Wish the ICQPodcast a Happy 14th Birthday

 

Dear ICQPodcast Friend,

It’s now been fourteen years since I made a phone call to my father Martin (M1MRB), and told him I wanted to start a podcast. After explaining what a podcast was, we agreed to produce ten and see if anyone listened.

Now, as we celebrate our fourteenth birthday, with listeners in over one hundred countries, and countless friends made along the way, we are asking for your annual support to keep the ICQPodcast free of commercial adverting.

Four Types of Suggested Donations

We have created three one-off values (£14, £140, and £1.40) for you to show your support of the show and send your birthday wishes. The £1.40 donation would also be a great value to set up as a monthly subscription (all you need to do is select the monthly subscription link at sign-off).

If you wish to show the value you receive from the show with your own figure, select the other option and send your support.

Send your birthday support – http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

Subscriptions Keep the Lights On

One-off donations are easy, but to really support the show, consider a subscription donation. Many listeners support the show for as little as £1 a month – http://www.icqpodcast.com/donate

Your support has been amazing

It’s hard to put into words the encouragement and positivity that have been received from listeners over the years. When times have been tough, a kind word or comment about the show gives us the strength to continue.

Thanking you in advance

73 Colin M6BOY

ICQPodcast.com

 

 

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)

  • RAF WADDINGTON 2nd – 8th

  • RAF EAST KIRKBY 9th – 12th

  • RAF COSFORD 15th – 21st

  • 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.

All Our ‘Communications’ In One Basket

The recent storms to hit the northern half of the UK saw many without cellular, fixed landline and Internet access.

At the moment BT-Openreach still supply a ~48V feed via your fixed landline. Using a POTS (a plain old telephone (Service) – a telephone that doesn’t require a 230V feed) still provides a way of communicating when all else fails (unless of course your landlines have come down). From 2025 the requirement for BT-Openreach to provide this facility will be withdrawn. What then?

Have a read at THIS BBC News article.

I suppose from an amateur viewpoint, we still have good old RF point-to-point communication – in whatever form, but remember your still need power. Have a think about your standby requirements?

73 es keep communicating

Jack – GM4COX

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.

Janet and Janice Robidoux, have stuck together through a lifetime of adventures, which include building and racing canoes, driving RVs to every state and studying STEM [ANTRANIK TAVITIAN, STAR TRIBUNE]

They’ve travelled the world via the airwaves as avid ham radio operators, a hobby they took up in their teens…………..Read MORE .

BBC – Ten More Stations To Be Turned Off On The Medium Wave

Ten more local BBC radio stations are turning off their Medium Wave transmitters for good this year.

BBC Essex, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Leeds, BBC Radio Sheffield, BBC Hereford & Worcester, BBC Radio Stoke, BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle will be FM and digital only in May and June 2021………………………

……………………In 2018 the corporation commenced with these and continued them in 2020 across Scotland, Wales, and England…………… Read More – HERE .

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