Month: August 2022

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Shed Workshop: Attenuators

Our next shed workshop will be held on Sunday 4 September at the QTH of Bernard ZL2BD from 1pm to 3pm. All are welcome. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided at the conclusion of the Shed Workshop.

Malcolm ZL2UDF, Bernard ZL2BD and Mike ZL1AXG will give you a talk and demonstration of attenuators and their use in amateur radio construction.  

The workshop will look at different options including the options of purchasing a pre-built attenuator or constructing one yourself.   There will also be some discussion on where they are used and how to avoid damaging both your attenuator and associated equipment.

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Tuesday 16 August – When will the bands be open?

Our regular August monthly meeting, held at The Collective in Johnsonville considered the nature of propagation and tried to answer teh question of “What time of day to look for DX from what direction and on what bands?”.

With magnetic activity increasing on the sun, the DX bands are now open, and they are not subject to the same QRM in the ‘burbs as 80m and 40m.

Mike ZL1AXG discussed how solar activity impacted on DX possibilities, through its impact on the ionosphere. This will be in a presentation  and discussion format.  

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Shed Workshop Sunday 7 August

Our shed workshop on 7 August 2022 was focussed on the NanoVNA

We met in Bernard ZL2BD’s garage at 1 Winsley Tce, Churton Park from 1pm. to 3pm concluding with afternoon tea and savouries. Bernard ZL2BD and Mike ZL1AXG covered off a number of topics including:

  • What nano-VNA should I buy?
  • What accessories should also be acquired?
  • How do you use the nano-VNA to measure antenna characteristics (resonance and SWR)?
  • How do I connect the nano-VNA to my computer? Why should I do this?