Whitton Amateur Radio Group

My fellow Members,

It has been an eventful year at the Radio Club, with some exciting events like the Kempton Park Rallies, Kew Bridge Steam Museum Special Event Station, the purchase of our new Club Radio as well as good results from the IOTA contest and the VHF Field Day with the Middlesex DX Group, to name but a few.

We have also seen the sad departure from our Club and from this World, our “silent keys”, Brian and Mike, and our thoughts are with their families during this Christmas and New Year period.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your hard work in making the club a pleasant place to spend our Friday evenings, after a hard week’s work.

I would like to wish all of you and your families a very happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2010.

Let’s make 2010 an exciting and happy year for all of us.

Best 73 to you all and Good DX !

Garo
G0PZA
Chairman, WARG.

Over the last five years the Whitton Amateur Radio Group have made available training in ‘Foundation and Intermediate’ courses as well as providing exam facilities for ‘Advanced’. During December 2009 a further three successfully, completed the foundation course.

Just after the results where announced (from left to right) Colin Peters M0DMJ Trainer, Marek Kroemeke and Dee and Eric Govan. Dee and Eric Govan already have marine licences and are looking forward to using there amateur call signs while sailing the high seas.

Alison Johnston (G8ROG) RSGB, Regional Manager for London and Thames Valley) commented “the Whitton club members particularly, Colin Peters (M0DMJ) the clubs trainer has put in a lot of hard work and commitment into these important courses and it is refreshing to see a club with such dedication to the hobby, the results over the last few years speak for themselves, 59 passes in total”.

On a side note, all the group mentioned they used Hamtests.co.uk and they didn’t know Paul MØTZO also maintains the Whitton Amateur Radio Group webpage.

The club has learned of the passing of Mike G1WIA 10 December.

On behalf of the club members we send our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family at this difficult time.

Only last week Mike was enthusiastic in learning about our new club radio and fortunately, a photograph was taken with Mike at the controls.

We will miss a good friend.

With the club being 21 years old this year a birthday treat was the obvious decision of the members. As a result the club can now enjoy a IC-756 PRO III HF/50MHz All Mode Transceiver with matching speaker and a power unit.

The Icom was chosen because of the accessibility of ‘plug and play’ amp’s our existing computer networking and of course it complements our existing HF station.

If you want to hear the receive capabilities then try

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RY1OczjsNA

During 2010 we are looking forward to using the Icon on our club nights under our club call sign GX0MIN or during a HF contest with M2W.

Update:- I have been told the Christmas Meal was Superb and it was a shame I missed.

Post remaining to let you know what you missed. Bah Humbug.

Hi all.
In the words of Noddy Holder….. IT’S CHRISTMAS!

Friday 11th December 7pm for 7:30pm

This year we have a 3-course Christmas dinner at The Bloomsbury in Twickenham.
The food is great, the portions are very generous and the atmosphere is
friendly.

Do have a look at the Bloomsbury web page
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=bloomsbury+twickenham&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Price for 3 courses: is within the menu shown below £18.95.

Would those wanting to attend please advise David G0MRF ASAP by email or at the next Club meeting.

Menu attached.

Thanks

David

What a great weekend moving the club station to Kew Steam Museum by invitation from the Museum. We was asked to set up a radio amateur station GB0KEW so we could become involved with the weekend celebrating the ‘Home Front’ during the Second World War in conjuction with ‘Pumping Stations on the Air’.

The demonstration station was supported by the RSGB Region 9 Area Manager Alison Johnston (G8ROG).

The weekend started as visitors entered and where first met by the staff volunteers dressed up as either the Home Guard, Shop Keepers, local Police, military Police and within the shadows ‘Viv the Spive’ selling watches petrol coupons and ladies stockings!

The time table of events to entertain the public was spaced through out the day and included demonstrations ranging of all of the steam water pumping engines and the steam railway together with demonstrations of ‘Make and mend’, Ministry of Food ‘, Dig for Victory’ and how the unsung heroes of London Transport kept the Busses, Tram’s and underground railways going despite the attacks from enemy action as this part of London was heavily damaged during the Blitz. The tea room served a war time menu including span fritters and corn beef war time prices! We were well fed at Second World War prices!

Our radio station an ICOM line up with matching ATU and amp worked into a Windom antenna which was supported by the main water tower and stretched across the main car park. We would like to thank all the stations that called into GB0KEW over the weekend and made our event possible to demonstrate our hobby. We are looking forward to receiving QSL cards so that they can be added and displayed next year together with the QSL cards which we have received over the last two years.

Within our photographs are some pictures which show the view across West London from the top of the Water Tower and for those wondering how high the tower is well it’s over 247 steps! And the views show Wembley Stadium with Box Hill in the background, Central London and Docklands and either direction along the Thames towards Richmond and South London.

Photographs taken on the day are shown within our picture galley GBØKEW Photos.

Antennas are up, and Radios are in place ready for the go at 1pm local time on Saturday 24th July.

We are operating from a site near Battle, East Sussex.

With 4 people ready on site and more due on Saturday we will be a Multi-Single station. One Run station calling CQ, and the second collecting only the IOTA islands as multipliers.

If I can, I will be posting Lots of photos, but the internet it slow here, so my not be available until after the weekend.

See you in the contest….

Garo GØPZA, Michael G3WOE, Kevin G1KAW & Paul MØTZO

Please read the attached Letter for further details about the relocation of the library.

The first draft of our New QSL card.