From a tin shed on wheels...

Got on to the SARS net again last night once I'd got home from teaching, and was operating from the car-rig setup on my driveway. I put in a couple of overs, then we had a little debate as to whether I should report /Mobile or not. When I was last licensed, you didn't have to report mobile as long as you were within the boundaries of your licensed property, which - being on the driveway - I was. I wasn't sure whether this had changed at all in recent times, so I asked and the consensus was that operating from a parked car within the boundaries of the property was no different to operating from a garden shed... just one made of metal, with wheels! :-)

Working 10W out of the car on the Icom IC-260E and a whippy aerial was a huge improvement on working 1W off the tiddly yet very useful VX-1 handheld. Steve and I had a great deal of trouble working each other last week, however this week I was (quote) "blowing the windows out" with a 5/9+ signal. I'm very pleased with that, as I'm not in the best of locations at home. With VHF field-day this weekend, I might get on top of the hill and see what and where I can work from that little vantage point.

Can't wait to find out what this little setup is really capable of :-)

Back in the driving seat - M1DRB/M

After cunningly altering a hard-drive power connector to fit an Icom IC-260E, I finally got my car rig powered-up and running. It's taken a couple of attempts, however it did reinforce the whole "fail to plan, plan to fail" thing - as cracking the case off answered all of the questions I needed answering and would have saved me quite a bit of time and messing about had I done it a week ago.

With the exception of the power lead, the kit which comprises the set up used to belong to my father, Ian M1APT. The 2 metre mag-mount aerial was used for RAYNET events (and now will be again) and the Icom IC-260E was used at my house when I was a teenaged amateur. The hand-mic came with the radio, and the power-lead I hashed together myself this week from two Maplin plugs (12v "cigar-lighter" plug - £2.50, and a "build it yourself" molex - £1.39) and a couple of pieces of cable plus an inline fuse and holder.

(Car rig set up and being tested with a Yaesu VX-1 on my driveway)

I left at about 20:30 so that I'd have time to nip to McDonalds, get up the hill, and get set up before 21:00. I managed to get caught by the level-crossing going both ways, so was cutting it a bit fine by the time I got set up - but that's the price you pay for a Large BigMac meal I suppose! I got parked up in the car park at the top of Butts Lane, dashed to get the kit out of the boot and set up, and at barely two minutes to nine, the set crackled to life... only to find that they'd already started some time ago!

Once I'd broken into the conversation, the SARS net consisted of myself, Peter G4BLS and Dave G0UAI. We've all known each other for a long time, and we had a good chat about everything from retirement to gardens to trains and more! The net lasted for a good 20 minutes or so, and then everyone said their good nights. If I remember rightly, my fellow net participants were based in Hampden Park and Hailsham - and I was getting a good 5 and 9 from and of both.

(Radio and "dinner" in the car :-) )

Fortunately, I had remembered to bring my mobile phone, which appears to cause very little if any interference to the rig as long as it's more than 6 inches away while transmitting. I had posted a status message on my Facebook before leaving, saying where I'd be and on which frequency - and while talking to the others, had checked to see if there had been any responses. There had - and once the net had closed for the night, I waited for a few moments rather than unplug the rig, and surely enough Lemmy swiftly swooped in.

He's based a good 15 miles from my position at the top of the hill, although it helped that he was up on a hill of his own (well.. it's not like he owns the hill or anything - but you get the idea). We were getting a smashing 5 and 9 from each other - which I was rather chuffed about with not really knowing what to expect from my rather old kit in a mobile setup. Again, we had a great chat, and it was really good to catch up as we've not really come across each other for a few years now other than on Facebook and the likes. In fact - when we last met face to face, I didn't even know that he had an amateur radio licence!

As we finished up the conversation, the sunset faded and it was time for me to go back down the hill - and try not to hit any of the sizable hiking party who headed down the steep road about five minutes before I left. A rather geeky night, but one I'll be repeating as often as possible I think! The kit is in a bag at home (so breaking into my car will get you nowhere!) ready to chuck into the boot whenever the urge takes me - and that is likely to be quite often. M1DRB/Mobile is now on the road and no longer relying solely on a 1W handheld for getting involved!

(Great sunset over Butts Brow between 2115 and 2145ish)

RAYNET: Eastbourne Half-Marathon

First time back on RAYNET duties since my licence was reinstated, and it was a pretty easy ride. I was on checkpoint with two long-standing friends, who brought their motorhome for extra comfort. We got there for a 9:30 kick-off, and got our runners' numbers posted by lunchtime - which resulted in us being able to stand down half an hour early! We pretty much took it in turns to do the talking, and I called in with the leading female runner's number.

