Licences for amateur radio stations operated in the British Antarctic Territory have previously been issued under the provisions of the jurisdiction of the Falkland Islands Communications Regulator.
During 2020, the Falkland Islands Communication Regulator undertook a process to revalidate Falkland Islands Amateur Radio Licences, primarily to bring the Amateur Radio Licences into compliance with the Falkland Islands’ Communications Ordinance 2019. This process identified that the British Antarctic Territory was no longer covered by the provisions of the jurisdiction of the Falkland Island Communications Regulator, and that the Regulator no longer had the power to issue licences for amateur radio stations in the British Antarctic Territory……………Read MORE .
“The BBC Archive shared a clip of a news item about a radio amateur’s reception of BBC TV pictures in Cape Town, South Africa in 1949, it includes an on-air contact
The BBC news item describes the remarkable reception of BBC television pictures from Alexandra Palace, London on 45 MHz by Henry Rieder ZS1P in Cape Town, South Africa.
The clip features a contact between Mr C. G. Allen G8IG of Bromley, Kent and Henry ZS1P in which G8IG asks Henry questions about the TV reception.“
A comprehensive article about the transmission can be found on EI7GL’s Website – HERE .
And from the South African Radio League’s( SARL) – Hall of Fame; Mike Bosch ZS2FM first to receive the BBC TV transmissions in 1956 on BAND I. There is a brief description of the equipment used – HERE .
Well it all started with an email from James 2M0RMP ………..
“…………..26th Oct 20……………….Jack can you email me your number I have a wind up mast that needs a new home…………..”
In discussion with James, he said he’d met a nice lady who lived just outside St Andrews in Fife and had a tower in her back garden with a ‘protrusion’ upon it; both were required to be removed.
A VersaTower with a ‘Protrusion’
Well what else could we do but help out this nice lady with a trip though to the sunny ‘Fife Rivera’.
And indeed, in June the ‘gang’, Alan GM4TOQ, Sam GM4BGS, Ted 2M0VGY and yours truly headed through to the ‘sunny’ east coast to administer the necessary surgery.
The Fife ‘TEAM’ (Picture Courtesy of Alex Paris)‘Dropping’ The TowerSam & Ted Perform Surgery – Removing The ‘Protrusion’
Sparks ‘Fly’ As Alan Cuts The Ground Post
It was intended to try and remove the Ground Post from below the surrounding grass level but this proved beyond the kit we had with us on the day, resorting to cutting it off with a grinder. Not ideal but it did the trick.
And WoSARS would like to thank Alex Paris and family for allowing us to remove their elaborate ‘flagpole’ 🙂 and return it to it’s rightful place in the hierarchy of radio towers. Thanks folks!
And discussions are initially on-going within the Committee as to the use that the tower will be put to. These will be presented to the Members in due course as to their own thoughts.
And, who was the original amateur that owned the house? Alex had no information but did have some communication from Ofcom – with just a reference number on it, but no amateur callsign – a fat lot of use that is! Well I carried out a wee bit investigative work using QRZ.com’s search facilities and tracked GM4DPC ; still listed on QRZ, though a SK for many years? (he left the QTH many years ago). I contacted Ofcom on Alex’s behalf, to inform them that GM4DPC no longer lived at the QTH. They acknowledged accordingly and as a consequence his entry in QRZ maybe removed?
Oh the ‘Protrusion’? Not too sure, but I think it’s was being used as part of a Wi-Fi node for the village years ago when there was limited landline/mobile internet facilities? I have it at my QTH and at the time of writing this article, I have still to ‘sweep’ it?
As we heard in the main news Moray Firth Amateur Radio Society will be operating as GB0CSL from the Covesea Skerries Lighthouse, Lossiemouth, with the kind permission of the lighthouse trustees. Activity will be on HF and VHF, with details listed at www.mfars.club and on QRZ.com under GB0CSL.
Kevin, G0PEK and Lauren, 2E0HLR will be taking part in the Megacycle DXpedition as they cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats. They started off on the the 1 st of August, and they hope to be home by the 28 th . They will be carrying radio equipment on the bikes and operating VHF bicycle mobile and APRS along much of the route.. You can follow their progress on the Megacycle DXpedition Facebook page. They will be operating from Cape Wrath for Lighthouses on the air.
