Fundamental : The principal frequency in a complex harmonically related series

IOTA from Inishmore & Inishbofin

Over the past few days, I’ve been interested to follow the activities of Martin EJ/G3ZAY, Dom EJ/M0BLF and Tom EJ/M0TOC as they operate from Inishmore, Aran Islands (EU-006) and Inishbofin, Galway (EU-121) as part of a Cambridge University Wireless Society DXpedition.

I managed to speak to Tom EJ/M0TOC on 20m and 40m while they were on Inishmore, then Tom again on 20m and Dom EJ/M0BLF on 40m while they were on Inishbofin.

Why Write a Blog ?

I spent some time recently experimenting with the options in WordPress and adding RSS feeds for RSGB News, RSGB IOTA Activations and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar because I find those sources of information interesting and useful. I also noticed from the WordPress Site Stats that I hadn’t posted anything for a while. This observation turned into a gentle pressure to post something, but … should I post something regularly or just post something if/when I’ve got something to say?

Kite Antennas

I visited the Bury St Edmunds ARS tonight at their new second home at the Rougham Tower Museum – a great location.

Roger G4ROJ travelled to the club to give an excellent practical demonstration and talk about his experiences with Kite Antennas. Roger concentrates on the lower HF bands and has experimented with many different kite, balloon and antenna combinations. Roger publishes lots of information and pictures of his exploits on his www.kiteaerials.com website.

No matter how much planning …

It seems that no matter how much planning you do, sometimes it’s never enough.

Why is that 90% of the activities are squashed into 25% of the year, or so it seems. Of course everyone plans their events for when they have a  better chance of good weather, but that means that the summer months tend to be absolutely crammed with things I want to do. This isn’t a complaint, because it’s great to have so many great things to do, I just wish that I had more time or more stamina.

The ESWR Ipswich Rally on Sunday was the culmination of a great deal of planning and preparation by a few members of the local radio clubs. Many more local amateurs turned out on the day to help, demonstrate their own particular brand of radio passion or just visit the rally and enjoy it.

Dayton from a Distance

With a few weeks to go, it looked like I might be working in the United States just a few days before Dayton Hamvention 2011, so surely I’d be able to attend this year. No, didn’t happen. My travel plans changed and I missed it again. Maybe next year?

Not attending Dayton used to mean that you had to get the news from people who had attended, or read the next issue of your favourite radio magazine to find out what you’d missed at the Hamvention. But not attending Dayton isn’t quite the same today as it used to be.

Radio Rally Evolution

Successful amateur radio rallies have had to evolve in order to survive in a changing environment. National and international rallies can attract significant numbers of exhibitors and visitors (Dayton, Friedrichshafen, Tokyo etc), but many local rallies have had to reduce in size and/or change their focus in order to survive.

Evolution : the change over time in one or more inherited traits found in populations of organisms. Inherited traits are particular distinguishing characteristics, including anatomical, biochemical or behavioural characteristics, that are passed on from one generation to the next. Evolution may occur when there is variation of inherited traits within a population. 

Bampton Castle on the Air

I was really pleased to speak to Chris M0DOL on 40m tonight while he was operating GX4KPT/P from Bampton Castle in Oxfordshire as part of his CASHOTA activities. My mother and grandparents came from Bampton, so it was great to make the contact.

Bampton Castle : Differing accounts of its origin exist. One states that in about 1142 AD during the reign of Stephen, Matilda built a motte castle. Another states that in 1314–15, during the reign of Edward II, Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, obtained a license from the king to “make a castle of his house at Bampton.”

The castle was demolished before 1789 but parts of its structure have been incorporated into a house, Ham Court, which is a Grade II listed building.

The picturesque village of Bampton has recently starred (as location scenery) in the television programmes “Downton Abbey” and “The Suspicions of Mr Whicher” amongst others.

F&DARS Active for Mills on the Air

Felixstowe & District ARS were active for Mills of the Air today. They were running GX4ZFR/P from Buttrum’s Mill in Woodbridge. I wasn’t able to join them today, but I did speak to Iain G0OZS while he was operating the station on 40m.

I put a couple of spots on the DXcluster and then listened to the pile-up.

DG9VH   7153.0 GX4ZFR/P                                 1419 15 May
M1ACB   7141.0 GX4ZFR/P  Mills on the Air & WAB TM24    1211 15 May
M1ACB   7141.0 GX4ZFR/P  Buttrums Mill Woodbridge       1145 15 May

I recorded Paul G4YQC working through the pile-up which included Jack G0HJK from Ipswich …
GX4ZFR/P

GS3PYE/P on the Isle of Arran EU-123

I was privileged to travel with the Camb-Hams on their DXpedition to the Isle of Arran (EU-123) in May 2011, using the callsigns GS3PYE/P and GS6PYE/P.

Please read the daily diary for the DXpedition at http://dx.camb-hams.com/

Photographs are available in my G3PYE/P Gallery