Month: November 2023

And so the Winter Rally has now been and gone. We were blessed with beautiful sunshine and a very frosty start. Some traders had already arrived around 6am and many had travelled long distances to be with us. We really appreciate that !

And so we have a few images from yesterday’s event. Apologies one or two are a bit grainy but we will publish them nevertheless.

Car Booters setting up bright and early

Sun’s up and people are already arriving !

Meet and Greet with Merfyn M0HWA, Jenni M0HZT and our Doorman Brian 2E0FOW (not in picture)

Paul 2E0IZB our First Aider grabbing a brew

The Rally is underway……

Its busy busy in our 2nd Room

Club Member and Supporter Steve M0ZZT (with Dean not in picture)

Mike Roberts stall always brimming with goodies

Robin Worsley a regular at all our rallies now with extra space from the stage.

A nice tow for Luke Kelly who got temporarily stuck. Tanner Towing to the rescue !!

Well that’s about it folks, another Rally been and gone. We wish you all the very best and we hope to see you again at our Summer Rally in July 2024.

Not long to go now and we’re looking forward to greeting you all on Saturday. The weather forecast is looking good but please note parking on the playing field is subject to a ground inspection on Friday and Rally parking on the hard standing will be for traders only. Alternate parking options are available in the village and our team will signpost drivers where best to go if this is the case.

Word must have spread well as we had over 20 members and friends in attendance at Kington Langley Village Hall yesterday. Everyone was ready but at the last minute Dave rang through and his car had broken down on route the Club.

Within a few minutes Brian G6HUI had come to the rescue and picked Dave up and the EME presentation was still on as scheduled – Thanks Brian !!

And so just after 8pm Dave’s presentation began and unexpectedly to a video by a lady pianist called Katy Paterson (look her up on Youtube) who was discussing how she had played “Moonlight Sonata” and it had been transmitted to the Moon by Radio Amateurs bounced back and replayed through a pianola with only very few notes lost over 500,000 miles there and back. Clearly this had been done with some impressive equipment and most likely a large antenna array or large dish, but it got Dave thinking…. “I could do that” well not the piano playing …. or maybe it did mean that but we had to wait till the end for his grand finale and “performance”

Dave G8TTI – Club EME Advisor

As the night unfolded we learned about how Dave set up his station, made a 400 watt amplifier and swopped out a 9 element Tonna for a DK7ZB 10 element yagi giving him the 13dbd required to reach the moon and the contacts began in earnest using WSJT-X JT65b, MAP65 & Power SDR. We also learnt about the ground effect with a yagi at near ground level and elevations of no more than 10 to 15 deg.

Behind the camera it was standing room only!

Dave has now worked every continent on 144mhz including Australia !! A very entertaining and educational evening and much fun had by all.