I also drove around to see Dick Jeffries (Group Controller) on a checkpoint near ours, and dropped in on the main control station at which I met some of the other current RAYNET members, some new, some familiar. The control station has been upgraded since I was last about, and rather than a caravan, it's now a purpose-built box-trailer which looks really well fitted out inside with whiteboards and information charts the like.

I'm certainly looking forward to getting involved again, and hopefully (as I'm old enough now!) some training as well :-)

First Contact... (again)

Since my last post, I have made my first contact with my restored licence! I took part in the SARS 2m net on Thursday evening, which happens to start at the same time I finish teaching that evening. I walked home with my Yaesu VX-1 in hand and managed to get a break in to reintroduce myself and have a chat. Although I could hear everyone, not everyone could hear me (not surprising on half a watt in a built-up area on foot!) - but it was very satisfying nonetheless.

My local RAYNET controller has also been back in touch - and the group will be covering the local half-marathon. He invited us new and returning members to join in, and be placed with one of the more experienced teams. I replied, indicating my interest, and have been placed with two people I already know from SARS and who I get on with very well.

It's all 'go' now - and I can't wait to get back working as part of RAYNET :-)

Honey, I'm Hooooooome!!!

Checked the Ofcom website at lunchtime - and they've re-instated my licence! :-) Whoop whoop! Same old callsign, new 3-page licence and 20 pages of T&Cs to print out.

Time to get myself a new hoodie printed methinks!

A bright future?

I'm back on the committee at the radio club for the first time in some years, and while I went to the meeting with some trepidation - I came out of it smiling. While there are a number of new faces, some of which weren't even members when I was last about, the Chairman outlined a very positive way forward for the coming year and everyone seems pretty keen to work together to restore the club to its glory days.

As I'd requested before the meeting, I was given 5 minutes or so (which, with discussion, turned into a bit more than that!) to bring everyone up-to-date with my current skill-set and outline what I felt I could bring to the table as a returning member of SARS, and as a member of the committee. Some of my ideas invoked discussion and we went rather over the 5 minutes - but it was almost all positive (including my proposal that we consider moving the club magazine over to a more blind-compliant digital format from the one it's currently presented in) so I'm now pretty optimistic about the coming year.

I was also able to make a number of offers and suggestions with regards to some of the other matters discussed, such as sourcing QSL cards, club publicity, and filling the vacant October slot on the club meeting/talks list. I've also offered to donate one of my very old laptops to the club once I've decommissioned it as a server. It's got a floppy drive and a serial port, and so should be great for all their old software used for contest logging etc. I have to check however whether it has a DVD drive, as one of the other things they'd need it for is for showing videos at meetings. I'm sure I can sort something out!

All that said and done - I came out of the meeting feeling like I'd returned to a big group of old friends, which was lovely. I think we could be in for a good year as far as SARS is concerned, and I'm really hoping that we can do a lot to expand our membership this year. Our treasurer also happens to be the membership secretary for my local branch of RAYNET - and gladly took my forms and subs before I left. It certainly looks like we could have good times ahead!

Methinks it is webware time

I went on an SQL course back in May-ish 2009, and have been looking for a project to make good use of it on. I've messed about a bit with creating a "caught/seen/failed" Pokédex, but haven't done anything really useful so far.

So - with getting back on the air (and subject to whatever the rules are now - should be made available to me at the same time as my licence is re-instated) I'm thinking that I might write myself some logging webware which also generates RSS feeds, stats, and so on. I'd then test it out for a bit, maybe put out a Beta, then release it for free (or ad-supported) download.

I'm going to start off with basic call-logging, then hopefully build in other tables to take care of callsign-locating etc. and additional queries for "busiest day of the week", "busiest time of day" and the like. Anyone interested or want to suggest any features? :-)

It's on it's way!

I'm sitting here with a big grin on my face at the moment. I've just got off the phone with Ofcom again (who must be getting sick of me already!), they've confirmed that they've received my paper application and that my licence should be re-issued by early next week! I can also keep an eye on their website, where it will appear in the listings on my account and I can print it out as soon as it has been approved.

With my licence re-issue now being processed and the Icom batteries appearing to charge pretty well - I'm a happy bunny today :-)

And now? We wait...

This is the most frustrating part - I've had the form, turned it around, and sent it back to Ofcom. The weather won't be helping with the postal service nor the staffing levels at Ofcom, and so now all I can do is wait. Their estimate over the phone was 'a week from posting', whereas their website says to allow two weeks. I'm not mouthing off about the admin or anything like that - I'm just keen to get back on the air!

