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Archive for 2016

Foundation Licence Course starting in January – Book now!

December 28, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, News, Training

From Training Co-ordinator Chris G0EYO…  

“We still have a few places remaining for our January Foundation Class.

It starts on Monday 16th January taking place in the club rooms, 8pm-10pm for 7 Monday evenings. (If Monday nights do not work for you though, please note that we plan an online version of the course starting in late February/ early March. More news about that later.)

The fully inclusive fee for the classroom course is £40, payable before the start.

It is important that you are able to attend every session, as each week there is some compulsory practical work which has to be signed off before you can take the final exam.”

Contact g0eyo(at)blueyonder.co.uk or click here for more details. 

Foxhunt Winners

December 27, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

The M0GJM Trophy, won by Jon and “Santa Phil”

Colin M0GJM was a much-loved member of WRC and when he tragically was taken from us 3 years ago, Wythall Radio Club Members inaugurated the M0GJM Trophy for our annual Christmas “Foxhunt”, something Colin loved.

This year the trophy was as keenly contested as ever, with 5 teams driving around the Warwickshire countryside trying to find the transmitting “fox” with a variety of directional beam antennas.

This year the victors were Jon M0JMM and Phil 2E0WTH, who seemed to be disguised as Santa!

Well done lads, and thanks to all the participants who ended their morning’s entertainment with a nice carvery…  
…well, it’s traditional!

Latest Club Newsletter available

December 27, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

The January 2017 edition of the Wythall Radio Club Newsletter is now online!

Just click here or on the Newsletter Graphic in the left hand sidebar…

…and enjoy!

GB7SO has closed down permanently

December 16, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, News

We are sorry to announce that the GB7SO D-STAR repeater has been switched off permanently due to issues with both Tx and Rx and and subsequent small usage patterns.

Thank you for your support over the years it has been running.

There is more information on the GB7SO page on this site.

If there is any further news of D-STAR in Wythall, we will post it here in future.

Thank you again for your support.

WRC Christmas Contest starts soon!

December 10, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News

It will soon be that special time of year again, when the airwaves around Wythall (and a bit further afield too!) will be full of stations exchanging numbers. 

David G7IBO won the contest for the first time last year

No it’s not a spy extravaganza, it’s just the Wythall Radio Club Christmas Contest again!
Members are encouraged to work each other as often as possible between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. 

The rules are a little difficult to explain here, but fret not, as contest supremo Lee G0MTN is on hand this Tuesday to help out.

Pop down to the Committee Meeting in the shack at 20:30 and once it is over, you can catch up with Lee’s latest Contest Update – there will doubtless be a few tweaks to enhance the event – it is all about “having fun with RF” as our club motto states, and it invariably lives up to its name.

The usual place of course, Wythall House, B47 6LZ. 

Christmas Party Time at WRC

December 07, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

This Saturday, 10th December, is a very special date in Wythall Radio Club’s Calendar. It is the date for our annual Christmas Party. 

Party

Members come along, bringing friends & family and anyone who is a friend of the club, and we basically just have a lot of fun together!

We hire one of the larger rooms (with bar, of course!) at Wythall House and have a mixture of excellent food and drink (in the “American Supper” style), live entertainment, games, raffles, and even a skittle alley!

Great chat, a relaxed friendly atmosphere and a “no pressure” environment, it’s the perfect way to start the festive season off with friends.

This Saturday in the Britannia Room at Wythall House, Silver Street, Wythall from 19:30.

IOTA Successes

September 25, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News

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Lee G0MTN operating G4WAC/P through the night

Cast your mind back a few weeks and you will recall that members of Wythall Radio Club were out have fun with RF on the field at Wythall Park.

As part of our annual BBQ and Field Day, we also put in an entry for the RSGB Islands on the Air contest.

Well the provisional results are out and it’s good news all round!

Our club station G4WAC finished 3rd in the mixed mode Low Power section, while Jamie 2E0SDV, our 16 year old member, looks like finishing 2nd in the SSB assisted High Power section, while operating as MS0YHC from the Orkneys.

Certificates all round then, we hope. We should tip the hat in the direction of Stan & Lee who pretty much ran the station for the full 24 hours. Well done, guys!

Latest Club Newsletter out!

September 10, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News, Training

Click here for the latest Wythall Radio Club Newsletter. nl

The September edition features news about an Online QSL request system run by club member Tim M0URX; G0MTN’s adventures in Meteor Scatter this summer; the trials of fitting a workable HF antenna in a small garden; news on 2E0SDV’s Expedition to the Orkney Isles for IOTA (while the rest of us had a BBQ in a field!) and the usual training updates and President’s letter.

It’s great read, so why not have a look at it now? Click here for more!

A Day in the Park

August 31, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News, Training

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M0JMM Plug ‘n’ Playing…

Before the British Summer comes to an end, the members of Wythall Radio Club are planning a day outside!

This Sunday we will be on the field at Wythall Park from 09:30 onwards having what we call a “Plug ‘n’ Play Day”.

This is where we invite you to bring along your portable set-ups to try out, test a new aerial if you like, or get some advice from some of our most experienced operators…

With HF and 2m contests on over the weekend, there will be plenty of stations to work. So why not charge up that old FT-817 or dig out your vintage gear or maybe bring your home-built QRP rig and join us?

Look for us behind the Scout Hut near the Rugby pitch at Wythall House B47 6LZ. The weather is set fair so it should be fun!

Antenna Maintenance time

August 28, 2016 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

Summertime – when the weather is good – it’s the perfect time for radio amateurs to pay attention to our metalwork in the sky – and so it has been this weekend at Wythall Radio Club.

A working party has been busy re-erecting and re-aligning our many antennas on our club mast at Wythall House.

Thanks to the help of friends of the club, professional riggers Vinny and Craig, we were able to take all the antennas down, replace the stub mast at the top of the tower and put some new hardware up to help keep the antennas safe in the coming winter storms.

All 5 beam antennas are now back in place, aligned, and with a lighter, shorter pole with extra bracing.

Thanks to all who gave up their precious bank holiday weekend time to help with this project – it means we will have improved our transmitting station considerably in readiness for the dark nights.

Some photos from the weekend are below…