Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, following general advice from government, weekly Wednesday night club meetings have been suspended as of 18th March 2020. Also the Focus Centre has been closed along with all Live Borders facilities until further notice.
Members can still keep in contact through the GDARS Yahoo Group email or on local FM 2m and 70cm repeaters GB3SB, GB3HK, GB3DU, GB3LB, GB3BT, GB3BE, and DMR/YSF repeaters GB7LS and GB7EY.
The decision was made to cancel the 2020 Rally and Open Day scheduled for 25th October 2020.
Arrangements are being made for the 2021 Open Day on Sunday 24th October 2021.
The 2019 Open Day and Rally was held on Sunday 20th October 2019.
Another successful rally and open day for us.
Many thanks to the hall staff for setting up the tables, the traders for filling the tables with their stuff, all the club members who came bright and early to help setting up tables, carrying in traders goods, manning the doors and the B&B stall, and finally thanks to all of the visitors who came through the door.
Almost 250 visitors through the door make all the hard work worth it.
Hopefully see you all next year!
Setting up
Video of our open day, taken by delboyonline
Have to mention the random cat that wandered in off the street to have a look at what was going on. Maybe he/she was a licenced ham, MM3EOW, or heard there were mice going free, looking for a CAT cable or maybe just wanting to find out more about the WSKR digital mode!
It didn’t even bother to pay admission!
(More photos to come.)
Traders attended:
Bob McClements Perth RG GQRP Scotland Davy Jackson (Canny Components) RSGB Mick Hunter Kevin Avery (Late Cancellation) Michael Willis SBRG Alan Clegg Dave Bagshaw Tony Kruszelnicki Martin Stokes (Mirfield Electronics) J Dosher Geoff Darby (Worked All Britain) Ken Elliott GM4NTX Peter Bates GM4BYF
Quite a slow start contacts wise on Saturday with only 17 QSOs. Mike and Steven did the majority of the logging and Dave H and I did most of the operating.
We all enjoyed the sunny weather and also a wander round Whitrope Station where Border TV were filming for Border Life programme.
Sunday was not good weather wise, lots of heavy showers, however radio wise were the centre of a pile up again, just like two years ago, with I think 75 QSOs, so a busy time for the three of us.
We called it a day just after 3pm when conditions were fading. Packed everything away in a break between the rain and were on the road a little after 4:30pm.
Thanks to those who managed to visit and enjoy the coffee and biscuits and see the radio station in action.
Big thank you to Dave H for providing the caravaning facilities and mains power and the radio kit.
On Sunday 9th June 2019, club members were operating GM4YEQ/P in the Practical Wireless 144MHz QRP Contest from our usual spot on Ettrick Swire between Yarrow and Ettrick.
We had a successful day, made 21 contacts in 12 different squares, from the Isle of Skye IO67 down to the Isle of Wight IO90. We escaped most of the rain, retreating to the inside of Dave’s Picasso during a couple of the heavier showers, but otherwise occasional drizzle and a bitterly cold wind!
Many thanks to Dave (GM0KCN) and Jim (GM7LUN) for operating the station, Mike (MM3NTX) for logging, and George (GM1OPO) for helping set up.
Antenna poles ready for assembly.Good job you remembered to bring the antenna, Dave!Now, which end of which pole do we fasten the antenna to?This isn’t the first time the antenna was bolted onto the pole.
Antenna up, just need some guys to hold it.
Windy site!Dave and Mike making the first contacts.
George testing the output and signal are all okay.Jim taking over for a bit.Mike and Jim keeping warm with coffee
On the 8th May we had a speaker attending, Paul Gacek W6PNG/M0SNA to talk about his radio activities, Wilderness Activations in Western USA, SOTA activation and the 2016 ARRL National Parks event. Examples of some of his material is on his blog nomadic.blog
Many thanks for an interesting journey across the Western USA and a good mixture of radio, geography, history and encounters with deadly animals!
Also some good information about SOTA that hopefully will encourage some members either to go up local hills to activate them, or to assist SOTA participants to get the contacts they need for activation. More SOTA information here: sota.org.uk
Many thanks to the members who attended for Paul’s talk.
