Location

The Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust are based at the former Midsomer Norton South Railway Station. The postal address is Midsomer Norton Station, Silver Street, Midsomer Norton, BA3 2EY. However, there are some specific details that will be of interest to radio hams:

  • Lat/Long: 51.281077°,-2.482759°
  • IARU: IO81sg
  • IOTA: EU005 (UK Mainland)
  • WAB: ST65 – England

Introduction

PosterThis year the Railways on the Air commemorative weekend took place over the 22nd and 23rd of September. As last year the South Bristol Amateur Radio Club was invited to operate from the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust at the Midsomer Norton South Station

Although it was only 12 months since we had operated from here, the Trust had plainly been working hard having extended the length of operational track and acquired a Diesel Multiple Unit that ferried passengers up and down the working line. This provided a much more comfortable ride than last years brake van and was a welcome warm and dry haven on Sunday when the weather turned wet and cold.

Station Setup

After the obligatory search for dead bodies that are seemingly de rigeur in a town with the name Midsomer anything we decided that there was absolutely no need to contact Chief Inspector Barnaby and we got on with the serious business of putting an Amateur Radio station on the air.

Either because of last years learning experience, or because we elected to keep things simple this year and almost certainly because we had plenty of bodies on Saturday morning, setting up the station was a relatively quick 45 minutes from arrival to first CQ. The Trust had kindly placed a table in the platform shelter in readiness for us.

This years station comprised:

  • Manson EP-925 25A Linear Power Supply
  • Yeasu FT-840 HF 100W HF Transceiver
  • MFJ-934 Manual ATU
  • 10m Pro Whip Antenna
  • Dell Laptop running HRD (only used for logging)

Saturday 22 September 2012

Tom M3TWJ and Henryk M0HTB operating GB0SDRGB0SDR - Radio Station on a Railway StationPro Whip Delta Loop

As can be seen from the photos above and immediately below Saturdays weather was fine, plenty of sunshine giving a pleasant operating environment. First contact was with GM3TKV at the Keith Dufftown Railway, followed only 3 – 4 minutes later by GB0DMR the Belfast and County Down Minature Railway. The Special Event Stations continued to roll in with GX3ERD/P operating from the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust. By the end of the day we had worked 53 Radio Stations with 10 of these being Special Event Stations. Overall we felt this was a good start to the weekend.

GB0SDR - Radio Station on a Railway StationHear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil - Peter G0DRX operates with Chris M6CXB logging and Julian M6JCE observing

We had a number of visitors on the Saturday, many were local hams dropping by to have a look at our station and chat about things generally. We were also visited by the local paper and a few photos were taken so we may have some minor celebrities amongst our number.

Members of the club came and went throughout the day so I'm sure to miss someone or put them on the wrong day, but thanks should go in no particular order to: Fred G7LPP, Henryk M0HTB, Tom M3TWJ, Chris M6CXB, Ashley M6USP, Julian M6JCE, Peter G0DRX, Ben 2E0RCG and Dave M3JDK.

Sunday 23 September 2012

Wet and cold platformTom M3TWJ braves the elementsLet's see... Yes, still raining

The weather forecast had been for a turn to the worse in weather conditions, and what do you know? For once the weather forecasters got it right. Typical when you actually think about it, the one time we would have happily accepted an incorrect forecast they got it right.

So faced with wetter and colder conditions we pressed on with the event, our only concession to the conditions being the removal of the chairs from in front of the operating table and the addition of a small tarpaulin rain/wind screen in front of the operating table. This was more to protect the equipment than the operators, after all we are real Hams and the equipment is more valuable than we are!

The event started more slowly than on the Saturday, partly we suspect because Sunday morning is often the time for regular nets and partly because we heard the HMS Belfast Special Event Station GB2RN and were keen to take our turn in the long list of stations trying to work the ship. We succeeded and GB2RN made the first entry in todays log.

We worked fewer Special Event Stations this time, Foxfield Light Railway were amongst the RotA registered stations that we bagged on Sunday morning along with the Ribble Steam Railway. We worked GW0VSW in Skewen who is the author of the HF Highlights column in Practical Wireless. Details of our event will be sent to him directly and may appear in Practical Wireless.

The last railway we worked was Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway. The afternoon didn't end there for us however. Ashley M6USP took the mic for the closing hour of the event. He is a new operator having passed his Foundation Licence with the club only 6 months previously in February and had very little HF experience under his belt. Initially a little apprehensive he quickly warmed to his time on the mic and was welcomed by many stations. In fact when it became apparent that he was a new HF operator it seemed as though stations made an effort to work us and he found himself the target of a small pile-up which was quite daunting although he handled it very well. It was great that so many stations took the time to queue up and work us during the last hour of our operation.

Dave G7BYN operating with Ashley M6USP logging. Julian M6JCE observesTom M3TWJ operating solo

By the end of the day we had worked 44 stations bringing out total to 97 for the weekend. We added 4 Special Event stations to Saturdays total leaving us with 14 for the weekend.

