Message from the Chairman

Dear All,

I hope this finds you all in good spirits and awaiting the Location Area's. I have defined the areas in the Bylara Magazine with a few of the Ladies who have volunteered to cover those areas as Location Managers. So we are off to a good start. I sincerely hope that there will be more of you coming forward to volunteer for your area.

There is honestly not a lot for you to do in the organisation of this. I shall supply the List of Areas and the Clubs that are in those areas. It is too much at present to put into the Magazine. Each Location volunteer will be advised individually as to the nature of the job they will be doing.

Hopefully, the first job will be the biggest, in time, but there in after it will be on a Monthly update basis only. I will supply all the necessary paper work to begin with, and if it takes off, as I hope it will, then we can consider approaching the funding side at a later date. I hope this is agreeable with you all.

I have thought long and hard about this, and it follows a similar line to RSGB Location Area Map with the difference being in the areas where we have more lady operators. Like Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, with maybe a few alterations as and when necessary. As the saying goes, always open to further suggestions.

If you have any comments/suggestions to make about this subject, please contact me  by Email: carolonfraggle@tiscali.co.uk

I am in most days, and always check my emails morning and night. I will respond to any email I receive.

It has also been suggested that we hold a Meeting of all Members of Bylara at some point this year. The only the Venue is to be decided, suggestions please. I have had a couple. One is that we hold two Meetings, North of the Country and the other in the South but once again, what, where and when. It would probably be easier to hold the meet at an Event going on at the time, a Weekend stopover somewhere at the same time to include a mass advertising campaign at the said Rally at the same time to see if we can drum up new members/OM's.

I do please need your input on all these matters, so please use the method suggested above, and tell me what you want, where you want it and when (clean suggestions only Hi Hi). It can only happen if you all get involved in this.

Lets see what we can do, let's get this Club up, running, but most of all KNOWN.

To those of you ladies that have been with the Club, it may be that I had not been out of nappies (late starter) very long, you have done a wonderful job and there is no bigger praise than to say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF ALL THE MEMBERS HEARTS, and especially from me, for putting such faith in me as Bylara Chairman and still only an Intermediate Operator. Has come into your (our) Club, and seem to be trying to tell you how to do things that you probably already know. But I am willing to take the Bull by the Horns and make this work for us Ladies/OM's, so no one can say "Who" as I have heard many times during my stint as Chairman. We are BYLARA (British Young Ladies Amateur Radio Association) and we are proud of it, as I know you all are. All for one and one for all.

How about it Ladies are you willing to jump in the "not so deep end" with me and a few others who think this will work. They have backed it up by becoming Location Area Managers on behalf of the bigger Group. 

Will you give us your support as well, maybe not by becoming Location Managers, but by supporting your Location Managers when this is all underway.

I will leave this with you all now to decide for yourselves, remember I am approachable and I am here to support and hopefully to be supported.

73 & 88 de Carol 2E1RBH

Chairman (Bylara) (The Greatest thing Sliced Bread) Bylara that is!  Hi Hi!!

A YL DXPEDITION TO VANUATU AND TONGA - VK3DYL and VE7YL

I left Vancouver April 28th- 2005 - arriving at the airport, as always, very early for my flight. This was the first time that I was taking a radio station with me and I was really concerned about getting through security.  All those hours of worry were for naught - I sailed through security with just a wand waved over my 'radio' suitcase.   I had with me my TS50, power supply, some coax, my MFJ morse keyer in a small Pellican case, two antenna and various bits and pieces like screwdrivers, 9 v batteries for the keyer, fuses - etc etc.  I flew Air Canada to LA, picked up Air New Zealand and flew via Fiji to Auckland and then after another wait caught Air Vanuatu to Pt Vila. Over 22 hrs flying time plus hours sitting around at airports - a really long haul.

I met Gwen (VK3DYL), as planned, at breakfast on the 30th at the Melanesian Hotel in Port Vila. I walked down to the restaurant and there she was! We spent that day wandering around taking pictures and attempting to get our time clocks sorted out.

