Richard Allan, a retired electrical engineer, has spent the last fifty years collecting antique transistor, valve and crystal sets and has now shown off his impressive collection of more than 200 pieces…………Read MORE …….
Avro Lancaster 80th Anniversary Of The 1st Operational Sortie
In March 1942 the first sorties of the AVRO Lancaster aircraft took place. This commemorative event for Lancaster aircraft is being simultaneously partnered in the UK by callsign GB80LAN; and, in Canada by callsign VE80LAN organised by Hamilton Amateur Radio Club, and Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and, in Australia by callsign VK80LAN organised by the Western Australian VHF Group. They want to commemorate those involved with the Lancaster.
Also of interest, is that the Lincoln Short Wave Club will be operating GB6IBC from the International Bomber Command Memorial on 5th March 2022.
Unusually Ofcom has given permission for the call to be used at several different locations. Currently confirmed operations will take place from the three active RAF Station Amateur Radio Clubs at RAF Waddington, RAF Cosford and RAF Halton. Also the call will be on the air from ex RAF East Kirkby which is now the home of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre and Lancaster “Just Jane”.
CURRENT SCHEDULE:- (subject to amendment)
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RAF WADDINGTON 2nd – 8th
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RAF EAST KIRKBY 9th – 12th
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RAF COSFORD 15th – 21st
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RAF HALTON 1st & 22nd – 28th
In Australia, the WA VHF Group requested for the special event call sign VK80LAN to be available through March. VK80LAN hopes to be operating from the radio room in the Lancaster Bomber at the RAAFA Aviation Heritage Museum in Bull Creek, a suburb of Perth. A roster of operators wishing to take advantage of operating the special event callsign during the month is being drawn up.
Further info is available from the QRZ pages and Museum links as only snippets have been included here – https://www.qrz.com/db/VK80LAN
Also, checkout the WoSARS CALENDAR entry as to who is working the stations.
URESAT-1 – A chess playing ham radio satellite
“……………….One of the projects that is confirmed is a chess game that will allow radio amateurs to play having as an opponent the on-board computer sending FSK frames with the movements, to which the on-board computer will answer in its telemetry. Several radio amateurs are working on the project and if it is completed by the time the satellite is due to be delivered, it will be included………………” Read more – HERE .
GB100 2MT (‘Two-Emma-Toc’) marking the Centenary of British Broadcasting – Special Event station 14th February Only!!!
(EDIT (COX) 14th – See POST#1946 . (TDX & COX work them at Writtle))
On 14th February 1922 the Marconi Company began to broadcast a five-minute program of speech and music within the weekly half-hour calibration transmission. The broadcasts were made weekly on Tuesday made using the callsign 2MT from an ex-army hut in the village of Writtle near Chelmsford. Initially, the station had only 200 Watts and transmitted on 700m (428 kHz) using an inverted-L antenna.
The enthusiastic team, led by Captain Peter Eckersley, assembled their transmitter together with a gramophone player, microphone, and on occasions a piano from the local public house, to entertain listeners. The regular announcement; “This is Two Emma Toc, Writtle testing, Writtle testing”, became quite well known.
This was the first regular wireless broadcast for entertainment in the UK and its success provided the foundation for the formation of the BBC later in 1922.
Members of Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) will operate a special event station to commemorate this historic event. A special callsign, GB100-2MT, is active during February – and on 14th February will operate from Writtle, close to where the original broadcasts were made. Operating will be on HF, as well as locally on VHF/UHF.
QSOs will be confirmed on LOTW and eQSL. Sorry no QSL cards, or bureau.
Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) – http://www.g0mwt.org.uk
Work Svalbard (JW) On Microwave
The very first Svalbard QO-100 Satellite DX-Pedition will take place 22-24 April 2022 from Kapp Linné – Isfjord Radio at 78° North.
They will operate two QO-100 satellite stations under the callsigns JW0W and JW100QO, while JW0X will be used by another team for contacts on shortwave.
With QO-100 only 3° above the horizon, Kap Linné was the only suitable place in the area with Svalbard at the edge of the satellite footprint. Looking for a suitable location to stay and getting there, is one of the biggest challenges and cost drivers for the team.
More information – https://amsat-dl.org/en/svalbard-qo-100-satellite-dx-pedition/
German North Pole DXpedition
Operators Martina DF3TS and Thomas DC8TM will activate Svalbard (EU-026) as JW/homecalls to start their DXpedition between April 9-12th. Activity will be on SSB and FT8.
They will then be active from a Russian “Severnyi Polyus” the Scientific Polar Drifting Base (enclave by RFF) approx. 80kms from the North Pole on the Arctic Ocean where they will activate the WWFF area RFF-0176.
Operators will use their special callsigns DP0LE (like POLE) and RA/DC8TM/P and RA/DF3TS/P to represent the Russian flag of the camp between April 14-17th. More info HERE .
World’s Smallest Moon Lander will Put Ham Radio Transmitter on the Moon
“……………The orbiting module beacon will transmit on 437.31 MHz using PSK31. The surface probe beacon will transmit on 437.41 MHz using FM, PSK31, and PCM-PSK/PM…………………” Read more HERE .
GB100BBC – Centenary Callsign For The BBC
Members of the BBC’s radio club, The London BBC Radio Group, have been granted an exceptional all-year Special Event callsign to help celebrate the BBC’s centenary year in 2022.
Ofcom will permit GB100BBC to operate throughout the year, starting at midnight on New Year’s Day, from the headquarters station in Broadcasting House, London.
Operating slots will then be allocated for use by individual members and local groups of operators, from their home QTH, or BBC premises throughout the UK.
(Additional information for the article supplied by GM4COX)
TM100AA – 100 Years Of Amateur Radio In France
For the ‘centenary’ of the first official authorization of an amateur station, the REF (THE FRENCH TRANSMITTER NETWORK) will use the call sign ‘TM100AA’ from 1st to 15h September 2021
The call sign “8AA” was assigned to André Riss on September 3, 1921.
André was born in 1894, in Boulogne and was authorized at the age of 27 to use a transmitter of his own construction with a power of 1 kilowatt.
It became “eF8AA” (Europe France 8AA) in 1927, then “F8AA” in 1932.
He joined the REF in August 1927, n ° REF 423.
André was active until his death on March 2, 1982.
Janet K0JE and Janice K0JA – Ham Radio Twins
The 86-year-old identical twins studied electrical engineering and worked for pioneering computer companies at a time when few women had careers in STEM fields.
They’ve travelled the world via the airwaves as avid ham radio operators, a hobby they took up in their teens…………..Read MORE .