For everyone who might be interested in the mysteries of working HF, Norfolk ARC have produced a series of four videos, each about an hour and a half long introducing new amateurs to the dark art. They can be found on the NARC YouTube channel. This is the link to the first in the series:
GB70E Special Event Station
CARC is pleased to have been granted use of the GB70E special event callsign on SSB for both 19th and 26th of June. We will be operating the club shack on both days and encourage all members to take a turn at the microphone for what promises to be two very enjoyable days on the air.
Her Majesty The Queen
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has ruled for longer than any other Monarch in British history, and is a much loved and respected figure across the globe. Her extraordinary reign has seen her travel more widely than any other monarch, undertaking many historic overseas visits. Known for her sense of duty and her devotion to a life of service, she has been an important figurehead for the UK and the British Commonwealth during times of enormous social change.
Her Majesty continues to carry out a full programme of engagements, from visits to charities and schools, to hosting visiting Heads of State, to leading the nation in Remembrance and celebratory events.
The Queen sees public and voluntary service as one of the most important elements of her work. She has links – as Royal Patron or President – with over 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations. These vary from well-established international charities to smaller bodies working in a specialist area or on a local basis only. Of course, the Queen’s husband HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, was patron of the RSGB until his death in 2021.
The RSGB is very pleased to join with the radio amateurs throughout the Commonwealth and the World to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of the Queen’s exceptional reign.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state.
Special Event Stations
RSGB Special Special Event Stations are being activated from the four UK Home Nations and three Crown Dependencies: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
The UK regulator Ofcom, has licensed some special call signs that will be active only during June 2022, including from 2-5 June 2022, which is Jubilee Holiday celebration weekend in the UK.
These call signs are: GB70E, GB70M, GB70W, GB70I, GB70J, GB70U and GB70D.
Operation will be on multiple bands and modes. Some of the Special Event amateur stations will be open to the public. Please check the QRZ.com pages for each call sign for details of activations.
RSGB Celebrations
Full details of the RSGB celebrations can be found on our website.
QSOs with the Special Event Stations will count towards our Award 70 program.
Museums on the Air 2020
CARC will be participating in the International Museums Weekends with the special event call GB1CTM, representing Crawley Town Museum. The International Museums weekends take place over the last two weekends in June each year – so this year that is the 20th/21st and 27th/28th June (this weekend and next). More information can be found at https://www.radio-amateur-events.org/IMW/ including a list of other museums registered to take part.
Due to COVID it is not possible to operate from the museum itself, and OFCOM have removed some of the restrictions on Special Event Calls. The requirements to operate from the location and that the station be open to the public have been relaxed. Other demands such as operating within the license restrictions still apply. For this reason, operating the club station in person or by remote is limited to full licence holders only.
How to take part?
Members can operate either the club shack having prebooked a slot, operate the shack station remotely having booked a slot, or operate from home during a prebooked slot. Booking is via the form at the bottom of this post.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CAR PARKS AROUND THE HUTS ARE STILL FENCED OFF THOUGH THE PAY AND DISPLAY CAR PARK IN TILGATE PARK IS NOW OPEN. WE HOPE THIS WILL CHANGE SOON BUT ACCESS TO THE CLUB CURRENTLY REQUIRES A WALK FROM THE NEAREST PARKING.
COVID restrictions still apply so we will only allow one operator at a time (or perhaps more than one person from the same household) in the shack. Suitable precautions to clean the equipment, desks, etc must be carried out before and after their slot. Instructions on how to operate the shack station will be printed out.
If operating the shack station remotely then of course sanitising is not required!
If operating from home then the licensing situation is unclear and the recommendation is to use your own call together with the special event call, for example, M0WID/GB1CTM.
FT8 is not banned but doesn’t really fit with the spirit of this event as no information about the museum can be exchanged.
Logging
If operating the CARC station either locally or remotely then Log4OM will be running on the club PC. Please use that. If operating your own station then use whatever logging system you use and export the contacts as ADIF so they can be imported into a combined log later?
Crawley Town Museum
Some background on the Crawley Museum can be found on their website. Until recently located in Goffs Park the museum has now moved to a central location close to the shopping area and post office. The museum tells the history of the town and local area from pre-history, medieval settlement, Victorian town, and modern New Town. It would be great if anyone has actually visited the museum and can add some more! The museum’s blog is perhaps the best way to find out more https://crawleymuseums.org/blog/.
Also of interest is that John Leech who illustrated Charles Dickens Christmas Stories lived in the museum building when he was a medical student in 1833.
The museum is keen to add to their collection, and perhaps some members could contribute with stories of their time working and living in the Crawley area, and the changes that have taken place.
Have Fun!
Please feel free to have fun and use this as an excellent excuse to take to the air operating the special call. Hopefully next year we will be free of restrictions and be able to set up at a Museum or Mill and publicise amateur radio to members of the public which of course is one of the main objectives of these Special Events.
A reminder to all club members that the VHF Field Day Contest is this next weekend, The CARC RATS Contest team are always grateful of any help.
Cricket World Cup
Club members operated GB19KO from the Clubs HF Station on Sat 29th June, It was very gratifying to see two of our youngest members Mel (YL) and Casper handling ” pile ups ” on 20m SSB. We had use of the Special Call for a 6 hour Slot.