Wythall Radio Club’s annual summer celebration of outdoor radio operating and bar-b-qing took place this weekend. This ‘Plug and Play’ weekend is designed so that Club members can bring along radios and erect large antennas that they might not have the space for at home.

Over 40 members and families attended for the Saturday night bar-b-q, part of the Club’s regular social programme.  

Members also used a variety of radios and antennas to contact stations across Europe, and into the Caribbean – where we spoke with Steve PJ4DX – using SSB (voice) and FT8 (digital) modes.  The Club used the opportunity to participate in the Cricket World Cup Radio Marathon, with the special callsign GB19WI (West Indies).  

Activity started at 1030 Saturday with a small team erecting antennas and operating tents – as well as the well-equipped kitchen!!  Several Club members camped overnight, enabling some late night and early morning radio activity.  Pack-up took place on Sunday morning.  The location was in the fields near the Club’s base at Wythall Community Centre.

Lots of activities will keep Wythall radio Club busy during June.

All club members are encouraged to come along to the Club ‘shack’ and have a go operating using the special call signs for the Cricket World Cup during regular Club meetings on Tuesday 4th and 11th June and 2nd July. 

The special call signs will be GB19EB – for Edgbaston Cricket Ground – and GB19ENG for the England Team.

In addition, GB19CWC – the HQ station for the Cricket World Cup – will be activated from the Club on the morning of Monday 17th June.

We will be providing Communications Badge training for 89th Birmingham/1st Hall Green Scouts on 18th June.  This will include passing messages using handheld licence free radios, phonetic alphabet, sending names in Morse Code and passing greetings messages over the air to other radio amateurs using our portable radio station.

And we will be up early on 23rd June to provide communications for the annual Wythall Fun Run.

Our regular Morse Class takes place on Tuesday evenings in the Club meeting room, and Intermediate Licence practicals take place on Saturdays.  On 29th June Club members will be helping out at the Wythall House Bar-b-Q.

New members and visitors are always welcome at Wythall Radio Club –  Tuesdays from about 7.45pm at Wythall House. 

Prizes of chocolate eggs delighted the winners of Wythall Radio Club’s annual Easter Contest!

The award for the highest placed Foundation licencees was Miles M7ACN, who was also placed 2nd in the 2m/70cm FM section, with Kevin 2E0NCO the winner of a scrumptious Easter egg and Simon G4TVR in 3rd place.  Kev was also awarded the Colin Baker G6ZDQ Easter Contest VHF section shield, in memory of our former Club member.

In the all bands/modes section, Jim 2E0BLP was the winner of the delicious chocolate Easter egg, with Ian M0LQY in 2nd place and Chris G0EYO 3rd.  Jim was also awarded the David Dawkes G0ICJ Easter Contest all bands/mode section shield, in memory of our former Club treasurer.

The G6ZDQ and G0ICJ shields were presented by members of Colin and David’s families, who joined us for this special evening.

May is Morse Code appreciation month at Wythall Radio Club.

Everyone knows some Morse Code:  ‘ …  – – –  … ‘ is SOS!  And at Wythall Radio Club during May we celebrate the skill of communicating by Morse Code in honour of Lew Williams, who was an expert at Morse and former Club President.

So Club members will be having fun by making contacts with other amateur radio operators using their Morse keys.  And our regular class to learn Morse Code runs most Tuesday evenings, led by David G0HVN

May at the Club is a busy time for other reasons.  On 14th, we have the award presentations for the Club’s Easter Contest.  And on 21st we hold our open committee meeting, that any member can attend.

On May 28th there will be a briefing for the Club’s participation in the Cricket World Cup radio Marathon!  In honour of the UK hosting this year’s Cricket World Cup, Wythall Radio Club will be hosting several special stations using Cricket World Cup call signs during June and July.

We will also be updating the winch on the tower that supports our beam antennas and preparing for an event we will be running for a local scout group.

There’s always lots on at Wythall Radio Club!

Wythall Radio Club members will be participating in many and varied activities this month.

Our Club DX Table competition continues as members try to contact other radio amateurs in as many different countries as possible.  Two members have already contacted over 100 countries so far this year!  A great achievement – will it be 200 by the summer??

Over Easter weekend, Club members will be taking part in our Easter Contest – where we try to contact as many other members and compete for trophies and Easter eggs!

