Notes of the ODARS meeting at the Grove House Club

Notes of the ODARS meeting at the Grove House Club, 23 March 2006

Members present were Barry Crook, Ray Goff, Phil Hopkins, Ken Taylor, Terry Greenwood, David Walker, Tom Shelley, Geoff Gulliford, Steve Wyatt, Clive Lorton, Roy Crocker, John Broughton, Tony Bennett, Matthew James, Janet Proudman, Mark Forder, Ron Burgess, Mike Eddyvean, Eddie Oliver, Colin Mather. Chris Flux (guest),

DVD night

Using a laptop and data projector, we watched 2 interesting DVDs. A film about the manufacture of GEC televisions in one of their factories in England in the early 1960s was very enjoyable. This was a fascinating look back at electronics and life nearly 50 years ago. The production line seemed very slow and cumbersome, and health and safety measures seemed rather lacking in those days. The TV sets were very expensive, but built to last and to be repaired. Faulty sets from the line were repaired on the spot, sometimes using hammer blows. We all laughed when the resulting fuzzy black and white TV picture was described as “vivid”.

The 2001 centenary of the first transatlantic wireless message by Marconi was celebrated by the Poldhu Amateur Radio Society by building a new wireless station with the National Trust, on the original site near Mullion on the Lizard in Cornwall . Our second film showed the details of how the original station was built by Marconi, in the tiny village well away from the prying eyes of his competitors and close to North America . When Marconi’s station was being built, there was a huge storm on both sides of the Atlantic . The radio masts were blown down at the Cornwall station but were repaired. At the receiving station in Cape Cod , the masts destroyed the buildings as well, so a new station was built in Newfoundland . Finally, on 12 December 1901 , the letter “S” was transmitted from Poldhu and received by Marconi at St John’s Newfoundland . http://www.hamradio.piatt.com/poldhu.htm

The new commemorative Poldhu Marconi Wireless Station was opened by Marconi’s grandson, Guglielmo Marconi, and daughter, Princess Elektra. The same message was sent to Newfoundland . They are coming to Oxford soon for the opening of the Marconi exhibition.

Notices

GB4MHS Ray Goff spoke about our Special Event Station GB4MHS which we are running at the launch of the Marconi exhibition at the University of Oxford ’s Museum of the History of Science on Tuesday to Saturday 25-29 April. It is in Broad Street , opposite Blackwell’s. We will operate the station 12 noon to 4 pm local time on these days. Colin Potter has been to the museum to survey the roof and location and plan the antennas. 10 members volunteered to help with this. We need to set up and take down the equipment as well as running the station. Although we are operating on Marconi’s Birthday 25 April, International Marconi Day is on Saturday 22 April. The Museum are designing and printing 1000 QSL cards. Wartime radio sets and Marconi memorabilia are needed, please, if members will lend them.

BBC Oxford The ODARS visit to the local radio station is on 19 April at 11am .

Aunt Sally evening is on again for June, Ron will organise.

The Wheatley Windmill has asked us to run a station for Mills weekend.

The Weakest Link has asked our club for volunteers to go on TV. to face

Anne Robinson. Please contact Janet Proudman if you want to apply to appear.

HARS Martin Preston is speaking on awards at the Harwell ARS on June 8.

MARS Summer Radio Rally is being held on 7th May, 10am-3pm . Not actually on Mars, but in Alderbrook School , Blossomfield Road , Solihull . Website is www.midamradio.co.uk

Janet Proudman M3LLM Hon Secretary

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