wythall radio club

A cold misty mid-December afternoon.. an undisclosed destination on the fringes of South Birmingham (a safe house?).  Three mature males from Wythall Radio Club stagger their arrivals (to avoid suspicion?) and are ushered into a radio operating room the likes of which this scribe (John M6KET) has never experienced before. **

After the understated 40-watt light bulb atmosphere of last week’s QRP operation, here we are confronted with a console of modern DX and contesting equipment: Yaesu FTDX5000, keyboards, morse keys, headsets, linear amplifiers, Optibeam OB6-3M antenna rotator, computer screens showing automatic logging programmes, the global grey line and much else besides.

Yes, it was the second day of the ARRL 10m SSB/ CW contest and Lee G0MTN had kindly invited Chris G3YHF, Clive M7OCB and John M6KET into his beautifully designed ‘shack’ to operate the specially allocated call G5AT, celebrating the first European Amateur contact with the USA back in 1922.

No such challenge with contacts this afternoon as on a busy band QSO’s with our USA cousins flowed.  DX contacts included Chris making an effortless contact with Aruba and John had no trouble in reeling in Halesowen!

Clive was soon into the action with SSB and when both John and Clive faltered in the white hot heat of contest pressure Lee was on hand to keyboard us out of panic from a back seat!!

On one occasion scrambling for his usual pencil and paper on the desk in front of him, John was surprised and spooked to hear his contest CW QSO completed with his hands nowhere near the key- magic indeed.

Watching the skill with which Lee worked was an education in itself as he reeled off a string of points and contacts at astonishing speeds and I believe by the end of the afternoon some 150 contacts had been made.

The beam and power obviously helped but the legerdemain of the operator’s fingers on the keyboard is impressive (particularly if you are a one finger keyboard typist!).  One can only imagine the levels of concentration and endurance required when operating a full contest over 36/48 hours.

Our thanks to Lee and family for their hospitality, mince pies and coffee and this much appreciated opportunity to dip  into the contesting world on one of the major weekends of the season.

** Apologies this week to John le Carre

Two men approach Wythall House early on a cold misty late November evening.  About their persons they carry equipment that would fool the most vigilant security, reports John M6KET.

As they walk the deserted streets televisions screens flicker through half drawn curtains. 

But not even the England-Wales World Cup match can deflect these two dedicated operators from their goal: the operation centre of the Wythall Radio Club QRP HQ – the Dart’s Room in Wythall House. **

Yes, Tuesday night saw the Wythall Radio Club QRP night, an event that would bring to a close eight days of QRP operating to see: ‘How Low You Could Go’.

Once in the safety of the Darts Room at Wythall House a range of small, (mostly) portable radios was revealed to include (photo left) the tiny QCX+ mini 17m cw rig and the magnificent Discovery 500 radio, last seen operating from the summit of Bredon Hill. 

Also on show was the Elecraft KX3 and the older but very venerable K2 (photo right, with John M6KET operating).

The few QRP QSO’s made that night were really the climax of the 10 days that went before. 

Lee G0MTN, despite being fatigued, powered down to 5 watts and worked some 85 DXCC countries in two hours during the ARRL CQ WW contest at the weekend, including a memorable and recorded QSO with VK6T on 20m CW.

5 watts and 12000 miles .. as they say in the States “Do the Maths”.

Meanwhile, Chris G3YHF heroically rose from his bed at ungodly hours at the weekend, and using his doublet and 5 watts on 80m CW achieving 160 QSO’s with 39 DXCC countries in 8 different zones.

He worked, amongst others PJ4K Bonaire (1468km per watt!) (photo top of page), 10 Canadian and American stations and 3 African stations.

Columbia HK1MW was a close call but escaped and New Zealand was heard for around 20 minutes in the Winter Dawn Grey Zone (when dawn and dusk coincide across the world).

In sunny Torquay, Kevin G4XLO had fun with his 5 watts on FT8/FT4 working mainly European stations, Madeira Island and the USA.  His signal was also decoded in Brazil and Australia (photo right).

John, M6KET, spent the week using anything from 5 watts CW to half a watt, a K2 and the infamous 90’ dog-leg doublet. 

He was amazed how far 1 watt and then half-a-watt could reach with QSO’s with Switzerland, France, Andorra, Sweden and Hungary.

5 watts saw John make good QSO’s with the Bahamas, Belize, Central African Republic, Roderiguez Island and Antigua and Barbuda, all worked in the week leading up to the weekend contest.

