wythall radio club

While all Wythall Radio Club members are eagerly looking forward to our own Radio Rally on Sunday 9th March, we also like to support and visit other clubs’ events too. Today was one such, the Harwell Radio Club Rally at Didcot Leisure Centre near Oxford.

Phil 2E0WTH, Jon M0JMM, Simon G4TVR, Chris G7DDN, Ian M0IDR & Dave G3YXM with Alton Antenna Arrays in the background

Six of us made the trip – three, Dave G3YXM, Phil 2E0WTH & Chris G7DDN travelled together in one car in convoy with Simon G4TVR in his BMW(!). John M0JMM & Ian M0IDR travelled separately as they live nearer the venue!

A great time was had by all, chatting with traders, meeting old friends, making new ones too like the folks at Alton Antenna Arrays and Sinfully Sweet.  Of course we just HAD  to spend a little hard-earned on some nice radio goodies! This was all topped off with a sit down and a chin-wag over a pint at lunchtime. A great way to spend a Sunday!

And of course an excellent taster of what is to come on March 9th, a date you will just NOT want to miss!

Now we are into February, the thoughts of Wythall Radio Club members start turning to our annual radio rally.

Henry Westlake did a good trade at last year’s rally!

A rally, or “hamfest” as our cousins in North America might call it, is a festival of all that is good in the hobby. Traders come along and turn a local venue (in our case, two halls of a local high school) into a marketplace of goodies for local amateurs to buy to enhance our fun in the hobby. In the West Midlands, Wythall Rally is one of only two left running and is the nearest to the UK’s second city, Birmingham.

Needless to say, putting on this event takes up a lot of our thoughts & efforts in the run up to the event, which this year is on Sunday March 9th.

So this Tuesday’s meeting at the Club Shack is an evening of planning and preparation (and handing out of jobs!) and although the Rally does constitute a lot of work for members, there is nothing quite like the feeling at the end of the day itself when the last trader has gone home and we all reflect on the satisfaction of a job well done (and a hot bath to ease sore muscles!)

Why not get your hands a little dirty this year and come and join the fun? This Tuesday at 2030 in the Club Shack, Wythall House, Silver Street, Wythall. B47 6LZ. You will be very welcome!

Stu M0NYP takes the top prize for 2013

Christmas Contest results night at Wythall Radio Club tonight was full of surprises as always! Participation in this event has gone through the roof again with over 50 members taking part and over 40 logs submitted, an all-time record.

The overall winner in the Open Section, and thus the winner of the Reg Brown G7OJO Trophy for 2014 is Stuart M0NYP. Chairman Mike G4VPD finished in second place and David G7IBO picked up the 3rd place certificate.

Jim 2E0BLP is presented with the 2m FM trophy by Lee G0MTN

In the 2 metre FM section, it was quite a family affair with the “Voice of the Midlands” Jim 2E0BLP coming out on top, just pipping his own son(!) Kevin M6NCO into second place. Third was a very creditable showing from club founder member, Colin G6ZDQ.

There were sterling efforts too from our lady members with Dawn M6UDY and Stacey M6STJ also winning certificates. Ian M0IDR completed the certificate winners with a special award for the highest score from a non-local member.

Our thanks go to Lee G0MTN for his untiring work on the organisation and software fronts – and for putting adjudicating our contest ahead of some little event he also helps adjudicate called “CQ Worldwide”!!!

Wythall Radio Club members are now looking forward to April and our Easter Contest where there is the little matter of chocolate eggs to be won!

Tuesday evening is a big night for Wythall Radio Club members – the results of the 2013-2014 Christmas Contest will be out.

Every year between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, Wythall Radio Club hosts this in-house Contest, designed to encourage activity between our many members. It has become a firm favourite with just about everyone – some people have been known to join the club just to take part in it!

It is designed as a relaxed fun “party” exchanging serial numbers and generally having fun on air in keeping with our club motto. It has to be said though, it does bring out the competitive side in more than a few folk! There are two trophies up for grabs too and this Tuesday at 2030, we have our presentation evening.

Adjudicator Lee G0MTN has been busy wading through over 40 entries and has come up with 2 winners. They will be presented with the G7OJO Trophy (for all modes/all bands) and the FM trophy (for 2m FM only entries) this week. 2nd & 3rd place certificates and other certificates of merit will be given out too.

