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Amateur Radio - A 21st Century Hobby
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- Written by Chris Colclough
A new video has been brought to our attention about Amateur Radio in the 21st century. Made for the RSGB with the guys who make TX Factor it gives an insight into what Amateur Radio is about, it also features one of our antenna gurus antennas in one of the scenes that is used by the pupils of Schilcotes School in Yorkshire - Charles (M0OXO) has close ties with the school through one of his friends who work there.
to view the video in full visit the following website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x6x_6mDVlQ. We think it is a good way to get young people into the hobby.
New Contest
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- Written by Chris Colclough
At last a contest where stations from the UK are wanted and count for multipliers. This should make for some interesting pileups for even the smallest station as the contest gets going.
The United Kingom and Ireland Contest Club (UKEICC) are starting a new contest this year where UK stations will count as multipliers - full rules here. The contest will be over 2 weekends, the SSB leg in December and CW in January (5th/6th December 12:00z to 12:00z and 23/24 Jan 12:00z to 12:00z) so plenty of time to get some practice in.
For the first couple of years the rules will allow stations from around the world to work each other, and every first contact with a DXCC on each band counting as a multiplier. But to really boost the score stations from outside the UK/EI will need to work each district code on each band for extra multipliers.
"What are the district codes?" I hear you ask. These are based on the first 2 letters of the stations postcode, for example mine would be CV, or as in the case of Sheffield (where there is only 1 letter) add the last letter of the city name SD. EI stations will use the abreviation for their county. A full list of the codes, along with a full list of the rules can be found on the UKEICC Contest page.
We also would like to announce that Ant, MW0JZE, is sponsoring some of the trophies available so get on the air and win a nice certificate for the shack wall and a trophy to stand on the shelf above the radio.
And We Have Another Winner
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Not only do we win our categories in CQWW and other contests, but we also win in the ARRL 10M contest. 
Ant, MW0JZE, loves 10m and had a "good go" in the ARRL 10m Contest in 2014 using his Hexbeam built by himself. This past week the postman delivered the attached certificate showing him as being the number 1 station in Wales - and there were a couple of others who entered this one too.
Well done Ant, and I believe he will be "having a bash" in this years event on the weekend of 12th/13th December so give him a call - you never know he may be that elusive Wales multiplier you need.
New Lifeboat Station for St Davids Lifeboat.
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- Written by Chris Colclough
We thought we just had to share this news and information as this is where we sail from to Ramsey Island (EU-124), and if ever there was an emergency the guys who would have to rescue us.
So we feel that this is a cause worth following and raising funds for. If any of you would like to donate to this cause then please contact Thousand Islands Expeditions and mention where you saw the info, any amount helps from pennies through to pounds.
Or if you are in the area and can get to the auction then go along and help raise the funds to equip the lifeboat station and support these volunteers.
MX0LDG Lundy Island EU-120 2015
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Another activation by one of our members and friends. Our antenna guru is off on his travels to Lundy Island - again this is taken from Tim's website. And please USE OQRS FOR BUREAU CARDS.
MX0LDG Lundy Island EU-120 2015
The Lundy DX Group will be active again from Lundy Island IOTA EU-120 from the 6th to the 13th October 2015 QRV as MX0LDG.
This year's team will be M5JON John, M0ILT Pete, MW0JZE Anthony & G3JKL John. We hope to be QRV around 1400 UTC on the 6th .
MX0OLDG will be on 10m to 40m SSB & RTTY . Due to the electricity being turned off at midnight until 6am we will not be operating between these times.
We will endeavour to run 4 stations for the period of the activation.
2 Kenwood TS-590's
1 Kenwood TS-570
1 Yaesu FT-450
Antennas 3 - G3TXQ Light Weight D-Hexpedtion Hexbeams Supplied by Ant MW0JZE 3 - G3TXQ Light Weight D-Hexpedtion Hexbeams Supplied by Ant MW0JZE
1 Steppir Vetical
We will be operating from Stony Croft Cottage the location of our 2012 activation which is valid for:
IOTA: EU-120 , Grid Locator: IO71pe, WAB: SS14, Lighthouse Old Devon light ARLHS: ENG 073.
