INDEX AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ISSUE No.24 FEBRUARY 1988
Page 1................Index
Page 2................From the Chair
Page 3................PUBlicity
Page 4................Wordsearch
Page 4................Events + For Sale or Wanted
Page 5................Yasme Foundation
Page 6................Yasme continued
Page 7................Wordsearch Solutions
Pullout...............1987 AGM minutes. 1987/88 accounts
Final date for articles etc for April.March 21st.
Editor................Dave Chislett G4XDU
Technical Editor......Dave Lomas G4XOW
Printer...............Dave Ayres G6GBC
Computer Editor.......Mike Brown G4RAA
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B.B.R.C. COMMITTEE
Chair.................Dave Chislett G4XDU
Secretary.............John Pumfrey G8SNH
Treasurer.............David Ayres G6GBC
Member................Dave Lomas G4XOW
Member................Paul Shayler G6TSF
Publicity.............Eileen Chislett G6EIL
Library...............Richard Ashberry G6RTM
Club Equipment........John Sanders G1LMI
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Club Rooms...........Haymill Community Centre
112 Burnham Lane
Slough. SL1 6LZ
Meetings: 1st and 3rd Mondays each month
at 8.00pm Room 48
FROM THE CHAIR....
First of all may I offer belated good wishes for the new year. 1988
doesn't seem to have got off to a good start. Just when you thought
the magazine was gone forever here it is back. We must apologise
for its late arrival (almost as bad as RadComm!) but the next
edition will be out on time Promise! This issue has been rushed
together so doesn't contain as much as usual, but you should find
some good reading plus a brain teaser.
At the start of the year we have had a few problems with Speakers
not being able to do the dates we had booked. We will rearrange
these talks for later in the year.
This year promises to be a very busy one for the club. Apart from
the usual events, we have the Telethon GB0TTT in May; during July
the Special Events station and McMichael '88. In October we should
be running a Jota station GB2SWD once again; we promise to give you
more warning this year. I hope that you all will join in on these
events both to make them a success and to enjoy yourselves.
On March 7th we have the AGM. Because we have failed to issue
nomination forms early enough, and if you wish to stand for any of
the committee positions, please tell the outgoing committee before
if possible or at the beginning of the AGM. If you wish to discuss
something during AOB then please let the secretary know so we can
add this to the agenda at the latest 29th February meeting.
On the subject of committee positions I do hope that some of you
will give some thought to standing for election. The committee
usually meet once a month and although you may think it would
involve you in a lot of work, during my time as Chair we have
shared the work out evenly and usually apart from the one meeting
and the odd five minutes here and there that's about it. However,
once bitten with a committee position most seem to thrive on it and
put in a little extra, because simply they enjoy it. So once again
you have the opportunity to stand for election so why not give it a
go!
Finally, may I take this opportunity to thank the outgoing
committee for all their hard work put in during the last year. They
have made the last year easy for me. Hopefully also my absence from
the club during January & February due to work commitments in the
depths of Lancashire will be over by the AGM and I will be able to
get to club meetings again.
73 Dave G4XDU Chair.
STOP PRESS... I have just heard that the Special events station in
July is on, but please keep it to yourselves. More details later.
PUBlicity...PUBLICity...PUBlicity................
Now I've got your attention, let me put you in the picture on ideas
to bring BBRC to the public eye. Not that it's going to be too
difficult this year. We have, firstly, the TELETHON at the end of
May. Now all of you who were involved before will know what fun it
was, and that we raised #600. We did this by individuals getting
friends, acquaintances, milk deliverers, passing motorists etc. to
sponsor the club for the number of contacts made during the event.
Our estimate of numbers was pretty accurate, and of course, your
sponsors will be able to specify maximum amounts, so start talking
to these people, and get them softened up ready to be generous.
Second and most important of course is the big local event in July,
for which the club will receive the maximum publicity. Fame is just
around the corner. Hard on the heels of that is McMichael 88. More
opportunity to spread the word about the wonders of the BBRC.
