The latest events ...
You can find some of the latest events around the club here.
Participating the King of Spain Contest SSB 2015
On June 27 and 28 we entered the King of Spain SSB Contest. The weekend before, we had managed to repair the rotor of the 20-meter-beam. In preparation for the contest both stations were synchronized and we had a full-blown Multi-2 station with two Win-Test computers at our hands. The station with the FT-920 had an added linear. The DX Cluster spots were received via Hamnet and the solar storm, which was active the days before, had settled. Perfect conditons for a nice contest. The team (DB1WT, DC4AB, DE3POL, DL1KID, DL2GK and DM3DA) was highly motivated and worked 24 hours. During most of the daytime hours, both stations were in operation. In the end we had 386 QSOs in the log and claimed 177862 points. It was great fun for all, and some were bitten by the contesting bug. It was not just fun, it was a great training exercise, too. We learned how to optimize the layout of the schedule, Spanish for contesters and much more. As always in contesting: every single QSO is good training. Next time, we could try to install a rotatable receiving loop to optimize the station for the low bands.
Fabian (DL1KID) enjoys contest operating. (Foto: Daniel, DM3DA)
Damaged rotor is now repaired
The rotor at the 20 meter beam, which was damaged in the end of March, has now been repaired. Dieter (DL2GK) had soldered the torn cable at home and had ordered a new platform. Then Daniel (DM3DA), Hans-Georg (DL6WA), Fabian (DL1KID) and Andreas (DC4AB) could remount and align the repaired rotor on Sunday, June 21 2015, while Holger (DL5KUT) did wire the control unit.
Mounting the repaired rotor. (Photo: Andreas, DC4AB)
CW Fieldday
We took part in the IARU 1 Fieldday on Saturday and Sunday June 6/7, 2015. We had fabulous weather with lots of sun, a mild breeze and the occasional cloud. A nice contrast to the thunderstorm the night before. Perfect conditions for portable operation! On Friday before, Dieter (DL2GK) and Andreas (DC4AB) towed the DARC-R trailer from Mönchengladbach. On Saturday morning, we collected the equipment from the club station and drove to the contest site. Once again we set up station on the football ground in Hubbelrath (JO31KG). We were lucky: the grass on the site had just been cut. The setup was quick and easy, because we had decided on entering the restricted class. So we only used lightweight masts, and the trailer with its integrated mast saved us a lot of work. We had a good number of helping hands: Andreas (DC4AB), Johanna (SWL), Kai (DL3EAZ), Michael (DL5JS), Tina (SWL), Holger (DL5KUT), Dieter (DL2GK), Manfred (DH9EO), Fabian (DL1KID) and Daniel (DM3DA). Thus, DA3X/P was operational within a short time. Our CW operators Michael (DL5JS), Holger (DL5KUT) and Kai (DL3EAZ) got nearly 900 contatcs into the log in 24 hours.
Michael (DL5JS) as DA3X/P inside the DARC-R trailer. (Photo: Daniel, DM3DA)
We also had a large tent with cake buffet, a BBQ and coffee bar, space to sleep and two WARC stations. We used verticals for the WARC bands to minimize interference of the contest station. However, we noticed some interference between the 10 meter and 12 meter bands. Apart from DA3X/P, four more stations were on the air: DL1KID, DL2GK/P, DM3DA/P and DN3DA. The best contacts were with Japan, asiatic Russia, Greenland and Azerbaijan. We also had many visitors who were a great support. Thank you all very much for coming! Taking the station down was even faster then setting it up. Due to the nice weather, everything was dry and ready for storing. Many thanks to DARC District R for the trailer and to Dieter (DL6EZ) for the generator. See you all at the September SSB Fieldday!
Andreas (DC4AB) while preparing for the night. (Photo: Daniel, DM3DA)
Big clearance
On Good Friday, April 03rd 2015, the eight OMs Daniel (DM3DA), Andreas (DC4AB), Dieter (DL6EZ), Holger (DL5KUT), Hans-Georg (DL6WA) Fabian (DL1KID), Thorsten (DO4TP) and Michael (DL5JS) met shortly in the morning at the club station DL0DX for a big clearance of junk. Because of the requirements by firefighters it is now needed to void all combustible from the metal cabinets standing in the stairwell before the club room. This is because the cabinets are in the area of emergency exit. Several hundred of old magazines and repealed antenna cable were disposed within three hours. Also, in the club room was quite thrown away, for example old computer parts, for which there are no connectivity any longer. A big thank you to all volunteers.