Logs will be uploaded to ClubLog daily if we have a good internet connection if not on our return.
Many Thanks & 73’s The MX0LDG Team look forward to working you from Lundy Island.
QSL Via Tim M0URX - OQRS System http://www.m0urx.com/oqrs/
QSL cards for this DXpedition are printed and will be posted out as soon as I have the logs.
Please note that MX0LDG is NOT affiliated to the RSGB. So bureau ONLY Via OQRS. No incoming cards will be collected.
OQRS is the way to go
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- Written by Chris Colclough
This was written by Tim, M0URX, and can be found on his webpage. We all agree with this and would like to get more of our radio friends using the OQRS system and understand that we don't need your card as we don't apply for awards for MC0SHL and it costs to receive through the RSGB bureau as the club is not affiliated to it.
OQRS is the way to go!
- Created on Thursday, 24 September 2015 19:16
Times change and how we receive bureau QSL requests has also changed, let me show you why we need to make these changes.
Here are two photographs, the first on the top left is a box of 4,500 bureau cards received from the RSGB Bureau on Monday.
The second photograph underneath is the same box 3 days later after all the QSL cards have been processed through the logs that I am QSL manager for.
THIS is how many are then put into my rubbish recycling bin just 3 days after receiving the cards.
I want to ask please for your help! In order to keep this Bureau service going we must change the way that I receive bureau requests.
If you are requesting a DXCC or IOTA Expedition or contest QSL card you must ONLY use OQRS!
Please understand that DXpedition call signs are NOT members of the RSGB and I will be charged money to receive them.
Just as important to remember is that DXpeditions and contest stations DO NOT need YOUR QSL card.
A DXpedition is undertaken to help you obtain an ATNO (All Time New One) whether that be a DXCC, IOTA, WAB area, band, mode or whatever.
Here are some facts for you:
4,500+ QSL cards received 4,200 QSL cards thrown away!
Out of the 4,500 QSL cards, 2,000 had already been requested direct, bureau or using OQRS, in some cases all three!. If you request a bureau QSL PLEASE DO NOT send another QSL! Only use 1 QSL route.
The average length of time that the cards took to arrive with me are 2 years 6 months. If the QSL cards had been requested on OQRS then you would get the cards 2 years 6 months quicker.
One Japanese station sent me 34 QSL cards for 34 QSOs for ONE DXpedition. The work that the bureaus have had to put in in both time and money just to get those 34 cards to me is quite startling. We need to STOP the waste and get smarter in how we use our resources.
If you DO have to send your QSL in Via Bureau type ALL QSOs on ONE card or paper.
Of course there are some stations that I am QSL manager that ARE RSGB members that DO want your QSL. OY1OF, OY4TN, PJ4DX, M0URX. Please continue to send us QSL cards for those stations, for ALL other DXpeditions please use OQRS only.
“QSL Via M0URX” does NOT mean that all QSL cards that I am manager for can be sent to me Via Bureau. Only RSGB affiliated call signs can receive QSL cards.
So the best way to know what to send me and what NOT, is clear. ALL DXpedition & contest QSL requests must be made by OQRS ONLY.
For the QSL route of the rest please check on QRZ.com for each call sign. Or use OQRS. If we need your QSL we will contact you.
I have been working with the RSGB for the past year to ensure that all QSL cards for my attention are delivered to me, but this costs money. I have agreed to pay to receive for DXpediitons QSL cards that I am QSL manager for and are not RSGB affiliated.. However this is only for those that cannot use OQRS as a last resort. OQRS must be your first option to receive ALL DXpedition Bureau cards!
Any QSL cards that ARE sent to me for the call signs I am manager for MUST be made clear “QSL Via M0URX” if not they will NOT reach me. Sorry.
ALL OUT-GOING QSL cards are sent at my cost to all IARU World QSL Bureaus, so our outgoing QSL service continues as normal.
Thank you for your help in changing the way we work with you and reducing costs and time that your QSL cards are delivered to you.
SV5/MW0JZE - Kos
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Written by Charles M0OXO and taken from his website.
