For Pacific Radio Amateurs

Conducted By Ex Zk-1-Ac/Vr-2-Ak.

(Address notes to P.O. Box 5179, Wellesley Street, Auckland, NZ.)

Hsland Hams: Try a CQ at the Pacific [lands Net times, 0100/0700/1900Z on your [vourite band. Use of the net times will kve you and your Islands neighbours, e Stan Mayne, VR2AS, brings us up I date: VR2AP, A 1 Akin, departed in Member for ZL and does not anticipate turning.

VRABZ, Bari Hogg is headed for igland via ZL and will eventually return a crew member of one of the RNZAF’s ». 6 Squadron Sunderlands.

VR2CK, Murray Ewin, has departed for L and eventually for VK, on transfer.

A 1 Akin’s departure leaves Stan Mayne ie Grand Old Man of the VR2’s—or was R2AW not active before the war?

Stan plans a vacation in ZL in March, son taking over his optical practice in ie interim. • More than usual was heard from Lhiti of late. Georges, FOBAB and larles, FOBAC both being heard—and it ems likely that FOSAG, formerly of ftkatea but now of Papeete, may also be [ at times—so, with Roland, FOBAD, on ipa, the card men seem to have at least nr chances on 20-metres. • Ham Radio as an aid to the out sts came into its own in December len VR3C, Phil Palmer, and friends used 20-metre addicts to push aside eir keys and mikes, set their receivers i 14140, charge their pipes and sit on the most interesting radio drama the year.

Is started off smoothly enough with Mrs. ilmer and the two children taking leave Australia—and maintaining contact ith Papa via VK2 and VK4 lends. At this stage we enjoyed, per ips unkindly, Phil’s despatches on the fours of life without a wife. Then ddenly the human-interest story Itched to the other end—Sydney—where rs. Palmer had hastily to undergo an icration. VR2AEA, himself a doctor, is the connecting link at this stage, and nbtless the listening multitude suffered Ith Phil as they awaited each night the 00Z report.

All went well—except for one thing: ie family was booked home on Waikawa llich was on point of sailing. The lildren departed in the ship with lends. Would mother make the con ation at Fiji by air? That was the eat question.

Phil burnt the midnight oil and lowatts and good news came from B6AO on Canton. It seems there was a mtleman named Dusty, with some kind a craft named Joita, or something tailar, down at Hull, who’d soon leave Inton for Fanning. There would be a Issage available if the worst came to k worst. But it didn’t—Mother safely mght Waikawa and the children, at Iva, and eventually completed leave in I* routine way.

But the outside followers of this radio

drama were cheated, in a sense. Dusty, the hero by all radio-serial standards, was sidetracked. We wanted to hear more of this mystery man who wanders from Honolulu down through the Line Islands and the Phoenix Group, and who eventually left Canton and friend Bill, KB6AO, laden with Christmas presents to solace Phil—whose wife wouldn’t be home until much later, via Papeete.

If not running quite true to tradition, the story ended happily and was in tensely interesting while it lasted. It was also a demonstration of Ham Radio at its best, with men from Hawaii, Fiji, Brisbane, Sydney, ZL, Canton, and other points combining to assist the man on the outpost of Fanning. • From Niue, ZK2AA reported some misfortune. He blew the secondary of his modulation transformer. Two weeks later he was heard again under jury rig. Bill reported having worked VR2CG on 6metres early November. • Six-metre men might look for ZK2AA at 0630 Z and later daily—and for VRCB/CG from 0630-0650 Z and from 0030-0040 Z when they are on the lookout on that band. • “Amateur Radio’’ reports FKBAJ as active, in addition to the FKS’s reported here in September.

• That active Samarai Is. man, VK9XK, has folded his tent and departed, to become VK3XK. Bad news for the vhf boys. • There are changes brewing on all bands if the American FCC’s suggestions come into force. Changes adopted in the States are likely to be world operating procedure. (See next page)

The idea is that a portion of each band be set aside for calling only. When con tact is made the stations then QSY to the main part of the band. This, of course, is normal commercial mobile pro

cedure. In so far as the 10, 20 and 40metre bands are concerned, the proposal is as follows—Calling: 29630-29650 kc/s, 14040-14050 kc/s (Al), 14220-14230 (A 3), 7095/7105 kc/s (Al), 7200/7300 (A 3). The

idea seems sound enough but whether DX-hounds, having hooked a thin lit sig in the calling band are going to ti kindly to trying to again locate him the main band is something that tl alone will show. What we do like the proposal of a limitation to four C and four call-sign repetitions only— tl no more of the same thing for at le five minutes if no contact is establish However, at present, these are mer proposals. • Island stations actually heard act during the month in mainly ea evening listening included: FKB

Fosab/C, Kb6Ao, Kg/6Ad/Adz/Fab/1

W4Ptl/Kg6, Kj6Aw, Kr6Ac/Af/Hl/

Kx6Ar/Av, Vkick, Vk9Rc/Y

Vr2Bj/Cg, Vr3C, Zk2Aa/B. Conditi.

were moderately good on 20-metres Island contacts during December evenln though not so good as the prevl month at Auckland.

Notes on stations active in your a will be appreciated.

A successful cabaret-dinner v

held at the Tavua Hotel, Fiji,

November and was attended

people from Suva, Singatol

Lautoka, Ba and Vatukoula as w as by local residents. Mr. and M A. B latch ford, of Vatukoula, ent tained a large party to celebrate th

wedding anniversary.