Dieter (DL6EZ) and Michael (DL5JS) sorting antenna cables. (Photo: Andreas, DC4AB)
Storm teared off rotor cable
The storm Niklas, which blustered over the entire country on Tuesday, March 31st 2015, has also caused damage to the 20 meter mast at the club station DL0DX. The strong wind has pressed so hard against the 4 element directional antenna, that the rotor at the foot of the mast torn from its bracing and rotated several times with the antenna. By this the rotor control cable was teared out of the rotor block, together with the socket. The rotor has now been removed and the axis was fixed. In the coming weeks, the rotor has to be repaired and reassembled.
Torn off rotor control cable. (Photo: Andreas, DC4AB)
New managing board in the local club R01
During the annual general meeting on January 15th 2015, a new management was elected. Surprising for attendees the former chairman Dieter (DL6EZ) announced that he did not candidate for his post again. After eight years, it was time that another member of the local club performs this task. At this point, Dieter be thanked for their excellent work in the recent years. He remains responsible for the repeater DB0SJ. The former cashier Michael (DL5JS) resigned his post after 14 years also. Our thanks also goes to him. As a new local club chairman Andreas (DC4AB) was elected, his deputy is Thorsten (DO4TP). The fund will be managed by Jochen (DG8EF), Vladimir (DL7PGA) will continue the QSL placement. As in previous years, the election was led by Manfred (DH9EO). He was supported by Rudolf (DL1EHR). This year, the log was written by Hanns-Georg (DJ7NY).
Green cabbage dinner 2012
On the local club's evening in December our traditional green cabbage meal took place. We were very pleased to welcome many guests from the neighboring local clubs again. The green cabbage with sausages, smoked pork slices and rissoles of our local club's restaurant was delicious and many a guest ate a little further than the hunger reached.
Lively discussions on the local club's evening in December. (Photo: Andreas, DC4AB)
Visit of the WDR site in Langenberg
The local clubs Düsseldorf (R01) and Hamm (O10) together visited the WDR (West German Broadcasting) transmitter site Langenberg on August 25th 2014. From this place not only TV and radio broadcastings from medium wave (radio in AM), over VHF (radio in FM and DAB, television over DVB-T) to gigahertz (DVB-S Uplink) are transmitted, but also the reception quality in whole North Rhine-Westphalia is monitored. (Some picutres of the visit can be found at the local club O10's page.)
Left-to-right: Dieter (DL2GK), Kai (DL3EAZ), Volker (SWL), Holger (DL5KUT), Peter (DL2EAM), Daniel (DM3DA), Ulrich (DL6DI), Dieter (DL6EZ), Helmut (DJ8TM), Andreas (DC4AB) and Fillis (DK3JJ) before entering the transmitter site. (Photo: Jürgen, DG2JA)
Antenne for 4 m at DL0DX
On sunday morning of the July 06th 2014 to July 07th 2014 Daniel (DM3DA) mounted his three element delta quad antenne for the 4 meter band (70 MHz). He was assisted by Jürgen (DB1WT). The antenna was mounted above the 10 meter beam and it is planed to dismount it already at the end of August 2014. The operation at this frequency had become possible because of the publication of the Official Journal Minute No. 502/2014 (only in German) of the Federal Network Agency. This means, limited to the August 31th 2013 ham radio is tolerated within the frequency range from 70.00 to 70.03 MHz for all classes of emission with a maximum bandwith of 12 kHz an a maximum power of 25 watts EIRP at horizontal antenna polarisation.
The new antenna for the 4 meter band. (Photo: Daniel, DM0DA)
Storm "Ela"
The storm, which goes over Düsseldorf and the Ruhr district on the night of Whit Monday, from June 09th 2014 to June 10th 2014, rooted out many trees and wreaked damage. Fortunately, at the the club station DL0DX it left the antennas. Only one element of the 10 m Yagi antenna was slightly bent.