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Archive for the ‘Fun’

Christmas Contest Time Approaches

December 15, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News

Mike

Mike G4VPD won the Open section last year

It is that special time of year again, when the airwaves around Wythall (and a bit further afield too!) will be full of stations exchanging numbers. No, it’s not a spy extravaganza, it’s just the Wythall Radio Club Christmas Contest again!

Members are encouraged to work each other as often as possible between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

Adjudicator Lee G0MTN presents Jim 2E0BLP with the 2m FM Trophy

Jim 2E0BLP won the FM Trophy in 2014

The rules are a little difficult to explain here, but fret not, as contest supremo Lee G0MTN is on hand tonight to help out.

Pop down to the shack at 20:30 to hear Lee’s latest Contest Update – there will doubtless be a few tweaks to enhance the event – it is all about “having fun with RF” as our club motto states, and it invariably lives up to its name.

The usual place of course, Wythall House, B47 6LZ. It’s the place to be on Tuesday nights!

Party Photos

December 13, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

Following the very successful Wythall Radio Club 2015 Christmas Party, get a flavour of the atmosphere by having a browse through our photo album!

Photos courtesy of Stuart M0NYP.

Party Time once again!

December 10, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

This Saturday, 12th December, is a very special date in Wythall Radio Club’s Calendar. It is the date for our annual Christmas Party. Party

Members come along, bringing friends & family and anyone who is a friend of the club, and we basically just have a lot of fun together!

We hire one of the larger rooms (with bar, of course!) at Wythall House and have a mixture of excellent food and drink (in the “American Supper” style), live entertainment, games, raffles, and even a skittle alley!

Great chat, a relaxed friendly atmosphere and a “no pressure” environment, it’s the perfect way to start the festive season off with friends.

This Saturday in the Britannia Room at Wythall House, Silver Street, Wythall from 19:30.

A Nice Round Dozen

December 07, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

Further to the news item below, we totted up the number of Wythall Radio Club members that actually made it to the Martin Lynch & Sons Hog Roast on Saturday and were surprised at the result!

Chris G7DDN gives a lecture at the Hog Roast

Chris G7DDN gives a lecture at the Hog Roast

It turns out that 12 members were there at some point during the day. More specifically, Jon M1JSS, John M6EGP, Terry 2E0XTV, Chris G7DDN, Phil 2E0WTH, Ian M0IDR, Pete M5DUO, Mike G4VPD, Tim M0URX, Dave 2E0HPD, Jamie 2E0SDV & Jon 2E0CAP all made it down the M40.

Martin has provided a few photos from the day and you can have a look at them below to get a good flavour of how much fun we had. Definitely the best Hog Roast yet!

A nice surprise at Martin Lynch’s

December 05, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

IMG_0646

Rich Radford G1GRD of ML&S with Jamie 2E0SDV & Mark M0DXR of Kenwood UK

There was a particularly pleasant surprise in store for one young Wythall Radio Club member today.

On our club trip to Martin Lynch & Sons today, 15-year-old Jamie 2E0SDV was hoping to get a good deal on his first new HF radio, a Kenwood TS-590SG.

But on hearing about Jamie’s prospective purchase, and to recognise his great achievement in gaining over 1000 QSOs on the recent RSGB Youth DXpedition to South Wales, both the store and the folk from Kenwood UK had a special surprise for him.

In addition to a “better-than-advertised-on-the-day” price for the radio(!), Kenwood UK threw in an internal voice recording board, while Martin Lynch & Sons donated a Kenwood MC-60 desk microphone.

Now that is one lucky youngster and one hell of a Christmas present! Nice one Jamie!

Visiting Martin Lynch’s Hog Roast

December 01, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

HOGROAST_Pix

Yum Yum!

This Saturday sees one of Wythall Radio Club Members’ favourite days out of the year – our annual trip down the M40 to Martin Lynch and Sons for the Christmas Hogroast!

