At the meeting of the LRS on 9th February 2011 we were privileged to have a presentation by RSGB Past-President Angus Annan MM1CCR on the new National Amateur Radio Centre currently under construction and fitting-out at Bletchley Park, Bucks, close to the facility where the German Enigma codes were cracked during WWII. The NARC is scheduled to open on 18 April 2011.

Angus talked about the NARC as a means to demonstrate Amateur Radio to the public and hopefully to bring new people into the hobby. He referred to previous ideas with similar overall objectives which had failed or had run their course: STELAR - Science and Technology through Educational Links with Amateur Radio (1993), Ham RadioToday magazine, and GB4FUN (old version). About a hundred thousand people visit Bletchley Park every year; getting some of them to visit the Amateur Radio Centre would be cool. Very few people visited the former RSGB museum at Potters Bar, apart from delivery drivers!

The NARC will be housed in a purpose-built building. Additional photographs can be seen on the RSGB website at:  http://www.rsgb.org/news/articlelinks.php?id=0066  It will house the National Amateur Radio Heritage exhibition, the National Amateur Radio Library & Archive, and the RSGB HQ Station GB3RS. There are some problems with antennas as the site is listed and thus a large tower cannot be erected. The Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society is also on site and they already have an antenna. The RSGB hopes to be able to erect something similar. Angus discussed museum exhibits and what the demo station may have. Demonstrations will be limited by the availability of volunteers to staff the station. Also located at the site will be will be the GB4FUN project and the Society’s Education Office and Centre.

The RSGB NARC under construction. (Photo courtesy of the RSGB).

On a separate but related theme, Angus requested feedback from those present about RadCom magazine and the RSGB in general. There was some negative feedback about the type font and circuit diagrams in Radcom, also concerns that it is a bit “thin” technically. He asked what we thought about photographs of people with their exam pass certificates. TOO MANY was shouted back! There was also a concern about lack of feedback from RSGB HQ that input for RadCom had been received, and that this was not professional. Les Paget GM0ONX, Regional Manager for RSGB Region 1 was present at the meeting and he echoed that concern.  A member offered the opinion that many of these criticisms were low hanging fruit which could easily be fixed; this would make a dramatic improvement to members’ perception of the RSGB.

Angus was thanked by LRS Chairman John Cooke GM8OTI for his excellent presentation on the NARC and for collecting feedback from the LRS members and guests present about RadCom and the RSGB.

Ver.2 by GM3PSP from notes by MM0FMF, 11/2/2011