26 Tuesday Feb 2019
25 Monday Feb 2019
Posted in News
Bob
I have just checked the cruise ship schedule here in Gibraltar and I am good to do the 12 hour session … I am good for 7 through 28 megs .
161 Derek ZB2CW
22 Friday Feb 2019
Posted in News
20 Wednesday Feb 2019
Posted in News
For the first time in 89 years, the callsign GM3DR will be active from the Highland Region of Scotland, as an extra ‘HQ’ bonus station in BERU 2019.
The Jack Hum G5UM callbook from 1920-1930 contains an entry :
“3DR. Highland District of Scotland, RSGB”
The RSGB Contest Club have been re-issued with this G_3DR callsign for use in contests – with BERU 2019 as the first outing of GM3DR.
73 Chris GM3WOJ / GM3DR in BERU
19 Tuesday Feb 2019
Posted in News
There remain 3 unfilled HQ slots for the Commonwealth Contest on March 9/10th.
These are GD6XX, GJ6XX and GU6XX. These are bonus stations and can additionally be worked by any Gx, Mx and 2x call which increases the level of activity significantly. HQ stations are classed as multi-op and will ideally operate for the whole 24 hours and on all contest bands 10m-80m. However rather than having no activity from these regions at all I’d be happy to hear from anyone willing and able to operate part time and/or on restricted bands.
Anyone taking on one of these calls will need to be a full licensee and a member of the RSGB Contest Club which is free to join – see https://rsgb.org/main/radio-sport/rsgb-contest-club/ – please email myself direct if interested. Preference will naturally be given to anyone able to operate the whole contest on all bands, and Intermediate/Foundation licensees will be able to operate under supervision.
Rules can be found at https://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2019/rberu.shtml
73 Stuart GW0ETF
gw0etf@btinternet.com
16 Saturday Feb 2019
Posted in DXpeditions, News
Also from Southgate Amateur Radio News
Don, G3XTT, will be in The Gambia from March 5-12th.
He will mainly operate in the RSGB Commonwealth Contest over the weekend of March 9-10th.
The callsign will be C56DF, and Don hopes to do some operating before and after the contest. This will be a CW only operation, low power (IC-7300 and wires) from a rooftop apartment.
It is unlikely there will be space for 80 or 160m antennas, but Don hopes to use the trip to recce possible opportunities for a larger operation later in the year or early next year.
He will, of course, upload logs to LoTW and ClubLog, but possibly only after his return to the UK.
QSL direct to Don’s home callsign or via ClubLog’s OQRS.
16 Saturday Feb 2019
Seen on Southgate Amateur Radio News
Australia’s WIA News report that the RSGB’s Commonwealth Contest is one of the oldest radio contests in existence, having been first run back in 1931 when it was known as “British Empire Radio Week” and lasted for six days!
All those countries that were part of the British Empire – including
Australia, of course – were invited to participate. While the sun set several decades ago on the empire, strong ties still exist between the countries that once were part of it and the contest still exists, but in a much shorter format.
British Empire Radio Week metamorphosed into the 24-hour British Empire Radio Union or BERU (pronounced berroo) contest in 1935, with the objective of linking all those having an interest in the amateur radio within the empire.
Then in 1976, BERU morphed into the Commonwealth Contest.
This year the contest is 82 years old and takes place on 9th – 10th March 2019, from 10:00 to 10:00 UTC. All operation is on CW and you can find the rules at the RSGB HF contest site
https://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2019/rberu.shtml
As some will be aware, these days the Commonwealth Contest has a
team section – and Australia is the current commonwealth champion,
with our two five-person teams finishing first and third respectively
in 2018.
The team contest started in 2007, where the teams taking part reflecting those that took part in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
The stations that form the two Australian teams taking place in 2019
are: Kevin VK6LW, John VK4CT, Barry VK2BJ, Steve VK6VZ, Allan VK2GR,
Alan VK7BO, Alan VK4SN, Patrick VK2PN, Steve VK3JA and Brian VK3MI.
In addition we should have six Wireless Institute Australia headquarters stations supporting us, consisting of VK2WIA, VK3WIA, VK4WIA, VK5WIA, VK6WIA and VK7WIA. Many thanks to Tommy VK2IR, Keith VK4TT, Grant VK5GR, Peter VK6RZ and Martin VK7GN who have volunteered to help by operating the HQ stations for as long as they can.
In order to make the best possible score it is important for each member of the Australian squad to work as many “bonus stations” as possible. Each Australian state counts as a separate call area on each band, and the first three contacts made with each Australian state other than their own on each band each earns a vital twenty bonus points, so please join in and work the Ausssie Team!
For those who would like to enter, free software logging program called SD, written by Paul EI5DI can be used.
This runs under Windows and can be downloaded from:
http://www.ei5di.com/
Hope to see you in Commonwealth Contest 2019.
Steve Ireland VK6VZ
Australian team coordinator
16 Saturday Feb 2019
Posted in DXpeditions, News, Teams
I have corrected the error in the earlier Team World Travellers posting.
73 Bob G3PJT
15 Friday Feb 2019
Hi Bob
We are now set up as follows:
Nigel 3B8XF (G3TXF)
Colin ZF2CA (G4CWH)
Don C56DF (G3XTT)
Iain V31GX (G4SGX)
Peter VP9I (G3LET) – Captain. G3LET/VP9 during setting up earlier in the week
Reserve: Dom C6AKT (M1KTA)
Nigel and Colin are expected to enter the Open Section, the rest of us Restricted, but we hope to give the VKs a run for their money!
Dom will be in the Open section this year, 100w but with some quite fancy antennas.
John, bearing in mind that some of us are travelling to far places, we will all do our best to get our logs in on time, but it is possible that travel disruption could intervene. I hope any issues of this kind will be viewed kindly by the HFCC!
73, Peter G3LET
14 Thursday Feb 2019
Posted in News
Hi Bob, In past Commonwealth Contests I have had some success working UK stations at around 1300 to 1400 Z (5 to 6 AM here in the Yukon). When I have been able to make contacts in Australia and NZ it has generally been later in the afternoon, my time, about 2300 Z or so. I just have a doublet antenna and 100 W (but a low noise level) so a lot depends on the antennas at the other end. At the best of times it is hard making many contacts from here, unfortunately. 73, Allen, VY1KX