Listen for Ant MW0JZE as he operates holiday style from the Island of Kos.
Ant will be qrv from Kos from this weekend 19th September for around two weeks. He will be SV5/MW0JZE and his operation will be primarily RTTY on whichever bands are open.
Kos is a Greek island, part of the Dodecanese Island Group (IOTA EU-001) in the southeastern Aegean Sea, off the Anatolian coast of Turkey.
The island measures 40 by 8 kilometres (25 by 5 miles), and is 4 km (2 miles) from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey, (the ancient Halicarnassus) and the ancient region of Caria. It has a population of around 35,000.
Qsl Cards are already printed and are available via M0OXO OQRS or Direct Mail to M0OXO home address.
Great antennas, great price!
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Written by Charles M0OXO and from his website.
Great antennas, great price!
Are you looking for an antenna that has great performance, easy to build and at a very competitive price? Then check out the range of Hexbeam antennas and accessories available from Ant MW0JZE.
MW0JZE - G3TXQ Broadband 6 band Hexbeam 6 bands: 20m - 6m 2 Elements on each band No traps or coils Ideal for portable or fixed station.
The Ultra Lightweight D-HEXpedition Portable Hexbeam 6-KG 30 min set-up time No tools needed Packs away to 100 x 20 x 20 CM.
Unlike some manufactures his antennas are plug and play, no assembling spreaders or cutting wires, DX right out of the box!!
No hidden Paypal charges, what you see is what you pay. For more information click the image (left) to be directed to his website.
Even More Winning Ways
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Not only have Ant, Charles, and Chris been winning their sections in contests, we also have Rob (MW0RLJ) coming first in the SSB section of the CDXC DXCC Marathon 2014 - full details here. The CDXC group is the big UK DX Foundation supporting DXpeditions and offering encouragement and support to new DXers.
Unfortunately Rob couldn't be at the CDXC Annual Summer Social to collect the trophy so Charles did the honours and then presented the trophy to Rob on his visit this week to the farm.
Cosmic Weather Forecast
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- Written by Chris Colclough
While surfing the internet today I came across this article on a UK Newspaper website.
Makes interesting reading.....
(Click on image to read).
Ramsey Island News
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- Written by Chris Colclough
We know most of you like to keep up with what we are up to when we are not playing radio at MC0SHL. Well what about keeping up with the news on what is happening on our favourite destination for our portable activities.
As we have said before Ramsey Island is a RSPB reserve where the Flora and Fauna is spectacular - hopefully you see this in our photos. Well why not keep up with what Greg. Lisa, and the volunteers get up to and how the birds, wildlife and the island in general get on day by day? Just go to their blog http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/ramseyisland/default.aspx for all the latest news and updates.
Or go to the Thousand Islands boat comapanies facebook page for some excellent photographs of the sealife around the island.
How to Send a QSL Card
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Tim (M0URX) put this on his webpage a few weeks ago. Something that is worth reposting and keeping fresh in peoples minds, and not just UK operators but also some of our overseas friends seem to forget to include return postage costs - if you do it will be returned via the BUREAU.
FAO UK Hams - How to send a QSL card
I have noticed that many new hams in the United Kingdom are not aware of how to send QSL cards to ensure they get a 100% reply. So here are a few tips to help you along the way.
1) Use a Self-Addressed Envelope SAE for the QSL to be returned to you.
2) Enclose US$2 - this pays for postage, ink, labels and other items that are needed in QSL management. Never send a QSL without covering the return costs.
NO stamps or IRC's Sorry!
3) All QSOs should be neatly listed either on one QSL card or on a piece of paper attached to the QSL card.
Now let's look at what should be on your QSL card. Many QSL cards are used to claim awards, this means that your QSL card should contain at least the very basic details.
1) Your call sign, name and mailing address. Call sign should also be on the back.
2) The country name "England" should be clear. Not everyone will know that Hinckley Bottom is in England.
3) IOTA (Islands On The Air) MUST have the Island name printed on the QSL so "Mainland Great Britain" should be shown. You can also add the IOTA reference: EU-005.
