Over the years the club members have taken on many projects in regards to club antennas to participate in demonstration or contest stations. However, on Saturday 30 June in continuous rain we installed the footings and mast ground post for a new club extendable mast. This with the long wire to the adjoining church and our HF verticals and 2m/70cm beams this gives the membership access to a vast majority of the radio spectrum and the world of ‘Ham Radio’.
This new facility will give the club station considerable flexibility in working all of the HF bands and particularly during contests a second HF bean capability which is a major achievement for the club members to enjoy.
This has been a club objective for some considerable time and with the assistance of the Community Centre management team and access permission from Fr Lyn Phillips of St. Augustine’s http://www.staugustine.whitton.btinternet.co.uk/Augustine.html the installation was planned. Do make a visit to St. Augustine’s web page at it holds many local photographs of our local area as well as information on 400 years of Local History.
A spot was found at the rear of the Community Centre, which suited the radio requirements and placed the antenna system out of general view. The new club asset will be a fantastic advantage for future contesting and radioactivity club evenings. The finished mast will have the club tri-band HF Arial on top.
The numbers of members helping are not all present within the attached photographs as from 8am to midday the cameraman was mostly on household duties or having his hair cut! Club secretaries!!!
Just to clarify why Dem G0TSU can be seen on a number of the photographs standing in the hole! Well that can be easy explained, he is the exact height as the mast sub and we could not get any other members to climb in and hold it steady would you?
So the questions you must be asking;
- How deep was the hole – answer ask Dem G0TSU.
- What did you find while digging? anything worthwhile as seen on the TV programme Time team? http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/
Answer Dem G0TSU found a pre decimal 2 pence coin other than not even a worm. This coin was in circulation between 1839 and 1860, Just three portraits of the Queen were used on the penny in the whole of her reign. Copper pennies were issued for all years between 1839 and 1860 except 1840, 1842, 1850, and 1852. The reverse of the coin for the whole of this period was similar to the William IV issue, with a seated right-facing Britannia holding a trident, except that most year the head of the trident was ornamented; the inscription read BRITANNIAR REG FID DEF. So what version do we have? Answer do not have a clue.- Best bit of the day – easy answer – David G0MRF coming back from the fish and chip shop and all of us eating in the rain around the concrete mixer. Was it hard work? answer bloody hell yes but some suffered more that others but I am sure that all could not get home quickly enough for a soaking in the bath.
What a great day and we even had a visit from Fr Lyn who blest our mast at a discounted rate of £10.