wythall radio club

Wythall Radio Club is pleased to announce that the conversion of our UHF repeater station is nearly complete.

The new GB3WL was installed just before Christmas and was initially put into Fusion/Analogue Dual Mode for the festive season.

Reports so far have been excellent with coverage slightly improved on the old relay station and proving to be much closer to the coverage map expectations. Click on the map for more detail.

Last night, D-STAR was also activated for the first time and while not all reflectors are quite available yet, all the DCS reflectors are working on the repeater and it is left linked to DCS005H, the Worcestershire Reflector as a default.  Feel free to connect it elsewhere if you wish, but good protocol is to reconnect it to DCS005H when you are finished.

We will update the website when other permissions come through and other systems are linkable.

Meantime, we hope amateurs across South Birmingham will enjoy having two new Digital Modes to use via GB3WL.

Further information on GB3WL is available on this page.

The members of Wythall Radio Club wish all radio amateurs worldwide the very best of New Year wishes. May all your New Year desires come true in 2018!

Remember to subscribe to our site via email (left) to make sure you keep up to date with all the news from our busy club!

For our part we will be having fun with RF throughout 2018 with lots of events planned and a full programme of events to keep members happy.  See our events page for details!

The annual Wythall Radio Club Radio Foxhunt is cancelled today, due to the snow that has fallen overnight in our area.

Our apologies for this. We hope to rearrange for it to take place early next year.

The very latest January 2018 edition of the famous Wythall Radio Club Newsletter is now available.

Just click here or on the Newsletter icon on the left of this article to access it.

Featured this issue are a report on the club trip out to Martin Lynch’s Hog Roast; first impressions of 2 new DMR Radios; a first PICAXE project; a fascinating personal account of getting into the Amateur Radio Hobby; and 17-year-old Jamie’s entry in the  CQ Worldwide Morse Contest.

There’s more than that too, so don’t delay – download your issue free today!

Leanne & Sam present Harry with his new radio

Meet Wythall Radio Club Member Harry Bacon. 

At the tender age of 8, Harry is currently the youngest member we have. Along with his dad, he recently passed his Foundation Exam and is now the proud holder of the shiny new callsign M6NKW. 

A few days ago, Harry was congratulated by our friends (and Wythall Hamfest sponsors) from Radioworld.

On a trip up to their shop near Cannock, a very excited young man was presented with a new dual-band Handheld transceiver. (Click the photo for a larger picture).

Now Harry is looking forward to getting on the air and getting more experience before tackling the Intermediate License.

He is already learning Morse Code at our club Morse class and learning it very quickly, so we hear. We at Wythall Radio Club wish him all the best.

Listen out for Harry in our Club Christmas Contest from 26th December – you might even have a contact with him via our repeater GB3WL.

Christmas is coming early to Wythall Radio Club this evening.  Here’s programme co-ordinator John G3VRF with more details… 

“Ho! Ho! Ho!… and what would you like Santa to bring you this year for Christmas? Well Christmas is coming to the club tonight, not with Kris Kringle, but with Chris G7DDN who will be looking at some of those wonderful Amateur Radio toys that could be around your Christmas tree this year.”

“Whether you can afford a top of the range transceiver or a crystal set based on a piece of coal, Chris will be covering it all.”

“So it’s time to gather in our basement Grotto at 8.30pm tonight. Get your seat early or you could be sitting on Santa’s knee!”

Wythall Radio Club’s Training Department are celebrating again this weekend. This time an amazing 8 passes from the latest online Foundation Course. 

WRC Training Co-ordinator, Chris G0EYO told us today, “I am pleased to report that after an intense morning session on Saturday when they did their practical assessments, all eight of our on line Foundation class went on to pass their exam on Sunday.”

So left to right in the picture, it’s congratulations to Gary, Mike, Harry (aged 8!!), James, Neil, Andy, Ian and Sue.

Our thanks go to the WRC training team and our congratulations go to all 8 of the new licensees. We look forward to hearing the new callsigns on the air very soon!

Following our very well attended AGM earlier this week, Wythall Radio Club has a new leadership team. 

Members awaiting the results of the ballot at the AGM this week

For 2017-2018, the club will be headed by 3 officers, Anita 2E0DUO (Chair), Chris G3YHF (Secretary) & Ian M0IDR (Treasurer).

The 6-person committee consists of Lee G0MTN, Stuart M0NYP, Peter M5DUO, Phil 2E0WTH, John M6KET & Kevin 2E0NCO.

Other decisions of note on Tuesday were the bestowing of an honorary membership on one of our long-standing and mature members, Jim 2E0BLP (The “Voice of the Midlands”).

Last but definitely not least, we have a new honorary position. Founder member Mike G4VPD has been with the club from day one back in 1981 and has never missed a year’s membership. It is very fitting that he was voted in as the Club’s President.

Chair Anita said today “We are looking forward to building a new chapter in the history of Wythall Radio Club as we move further into the 21st century”

The latest Wythall Radio Club Newsletter is out now!

Find your copy by clicking here or on the newsletter graphic to the left of this post.

Articles this edition include… Six Decades of Morse Keys, an update on Club Contests, some news about our 3-15 evenings and a report of John M6KET’s adventures at the Essex CW club event.

As always, there’s loads more besides too, so just click here and enjoy!

Further to the post about Mark M0LXQ below, it’s now the turn of another Wythall Radio Club member John M6KET, to be a winner! 

Retired teacher John told us, “…just returned from a CW (Morse Code) Boot Camp run by the excellent Essex CW Club with some 30 delegates put through their paces by hardened professionals (well, keen amateurs!)”

“Honest feedback received on both my sending and receiving was handed out, as well as lectures on all things CW from keys to building your own speed monitor.”

“As I was the delegate who had travelled  the furthest, I won a CG Antenna PK-4 CW Pocket Keyer (sponsored by our friends from ML&S)”

John runs our well-known Morse Training Classes on Tuesday evenings here at Wythall and we congratulate him on a great day out and a new piece of kit for the shack!

Well done John!