There may well be others we have not heard from for QRP operators are notoriously modest and self effacing. 

But like the two agents mentioned above, they move under the radar with quiet efficiency, getting the most out of their simple but well designed equipment and having a lot of fun doing so.

Try it some time!!

(** With apologies to Ben Mcintyre)

TX5N – where’s that?

It’s the remote Austral Islands in the Pacific Ocean, activated by the Perseverance DX Group earlier this year.

And it’s kept Wythall Radio Club member Tim M0URX of United Radio QSL Bureau busy processing QSLs for their 50,000 plus QSOs.

This is the same group that activated VP8PJ, South Orkney Island in Antarctica earlier this year, for which Tim also supplied QSL management.

There’s a nice write-up about the TX5N DXpedition and Tim’s role in November 2022 QST – the ARRL magazine.

How can you put out the best signal on HF? And make a good score in HF contests? 

This was the theme for Wythall Radio Club member Lee G0MTN’s talk at the RSGB Convention 2022 and at an evening session for Club members.

What can we do with a modest sized garden?  

Is it only possible to achieve a good contest score with multiple multi-element beams? 

How can antenna theory help us? 

Lee covers these questions and more.

You can watch his talk by clicking on the picture.  

Bright sunshine and warm weather graced Wythall Radio Club’s autumn field day.

Over a dozen Club members and friends had fun with RF at Wythall Park, our home QTH, and we worked several more members ‘on-the-air’.

While some erected masts and strung wire antennas from trees, and Kev 2E0NCO got the generator running, Phil 2E0WTH put the kettle on and got the bacon and eggs cooking!

Operating from the field gave us a chance to get some big antennas out – from ex-military verticals and a DX Commander to a Buddipole. 

There were also SOTA linked dipoles, vehicle-mounted HF and VHF antennas and a Moxon.

We’d like to thank all those amateurs with whom we had QSOs, helping us have a great day out.

At the field day were:  Phil 2E0WTH (thanks for arranging the venue), Clive M7OCB, Kev 2E0NCO (flight controller!!), John M6KET/2E0XET, Jim 2E0BLP, Warwick G4WMH, Martin G8VXX (thanks for the loan of the genny), Lee G0MTN, Les 2E0LRV, Don G0NES, David G7IBO and Chris G3YHF, our members who called in ‘on-air’ – Chris G0EYO, John G3VRF and Milo 2E0YZW, and visitors Mike 2E0ILX with spaniel Brambles, and SWL Richie.

Wythall Radio Club’s wandering beams (photo left) – much commented on by Hamfest regulars – have been replaced (photo right)!

Our tower now sports shiny new 6M+4M and 2M+70CM dual band beams.

We constructed the beams on Friday night and stored them in Wyhall House.

On Saturday afternoon a working party led by Vinnie M0TAV luffed the tower and – working on the flat roof – removed the four orginal beams and installed the two new ones. 

Below, Pete M5DUO get to grips with some U bolts!

Warwick G4WMH’s gas soldering iron played a key role in fitting the new N plugs. 

Fortunately the original coax is still in good condition.

In addition to Warwick and Pete, the project involved Club members Ian M0LQY, Lee G0MTN, Martin G8VXX and Phil 2E0WTH.

We’re looking forward to trying out the new beams from our new ground floor shack on Tuesday evenings!

A big ‘Thank You‘ to all the Club members involved in this project!

Wythall Radio Club celebrated Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games by hosting the special event callsign GB22GE.

Using SSB and FT8 data mode, we worked stations across the UK – from Peterhead in north Scotland to Plymouth in south-west England and Knighton in mid-Wales.  

Stations across Europe were also put in the log.

A special treat was to work Club members Jim 2E0BLP and John M6KET – a rare outing on SSB for 99%CW John, using is usual QRP power of 5 watts!  (Photo above: Ian M0LQY and Martin G8VXX are seen chatting to Jim.)

Meanwhile Lee G0MTN (photo left, Lee on far right) is assisting the Commonwealth Games HQ station and worked Club members Dave M0IFT and Chris G3YHF.

Warm weather, good company and lots of RF were on hand for Wythall Radio Club’s ‘Plug and Play’ field day last Saturday.

The advance party of Phil 2E0WTH and Kev 2E0NCO collected the pop-up gazebos from the club room at 8.30am, Martin G8VXX delivered his generator, and Ian M0LQY had the first station on the air by 9.15. 

12 members and Brambles the spaniel joined in the fun. 

We had 6 stations on the air on HF and VHF, using SSB, CW and FT8. 

