Big Wheel Antenna

Now Bolton is not the most festive place to shop at Christmas, but this year Bolton Council have pulled out all the stops. Reindeers, ice skating and now the BIG WHEEL!

Yesterday was very impessive with the lights and atmosphere, much better that previous years.
As I stood looking at this enormous structure it struck me that this would make a superb antenna for HF.

Imagine tuning up one of these!

Kevin Davis

 

 

Kevin Davis and myself at school a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not really a football fanatic, but I respect Kevin Davis for the hard work that he did as captain of Bolton Wanderers. A great player and captain!
Now Kevin is at Preston North End. It is a shame Bolton didn't offer him a training or managerial job and kept links with Bolton Wanderers. A great guy!

Acorn Archimedes 3020

Photo of me with the latest computer at school in 1994

 

 

This was a strange time...the old Acorn BBC Computer was now not fit for purpose and replaced with the Acorn Archimedes series of computers. First came a the A3000 then various upgrades. They were amazing machines at the time and had in built digital storage...not a hard drive in sight! Programmes like 'My World' with the high reolution graphics and mouse controlled released schools into the the high tech world of Graphic User Interface (GUI) Amazing!

 

The Archimedes had a problem...networks...it wasn't ready yet, so they brought out a later machine that looked like a PC but didn't work well.

 

At that stage I took a very bold decision in school to phase out the Archimedes machines and bring in the PCs. That was probably the best decision ever, even though others frowned at what I was doing. I took the school into the 21st century and had a networked PC system before most other schools in Bolton dared to venture. 

 

Specs for the Archimedes 3020

 

NAME	Archimedes A3020
MANUFACTURER	Acorn Computer
ORIGIN	United Kingdom
YEAR	1992
BUILT IN LANGUAGE	BBC BASIC / RISC OS 3.1
KEYBOARD	Full-stroke PC-102 style
CPU	ARM 250 32 bit RISC
SPEED	12 MHz
CO-PROCESSOR	MEMC (memory), VIDC (Video and Sound), IOC (I/O)
RAM	2 MB (up to 4Mb possible with socketed zip ram chips)
ROM	1 MB
Video Modes	Text Modes: 132 chars. x 32 lines maximum; Graphic Modes: 21 screen modes, including: 640×480 (256 colours), 640 x 512 (256 colours), 800×600 (16 colours), 896×352 (256 colours), 1280×960 (monochrome)
SOUND	8 voices
I/O PORTS	Centronics, RS423, VGA, Network, 1 expansion slot
BUILT IN MEDIA	One 3.5
PRICE	£749 with floppy, £899 with a 60Mb hard disk.



SDR - Software Defined Radio

Last week I read an article in this months RADCOM by G0CHO about using a DVB-T stick as SDR to recieve all modes from VHF to Microwaves. I was fascinated by the article and also the free software to use with the stick. I have an old stick, but the chip is not suitable for SDR.
I decided to buy a new DVB-T RTL stick, so set about trying to find one on ebay. I was amazed to find a company called 'Cosycave' selling a new and fully tested DVB-T stick complete with leads and all the software required to receive SDR...and the cost?  £13.95!!!

www.cosycave.co.uk

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Newsky-TV28T-dongle-DAB-DAB-FM-USB-RTL2832U-R820T-budget-SDR-package-/121215591903?pt=UK_Computing_TV_Tuner_Video_Capture_Devices&hash=item1c390325df

I sent for the package and it arrived from Jersey the next day...too good to be true?

Definately not! The instructions that came with it on the disc is worth gold, very thorough, step by step instuctions on using the software and setting up the stick. Also includes SDR Sharp, an excellent and easy to use piece of software. After going through the initial set up the DVB-T stick worked straight away with SDR Sharp. I was amazed to be able to tune any frequency in all modes with just a tiny stick. Where are the tuned circuits, coils, variable capacitors? How could something so tiny receive everything from broadcast FM stations to Packet, Weather Satellites and Amateur Bands including 70cms and 23cms?

