wythall radio club

Wythall Radio Club put on a team effort for the Beavers of 1st Tidbury Green Scout Group.  As a result, 30 Beavers – aged 6 – 8 years – achieved their Communicator Badge and a Certificate of Achievement from the Radio Club.

We had 4 members working with the Beavers on a range of activities – learning how to send their names by Morse code (see photo), using licence-free walkie-talkies to pass secret messages using the phonetic alphabet, and passing a greetings message to 3 additional Club members on-air.  This used the Club’s 70cm repeater GB3WL.

As December is ‘Youngsters-on-the-Air‘ (YOTA) month, we used the special callsign GB19YOTA with the Beavers.  And a coordinator of this international YOTA month is Jamie, M0SDV, one of our teenage Club members.

It was a hectic hour but the Beavers threw themselves in to the activities and went away happy if exhausted.

Get on the air with an amateur radio licence by following Wythall Radio Club’s new free, on-line Foundation course starting in November.

The specially designed course provides you with an exciting introduction to the hobby.  After passing the straight-forward multiple choice exam, you can obtain your own callsign for use when communicating with other radio amateur operators worldwide.

This course is planned to start on the 25^th November and complete by 10^th of January with a one week Xmas break.  We will be using the new RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain) Syllabus introduced in Sept 2019. 

Wythall Radio Club’s tutors have many years experience and achieve a very high pass rate for their students.  

Students can study in their own time following this specially designed on-line course, with support via posts from the tutor.  You also need to have the necessary free time to do the course.If you need special assistance because of any disabilities then please let Chris, the Training Coordinator, know.  You also need to have the necessary free time to do the course.

The course is based around the free-to-use virtual learning experience (VLE) software named EDMODO.  This has gained world-wide acceptance as a safe and easy way for tutors to connect with their students at home via the internet.

You sign up for the course free of charge and you get notifications via e-mail that the course material and quizzes are available for you to download.  This takes place over a 7 week period with two lessons per week in the comfort of your own home and at a time of your own choosing.

We will set a date for the practical assessments (usually done as a group on a Saturday) and the exam when we know how many people will be on the course. These should be done in January or early February.

Although the online course is free of charge, there is an examination fee of £27.50 plus £6 room hire cost to do the practical assessments and examination at Wythall Radio Club.

You will also need to purchase course book “The Foundation Licence Manual for Radio Amateurs” by Alan Betts G0HIQ from the RSGB.

If you are interested in joining this on-line course then please contact our Training Coordinator Chris G0EYO  via g0eyo@blueyonder.co.uk

Six members of the 127th Birmingham Brownie Troop made a very successful visit to Wythall Radio Club’s shack.  The girls are working towards their communication badge.  They took full advantage of the activities offered by the event’s host – Lee G0MTN, seen in the picture with an enthusiastic visitor!

After a quick introduction to radio communication – illustrated with some pictures – they had time to try sending Morse code messages and look at QSL cards and match them up to countries on a map (see photo).

They then sent a coded message using the phonetic alphabet on PMR446 handheld radios.  They also watched Lee conduct a contact on the 40 meter amateur radio band with an Italian operator. 

Having gained some knowledge and experience, the evening concluded with the Brownies sending greetings messages by VHF radio to Jan M3YXM, another Club member operating from her home. 

Photos are used with permission.

Wythall Fun Run 2019 – with almost 1,000 runners – was supported by Wythall Radio Club’s communications during a busy Sunday morning earlier this summer.  Almost 20 Club members provided communications  around the course.  This ensured both the safety of the runners and the success of the event.

The Fun Run have now generously donated £500 to the Club – this will be used to support our community-focused activities.  Last year’s donation for example funded the purchase of antenna equipment for use with local Scout and Guide groups. 

The Club is providing 5 events for these youth organisations during 2019, giving them the skill and experience necessary for their Communications badges.

The donation was recently presented to WRC Chair Anita 2E0DUO by Richard Burns from the Fun Run Committee.  The photo also shows some of the WRC volunteers who assisted with the event.

May is Morse Code Appreciation month at Wythall Radio Club – where we celebrate members’ progress in learning the ‘dots and dashes’!

The overall winner of the Lew Williams Memorial Shield this year was Dave M0IFT.  He is seen receiving the shield from Lee G0MTN.

Dave is one of the group of members who have been learning Morse code at the Club’s weekly Morse class, run by David G0HVN.  We welcome new members who might like to learn this skill!

So very well done, Dave, and we look forward to hearing your dots and dashes on air!

Wythall Radio Club’s annual summer celebration of outdoor radio operating and bar-b-qing took place this weekend. This ‘Plug and Play’ weekend is designed so that Club members can bring along radios and erect large antennas that they might not have the space for at home.

