Foto: Distansie tussen die Ou George Vliegveld en Ou George Lugvaart Radio Baken (Klik op foto om te vergroot.)
(This article is also available in English. Scroll down, please. )
(Red. = Die onderstaande artikel loop hand aan hand saam met die Ou George Vliegveld wat die 61 Vlieg Skool tydens die Tweede Wereld Oorlog gehuisves het vanaf 1940 tot 1945. Dit is nie bekend of die radio baken wat deur Ernie Brickhill instand en operasioneel gehou was, ook vanaf 1940 tot 1945 gebruik was deur die vlieg skool nie. Wat egter wel bevestig is, is dat die George Lugvaart Radio Baken wel gebruik is tot en met 1977 toe die nuwe George Lughawe in diens geneem is. Ek sal in 'n opvolg artikel meer inligting bekend maak rondom die 61 Vlieg Skool in George.)
Ernie Brickhill ZS1V - George Lugvaart Radio Baken Operateur en Radio Amateur (1950 - 1966)
Chris ZS1FA skryf:
In die begin van 1950 het die eerste radio amateur, Ernie Brickhill (Brickey) ZS6JB vanaf Germiston hom hier op George kom vestig. Die roepsein ZS1V is aan hom toegeken en sy woning was op die terrein waar die GAME – Winkelsentrum (Red. Vandag Checkers Hyper in York St) vandag gebou staan. 'n Houtgebou op die terrein het die George Lugvaart Radio Baken gehuisves.
Foto: 813 Lamp soortgelyk wat in die lugvaart radio baken gebruik was. (Klik op foto om te vergroot)
Die baken sender was in ‘n oop metaalrak ingebou met al die radio lampe duidelik sigbaar. Die finale stadium van die sender was ‘n 813 lamp wat ongeveer 250 watt RF uitgestuur het. Die sender was beheer deur ‘n stel elektro-meganiese herleiers wat reëlmatig met elke 3 sekondes tussenpouse stadig die letter G in morse kode uitgestuur het. Die baken was bedoel vir lugverkeer (meestal Dakotas vliegtuie) wat veral in mistige weer oor George hul posisie moes bepaal.
Foto: Dakota Vliegtuig - Will Blunt (Klik op foto om te vergroot)
Oor die hele terrein versprei was vyf, 30 meter hoë radio maste wat oorhoofs aan mekaar ge-anker was en tussen hulle was ‘n reuse dubbel gevoude dipool antenna met oop voerlyne aan die baken gekoppel. ‘n Ou floresent buislig wat altyd naby die lugdraad instemmer gestaan het, het genoeg RF ontvang om spontaan op maat van die morse kode sein te flikker. Bricky het dan ook geweet as die buislig nie meer helder genoeg brand nie, is daar iewers fout.
Bricky se hok was dan ook my eerste kennismaking met amateur radio. Sy sender was tuisgebou in ‘n metaal rak en was gehuisves in ‘n selfgemaakte “hok” van dennehout skaal-planke. Binne die “Hok” was dan sy sender met ‘n 813 lamp in die finale stadium, gekoppel met ‘n oop voerlyn aan ‘n drie-draad gevoude tweepool vir 80 en 40 meter. Op 20 meter het hy ‘n drie element wyd gespasieerde rigstraler gebruik en gedurende die DX seisoen was ek elke aand daar om saam met Bricky DX te “jag”. Die rigstraler kon gedraai word met die “arm strong method” – twee toue wat deur die hok se venster na buite gegaan het. Die ontvangstel was ‘n Hammerlund HQ129X met ‘n R.M.E. VHF 152 voorversterker wat vandag nog in my besit is.
Foto: Hammerlund HQ129X HF Receiver (Click op foto om te vergroot)
Foto: 1947 VHF-152A Omskakelaar vir 10, 6, en 2 meter amateur radio bande. (Click op foto om te vergroot)
Bricky was veral bekend vir sy toetse op 6m en 2m. Sy antenna op twee meter was die gewilde “5 over 5” rig-straler bo-op die 30 meter hout toring wat by sy huis gestaan het. Ek moes van tyd tot tyd die rigstraler gaan nasien en moes dit ook vir hom gaan afhaal toe hy vanaf George verhuis het.
Bricky het gereeld met ‘n stasie in Port Elizabeth gesels. Ek dink dit was OK Van vd Merwe ZS2Y. Saans het Bricky se L.V, Thelma gereeld vir ons ‘n koppie tee gebring vir die lang ure tot laat na middernag op 20 meter.
Foto: 1950/60 era Ambulans ter illustrasie (Klik op foto om te vergroot)
George se Ambulans word toegerus met 'n Mobiele Radio
Nog ‘n interessante “eerste” vir daardie tyd was toe George se ambulans ‘n mobiele radio gekry het. Die tweerigting radio was deur Bricky tuisgebou en in die ambulans ge-installeer. Die mobiele antenna was met ‘n basis laaispoel gevoer en het uitstekend gewerk. Die roepsein, ZUG236 is aan die ambulans toegeken en Bricky was ZU235.
