wythall radio club

Wythall Radio Club members participated in this year’s World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) by contacting stations around the world.

Saudi Arabia, Canada, Georgia (photo left), Romania, Israel and Kuwait were amongst the countries with whom Wythall club members had two-way conversations on the short wave bands.

Contacts included stations with special ‘WARD’ callsigns.

John 2E0XET worked HZ1WARD (Saudi Arabia) using Morse code on the 20 meter band, Chris G0EYO contacted AM1WARD (Spain) using digital mode FT8 on 160 meters, and Chris G3YHF talked with 5P0WARD (Denmark) on 40 meters.

Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the short wave spectrum — far from being a wasteland — could support worldwide propagation. 

Today, 100 years later, Amateur Radio is more popular than ever, with more than 3,000,000 licensed operators worldwide!

Amateur radio community has proved vital in recent emergencies – when mobile phone masts and telephone lines are out of action, radio amateurs often provide the only means of communication with the outside world.  

World Amateur Radio Day celebrates the fun of amateur radio and its scientific and humanitarian contribution.

If you are tuning around in the next few days on the 2 metre band or on GB3WL in the Birmingham area (or even further afield) and hear some stations exchanging numbers, you just might have stumbled upon the Wythall Radio Club Easter Contest. 

Just as at Christmas, we hold an event to get our members on air and working each other.

Points are given for each member worked and each discrete member worked across the period also counts as a multiplying factor (or multiplier) to attain a final score.

It sounds complicated but we have a clever Excel spreadsheet which keeps score for us!

The best 3 days of the 5 days of Easter are adjudicated and the top 3 winners in each category get Easter Eggs as prizes. With 6 chocolate prizes, it’s a short but highly contested event.

Watch this space for the results!

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 

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 2000 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!

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.

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.

Solihull ARS will be announcing the results of the first MIDLANDS INTER-CLUB GMT AWARD at Wythall Hamfest:

Wythall Hamfest on Sunday 15th March is well and truly FULL!

Click here for Hamfest programme 2020(pdf file – download Free Adobe Acrobat if file won’t open).

The list of traders at the popular Wythall Hamfest has been updated – click here for the ‘2020 Trader List‘ or see the Hamfest side panel on our web site.

Wythall Hamfest on Sunday 15th March always attracts large crowds to view and buy from our many traders.

Whether it’s small components, second-hand equipment or a brand new antenna or rig – you’ll find them all at the Hamfest.

We also have our popular ‘bring and buy’ stall.

Don’t forget to make a date in your diary!  Doors open 9.30 for disabled visitors and 9.45 for general entry.

Upgrade your Foundation licence through study at home with Wythall Radio Club.

Our new FREE on-line Intermediate level training course under the new syllabus starts this Spring.

The course will run over 10 weeks, from 2^nd March until 11^th May, with two lessons per week.  The examination will be around 23^rd May.

You now need to register your interest.

You study this course at home in your own time from lessons you download from the internet, as you did at Foundation level.

In addition there will be one practical assessment session, usually on a Saturday, where you will learn soldering, digital measuring and other skills. This will require you to be available for ONE Saturday in April, but there will be a choice of dates.

The course is FREE but there will be an exam fee of £32.50, an exam room hire fee of £6 and a project kit and materials fee for the practicals of £12.  You will not need to pay this until the course starts.

You will also need to purchase the RSGB Intermediate Licence Manual from them at £9 plus postage – or visit the RSGB Bookstall at Wythall Hamfest on the morning of Sunday 15th March. 

IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP FOR THIS COURSE YOU MUST CONFIRM YOUR INTEREST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO OUR Training Coordinator Chris G0EYO  via G0EYO@blueyonder.co.uk  

PLACES WILL BE LIMITED AND WE WILL WORK ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS

Our 35th ANNUAL WYTHALL HAMFEST will take place on SUNDAY 15th March 2020.  Doors open 09:45am – DISABLED ACCESS FROM 09:30am.

Our growing list of traders includes…..

RadioWorld – regulars at the Hamfest who bring you a wide range of goodies.  They are one of the largest suppliers of radio communications equipment within the UK. Check out their comprehensive stock (they also do a nice line in mugs and T-shirts!).

Sinotel UK make a welcome return with a selection of antennas and radios – they are authorised UK dealers for Baofeng, KYD, Quansheng, TYT, Vero and Xiegu Technologies.  Their stand always has lots of interest.

Worsley Communications supply all major brands of Amateur radio equipment, towers, rotators and aerials.  They specialize in ex-NATO pump up masts – which may be a way to get that antenna a bit higher without annoying the neighbours.

RSGB Bookstall will provide a full range of technical and general radio interest books.  Come and have a brouse, meet the team and add to your bookshelf!

Solihull ARS will be on hand.  And don’t forget that they will be hosting the Midlands Inter-Club ‘GMT’ awards – sponsored by Martin Lynch – at 12 noon, Archery Hut (Hall 4).

MA Components specialize in the supply of small electronic components together with a comprehensive range of nylon nuts screws and washers.  Just what’s needed for small and large construction tasks in the shack.

Alan Clegg Valves – another regular at the Wythall Hamfest – supplies a wide range of ‘tubes’ to meet your needs.

….And many more traders to keep you interested – together with ‘Burger Bob’ for fast food and drink and the Wythall House bar open at lunch time.

Our full trader list will be provided later this month.