amateur radio operators

[peterpimlico]

Great! You will enjoy 'ham' radio and will be surprised just how well 2 metres does perform! Have a go at CW (Morse), I think you only have to achieve about 5 words per min. these days. Used to be 12 for A license! But once you get going 15/20 WPM is a nice speed. Good Luck.

[moggiethouable]

In the throes of reading "Issigonis" the biography by Gillian Bardsley, it appears that Sir Alec also had an amateur radio licence...........wadaya know huh? wonder what his callsign was?

[irmscher]

Mini 1 . I am reading this also and i have the other Issigonis book The man who made the mini its in the club bookshop .I have just read Wheels to fortune the life and times of Lord Nuffield by James Leasor its a great read

[peterpimlico]

If he had a "B" license it would probably be G8; If an "A" G3.

[moggiethouable]

Well I've taken the liberty of asking the RSGB if they would have a record of his callsign, use of said or a derivative would make a handsome contribution to the MMOC I think, with perhaps a special station on the air to commemorate special occasions, offering special qsl cards or certificates for contacts, particularly for overseas contacts.
If it's available then I wondered if the MMOC committee may be interested?
I shall await and see if it is available and wonder who best to contact within the MMOC for a blessing?
Then perhaps advertise the possibility in the Radcom Magazine to attract Morris owners who may also have a licence to transmit? (as Issigonis was not confined to the Morris Minor), or not as the case may be.
I think I shall go for a lie down now.

[ClaireC]

Good idea!
You could publicise your idea via Minor Matters, Branch network, and various MMOC rallies. Of course not all radio amateurs are members of the RSGB.
A special event station takes some planning to ensure you have sufficient operators, shelter, equipment and power etc available, as well as information for visitors.

[Chris Edgar]

M5XYZ here..Still involved with local Society but not active on air now

regards
Chris

[moggiethouable]

The planning would be not too great a problem Clare as the intention would be to run from home where antennas rigs etc are already well established.
One station may be a start, unless volunteers appear as a result of publicity through the journals already mentioned.
And M5XYZ (EX YOUNG ZULU) WHAT A GREAT CALLSIGN!.


The UK would be covered in radio terms during the day on the 40 metre band and Europe in the evenings on the same band with no problem.
Possible ventures into worldwide contacts would be via 20 metres both on phone and C.W. (morse code for the uninitiated)
coverage of the U.S. is not normally a problem with the farther reaches of the old U.S.S.R. now the Russian federation and surrounding republics a virtual given.
Of course I need a good excuse now, a celebratory date.
Sir Alecs birthday? club celebrations? Morris release dates? Minor Million dates? a party to celebrate just 94k miles on Dorises clock?

[Chris Edgar]

The story behind the XYZ suffix...

I passed the old Novice licence in 2000 just at the time when it was decided to let new licensees pick their own suffix, if available.
XYZ was, so I became 2E1XYZ...as you can imagine, that caused a few raised eyebrows.

I passed 5wpm CW later that year to become 2E0XYZ. (later passed to my late wife for a time & then back to me after her death)
Then the full exam in 2001 At that time, with 5wpm, it was called A/B licence, so I became M5XYZ.
I was working up my CW speed with a view to being M0XYZ when one day to my surprise, I worked the existing M0XYZ on 40m...so I decided there was no point in 12wpm for me.

When the A/B was phased out & became the advanced, I could have obtained a new M0 callsign but decided to stick with M5.

About half of the M5s converted to M0, so there are only 300 or so M5s in the book.

As I said, not active now...I only have a couple of handhelds & a co-linear up

73

Chris

[ClaireC]

I don't want to upset your plans but have you seen this on the RSGB website about special event stations http://www.rsgb.org/specialevents/ses_callsign.php

"The station may only be established and operated at one specified location. This must be the address stated on the application form which must be detailed enough for anyone to find easily. Operation of a special event station from a licensee's home address is not normally permitted."

Some discussion with Ofcom may be needed before an NOV is issued.

I've been licenced since 1990 as G8ULQ as the original holder is now G4TDF, another MMOC member. My radio activity is (due to other commitments) now usually limited to operating at JOTA (GB0SDB) and Scout and Guide special event stations. I was on the teams at the 2007 WSJ in Chelmsford GB100J, the Girlguiding UK Centenary camp in 2010 GG100GG and the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden last summer using SJ22S.

[moggiethouable]

Tush Clare!
I shall now await their reply with even more interest, I wonder why the preference is to avoid home addresses when the statement is made that it must be a location easy to find?(somewhere like a home address is easy to find)
Thanks for the info though, perhaps I should now consider a location ideally suited to a Doris the Morris loaded down with rigs antennas and of course the prerequisite picnic hamper, tent and paraphernalia required.
On the bright side this mean Morris motoring combined with radio, wait till the missus hears, I can see the look of unconstrained joy on her little face right now.

[peterpimlico]

Hi Chris!

Didn't know you were a radio ham! We will have more to talk about at the club mechanics day than Moggies. LOL.

Cheers .......... Peter, G4LDD (He who thought your Traveller too good to buy, lol.)

[peterpimlico]

Just been up in the loft! My FT101ZD fired up! the TenTec low power rig is still there must try that. Now where did I hide that 2m handheld, might get it going with new batteries!, LOL

[ClaireC]

The National Rally would surely be a suitable event to publicise and promote both our hobbies at the same time.

The idea of a special event station not usually being at someone's home address is that they are open to members of the public to visit.