Before that, on Tuesday April 16th, David Bowman G0MRF will be talking about and demonstrating how contacts can be made by sending signals through the new geo-stationary satellite QO100.  You can find out more – and listen in on-line – here.

And on Tuesday 30th April, three Club members will be giving short 15 minute talks in our regular ‘3-15’ session.

Besides these activities, David G0HVN will be running his regular Tuesday evening Morse class.

And we will be welcoming as members some of the new Foundation licence holders who passed the Club’s on-line course a few weeks ago.

Wythall Radio Club trainees achieved 100% success in their Foundation Amateur Radio licence assessments last month.

Ten budding radio amateurs – including 13 year old Adrian – studied Wythall Club’s online Foundation course.  The students then took a practical assessment. 

This is to show they have the basic competence to operate a low power amateur radio station and know how to make contacts with other amateurs ‘on air’. 

Our trainees can now apply for their brand new amateur radio licences – so congratulations to (plus new callsigns): Adrian , Robert, Ian (M7ENH), Bob (M7TBC), Tony (M7MAX), Tainia (M7TOC), Greg (M7GWM), Andy, Garry (M7VEN) and Allen (M7ALN). 

The photos below show, left to right, Robert, Adrian, and Ian, and Bob and Tony, all concentrating hard during their assessment.

Foundation licence holders can operate on most amateur radio bands using low power.  The next steps are to Intermediate licence and then the Full licence, which gives a wider range of privileges.

The Wythall Radio Club team who guided the students to success is: Chris G0EYO, Peter G4LWF, John G4OJL and Roger M0GWM. 

More information on our training programme here.

West Africa is the destination for Wythall Radio Club member Jamie M0SDV.  He joins a radio DXpedition to Lomé, Togo from 14th March – 25th March – the only UK member of the international team of amateur radio operators.  

Although one of the Club’s youngest members, Jamie has an international reputation as an excellent amateur radio operator.  Last year he operated from Bonaire and Curacao, small islands in the Caribbean.  It’s this reputation that led to his invitation to travel to Togo.

There is very little amateur radio operation from Togo, and Jamie reports big ‘pile-ups’ – large numbers of amateur radio operators all calling him to secure a contact.

Several Wythall radio club members have been lucky enough to get through the cacophony of sound and make contact with Jamie and the team – who are using the callsign 5V7EI.

Thank you to the over 400 visitors to Wythall Radio Club’s 34th Hamfest 2019…..

….. And to the 39 traders large and small who filled the 4 halls and over 100 tables with a huge assortment of new and used items!

Visitors arrived from as far away as Devon and Southampton – even though we had hail, rain and sleet between the sunny intervals!

Thanks to Wythall House for letting us use their facilities, Burger Bob for his tasty refreshments – and our Club helpers, especially Warwick G4WMH for his skill in winching several cars off of the soggy grass!

Access to the Hamfest in Silver Street from Alcester Road is closed due to urgent water pipe repairs.

All vehicles must use Middle Lane entrance to Silver Street.  

NOTE:  Do not rely on Google maps or SatNav info on road closure – Silver Street is open from Middle Lane as far as the Hamfest (we have been there today!!).

TALK-IN:  Call on 145.550 or GB3WL if you require assistance. Note: there is no ‘bleep’ on GB3WL repeater – just talk normally and it will function.

Approaching from South

Leave at M42 junction 3, then take the A435 towards Birmingham.
At the first roundabout (Beckett’s Farm Complex and Sima Warehouse) take the 1st exit along Middle Lane, straight over the roundabout, and then turn right into Silver Street at the crossroads (opposite the horse outside Rose Bank Stores).  

Approaching from Birmingham or North

Take the A435 out of Birmingham towards Redditch. At the Maypole (Sainsbury’s) Island take the 3rd exit (A435 dual carriageway).  At the first roundabout (Beckett’s Farm Complex and Sima Warehouse) take the 4th exit along Middle Lane, straight over the roundabout, and then turn right into Silver Street at the crossroads (opposite the horse outside Rose Bank Stores).  

TALK-IN:  Call on 145.550 or GB3WL if you require assistance. Note: there is no ‘bleep’ on GB3WL repeater – just talk normally and it will function.

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All roads lead to Wythall Hamfest on Sunday 17th March.