Activities in 2005 2004 2006
On this page you will find illustrated reports of some of our activities in 2005. These are mainly in addition to our main meetings and shack nights. The most recent activities are at the top of the page.
2005
Vacating the Shack
With the long
term availability of the shack at The College coming under increasing pressure,
we took the decision to move to new premises from the start of 2006.
A large working party assembled at the shack on Saturday
19th November, and in just 2 hours had dismantled all our antenna 
systems ready for the move.
Tex G1TEX is seen dismantling the tilt-over mast. Fortunately we had the foresight to use a socket, so we were easily able to remove the ground post. Andrew M3XAM is seen passing one of the poles through the shack window. Over the following weeks, feeders and other equipment was removed.
By 21:45 on our final shack night on Friday 16th December we had completely emptied the shack and Dave Mason G3ZPR, locked the red door for the final time, bringing to an end the long and fruitful association between ourselves and the college.
Autumn Foundation Course 100% Passes
During September
and October we ran a Foundation Course on Saturday mornings at the Old Chapel
Hall, Creekmoor. The instruction was spread amongst several members.
All our students on the Autumn 2005 Foundation Licence Course have passed their Foundation Licence exam and now have their new M3 Foundation Licences. Congratulations to all of them. Listen out for Tony M3LHX, Malcolm M3LJO and Geri M3LJN.
Echo! Echo! Read all about it!
On Friday 2nd
September, the Bournemouth Evening Echo newspaper had a full page feature
article on amateur radio and Poole Radio Society entitled “Ham it up”.
The main thrust of the article is that Amateur radio is an exciting modern, multi-faceted hobby. “Far from being bypassed by the modern world, the Boys-Own feel of amateur radio has fully embraced new technology”, states the author, Nick Churchill.
The article included several pictures and also mentioned this web site and our Foundation Course starting on Saturday 10th September 2005.
The picture shows the article as published (courtesy of The Daily Echo). The main picture shows Dave Mason G3ZPR in the shack, with other photos showing the shack and a morse key.
Hamfest
In August we had our usual stand at Hamfest. Plenty of highly desirable surplus equipment (a.k.a. junk) was sold to anyone who would take it. This included oscilloscopes and other test equipment, monitors, magazines and even a telephone!
HF Antenna Repaired
At our meeting
on Friday 8th July, we repaired our hf antenna. The elements
had slipped along the booms and the booms had sagged in some cases. In a
real team effort, the mast was lowered and the stub mast removed from the
rotator. We then moved the entire stub mast assembly and manually
supported it between two trestle table bases, whilst we worked on the VK2ABQ hf
antenna.
Following the repairs we replaced the stub mast assembly back into the rotator cage and re-connected the feeder. Initial tests show that a good match can be obtained on the 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. Further testing will be carried out to see if any further adjustments are needed.
The Friends of Upton Country Park – Summer Show
On Saturday 2nd
July we had a stand at the Friends of Upton Country Park Summer Show. We
enjoyed telling many members of the public about our fascinating hobby.
Several
youngsters went away having shown sufficient aptitude at Morse that we felt
that they could cope with the Foundation Licence Morse Assessment. One of
them was the son of an ex-Navy man, who no doubt will talk to his son about
Morse on future occasions.
Another youngster, was eager to talk on the radio, and ended up exchanging a few words of greetings on the air.
In addition we made a number of contacts on the bands. At least 16 DXCC Countries were worked on the 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6-meter bands on a mixture of cw and ssb. Tex’s multi-band vertical antenna again proved to be a very versatile antenna.
Sopley School Fete
On Saturday 25th June 2005 we had a stand at the Sopley School Fete. We always enjoy this event, even though it is some distance from Poole, not far from Bournemouth International Airport.
Our presence is much appreciated by the small village school. Our stand included a number of aspects of amateur radio, with hf and 2m stations, featuring some data modes as well. We were conveniently located close to the Barbeque, so many of the visitors to the Fete popped in to see us.
First Day in the Field 2005
On Sunday 12th June 2005 we operated from Povington Hill. We operated 2m QRP and hf using a kite-supported antenna. We welcomed along the local RSGB representative how also set up an hf station and worked a number of stations on the hf bands.
Barbeque
On Friday 10th June 2005 we held our annual barbeque. Although numbers attending were somewhat down on previous years, the food more than made up for it! In addition to the usual BBQ fare were freshly baked home made bread, home made feta cheese and spinach pasties and QRO Sauce!
Poole Kite Flier’s Picnic
On Sunday 15th
May 2005 we set up and operated a station on Baiter as part of the Poole Kite
Flier’s Picnic. Initially we used a vertical antenna, but during the day
we switched to a kite-flown long wire.
Stations were worked on 40m, 20m and 17m ssb in countries as far apart as Russia, and the Azores. It was the first time that many of us had operated using a kite antenna. It is interesting to watch the rigs auto ATU struggle to find a match as the SWR went up and down as the height of the kite changed!
As we set up, there was a fly-past of old Second World War aircraft – the first for the Society.
RSGB Presentation to Phil Mayer G0KKL
At
the Poole Radio Society Annual General Meeting on Friday 8th May 2005, RSGB General
Manager Peter Kirby presented a certificate from the RSGB to Phil Mayer G0KKL
to thank him for all his work over the years for the RSGB. The
presentation came as a complete surprise to Phil.
At the same time Peter took the opportunity to update members on the discussions between the RSGB and Ofcom regarding the future of amateur radio licensing. It was clear to everyone that the very nature of the hobby was is under threat.
Bournemouth Rally
We had a stand
at the Bournemouth Rally on Sunday 13th March 2005. As usual
it was a great opportunity to chat with other local amateurs face-to-face.
Peter Creteau (on the right in the picture) is seen showing a visitor from Weymouth some of the excellent surplus equipment that we had available on our stand.
We hope you came away with a bargain from the Poole Radio Society Stand
Annual Dinner 2005
On 4th
February 2005 we held our annual dinner at Bates Restaurant in Charminster Road
in Bournemouth. It is an occasion when partners can join in, and the
subject of conversation tends to cover just about anything!
Although a little crowded, there was plenty of excellent food.