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Archive for March, 2020

New Zealand by radio from Wythall

March 27, 2020 By: Chris G3YHF Category: Club

11,640 miles – that’s the distance between Wythall and Nelson, on New Zealand’s South Island. 
 
On Saturday night Wythall Radio Club member Lee G0MTN and Roger ZL2RX made contact using amateur radio on the 40 meter band. 
 
The surprise was that Roger (see photo) used to be a local!
 
“I am a blown-away Black-country person having been born in Walsall.  I have been in New Zealand since 1968, but was raised in Alvechurch and schooled at Woodrush in Wythall.”
 
You can see their Morse Code contact here….

Roger was using a K2 transceiver (see photo below) and an Ameritron AL-811 linear amplifier putting out 500 watts. The antenna is a centre loaded 7.5 meter vertical with one counterpoise earth wire.
 
K2 Transceiver Kit
“I learned some Morse ability at Woodrush School in the early 1960s” says Roger “when Harry Clay our woodwork teacher started the “key clickers” lunch time club. It would be interesting to hear from any of the old timers like myself who remember that!”
 
Roger and Lee were taking part in the Commonwealth Contest, an annual 24-hour event in which radio amateurs in Commonwealth countries contact each other – scoring points for the number of contacts and different Commonwealth countries worked.

News from the sunny South West!

March 24, 2020 By: Chris G3YHF Category: Club, Fun, News

Wythall Radio Club’s members don’t just live in the Midlands!

Kev, G4XLO, who lives in Torbay, sent us news of his exploits.

“I’ve had a good weekend on the air – I logged 43 contacts, most of them on FT8 and FT4 (digital modes).  Also the odd one on Fusion and 2m FM with a local station in Exmouth that I got really chatty with as he is a dedicated QRP operator using no more than 10 watts on any band / mode.  

I logged one new one for the DXCC ladder at the weekend – Romania, not fantastic DX but another EU station I was after, that brings me upto 40 now for the year so far.  

On Saturday evening I head Argentina and Cuba coming in on FT8 on 20m and on Sunday morning Japan as well as China were audible but really weak.

West Coast USA was coming in quite strong over the weekend for me and I had 2 qso’s that were in the range of 4200 miles from my location.

I was out portable on Thursday as I left work early – I went to Daddyhole Plain and parked up for an hour, called CQ on 2m and 70cms FM but nothing came back. 

On the marine VHF channels it was all rather quiet in the Bay!!  There were a couple of ships moored in the area for shelter with a bit of general chit chat between them – that was about it!”

Follow Kev on twitter 

Awards galore for Wythall radio amateurs!

March 21, 2020 By: Chris G3YHF Category: Club, Fun, News

It’s been a great month for awards won by Wythall Radio Club members!

Lee G0MTN had a nice surprise!  In the post were two plaques from the ARRL – the US amateur radio association – commemorating his radio achievements.

The ‘5 band DXCC’ plaque is in recognition of having confirmed contacts with radio amateurs in 100 countries on each of five different amateur radio bands. 

Lee also received the DXCC Challenge 3000 Award.  Lee received the initial award which is earned by working and confirming 1,000 DXCC band-points.  One band-point is scored each time a new country is contacted and confirmed on each of the global amateur bands from 160 meters to 6 meters. 

It’s taken a lot of hard work! And still plenty to do to get to 3,000!

Meanwhile Chris G0EYO – who leads our Club’s training programme – was the leading Wythall RC entrant in the Midland Inter-Club GMT competition, organised by Solihull Amateur Radio Society.  Full details of the competition and awards are available here.

Well done Chris and Lee!

Wythall radio friendships span the globe

March 17, 2020 By: Chris G3YHF Category: Club, Fun, News

Jamie M0SDV – a keen amateur radio operator and member of Wythall Radio Club – had a long chat ‘on air’ with Brian, call sign 9J2BO, in Lusaka Zambia.  Jamie (photo below) and Brian used Morse code on the 12-meter amateur radio band.Image result for 9j2bo

Following this, Brian personally delivering a QSL card confirming the contact to Jamie’s friend Phillipp (aged 21). 

Phillipp is a German radio amateur – callsign DK6SP – who also operates from Chisamba Zambia at the DXpedition station 9J2LA.  The DXpedition station was set up to activate Zambia, a country with few radio amateurs. 

Jamie comments: “It never seizes to amaze me how we are connected in the hobby not only on the airwaves, but by friendships that are built for a lifetime.”

The picture left shows Brian 9J2BO handing M0SDV’s QSL card to Philipp 9J2LA.