Lincoln Short Wave Club

Carolyn (left) offers help while Louise (centre) & Pam start to cook

Save for a light shower the weather remained dull but dry for our traditional summer Bar-B-Q and raffle on Wednesday evening 10th June.   Pam G4STO assisted by Louise M3PWF set about organising the food (as can be seen from our picture above) and James G0EUN set about selling a few last minute raffle tickets.  (As can be seen from our picture below).

James (right) hard selling to Bob G7AVU (centre) and Les G1LQB (left)

Just in case!

Jeremie F4ARU (left) tucking in with Alistair M0TEF (right)

Lincoln Short Wave Club has teamed up with the RSGB to host a National Hamfest at Newark Showground on the 2nd and 3rd of October 2009 the new Hamfest Website is at www.nationalhamfest.org.uk where all information and bookings will be available.

Once again the LSWC opened up GB2CWP, our permanent Special Event Station in the Radio Room at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby over the May Bank Holiday week end.

James G0EUN on the key (using Kenwood 570 DGE)

Gerry G6KGG, Jim G0EJQ, Jeff G2FHM, Steve M5ZZZ and friend did the Saturday stint and Ian G4XFC, James G0EUN and myself M0EJL on Monday. 

The Heritage site was very busy on both days (See the above picture taken just outside the Radio Room) amist many re -enactment displays of the sights and sounds of WWII and the Radio Room was full most of the time as may be seen from the picture below. (The Me 109 stunning flying display did create somewhat of a diversion on Monday afternoon).

Ian G4XFC (with green hat) explaining R1155/T1154 rig to visitors

Conditions were not too bad on Monday with some 20 CW QSOs from all the near continent, Spain and the UK mainly on the 40 metre band.

We enjoyed visits from quite a few amateurs including Duncan Walters G4DFV and his friend Geoff who is a SWL.  Duncan passed on his regards from the South Normanton ARC of which he is a member and before he left signed our visitors book (see above). 

There were many nostalgic displays but not all aviation orientated as you can see from wonderfully restored 1941 Morris (Shown above).  It was a most enjoyable week-end event and I’m happy to report the weather was warm and held good save for a light shower on Monday afternoon.  ENDS Peter M0EJL

This years QSL Card

Visitors may have been a little surprised on Sunday 10th May - first by seeing that instead of four sails Ellis  Mill had only two and adjacent to the mill seeing the Lincoln Short Wave Club (LSWC) mast supporting the 80/40 meter trap dipole enabling our annual participation in the Denby Dale sponsored Mills-on-the-Air Week end.

The missing wooden sails had been found in need of urgent maintenance and have now been removed for repair by a specialist firm - the mill however can still be operated but requires a little more wind to mill efficiently.

James G0EUN organised the LSWC involvement this year by booking the site and ensuring we could fit in alongside the removed sails, arranging the NOV for GB0EM and producing the attractive QSL card. Les G1LQB towed the portable tower mast from the club early on Sunday to R/V on site with James, Jim G0EJQ, Gerry G6KGG and Louise M3PWF in warm reasonably calm but cloudy conditions. 

After raising the mast, rigging the trap dipole and erecting the gazebo GB0EM was soon on air.  Propagation conditions were variable and deteriorated after lunch as the noise levels increased. Surprisingly few stations were heard on the band, however, it was decided to remain on 80 meters for duration of the event.  Louise and Jim left the site at lunch time and yours truly M0EJL joined the team for the rest of the day and helped to dismantle just before 4.00pm. 

Relaxing L to R James G0EUN, Les G1LQB, Gerry G6KGG & Peter M0EJL

It was a most pleasant day, made most convenient by having the luxury of Les’s portable loo to hand (excuse the pun) and in amongst the 55 QSOs achieved some 18 were with other mills throughout the UK.  If you look carefully at the above photograph (kindly taken by Jim G0EJQ) you can just see one of the removed sails laying on the ground between James and Les!! - Peter M0EJL

The recent foundation course has brought two more licensed amateurs into the fold and given the club another 100% pass rate.  Congratulations to both of the candidates, Don - M6BIF and Mark - M6JWI, and to the LSWC training team.
Next is the Intermediate Course, then two more Foundation Courses later in the year.