Die stelsel het soos volg gewerk:
George se ambulans het baie van die kleiner dorpe op die roete na Kaapstad bedien. Klinieke kon dan Bricky skakel en hy het op sy beurt die berig na die ambulans per radio oorgesein. Die frekwensie wat gebruik was was net buite die 80 en 40 meter bande. In Kaapstad was die ambulans in kontak met Ken Michell ZS1IR wat die veilige aankoms na Bricky oorgesein het.
Aan die begin van 1966 het Bricky afgetree en het hy en Thelma hulle in Duban gaan vestig, waar Bricky nog baie jare aktief was as ZS5P. Sy sleutel het op 26 Junie 1977 op die ouderdom van 72 jaar stil geraak.
Foto: Pyrex lugdraad isoleerders (Klik op foto om te vergroot.)
Dit was met ‘n seer hart dat ek ‘n paar jaar gelede staan en kyk het hoe werkers wat die terrein moes skoonmaak daardie pragtige hout-maste op die grond afsaag en omtrek. Ek het ‘n paar skaars Pyrex lugdraad isoleerders gered en gehou vir ‘n aandenking.
So onthou ek Ernie Brickhill ZS1V.
Chris Nortier ZS1FA (SK)
RED. Die artikel is vanaf Chris ZS1FA ontvang in 2006. Chris se sleutel het in 2017 stil geword.
English Version:
(Ed. = The article below goes hand in hand with the Old George Airfield which housed the 61 Flying School during the Second World War from 1940 to 1945. It is not known whether the radio beacon maintained and operational by Ernie Brickhill was also used by the flying school from 1940 to 1945. What is confirmed, however, is that the George Aviation Radio Beacon was used until 1977 when the new George Airport was put into service. I will provide more information about the 61 Flying School in George in a follow-up article.)
Ernie Brickhill ZS1V - George Aviation Radio Beacon Operator and Radio Amateur (1950 - 1966)
Chris ZS1FA writes:
In the early 1950s, the first radio amateur, Ernie Brickhill (Brickey) ZS6JB from Germiston, settled here in George. He was assigned the call sign ZS1V and his home was on the site where the GAME Shopping Centre (ED. Today Checkers Hyper in York St) is built today. The wooden building on the site housed the George Aviation Radio Beacon. The beacon transmitter was built into an open metal rack with all the radio lamps clearly visible. The final stage of the transmitter was an 813 valve that emitted approximately 250 watts of RF power. The transmitter was controlled by a set of electro-mechanical relays that regularly emitted the letter G in Morse code at intervals of 3 seconds. The beacon was intended for air traffic (mostly Dakota aircraft) which had to determine their position over George, especially in foggy weather.
Scattered throughout the site were five, 30-meter-high radio masts, anchored together overhead, and between them was a giant double-folded dipole antenna with open feeder lines connected to the beacon. An old florecent tube light that was always near the antenna tuner received enough RF to spontaneously flash in time with the Morse code signal. Bricky knew that if the tube light no longer burned brightly enough, that something was wrong.
Bricky’s shack was also my first introduction to amateur radio. His transmitter was home-built in a metal rack and was housed in a self-made “shack” of pine scale planks. Inside the “shack” was his transmitter with an 813 valve in its final stage, connected with an open feeder line to a three-wire folded dipole for 80 and 40 meters. On 20 meters he used a three element widely spaced directional beam and during the DX season I was there every night to “hunt” DX with Bricky. The directional beam could be turned with the “arm strong method” – two ropes that went outside through the hut’s window. The receiver was a Hammerlund HQ129X with an RME VHF 152 preamplifier which I still own today.
Bricky was especially known for his tests on 6m and 2m. His antenna on two meters was the popular “5 over 5” beam on top of the 30 meter wooden tower that stood at his house. I had to maintain the beam from time to time and also had to take it down for him when he moved from George.
Bricky regularly talked to a station in Port Elizabeth. I think it was OK Van vd Merwe ZS2Y. In the evenings Bricky's YL Thelma regularly brought us a cup of tea for the long hours until well after midnight on 20 meters.
George's Ambulance is being equipped with a Mobile Radio
Another interesting “first” for that time was when George’s ambulance got a mobile radio. The two-way radio was home-built by Bricky and installed in the ambulance. The mobile antenna was fed with a base loading coil and worked excellently. The call sign, ZUG236 was assigned to the ambulance and Bricky was ZU235.
The system worked as follows:
George's ambulance served many of the smaller towns on the route to Cape Town. Clinics could then call Bricky and he in turn radioed the report to the ambulance. The frequency used was just outside the 80 and 40 metre bands. In Cape Town the ambulance was in contact with Ken Michell ZS1IR who relayed the safe arrival to Bricky.
At the beginning of 1966 Bricky retired and he and Thelma settled in Duban, where Bricky remained active as ZS5P for many more years. His key fell silent on 26 June 1978 at the age of 72.
It was with a heavy heart that I stood and watched a few years ago as workers who were supposed to clean up the site sawed off and girded those beautiful wooden masts on the ground. I saved a few rare Pyrex aerial insulators and kept them as a souvenir.
That's how I remember Ernie Brickhill ZS1V.
Chris Nortier ZS1FA (SK)
EDIT. The article was received from Chris ZS1FA in 2006. Chris's key went silent in 2017.