4) CQ Zone: 14 ITU Zone: 27 should also be on your QSL for CQ & ITU Zones awards.
5) It is also helpful to add your Maidenhead locator: mine is IO92fj it is common that the last two letter suffix be in lower case.
6) WAB: Worked All Britain is another award where it is helpful to show your WAB area mine is SP27. You can also add your book numbers too.
7) This is most important! If you are using a photograph on the QSL, use HIGH RESOLUTION digital images. Low resolution or scanned images will not work in QSL reproduction, they will be pixelated or grainy or both. The same for logos, use high resolution logos.
Do not assume that the QSL printer will add such detail. To be honest QSL designers / printers that do not add the data or advise you about such information should not even be designing or printing QSL cards. So think about your design AND what text must be written on it.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Further to the above post. All UK hams that do not provide US$2 for the QSL costs will be sent this letter with their QSL card. We hope that this will help UK hams understand that you must provide QSL costs to receive the QSL direct.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for the QSL card, I am pleased enclose our QSL card for you.
I would like to remind you that QSL Via M0URX = US$2 – I am sorry that I am not able to accept UK postage stamps or IRCs.
There are three reasons for this:
1) Stamps are the most expensive way of getting QSL cards to you.
2) Postage is only ONE of the costs involved in QSL management.
3) I am not able to use IRCs for postage.
Please let me explain, sending over 10,000 letters every year using stamps is not a cost effective way to provide QSL management.
All my mail is posted on a Royal Mail Online Business Account. This account is accessed by several UK QSL managers from all over the UK. Together we are spending over £20,000 a year on postage to the UK and the rest of the world. This means that we have access to the most competitive rates in the postal industry.
As a QSL manager I have to follow certain rules set out by the IARU:
IARU Region 1 QSLing Code of Practice From Chapter 10.5 of the IARU Region 1 HF Handbook available at the IARU - Region 1 website
“1. Any DX station appointing a QSL Manager must ensure that satisfactory arrangements are in place for receiving and responding to incoming bureau as well as direct cards. Adequate publicity must be given to such arrangements.”
As a QSL manager I am not permitted to use the RSGB QSL Bureau. Because of this I had to set up my own outgoing QSL bureau to send QSL cards to all World IARU Bureaus at my expense. It is the discounts that we get from the mailing account, especially from major DXpeditions that finance the United Radio Outgoing QSL Bureau.
DXpedition sponsors have terms and conditions that I have to adhere to as QSL manager requiring me to provide a service above and beyond the cost of postage.
There are also many other expenses in QSL’ing such as QSL printing, labels, envelopes, IT, computer hardware, and software.
Thank you for reading and I hope that this explains why it is so important to provide US$2 for the QSL costs.
Thank you!
More Winning Ways
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Well not only are Chris and Charles at it getting certificates in the post from CQ Magazine for their efforts in the contests, but also our antenna guru Anthony. I know it's a little late but CQ are just catching up on getting their certificates out in the mail for the past couple of years.
"Postman came today and this was in the post!" Said Ant, "I'm feeling happy and didn't realise I had got this. But I can do better and will do this year -if we have any sunspots left (hi hi)"
Well done Ant and lets start getting the S.H.A.R.K boys back on top in these contests.
Winning ways
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- Written by Chris Colclough
Well it has been a good week for Charles (M0OXO) and Chris (G1VDP) this week with both of them receiving winners certificates from CQ Magazines headquarters in the USA. 
Charles has come first in England in the CQ World Wide WPX RTTY Contest 2015 for his band category. This also puts him in 7th overall in Europe in the contest, which attracts thousands of entries each year. Well done Charles and lets see some more of these certificates on the wall.
Chris has also come 1st in England in his category that he entered in the CQ World-Wide DX Contest on SSB. Again this contest attracts thousands of entries from around the world and is the contest where the Strumble Head Amateur Radio Klub started - a group of guys 
getting together and entering from the farm back in 2007 - and where we decided to have fun each year on the radio.
These are the start of many that will follow for the group, and you never know maybe the boys will be back in one of the big contests as a group soon.
