Diary Dates
The Club's regular meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 19.30 and unless stated otherwise, at our QTH of Peter Street Rooms, Shepton Mallet. Click here for more information about the venue and where to park.
Your ideas (from members and non-members) are most welcome on what you would like to see in our Club and how you and every-one else may consequently benefit
Future Meetings in 2012 . . .
Tuesday February 14th 2012
Charlie Ollis, a former merchant navy radio officer returns with part two of his memories of learning the ropes on various cargo ships and later as a radio operator at Portishead Radio GK
Tuesday March 13th 2012
Ian Davies G3KZR will pesent a talk entitled What is DXing and Why Do It? Ian will discuss the scope of DXing from the illustrious DXCC Honour Roll to setting personal challenges with limited resources, illustrated by his progress during 50+ years on the air on most bands from 160m to 23 cms using from 1 watt to a big linear and from zepps to beams
Tuesday April 10th 2012
Steve Hartley G0FUW comes up the road from Bath to talk about buildathons, QRP construction and training - plus a lot more besides!
Previous meetings . . .
Januuary 2012
Mike Adams M0ALW is employed by The Far East Broadcasting Company. Mike came to MidSARC to give an amazing talk on the use of FM Broadcast in disaster response where aid workers can fly into disater zones and train teams to operate the equipment
December 2011
Eleven MidSARC Members met at the Dusthole Shepton Mallet for a pint and a chat about radio and the state of the world's economy. Brian G0FZI suggested we should have a meal next time. Well, the food did look and smell very good!
November 2011
MidSARC Member Roger Davis presented a talk entitled 60 Years in (and out) of Amateur Radio: from getting his licence in 1953 at school, early days with the Weston-super-Mare Club, life at No2 Radio School, RAF Yatesbury with V Bomber electronics, pioneering days in BBC TV engineering. He brought along some early amateur equipment including his first two valve (CO/PA) xtal controlled transmitter, a completely home-brewed computer from the 1970s and a few other historic bits and pieces. Fascinating talk. Thanks Roger!
October 2011
Annual General Meeting
September 2011
MidSARC member Graham Kimbell G3TCT returned to present a most interesting and informative talk on Radio Auror. Graham explained with the help of some recordings why signals coming via an aurora sound like they do
August 2011
No beer this month, just coffee and biscuits to celebrate our first OTA night! At long last, the antennae were slung and we managed to initiate the M0MSA callsign!
David G8BFV, Brian G0FZI and Jeff M6GLH made the first few contacts from the Peter Street Rooms QTH: two to Europe and two UK QSOs on 40 metres
July 2011
Beer and snacks were served to those who came along for a natter and to check out the bargains available from the table-top sale
June 2011
Geoff Plucknett G4FKA is passionate about IOTA (Islands on the Air). His talk was most interesting. He's off on an expedition in July so will be popping back later in the year to update us on IOTA happenings in 2011
May 2011
David Edwards G8BFV presented a fascinating talk on Microwave Homebrewing covering constructional techniques, kits and beacons for the microwave bands from 1.3GHz to 10GHz
April 2011
Bill Bowditch G4WSB presented a talk on a subject he has become passionate about: the joys of the Summits on The Air (SOTA) award scheme
Bill had come hot-foot from the slopes of G/SC-011 Hardown Hill so was able to bring his kit to demonstrate how an activation can be aided and abetted by the choice of equipment
Bill brought along his photo albums of trig points and summits he's operated from over the past year and a half in which he's written a description of each summit with useful tips for others about parking and access
March 2011
Dave Boniface G3ZXX presented an update on the progress of the unique 10 to 6 metre cross-band repeater GB3WX and the future of the 2 metre Wiltshire repeater GB3JB
Here's Dave in the Mendip room of our QTH extolling the virtues of cross-band operation
February 2011
Jeff Petch-Harrison M6GLH presented part two of freeware software for digital modes