wythall radio club

Chris and Lee on the TS590 HF station operating CW and SSB

Last weekend was the occasion of the International Museums on the Air  Weekend and WRC rose to the challenge magnificently activating  The Wythall Transport Museum and operating  three stations   as London Routemaster buses , Vintage Morris Vans and curious visitors  wandered past our site.

The special callsign of GB0BUS had been assigned to us for the occasion

Under the protection of 3 gazebos (assembled the day before in Chris G3YHF  logistical masterplan) the Club operated an HF station (the Club’s TS590 on HF- voice and CW- 40/20 and 15 metres on the OFCD) and  a K3  providing  digital  contacts on a 17 metre flat top dipole. Les 2E0LRV provided the VHF coverage from his well-equipped Landrover

Phil takes questions on how the ‘Easy-up’ Gazebo got its name

The dipole and OFCD were positioned the day before with the aid of Dave’s  (G3YXM) magical catapult and open faced fishing reel (a real art of casting this!) and although short of room in our operating corner the two  HF antennas eventually performed well despite some initial inter- antenna reaction!! 

In all some 49 stations were worked including: Cyprus, Isle of Man, Canada, USA (Texas), Kazahkstan, Iceland and many similarly minded Museums on the Air stations listed below:

In all some 20 separate DXCC  countries were worked and the following Special Event stations

YQ0RN Radionostalgia – Brusturi- GB2ST Standedge Tunnel -GB2KDR Keith and Dufftown Heritage Railway Museum- GB1MHM Moseley Heritage Museum  (not our Moseley) GB2SPY wasn’t in the official list but is a museum special event- GX3EFX The Forties Experience- GB2CPM Amberley Museum- GB0MFM Moira Furnace Museum-MX0WGS Wings Museum-GB0WFX (not Museum, but 110th anniversary of Northampton Club)- GB2RRM Ramsey Rural Museum- GB2ST Standedge Tunnel- GB0MMH (not Museum but Men’s Mental Health special event.)

50 QSOs  were made on SSB / CW/FT8 (49 different stations – one station called us a second time after an earlier QSO.)

Les’ trademark Land Rover and self-contained VHF station

The Assembly and operating team for the event were Chris G3YHF, Ian M0LQY (digital and console operator!), Roger M0GWM (main and invaluable logistic haulier), John M6KET, Phil 2E0WTH, Les 2E0LRV, Lee G0MTN and Dave G3YXM for his invaluable help in getting the antennas hoisted.

Visitors to the site during the day  included Mike G4PVD, and a number of lapsed licence holders who were hopefully inspired to revisit the hobby.

Would we do it again? .. yes it was an excellent opportunity to showcase amateur radio, show our enthusiasm for the hobby,  and get out and about in the community:  a really good Club  and team event .

Just look at the reach of Ian’s FT8 signal

Ian M0LQY and visitor Richard view the world through FT8 on 17metres

Lee G0MTN  heroically entered the National Field Day 24 hour contest  last weekend , operating alone in his garden , using low power (QRP) with a battery pack and topped up with a solar cell. Such was the heat in in the gazebo during the day that the 3D printed paddle started to melt and the laptop overheated!

During the night the opposite occurred and 4 layers of clothing , a winter coat and thermal trousers failed to keep Lee warm: under these harsh conditions Lee reports that the last hour of the contest was a real challenge.

Lee’s full report appears below:

‘I operated the RSGB National Field Day CW contest from the garden. The rules say no existing structures are to be used, so I put up a gazebo and ran a 250 foot doublet as the main antenna. I didn’t want to use a generator, so opted for one of the QRP sections and ran on a battery being refreshed by a solar panel in the daytime. The antenna was mounted on a 12m Spiderpole. I used my trusty FT817 as the transceiver.

I didn’t have any real aspirations other than to give it a serious go.  I’ve not entered NFD properly for a long time, and never QRP.  The build went successfully, and the antenna seemed to tune ok.

As the contest began at 4pm Saturday I started the process of tuning up and down the band, trying some CQ’ing, and repeating on other bands as propagation and activity beckoned. At the right moments I could call CQ and get responses, although overall CQ’ing brought one third of the contacts and the majority came from tuning and calling others.

As expected I almost only worked Europe – there were a few USA stations early morning on 20m, and then later on 15. Canary Islands, and a non-counting Asiatic Russian. I did hear 5V4ZJ, 9N7AA, VP2MKP, Brazil and others but they were ‘gotaways’. But discounting the DX, even France or Wales weren’t easy multipliers on easy bands. I moved Chris G3YHF from 40m to 10m to get an extra multiplier there!

It was fun to put the club call on the air again for the full 24 hours. ‘

Lee’s  tally of points was impressive as shown in the final table submitted   

A total of 639 QSO’s with 129 separate DX entities worked and a final magnificent score of  249357  (129×1933)

Kevin 2E0NCO proudly displaying his Dad’s  Trophy and  Shield

A  moving service paying affectionate tribute to Jim’s life was held this morning at Lodge Hill Crematorium attended by family: members of Wythall Radio  Club also attended or watched on line.

