Welcome to RADARC

A practical evening where members bring along equipment in need of a bit of love and attention.
 
A few people are interested in learning more about valves and valved equipment so this time, if you have any "thermionic tube" based equipment in particular in need of some love, or indeed if you just wish to show a perfectly functional piece of equipment then please bring it along and hopefully we can all learn from it.
 
Personally, I think valves are a great place to start learning electronics as:

• Lots of debugging can be done on valve gear powered down
• The behaviour of a valve is intuitive - the clue is in the name!
• You can look inside one and see the various functional elements
• It is good to learn a respect for high(er) voltages and safety generally

That said, all gear will be welcome.
 
73
 
John
G4RDC

"Fix it" continued and general natter night.

NFD (CW)

NFD (CW)

This evening we extend a warm RADARC welcome to Dr. Stewart Bryant G3YSX who kindly joins us from Crawley Amateur Radio Club.
 
Stewart will kindly give an in-person lecture on how AI is revolutionising the art of creating software covering how large language models such as ChatGPT and Google Bard/Gemini have the ability to transform the way that we write software.

Nick M0NTV "The Vic" celebrates, in person, with us the tiny miracles achieved with QRP construction and operating.

Preparation for the McMichael Rally.
 
Please see https://mcmichaelrally.org.uk/ for venue details. This meeting will be at the new McMichael rally site.

We welcome Liam W Bussey for a talk on a fundamentally new technology for radio reception based on "Rydberg atoms".

Since the dawn of radio, radio receiving systems have generally followed the same pattern. Some form of antenna, a receiver coupled to an aerial with aerial sizes largely corresponding to wavelength (with notable exceptions such as the amazing ferrite rod antennas used in long and medium wave radios).

Now there is a new technology on the block, almost beyond belief, based on "Rydberg atoms". Rydberg atoms are alkali metal atoms (i.e. Sodium, Potassium and friends, here typically Rubidium is used, next in sequence after Potassium). They have electrons unusually distant from the nucleus and are named after the Swedish physicist Johannes Robert Rydberg.
 
These special atoms have opened up entirely new fields of study for electric field and magnetic field sensing ("Rydberg sensing"). From an RF perspective, theoretically, reception is possible from terahertz down to VLF.
 
By shining lasers through a vapour cell of Rydberg atoms and observing the transmitted light different ways, it is possible to sense RF. There's a bit more to it than that, though.

We are excited to have Liam along who has practical experience building real receivers with this ground breaking technology to tell us all about it.

More soon.

A warm RADARC welcome to Dr. Nina Baker via zoom.
 
You have probably heard of NASA’s ‘Hidden Figures’ women, but what about those of the UK? Dr Nina Baker will bring to life some engineering stories with which members may not be so familiar – those of some pioneering women engineers and scientists working in the UK in the Cold War and Space Race era of the twentieth century.
 
Dr Nina Baker has had a varied career, having become a merchant navy deck officer on leaving school and taken an engineering design degree in her 30s, from the University of Warwick. She then gained a PhD in concrete durability from the University of Liverpool. She has lived with her family in Glasgow since 1989, working variously as a materials lecturer in further education and as a research administrator and, until 2017, as an elected city councillor. Now retired from all that, her interest in promoting STEM careers for girls has led her to become an independent researcher, mainly specialising in the history of women in engineering.

Donated pre-loved "stuff" is sold in support of the club so it's a great opportunity for a clear out.

Venue: 2nd Woodley Scout Group, Vauxhall Park, Vauxhall Dr, Woodley, Reading RG5 4EA https://what3words.com/bowls.blame.lace

Start time: 8pm

The auction will start at 8pm sharp so it's best to arrive early (eg. 7:30pm) to have a look at the wares and get your raffle ticket (see below).

Please bring along any unwanted broadly tech based items in order to support the club. Also bring your cash along to buy -er- lots of useful stuff!

If you've not been before....here's how it works.
If you wish to take part in the auction, you need your "number". Get this BEFORE the auction starts (in the form of a raffle ticket) from the accounting crew (David M0DHO, Barry M0SQZ). If you win an item, please shout out your number so they can record what you have bought.

Please note:
* If you successfully bid on something, you'll need to wait until the end (10pm) to settle up.

* If you bring junk along and it doesn't sell then please be prepared to take it home with you.

* Any on-commission items need to be marked clearly with the name of the beneficiary.

* Particularly David M0DHO on the books has a tough job making sure that everything squares up. Please listen to directions from David and Barry. Communications here are key to making this work.

Finally,

* Even if you don't wish to buy, the evening is always entertaining.

* Prices tend to be extremely affordable!

* If we have time to run refreshments then we will do so but please bring your own mug. At the very least we'll get the biscuit box out.

* Marvel at how Denis G4KWT manages the PA. The perfect example of some that works so well you simply don't notice it.

* THANKYOU to all volunteers and indeed everyone as the junk sales are vital in supporting the club!

If I have missed anything then please let me know.

No zoom session this time.

73

John
G4RDC

To all you creative people out there. It's time to think about impressing the membership with your skills and ingenuity!

As usual, entrants will give a short (5 minutes or so) presentation on their entry.

There are two cups to be won, as voted by the whole membership in attendance. Software, hardware, old technology, new technology: all is valid and gets its chance on account of cleverness, quality of construction, complexity or simple brilliance - they all count toward the popular vote for the winner and runner up cups, to be presented on the night.