Again members of the club came and went but thanks should go to Tom M3TWJ, Ashley M6USP, Dave G7BYN, Julian M6JCE, Tania M6LUA and Josh M6TYK.

Event Log

Date (UTC) Time (UTC) Station Worked Band or Frequency Mode RST Operators Name QTH Notes
Sent Rec'd
22/09/12 09:40 GM3TKV 40m LSB 59 59 Jim   Keith Dufftown Railway
22/09/12 09:44 GB0DMR 40m LSB 59 59 Keith County Down Belfast and County Down Minature Railway Society
22/09/12 09:57 G7TCW/P 40m LSB 58 59 Tim Cannock  
22/09/12 10:02 GX3ERD/P 40m LSB 59+ 59+ Dave   Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust
22/09/12 10:14 MU0GSY 40m LSB 59 59 Lionel Gurnsey  
22/09/12 10:17 G0BFJ 40m LSB 59 59 Brian Huddersfield  
22/09/12 10:22 G0TPK 40m LSB 59 59 Tony Berkhamsted  
22/09/12 10:28 MW0IML/P 40m LSB 59 59 Barry Caernarfon  
22/09/12 10:30 G6YMB 40m LSB 59+ 59 Bob    
22/09/12 10:39 G1PIE 40m LSB 59 59 Mark Preston Lancashire  
22/09/12 10:42 M3NHA 40m LSB 59 59 Tony 1/2 Mile from Manchester Airport  
22/09/12 10:44 M6NHA 40m LSB 59 59 Sara Manchester  
22/09/12 10:47 GW4BKG 40m LSB 59 59 Stephen Porthcawl  
22/09/12 10:49 GM3MRV 40m LSB 59 59 George Gretna  
22/09/12 10:50 G3YOU 40m LSB 59 59 John Tonbridge Kent  
22/09/12 10:53 G8CBU 40m LSB 59 59 Ray Luton Bedfordshire  
22/09/12 11:04 GB5WRS 40m LSB 59 59   Paington Devon Special Event Station
22/09/12 11:06 2E0GBA 40m LSB 59 59 Ian Darlington  
22/09/12 11:09 M0JCD 40m LSB 59 59 John Nantwich  
22/09/12 11:14 M3KPY 40m LSB 59 59 John Port of Rye  
22/09/12 11:16 2E0CJA 40m LSB 59 59 Lee Hull  
22/09/12 11:20 G7GYM 40m LSB 59 59 Richard    
22/09/12 11:23 G3HQS 40m LSB 59 58 Cyril    
22/09/12 11:25 M6BMB 40m LSB 59 59 Keith South West London  
22/09/12 11:35 G4GEW 40m LSB 59 59 Peter Coulsdon  
22/09/12 11:45 G6UBM 40m LSB 59 59 Les Tonbridge Kent  
22/09/12 11:49 G6LKB 40m LSB 59 59 David Ulverston  
22/09/12 11:53 M1BYQ 40m LSB 59 59 Rob Grimsby  
22/09/12 12:18 G1NCZ 40m LSB 59 59 Bob    
22/09/12 12:29 GB2NMR 40m LSB 59 59 Paul Normanby Hall Normanby Park Minature Railway
22/09/12 12:48 GB2MBS 40m LSB 59 59 Kevin Market Bosworth  
22/09/12 12:58 GB2NNR 40m LSB 59 59     North Norfolk Railway
22/09/12 13:10 GB0CVR 40m LSB 59 59 John Castle Headingham Coln Valley Railway
22/09/12 13:13 GB4OST 40m LSB 59 59 Margaret Tintern  
22/09/12 13:22 M3JFM 40m LSB 59 59 Paul University Of Oxford  
22/09/12 13:26 M0XLT 40m LSB 59 59 Kevin Skipton  
22/09/12 13:29 G3NGX/P 40m LSB 59 59 Harry South Oxfordshire  
22/09/12 13:35 F/G4ISK 40m LSB 59 57 Dave North Brittany  
22/09/12 13:37 G0FEX 40m LSB 59 59 Ken Leicester  
22/09/12 13:41 2E0CEZ 40m LSB 59 57 Derek    
22/09/12 13:46 GB0NVR 40m LSB 35 59 Dave   Nene Valley Railway
22/09/12 13:51 GB4LBR 40m LSB 59 59 Paul North Devon Lynton and Barnstaple Railway
22/09/12 13:55 M0RMW 40m LSB 59 59 Roger Farnham  
22/09/12 13:58 HB9BQR 40m LSB 59 59 Roland Switzerland  
22/09/12 14:03 M6ESS 40m LSB 59 57 Mark Luton Bedfordshire  
22/09/12 14:08 GW3LNR 40m LSB 59 59 Arthur Merthyr Tydfil South Wales  
22/09/12 14:14 M0HEM 40m LSB 59 57 John Dagenham Essex  
22/09/12 14:21 2E0ZDX 40m LSB 59+ 59 Phil Garstang  
22/09/12 14:35 G4AYO 40m LSB 59+ 59+ Mike Sheffield  