Feeling on top of the world is Clive (formerly known as M7OCB) who recently passed his intermediate examination and has now become 2E0IKN

Inspired by his success Clive, a keen SOTA operator , will now go on to study for the full licence in the Autumn. Delighted to have passed Clive paid  tribute to the excellent on- line tuition of  Wythall’s very own G0EYO who has introduced so many  into the hobby; he is crossing his fingers that G0EYO may again be one of his on-line tutors for the full licence course.

The good weather has encouraged many operators to venture out and to prepare for future outings.

Down on the South Coast Kev has received the SOTA pole ordered and is actively experimenting with different antenna options, in particular getting down to the sea front (Torquay) to take the salt water advantage.

Kev writes “I’ve got three portable antennas I can use , a shortish 7m ish random wire, a 20m length long wire as well as the dipole: plan to test one antenna per evening and see which one works best”

He has also been out and about on the Moors (See picture right) operating mobile for the car.

Lee G0MTN meanwhile is planning a National Field Day   CW QRP entry from his garden but has warmed up nicely on Minehead Sea front making 32 CW contacts over the recent contest weekend (WW WPX CW) using only 2.5 watts and a FT817 to the much discussed Miracle whip.

To avoid unwanted attention whilst operating Lee can set up in minutes, croc clip a random wire to the back of the 817 and sit innocently on a sea front bench working the USA and Canada and many  European stations, all on his miracle whip.

In preparation for the NFD weekend on June 3rd and 4th Lee writes:

“I’ve built a linked doublet (see picture). It’s a commonly used idea in NFD- to have a longer antenna overnight for the low bands  and shorten it to make the antenna more efficient during the day on the higher bands. For QRP work my junk box phono connectors will hopefully suffice” 

And finally Chris G3YHF in Manjana is feeling the heat and  has taken the sensible option and retreating  for a cold beer planning to erect a 10m dipole in the near future!! (See picture below left)

All this recent activity has generated some very informed and lively discussion within Wythall Radio Club on  SOTA and portable operating; we are indeed lucky to have such expertise available in the Club

Watch this space as we prepare for the GB0BUS  operation at The Wythall Transport Museum on Saturday  17th June. We would be delighted to see interested parties so do come along , see our operating stations and enjoy a friendly chat and ask questions about the amazing Wythall Radio Club

More information on all our  events to follow

Chris G0EYO has participated in every Easter Wythall Radio Club Contest since its inception 25 years ago but this is the first time he has won the All Bands section and is the happy recipient of the G0ICJ shield (see pic).

This contest, and its older companion, the WRC Christmas contest (37 years old as of 2022) is a great way of getting members on the air over a holiday period and getting points for working each other.

Winning often takes stamina, determination and ingenuity, none of which Chris possesses, so he puts his success purely down to luck!

Although this year’s contest had its sadness due to the passing of its most successful participant; Jim 2E0BLP a short while after the contest finished, it was inspiring that despite his deteriorating health condition, Jim actually won the FM section for the 7 th time.

Chris says he was “honoured to share the winner’s platform with the manwho was known to all as the “Voice of the Midlands”

Coming soon ..

the sun is out .. the sky is blue and is that the sound of  young  birds twittering in the  green foliage?.. no .. it’s members of Wythall  Radio Club warming up for the national CW Field day on the Weekend  of June 3rd-4th. 

Watch this space!

GB0BUS will be on the air this Saturday, 17th June, celebrating International Museums on the Air day.

Wythall Radio Club is almost ready  for its special event station at the Transport MuseumWythall.  A team of operators will be on air throughout the day from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m as the Club showcases Amateur radio in its many forms: operation will take the form of VHF.. HF (CW/SSB and Digital)- and members will be on hand to give out promotional material for the Club and hobby and answer any questions from the Public

Our ‘BUS’ call-sign suffix celebrates the Museum’s collection of vintage buses, and also the visit of Routemaster Association’s London bus collection on the same weekend.  

There is even more for vehicle fans, as that weekend is the 75th anniversary of Morris J-Type vans and many will be on display.

There will be nothing vintage abut the operating team though as they demonstrate the mental agility  and stamina required for this type of operation.

But before that on Friday our members will be erecting antennas for multi-band and multi-mode operation.  We will also be testing our rigs and associated gear.

We would be delighted to see any member able to come along and say hello and really welcome the opportunity to demonstrate our wonderful Hobby to visitors on the day.

We look forward  to seeing you there!!

Wythall Radio Club Easter Contest 2023: Tears and Fond Memories

The Award ceremony was held recently for the 2023 Easter contest .

This annual  competition , held to simply stimulate Club activity on the bands , ran from Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday and is always fiercely contested!

