WoSARS Goes On Holiday To Fife And Comes Back With A Souvenir

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 Tower
Sam & 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?

73

Jack(;>J

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 .

Snips – News For Scotland – 18th July

  • RSGB Survey results published
  • Build Off in Cornwall
  • New Full course from Distance Learning Team

GB2RS Script – HERE .

GB2RS Extract:

“……………………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;

North Pole Contest Group in Alaska

CLICK – for Website

A team of operators from the (KL7RA) will activate W1AW/KL7 from Alaska between July 9-13th.

Wigi, KL0R, Station Manager of the North Pole Contest Group, reports that are currently planning to have four station locations in Alaska, including KL7RA in Kenai, KL2R in Fairbanks/Two Rivers, KL7AA in Anchorage, and one more station, most likely in Homer.

Activity will be on various HF bands (as many bands and modes as possible, plus EME), including activity in

the IARU HF Championship (July 10-11th) as HQ Station.

QSL via W1AW, LoTW or ClubLog

Snips – News For Scotland – 23rd May

The news headlines:

  • Final details on EMF from Ofcom
  • Cathryn, M0IBG inducted in to the CQ Hall of Fame
  • RSGB National Radio Centre re-opens

GB2RS Script – HERE .

CLUB NEWS & NETS

No Scottish updates this week

A listing of all known nets in Scotland, collated by RSGB Regional Rep Tony, MM0TMZ in association with Jack, GM4COX and the West of Scotland ARS and published at www.wosars.club/radio-nets.

TAGS: (Within GB2RS Script)

EMF from Ofcom; M0IBG; Contesting and DX Halls of Fame; Bletchley Park will re-open; 50MHz awards; GB7LA; thousands of new people gained their Foundation licence; 3A/IW1RBI from Monaco; 5R8RP; F5TRO; FR8UA and FR8TZ; SM7/OZ3ACB; GB1SCW as part of SOS radio week; another wild week with Sporadic-E; Transatlantic multi-hop sporadic Es brought contacts in the USA

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