March 2000 issue
Club Net: Thursdays 8.30 pm 145.375 MHz +/-
Well done, Peter!
Congratulations to Peter M0AXD, who recently received his DXCC
certificate for 100 
countries worked and
confirmed. This is a major ARRL award which is not that easy to
come by: the qsl cards are scrutinised for detail by an appointed
representative in this country before the award is made. Peter
has worked hard at both DX-ing and the necessary following up to
gain his certificate. Well done, Peter. I'm nearly there .... two
more to go!
Next Meeting
The next committee meeting will be held on Monday 6th March at 7.30
pm in the Club hut. Ideas for club events are always welcome.
Settle down to Music
David G0VZV gave a talk to club members about the Settle and
Carlisle Railway, showing two videos of the line. Built in the
1870s, this railway was an incredible achievement, and stands as
a testimony to the skill and determination of the Victorians. The
architecture of the many viaducts is remarkable, and the scenery
outstandingly beautiful.
By request, David went on to play digital recordings of some of
his musical compositions to the audience. Introducing each piece,
members listened with interest to a variety of styles and
combinations of instruments, some produced by a computer sound
board. The evening was enjoyed by all.
Larry Silent Key
It was with great sadness and shock that I learned of Larry G7TDJ's
sudden death this month, 
just after the
February newsletter went out. Larry suffered a heart attack
whilst undergoing treatment on his foot, and shortly after this
passed away.
Larry had a longer association with BARS than with the IWRS, but
in the year or so that I came to know him he made his mark upon
our society with his interest in Amateur TV and digital
photography. He was also a computer buff and a music lover.
Larry impressed me with his professionalism. He strove for the
highest of standards - a testimony to his working years with the
BBC. He treated us to two enjoyable and memorable club evenings,
recollecting, with great humour, the different aspects of his
work; and he gave us a new QSL card, thanks to his photographic
and computer skills, which would be the envy of any club. It is
possibly a fitting tribute to Larry that we adopted this card.
Larry will be sadly missed. Our condolences go to Joyce and his
family at this time. May he rest in peace.
Forthcoming Events
Fri 24th March: ZL7 Campbell Island DX-pedition video.
Fri 14th April: Annual General Meeting at 8pm in the club hut.
VK on 80
It was good to hear Australian stations coming through on the
club rig on 80 metres last month, and David G0VZV could not
resist putting out a call to see if he might be lucky.
Within seconds the station returned a 57 report, and a short qso
followed.
This was a first for David, and a good report, given our working
conditions. A nice one for the G3SKY logbook.
Sandown Rally
Five club members attended the National VHF Conference and Rally
on Sunday 20th February at Sandown, Esher.
Arriving by car, Alan G3PZB, David G0VZV, Peter M0AXD and Trevor
queued only briefly before entering the hall. Later, Brian G0MWU
made himself known. It was nice to see Ron M1BRP there too - our
overseas associate!
The rally seemed quite well attended, and there were a variety of
lectures on offer upstairs as usual. Perhaps the number of stalls
was slightly down on previous years, but the day was enjoyed by
all, and a few goodies found there way back to the IOW in the
back of David's car.
Not least is a newly acquired 4Mb laptop computer, which it is
hoped will serve for club contest logging and personal logging
for G0VZV. Being small, light and neat it should be very useful.
Congratulations Mike
Many congratulations to Mike Reeves, who has been attending RAE
lessons over recent weeks, and decided to enter himself for the
RAE this winter.
The good news has broken that Mike has passed the exam, which now
qualifies him for a licence. He has, however, pledged to continue
the lessons for the time being, and put the licence application
on hold until he can gain a full licence.
Well done, Mike.
The AGM is coming ...
The Annual General Meeting is planned for Friday 14th April, and
so we draw towards the end of another club year. That means the
election of a new committee, and another fresh start for the club.
David G0VZV has already expressed his intention of stepping down
as Secretary and Newsletter Editor this year. After four years he
feels it is time to let someone else take a turn.
Ballot papers will be included in the April newsletter, but only
paid-up members are eligible to vote or stand for election, of
course.
Please give some thought to the future of the club over the next
few weeks. We do need a committee of willing volunteers to plan
events and keep the society active. Perhaps it is time the less-active
ones amongst us gave up some time and helped organise events?
Components
Douglas G3KPO informs me that Nick Shepherd at Tandy's, Ryde, has
a new supply of electronic components at very competitive prices.
Anyone interested might like to drop in and take a look at his
new range.
Contributions
Contributions for the newsletter are always welcome. The usual
plea goes out to all members.....
M5AFR/MM has just left Galapagos, check Pacific Net 0400/0800 UT.
Try 21.330 MHz at 1300 for G0MIZ/MM Bahamas.