Club Activities
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SAnDRA
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Important Notice - Change of Venue and Times for future Monthly meetings.
Following a SAnDRA Committee Meeting on Wednesday 27 March 2024, SAnDRA Radio Club meetings for 2024 have been planned for the Second Wednesday of the Month from 7:45pm (local/clock time) until 10:00pm, in the right-hand side of the Bar of The Maldon Grey Public House, Cats Lane, Sudbury, Suffolk. CO10 2RZ. For details from the Committee Meeting, please see Wed 27 Mar 2024, below.
The Maldon Grey is on Cats Lane, Sudbury and can be accessed from the A134 on the Colchester side between Sudbury Town Centre and the 'KFC' Roundabout on the Chilton Industrial Site.
The Pub Car Park is first left from the A134 and thn an almost immediate right into the Car Park.
Further details of other SAnDRA Meetings can be found immediately below this paragraph.
Access is very easy as everything is on the same level and the building is Wheelchair-friendly.
All Radio Amateurs, CB'ers and those interested in radio and/or electronics will be very welcome,
Food and drinks are available at the Bar.
We are often known as a ‘friendly club', so feel free to come along and chat with us.
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The next SAnDRA Meeting:
Wed 11 September 2024 - At The Maldon Grey Public House. Sudbury. Details above.
Currently set to be a 'Noggin' & Natter', but 'watch this space' for any updates.
Please come and enjoy a beer, radio-related technical 'chats' & friendly banter in good company.
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Future SAnDRA Diary Items:-
'Physical Meetings' are at The Maldon Grey Public House. Sudbury. Details above.
Wed 9 Oct 2024 - TBA - Please 'watch this space' for any updates.
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Further proposed 2024 Dairy Dates:
Pub Meetings - 9 Oct, 13 Nov & 11 Dec.
On all other Wednesday evenings, a Radio Call-In is planned to start at 7:30pm (local) on 144.700MHz.
[ At a future meeting, Mike (G0IBZ) will be giving a talk on the safe raising & lowering of portable masts. The talk will include details of options and considerations when installing Home QTH (home location) or other 'permanent' aerials.
The talk will be on the erection, staking, guying, towing up & down of several types of 'portable'. Some of these masts are very substantial and heavy.
Mistakes have been made over the years and much very useful information gained and 'lessons learnt'. All of this will be of particular interest to beginners who have never done a mast erection and there will probably be details that will be of interest to everyone.
Everyone is welcome to ask questions during the evening and answers will be given based on experiences.
Even with many years of practice, mistakes can be made but most of us try to learn from them. Hi, Hi. ]
When Meeting Details are available, they will be emailed to those on the SAnDRA Meeting Circulation List. Please send you Email Address to Contact_SAnDRA@sudburyradioamateurs.co.uk if you wish to be included on this list.
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If you have a topic that you wish to share with us during an evening - or even part-evening, OR if you have a request or suggestion for SAnDRA, then PLEASE email Contact_SAnDRA@sudburyradioamateurs.co.uk with details.
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Some of the previous Meetings:
Wed 12 June 2024 - There was be an 'open' discussion on the important subject of Standing Wave Ratio (SWR). Some members focussing on specific aspects of this subject and several questions for others at the meeting.
All members were in agreement that it was an interesting and educational meeting with many now more-fully understanding the important subject of SWR. Also the meeting also covered the 'complex' subject of electrical earthing.
Wed 10 Apr 2024 - 14 members & guests turned up for the first ‘Noggin & Natter’ meeting at the Maldon Grey. It was good to catchup with everybody with a lot of chat about a lot of subjects. It was agreed that the beer was pretty good & the show of hands was unanimous in that it was a really good idea to hold future meetings there.
The Club Funds subsidised some tasty nibbles and the meeting broke up about10.30pm with all that I spoke to agreeing that it was a very good move. [ Report from Mike (G0IBZ). ]
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Wed 27 Mar 2024 - Committee Meeting. The SAnDRA Committee met at The Maldon Grey and it was decided that the Maldon Grey Pub was more suitable venue, for our purposes, than the Stevenson Center where we had been meeting since moving from the Five Bells Pub due to redevelopment.
