Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
PUBLISHER'S LETTER
Leo Simpson, B.Bus.
Editor
Greg Swain, B.Sc.(Hons.)
Technical Staff
John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.)
Robert Flynn
Darren Yates
Reader Services
Ann Jenkinson
Advertising Manager
Paul Buchtmann (02) 979 5644
Mobile: (018) 28 5532
Regular Contributors
The North Head UHF translator:
much ado about nothing
Just over a year ago, in the March 1990 issue of SILICON CHIP, I wrote a
"Publisher's Letter" commenting on the controversy over the UHF translator at Sydney's North Head. For many years, residents of Sydney's
beachside suburbs have been waiting for this installation so that they
could at last enjoy ghost-free and noise free TV reception .
This month, the North Head UHF translator is scheduled to go into
operation. We sincerely hope it does, partly because this issue features a
UHF corner reflector antenna which we think will be a timely project. It
seems as though all the conservationists who protested about the installation have finally had their fears allayed (or have gone on to oppose other
developments) and the project has come to fruition.
But consider what an enormous waste of time it has all been. The North
Head UHF translator was first planned in the mid-seventies and should
have been in operation shortly after the Kings Cross UHF translators were
installed. Has the project benefitted from the delay? Of course not and
neither have all the viewers who have waited all these years.
Which means there are some lessons to be learnt. For their part, people
concerned about the environment should not mindlessly oppose every
new development on the vague premise that some animal habitat or the
quality of life will be destroyed. That leaves them open to the latest
politicians' epithet of "greenie" or worse, "ratbag greenie". Second, any
company or organisation planning a large development should do their
homework and make sure that all the pros and cons are fully explained to
the public. If that is not done, there is bound to be a hue and cry.
Interestingly, while the North Head UHF translator was subject to a lot
of opposition, what about all the antenna towers for the burgeoning
cellular telephone networks in every Australian city? They have gone in
with hardly a ripple. And let's face it, they are ugly and they're often right
in the middle of prime residential areas.
As far as I am concerned, if the cellular telephone towers can go ahead
without problems, there is no real reason why all the other planned UHF
translators for Sydney's difficult reception areas can't be installed without further delay. Don't you agree?
Leo Simpson
Brendan Akhurst
Jennifer Bonn itcha, B.A.
Garry Cratt, VK2YBX
John Hill
Jim Lawler, MTETIA
Bryan Maher, M.E., B.Sc.
Jim Yalden, VK2YGY
Bob Young
Photography
Stuart Bryce
Editorial Advisory Panel
Phi lip Watson, MIREE, VK2ZPW
Norman Marks
Steve Payor, B.Sc., B.E.
SILICON CHIP is published 12 times
a year by Silicon Chip Publications
Pty Ltd. All material copyright ©. No
part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent of the publisher.
Printing: Magazine Printers Pty Ltd,
Alexandria, NSW; Macquarie Print,
Dubbo, NSW.
Distribution: Network Distribution
Company.
Subscription rates: $42 per year
in Australia. For overseas rates, refer to the subscription page in this
issue.
Liability: Devices or circuits described in SILICON CHIP may be
covered by patents. SILICON CHIP
disclaims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the manufacturing or selling of any such
equipment.
Editorial & advertising offices:
Unit 39, 5 Ponderosa Pde, Warriewood, NSW 2102. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach,
NSW 2097. Phone (02) 979 5644.
Fax (02) 979 6503.
ISSN 1030-2662
] UN E 1991
3
| 
