Tim Beaumont - M0URX

30.12.2008 18:47:02

Tim Beaumont

One problem that all Sub managers have is being able to communicate with all the Radio Amateurs under their wing so I have decided to write a general blog that is not just for the Amateurs that I manage, but for all licenced Radio Amateurs wherever you are.

It is very important to know WHO your Sub Manager is if you are a UK Ham you can go to the RSGB Website http://www.rsgb.org

Members can enter the “Members Area” to view the up to date list of Sub managers. If you are not a member of the RSGB.. (why not?) but you are a UK Ham then you can email me and I can find out who is your sub manager.

Make sure that your Sub manager has correctly stamped and addressed envelopes so that they can keep posting you your cards as they come through. Remember even NON members can receive cards.

“I’m not interested in QSL’ing” is one comment I hear all too often, well tell your sub manager that you do not wish to receive QSL cards so that the RSGB can deal with them appropriately. Remember YOU might not want the QSL cards but SOMEONE wants yours that is why the cards are waiting for you. QSL’ing is part of the hobby and many people enjoy chasing awards so if you don’t want QSL cards may I suggest you write on your QRZ.com profile a line saying “I do not collect QSL cards but if you require a QSL card please email me and I will send one Via the Bueau”

This leads onto QRZ.com, I can’t stress how important it is to KEEP your profile updated, I often need to email Amateurs only to find out that they have not updated their email address or their postal address and quite often I see in the RSGB yearbook “details withheld” so when I do need to get hold of a radio amateur to let them know about cards waiting I am not able to do so.

I have 1,000 cards held for G4Dxx and G4Rxx, and I am just one of 80 UK Sub managers that could mean 80,000 QSL cards that Sub managers can’t get to the owners. So please if you are reading this and you are a UK Radio Amateur, please keep your RSGB Sub Manager updated with envelopes, stamps and instructions to your QSL routing. It may not be important to you but it will help all the Sub Managers keep the workload down and to keep the Amateurs for their section happy.

26.12.2008 10:21:09

Tim Beaumont

Over Christmas I have received some photographs from John 9M6XRO from his trip to Cambodia as XU7XRO here are two of the images. I will be printing the new QSL card in January and using the old stock for Bureau cards.
John reports that band conditions were great but he had also to do some work on the station in XU7 but did manage to work on 80m and 160m. 

23.12.2008 13:41:09

Tim Beaumont

Do you remember when you were just 12 years of age? And your mum & dad gave you your first crystal set for Christmas? No? Well I don’t either but it sets the scene for my Blog entry today.

Earlier this year I replaced my second (reserve) radio with a new one. (I won a Yaesu FT-897, thanks to Yaesu and Chiltern DX Club) The FT-100 had been a great radio for me and was given to me by a radio amateur in Japan as a gift on a visit in 2003 so I was not going to sell the radio but instead I decided it would be a great idea to give this HF / VHF / UHF Transceiver to a young radio operator coming into the hobby that showed great potential and passion for the hobby.

We all know how expensive this hobby can be, and when you first get licensed there is so much equipment you need and want to get your hands on. But when you are just 12 years old money can be a bit of a problem. United Radio QSL Management Bureau have decided to “elmer” a young radio ham called Aidan from Birmingham England to encourage, help and advise this young chap through his introductory time into Amateur Radio. He loves contesting and DX’ing and has just passed the UK’s Foundation Exam.

Aidan has been a Scout at the Dorridge Scout Group and when Scout Leader Callum M0MCX introduced the scouts to Amateur Radio Aidan was always there to help out with the contests and showed huge enthusiasm for this wonderful hobby of Amateur Radio. Over the coming months I will Blog Aidan’s progress in the hobby.

On passing the Foundation Exam I presented Aidan with a Christmas present for him to open…. Wow what a great surprise that was to Aidan:
Yaesu FT-100 Transceiver
Yaesu FC-20 Auto ATU
Comet H-422 Dipole Antenna

So my message to you for Christmas is think about the future of our hobby, try to "Elmer" / mentor a new ham and  help and guide them into the hobby. The future is in your hands.
Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for all your emails and comments received this year. 73 de Tim M0URX

19.12.2008 20:21:36

Tim Beaumont

I was delighted to receive the QSL card today from JD1BMM. Number 266 Confirmed!
JA6GXK will be active again as JD1BMM from Minami-Torishima (OC-073) from 23 December to 6 January. He will operate in his spare time on all bands and modes with 500 watts and a focus on the low bands. QSL via JD1BMM, direct (Masafumi Ishihara, 2-305 Loran, 2-5-35 Miyazaki, Chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-0806 Japan) or through the JARL Bureau. Info from 425 DX News. 

