wythall radio club

Wythall Radio Club members were certainly living up to their motto of “Having Fun with RF” last night!

Barry M0DGQ assists David G7IBO (left) & Juliet M6RSC

20 members crowded into the club classroom, soldering stations at the ready, to have a go at building the M0DGQ designed TRF Radio Receiver. In truth, most of us did not know what to expect, but Barry, the project designer, handed out our bags full of components and led us very professionally through the build. Suffice it to say that it did get rather warm with 20 or so soldering irons adding to the general bodily warmth(!) and as the photos show, things were a little cramped!

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

Nonetheless, all the participants thoroughly enjoyed themselves and much banter was heard during the 2½ hour session. We had started at 1930 but had to wrap up by 2200 as we were all getting too tired!

A couple of folk managed to finish the project to the point where they could get their receivers tested by Barry, but the rest will either be finished at home or at this Friday’s shack social evening.

Many comments were heard to the effect of “we must do more of this”. However, the preparation involved was considerable so thanks must go to designer and teacher Barry M0DGQ for his time and efforts in sourcing materials and preparing the project so well. We do indeed look forward to doing more construction work!

Winter is traditionally a time of year for Radio Amateurs to spend long evenings indoors “playing radio”. For many of us, that means the opportunity to build our own radio equipment. In this, we are following a ham tradition which goes down the years (the early radio pioneers HAD to build their own equipment as there was nothing to purchase!)  and indeed, this is one reason why one needs to pass exams to join our hobby.

So it is then that this winter, Wythall Radio Club’s members are undertaking a simple construction project to get us “back to basics”.

Wythall Club Member Barry M0DGQ is leading us in a two week project  to build a simple TRF  (Tuned Radio Frequency) Receiver. The set Barry has designed covers 2.6 MHz to 3.9 MHz approximately. This includes all of the 80 metre Amateur Band and some of the Shortwave Broadcast band. Using a good antenna and ground, we would hope to receive international shortwave broadcast stations, as well as Amateur SSB and Morse signals.

This Tuesday, 19th February, Barry will lead us in an informal presentation of the basics of the circuit and how it works and the pitfalls we will have to watch out for in constructing it. The following Tuesday, 26th February, we will be making a set each. Should be fun!

Why not come along and see how we all get on? 2030 at Wythall House, Silver Street, Wythall. B47 6LZ

It might seem to folk looking in from the outside that not much is happening at Wythall Radio Club just now. Well nothing could be further from the truth!

The fact is that many of us are now so busy monitoring our club frequencies (and using them!) that both this website and our club email reflector have seen an equivalent decline in activity! Long may that continue!

Since the whole point of being a Radio Amateur is to “have fun with RF”. as our club motto suggests, then it seems entirely appropriate that while there may be less chatter via computer,  there is most definitely a lot more going on on the airwaves!

Following the excellent turnout for Wythall Radio Club’s Christmas Contest (see below!), we have decided to try out a new way of getting members on air all year round. Our new Activity Ladder scheme starts in a few hours time at midnight on 1st February.

The idea of this is to give points whenever club members work each other. It is not a contest as such; there is no exchange to record, for example. However, whenever members work each other, rag-chew style, they can enter that contact in their new club logging spreadsheet.

This clever piece of coding allocates points depending on who they are working. The Club Station is worth 10 points, the Chairman 9, Secretary and Treasurer 8 and 7 respectively, and Committee Members 6 points. Ordinary Members are worth 5 points. In addition, members can claim bonus points for working mobile, portable, from each other’s stations and for operating our Club Callsign G4WAC.

Each month, our Ladder Co-ordinator Colin M0GJM, will produce a “League Table” of how members are doing and we hope this will encourage all of us to come on the air more to chat with each other.

Time will tell of course, but early indications are good, in that several members are reputed to be awaiting the “off” with some anticipation!

Every year between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, Wythall Radio Club holds its Christmas Contest.

Club Member Sylwia M3SSP
A rare multiplier in the Christmas Contest!

Designed to encourage activity between our 70+ members, it has become a firm favourite with just about everyone. Indeed some people have been known to join the club just to take part in this event!

It is designed as a relaxed fun “party” exchanging serial numbers and generally having fun on air in keeping with our club motto. It has to be said though, it does bring out the competitive side in more than a few!

There are two trophies up for grabs as well and this Tuesday at 2030, we have our “Results and Presentation” evening. Adjudicator Lee G0MTN has been very busy wading through 40 or so Excel logbooks (designed by club members just for this event) and he will have come up with two winners. They will be presented with the G7OJO Trophy and the 2m FM trophy this week. Other certificates will be given out too.