There were a few tears and some lovely memories  shared as Lee G0MTN  presented the results  and , to no one’s surprise,  Jim 2E0BLP,  comfortably won the G6ZDQ Shield for the 2m/70cm  Contest 

 In a moving tribute Kevin 2E0NCO,  revealed  that despite Jim’s failing health,  how determined  his dad had been to take part and succeed in this Easter competition.

Maz , M6NKO, had been on hand to help Jim record his many contacts (see photo left) but sadly this was to be Jim’s final  competition for he died a few days later.

Jim’s record over the years in the Christmas and Easter competitions is simply astonishing with 12 wins: he can truly be hailed as Wythall Radio Club’s ‘Greatest of All Time’ 

Les  2E0LRV was second with 130 points and third place was held by Ian M0IDR with 80 points.

In the HF All Bands section  for The G0ICJ trophy,  Chris G0EYO  (pictured below) was a comfortable winner  followed by Chairman Chris G3YHF and Ian M0LQY.

Although numbers participating were smaller this year many other members submitted check logs  and there was certainly a flurry of activity over the Easter weekend

Our many thanks go to Lee G0MTN for yet again organising the Competition.

Future events won’t seem  quite the same without the much loved Voice of the Midlands.

Jim Tonge 2E0BLP SK 1934-2023 

It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of much loved and respected member Jim Tonge 2E0BLP, better known to all as the Voice of the Midlands at the age of 88 (he would have been 89 in May). Jim had been ill for some time and had been in and out of hospital since October 2022 before being released home this February to be with his family in his final days. But our Jim, he was a tough cookie and although seriously ill, he fought back and survived a couple more months just so he could participate in the club’s Easter contest, and although the results are yet to be officially published, Lee G0MTN our Contest organiser said “I’m sad we didn’t get to award him a trophy one more time, but I’m sure he realised he was at the top of the table once again as winner of the 2m & 70cm section”.  Sadly he took a turn for the worst immediately after the contest finished.

Jim was a very active member of the club for since joining in 1992 and particularly enjoyed the Christmas and Easter Club contests, of which he was often the leading station in both Easter and Christmas events. Out of 37 Christmas contests the club held, Jim won 5 times and for the 25 Easter contests he was top scorer 7 times. He had no equal. There was often strong competition between Jim and his son Kevin 2E0NCO for these top spots.

He helped out at all of the club ham rallies and was often to be found providing sustenance at club portable events such as field days, plug and play, special event stations and the summer BBQs. The club was able to show Jim how much we appreciated his enthusiasm for club events by naming a trophy after him last year. He was also very supportive through some difficult times at the club.  Jim’s involvement with radio started in the CB days of the 1980’s and Jim always had the odd CB radio around although I don’t believe he used it very often.

Jim was very much a family man and will be sorely missed by his daughters Susan, Diane and sons Kevin 2E0NCO and Jimmy, plus the 18 grandchildren. Jim’s wife Barbara sadly predeceased him in 2012. He always asked how you and your family where when you spoke to him: he genuinely cared about others. Jim was also a very keen angler, something he shared with the family. When his health permitted he would be off every Thursday to pit his wits against the piscatorial adversaries that swam in the local ponds and streams. They didn’t stand a chance. He also loved his garden and until his health started to decline, we could all look forward to the offer of plums and tomato plants that he grew every year.

As all that knew him would agree, he was a kind and gentle man, much loved by friends and family alike and someone who will be missed very much. RIP dear Jim. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that call again from up above  “Bravo Lima Papa Call”

                  Chris G0EYO with contributions from club members

Wythall Radio Club members celebrated World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) with a night on the air.

The Club’s Kenwood TS590SG was hooked up to our big doublet in the trees and members used our Club call GX4WAC.

We made contacts around Europe on 40m, and across ‘the pond’ to Canada on 20m (photo shows Ian M0LQY and Martin G8VXX in action).

Meanwhile Neil G1TZC had a nice QSO with 8Q7MZ in the Maldives to start his WARD activity – via QO-100, using the satellite system he has developed at home. 

The photo shows the 5 turn jar version of the ice cream cone (3d printed) helix antenna he recently built for the satellite uplink.

It is with sadness that we share the news that long time club member Vic Trend M0AEJ became a silent key last weekend. 

Antenna and QTH limitations meant he was never a huge signal from his home in Moseley, but he regularly entered club contests going back to the mid 90’s, and also took part in the RSGB Club Championship and UKAC events on 80m and 2m helping to boost the team scores. 

Vic also enjoyed the morse proficiency classes run before the regular Tuesday meetings.  Vic would also diligently take minutes for the club AGM’s year after year.

We understand that Vic’s funeral will be on 4th April at 3.30pm at Redditch crematorium.

Vic and Jane, his wife, at the Club’s summer barbecue; Vic building beam at National Field Day; Chris G0EYO and Vic building antennas at NFD; Vic in the field day caravan.

Lee G0MTN/ Chris G0EYO