Lincoln Short Wave Club was open on Saturday the 18th for World Amateur Radio Day. G5FZ was on air most of the time though no WARD stations were worked. We had no visitors, in spite of interest being expressed by parish councillors from nearby villages and a broadcast on BBC Radio Lincolnshire by chairman Jonathan G6JUT, plenty of club members did drop in, however, to support the club.  Several members disappeared in the direction of Alan’s workshop to fabricate some brackets in readiness for the internet connection being installed in the shack.  All in all a productive day.

A big thank you to everyone who made the Junk, sorry - high quality surplus equipment, sale such a success. We had visitors from several neighbouring clubs and some excellent gear for sale. Some of the rigs etc were offered at a higher price than people had come prepared for but hopefully some of the items have subsequently sold. Most of the cheaper items were sold at reasonable prices.
Many thanks to Jim, G0EJQ, for being auctioneer for the night (get well soon Bob, your presence is missed!) and doing such a brilliant job, to Louise, M3PWF, for so charmingly removing money from people and passing it to our treasurer and to James, G0EUN, for running the raffle and name card as always.
There will be another sale in the autumn.

Following discussions with Andrew Panton of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby, it was decided to modify the antenna installation associated with the LSWC permanent Amateur Radio Station, call sign GB2CWP, located in the ‘Radio Room’ at East Kirkby and which is part of the WWII Radio Museum at the Centre.

It was agreed to dismantle the very tall (and guyed) AV640 and erect a steel lattice mast adjacent to the ‘Radio Room’ to act as a centre support for the 80/40m trap dipole, anchor point for the long wire HF antenna and base for the 2m and 70cm beams together with a co-linear.  The presentation of the new arrangement was felt to be more in keeping with the 1940’s than the initial installation.

The LSWC had acquired a 60ft steel lattice mast and over the winter months designed and manufactured a base unit, transported all the parts to EK and completed the painting of all the sections.  The base was concreted in at no cost to the LSWC, thanks to the generosity of the proprietors of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre and work to carry out the modifications began a couple of weels ago.

Our pictures show Peter G1FLL ( Altitude Arry!), mit safety harness and hard hat, fitting the anchor points for the HF antennas at 30ft (another section may be added depending on performance and appearance).  Each section of the mast was hoisted into position with the aid of a ‘cherry picker’, expertly driven by Andrew Panton, as can be clearly seen in the pictures and secured in place with steel bolts by Peter.

Meanwhile lots of supporting help was to hand in tidying up the old poles and co-axial feed lines, re-connecting the repositioned HF antennas and carefully dismantling the AV640 vertical mast.

All work was concluded by early afternoon with just the installation of the beams and co-linear to be done - hopefully before the Easter Holiday.   Truly a good days work with thanks to Andrew Panton, Peter G1FLL, Andy M0ONQ, Karyn M0GSJ, Pam G4STO, Roger G3PVU, Mark M6ZAC, Clive G1BSN, Chairman Jonathan G6JUT and yours truly.   Peter M0EJL

Lincoln Short Wave Club (LSWC) 2 metre Net is on the air every Thursday evening at 8.00pm local time on 145.375 MHz. The net call sign G6COL, lasts for approximately one hour and is currently controlled by four members viz: Roger G3PVU, Peter G1FLL, Jim G0EJQ and myself, M0EJL on a simple weekly rota basis.  Jonathan G6JUT is our reserve control station if required. Whilst the net is for the benefit of LSWC members, all comers are most welcome to join in.  Subjects discussed include not only amateur radio topics (particularly members reports of band conditions, equipment and antenna mods and the like) but also other items of mutual interest introduced by participants on frequency and worthy of a rag chew. Continue reading The LSWC Thursday 2m Net

Due to personal commitments Roger G3PVU has stood down as Hamfest Manger and Clive G1BSN has taken over the post. you can contact him via the form on the Hamfest 2009 page

At last years Hamfest we were notified on the morning of the Hamfest that Newark Showground would be unable to provide the catering that they were contracted to supply, this was a disaster for us and bad news for our visitors as it was too late to provide an alternative.

The Traders Bookings Forms for Hamfest 2009 will be available shortly from this website, meanwhile you can contact the Hamfest Manager using the form on the Hamfest 2009 page.