have made a video about Morse Texting; QSO Today online conference; Morse Competency Scheme; G4NZQ; G-QRP Club has released the agenda for its Online Convention 2021; sub-manager for the G4T-Z group has retired; Dudley and District club; RSGB held its 2021 AGM online in April and members were invited to send in questions; The Dartmoor Radio Rally takes place today; the British Amateur Television Club Convention, CAT 21, will commence on the 21st of August; FO/F1SMB; AM1CCB; HI9/HB9TUZ; 6E0D; R20RTA, R20RTM, R20RTP, R20RTRN and R20RTT; Next weekend is International Lightships and Lightship weekend; GB0ELH; GB0AVL; GB2RL for Roker Light, Sunderland; GB5HCL, Hurst Castle Lighthouse; GB0TLH, Teignmouth Lighthouse and GB0ALK for the Association of Lighthouse Keepers; GB0BRO; We had another week of minimal sunspot numbers; a low solar flux; there were no coronal holes on the Sun’s equator so we may expect the good conditions to continue over this weekend; reasonable Tropo conditions over southern areas extending south into the near continent and down across Biscay to Spain; week’s Perseids meteor shower has probably added some useful new long-lived metallic ionisation into the mix as fuel for Sporadic-E;
In this constantly changing pandemic situation, details of club activities can be found on the individual club’s website. A summary of activities in Scotland compiled by RSGB Regional Representative Tony, MM0TMZ can be found at www.wosars.club/radio-nets
TAGS: (Within GB2RS Script)
logging and eLog; survey, as well as opinions on FT8 and licensing; the first 50MHz and 70MHz Machine Generated Modes-only contests; G4PLZ; Bletchley Park has relaxed their requirement for mask wearing and social distancing; we wish to take a more cautious approach at the National Radio Centre; GB3RS; GB2RS continues to expand; M5GWH has joined the existing team in the Stoke-on-Trent area; from MM0JNL is now additionally covering Northumbria; QSL Bureau sub-manager for the G4T-Z group is retiring; Finningley ARS Car Boot Rally; The Wiltshire Radio Rally; 1st Cornwall Antenna Build Off; The King’s Lynn ARC radio rally; Dartmoor Radio Rally; J88PI from Palm Island in the St Vincent; TF/HB9HKE; CT8/W6PQL; Islands On The Air Contest (IOTA); UK Microwave Group Contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC today; Worked-All-Britain 144MHz Low Power Contest;Fourth 144MHz Backpackers Contest; 144MHz Low Power contest; Thursday the solar flux index was up to 94; HF propagation remains dominated by Sporadic-E; some very good days of Tropo recently; Southern delta Aquarids meteor shower is under way;
The ICQPodcast is the proud owner of a digital talk group.
Accessible on many modes linked together through the ICQPodcast gateway, you can talk to your friends, fellow listeners and even your favourite ICQPodcast Presenter!
Even if you don’t own a digital radio, you can still get involved using either a smartphone app or listen in like a shortwave listener.
“……………………The Bath Based Distance Learning team is now planning another course for the Full level exam syllabus. The course will run from the end of August to December this year. Students will receive weekly work packages via a virtual classroom and will have access to weekly online tutorials. Students will also have access to one of the remote tutors who will provide feedback and additional guidance where required. There will be no charge for the training but applicants must work through a pre-course classroom and quiz to be eligible for a place. The deadline for course applications is the 4th of August. For full details, and an application form, email g0fuw@tiscali.co.uk…………………”
CLUB NEWS & NETS
The GB2RS News Service is seeking a volunteer in the Caithness and Orkney area. The successful candidate should have a good 2m FM signal into the GB3OC repeater. They would be joining the existing team that reads the news each Sunday morning at 0930 UK time. If you would like to find out more, without obligation, please contact the GB2RS News Manager, via email to gb2rs.manager@rsgb.org.uk
To celebrate the first one-way amateur radio QSO across the Atlantic that took place on the 12th of December 1921, there is a plan to re-create the event in December this year. Those involved are still looking for volunteers and anyone with vintage 1920s equipment that they might consider loaning for the accompanying exhibition. See GM0DEQ on QRZ.com for email details. (More info within POSTBAG – HERE )
The GB3FE repeater serving the Stirling area is now back in service, operating on reduced power.
TAGS: (Within GB2RS Script)
IARU workshop; Antenna Build Off; Bath Based Distance Learning; Full level exam syllabus; QSL Bureau sub-manager for the G4T to Z group; GB4RS; GB2RS continues to expand; Finningley ARS Car Boot; The Wiltshire Radio Rally, Electronics Fair & Car Boot Sale ; Dartmoor Radio Rally; GM7V during next weekend’s IOTA contest; C6AHA; GM3RCV; MM8C; 18th, the International Low Power contest; 24-hour Islands On The Air contest; UK Microwave Group contest runs from 0600 to 1800UTC; solar flux index remained in the 70s last week; a large solar coronal hole impacted the Earth; University of Massachusetts Lowell Observatory has now been fixed; Sporadic-E remains; Tropo ducting;