Vanuatu (pronounced Van-wah-too) prior to its independence from the UK and France in 1980 was known as the New Hebrides. Named by Captain Cook in 1884. It consists of 85 islands stretching 1176 km north-south. The capital is Pt Vila.  During WW11 Japan's advance through the Pacific had reached the Solomon Isl by 1942 when US forces arrived on the islands. Troops and supplies were massed in Luganville, on the island of Espiritu Santo for the great push.

Gwen and I stayed first with Cpt Bob Wyllie and his wife Cornelia.  Bob flies for Air Vanuatu and with his wife Cornelia run the Rainbow Gardens - the largest market and nursery garden in Vanuatu. On the Tuesday after arriving we went in to the radio inspectors office and applied for and got the call YJ0YL for us both to use. Needless to say we were very happy about this.  Bob helped us put up our dipoles between coconut trees and the house and we were able to feed the coax through our bedroom window where we set up our 'shack'!  Forty stayed up permanently and we found that with 40 our workhorse frequencies were 17m and 20m.  Because our bedroom/shack was close to other people sleeping we were only able to work CW at night.  With headphones and my keyer silent I was able to work as late as I liked. Cornelia took us to the Saturday market and we were able to browse to our hearts content through lovely fresh fruit and vegetables, a massive flower market and a craft section.  I bought a very nice over the shoulder bag woven by a lady from Pentecost Island.  All the islands and districts have a different kind of weaving with different patterns which mothers pass on to their daughters. We took a small ferry to Hideaway Island one evening for dinner - an island noted for its resort chef and for its underwater post box.  You write your note on a special card with a pencil and either you or someone swims out to a marked spot, dive down and mail your card in the special underwater post box.  This is emptied daily and your card then goes on its merry way.  From Pt Vila we headed north to the Island of Espiritu Santo and the lovely resort on Aore Island.  Here we had two cabins in the second row back from the sea but with plenty of trees for our dipoles.  Vanuatu is a malaria area so both Gwen and I were taking malaria pills.  Our cabins had large verandahs but we were able to set up our station inside away from the mosquitoes - luckily the coax just passed under the door from the verandah.  Our cabins were comfortable - bedroom (bed covered by mosquito netting), sitting room with two single beds which we used as sofas and a small bathroom.  Our meals were in the resorts main building and we definitely never missed.   Great chef!   A small boat ran regularly from Aore Island to Luganville and we were able to go 'to town' when propagation was poor mainly for the Internet cafe and to have coffee and a sticky bun at a local coffee shop.  Gwen and I are very good at finding such places wherever we might be!  Once again 17m, 20m and sometimes 40 were our main frequencies but we unfortunately had yet another session of band blackouts which meant more sticky buns on the mainland.  The weather was very hot and humid with temperatures on Gwens handy dandy clock thermometer hitting 32c at times.  We slept under the mosquito netting and burnt many mosquito coils.  We experienced 5 earthquakes while in Vanuatu - all smallish ones, always a surprise but as people there say better small ones than one big one! We were at dinner one night when one hit - we were just yards away from the beach - and the first thing I heard was the small stones at the waters edge rattling - strange sound - then came the shake.  The cooler season was just starting and the resort was gearing up for their busy season.  Not many Canadians make it to Vanuatu - off the beaten track.  We left on the 19th flying down to Pt Vila, overnighting there and on to Auckland the following day. Biny ZL2AZY, and her OM Merv drove up from their home near Plymouth to stay the night at our motel so that they could meet with us for a good long chat.  That afternoon Aola,ZL1ALE, her OM Dave, ZL1AMN and Celia, ZL1ALK, came over and we all sat by the pool and caught up with all the ZL news  The following morning we had to check out of the Motel by 11am so arrived at the airport very, very early for our 1015pm Air New Zealand flight. Fortunately the lady at the counter took pity on us and gave us passes to the 1st class lounge. We made good use of the lounge and snacked all day on their great food!!

Spread over 700,000 sq km of ocean, the Kingdom of Tonga comprises 171 islands (fewer than 40 are inhabited) and has just about everything you could desire in a South Pacific paradise.  The Tongans are about the most laid back people you'll ever meet.  This from the Lonely Planet Book on Tonga.   