Over 40 members and families attended for the Saturday night bar-b-q, part of the Club’s regular social programme.  

Members also used a variety of radios and antennas to contact stations across Europe, and into the Caribbean – where we spoke with Steve PJ4DX – using SSB (voice) and FT8 (digital) modes.  The Club used the opportunity to participate in the Cricket World Cup Radio Marathon, with the special callsign GB19WI (West Indies).  

Activity started at 1030 Saturday with a small team erecting antennas and operating tents – as well as the well-equipped kitchen!!  Several Club members camped overnight, enabling some late night and early morning radio activity.  Pack-up took place on Sunday morning.  The location was in the fields near the Club’s base at Wythall Community Centre.

Lots of activities will keep Wythall radio Club busy during June.

All club members are encouraged to come along to the Club ‘shack’ and have a go operating using the special call signs for the Cricket World Cup during regular Club meetings on Tuesday 4th and 11th June and 2nd July. 

The special call signs will be GB19EB – for Edgbaston Cricket Ground – and GB19ENG for the England Team.

In addition, GB19CWC – the HQ station for the Cricket World Cup – will be activated from the Club on the morning of Monday 17th June.

We will be providing Communications Badge training for 89th Birmingham/1st Hall Green Scouts on 18th June.  This will include passing messages using handheld licence free radios, phonetic alphabet, sending names in Morse Code and passing greetings messages over the air to other radio amateurs using our portable radio station.

And we will be up early on 23rd June to provide communications for the annual Wythall Fun Run.

Our regular Morse Class takes place on Tuesday evenings in the Club meeting room, and Intermediate Licence practicals take place on Saturdays.  On 29th June Club members will be helping out at the Wythall House Bar-b-Q.

New members and visitors are always welcome at Wythall Radio Club –  Tuesdays from about 7.45pm at Wythall House. 

Prizes of chocolate eggs delighted the winners of Wythall Radio Club’s annual Easter Contest!

The award for the highest placed Foundation licencees was Miles M7ACN, who was also placed 2nd in the 2m/70cm FM section, with Kevin 2E0NCO the winner of a scrumptious Easter egg and Simon G4TVR in 3rd place.  Kev was also awarded the Colin Baker G6ZDQ Easter Contest VHF section shield, in memory of our former Club member.

In the all bands/modes section, Jim 2E0BLP was the winner of the delicious chocolate Easter egg, with Ian M0LQY in 2nd place and Chris G0EYO 3rd.  Jim was also awarded the David Dawkes G0ICJ Easter Contest all bands/mode section shield, in memory of our former Club treasurer.

The G6ZDQ and G0ICJ shields were presented by members of Colin and David’s families, who joined us for this special evening.

May is Morse Code appreciation month at Wythall Radio Club.

Everyone knows some Morse Code:  ‘ …  – – –  … ‘ is SOS!  And at Wythall Radio Club during May we celebrate the skill of communicating by Morse Code in honour of Lew Williams, who was an expert at Morse and former Club President.

So Club members will be having fun by making contacts with other amateur radio operators using their Morse keys.  And our regular class to learn Morse Code runs most Tuesday evenings, led by David G0HVN

May at the Club is a busy time for other reasons.  On 14th, we have the award presentations for the Club’s Easter Contest.  And on 21st we hold our open committee meeting, that any member can attend.

On May 28th there will be a briefing for the Club’s participation in the Cricket World Cup radio Marathon!  In honour of the UK hosting this year’s Cricket World Cup, Wythall Radio Club will be hosting several special stations using Cricket World Cup call signs during June and July.

We will also be updating the winch on the tower that supports our beam antennas and preparing for an event we will be running for a local scout group.

There’s always lots on at Wythall Radio Club!

Wythall Radio Club members will be participating in many and varied activities this month.

Our Club DX Table competition continues as members try to contact other radio amateurs in as many different countries as possible.  Two members have already contacted over 100 countries so far this year!  A great achievement – will it be 200 by the summer??

Over Easter weekend, Club members will be taking part in our Easter Contest – where we try to contact as many other members and compete for trophies and Easter eggs!

Before that, on Tuesday April 16th, David Bowman G0MRF will be talking about and demonstrating how contacts can be made by sending signals through the new geo-stationary satellite QO100.  You can find out more – and listen in on-line – here.

And on Tuesday 30th April, three Club members will be giving short 15 minute talks in our regular ‘3-15’ session.

Besides these activities, David G0HVN will be running his regular Tuesday evening Morse class.

And we will be welcoming as members some of the new Foundation licence holders who passed the Club’s on-line course a few weeks ago.