX Foundation are planning DXpedition Pacific 98 sponsored by Alcatel Czech, a multistop Pacific DXpeditions as follows: 20/24 February FO; 24 February/4 March ZK1 (South Cook); 4/14 March A3; 14/23 March 5W1 (possibly KH8) and 23 March/1 April 3D2 (Fiji, possibly Rotuma). All modes and bands with minimum two stations QRV with amplifiers and beams, callsigns to be announced.

1998 HARROGATE DINNER by G3RXP

The 12th Harrogate Dinner will be held at the Imperial Hotel, Harrogate on 20 June 1998, and to those regular visitors of the event the format is the same. Arrive 1730 in the Connoisseurs Bar for early drinks, the dinner will beheld in the Ambassador Restaurant at 1830 where a three course carvery will be served. There is a small Increase in the cost of the Accommodation this year due to ever increasing costs at the hotel and to secure a single nights stay (Saturday) if that is all, that is required. The cost of the double rooms (two persons) is 70 per night, including breakfast, and the cost of the carvery stays the same at 14.95. Everyone should make their own booking with the hotel, and be prepared to settle ones account individually. There are ten rooms that have been saved for FOC, however if this number is not taken up by the end of May (approximately) we will have to let the hotel use them for Weekend Breaks. If there are more than ten rooms required I will try and negotiate for the usual reduction. The telephone number of the hotel is 01423 565071 and mention FOC Dinner. I understand the President Bill, G3LTV, has already booked, so telephone early. See you there.

THE HISTORY BOOK by G3MXJ

Work is continuing on the preparation of the new FOC History Book which will be published around the time of Lords in October 1998. Donations of over 2,500 have already been received towards the cost of the project. If you would like to contribute, please contact W9KNI (North America) or G4BUE (outside North America). I am anxious to try and document more fully the early history of the club and to fill in gaps in the current history book which was published in 1983. If anyone has items of potential interest, especially relating to the pre-war days or the immediate post-war period, I would be very interested to hear about them.

VE6BF: Bill, who is usually QRV in the Marathon as VE6FOC, will be absent this year. He and Fran will be going on a two week holiday to Mexico, and unfortunately the timing had to be set around Frans work schedule. W1HL: Jim will be QRV from Antigua 23 February/2 March while on holiday with Bob, AA1M; Tim, KA1MID, and Mike, W1UN. W2GW: Our sympathy goes to George, who lost his XYL, Eileen, on 11 December. W4WJ: Don has decided to resign from the Club. He says, Because of ever increasing time demands in both my personal and professional life, I have found that my available operating time has dropped drastically. This situation does not allow me to devote myself to good quality FOC time, which I truly miss. This is one of the most difficult decisions that I have ever had to make. My 20+ years of FOC membership has been a very rewarding experience. I cannot begin to list all the wonderful people that I have met, and all the beautiful experiences that I have had because of my association with the Club. This is my second family, a family that will truly be missed. With a tear in my eye, and sadness in my heart, I send my final 161. W6RJ: Bob and his son Bob, W6KR, will be QRV from Cameroon 5 February/1 March after darkness as TJ1GB, CW/SSB all bands with emphasis on 160m, with Force 12 C3S and vertical. QSL via K6SLO (ex WA6SLO). YO4PX: Fery apologises for his low activity in 1997, which was due to continual troubles with his transceiver. He has finally sent it back to the manufacturer for repair and hopes to return to his normal level of activity when he receives the repaired rig. In 1998 Fery will often be QRV as YO4PX/P from a weekend countryside QTH, 50 miles north of Constanta. Vanity car identification plates have arrived in Romania and Fery has just been issued with CT-87 FOC to celebrate his ten years in FOC. ZL1AH: John says, I have found the secret of contacting those had-to-get members. Send them to the Florida Dinner and then work them at W1YL and W1CWs Open House on Sunday afternoon! Got five of them on the long path. ZL3GQ: Over the Florida Dinner weekend came the news that Peter had suffered a stroke and was paralysed down his right side. He had been swimming and had to be pulled out of the pool. Peter was allowed home from hospital for a few hours on Christmas Day and sent the following in an e-mail message: My days are mostly spent between speech therapist (trying to make me a phone op) occupational therapist( learning to tie my shoe laces) and physiotherapist (teaching me to walk again) but today I have three hours leave of absence from the hospital. For the swimmers amongst you be reassured you can have a complete stroke and still cover 50 metres albeit taking in a bit more water and acting like you are carrying out a finger drill. The difficult part is getting out of the pool! Your life does not flash before you but your messages of goodwill bring to mind the years that DX, contesting and low band operation that we have shared. Peters daughter Joanne, confirms Peters immense determination to get himself back to normal. He is setting himself a target of being back on the bands in time for the March contest season.

Designed and printed for F.O.C. by