wythall radio club

Communications is what the hobby of Ham Radio is all about but this week at Wythall Radio Club, we will be learning about a slightly different communications infrastructure.

One of our newer members, Martin M6GYH is going to talk to us about a subject he is bit of an expert on, namely Trans-Atlantic cabling.

It was a real struggle to create the first few Trans-Atlantic cables and Martin will be telling us about the history of cross-continent communications.

He will also be bringing us bang up-to-date on the current state of communications under the oceans – he will introduce us to WDM (see, you don’t know what that is yet!), the use of infared laser technology and explain to us how in the 21st Century, Gigabits of data are transmitted around the world.

Wythall House is the venue, Silver Street B47 6LZ – Tuesday 24th May is the day and 20:30 is the time.

Get there early for the best seat!

The worlds largest Amateur Radio event is coming to Wythall Radio Club, well… kind of!

One of the many Dayton halls

Dayton Hamvention takes place this weekend in Ohio, USA and amateurs from all over the world are currently travelling there. One way they are keeping in touch with each other is via the D-STAR amateur digital network.

Fortunately, Wythall has it’s own D-STAR repeater, GB7SO and for the next few days it will be linked to the Dayton Hamvention reflectors, enabling local Hams here in Wythall not just to listen to the radio traffic taking place there, but also allowing us to actually talk to people in the halls live!

So if you want to get a flavour of what the world’s greatest Ham event is like, just tune your D-STAR radio to GB7SO, listen in and maybe even take part!

2014 UK Contesters Mark M0DXR & Olof G0CKV watched by referee N5AW

Radiosport is the theme at Wythall Radio Club this week.

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is the focus of our weekly meeting.

This is a radio contesting event, held every four years, which attracts the very cream of ham radio operators from across the world.

In essence, it consists of 50+ two-person teams of amateur radio operators competing in a test of operating skill.

Previous WRTCs have been held in places as diverse as the USA, Slovenia, Finland, Brazil & Russia. But it is the most recent one held in New England in 2014 that is the subject of this Tuesday’s club evening.

A fantastic video was made of this event and, thanks to our facilities in the club shack, we will be watching this on our own “big screen”.

What not come along and join us for this fun evening? This Tuesday 17th May at 2030 at Wythall House, Silver Street, Wythall B47 6LZ. You will be very welcome!

The May 2016 edition of the Wythall Radio Club Newsletter is now available for download. Just click here! 

Features include a report on the fantastic 2016 Wythall Hamfest; a look at going bicycle mobile with new member Chris G3YHF; more details on how we achieved a Foundation pass for our visually impaired student, David and a 100 watt amplifier for 144MHz at little cost. There’s lots more besides, so download today – worth a read, especially as it’s free!

Thanks to all our contributors and of course Chris G0EYO, our faithful newsletter editor, who is in the throes of a house move, so how he’s found the time, who knows?

Neal, Stuart & Martin, now M6NCM, M6GYF & M6GYH

While Wythall Radio Club’s next Intermediate Exam Course is soon to begin, we are currently celebrating our recent Foundation successes.

You may have already read below about David Simmons and his success in becoming M6KND, but 4 other candidates have also been celebrating.

So it’s a big Wythall “well-done” to Martin M6GYH, Stuart M6GYF, Neal M6NCM & Michael M6GWQ. All four passed their Foundation exams with us in the Spring and it is fantastic to hear of their new callsigns. Watch out for Martin M6GYH who is giving a talk to the Club next month!

Meantime, remember if you are interested in our training courses, drop a line to Training Co-ordinator Chris G0EYO on the email, g0eyo(at)blueyonder.co.uk.

You could be featuring on these pages next!

Ignore this! The meeting starts at 8.30pm!

No, it’s not the departure time of the next train to London…
…but it is the title of this week’s offering from Wythall Radio Club.

Three of our members are giving mini-talks lasting 15 minutes each, hence the 3-15.

Contents are of course a tight secret(!), but we hear that we can expect a little something on antennas…

If you want to find out more about this mystery evening, why not come along to Wythall House, Silver Street, Wythall B47 6LZ. We kick off at 20:30 and you will be very welcome!

Invigilator David G0ICJ, David Simmonds and reader Anita 2E0DUO celebrate the pass

Hot news from the Training Department at Wythall Radio Club! We have just had our first exam pass for a blind entrant to the hobby.

David Simmons achieved his Licence just a few days ago and now has the callsign M6KND. Many congratulations to David! However, there is a story behind his success…

With help from our friends at the Radio Society of Great Britain, we were able to remove many of the obstacles in the way of a disabled candidate gaining a license, whilst keeping the course both challenging for him and meeting the statutory requirements.

David used an audio version of the Foundation course book and prior approval for the Practical tests was obtained so that he could show his knowledge in the most appropriate way.

Wythall Chair, Anita 2E0DUO was also examined by the relevant officials so that she could act as David’s reader for the specially-prepared exam on the night.

A fuller article on the details of how our Trainers overcame some of the difficulties involved in training David will appear in our next newsletter, so watch out for that!

All the hard work paid off of course, as David passed at the first time of asking and he is already making our Training team put their thinking caps on – he wants to do the Intermediate and Advanced exams next!

Following the fantastic response to arguably our most successful event to date, Wythall Radio Club are proud to announce the date for our 2017 Hamfest.

Next year’s extravaganza will take place on Sunday 19th March, 2017. Book the date in your diary NOW!

Once again we will have a huge range of traders, large and small; no less than four halls will be available; once again we will have a lecture stream but most importantly, the famous Burger Van will be there to keep you from being famished!

We will have more exciting news about the Hamfest as this year progresses, so make sure you subscribe to our news feed so that you don’t miss out!

Steve 2E0SDD won the FM Section

…and the results of the Wythall Radio Club Easter Contest are out – and there are new names in the top spot positions!

Despite heavy competition, the winners of both sections of the WRC Easter Contest are first-time first-placers.

Simon G4TVR won the Open Section

In the 2m/70cms FM section, Steven 2E0SDD was victorious over David G7IBO, while in the All Bands section, it was Simon G4TVR who won top prize from Dave M0IFT, who has now finished second in both his last two Wythall contests.

It seems the Easter contest, though more sedate than our Christmas event, is the little more popular for its chocolate prizes! Maybe we will have to add something to the next Christmas contest to make it a little more “palatable’… :-) Selection boxes, anyone?

Catch all the egg winners begin presented with their fayre by Contest Supremo Lee G0MTN by clicking on the thumbnails below…