When I first got the stick receiving I listened to a local station on 2m and watched the spectrum waterfall for other stations. It seemed a bit insensitive, but then I realised that there is an RF gain control in SDR Sharp. When I found it I wound up the RF Gain and almost fell off my chair...wow!
Now I am hooked on this SDR stuff, it has opened up a new dimension that I didn't know about. I thought SDR was expensive and even plug in sticks like the FunCube were not cheap. To think that you can buy the whole SDR set up for 13 quid is fantastic!

Now I am experimenting with weather satellites, with the pack you get software for decoding and displaying the weather pictures from the NOAA satellites. Today I built a 137Mhz Turnstyle Antenna which seems to work well.

Bolton Institute of Technology

Bolton Institute of Technology (BIT) was the new Higher Education college which later became Bolton Institute of Higher Education (BIHE)
This is where I met Kathleen at the Saturday Night rock concerts in 1973. I remember waiting outside for the doors to open. Inside was loud rock music and two groups. Kathleen started to go there before me and saw some big groups like 'Hawkwind' and 'Vinegar Joe' (Elkie Brooks) I saw groups like 'Judas Priest', 'Dr Feelgood' and lots of local rock groups. Youngers Tartan Ale, Newcastle Browns and Steak Butties...I used to live for Saturday night at BIT! Sweet!

 

This photo was posted on Facebook showing the stage and room that was used on Saturday Nights.

As well as the social side of BIT, I also went on an evening course there in the tower block to learn about BASIC computer programming. It was truly amazing looking back now. In the room were 'terminals' like typewriters and you built your programme without any VDU to see what you were doing, making sure that you didn't make any mistakes. The computer that served the terminals was a PDP11 Mini-Computer that sat in the corner with lights flashing and wires everywhere. When you saved your work it was a paper tape full of holes that you rolled up, took home and brought back again to put into the reader so that you can carry on. I wrote my first comuter programmes then (we call the apps now)

I really enjoyed that course, I learned a lot and still use it now that the new 'Computing Curriculum' has now been developed in schools. It is like going back in time!

Things have changes so much now, the tower block and a lot of the buildings have been changed. Now it is Bolton University along with a huge sports and leisure centre. Across the road is the new Bolton College and Sixth Form College. It is very impressive!

Trotters Pub

Back in the old analogue days when I met my wife Kathleen we went to BIT (Bolton Institute of Technology) on Saturday nights to watch rock groups and freak out to loud music and Newcastle Browns. On Sunday things were a quieter, we went to the Trotters pub on Bradshawgate in Bolton. The Trotters was a strange place named after the nickname for Bolton Wanderers football club and quite close to the football ground at Burnden Park.

Sunday night was disco night upstairs at the Trotters, we went there a lot just to have a quiet drink and chat. The best you got in the way of rock was 'Radar Love' which I danced to once! So why do I think this place is special? Well, this is the place where we decided to get engaged and later married!
Also across the road was Mike Dzubias shop where I bought a lot of my electronic components. Next to that was the Clarence Hotel which was the venue for the Bolton and District Amateur Radio Society in the 70's.

The Trotters shut down and knocked down... I don't know why that was...strange!

RAYNET

 

Jack G8HIK and myself at the exhibition.

On Thursday I went into Bolton to look at the 'Preparing for Winter' exhibition. There were lots of things to see including the Emergency Services, Mountain Rescue, Gritters and RAYNET.
Only a couple of days earlier I was thinking to myself that I had not heard anything about RAYNET recently. I don't remember seeing anything in the magazine RadCom as well.

I had not been involved with RAYNET, but some of our club members from The Bolton and District Radio Society were active back in the 80's and 90's. I was surprised when I saw Jack G8HIK and Max looking after the RAYNET stands during the exhibition. It was nice to chat with them after such a long time!

 

Max and me with my grandaughter Melissa

 

 

Picture of Max around 1980 during a DF Hunt.