We were treated to a fascinating evening by Jim Bacon – G3YLA, who is world renowned for his research into Sporadic-E propagation, which can produce exciting long distance openings on the upper HF and VHF bands.

As we are just entering this year’s sporadic E season, his talk came at the perfect time to help us understand how best to experience this fleeting but effective mode of propagation.

Jim expained that Sporadic-E is a complex yet rewarding subject, influenced by many forces of nature.

It still holds many mysteries, making it a rewarding subject for those with an enquiring mind.

Jim narrowed down the main factors which produce sporadic-E openings to:-

• Meteorite trails, the ‘seeds’ of Es, containing long-living metallic ions, capable of reflecting radio waves.
• Jet streams, whose complex interactions and vortices can concentrate the density of the meteorite’s metallic ion remnants, further enhancing their ability to reflect radio signals.
• Atmospheric Gravity Waves, providing further energy input to compress and move the layer of particles to altitudes which can further enhance the propagation benefits of the Es layer.

Other influences include storms, weather fronts, ridges and the KP index. A high Kp index is harmful to the formation of sporadic E conditions, due to its disruptive energy. Ideally, we need calm solar conditions to allow the Sporadic E active layer to form.

 

Jim recommends you keep an eye on propquest.co.uk which he has developed and fine tuned over many years to become a uniquely useful tool for everyone interested in propagation

His ‘Es Probability Index’ (EPI) will give you a good feel for the likelihood of Es conditions being available in the short term.

Also look for ridges, storms and a high FoEs value.

We can expect the useful frequency to be around 8-10 times the reported FoEs value.

Openings tend to occur twice daily. Early, just after dawn, when most meteor activity occurs and later in the afternoon, due to diurnal atmospheric tides.

Keep your receiver tuned to 50.095Mhz during May to August and you will almost certainly be rewarded, with patience, with a Sporadic E opening – this could be the start of a whole new fascinating aspect to your hobby!

Good luck! And thank you Jim, for a really fascinating talk!

This evening the assembled members chose the RSGB 2024 Convention video by Don Beatie, G3BJ titled ‘Spanning the Globe, the dawn of global radio communications’

Don began by saying this isn’t a long time ago, you know. He said he had been licensed 60 years so not very short of the one hundred years we now celebrate as the first radio contact between New Zealand and the UK.

It all came about when Cecil Goyder, (G)2HM an under graduate at what is now the Imperial College London and Frank Bell, a sheep farmer in South Island NZ made a two way radio contact one hundred years ago in October 1924. The frequency was 3.2MHz!  Of course all transmissions were made at such a low frequency back then.  

Putting all in context, Don said ‘Marconi’s Atlantic leap’ had only happened 24 years before. That was spark transmission and a coherer progressing to valves. Wireless Experimenters numbers were growing and problems due to increasing interference due to the spark transmissions, the Post Office imposed restrictions. Through all this came the ‘Great Leap from UK to NZ’

Don took up 11 key points between 1898 and 1927 which saw progress in radio design and operations.

The entire story can be seen on You Tube by looking up 2024 RSGB.org/conference, and find the title ‘Spanning the Globe, the dawn of global radio communications’ by Don Beatie, G3BJ / G5W
 
 

A group gathered to hone their Morse code receiving skills with Richard G3NII and Ken G4YRF operating the keys.

We also had a demo from Victor G3JNB, allowing us to hear his amazing little all-band all-mode receiver in action. We strung up a simple wire antenna and signals from all over Europe were heard coming in loud and clear on 20m CW and 40m CW. The receiver also performed impressively on Band II, the FM broadcast band, with Classic FM crisp and clear.

We later had a small huddle, discussing plans for our forthcoming outdoor demo station at the Shefford Summer Fete, on 1st June 2025.

Ken then showed us a fine AI-generated poster on the notice board, which he and his son had prepared, to publicise our club to other users of the hall.

It all started with Heinrich Hertz a physicist born in Germany in 1857 who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves predicted by James Clerk Maxwell’s equations of electromagnetism.

With the onset of radio use it was thought to be prudent to be able to monitor radio waves and that saw the beginning of GCHQ before WW l

During WW I spark transmitters were replaced by those using valves.

Bletchley Park was set up as a very secret unit near the start of WW ll .Transistors also came into use at about this time. Eddystone radio became Marconi and radios moved to include not just LF and HF but frequencies in the Gigahertz range for use with RADAR.

The famous 19 set was included in all tanks during WW ll.

As well as transistors the new Integrated circuits came into use

Paul had many projects to display and books to recommend.

A good turnout, including two visitors, saw Don, G4LOO and David, G8UOD at work as the ‘Auctioneers.

And lots more!

After his time in the RAF, John said in 1980 he joined the Royal Observer Corps.

Speaking of the history, he said during 1925 as part of preparations for war the Observer Corps was formed as part of the UK’s aerial defence. The purpose was to report and track enemy and allied aircraft across London and areas South. It became part of the Air Ministry in 1929. By the start of WWll The Observer Corps Air Defence System had covered the entire country. The organisation was granted Royal status in 1941 in recognition of their service during the Battle of Britain.

