Author Archives: gdars

Railways On The Air – GB0WRH – Sat/Sun 27/28th September 2025

Posted by on September 26, 2025 No comments

Club members will again be turning up to Whitrope Heritage Centre to activate the site for the annual Railways On The Air event.

As usual, the two Daves will be attending on Saturday and Dave MM0HTL staying in the caravan over to the Sunday, set up in the car park.

Callsign used will be GM0WRH (Waverley Route Heritage) operating on HF bands on both days. All club members and any visitors are welcome to come along and join in or just watch.

The Whitrope Heritage Centre is run by the Waverley Route Heritage Association who have restored a length of track and sidings on the old Waverley line (1849-1969) between Hawick and Carlisle. Further details here: https://wrha.org.uk/about/

Location:
Whitrope Heritage Centre, Whitrope, Hawick, Roxburghshire TD9 9TY
Location: 11 miles south of Hawick on B6399 (Hawick to Newcastleton road).

Locator and directions:

Maidenhead Locator: IO85PH 00co
55.294320, -2.748944 (55°17’39.6″N 2°44’56.2″W) 1034ft (315m) asl
NGR: NT 52540 00279
WAB Square: NT50
Google: 9C7V77V2+MC
W3W:///jousting.windmills.wire
https://wrha.org.uk/the-association/find-us/

Satellite image showing location of Whitrope Heritage Centre carpark

https://rota.barac.org.uk/
https://wrha.org.uk/the-association/whitrope-heritage-centre/

2025 Rally – Sun 26th October 2025

Posted by on September 21, 2025 No comments

Our rally and open day is set to run on Sunday the 26th October 2025 at 11:00am(GMT) at the Volunteer Hall in Galashiels TD1 3JX.

We are aware that this clashes with the CQWW contest again but this was the date preferred by most traders. Also we didn’t manage to get it advertised in the October issue of RadCom, so please share with those you know may be interested.

Confirmed Traders (subject to last minute changes):
Bring and Buy
Bob GM4CID (Used radios, hand-built equipment)
Alan Clegg (Valves etc)
RSGB Stall (Books, memberships)
Mirfield Electronics (Martin Stokes)
Canny Components
Mickey Hunter (Batteries, memory cards etc)
Tony Kruszelnicki (TK Electronics)
G-QRP Club
Perth Repeater Group
Pete Bates GM4BYF
Ken Elliott GM4NTX
Richard Hopkins MM1BHO with a SK sale for MM0WWH for Pancreatic Cancer Research
Nick Trollope G4FAT with Expert Audio (Radio leads, electronics, components, tools, used ham radio gear etc)
Michael Wills G0TNF (Military radio sets)
John Keymer 2M0YTN
Dave Bagshaw
DX Maps

Hot and cold food and drink will be available.

Doors open to general admission 11:00am, disabled and early Bring & Buy booking at 10:45am. (Remember to put your clocks back!)
Admission £3 for adults, under 16s FREE when accompanied by an adult.

Trader enquiries to rallytraders @ galaradioclub.co.uk
Other rally enquiries to rallyqueries @ galaradioclub.co.uk
Due to the volume of spam received, website comments may be missed so an email is preferred.

PW 144MHz QRP Contest 2025 – Sunday 15th June 2025

Posted by on June 12, 2025 No comments

Once again some of our members will be up the hill to compete in the Practical Wireless 144MHz QRP Contest.

We will use the callsign GM4YEQ/P and be operating from our usual spot on the Yarrow Swire/Witchie Knowe IO85MM.

The contest runs from 0900-1500UTC (1000-1600 BST).
Members and visitors are welcome to come along and join in or assist, or just see what we do. Bring your own food/drink and suitable footwear for a grassy field. The rough road is suitable for vehicles to drive up to the site but there are deep puddles. Keep dogs under control as there is usually livestock in the field.

We’ll mostly be tuning around or calling CQ on the SSB part of the band (144.150-144.397MHz) but will scan around the FM simplex part of the band for any local callers with handhelds (calling CQ on 145.500MHz in the contest is not allowed).

Exchange is signal report and serial number starting at 001 for the first contact, and 6-character Maidenhead Locator (or approximate location if not known).

Location: Yarrow Swire, off summit of C22 road between A708 (Yarrow) and B7009 (Ettrickbridge). Marked as Witchie Knowe on some maps.
Locator: IO85MM
Coordinates: 55.5215N , 2.9984W 360m (1180ft) ASL
NGR: NT370257 (WAB Square NT32) (NT 37058 25768)
Google Maps shortcut: 9C7VG2C2+JJJ
Closest Postcodes: TD7 5ND (Wester Kershope Farm on north side of the hill on the approach from Yarrow valley) or TD7 5JW (Area covering from our site southwards)
What3Words: /// juggles.police.chiefs (Switch to satellite view)

Click image to open full screen.

Directions:

From Yarrow Valley:

From East on A708 from Selkirk / Philiphaugh turn left just after Yarrow village onto the C22.
From West on A708 from Innerleithen / Gordon Arms / St Mary’s Loch turn right just before the sharp corner at Yarrow village, onto the C22.
The postcode provided leads to this farm. Do not turn off to this farm but continue on the C22 road to the top of the hill.
At the summit, cross the cattlegrid then immediately turn left up the rough track (on the south side of the dyke).

From Ettrick Valley

From West on the B7009 from Ettrick, turn left on to C22 then follow road to the top of the hill.
From East on the B7009 from Ettrickbridge turn right onto the C22 then follow road to the top of the hill.
At the summit turn right before the cattlegrid onto the rough track up the hill.

Antenna Renewal 20th April 2025

Posted by on April 21, 2025 No comments

A group of us came to the club QTH on Sunday to help Colin replace/repair the antennas that had been damaged in the last few big storms.

We had a replacement cobweb antenna in the cupboard ready to be put up, and also the endfed antenna needed to be re-slung over the tree.

We got the old cobweb taken down and dismantled. Bob was going to polish and UV-coat the fibreglass poles with a view of rebuilding the old cobweb so the club could make use of it somehow.

Then the new one was mounted on the pole, unfolded, and put back on the chimney.

Sorry looking old cobweb antenna on the chimney
Sorry looking old cobweb antenna on the chimney
Looking much better now.

The new antenna covers bands 20/17/15/12/10/6/4m.

We didn’t have a chance to test it as there was another group in our room so that’s a task for next Wednesday. We also didn’t have time to work on the endfed.

Many thanks to Colin and George for the bulk of the work on the roof, and Jim, Neal, Bob and Mike for assistance on the ground.

A more productive Easter Sunday than chasing eggs!

Photos from George, Neal, Bob and Jim.

Silent Key – Norman Mitchinson GM0FTJ

Posted by on March 9, 2025 No comments

Sad to report that one of our earliest members and long-time friend to many, Norman Mitchinson GM0FTJ from Selkirk died peacefully on Monday 3rd March 2025 at the Western General in Edinburgh.

His funeral service will take place on Wednesday 19th March 2025 at 12:00 noon at Selkirk Parish Church.
Interment at 13:00 at Kirkhope Cemetery, Ettrickbridge, followed by gathering at the Glen Hotel in Selkirk. All friends are respectfully invited.

Rest in Peace and 73’s Norman