Also in GB2RS this week…

| October 18, 2013

The British Amateur Television Club convention takes place next weekend, 26 and 27 October, at the Finningley Amateur Radio Club facilities near Robin Hood airport in Yorkshire. On Saturday at 4pm, if the weather is suitable, Philip Crump, M0DNY will be giving a live demonstration of a High Altitude Balloon launch. The balloon will carry a video transmitter. See www.batc.org.uk for more details.

The RSGB is running a joint meeting with the Institution of Engineering and Technology on Thursday 5 December. The meeting will be held at Imperial College between 6.30pm and 9pm. The meeting is open to all and attendance is free, including the tea and biscuits. To assist us in organising the event we ask that you indicate your intention to attend, online at www.rsgb.org/ietrsgbmeeting, by the end of November. The meeting will comprise two lectures. Peter Chadwick, G3RZP, will deliver the first on the subject of amateur radio technology and its application over the past 100 years. The second talk, being compiled from contributions by various experts within the amateur community, will look to the future and consider how amateur radio may develop in the first decade, or so, of our next 100 years. See the RSGB website and the November RadCom for details.

Paperwork from ARRL VEC-sponsored amateur radio examination sessions continues to enter a lengthening queue, but the VEC cannot file any applications until the partial US government shutdown ends and the FCC is ready to accept them. Even after the FCC reopens, the ARRL does not expect the Commission to immediately start granting any Amateur Radio-related applications, since it will take some time to get back to normal. Those waiting for the US callsigns are asked to be patient.

Each year, 18 April is World Amateur Radio Day, which celebrates the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union in 1925. The theme ‘Amateur Radio: Your Gateway to Wireless Communications’ has been chosen for the day in 2014. In 100 years, wireless comms has evolved from crude spark-gap technology to digital signal processing and software-defined radios. The IARU understands that the date is close to Easter and encourages activity earlier or later to gain as much exposure and publicity as possible for modern and easily accessed amateur radio.

Six of this year’s Friedrichshafen Ham Radio lectures are now available as PowerPoint slides with synchronised audio. Those available include Tom Perera, W1TP’s talk on The ENIGMA and other historic cipher machines, Chris Duckling G3SVL’s 100 Years of the RSGB and its International Partners and John Alexander, G7GCT’s small cipher machines. If you are interested in finding out more, go to www.dokufunk.org/talk.

G100RSGB, the special event callsign celebrating the RSGB Centenary, will be operated today by Wolverhampton ARS using the 10 to 80m bands as well as 2m with SSB, data and SSTV. Monday to Friday it’s the turn of the Central Amateur Radio Circle who plan to use 40m and 20m with SSB and PSK31 on the airwaves, then SSB on the HF bands on Wednesday, FM on 2m on Thursday and back to 40 and 20m on Friday. Next weekend, 27th and 27th Telford and District ARS plan on activating the HF, VHF and UHF bands with CW, SSB, FM and Data signals. Details of how to get your QSL card are on the RSGB website.

Category: GB2RS Headlines