VERY BEST WISHES TO ALL OUR RAFARS MEMBERS, SUPPORTERS and their families
QRV is now accepting contributions for the Summer/Autunm 2025 edition! This is YOUR Journal, please get in touch if you have any ideas or memories for articles that you feel others would like to read about. Gary our Web Master and I will do our very best to put such memories, technical input, shack photo's etc into print and colour.
On Sunday 13th May I popped up to Blackpool for the annual NARSA Rally (radio pilgrimage for me). There was a very cold breeze blowing through the Ball Room and Events Hall during the unloading process. It seemed fairly busy at peak footfall around 11:30. I was surprised to see the RSGB Chairmen Bob Beebe, GU4YOX passing by and only after he had spent a miniute looking over our stand and walking off did I take the opportunity to chase after him and ask for a photo on out Stand. A little later he returned to take a photo of the VT31 Tetrode that I recently aquired on it's wooden support. It also looks like a small part of Anne (our Secretary far right of shot) was also captured. With the help of Stuart and his VMARS stand I was able to move from our allocated location in the Ball Room to their 4th table, which is a prime location for being in the middle of what action there is. Any RAFARS members that would like to attend on future NARSA rallies would be very welcome to help out on our stand. After the loss of Vincent, it is no longer possible for me go for my paddle in the cold waters of the Irish Sea.
Above: RSGB Chairmen Bob Beebe, GU4YOX caputed for a phot after passing by our stand (Photorapher Stuart G0TBI)
G8RAF - WSPR2 (Whisper) Beacon homed on Grid Location IO82
I am not sure how many RAFARS members or for that matter visitors to this website make the use of WSPR2 to get some idea of near time or historical progation conditions on 40m. But for those who do, RAFARS now has a temporary WSPR beacon homed in Grid IO82 running on a Raspberry Pi Zero (filtered) @20mW output. By using the wsprnet.org App on the web you can get mapping or database listing showing. I hope to operate the beacon on 80, 40 and 20m but not until I can configure it to auto band change (and built the 20m filter).
The poor propogation conditions we have had on 40m these last few week of March and first few weeks of April have show up well on WSPR with almost no inter G early mornings until 11:00 or noon.
73 QRV EDITOR