18.12.2008 09:08:04

Tim Beaumont

I received an interesting letter along with my QSL card from Monk Apollo SV2ASP/A Mount Athos.
Dear friends,

I would like to ask for your help in a problem that I confront. Recently, in the new regulations made by the Greek Ministry of Communications gave the SY prefix to Special call to anyone who wants it. Sadly the men at the Ministry do not understand the importance of the DXCC – Entity Mount Athos to the World of Amateur Radio.

Monk Apollo invites you to send an email to the Ministry This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   and ask them to reserve the prefix SY solely for the use of Mount Athos to eliminate any confusion of the DXCC Entity Mount Athos.

Thanks in advance for your assistance, from Mount Athos, the “Garden of Virgin Mary” I send you my best wishes. God Bless you – Monk Apollo.

(Ed - But will Monk Apollo ALLOW a DXpedition from an outside team?)

25.11.2008 18:56:21

Tim Beaumont

United Radio QSL Management are proud to support the 2009 Rockall EU-189 Expedition. For the teams involved we will provide QSL Management services. Col MM0NDX explains:

Having been in daily contact with Island Man/Andy Strangeway, I fully appreciate just how much time and energy has gone in to arrive at this particular point of the Rockall 2009 expedition. Below is a press release issued on Island Man’s Rockall website.   Col, MM0NDX http://dx-hamspirit.com/ 

Isle of Rockall, EU-189

Press Release http://islandmanrockallexpedition2009.com/

I appreciate it would appear that there has been little news in the last few weeks but I can assure everyone that things have certainly been moving. I expect before Christmas that news of transportation to Rockall being secured will be announced.

Working in tandem with my friend Col, MM0NDX I am acutely aware of the interest shown in EU-189. With this in mind I would like to invite radio hams, be they individuals or clubs, to contact me with their proposals to be part of this exciting expedition. I require the following information to be included in the proposal.

The maximum and minimum number of berths that would be required.        Rockall EU-189
A CV of previous radio activations of those that would be involved.
Any information of additional skills that would strengthen the depth of the expedition, for example any crewing of yacht/boat, tender experience or climbing ability.
The countries who have so far shown the greatest interest in the expedition are Belguim, France, Japan, Norway, UK and USA. I would especially like to hear from Japanese radio hams as not one operator from Japan has ever contacted Rockall. EU-189 is the most wanted IOTA in Japan.

Once the transport has been secured, the team for the expedition will be selected and dates announced. A website can be built especially for the radio hams and a QSL manager is already secured should you require these extras.

For all proposals in the first instance, please contact Andy at info@island-man within the next seven days. http://www.island-man.co.uk/

19.10.2008 20:33:14

Tim Beaumont

JOTA at Dorridge Scout Group
Well I really enjoyed JOTA today, we had about 100 scouts and beavers through the JOTA station this afternoon. Callum M0MCX had spent the last few days on a project antenna for some fun, using computer modelling he has made a 168m corner fed loop in a triangle formation between trees at a height of 27m above ground using sling fishing rods to get the lines to the top of the trees. I arrived to see the wire antenna in a perfect triangle above the field next to the scout hut. It looked really impressive the 550 feet of copper wire between 3 huge trees.

Callum had a video introducing amateur radio to the beavers, cubs & scouts, then Terry G4MKP did an introduction to Morse code with a lesson in sending and receiving CW. Followed by an explanation about QSL cards and writing a message that the kids would then transmit over the amateur radio.

I was operator to generate some pile ups so that I could pick off a few strong stations that would help us with the passing of messages to the scouts. The wire loop was working well, a quick test put GB1DSG in the log of VK9DWX Willis Island, then a QSY up the band to generate a nice pile up to the USA working North & South Dakota Oregon and up to Saskatchewan, Canada. I put out a CQ call for a strong station to help with the transmission of the scouts messages and nearly jumped out the chair as V8BDS Rahamen in Brunei called with a huge signal, he was kind and patient enough to help with about 15 cubs that were only 9, 10 and 11 years old and they were quite amazed that they were talking to someone so far away. Although there was some guy on frequency taking the mickey trying to disrupt the station but I ignored this and after about 5 minutes he stopped.
Excellent afternoon! All credit to Callum M0MCX for organising it so well.  73 de Tim M0URX