SPECIAL EVENT STATIONS
GB65BTF and GB2ADU
1st to 7th June 2009
From the Training Wing of 21 Signal Regiment (AS) Colerne, near Bath, Wiltshire by kind permission of the Commanding Officer Lt-Col Graham N. Addley and Unit members to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of OPERATION "MARKET GARDEN" - when Allied Airborne and ground forces over a period in September 1944 landed at Arnhem and Nijmegen area. Now known as the "Bridge Too Far" with GB65BTF and also with "Air Dispatch Units" GB2ADU of the RAF and RASC will be activated.
By 25th June ALL OUTGOING QSL CARDS in respect of this activity (almost 600 of them) had been hand-written by GW4XKE and sent either via RSARS QSL BUREAU or via RSGB. Arrangements are being made for further possible activity by these stations in July and September 2009 from other locations.)
E-mail Dennis GW4XKE for further information at: johnny-e@ic24.net
Once again Mike M1CCF will be out with Special Event calls each with an RSARS Affiliated number, as under:-
Contacts are most likely early in the day or late afternoon, early evening as these are all to be operated from Show sites and we are likely to be busy during the daytime periods. GB2SOE - Horndean, Portsmouth F276 22/23/24/25/May
GB4AFD - Firepower Museum, Woolwich F282 27/28 June (includes Armed Forces Day)
GB4WP - War and Peace show at Beltring, Kent F274 22 - 26th July
GB4MO - Military Odyssey, Detling, Kent F277 28 - 31 August
E-mail Mike for further information at: M1CCF@talktalk.net
GB65RFW E-mail Rich GØZEP (G4RS Station Manager) for further information at: richycarthorse@hotmail.com
The Wyke Training Centre in Weymouth is running the special event station GB65RFW which commemorates the embarkation of the 2nd and 5th Battalions US Rangers from Weymouth en route to climb the cliffs and take the guns at Point Du Hock in Normandy during D-DAY. I am scheduled to be operating on Sunday night(7th). The station will be operating from Friday 5th June 2009 (midnight BST) until midnight 7th June 2009 on 80m, 20m and other HF bands should conditions allow.
Although not directly connected to the RSARS, G4RS is based at Blandford Camp which itself was a major hospital during D-Day treating many of the US servicemen who had originally left from Weymouth and were later rescued from the beaches. Roosevelt Gardens at Blandford Camp are a permanent memorial to the many casualties and as I’m sure many RSARS members already well know are worth a visit.
The special website offers more information and illustrations.
It all went very well and we made many contacts with our members.
In total we now have over 500 contacts in the log but the most incredible thing was the nearly million hits we had on the website, anyway now the fun comes with all the QSL’s we have to send out.
We are hoping to run another special event to commemorate the LCT pilots that left from Weymouth but I will let you know more in due course.
OTHER SPECIFIC ACTIVITY by RSARS MEMBERS
We are off down to the Dordogne - sailing from Portsmouth to Caen on Monday 31st August 2009 at 2330. Then drive down through France on Tuesday 1st September. Will be there for 11 days.
I have traded in my 200W rig the FT480HX plus the 60A PSU for a new rig in anticipation of going, by air, for a three weeks stay in Malta next January
The new rig is an FT450ASTU plus a 30A PSU and a Buddistick antenna.
Thus this trip as well as being a holiday will be used to try the new set-up working back to the UK on 20m and 40m CW, on RSARS preferred frequencies.
I have worked several times from France, and have some 63 members in the logs from that country. However, I would appreciate reports from any members who hear me on this trip, to give some idea how the new outfit works.
Email Dennis at g3pnf@talktalk.net
And from Dennis at the end of the expedition (18 September 2009):-
"My apologies to all.
The mobile home pitch on the site in Vitrac in the Dordogne for our holiday was excellent. However from a radio point of view it was a disaster. We were closely surrounded by massive trees and there were very high cliffs at the rear of the site.
For the first two full days I tried calling CQ right on twenty throuhout each day from very early morning until switching to forty in the late afernoon/evening. No replies from anywhere!
Judging by the very poor reception it became obvious that operating from the location was not at all viable. So after two days I packed all the gear away. Fortunately I have worked most of our CW operating members from other locations in France previously. Just very disappointed not to give Nick in particular an overseas point!
Cheers and 73 - Dennis, G3PNF"
5B/G3RWF
9th to 24th September 2009
Cyprus again.
And the report following the exercise:-
Email Nick at: nick@henwood.demon.co.uk
V8FHX- Brunei
11th to 23rd February 2009
G4OHX will be QRV mainly on CW but will try SSB if conditions allow. Information from Brunei indicate that 0800z(ish) 20m is usually open to VE and VK (+JA, W7 etc) and Europe usually opens about 1200-1300z until 1500z (ish), also on 20m. After that 40m is the best bet. He will try all bands, depending on conditions, and although mostly will be on CW, he will have a look at some SSB as well. Bryan, MØOIC has agreed to be "middle man" again and Sam will keep him in the picture as much as possible. Sam and Grace are hoping to go to Sabah on 16th and 17th February to see the orangutans so Sam will not be QRV on those dates.