We were met by the landlord & were offered the front right hand side of the bar for our own use for the Club meeting evenings. There will be a ‘Noggin’ & Natter’ evenings to 'sup a pint' or soft drink, or tea & coffee from the bar; should you wish to partake. It was also decided that there will be some chat about future program going forwards. Also, Neville G8CGD has some modules suitable for construction, for a future DF hunt if, there is enough interest.
Initially, sandwiches & sausage rolls will be subsidised from Club Funds and be available to all members attending.
The Bar will remain open until normal closing time and we look forward to seeing you all there.
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Wed 11 Jan 2023 - An evening with Mike (G0IBZ) and Sean (2E0RXI), who shared their individual benefits of their many years of experience, showing the correct way to terminate (that's attaching plugs etc.) various cables and also how NOT to do it . . which is often very important as well! It was a very instructive and educational evening.
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Wed 14 Dec 2022 - The SAnDRA Christmas Bash was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended. A much fully report will be added here as soon as it becomes available.
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Wed 9 Nov 2022 - An evening with Neville (G8CDG), where Neville was both the organiser and chair for the meeting. The evening started with a Members Surplus Equipment 'Bring, Buy or Borrow' section; and was really successful. Sadly, William (M7WTP), had a COVID infection and was unable to attend so the through discussion regarding Promoting SAnDRA on Social Media did not take place.
Neville then shared details of the Bits & Kits that he has available for SAnDRA Members and he also shared ideas regarding suggestions for several different Homemade HF Aerials as Construction Projects.
As soon as the details regarding the SAnDRA Social Media Presence, the Kits and the Homemade Aerials become available, I will share these with all those on the SAnDRA Members Email-shot List.
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Wed 12 Oct 2022 - The SAnDRA 2022 AGM was chaired by Kevin (G1VGI) [ Thank You Kevin ] and was a very productive meeting. All five previous members of the Committee members were unanimously re-elected plus David (M7BNA), being elected to make a Full Committee of six members. (Nothing wrong with my basic maths. Hi, Hi)
The 2022/2023 Committee is David (M7BNA), Mike (G0IBZ), Neville (G8CDG) as Treasurer, Mike (G0IBZ), Sean (2E0RXI), Tim (G0JMT) and Tony (G8LTY) as Secretary.
Following a brief discussion considering regarding all 'Anticipated Financial Outgoings' for the 2022/2023 SAnDRA Year, it was decided that the 'Full' Membership Fee should remain at £15 per year.
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Wed 14 Sep 2022 - The Talk, Example and an actual Build of the 'Flowerpot' Antenna by Sean (2E0RXI).
Sean gave Instructional and Practical help on building a 'Flowerpot' Antenna and he made one 'before the very eyes'. This was a very good example of what can be achieved in making a functional aerial for a low price.
For details of the 'Flowerpot' Antenna construction - including a few variants - please click VK2ZOI Antenna .
Another hyperlink for the Flowerpot Antenna is at the Bury St. Edmunds Amateur Radio Society .
[ Sadly this was the last meeting at the The Five Bells Public House in Great Cornard as the pub-site has been sold to a developer and the pub has to close-down by the end of September 2022 but, we will continue to meet. ]
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Wed 10 Aug 2022 - Another talk on Magnetic Loop Antennas (MagLoops). The talk, also by Tony (G8LTY), was called 'MagLoops Two - the Journey Continues' and was a 'sort of' continuation of the July 2022 meeting but covered some of the practical sides of building MagLoops.
The talk included a suggested method of Remote Control for the Tuning and for Rotating the Aerial.
To be included in the next MagLoopers circulation, send an Email to Contact_SAnDRA@sudburyradioamateurs.co.uk with your Email Address.
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Wed 13 Jul 2022 - A talk on Magnetic Loop Antennas (MagLoops). The talk by Tony (G8LTY) cover some of the basics requirements for MagLoops and various aspects to be considered when anticipating building - or buying - a MagLoop. There talk seemed to be well received and there were many constructive, positive inputs and suggestions.
In the very near future, and as soon as is possible, all the MagLoop Email attachments that have been circulated to the MagLoopers Email Group, and other relevant information, will be added to this website.
