1. The recently published The Old Timer by James B. Smith, VK9NS.
Cost: US$ 40.00 plus Postage and packing.
2. The Old Timer in CD format.
Cost: US$ 20.00 plus Postage and packing.
3. QRV, A DXer's Life for Me by Kirsti Jenkins-Smith, VK9NL.
Cost: US$ 15.00 plus Postage and Packing.
4. HEARD ISLAND ODYSSEY by Kirsti Jenkins-Smith, VK9NL, VK0NL. Cost: US$ 20.00 plus Postage and Packing (ex the USA.)
NB Payment by VISA and MasterCard accepted. Due to high bank charges we are unable to accept personal cheques.
THE OLD TIMER – 60 Years in the hobby of Amateur Radio. James B. Smith, (Jim) VK9NS, Norfolk Island.
My book is finally written and it is the story of my travel through life and my becoming involved in the hobby of Amateur Radio. I mention being dragged ‘kicking and screaming’ into the hobby but once there now feel that I have participated in the hobby in many ways.I have been lucky (if that is the right word) to have travelled extensively and often the travel has been related to Amateur Radio in the sense of DXpeditions. So within the pages of my book you will see that I have ‘been there and done that’ in no uncertain manner.It was the DXpedition to very remote Heard Island – now almost 25 years ago that focussd my mind - would I (and of course our group) actually survive, live to tell the tale?A sobering thought. I have always been interested DXing and being able to give something back to the hobby has been lots of fun and dare I say it often hard work. I also like the hobby in a practical way and have always been a home brewer and I also have a great interest in the administration of the hobby. In this first edition of The Old Timer it is my hope that you enjoy it, realise just how special our hobby is in an International sense. I would appreciate your acknowledgement of my copyright to the material and your purchase of The Old Timer is for your own personal use.
73 Jim, VK9NS, Norfolk Island.
The Old Timer is also offered in CD format. This has an advantages in these days of high postal charges.
The CD material may be sent by Air Mail to anywhere in the world for just a few dollars. It contains all of the original book material including the chapter coloured pictures. Also on the CD is the version used for the printing of The Old Timer, this has all chapter pictures in black and white.
QRV, A DXER’S LIFE FOR ME
Kirsti Jenkins-Smith, VK9NL
A collection of stories written by a ‘ resident’ DXstation operator who has also taken part in many a DXpedition to other, more remote , DX locations;from Heard Island deep in the southern ocean to Svalbard in the frozen north.
Travel with the author to such places as Howland Island, Murmansk, Sarawak, Japan and Willis Island.Visit Bhutan and meet the ‘Thunder Dragon!’
And what about our hobby?Will you recognise yourself in A Ham’s Farewell?Where did all the dears go?Do you remember how you tamed your first computer?Read The Taming of the Shrew and have a laugh at the ‘old days! This book contains 40 short tales on Amateur Radio in the 80’s and 90’s. Much has changed since those days.We are ‘on line,’ connected to cyber space with DX reflectors and web sites.Our rigs are almost ready to do without us.And, yet, it is only a few years since Jim, VK9NS made over 10,000 QSOs from Bhutan as A51JS, running 100 watts to a vertical antenna.Some call that ‘old fashioned.’Others call it ‘real ham radio.’Whatever it is called, I still call it magic – the way things were done only a decade or so ago.
HEARD ISLAND ODYSSEYREPRINTED 2008
After many inquiries and popular demand, Heard Island Odysseyis now available again after several years of having been out of print.
The book tells the complete story of the perilous journey to this remote and uninhabited island aboard an old whale chaser, the Cheynes II which had been chartered for the voyage in 1983. It shows how the vessel’s crew and expeditioners alike overcame the many problems which became evident as the ship steamed south through the ‘roaring 40’s.’ It was, however, the voyage home which would seriously test their mettle.Many of the photos contained in the book, are surely unique in the annals of seafaring.
Almost 1000 copies were sold worldwide after publication in 1985, and the book received may a favourable review in the Amateur Radio press,
Such is the wonders of modern technology and computers, that the re-creation of the original work was fairly easily achieved.