22/09/12 14:39 G4TJY 40m LSB 57 57 Lawrence Norwich Norfolk FT875 @ 100w
22/09/12 14:43 G1JGT 40m LSB 59 59 John Huntingdon Cambridgeshire  
22/09/12 14:47 GB1NNR 40m LSB 59 59+ Bob Norfolk North Norfolk Railway
22/09/12 14:50 G3NGX/P 40m LSB 59 59 Harry Oxfordshire  
23/09/12 10:20 GB2RN 40m LSB 57 59+ Tom HMS Belfast London Operators home QTH – Taunton G0PSE
23/09/12 10:28 G4EZV 40m LSB 57 59+ Mike Torquay Devon  
23/09/12 10:35 M6ESS 40m LSB 47 59+ Mark Luton Bedfordshire  
23/09/12 10:45 GW3XRM 40m LSB 59 59 Dave Angelsey  
23/09/12 10:50 GW4DWN 40m LSB 59+ 59+ Hugh Briton Ferry  
23/09/12 10:54 G4KVI 40m LSB 59+ 59 Chris Midsomer Norton No QSL Card
23/09/12 10:57 GB2FLR 40m LSB 59 59     Foxfield Light Railway
23/09/12 11:03 G0VPY 40m LSB 59 59 Eric Tunbridge Wells  
23/09/12 11:31 PC5Z 40m LSB 57 57     No QSL Card
23/09/12 11:36 G3KAG 40m LSB 59 59 Tony Derbyshire  
23/09/12 11:39 M3MKM 40m LSB 59 59 Davey Hertfordshire No QSL Card
23/09/12 11:42 F/G4ISK 40m LSB 59 59 Dave South Brittany Second contact. No QSL Card this time.
23/09/12 11:46 G3KYG 40m LSB 59 59 Robin Timsbury Southampton  
23/09/12 11:50 G0FZI 40m LSB 58 59 Brian Wells Somerset  
23/09/12 11:53 G0AYZ 40m LSB 59+ 59+ Andy Gosport Hampshire Running QRP
23/09/12 11:59 M6FMC 40m LSB 58 59+ Mike Wakefield Yorkshire  
23/09/12 12:04 G1JGT 40m LSB 59 59+ John Huntingdon Cambridgeshire  
23/09/12 12:13 M6IRP/P 40m LSB 59 59 Ian Shrewsbury  
23/09/12 12:21 M0HEM 40m LSB 59 59 John Dagenham Second contact- No QSL Card
23/09/12 12:24 GB5RSR 40m LSB 59 59 Steve Preston Lancashire Ribble Steam Railway
23/09/12 12:31 G7JZD 40m LSB 59 59 Mike Beverley Yorkshire No QSL Req'd
23/09/12 12:34 GB2THR 40m LSB 57 59 Tom Newcastle  
23/09/12 12:37 M3USW 40m LSB 53 53 Penny North Kent  
23/09/12 12:41 G0KNM 40m LSB 59 59 Geoff Rowley Regis North Birmingham No QSL Card
23/09/12 12:45 G6GWR 40m LSB 59 59 John Lambourn Newbury and Swindon No QSL Card (worked in 2011)
23/09/12 12:54 GW0VSW 40m LSB 59 59 Carl Skewen Send photo for PW HF Highlights
23/09/12 12:55 M0GHQ 40m LSB 59 59 Max Christchurch  
23/09/12 12:58 G0DOQ 40m LSB 59 59 Peter Dorchester  
23/09/12 13:06 M6EUS 40m LSB 59 59 Sue Pullborough West Sussex  
23/09/12 13:08 MW6GWR 40m LSB 48 57 Ricky Towas Wales  
23/09/12 13:10 G0WGP 40m LSB 59 58 Ron North of Brighton  
23/09/12 13:14 G0EVV 40m LSB 55 59 David 30 Miles North of Newcastle upon Tyne  
23/09/12 13:26 G7VAK 40m LSB 57 57 Paul Crystal Palace London No QSL Card Req'd
23/09/12 14:02 G0BRC/P 40m LSB 58 57 Paul Sittingbourne Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway
23/09/12 14:41 GW3KJW 40m LSB 59 59 Pat Pwllheli Wales No QSL Card Req'd
23/09/12 14:54 G0LHX 40m LSB 59 59+ Harry Langport No QSL Card Req'd
23/09/12 14:58 G4HAP 40m LSB 59 59+ Fred Wigan No QSL Card Req'd
23/09/12 15:01 G3PRU 40m LSB 59 59 John Norfolk  
23/09/12 15:04 G3XIV 40m LSB 59 54 Geoff Near Southampton Hampshire  
23/09/12 15:09 MW3VJN 40m LSB 59 59 Tristan West Wales  
23/09/12 15:11 M0PAX 40m LSB 59 59+ Graham Essex  
23/09/12 15:15 G4RVG 40m LSB 59 59 Ian North Devon  
23/09/12 15:18 G1GZI 40m LSB 59 59 Andre North Devon  
23/09/12 15:19 2E0BGD 40m LSB 59 59 Brian Bath