The Lothians Radio Society operated special event station GM100RSGB on November 18-20 to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the Radio Society of Great Britain in 1913. The location was a nice radio-quiet property near Armadale in West Lothian, owned by a friend of Peter GM4DTH. The organizers were Peter GM4DTH and Norrie GM1CNH. Photos by Peter GM4DTH & Alan GM3PSP.
SUMMARY:
Saturday 16th Nov: transport most of equipment to site and assemble triband beam antenna.
Sunday 17th Nov: assemble and erect 20m mast with antenna and rotator.
Monday 18th Nov: operation on 10m from workshop. Rig: ICOM IC-765 and ETO91β linear amplifier.
Tuesday 19th Nov: relocate to nice warm room in house and operation on 15m and 40m.
Wed 20th Nov: operation on 10m from house.
- Total number of QSOs: 563, all on SSB, and including many DX stations.
Sunday 24th Nov: dismantling of station.
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SUNDAY - SET-UP
The set-up crew on Sunday 17th Nov.
L-R: SWL Kris, William T6/K5WEJ, Brian GM8BJF, Danny, GM6CMQ
Norrie GM1CNH shows 'em how to crank it up.
It was just as well that those power lines weren't as close as they appear in the photo!
The tripod base of the Clark Type 73 Mast (how appropriate) has been assembled
and the 3-ele beam and rotator placed on it.
Norrie GM1CNH and SWL Kris working on the mast.
Norrie GM1CNH adjusting the ingenious 3-way guy adjuster.
There were three of these guy adjustors, each controlling the three guys at a particular level of the mast. Adjustments could be made to all three guys simultaneously or each one individually.
Peter GM4DTH making adjustments to the top level of guys.
The mast was erected by winding it up manually in the tripod base and inserting the next aluminium tube section. At this point two sections had been added. As each section was raised, the guy adjustor was let out
The impressive sight after the full height of 20m (~60ft) was achieved. It performed very well, providing many DX QSOs. In addition a 40m inverted-V dipole was suspended from the mast by Mike GM8KCS on the Monday.
L-R: Danny GM6CMQ, Bill GM8SQM, Brian GM8BJF & new face, SWL Kris.
Peter GM4DTH (somewhere in the middle) installing the rig in the workshop. A nice, well-built bench but it was cold in there, with almost freezing temperatures outside and two fan heaters struggling to warm it up.
Sunset shot of the beam ready for action the following morning.
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MONDAY - OPERATING FROM THE (COLD) WORKSHOP - ALL ON 10m.
Malcolm GM3TAL and Andy MM0FMF
The Monday operating group, including welcome visitor William T6/K5WEJ (L) from Texas via Afghanistan, where he is currently working as a civilian contractor with the US Army.
L-R:William T6/K5WEJ, Peter GM4DTH, Malcolm GM3TAL, Andy MM0FMF and Alan GM3PSP.
Malcolm GM3TAL working 'em on 10m.
William T6/K5WEJ looking for stateside and Afghanistan QSOs!
Malcolm GM3TAL & William T6/K5WEJ.
Alan GM3PSP supervised by LRS President Andy MM0FMF.
Event co-organizer Peter GM4DTH. Peter made particular efforts to work weak QRP and mobile stations. He received the following e-mail of thanks from Kevin M0XLT in Yorkshire:
"I would like to thank Peter who was operating the GM100RSGB callsign on the 20th of November for his great ears and Ham-Spirit. I made a QSO at 1224 utc on the 10m band, receiving a 31 report. That's where his great ears came into play and the fact that he stuck in the QSO in order to get me into the log. It rarely happens on HF. On VHF/UHF it happens a lot with the weak signals as you really have to work hard to get the calls into the log. By making the QSO I creep further up the G100RSGB Leader board as I'm really trying to stay as a runner-up by the end of the year. Peter, as I said, showed great Ham-Spirit which at times is sadly lacking. What a great Club asset you have in him.
73, Kevin Jackson - M0XLT in the Yorkshire Dales.
L-R: William T6/K5WEJ, MIke GM8KCS, Andy MM0FMF & Peter GM4DTH.
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TUESDAY - OPERATING FROM THE (NICE WARM) HOUSE - 15m and 40m.
Tuesday was a beautiful clear, sunny day, but cold!
Our host took pity on us and invited us into a spare bedroom in the house, which we gratefully accepted!
The new (warm and comfortable) set-up of the station in the house.
And the secretary remembered to bring the G100RSGB posters supplied by RSGB-HQ!
Alan GM3PSP busy on 40m.
Later on 10m he worked former LRS member John KG6XF in Sunnyvale CA.
Plenty of space. L-R: Vic GM3OWU, Mike GM8KCS, Peter GM4DTH & Brian GM8BJF.
Mike GM8KCS brought his ex-army Clansman 20W transceiver and QSO'd several other Clansman stations!
Mike GM8KCS on 40m. The unit on top is the loudspeaker, not a cable-drum!
After a hard day's work, a pint (and a "nip" c/o Bill) at "Wee Bennet's" Bar at Morningside.
L-R: Alan GM3PSP. William T6/K5WEJ, Peter GM4DTH & Brian GM8BJF.
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WEDNESDAY - STILL IN NICE WARM HOUSE - 10m.
William T6/K5WEJ in action on 10m. He was very pleased to work his Afghanistan colleague Mike T6/KE5FBT.
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SUNDAY - DISMANTLING THE ANTENNA
We had plenty of volunteers on Sunday to dismantle the antenna mast and pack it away.
L-R: Alan GM3PSP, Danny GM6CMQ, Peter GM4DTH, Brian GM8BJF, Vic GM3OWU, Mike GM8KCS, Bill T6/K5WEJ & Norrie GM1CNH. Rumour has it that a final technical review meeting was held later in the afternoon at Wee Bennet's Bar!