Exercise Blue Ham – this weekend

As happens every so often, this weekend the Royal Air Force Air Cadets will be organising and running a military style national radio exercise named ‘Exercise Blue Ham’. The Cadets invite all amateur radio operators to take part, making this the biggest radio exercise that the Cadets are involved in.

The exercise will take place on the MOD 5MHz (60 Metre) band and a significant part of the exercise will be on the section of the band that amateurs are authorised to use.

Locally, at least Woodley Air Cadets are taking part and will be active 9.30am to 2pm Sunday- I know they would appreciate good strong local signals since they live under a blanket of S9 noise.

Some important notes if you’re interested:

This exercise does not give amateur stations permission to operate outside of their normal licensing conditions.

– the allocation is not continuous- refer to http://rsgb.org/main/operating/band-plans/hf/5mhz/ for full details if necessary

– the allocation is for full licencees only

– maximum PEP 100W and 200W EIRP

– max antenna height 20m AGL

– secondary allocation, no interference to MoD stations

A summary of suggested spot frequencies in the 60m amateur allocation follows:

5278.5kHz USB

5298.5kHz USB

5301kHz USB

5304kHz USB

5317kHz AM

5320kHz USB

5335kHz USB

5354kHz USB

5363kHz USB

5379kHz USB

5395kHz USB

5398.5kHz USB

5403.5kHz USB

Note upper side band, against convention.

Selecting a USB frequency from the list above will ensure compliance and is largely compatible with allocations in other countries. Please do not transmit USB on 5330.5kHz, 5357kHz, or 5360kHz.

Various Cadet stations will be operating on each of the days, mainly from 08:00 to 20:00, but could also be outside these times, and will be on various frequencies within the band. Where possible stations will advertise which frequency they are listening on live on this website as the exercise is in progress and amateurs are welcome to check this page and call in on the advertised frequencies.

Cadet stations will call ‘Alpha Charlie’ which is the equivalent of CQ, and amateur stations are welcome to reply. Exercise Callsigns will all be in the range MRE01 up to MRE98 although other MR, MF and MA prefixed callsigns may be taking part.

The information exchange to score the contact will be

Your Callsign,

Signal Report,

Antenna Type,

Transmitter Power

Your Location. 6 Digit Maidenhead. Need not be precise.

As Cadet stations change frequency contacting them again on a different frequency will score as an additional contact, as these frequency changes they will be reported on the exercise website where possible.

The contacts will be plotted almost live on the exercise web server.

The ACO will issue certificates for amateur stations that contact 10 or more Cadet stations during the period of operation using your callsign contact details on QRZ.com. Contact with the same station on different days count as separate contacts. Email your callsign and contact details to claim a PDF Certificate to: blueham@alphacharlie.org.uk

The ACO looks forward to operating as many amateurs as they can during the period of the exercise and it will give their young operators an ideal opportunity to utilise their radio operating training on HF equipment to a different audience.

Once a contact is logged into the system it shows up onto a map which can be accessed at http://alphacharlie.org.uk/blueham/showmap.php

Thank you in advance from the Cadets for taking part and giving the operators plenty of ‘Air time’ which cements their radio training that they have received.

Grand Junk Sale Thursday 22nd March

Next meeting is Thursday 22nd March and it’s the RADARC Grand Junk Sale – so it’s time for a shack spring clean! (Note to self…)

Please bring along any unwanted broadly tech based items in order to support the club. RF based junk is always very desirable.

Venue: Woodford Park, Woodley as usual. The auction will start 8pm sharp
so it’s best to arrive early (eg. 7:30pm) to have a look at the wares.

Please note a couple of things:

  • If you successfully bid on something, you’ll need to wait until the
    end to settle up.
  • If you bring junk along and it doesn’t sell then please be prepared to
    take it home with you. My car is full.

Also please read the rules available at
http://www.radarc.org/Files/2016/Rules%20for%20Junk%20Sale%20_2016-03-03_.pdf

If you have not been before – it’s a hoot. It is an auction run by the
club’s very own top auctioneers/jesters. Particularly with the lot I’ve
got lined up for you… Even if you don’t wish to buy, the evening is
always entertaining.

73

John
G4RDC

RSGB Commonwealth Contest (BERU)

The RSGB Commonweatlh Contest is on next weekend, starting at 10:00 Saturday 10th and ending at 10:00 Sunday 11th. This is a CW contest.

Details of the contest including rules can be found at http://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2018/rberu.shtml.

If you are not normally active in this historic contest then please consider taking part. The Commonwealth Contest (where CQ Beru is used to solicit QSOs) is a great opportunity to work Commonwealth DX stations without the normal EU wall of contesters to contend with. Often the DX stations can be worked at marginal signal levels which would be quite impossible in the big international contests. For stacks of background information see Bob G3PJTs excellent website.

UK HQ stations

This year we will have seven RSGB HQ stations using the regional variations of G6XX the RSGB Contest Club callsign. This is following clarification from Ofcom that a Club Callsign can be active from multiple UK regions simultaneously. See QRZ.com for the history of G6XX.

 Chris is also using GB5CC under the new rule that other HQ stations may be active to celebrate or commemorate events of significance to the Commonwealth. This will be to recognise the forthcoming marriage of Prince Harry and Megan Markle in May, unless Chris can suggest an alternative justification.

‘Death Rays: Fact or Fiction?’ by Peter Butcher, Thursday 8th March

Next RADARC meeting Thursday 8th March, Woodford Park Leisure Centre, Woodley.
Eyes down 8pm.

Peter Butcher returns to deliver the intriguingly titled talk ‘Death
Rays: Fact or Fiction?’

You may remember Peter is an excellent speaker from his talk on
Emergency Communications Planning.

Sayeth Peter:
“Ever since the first recorded death by electrocution of J.G.
Doppelmayer in Nuremburg in the year 1750, the Military have pursued all new scientific discoveries as a means of killing without warning; the so called ‘Death Ray’.

This talk traces the evolution of these ideas from Doppelmayre through to the present day and shows how the various scientific discoveries were followed up. Electricity, Lightning, X Rays, The Electromagnetic Spectrum, Engine Stopping Rays and Nuclear Physics were all explored. Gradually, as all were rejected, Military thinking changed, as the type of warfare changed and today we have developed ‘Weapons of Denial’ as opposed to mass destruction”.

Then, enjoy a nice cup of tea and a biscuit or two.

Look forward to seeing you there.