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Archive for the ‘News’

Latest Newsletter is out!

April 27, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

The latest issue of the Wythall Radio Club Newsletter has been published this morning. Newsletter 201505

Editor Chris G0EYO has been burning the midnight oil to get this issue out as soon as possible.

At 10 pages it is the largest newsletter we have ever produced.

Download it here or just click on the newsletter graphic on the left of this site to get it. It’s a great read!

Oh, and the Easter Contest results and photos are there too, just in case you were wondering…

Who’s won the Easter Contest?

April 18, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News

This Tuesday, the results of the Wythall Radio Club Easter Contest will be revealed!

1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes! Yum yum!

1st, 2nd & 3rd place prizes! Yum yum!

For the last couple of weeks, adjudicator Lee G0MTN has been sifting the wheat from the chaff and coming up with the winners to present at this week’s club meeting.

Wythall’s Easter Contest is a relatively relaxed affair compared with the busy-ness of our Christmas contest and is much enjoyed by members over the holiday period.

This Tuesday though, someone is in for a late Easter prezzie! The first, second and third placed winners in two sections all receive an Easter Egg – that means there will be no less than 6 lucky winners this week!

Come and see what the fuss is about in the Club Training Room at Wythall House, Silver Street, B47 6LZ at 20:30. Who knows? The winners might even share some of their chocolate? Then again, maybe they won’t!

Young People into Amateur Radio

April 14, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, News

M6GDI

Jamie 2E0SDV on the air

One of the conundrums of modern life, and one with which we at Wythall Radio Club grapple with too, is how to get young people interested and involved with the great hobby that is Amateur Radio.

While there is no easy answer to this, at least the members of Wythall Radio Club now have a stronger voice.

This is because one of our younger members, 14-year-old Jamie 2E0SDV, recently informed us that he is now a member of the RSGB’s Youth Committee. As a very active enthusiast himself, he is in a great position to make suggestions in just how to get today’s Internet and Mobile-equipped generation interested in Radio again.

We wish Jamie all the best in his endeavours – and of course if you have any suggestions, why not let him know?

Happy Easter!

April 05, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News

happy-easterThe members of Wythall Radio Club wish all readers and visitors to this website a very happy Easter!

It’s been a great year for our club, as you can see by a visit to our News Time Machine in the right hand column of this home page. One of the best rallies in recent history and the setting up of no less than 4 repeater stations comes to mind, among many other memorable moments…

easterAt the moment, we are deep into our members’ Easter Contest.

Those of you within earshot of the area will doubtless have been a little bemused by lots of number exchanges going on. Don’t worry, it will all be over by tomorrow night and the airwaves around here will be settling down once more into some sort of normality.

This Tuesday we will having a rest from our usual hectic weekly programme – it’s a “Free ‘n’ Easy” night – a great evening to pop along if you were ever thinking of coming to visit us sometime.

Find us in Wythall House on Silver Street B47 6LZ from 2000, “chewing the fat”(!)…

…and now it’s GB7SO!

April 02, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

Much seems to be going on at Wythall Radio Club just at the moment – but then news does seem to come in fits and starts…

Better D-STAR coverage for our local area!

Better D-STAR coverage for our local area!

The latest snippet for you is that we have yet another repeater cleared for operation.

This time it is GB7SO, the new D-STAR repeater for Solihull & Wythall.  Based half-way between the two towns, it should provide good coverage of the area and also the M42/M40 links. GB7SO is an update of the simplex gateway we have been running for the past year but will soon provide talk-through coverage as well as links to the wider D-STAR world via the Internet.

We will, of course, let you know when this and its sister D-STAR box GB7DG in Bromsgrove is on the air. Hopefully it won’t be too long away now…

Meantime, keep an eye on the pages for GB7SO and GB7DG by clicking the links…

Presentation time!

April 01, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

Wythall Radio Club is now the proud owner of a new trophy.

Chairman Mike G4VPD receives the trophy from Martyn G3UKV

Chairman Mike G4VPD receives the trophy from Martyn G3UKV

Last night, RSGB Region 5 Manager, Martyn Vincent G3UKV presented our Chairman Mike G4VPD with the “Club of the Year” trophy for our area.

This is the third time we have won this title since it began… and indeed only the third time we have entered the competition, so you could say it’s a 100% record.

It is good to see our club recognised outside of our immediate circle for the hard work that so many members put into making the hobby of Amateur Radio accessible.

Here’s to another great year coming up – will you be part of it?

Club of the Year presentation

March 29, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, News

The members of Wythall Radio Club are very much looking forward to this Tuesday. pic423main1

Martyn Vincent G3UKV, RSGB West Midlands Regional Manager, is visiting us to present Chairman Mike G4VPD with the trophy and certificate for Region 5 Club of the Year.

Martyn only visited the club a few weeks ago on RSGB matters, so a return visit is very welcome, especially in such pleasant circumstances.

The presentation will take place in the club shack at 20:30 and we expect a full turnout so get there early!

We would also like to congratulate the other finalists in the competition and wish then good luck as they fight it out to be named UK Club of the Year 2014. In our category, they are Worksop ARS, London Hackspace & Mid Ulster ARC – all the best to you all!

A few postcards from Staines…

March 29, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

The Wythall Crew

(Back) Simon G4TVR, Roger M0GWM, Ian M0IDR, Mike G4VPD, Dave M6HPD (Front) Tim M0URX, Chris G7DDN, Phil 2E0WTH

A good time was had by all – well, that was the verdict from yesterday’s Wythall Radio Club trip to the new Martin Lynch Hamstore in Staines.

In true Wythall tradition, food played a major role in the day…

Starting with a visit for a quick breakfast at the local McDonald’s in Staines, (where no-one seemed to be able to understand a good Brummie accent(!)) to pastries and drinks supplied by the store themselves – and ending, of course, with a pint or two in our home of Wythall House once we got home.

Oh yes, and there was plenty of radio gear to play with too.

We are now looking forward to the official lunch (sorry, launch) date of June 6th when a return down the M40 beckons…

More piccies below..

Off to visit Martin…

March 27, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

MLS new

Get ready for a full frontal Wythall assault on the brand new MLS Store!

Friend of Wythall Radio Club, Martin Lynch G4HKS, owner of one of the best-known Ham Stores in the UK, has recently moved premises.

Now based in Staines, nearer to Heathrow Airport, Martin still offers the widest range of Amateur Radio gear available.

Quite a few Wythall Radio Club members have visited Martin’s old shop in the past, (mostly for bacon sandwiches and pork baps it should be said) though there has been a rumour or two that money has indeed changed hands!

And tomorrow (Saturday 28th March) a few members are going down to London to visit Martin’s new premises and give them the once over.

No bacon or pork this time, but quite a few folk can’t wait to see the new larger premises Martin has got for himself!

We are told that the car drivers are readying themselves for more weight on the return journey however – make of that what you will…

Wythall Radio Club’s Newest Repeater

March 26, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

The good news keeps coming thick and fast at the moment at Wythall Radio Club. d-star_logo1

We have heard this week that our latest repeater project has been licensed by Ofcom.

GB7DG is a D-STAR repeater located just outside Bromsgrove. It will give better coverage of both the town of Bromsgrove and the M5 motorway from the Lickey Hills down towards Worcester.

It will also fill in coverage gaps between the Bewdley D-STAR repeater GB7WF and the Wythall Simplex Gateway MB6IWL (also soon to be upgraded to Repeater status, we hope!)

Read more about GB7DG here and visit it’s page on this website here.  Club member and repeater keeper John M1JSS will let us (and in turn, you) know just as soon as it is operational.