Calendar

To all Members and Supporters of South Bristol ARC

During the present Coronavirus/Covid-19 outbreak and the restrictions on movement and gatherings that are being imposed worldwide, South Bristol ARC has taken the decision, with immediate effect, to suspend all: Club meetings, training sessions and visits until the current crisis subsides.

We will reschedule the calendar and pick up once we know when a safe restart date can be set.

Whilst we are unable to meet in person we will hold a weekly net on GB3WR from 19:30Hrs on Thursday Evenings. For those unfamiliar with our local Repeater Infrastructure the pertinent details for GB3WR are:

• Location: Mendip Hills IO81ph
• Repeater Output (Your Rx Frequency): 145.600MHz FM
• Repeater Input (Your Tx Frequency): 145.000MHz FM
• Repeater Offset: -600kHz
• CTCSS: 94.8Hz

If you want additional details on the GB3WR Repeater including an indication of the coverage to determine if you are within range please look at:

• The GB3WR Website, and
• The GB3WR Entry at UKRepeater.net.

Please look out for each other during these trying times, stay safe and, if you can, get on air.

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Special Events and Contests

At the moment we’re scheduled to take part in the following events:

• 9/10 May 2020 – Mills on the Air at Saltford Brassmill
• 4/5 July 2020 – VHF National Field Day at the Clutton Horsebox (possibly) otherwise Dundry
• 4/5 July 2020 – Lockdown VHF Field Day (see below)
• 22/23 August 2020 – International Lighthouses and Lightships on the Air at the ‘John Sebastian’ in Bathurst Basin
• 26/27 September 2020 – Railways on the Air at Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust in Midsomer Norton

Mills on the Air

According to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) as a direct result of the current COVID-19 pandemic they have cancelled National Mills Weekend. The organisers of Mills on the Air, Denby Dale ARS, has made a corresponding announcement cancelling this years Mills on the Air event.

South Bristol ARC will not be taking part or organising a station in this event this year. We hope to rejoin the event from Saltford Brass Mill in 2021.

VHF National Field Day

The RSGB contest committee have come up with an alternative format (hopefully for 2020 only) whereby teams of Club members operating on their own from their home QTH can combine their scores to form a Club submission. Not as social as the usual gathering on a hill top but a workable solution to maintaining the event.

Full details of the 2020 rules can be found here: Lockdown VHF Field Day Rules

We are currently evaluating if there is sufficient support and equipment to make an entry possible.

International Lighthouses and Lightships on the Air

It is hoped that by the time this event takes place the UK will have gone well past the peak of the infection and the current severe restrictions on movement and social gatherings that were introduced in March 2020 will have been relaxed or removed. But, we can’t know for sure at this time and therefore will have to keep our participation in the event under review. The organisers of Lighthouses and Lightships on the Air stated in a press release through Southgate Amateur Radio News that they will let the event go ahead and rely on individual participants to observe the appropriate prevailing local restrictions.

The Club will apply for our regular SEC NoV and register for the event as this protects our location and ensures that the SEC remains in use by us and can’t be usurped next year, and liaise with our hosts, the Cabot Cruising CLub, to see if the operation can go ahead.

Railways on the Air

It is hoped that by the time this event takes place the UK will have gone well past the peak of the infection and the current severe restrictions on movement and social gatherings will have been relaxed or removed. But, we can’t know for sure at this time and therefore will have to keep our participation in the event under review. At the moment, and not surprisingly given the time to the event, the organisers have not made any statement as to whether Railways on the Air will be cancelled or not.

The Club will apply for our regular SEC NoV and register for the event as this protects our location and ensures that the SEC remains in use by us and can’t be usurped next year, and liaise with our hosts, the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust, to see if the operation ca go ahead.