Remember more members benefits everyone by widening the scope of
interests and activities we can undertake. Is this possible, I hear
you ask?
Our first publicity worthy event is the extra club meeting on
Monday February 29th. Ladies Day. I shall be letting all the local
rags know our aims of the evening which are both to provide an
entertaining and instructive evening for all, but with ladies in
mind, while providing the ideal atmosphere for any interested
amateurs/SWL's to come along and try us out, so to speak. So PLEASE
bring your female friends/spouses along. I know already of some
ladies who will be attending who are not connected with the club,
so don't be shy.
Watch out for a SPECIAL OFFER for club members to have personalised
T-shirts. More later on this.
Keep on spreading the word. BBRC - Britain's Best Radio Club!
88's G6EIL-een
WORDSEARCH
There are 27 radio related words hidden in this square. They may be
written left to right, right to left, vertical - down or up - or
diagonally. Have fun! G6EIL. (Solution on page 7).
R L N Y T E I C O S S
A N O A D W E I V T W
M I L G I C T A E R G
R A D I O N L R M A S
M T M D D V G L O N E
A I E A E R L I H S H
H R U Q T A B A S I C
N B U L C E M O R S E
R P I H C F U Q I T E
U N T E N Y A R F O B
B E E C H L O G O R A
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BBRC Club Events 1988.
February
15th.............Visit to Thames TV (paid up members only)
29th.............Ladies Night (Bring the wife etc!!!)
Self-Defence especially for Ladies.
Living with an OM...G6EIL-een
(wine & nibbles) See page 3!
March
7th..............A.G.M. Talk on C6A land (wine & nibbles)
21st.............Junk Sale
April
4th..............FoxHunt (afternoon event Bank Holiday)
18th.............TBA
May
30th April 1&2nd.. Spring DX picnic
16th.............Computer ?
29/30th..........Telethon special event station. GB0TTT
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FOR SALE OR WANTED
ROM BOARD FOR BBC "B" WATFORD TYPE `5
GREEN SCREEN 12" COMPUTER MONITOR `15
3 X FIVE EIGHTH 70cms Mobile aerial `18
Seven Eighths 2 Mtr Mobile Aerial `12
FRG7 Communications reciever fitted FM + 2mtr converter + SSB
filter. Manual + front cover `100
Further details Dave G4XDU on Maidenhead 25720
YASME FOUNDATION and the COLVINS
INTRODUCTION
If you have worked a DX station and been told "QSL via YASME" you
may want to know more about "YASME". Bob Vallio, W6RRG, is
Secretary of the Yasme Foundation.
HISTORY
During 1954, British subject Danny Weil built a yacht and named it
"Yasme" using a Japanese word that means "Good luck". He had never
sailed a boat before and he was not an amateur radio operator, but
he was determined to sail around the world. Despite the great
difficulties he encountered, Danny managed to sail the "Yasme" from
England to the British Virgin Islands, where he was fortunate to
meet Dick Spenceley KV4AA, one of the world's best operators. Dick
convinced Danny to become an amateur before continuing his trip
around the world. Danny earned his licence and was working DX on CW
at 20 wpm one month later. He installed a rig aboard "Yasme" and
continued his trip, calling it the "Yasme DX-pedition". The Yasme
Foundation was formed during 1961 to help Danny meet DX-pedition
expenses. The Yasme Foundatuon is tax free.
Danny got married in 1964 and his wife accompanied him on several
trips before they settled ashore. Since 1965, the Yasme Foundation
has sponsored DX-peditions of Iris (W6QL) and Lloyd (W6KG) Colvin,
two of the world's most competent operators, with the Colvins
paying all their own expenses. The Yasme Foundation handles QSL
cards and DX-pedition publicity.
IRIS AND LLOYD COLVIN
Lloyd(W6KG) has been licenced since 1929, and Iris (W6QL) has been
licenced since 1945, which makes a combined total of 98 years.