Also in 1941 women were accepted for the first time. Later in 1944, volunteers rose to 1000 and were tasked with the identification of allied and enemy aircraft During the D-Day Landings. In 1945 the Corps were stood down, but during 1947 the Corps were remobilized to face the Cold War threat. They would monitor and warn of a nuclear attack and track radio active fallout if detected. To facilitate this almost 1500 underground posts were created. The Corps undertook regular drills and training till 1980s when reduced tensions between East and West reduced the need for warnings and monitoring.

In 1995 The Corps was finally stood down.

The Blast Recorder

A good turnout for this evening’s CW practice with Richard G3NII at the key. All members are welcome even if you want to learn, just come along on the evenings listed on our programme.

Proceedings were opened by Chairman Paul G1GSN at 20:00. In the chairman’s report, Paul asked if more members were going to fill in the questionnaire he had provided about the way forward for the club. There was also a vote for the best presentation by a member.

Owen took the floor to give his treasurer’s report, the main item was membership down from 28 to 25. The hall rental and insurance were not significantly up from last year but he also saw no need to increase subs.

Don gave the equipment report and said most was satisfactory, only some minor repairs were needed for the contest equipment. As the Contest Officer, Don presented statistics for contests entered in the year 2024 and spoke of the up and coming contests and the need for more operators.

The Committee stood down and Brian G8GHR took the floor to oversee the elections of the new committee. There were no volunteers so it was proposed that the existing committee all be returned. The motion was carried unanimously.

Those elected were:

• Chairman, Paul Bradfield G1GSN,  
• Vice Chairman, Ken Amos G4YRF
• Secretary, David Lloyd G8UOD,
• Treasurer, Owen Williams, G0PHY.
• Equipment Officer, Don Ross, G4LOO,  
• Contest Officer, Don Ross, G4LOO

Committee Members:

• John West, G6RHL,  
• Terry Rose, G4OXD
• Graham Laming, G4JBD,  
• David Thorpe, G4FKI

Any Other Business followed and it was suggested the committee look into Wi-Fi in the hall. Would the hall committee install or should the club do it? A suggestion that we should make more use of local publications in order to raise interest in Amateur Radio. Geoff, G4CEP suggested a night of members giving ten minute talks

Lastly, the winner for the Best Presentation by a member was Brian G8GHR for his talk about subjects recorded on records and LPs throughout the years. Brian played excerpts from many old records and they were certainly not something we expected to hear!

The meeting ended at 20:55

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian started by thanking Paul for last week’s first class talk. He thought it would be good to follow up with a dip into his LP collection which he had recorded onto mini discs for convenience. He said “at the end of this I hope you will be saying I didn’t expect to hear that!” He said he could generalise the recordings on 78 rpm shellac as either classical or light entertainment such as Love’s Old Sweet Song from 1933 by Musical Dawson’s Famous Choir of Canaries.

Brian said I don’t think you can under estimate the importance of the LP as they became available in the early 1950s, if only because there was very little other means of entertainment. The BBC only had one TV channel and three stations on the radio.

Recordings in the 1970s began producing LPs of early radio broadcasts. One from Radiola contained a number of speeches by Hitler and also the last broadcast by Lord Haw Haw. Included and played by Brian was Charlie and his Orchestra from Berlin in February 1942, a version of ‘Daisy Daisy’ with many word changes to fit Nazi propaganda.

Brian also had a recording by Tokyo Rose from August 1944. He said “by the way, Tokyo Rose was not just one person, but many, broadcasting Japanese propaganda during the war.” There were many other discs produced during the war by the Americans featuring famous people like Bing Crosby, Glen Miller etc. for the American forces. All during the talk Brian played excerpts from many of these recordings.

Moving on to 1972 a BBC recording of Yuri Gagarin in space in 1961 was played followed by the first American in orbit, John Glen in 1962

Following on in the demo were recordings of the sounds and murmurs of the heart. Most likely for students but probably not popular with the public. Also a recording of limited interest, ‘How to pass your driving test’. That was followed by Bob Newhart with his deadpan delivery style giving his version of “The Driving instructor” had every one in stitches. Another unexpected recording on LP was Morse Code. I expect that would be a very difficult way to learn.

At this point, Brian said ‘ I thought you might like to see some of my collection of Morse keys displayed nearby on the table.

Brian showed an American LP from 1976 called ‘Everything you need to know to operate CB Radio’, Mostly jargon! Other unusual subjects recorded on LP included the story of the Lone Ranger and how he got his name. The broadcasting began in 1949 and ended 1957 in America.

At the end of 1950 the BBC started broadcasting various pop programmes including Juke Box Jury with David Jacobs and the Six Five Special which began in February 1957. These were included in a series of BBC LPs called “40 Years of Television “ issued in 1976. Brian played the “Six Five Special”. Of course the BBC are known for their comedy programmes in the 60s and 70s, many were put onto LPs. For instance: Dad’s Army from 1973. every one remembers “don’t tell him pike!”Then Brian closed with The Two Ronnies.

So it’s Goodnight from them and Goodnight from me, Thank you.