I posted the form back first-class on Monday afternoon. I'd hoped that it would have arrived on Tuesday - but I called today (Weds) and the woman said that they've no record of it yet, although it could possibly be with the colleague who's off today. While I was a little disappointed, I'm not worried yet. :-)

In other news, I've recovered a couple of handheld radios out of some drawers at my Dad's QTH - one of which was the Icom he used to lend me to use while I was out with RAYNET. I helped at the move of the Belle Toute Lighthouse with that little set! I say "little set" - by today's standards the thing is a brick - but it's a brick which brings back a lot of memories for me. Good times :-)

I'm trickle charging the 2 battery packs (which barely made my multimeter flicker when I checked them) and I'm investigating the 3rd, which is marked up as a dud needing refurb. Through the course of this evening, the primary unit has gone from 0.2v to about 3½v - so by morning I hope to have it registering a lot closer to 12v. I'd like to bung the secondary pack on charge in the morning - but as I'm teaching (web design), I figured it'd be safer to wait until I got back and to do it overnight, same as the primary.

I'm really hoping that the batteries hold a charge well enough on the Icom! The tiny set (different unit) has a proprietry battery which is very difficult to get hold of nowadays, so I'm having to run it off an old phone charger until we can source a new battery.

Progress!

My form from Ofcom arrived at work today, and I did my best with it while eating my lunch. As they forewarned me, it was a bit awkward to fill out for a reinstatement - especially for someone who lapsed when the licencing structure was rather different - however I think I managed to complete it well enough. It does at least have some spaces for you to add in phone/email information so that they can contact you in case of any queries.

Having had a first look through my various folders of paperwork at home, I was rather worried that my full RAE pass certificates had gone missing and I could only find my Novice certificates. City & Guilds charge £20 for replacing lost certificates, and £34 for finding them in the first place - £54 I could well do without spending. I phoned Ofcom to ask whether this would be a problem, and they said that I only needed to include a copy of something with my name, address and my old callsign on it, and confirmed that a photocopy of an old callbook entry would be sufficient. I printed one off, highlighted my entry and stapled it to the back of the form.

I also got an email back from Dick G4KAR, my old RAYNET controller who said that he'd be pleased to have me back, and that he'd get the forms sent out to me presently. The SARS committee meeting has been put back a week due to the adverse weather - but all in all, I'm making a rather speedier return to the hobby than I could ever have hoped at this time last week!!!

Evening edit:
My RAYNET application forms were in my email inbox shortly after I got home! I love this hobby. People get things done around here :-)

Return to RAYNET?

I was a member of RAYNET for about 5 years as a teenaged operator. I have many happy memories, from my first event somewhere down a dirt-track manning a checkpoint for a fun run - to being sat underneath Hailsham Leisure Centre on Christmas morning, logging for the group controller while we helped to evacuate the residents of the flooded Pevensey Bay.

What made me think about this, is that the Southdown Amateur Radio Society committee meeting has been postponed due to roads being closed around a large part of Eastboune, and RAYNET are assisting with the transport of patients between hospitals in 4x4s due to the conditions. When I heard this, my mind instantly brought back all of those memories of events and callouts past - and I looked into what I would need to do to rejoin.

According to the RAYNET website (http://raynet-uk.net/), Dick Jeffries G4KAR is still the Controller for my local unit, and he's an ace bloke with a great team I was proud to be a part of. Now, as an adult (and hopefully soon to be driving) I can start to repay some of the support they all gave me as a young'un - and get out there doing something to help. It's only £7.20 a year and they do so much good as an organisation - so why not :-)

Getting back in the saddle...

I'd been 'away' from amateur radio for a while - initially due to leaving home and going into a job with ridiculous hours and very little pay. I had neither the time nor money to be an Amateur for some time, and once I'd let my licence lapse, I figured it'd be the devil's own job to get it back.

Now having 3 good jobs rather than 1 awful one, my hours are less and my pay-cheques more. :-) With my father (M1APT) having passed away in August, and his kit now being more readily available - it seemed as good a time as any to get back into the hobby. The club (Southdown Amateur Radio Society) had given myself and my family great support following my father's death, and having gone to a group meeting to say hello and thank you - I found myself nominated to be on the committee! After a few moments thought, I realised that it would enable me to give something back to the club which had been so supportive right back from my being a young amateur (I achieved my Novice licence at the age of 10, and my M1 at 13).

I phoned the RSGB on Monday and asked what I had to do to get my licence reinstated. They were very helpful and referred me to Ofcom - who were even more helpful! All I had to do was give them my name and address over the phone (I gave them my work address) and they would send the "new licence" form out to me the same day. I would have to fill it in as much as I could, enclose a one-off £20 payment, a photocopy of something which proved I had my callsign (eg. photocopy of a callbook page) and send it all off to them, after which they would be able to reinstate my licence, for life, within a week of posting!

Sadly, the adverse weather has resulted in the post being held up - so I have not yet received the form. It seems however, that getting my licence back is going to be easier than I had dared to hope! I'd advise any amateurs who's licences had lapsed back when you had to renew them every year, to get their callsigns back as it involves so little effort and cost to do so.