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A Brief History of ZS1AL - ZS6HS Bert's interest in Radio started in Capetown in 1925 when he helped by neighbour to make xtal set using goniometer tuning-galena xtal in cup and catswhisker. In 1930 He helped make shortwave receivers Magic 2 and 3 ex Popular Wireless - for sale During 1933 He made his own 1-v-1 receiver for 40 metre band to listen to hams In 1934 He and a school friend climbed Table Mountain with portable 5 metre rig and worked several ZS1's.
1935 Licensed as ZS1AL wef 31 January Home made rigs for 40 and 20 plus 5 metres using Type 45 valve with base removed and long lines as TX - CW operation using home made electron ic bug key - dots only 1936 Made 2x 5 meter rigs with extra turn to move frequency lower - so must have been on or near 50 Mhz- 6 metres ! These used for air ground traffic control for first SA Grand Prix at Pollsmoor race track Operated in Puss Moth aircraft Engine QRM could not be entirely overcome. 1937 On 2 October copied Alexander Palace TV sound on 41.5 Mhz using new Ultra Skyrider VHF rx QSL by CE BBC This was longest reception of a VHF signal until ZS1P made a crossband QSO with PA0UN in March 1947 In 1938 10 Metres added and worked In 1939 Station packed up May/ June .Now doing weekly practices wih Army Wireless Set No1 as a member of the SA Corps of Signals 1940 - 1945 War service East and North Africa and Italy 1946 On 18 January relicensed as ZS6HS in Potchefstroom Used home brew 10 metre rig and band was wide open 1947 Moved to Pretoria .6 meter licence approved Operated from old Y signal station on Garison Hill -On 12 November worked MD5KW Ken Willis in Canal Zone for first 6 meter dx On 16 November worked ZS1AX Capetown after being alerted by ZS6BT who made first QSO All of us were majors in signal corps and QSOs were made without prior arrangement Rigs were AM and each station was on own frequency Transceivers had not yet arrived ! 1948-49 2metres added with home brew rigs and QSOs made with Johannesburg stations Few stations were on as there were no Japanese black boxes and 2 meter construction was not easy 1953 - 1973 reduced working due to building home and raising a family ! and movig to Johannesburg 1968 1974 -1980 At instigation ZS1BI worked almost daily on satellites and made many antenna arrays to cope Station included all bands to 1296 with a 100 watt PA AND 70 mHZ with 400 watts intended for EME but due to poor location and destruction of dish by a hailstorm was not pursued.
1980 Retired October 17 on 65th birthday 1982-3 Attempted TEP with SV2AB using 30 ft antenna Signal was detected 1983 - 2000 Almost daily 2 metre tests with ZS6LW and ZS2C , both now SK, plus few others On 6 metres worked ZR1L now ZS1TX on packet We also worked all modes of propagation as well as by digipeating through the ISS on 2 metres Continued working satellites AO 10 and 13 with over 100 countries on each using 2 metres 70 cms and 23 cms Took part in annual VHF/UHF contests coming first in 1984 and 1997 Also in PEARS contests - being first on 2 metres in 1999, 2000 to 2007 - The year 2001 saw introduction of WSJT modes and took part in early morning MS Also used PSK31 and PSK 125 in local trials Am fully set up for these modes
General - 2007 - Shack is being reorganised to use FT857 and 817 rigs with notebook computer Station equipment: HF - FT 857D Zepp ant SPC Tuner 2M - FT221R to 160 watt PA 10 / 10 Slot or 2 x 7 yagi IC 260E to 70 watt PA 5/8 Vertical 70cm - FT857D ( NO 2 ) 100 Watt or 400 watt PA,s 2 x 17 el H yagi or 2 x 25 el V yagi 23cm - MM Converter 100 watt PA 25 el Loop yagi 13cm - Transverter + 2 watt PA 5 turn helix 90 cm dish ( not set up transverter faulty )
Bert Howes ZS6HS is truely one of the more active pioneers of
the VHF & higher freq spectrum in Africa. Bert we want to thank
you for your hard work in showing us the way. |
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