wythall radio club

In case you are not aware, Wythall Radio Club is now on the worldwide web!  The club shack and training room now has broadband internet access, both wired and wireless.

The many advantages of this we are yet to fully explore, but we are making a start this coming Tuesday, 29th May, when there will be an informal “Internet Evening”, which may well be the precursor of more such nights.

This week, Chris G7DDN will initiate our first “round table” by visiting “live” a few ham radio websites of which some of our members may not yet be fully aware.   It is easy in our modern connected world to think everyone already knows about the resources available at the click of a mouse or press of a button, but this is not always the case.

Future Internet evenings may well see members encouraged to bring along useful links to sites that they have discovered which might enhance the hobby for us all.

With our new link to the Information Superhighway, Wythall Radio Club is engaging 1st gear and getting off the “Super Hard Shoulder”!

It has been announced that Graham Coomber (G0NBI) an active radio amateur local to Wythall, with interests in both the DX, contesting and WAB has joined the society as General Manager.

We wish Graham well in his new job, particularly during this time of transformational change.

Graham thanked Don Beattie (G3BJ) Acting General Manager, for his enormous contribution over the last 14 months.

0730 this morning, and three of us, Dave G3YXM, Barry M0DGQ & Chris G7DDN together with friend of the club, Mark Hill G4FPH, set off for Dunstable Downs Rally.  Mark even provided a breakfast of Pakoras and Samosas for the journey down! Yum yum, even that early!

Dave, Barry and Chris (above left), rally site (centre ) and Paul, M0TVU (right)

Getting there just after 0900 due to a motorway accident on the M6, we found the rally in full swing though it was absolutely freezing cold and with drizzly rain too. Barry was dressed like he was on an Antarctic expedition – and he was still frozen!

Ian, M0IDR

Club treasurer Ian M0IDR had travelled down separately and we soon caught up with him too.

We also managed to meet up with Paul M0TVU who was a trader on one of the stalls together with his dad, but still proudly flying the flag for the club by wearing his Wythall Radio Club fleece!

We even spent some time chatting with friend of the club, Carl G0NZI, who was selling his portable WonderWand antennas from a small gazebo.

Needless to say, a good day was had by all with everyone picking up at least one bargain.  Can’t wait for our next trip out to Derbyshire for the Junction 28 QRP Rally on June 10th!

What a fascinating evening last night! Thanks to Steve G3ZVW, we experienced an amazing hour of “whole-brain learning”!

Three “volunteers” (if you can call Steven 2E0SDD, Stacey M6STJ and Howard M6AUL that) managed to learn the vast majority of all 26 letters of the alphabet in around 60 minutes. That is thanks to the method known as Instant Morse. Using a mix of storytelling, picture imagination and letter shapes, Steve took us through the letters of the alphabet while helping us with the CW equivalents.

It will be a long time, for instance, before we forget Mel M0MAJ’s cocktail glasses and fancy bow-tie or, come to think of it, Chris G0EYO’s mouth with the tomato in it! (You just had to be there!!!)

Callum M0MCX obviously didn’t forget anything however – at the end of the evening he could remember all 26 characters in code! (I didn’t write that! Callum.)

Another superb VHF net took place tonight with many participants discussing the special event station from yesterday.

Sunday eve's 145.225

• M0MCX – Callum
• G0EYO – Chris
• 2E0SDD/M – Steve
• 2E0BLP – Jim
• G1VLT – Paul
• M0MAJ – Mel
• G7IBO – Dave
• M0TVU – Paul
• G0HPH – Peter
• MoPYT – Paul
• G1MJO – Alf

An amazing day out, thanks to all stations who worked us. QSL cards will be posted to all 200 contacts.  Chris (G0EYO) said, “I counted 18, G0EYO, M0MCX, M3PMP, Syd (G4?) M6AUL, 2E0WTH, M0NYP, M0JMM, 2E0BLP, M1JSS, M0IDR &XYL, G7DDN, G7IBO, M3RSC, M0YOM, G0MTN, and M0COK. Who have I missed out”? Speak up if your callsign isn’t listed. What a great day team!

Photos courtesy of James Thresher, M0YOM

The clubs newsletter is now available for >download<.

Meet Jake Brookes. He is just 14 years old and is the latest successful candidate to pass the Foundation License exam with Wythall Radio Club.

Jake took the exam last night (Monday 8th) just before the main club meeting and passed with flying colours.  He now has the callsign M6SXD.

And it is quite a family affair! Jake is the younger brother of Daniel who also studied with us – he became M6BNP in March –  and both are grandsons of club member Peter Brookes G0HPH.

Peter and Jake are not stopping there either; both are enthusiastic members of our weekly Morse Code class!

Fancy learning Morse Code instantly? Next Tuesday maybe you could!

Steve White, G3ZVW, former RadCom Editor and currently Editor of the annual RSGB Handbook certainly thinks you can. And to prove it, he will be our guest at Wythall House on 15th May doing what he terms an “interactive demonstration” on how it is possible to learn the basics of the Code from scratch and in one session!

We have a few “guinea pigs” on standby to try this out, but perhaps you too might be brave enough to come along and experience for yourself exactly what Steve will be proposing.

Wythall members are intrigued by this coming evening – its been shrouded in semi-secrecy since we booked it and no-one quite knows what to expect.  All we know is that Steve has done this demonstration in front of a big audience at a recent RSGB Convention, so we are in good company!

See you there!

Each Sunday, Wythall Radio Club meets on 145.225 FM. A regular hard-core of circa 25 members drop in from time to time. Being a bank-holiday weekend, less of us turned up but we did have one visitor, Arthur (M1BHA) from Wellsbourne.

Sunday eve's 145.225

• M0MCX – Callum
• 2E0SDD – Steve
• M3PMP – Paul (Redditch)
• 2E0BLP – Jim
• G1VLT/P – Paul
• M6AUL – Howard
• G0HPH – Peter
• G4VPD – Mick
• M0MAJ – Mel
• G4TVR – Simon

Non Club

• M1BHA – Arthur in Wellsbourne

If you hear us, by all means please drop in and say hello.