This years sees Martin’s 25th year as a Ham Radio Dealer from his own store and we are pleased to be taking part.

In fact, this year we are taking part in more ways than just visitors. Club member Chris G7DDN is giving a talk on “Getting Started in D-STAR” in the new lecture room at ML&S.

There’s plenty of publicity on the ML&S website and even, for those who can stomach it, a picture of last year’s Wythall revellers in full celebration mode. Click here if you dare!

A Homebrew 100w Transceiver

November 29, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

One of Wythall Radio Club’s top home-constructors has just completed one of his long term projects – and it really is a “biggie”! SDC13818

Barry M0DGQ is one of the club’s most avid constructors – there always seems to be a project on his bench, but this one has even surpassed his previous efforts.

Barry announced this morning that he had finally completed his home-brew 100 Watt Transceiver.

This project has been going on in smaller segments for some considerable time now. It’s an all band, all mode, dual VFO machine and we can’t wait to hear it on the air!

Barry has promised a write-up in the near future, so stay tuned to this website and we will let you know when you can find out more.

Meantime here are some photos to whet your appetite!

Well done, Barry!

A Place in Europe…

November 19, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun, News

Lee & Jamie

Jamie 2E0SDV on the mic with Lee G0MTN logging at this year’s SSB Field Day

Great news today for the members of Wythall Radio Club.

We have just heard that we have finished in a “podium” spot in a European-wide contest.

Back in early September, a team of Wythallians took part in two concurrent events, the RSGB’s SSB Field Day Contest and the IARU Region 1 SSB Field Day Event.

The results of the EU contest have been released and our club station G4WAC/P finished in 3rd place out of the 15 entrants.

A very well done to all members involved, including team organiser Callum M0MCX and his “little helpers”, Lee G0MTN and Jamie 2E0SDV and everyone else who took part and supported our team.

A great result – and who knows? Maybe an even better result in 2016?

RSGB Convention comes to Wythall

November 17, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Contest, Fun

Lee_G0MTN

Lee in “contest” mode!

Well, kind of… To be more precise, one of the lectures from the 2015 RSGB Convention is coming to Wythall Radio Club this evening.

Lee G0MTN, who is a regular speaker at the RSGB event, is also a long-time member at Wythall Radio Club and is also one of the world’s top contesters.

Mind you, with a young daughter in tow, he hasn’t been able to be quite as active as in recent years (but that’s a different story!)

Tonight in the club shack, Lee will be giving the talk he gave in Milton Keynes last month entitled “HF Contest Station Design Tips”.

A talk from Lee is always eagerly anticipated at the club and tonight is no exception.

It’s a great evening to come along as a first-timer too so feel free to join us at Wythall House in Silver Street, Wythall B47 6LZ anytime from 2000 – the talk begins at 2030.

Remember, Remember…

November 05, 2015 By: Chris G7DDN Category: Club, Fun, News

It’s Fireworks time at Wythall Radio Club – not that any of our equipment is going up in smoke, you understand…

fireworksEvery year, the Wythall Community Association, where we hold our meetings (and indeed our annual Hamfest) puts on a Bonfire and Fireworks display. This brings in much-needed funds for the Association.  And each year, members of the constituent associations are asked to provide volunteers for the event.

While members of Wythall Radio Club have done this faithfully for many years, this year we are going to be using more of our radio skills.

Club liaison Dave 2E0HPD is arranging our shifts so that we can use our radios a little more as we did in the Wythall Fun Run in the summer. And so a bumper load of members is now getting ready to help with comms at the event in a way we have not done in previous years – it should be fun!

If you are thinking of coming along, you should know that the gates are open at 6:00pm with the Bonfire lit 30 minutes later: the two firework displays are at 7.30 and 8.30 – tickets are £7 on the gate but under 11’s get in free! And if you see people with walkie-talkies and wearing a reflective vest, why not tell them you heard about them from this website?