This is one of the most anticipated evenings in the Wythall RC calendar so space is likely to be limited – an early arrival is advised! Tuesday 29th January at 2030 at Wythall House, Silver Street, B47 6LZ. Visitors, as always, are very welcome!

The results are out for the RSGB Club Calls 1.8 MHz Contest and it’s great news for the members of Wythall Radio Club!

51 Club Teams from across the UK took part and Wythall Radio Club’s ‘A’ team of G7WAC, G3YXM, G7DDN & G4WAC finished in overall 3rd place. A great effort and winners of the certificate pictured!

Our ‘B’ team of Pete M0COP, Don G0NES, Jim 2E0BLP & John G4MTG finished 16th and even our ‘C’ team (we were the only UK club with a ‘C’ team!) of Pete M5DUO, Barry M0DGQ, David G7IBO & Alf G1MJO finished 40th out of the 51 entrants!

In the individual scores, 3 of Wythall Radio Club’s stations finished in the top 10 (from 73 entrants) with G7WAC (operated by Callum M0MCX, Jon M0JMM & Stu M0NYP) ending up in 6th place. Dave G3YXM was 8th and Chris G7DDN came 9th.

In the Club table, G4WAC (operated by Lee G0MTN, Mike G4VPD, Stan G4JGV, Mark M0RKX & Phil 2E0WTH) finished 9th out of 33 Club stations.

The full results are tabulated at the RSGB’s HF Contest Website. Meantime our congratulations go to the 18 members who took part on air, plus the support teams who helped out with food, drink and in so many other ways! Special thanks to Dave G3YXM who co-ordinated all the efforts.

Great fun and we will be back next year!

Life so often seems to get in the way of the best laid plans, does it not?

While all the members of Wythall Radio Club have been looking forward to the results of our Christmas Contest, sadly our adjudicator, Lee G0MTN, has gone down with one of the many Winter sickness viruses that routinely does the rounds. The results presentation scheduled for this week has therefore had to be postponed, but the good news is only till next Tuesday!

Instead, this Tuesday, Chris G7DDN will lead an interactive discussion on the new Club Activity Ladder and related software.This is a new event in the club, which, depending on the uptake and demand, may end up being an all year round activity for club members. The support for the concept was overwhelming at the last full club meeting, so here’s a chance to see in more detail just what the fuss is all about!

Tuesday 22nd January at 2030 at Wythall House, Silver Street, B47 6LZ. Visitors, as always, are very welcome!

The members of Wythall Radio Club would like to wish all readers of and visitors to our website the best season’s greetings!

We wish all radio enthusiasts a fantastic Christmas holiday and our wishes that “Santa” has bought you all the radio equipment you could possibly want! :-)

It’s been a great year at Wythall RC and we look forward to building on our successes in the future. Remember to check our Events page regularly – why not make it a New Year’s Resolution to come along to one of our Club events and say hello sometime?

73 es 88 de Wythall Radio Club

Not long to go now before one of the events of the year in the Wythall Radio Club Christmas Calendar. Our in-house Christmas Contest started from small beginnings and is now a major part of the club’s calendar. Some amateurs have been known to join our club just to take part!

The G7OJO Trophy
& its little brother!

The idea is to work as many members as possible each day from 2000 on Christmas Eve till 2000 on New Year’s Day. You are allowed to work stations each day for points but each station worked also counts as a “multiplier” to your total score. So to win, you need to work as many members as you can across the 9 days but also try to make lots of contacts with those members every day too! As if Christmas wasn’t busy enough as it is! Your best 5 days totals are sent in and the adjudication team sorts the wheat from the chaff and declares the winners at a presentation evening in January. They are presented with the G7OJO Trophy and another as yet unnamed trophy (for members using 144 MHz only.)

So why are we telling you this now? Well this Tuesday 18th December, there is a presentation by Contest Supremo Lee G0MTN on the history and development of the Contest and on the innovations introduced in recent years, which include more points for using more bands and modes and a fantastic logging spreadsheet which scores you automatically!

It will be a fascinating evening for sure. So be there at 2030 this Tuesday 18th December in the Club Shack. It will be full so arrive early!

Sometimes club life is just plain fun! Last night Wythall Radio Club held its annual Christmas Party. Over 60 members, family and friends all came together for a fun-filled evening at Wythall House.