We arrived there at  2:15am and were at our resort at 3am.  Dead tired!  We went into town that morning and met with Mr Lopete Palefau, the Radio Inspector, who issue us with the call A35YL for us both to use and A35EL for myself. Thought that sounded okay in CW though I never used it! Mr Palefau also came twice to visit us - once to inspect the station and the second time to deliver our signed radio licences. With the help of Sven - our host at Heilala resort - we got our 40m antenna up - this stayed up - found a spot for our dipoles - basically 20 and 17m.  The situation of the latter not ideal but we got out.  Would have preferred a bit more height and further away from buildings but we did well with what we had. Again propagation not wonderful. We enjoyed the downtown area and quickly found an internet cafe with good food, coffee, sticky buns, tropical fruit salad and of course email. A bus ride into town was 50 seniti and a taxi T$4.  We were fortunate enough to see the parade for the opening of Parliament and admired the school children who marched in perfect step. We also went to the cultural centre one evening to see Tonga dancing and to enjoy a typical Tongan feast.   On the Friday Richard, AI5P, arrived to set up also at Heilala.  This could have caused no end of trouble except he couldn't get his licence until the Monday and we were scheduled to leave that day for the North. The day before we left was Sunday and Richard went with us to the Centenary Chapel for service hoping that we would see the King.  Unfortunately we didn't see him but heard some of the most beautiful singing by the choir and congregation.  Sven told us that there were some 500 churches on the island. Sunday is dedicated to going to church, eating and being with family. Planes do not land on Sunday.   Local flights are somewhat uncertain as to schedules - you have to phone the morning of your flight to find out IF it is going, IF it has already gone or IF it WILL go! Regardless we made our flight on the 29th - only 20k of baggage so we left a LOT of stuff behind at Heilala with Sven.

Vava'u has an area of 90 sq km and is a lovely island. Quite hilly where Tongatapu was flat.  Our resort was about 100ft above the Port of Refuge and south of the town of Pangaimutu.  Our cabin a duplex with sitting room/bedroom combined and small bathroom.  There were trees enough out the back (with a huge pig in the garden nextdoor - anyway I thought he/she was huge!  We did not see eye to eye) and side of the cabin and the 'shack' was again put in my room.  40m stayed up and we were able to change the 20 and 17m dipole as we wanted.  One end of the antennas in trees - getting pretty good at heaving rocks over branches - Gwen forgot the slingshot - and the other attached to the roof of the duplex.  Once again we found an internet cafe with sticky buns and lovely tropical fruit salads.  Also a restaurant called the Dancing Rooster - a Swiss chef who served fresh crayfish - out of the water than morning!  Unfortunately that came to an end when we found that the supper hour turned out to be the one chance of getting into Europe on 20m.  Marcella Resort no longer has a chef so after that we had sandwiches and fresh fruit for supper served at our cabin so we could keep on the radio.  Now that is dedication as Gwen had bragged to her ham club how she was dining nightly on fresh lobster and red wine  The TS50 did a great job - we had just one scare when we set up in Vava'u with very high SWR - a session with the manual and a lot of muttering and we solved the problem.  The keyer behaved well too but went through a lot of 9v batteries.  We found that if we could be posted on a DX cluster we had it made and Gwen came to the conclussion that CW gets through with low power and dipoles far, far easier than SSB. She could call for an hour without a reply and I could get a pile-up in three minutes.  Gwen did not rush home to Oz to brush up on her CW though!  We loved both Vanuatu and Tonga.  The people so very, very kind and friendly. We returned to Nuku'alofa on June 8th and the following morning early Gwen flew out to Auckland on her way home to Melbourne.  I left that afternoon for Fiji, Los Angeles and Vancouver.  Not as successful with the number of QSOs as our last years trip to Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling but considering band conditions we did well I think and we met some wonderful, wonderful people and visited Paradise!

Elizabeth VE7YL

Island night at Aore resort Vanuatu

Left to right Gwen, VK3DYL, myself, Biny ZL2AZY, Aola ZL1ALE and Celia ZL1ALK

Gwen and I with our station in Tonga.