This is one of the most anticipated evenings in the Wythall RC calendar so space is likely to be limited – an early arrival is advised! This Tuesday 28th January at 2030 in the Darts Room at Wythall House, Silver Street, B47 6LZ. Visitors, as always, are very welcome!

Richard Radford G1GRD of ML&S presents Callum M0MCX with his new MONSTER radio!

Wythall Radio Club member Callum M0MCX has been on a mission today – to Martin Lynch’s Store in Chertsey, Surrey to be exact!

There he became the second Wythall Radio Club member to join the ranks of proud owners of a brand new Kenwood TS-990S (plus accessories of course!).

He is now a member of the exclusive club started by our Chairman Mike G4VPD in becoming the second Wythallian to own this fantastic radio, courtesy of our friends at Martin Lynch & Sons.

It is serious money for a hobby radio, but the performance and feature set justifies the price, and what is more, the deal from Martin Lynch’s store was a very good one, as always with ML&S!

Who will be the next Wythall Club member rushing down the M40 for this wonderful piece of radio nirvana, we wonder? Perhaps we can persuade Callum to write a review and put it here on the website for you all to read!

Following on from the great coverage afforded to Wythall Radio Club by Practical Wireless Magazine last month, we note yet more club members making an appearance in this illustrious radio monthly!

This time it is the turn of Ian M0IDR, (wallet at the ready!) together with cameo appearances from Anita M6DUO, Dave G3YXM and Chris G7DDN on the recent club outing to the Martin Lynch & Sons open day.

Suffice it to say we were not expecting a photo of more Wythallians in the radio press so soon, but as they say, any publicity is good publicity!

…and it is well known that Ian M0IDR can never resist a good bargain!

Click on the images to see a larger version and remember to pick up a copy of Practical Wireless from your local newsagent!

The Wythall Radio Club Christmas Foxhunt Trophy has its first winners! Steven 2E0SDD & girlfriend Stacey M6STJ scooped the M0GJM Trophy earlier today.

The morning unfolded with Phil 2E0WTH volunteering to be the first “fox” – he was found by Colin G6ZDQ & Janet, Pete M5DUO and wife Anita M6DUO, though they had to negotiate a ford to get to him!

The DUO’s acted as next “fox” and placed themselves by a church where signals would reflect and give possible false readings. It took 4 transmissions before David G7IBO caught up with them.

David then became the final “prey”, but was found after just two transmissions(!) by Steven 2E0SDD and Stacey M6STJ, who were then deemed winners by virtue of being the fastest “hunters” of the day – very fitting as they were two folk for whom the late Colin M0GJM had a very soft spot!

Enjoy the photo gallery below to get a flavour of how much fun was had by all!

Tomorrow, December 27th, is a very important date in the life of Wythall Radio Club. It signifies a morning of “hunting the fox”!

Now real foxhunting is currently illegal in the UK in the traditional sense of the term, but to radio enthusiasts, it is all about trying to find a hidden radio transmitter (the “fox”), transmitting at short intervals every 10 minutes or so. This is not therefore an activity that one needs an amateur licence for and so is an event that friends and relatives can (and do!) join in with.

In true Wythall tradition, it ends with lunch at a nearby pub (well it would have to really!) and many tales will be told of how close people were to finding the “fox” first!

And this year, there is a special trophy (pictured left) in honour of Colin Truran M0GJM, (who sadly passed away in the last month) which will be presented to the teams who found the “foxes”.

We can’t think of a better way to honour the memory of a man who absolutely adored this event!

Stuart M0NYP won the 2m FM Trophy in 2012

It is that time of year again, when the airwaves around Wythall (and further afield too!) will be full of strange stations exchanging numbers!

No, it’s not a spy extravaganza, it’s just the Wythall Radio Club Christmas Contest again!

Members have to work each other as often as possible between Christmas Eve at 20:00 and New Year’s Day at 20:00. We can work each other once every day for points and each unique member contacted acts as a “multiplier” to our scores.

Chris G0EYO won the G7OJO Trophy last year

At the end of the event, we take the best 5 days scores and submit them to the adjudicators who then come up with the results, which are celebrated with a presentation evening each January.

It is all about “having fun with RF” as our club motto states, and it invariably lives up to its name. So if you hear strange goings-on on the airwaves (especially on 145.225 MHz FM) over Christmas, don’t be alarmed – in fact, please join in and say “hello”.

You are not valuable to members as points, but you will make a few new friends!

Here are a few pictures to show you how much fun Wythall Radio Club members had without RF last Saturday! Just click on the photos for a larger version.