Their daughter, Joy, is also an amateur. Many amateurs feel that
they had achieved a major operating milestone when they got the
DXCC award for confirmed contacts with amateurs in at least 100
countries. Such operators have just cause to be proud, because the
DXCC award is not easy to earn. However, the Colvins have earned
DXCC awards while using about 100 different call signs all around
the world. This couple holds more DXCC certificates than any other
couple in the world. The Colvins have made over one million
contacts from 166 countries, and they have used 120 different call
signs. They have the world's largest alphabetically filed
collection of QSL cards, numbering about 500,000 cards.
The Colvins are extra class licencees. They both hold 5 band DXCC
awards and they have been on the ARRL DX honor role for over a
decade. They were well known as top operators long before they
became associated with the Yasme Foundation.
"YASME" continued.
Following the end of WW2, Lloyd stayed in the US army Signals Corps
spending 20 years completing worldwide assignments that enabled
Iris and LLoyd to operate from many countries.
LATEST YASME DX-PEDITION
The Colvins have recently completed a DX-pedition to the Indian
Ocean countries, working cw and phone. While operating 4S7, Iris
had a nasty fall breaking a hip. Iris was airlifted to VU for
hospitalisation. At no time did Iris allow the accident to
interfere with the DX-pedition. She is now well and back in the
USA.
YASME QSL
If you are told to "QSL via YASME", send your card to Yasme
Foundation, PO BOX 2025, Castro Valley, California 94546, USA. Be
sure to enclose a SAE and 2 IRC's for a fast card or via the
bureau.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON DANNY WEIL AND "YASME"
I first worked Danny when he was signing G7DW/MM in 1954 when he
was sailing through the Caribbean. One of our visits was to English
Harbour on the island of Antigua. It was here that the British
fleet under Nelson used to rest up and reprovision during the
blockade of the French fleet. English Harbour is now a naval
heritage area and a popular yacht marina and it was here that I met
up with Danny and "yasme" - recuperating after a very rough
crossing from the UK. Danny came on board and brought his radio
gear to be dried out and checked over before once more setting
sail.
En route to the Pacific, he called in at St.Thomas and met up with
the legendary Dick Spenceley (KV4AA) who was then the DX editor of
CQ magazine.
Dick persuaded the CQ magazine team to support DX-peditions into
the Caribbean and Pacific by Danny - many of the zones and
countries visited were on the "WANTED" list by those chasing DXCC
honor role status.
The next time I came across Danny was when he was in the Pacific
signing VR2EO/MM. I was once again MM, sailing around the Gilbert
and Ellis Islands (now Kiribati), Fiji and the New Hebrides.
Unfortunately, Danny was to come to grief off Papua, New Guinea,
where his "Yasme" (the third one) ran aground on a reef. Danny was
rescued but his yacht was a write-off.
"YASME" continued.
Iris and LLoyd arrrived off Gibraltar in 1966 aboard the SS Uganda,
(at 2 a.m.!!!!). They had been issued with the call sign ZB2AX.
They were staying at an hotel down Main St. and had a room very
close to the flat topped roof - ideal for setting up the TH3 beam
and dipoles.
The rig they used was a Collins KWM2. They were the first DX team
to visit Gibraltar after the introduction of the UK reciprocal
licence - G5ACH and G5ACI. During their visit they both greatly
enjoyed "midnight" bathing off Eastern beach.
WHERE WILL THIS REMARKABLE COUPLE GO NEXT ?????????
Bob G0BTY
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WORDSEARCH SOLUTIONS
Burnham, Beeches, Club, Radio, Society, of, Great, Britain,
Transistor, Diode, Valve, Amateur, Yagi, Morse, Code, Beechlog,
Basic, Logo, View, Log, Call, Sign, Raynet, Home, Built, Ram, Chip.
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AND FINALLY.....
While trying to extract copy for this issue of BeechLog. I was
given what I thought was a good suggestion: - a members handbook,
containing such things as club equipment, library, and members
lists, events etc. If you think this is a good idea and would like
to see something not mentioned in it, let Eileen or myself know. It
would be possible to issue the handbook after the AGM so as to
include the new committee.
Ed.
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