Lighting Tests in FolkestoneFADARS is having an evening out on Monday 9th. July wx permitting.
Any club wishing to join in should phone Stan G6ZNW ASAP for details.
07976 686198 g6znw@nospambtinternet.com (remove the "no spam" bit)
Please monitor GB3FK on 145.750 for confirmation in case of inclement weather.
We plan to be at four different locations and use ALDIS lamps to try and communicate between ourselves, passing messages etc.
The locations are as follows.
ALPHA... at Crete Road West.
BRAVO... at Martello Tower at East Cliff.
CHARLEY at the Grand Hotel Folkestone on the roof.
DELTA... at the old Shorncliffe Church up the Tower.
We are looking to have at least four operators at each location.
Equipment required for each group would be...
Binoculars, Compass (ideally a hand bearing compass), Notepad and pens, 12Volt battery or similar type power supply.
Each group will be issued a Signal Projector and a sealed envelope.
Each station will have ONE message to SEND, ONE question to ANSWER and ONE REPLY to give. In case this should prove insufficient challenge, then once the three requisite signals are completed, stations may feel free to conduct free-speech qso's until they get bored or all other stations have run out of power or puff and gone home!
It is anticipated that operators will bring 2m handhelds with them but it must be stressed that the scenario of this exercise is in the spirit of clandestine communications that occurred in WW1 and WWII.
I anticipate using the HH's between 18:00 and 19:50 to-
(1) Ensure that all operators are in position
(2) Confirm that equipment is working properly
(3) Aid with locating the visual positions of other stations
From 18:50 there will be a ten minute period of silence before the commencement of the exercise. You are asked to maintain radio silence from 19:00 until completion of the exercise unless it is absolutely essential that the silence should be broken.
The starting time of the exercise will be 19:00 hours prompt so this means that an 18:00 arrival time at the site to allow time for the manning of the station, checking working of the equipment and locating the other stations. Entry to the Tower Theatre (ex Garrison Church) will be by the door closest to North Road - i.e. the North Door. Please be as quiet as possible as stage rehearsals will be in progress. Access to the top of the tower is by spiral staircase and ladder so extra care needs to be taken. As always, these events are undertaken AT YOUR OWN RISK and you will be asked to sign a disclaimer form to this effect.
Access to the roof of the Grand is similarly tricky.
Crete road West and the Martello Tower on the East Cliff will present their own problems but skilfully used Common Sense should prevail!
1) AA AA AA etc is used for calling up and is repeated until the station being called replies with-
2) TTTT
3) If we have a sufficient supply of Aldis lamps, two will be supplied to each station. If a station is called but is busy working another station, the number 3 operator (if their is one) will reply with WAIT. Alternatively, we may have to set up some sighted lamps and just use one long flash to indicate this.
This should all add to the fun and the chaos on which should prove to be a challenging evening! The definitive "Rules of Engagement" will be distributed to everyone (Draught2) before the event.
4) As soon as the Calling Up station has been acknowledged he can start sending his message (err on the side of slowness please) and at the completion of each word, he must wait until a T is received. If no T is received he must send that word again and repeat until the word has been acknowledged with a T.
5) AAA is a full stop or decimal
6) EEEEEE is Erase
7) C = affirmative, NO = Negative, OK = Correct, R = Received
8) RPT = "I Repeat" or "Please Repeat"
9) AA = All After, AB = All Before, BN = All Between
10) WA = Word or group after, WB = Word or group before
11) At the end of the transmission, the signal AR should be sent to which the reply should be R indicating that the whole signal has been copied and understood.
12) NOW!!.... at this point, if there is no breaker waiting for (e.g. Station Alpha, assuming that this was the calling up station in the example above) then (e.g. Station Beta, if that was the receiving station) Station Beta could immediately come back with his Reply Question to Station Alpha, however, station Beta should start with AA AA AA again.
If however, Station Charley has been acknowledged with a WAIT and is standing by, then Station Alpha could swing round and transmit TTTT ready to receive Station Charlie's signal. If Station Beta was slow of the mark then they would obviously receive a WAIT from Station Alpha's No.3.
This is as far as I have got at the moment, although the messages have been roughly prepared, but I will not go any further until I see what reception this gets at the FADARS meeting on 2nd July after which I shall try to tidy these notes up and re-issue the second draught.
(This was received with enthusiasm by those attending FADARS and we extend an invitation to ALL local clubs to join in with us for this unique experiment!
73, de Denis, G0SLJ and Stan, G6ZNW at FADARS
