Whitton Amateur Radio Group

On Friday 11th June, Chris Howard 2E0CTH gave a talk about how he got into the hobby and why he got interested in D-STAR, & then how D-STAR works.

A basic overview is D-STAR is a Digital Mode for Voice & low speed data (name, callsign, location, etc) on 2m, 70cm and 23cm, and also High Speed Data (128Kbps) on 23cm only.

You can use D-STAR either in Simplex Mode, or via Repeaters or Links (most of which are internet connected). The Web connected Repeaters & Links can be connected to Reflectors (conference rooms) where communication around the world can take place. Chris mentioned that Reflectors REF001C (US) & REF005A (UK) are quite popular depending on time of day.

D-STAR users can also make use of DPRS (a D-STAR version of APRS) and send GPS data via the Links & Repeaters which is turn is feed to the internet (see GPS Mapping link below).

At the Moment Icom is the only manufacturer of D-STAR radios and these tend to start around the £350 price mark. The Programming Software & Cables, GPS units can be included or separate add ons which will cost more, and older radios which maybe “D-STAR Compatible” might need an additional add on board to work this mode.

Here are a few Dstar web links Chris sent to post on the webpage:-
Reflector 1C live audio stream - http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?feedId=1647

South Yorkshire repeater group dstar “shack cam” - http://www.southyorkshirerepeatergroup.co.uk/tv/gb7yd-tv

Bromley repeater group - http://www.gb3ok.com/gb7ok_homepage.html

Wikipedia article on Dstar - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-STAR

Ambe chip manual - http://www.dvsinc.com/manuals/AMBE-2020_manual.pdf

DStar UK Yahoo group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dstar-uk

Article on GMSK modulation - http://www.scribd.com/mobile/documents/16190764/download?commit=Download+Now

DStar Tutorial - http://www.napasars.org/news/Mar09/Dstartutorial.htm

Icom dstar page - http://www.icomuk.co.uk/categoryRender.asp?categoryID=3786

DStar repeater directory - http://dstarusers.org/repeaters.php

GPS mapping site - http://aprs.fi/

Dstar DV Adapter – http://dstarradioclub-international.com/DstarDVAdapter.aspx

May 2010 the radio club participated in the CQWW WPX CW contest starting Friday Midnight and finishing Sunday Midnight GMT. Due to Antenna restrictions at the Community Centre the contest station was moved to a contest site located near Battle Hastings on the South Coast.

The category was multi operator – single transmitter. The main participants where:
Kevin G1KAW – Antennas
Michael G3WOE – CW Operator
Garo – G0PZA – CW Operator
Tony – G4KLF – CW Operator
David – G0MRF – CW Operator

Antennas
10m to 40M a 7 El YAGI at 100 feet on a portable Tower.
40M Vertical (backup)
80M Vertical
10 – 80M Windom (backup) (to second tower at 40 foot)
160M antenna
Long wire for receiving only

Radio Equipment:
Icom 756 PRO III + PW1 Linear
TenTec Orion II + IC2KL backup linear
3 PC/Laptops networked with Internet access

The station also had separate facilities for 6m and 2m SSB working deep into Europe as well as a fully functioning 2M and 70CM Satellite station making contacts via; SO-50 + AMSAT Oscar 51 QSOs contacting: UA3CTB – OZ1MY (Copenhagen) LA2MOA – EA1JM – UR5BFX – 2E1DMB and IK1FJI in JN44LL.

At the time of placing the photographs (which show the shack and antennas) the full breakdown from the logging software has still to be verified but first impressions are that the contest station ‘has done well’.

The attached photographs are courtesy of Phil, G3MGQ Hastings Electronics & Radio club (HERC) http://www.radioclubs.net/herc/ Chairman who commented

“magnificent set up at Dallington that I visited on Saturday during the CQ WW WXP CW contest. Quite envious!”

So how did we do

We will not know for sure until the results are published next year ! However, 2,750 QSO’s, where recorded. We anticipate that we should be in the top 5 in the UK (based on last year’s results) and might even be in the top 2 in our category.

Special thanks.

The following people need to be especially thanked for their hard work both physically and mentally in preparing and executing this contest:

Kevin G1KAW (Antennas and Towers) Kevin started his part at 4.30 pm Thursday to pick up the Tower and tow it there.

Chris (Also Antennas and Towers) Chris was there at 7 am on Friday and left 9 am Sunday! Chris was fantastic and he helped speed up the antenna work so we were all set by 3 pm, having started around 8-9 am.

