Lincoln Short Wave Club

What a busy Five months we’ve had; April a visit to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford,

May the Fox Hunt and the Dambusters Special Event Station,

Fir Park Free Show in June,

Boultham Park Summer Fare beginning of July,

Poacher end of July beginning of August

and Fir Park Wings and Wheels August Bank Holiday weekend

and we are going to have another two busy months with the National Hamfest at the end of September and then there’s JOTA at the end of October.  We have also run three Foundation courses, had a couple of Sausage and Burger events, several talks and our surplus equipment sale.

For August Bank Holiday weekend, Les G1LQB collected the equipment on Wednesday and went over to Fir Park on Friday and started setting up; he had taken his caravan so he could get early starts.  Stephen M6TSJ arrived early on Saturday morning with his tent and helped Les with setting up the station.  Other licenced helpers/visitors to the station were Pete G8THR, Peter M3PCC, James G0EUN, Barry G4DBS (RAF Waddington ARC), Jim G0EJQ RSGB Region 13 Regional Manager, Tom G4OSB, Ian G4XFC, Ian M0RPD, Roger G3PVU, Stuart G3YPS, Steve M5ZZZ and Jason G7KPM; I didn’t get there until Monday so if I’ve missed anyone sorry.

I like a happy ending.  The Foundation Course run by Les G1LQB and Ian G4EVK resulted in all five candidates passing their examination on 10^th August.  Invigilators for the exam were Chris 2E0NDT and Pam G4STO.  The results are, of course, subject to confirmation from the RSGB.

Pictured from left to right: Les G1LQB Instructor and candidates Callum, Alan, Matthew, Celia and Frank.

Poacher 2017 was Lincolnshire’s 10^th International Jamboree with over 5000 Scouts and Guides aged 10-17 from 26 different countries taking part in the event; over 160 visited our tent to learn a little about amateur radio and to obtain their Communicator Badge.

You will notice from some of these photos that Les and Ian conducted their introduction to amateur radio ‘Open Air’ the Coleman shelter had to be dismantled due to the high winds; luckily it didn’t rain!!

At one stage we had to revert to the generator due to a power cut on the showground.

There were just five of us to dismantle the station and we made it look easy!!!

We had another successful day at Poacher 2017 with a steady flow of scouts visiting the station, some making a return visit because the thunder storm on Sunday prevented them from making contact with other stations.

Below are a few photos of the scouts paying attention to Les G1LQB giving a brief description of amateur radio and others showing Barry G4DBS finding stations for them to speak to.

Naturally we had to eat; today it was beef burgers and mushrooms gathered from the showground by Les G1LQB followed by doughnuts provided by Barry G4DBS.

A few other visitors to the station:

A few of the other activities at Poacher.

And you could say ‘it never rains but it pours’; enlarge this photo

and you can actually see the stair rods of rain coming down!!! The rain didn’t dampen our enthusiasm but it did stop radio operations as we couldn’t hear the other stations through the rain pounding on the tent roof and finally below the standing water after the ‘shower’.

On the 8^th July members of the Club made their annual ‘Pilgrimage’ to Boultham Summer Fair where they put on an Amateur Radio demonstration.   It wasn’t all plain sailing; the frame on the Coleman Shelter was broken and there was no power lead but thanks to G1LQBs Aladdin’s Cave a temporary ‘mend’ was made to the shelter and with the expertise of G7KPM and M6TSJ a power lead was made.   The station was visited by many members of the public including the Mayor and Mayoress of Lincoln and the City Sheriff.  Several former club members also made their annual visit and members of neighbouring RAF Waddington Club also called in at the station.  It was a very enjoyable day for most of the members present and in some cases very tiring.