GB2RS News, Sunday 24 February 2013

Pat Hawker MBE, G3VA, Silent Key

Radio amateurs around the world will be saddened to learn of the death of Pat Hawker MBE, G3VA, on 21 February 2013. He was 90 years old. His son and daughter, Philip and Virginia, were with him at the time. Pat was first licensed in 1936 as 2BUH, becoming G3VA in 1938. We send our deepest condolences to Pat’s family and close friends. Amateur radio has lost one of its legends.

EMC volunteers sought

The RSGB EMC committee provides many services to its members including help with EMC issues, lobbying and representation on Standards Committees as well as publishing information and technical updates. If you have any EMC expertise you can offer to help to provide an outstanding service to RSGB Members in any of these areas, please contact John, M0JAV by email to emc.chairmanrsgb.org.uk or by phone on 07836 731 544.

Top Band newsreaders wanted

Two additional news readers are required to join the GB2RS rota for the Sunday evening Top Band national news reading at 21.30 on 1990kHz, LSB. Volunteers may be located anywhere within the UK, but must be RSGB Members. Please contact the GB2RS news manager Gordon Adams, G3LEQ on 01565 652 652 for more information.

Also in GB2RS this week

Last week in Region 2 for Centenary callsign

The special event callsign celebrating the RSGB Centenary finishes its stay in Region 2 this week. Today, 24 February, Caithness ARS are in Freswick running a station operating on the 20, 40, 80 and 160m bands. Tomorrow, 25 February, the callsign spends its last day in Region 2 with the GMDX Group in Invergordon with an HF station running SSB and CW. On Tuesday the callsign moves to Region 4. On 26 February, Mexborough and District ARS will have the station in Doncaster running HF and 4m using CW, SSB, FM and PSK. Wednesday sees Grimsby ARS running an HF and VHF station from Cleethorpes using CW, SSB, FM and PSK. York Radio Club will put G100RSGB on the air from York on 28 February running both HF and VHF stations using CW, SSB, FM and datamodes. On Friday, 1 March, the callsign moves to Fort Paul near Hull with the Humber Fortress Club, who plan to have both HF and VHF stations on the air using CW, SSB, FM and datamodes. Next weekend, look for the callsign from Tynemouth ARC in North Shields running an HF station as well as 2m and 70cm, using SSB, CW and datamodes. 4 March sees the GD100RSGB callsign on the air again from the Isle of Man ARS running HF and VHF stations using CW, SSB and datamodes. For those who haven’t tried it yet, there is a comprehensive ‘Am I in the log’ feature at www.rsgb.org/main/centenary/ that shows on which Regions and Bands you have contacted the Centenary station. Details of how to get your QSL card are also on the website.

Extend your repeater or beacon NoV online

Existing Notices of Variation, or NoVs, for repeaters and beacons are due to expire on 31 March 2013. If you are the Keeper for one of these stations and already hold a NoV against your Full licence, you may apply for a temporary extension until 31 March 2014. Ofcom has set up a system to extend these NoVs online using the RSGB website. Go to www.rsgb.org/main/nov and click on the Repeater or Beacon Extension NoV links. These extensions are valid only when applied to an existing variation and are not otherwise valid.

Central Scotland Mini Ham Radio Convention 2013

The Central Scotland Ham Radio Conventions committee has announced that the 2013 Central Scotland Mini Ham Radio Convention will take place on Saturday 8 June at the Crofthead Farm Community Education Centre, Templar Rise, Livingston EH54 6DG. Further details are available at uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/cshrc.

Category: GB2RS, GB2RS Headlines