Michael G3WOE (For Operating 22 out of 48 hours) Michael also constructed an unusual 160M and 80m vertical dipoles both worked very well.

Garo G0PZA (Also operating 22 out of 48 hours) sorted out the ‘Network’ for running the logging software N1MM which worked flawlessly.

Tony G4KLF (For operating up to 4 hours on Saturday and being there and helping us all day Sunday.

Michael (No 2), (who came on Friday morning to help us set up, and stayed till 2 am Saturday, i.e. to see the start of the contest, before driving back to London.

What a great ‘Bank Holiday weekend’.

With the May ‘Bank Holiday’ upon us;

Vincent Vandijk M6VIN
Mark Bowell M6MBD
Krigtion Harbour, M6HAR
Rodger Ashmore M6ACL

Undertook the ‘Intermediate Licence’ and all passed with flying colours thanks to Colin M0DMJ our Whitton Course tutor who is standing behind them.

These exam passes this month brings the running total of exam passes to 67. See the Training page for more info about exam passes.

Operating from the Club room of the Community Centre two HF contest stations where set up a few hours before the weekend contest so we could as a club participate in the above contest transmitting continuous for 48 hours beginning Friday Midnight and ending 11 pm (local time) Sunday.

Two temporary verticals where also constructed Friday evening for 80m and 40m complementing the three element beam and two multi- wire-dipoles.

The club aim for this contest was to encourage newly licence operators to take part to give them confidence in operating in congested band conditions as a practice for this year’s CQ World Wide.

It was important that we all done our best in this contest because the club’s M2W special contest call now depends on it. We need to score at least one third of the number of QSO’s of the on test winner in this category, otherwise we might lose the M2Wcallsign. (New Ofcom rules just announced).

M2W Station:

Station 1 = IC 766 PRO III plus PW1 Linear

Station 2 = IC 756 PRO III plus IC2KL Linear

Antennas:

20M / 15M / 10m = Club Tribander raised to full height (40 feet)
40M Vertical
80M Vertical (60 feet)
10M to 80M Carolina Windom (Mainly for 20M and 15M as second Ant)
10M to 80M G5RV (Backup multiband Antenna – subject to EMC)

We did not use 160M in order not to set off alarm system of the Library next door.

The Logging software was N1MM and networked using two laptops.  The training session on a club night leading up to the contest was a considerable benefit to all operators.

Our results

Band              QSOs             Pts        WPX
3.5                336                 886        186
7                 446                 1160      195
14                621                 967        247
21                144                 346          74
28                    8                   16            3

Total               1555             3375      705

Score: 2,379,375

Homemade 80m Vertical – 65ft Tall, 4 quarter-wave radials.�

3 Element (20/15/10m) & 5 Element 6m beam with 2m beam on top, & Club room before Contest.

This week following a Whitton Community Centre ‘Annual General Meeting’ Colin M0DMJ was honoured by receiving honorary Membership’ of the Centre in recognition to both the radio club and the Community Centre by providing exceptional and valuable service to both the Centre and the Radio Club.

The Centre acknowledged his teaching programmes of the RSGB ‘Foundation and Intermediate’ Ofcom/RSGB exams which has been praised by “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.”

As you are aware every person who comes to be trained by the Whitton Radio Group joins the Whitton Community Centre as a member, because of the reputation Colin has created concerning the Community Centres facilities and pleasant ambiance of the Centre he has introduced over 65 new Community Centre members from 2004 to date, by giving up his evenings to undertake the extensive training programmes required to pass Ofcom/RSGB exams.

Within 2010 Colin will continue with his training programmes and the Community Centre will remain a formal Ofcom/RSGB Training and Exam Centre.

As you can see I have submitted a news item for Radcom (see below).

Alison’s response was “Keep up the good work.”

Hamtests was also praised by those taking the exam and they where surprised when we told them that Paul MØTZO was a member of Whitton Amateur Radio Group.

In 2009 Whitton Amateur Radio Group website had:-

• 2,907 visits
• 6,833 page views
• 2.35 pages per visit
• 1 minute 54 seconds average time spent on site
• 53% new visits
• 1,587 absolute unique visitors
• 2,039 used Internet Explorer to visit
  • 637 on FireFox
• 905 visits were on DSL connection
  • 898 on Cable
• & 5% visited the Training page

What will 2010 bring us??

Thanks to Google Analytics.

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.

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.