Antennas included long wires, a delta loop, multi-band dipoles, a Moxon, vehicle-mounted HF and VHF verticals, and colinears for 2m.  Unfortunately, the wind was too light for the 5/8ths on 80m kite vertical.

We used a large field in Wythall Park, where our Club is located.  There was considerable debate about the best method to get cord over the oak tree branches to support the long wires. 

We used a fishing catapault and reel as well as a weight, both being successful (see photo)

We chose this Saturday to coincide with the IARU HF Contest so there would be lots of activity on SSB and CW, although we weren’t entering the contest and had lots of time to chat with stations on 2 meters FM and non-contest stations on HF. 

Lee G0MTN had several spells working contest stations on both modes.  He made over 100 qsos despite Brambles wanted him to throw a stick!(see photo).

Meanwhile, Ian M0LQY was busy on FT8 – especially on 20m and 17m – with DX highpoints working VP2EIH in Anquilla and Club member Chris G0EYO in nearby Redditch! 

He was using the new Xiegu600 – reviewed in a recent RadCom by Wythall Club’s own Dave G(M)3YXM – with a Xiegu linear and 124.5′ long wire with a 17′ counterpoise. 

PSK spots show he was getting worldwide coverage – nice!!

We were delighted to be joined by Jim 2E0BLP, and were able to present him with the Colin Baker G6ZDQ Easter Contest VHF/UHF Shield for winning this section in our Easter contest.

All field days rely on a good supply of nourishment, and some members brewed-up and cooked bacon and eggs.  Our fun day together ended with a fish and chip supper.

We packed up and left the field about 12 hours after we arrived – having had lots of fun with RF!

Besides those mentioned above, the Club’s field day also attracted:  Les 2E0LRV, Warwick G4WMH, Stu M0NYP, Milo 2E0YZW, Chris G3YHF and visitors Mike 2E0ILX and spaniel Brambles.

MORE PHOTOS

Japan and Brazil were amongst the countries contacted by the special Jubilee station at Wythall Radio Club.

Call-sign GB70E (Great Britain 70 England) was used by Wythall Club members on data modes (FT8) and SSB voice, during their weekly Tuesday night meetings. 

This was part of the RSGB initiative to enable radio amateurs and clubs around the country to share in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Propogation was excellent for FT8, and contacts were made with 10 countries (see map).   A week later, radio conditions were poor and we only made contact with four countries by SSB.

A highlight of our SSB evening was to talk with John, the operator of GB70D – the special Jubilee callsign used from the Isle of Man.

[Map courtesy of K2DSL https://www.levinecentral.com/adif2map/]

Wythall Radio Club members have been taking to the hills to operate portable.  Here, John M6KET reports on a recent dxpedition to Bredon Hill – where we had 4 seasons in one day!

They’re a hardy bunch these SOTA (Summit on the Air) guys, undaunted by the weather conditions, well organised and scrambling up the hill-side like a mountain goat (GOTA?), lean muscular machines with only one aim in sight – the trig point on the  summit.

Our aim was Bredon Hill, Worcestershire – approached by the northern (and more difficult!) route.

Trailing behind like a malnourished Sherpa, I possibly delayed the arrival time by half an hour but we were soon into the swing with Chris G0EYO responding first to my rare outing with the 2 meter Handie, followed by Don, G0NES: both good signals.

This novice watched in awe as Chris G3YHF threw up the inverted V trap dipole and we were away on 40m SSB with 9 watts (Wot, no SOTA calling frequency?) and Sid, G6UT was quickly in the log from his club station in Harlow.

As the clouds gathered again, the really exciting bit followed with 2 way QRP CW QSO’s with Yann F6LAW on 40m and then with German stations on 30m.

With better weather and we might have stayed longer, but this was late May and the hail stones at our feet and the stinging nettles we dropped our coax plug into suggested hometown and we returned, more quickly and safely, by the scenic route.

A great experience and, for me, really exciting to see how a portable operation can be mounted quickly, given organisation and planning.  Something elemental too about being outside with 9 watts, a simple dipole and real QSO’s.

The radio used was a Discovery 500 and was incredibly quiet with the signals standing out beautifully from the speaker mic and no need for earphones.

Big thanks to Chris for patiently guiding this SOTA novice through the experience: I’m off now to find some batteries for the KX3 and .. work on my fitness!

PS Don’t be misled by the apparently balmy conditions in the photos – only tough hombres could have survived the hail stones and cold driving rain we experienced as the squalls blasted through!!