E-mail Sam at: samg4ohx@talktalk.net
A DXpedition will operate from Swaziland between 30th July and 11th August 2009. The purpose of this expedition is to provide an amateur radio station at an International Scout Camp near Manzini with the call sign 3DAØSS and also a station at Hawane Resort near Mbabane from where previous DXpeditions to Swaziland have operated. The Hawane station will operate under the individual call signs of the expedition team. Team members are:-
- David GI4FUM as 3DAØDJ
- Tony G4LDL 3DAØTB
- Gerry MØVAA 3DAØVA
- Malcolm GM3TAL 3DAØMH
- Mike NC4MM 3DAØMM
- Yuri UT5EL 3DAØEL
Requests for skeds should be sent to GI4FUM@3da0ss.net QSLs for this DXpedition should be sent via GI4FUM
Further details and photographs are available at http://www.gi4fum.co.uk
73
David GI4FUM/3DAØDJ (RSARS 4092)
5X1NH once again And 9L1 I am going to Sierra Leone on 20 Nov as part of the CQWW team. We should be on the air by about 22 or 23 Nov and I expect to be working stations under my own call for a few days before the contest.
11th March 2009 for two whole months!
Nick (G3RWF) tells us: "I am returning to Uganda! Will again be in Fort Portal in the extreme west of the country near the Congo border. Will try to improve low bands antenna."
Email Nick at: nick@henwood.demon.co.uk
Note: On 2nd May 2009 Nick reported "Safely home this morning after a long journey from Western Uganda. Final tally was about 17700 QSOs"
On 4th December 2009 Nick reported
"Home safely from 9L1 and thanks to those I worked. I was especially pleased to work VK6PG on my last morning - we had finished the Contest at midnight but I got up early to have one last try before knock-down. I found some bright spark had locked the roof door during the night so I was unable to turn the beam in his direction. However after a few feigned deafness episodes with non-RSARS members I was delighted that we made it - off the back of the beam I think.
I would have liked to work more of course and that was a pity as we had great antennas and were putting out a strong signal . I carried both a 3-band Spiderbeam and a 2 element Moxon for 15m in a single ski bag as checked luggage - might be a first!
Cards are now being printed and I expect them in about 3 weeks (from the Ukraine). I couldn't get them done in advance because I wasn't sure of my call until I got there.
73 and thanks as ever to Sam G4OHX as the link man."
VK6XRM
G3KOJ with XYL Penny will be on holiday in Perth,
Western Australia for the whole of May 2009. Flying out on the 29th April and returning to UK on the 1st June.
Ray informs us "I had to apply for a new VK6 call sign as my old VK6BRV call had been re-issued to a local ham. I applied and got the call sign VK6XRM. The licence has now been paid for and is waiting for me at the QTH of VK6BQ where Penny and I
will be staying.
The XRM part of the call is Ex-Royal Marines as I retired from the Royal Marines Commando way back in 1975 after 22 years and 9 months service."
Ray further advises "I will also be operating from the QTH of Alan VK6PG and meeting all the RSARS boys out there in VK6 land for BBQ's.
Penny and I will be travelling around WA with Colin and Carol VK6BQ who will take an HF rig and wire antenna so we may get on from some strange places.
I will be operating mainly CW but will keep an eye on conditions to see if SSB is worthwhile. I am in regular contact with VK members who have confirmed that 40m is currently the best band but will check out 20m soon after arrival."
Email Ray at: penray93@tiscali.co.uk
G3RWF
I am honoured to have the N2DAN key for the next year which means you can work me on CW for an extra point for which I shall be using the RSARS Affiliated Number F283. The year starts 1st July.
I shall be QRV on the usual bands from G.
Email Nick at: nick@henwood.demon.co.uk
5R8HX and ZS5/G4OHX
Plan:-
26th December 2009 - overnight flight to Johannesburg.
28th December 2009 - fly to Madagascar [Antananarivo (ANTO)]. I will be QRV as 5R8HX.
3rd January 2010 - fly to Jo'burg.
4th January 2010 - fly from Jo'burg to Durban.
4th to 16th January 2010 - I will be in ZS5 (St. Lucia) and as long as I can get my dipole over a couple of trees I will be QRV as ZS5/G4OHX.
17th January 2010 - Jo'burg to UK on an overnight flight.
As usual, the holiday comes before radio JUST !!!!!!!73 Sam
Email Sam at: samg4ohx@talktalk.net
SOME SOCIETY MEMBERS' REGULAR ACTIVITY
VA3TRM
Terry usually checks 21170kHz and 21056kHz every Thursday at 1300Z for possible RSARS contacts but recently (November 2007) has said he will also be on 14210kHz or 14142kHz [plus/minus QRM] on Thursdays from about 1330Z for an hour. Good hunting and don't forget his website is at http://va3trm.ve3kbr.com/
Terry also uses VA3SIG and VE3RCS
Email Terry at: va3trm@cogeco.ca
SOME SOCIETY CALL SIGN ACTIVITY
G4CCF/F054
March 2008: In the interests of the Society Awards scheme this call sign is now held by Sam, G4OHX on behalf of the Society and will be activated in the near future.
1st April 2008:
This call sign is now held by Ian, G8OFZ on behalf of the Society and is activated as from today to the benefit of the Awards scheme.
G3SIG
This peripatetic call sign in its several manifestations (G, GD, GI, GJ/GU GM & GW) has its own G3SIG AWARD special page which details the Rules, the historical data of the Awards earned by members and the future movements of the call.