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Wed 8 Jun 2022 - A talk on Electrical Terminations by Mike (G0IBZ). Mike shared many 'physical examples' for the 'audience' to identify the wiring and/or assembly fault(s) under the, lose, heading of Terminations. Perhaps the title should have been Electrical Mis-Terminations as there were many examples of why 'some people' should not be allowed to work on connections that use Mains Electricity !! The demo was quite 'entertaining' but, mostly, very instructional and educational.
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Wed 11 May 2022 - A practical demonstration by Mike (G0IBZ) of overhauling and re-assembling a four-section pneumatic (Pump-Up) Clark Mast and hand-operated pump. The demonstration also included useful tips & tricks when overhauling, replacing and rebuilding the mast. To conclude the demonstration, the mast was assembled in the Car Park and pumped-up: Yes, it worked perfectly.
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Wed 13 Apr 2022 - A talk by Sean (2E0RXI) showing the construction of the 2m 'Flowerpot' Antenna with instructional and practical help. The aerial is based on the VK2ZOI Design.
For details of the 'Flowerpot' Antenna construction - including a few variants - please click VK2ZOI Antenna .
Another hyperlink is at the Bury St. Edmunds Amateur Radio Society .
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Wed 9 Mar 2022 - A talk by Iain (G0OZS), our local RSGB District Representative (DR125), on Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) and the requirements for the active Radio Amateur. The talk has up-to-date information and uses the 'better tools' that are now available and includes Ofcom and RSGB Calculator screen-shots to assist every active Radio Amateur to conform to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) requirements.
For an electronic version of the EMF presentation please visit the Downloads page of this website.
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Wed 9 Feb 2022 - Short Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to accept a new SAnDRA Constitution and elect a Committee until the next AGM, planned for 12 October 2022. For the Constitution click SAnDRA Constitution 2022.
The EGM was followed by a talk entitled Antenna Radiation Patterns given by Neville (G8CDG). The talk gave us some very useful in-sight into some aerial radiation patterns, 'exploded' a few myths and raised several points that need to be considered when installing aerials.
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Wed 12 Jan 2022 - Cancelled - Sorry 'folks' but this meeting had to cancelled due to various effects of COVID-19: Sorry as I know several folks were looking forward to the talk but it will be re-scheduled ASAP.
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Wed 8 Dec 2021 - SAnDRA Christmas 'bash' organised by Mike (G0IBZ).
The SAnDRA 2021Christmas Party was held on Wednesday 8th December 2021 in the Back Hall of Wells Hall Old School (WHOS), CO10 0HN at 20:00 hrs and was a self-catering event and was enjoyed by all those at the meeting.
Many thanks Mike (G0IBZ) for organising the evening.
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Wed 10 Nov 2021 - Talk on the GDT and EMC.
What was originally planned to be a talks on Electrical Safety, the Gas Discharge Tube (GDT) and Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) was, due to the several queries received before the meeting, changed to the GDT and EMC.
The GDT. Trying to protect aerials and cable from a direct lightning strike is totally impractical for most - if not all - Radio Amateurs. However, disconnecting the Aerials and including GDT's, with a resistor across the GDT, will give a fair degree of protection from statically-charged rain and very minor lightning discharges.
EMC. This is a colossal subject but understanding a few 'basics' of how the energy (interference) is transferred, locating the source, detecting the cause and knowing some possible solutions should help. During the meeting, there was good 'Audience Participation' and afterwards the feedback was positive.
As several Radio Amateurs currently experience fairly high levels of QRM & QRN, this was considered to be 'EMC Part 1' as there will probably be updates from others as they carry out there own investigations and fixes. In the meantime, a short 'overview' of the talk is planned to be added to this website. Please 'watch this space'.
Both talks were given by Tony (G8LTY).
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Wed 13 Oct 2021 - Sudbury And District Radio Amateurs (SAnDRA) held their first meeting since the COVID-19 restriction were imposed about 18 months previously. The meeting was well attended, with several 'new faces' who had not previously attended our club, and enjoyed by all. It was really great to be able to 'physically' meet again.
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For any queries regarding SAnDRA, please feel to email:
Contact_SAnDRA@sudburyradioamateurs.co.uk
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