Also in GB2RS this week…
In the Queen’s Birthday honours Danielle George, Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering at the University of Manchester, was awarded an MBE for services to Engineering through Public Engagement. Quoted in the Guardian, she highlighted amateur radio enthusiasts as an inspiration to the next generation of tinkerers.
Also in the Birthday Honours, astronaut Tim Peake, GB1SS, was awarded a CMG for services to space research and scientific education. The award was offered, and accepted, whilst Tim was on the International Space Station. It was thus the first in history to be offered to a person whilst they were not physically on planet Earth.
Ofcom is changing its online licencing system that supports amateur radio. The change is part of a wider initiative to upgrade its licencing system. New facilities will include the ability for clubs to apply for the first time online. The changes will be phased in, with further features added over time. More information at licensing.ofcom.org.uk.
Worthing Radio Events group is running a portable HF station from the grounds of Gratwick House care home in Littlehampton, West Sussex. The station is active Sunday, the 19th, from 1 to 5pm BST, so that 91-year-old Peter Craw, G3CCX, can get on the air for the day. Peter expects to concentrate activity on 18MHz. All contacts are very much welcome.
According to DX-World and The Daily DX, Polish DXer Dom Grzyb, 3Z9DX has received confirmation that North Korea will authorise a five day operation. Permission is expected to come at short notice and it is unlikely that there will be any advance publicity. He will only operate SSB and on one band, either 20, 15 or 10m. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the number one most-wanted DXCC entity and Dom managed a brief activation last December, the first for many years.
Sad news now that DXer and DXpeditioner Milt Jensen, N5IA, died on 9 June after falling from an amateur radio mast. He was 73. He took part in the XZ1N and XZ0A DXpeditions to Myanmar, and was part of the Ducie Island VP6DX DXpedition team.
The 2015 Best Communication Award from DxCoffee and the DXUniversity has been assigned to K1N, the DXpedition to Navassa, which took place in February 2015. The DXpedition took place after many years’ attempts and the website got many people involved in the details. The team also made good use of Facebook for news and pictures, and sent some tweets. Team member Glenn Johnson, W0GJ spoke about the DXpedition at the 2015 RSGB Convention and RSGB Members can watch a video in the RSGB video archive.
Former lightship Planet, home to the special call sign GB2LBL, was the last manned lightship in the UK. Now permanently moored in Liverpool, the owner, Alan Roberts, together with the Marine Radio Museum Society, reports she is in financial distress. They have set up an information page, which also solicits donations, at www.chuffed.org/project/savetheplanetliverpool.
Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon aspires to establish an amateur radio station on the site, similar to GB2IWM at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford Airfield. Rather than a radio club, its primary mission will be the collection, restoration, exhibition and display to the public of historic radio communication equipment, in support of the Imperial War Museum. As there is no nearby amateur radio club, Devon DRM Martin Sables, G7NTY is coordinating volunteers and would be pleased to hear from any one who might be able to help. Please contact him via email to drm112@rsgb.org.uk.
Finally, we would like to apologise for an incorrect story that crept into last week’s news, caused by an extraordinary mix-up of dates. We apologise to Milton Keynes ARS and any one else who was affected.
Category: GB2RS Headlines
