ROTA 2022

Railways QSL Card

Introduction

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:

  1. Lat/Long (WGS84 Geoid): 51.280956°,-2.482629°
  2. IARU: IO81sg
  3. IOTA: EU005 (UK Mainland)
  4. WAB: ST65 – England
  5. ///iteration.native.lightly

Location

Operation

Equipment Used

We’ve been undertaking our Special Events for a number of years now and have gradually fine tuned our equipment and setup over time. Railways on the Air is one of our favourite events and the only one where we regularly operate both SSB and Data. However, this year due to the limited space in the buffet car we again elected to only operate SSB.

This year we used:

  1. Nissei DPS300GL power supply;
  2. Yaesu FT991 HF/6m/2m/70cm multi-mode transceiver;
  3. MFJ 993 auto atu;
  4. 80m doublet fed with 450Ω ladder line;
  5. Acer Aspire 8942 laptop running KLog under Pop!_OS.

Saturday 24 September 2022

On Saturday Mark M0SKV and Andy G7KNA assembled the SSB station in the buffet car with the 80m doublet running along the platform nominally east-west.

Buffet CarPlatform, Signal Box and DMU

We opened our account just after 10:00 UTC (11:00 BST) with a Special Event Station GB2VK celebrating the anniversary of the first Wales – Australia telegram in September 1918. This was followed by GB0BR for our first “Railways” participant.

Mark M0SKV brings the antenna centre pole onto siteBuffet Car Interior

After that there was a steady run of stations from: England, Wales, Southern Ireland (Eire), France, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Belgium and Germany. In total we made 105 contacts including 12 other Special Event Stations: GB2VK, GB0BR, GB0ACR, GB2WSR, GB0NDR, GB1FLR, GB4GCT, GB2CPM, GB2MGN, GB4MHR and GB0WRH.

Setting up the SSB StationMark M0SKV operating GB0SDR

We even spoke to a member of the Somerset and Dorset railway Heritage Trust who is living in France and asked us to pass on apologies for his absence from the Trust’s AGM!

Sunday 25 September 2022

On Sunday, Mark M0SKV and Andy G7KNA were joined by Greg M7BUF and Ken M7MYU as we returned to Midsomer Norton South Station but had to wait whilst the volunteers moved the rolling stock around. Unlike Saturday, which had been the Trusts AGM, Sunday was open to the public and the rolling stock that was attached to the buffet car was part of the steam train rides. Whilst waiting for the buffet car to be moved to release the required rolling stock we took the opportunity to extend our 80m doublet into a 160m doublet as there was sufficient length on the platform to accommodate this.

Mark M0SKV operating GB0SDR with Greg M7BUF loggingMark M0SKV operating GB0SDR with Greg M7BUF logging

We decided that 160m was noisy and there wasn’t a lot there to excite us so we returned to our usual haunt of 40m making our first contact around 10:30 UTC (11:30 BST) in the Netherlands.

Mark M0SKV operating GB0SDR with Ken M7MYU observingKen M7MYU operating GB0SDR with Greg M7BUF loggingStation set-up

We went on to make 43 further contacts, bringing our total for the weekend to 148 contacts. Contacts were made in: the Netherlands, Wales, England, Belgium, Scotland and Southern Ireland (Eire). Only 6 stations were Special Event Stations: GB4BHR, GB1MHM, GB9WLR, GB2SRT, GB0LMS and GB2EVR.

In steamReady to embark passengers

We shut down around 14:00 UTC (15:00 BST) to allow the volunteers at the Trust site to close and clean the buffet car. All in all it was a good weekend and we look forward to returning in 2023.

Location of Participating Railways Worked

Log for Railways on the Air 2022

Date (UTC) Time (UTC) Station Worked Band or Freq’cy Mode RST Name QTH Gridsquare Notes
Sent Rec'd
24/09/2022 10:06 GB2VK 40m SSB 57 59 Danny     Special event station commemorating the first telegram between Wales and Australia
24/09/2022 10:14 GB0BR 40m SSB 59 59 Kevin     Downland Radio Group (D R G)
24/09/2022 10:20 G4NEY 40m SSB 59 59 Jon Cambridge    
24/09/2022 10:23 G0DTX 40m SSB 59 59 John Glossop    
24/09/2022 10:26 M5JFS 40m SSB 58 59 John Portsmouth   5W QRP FT817 EFHW
24/09/2022 10:28 G0NWX 40m SSB 59 57 Darren Birmingham    
24/09/2022 10:31 M0IKT 40m SSB 59 59 Dave Southampton    
24/09/2022 10:33 M3ZLA 40m SSB 58 59 Glyn Cheltenham    
24/09/2022 10:35 GW6STK 40m SSB 59 59 Robert North Wales Coast    
24/09/2022 10:38 M7NHC 40m SSB 59 59 Nick Eastbourne   10W IC7300 Long Wire
24/09/2022 10:41 M0BOB 40m SSB 59 59 Bob Romford    
24/09/2022 10:43 M7ALE 40m SSB 54 56 Dave Goole    
24/09/2022 10:46 G0MRR 40m SSB 58 57 Chris Bridgwater   FT991A End Fed Wire
24/09/2022 10:47 G4WIA 40m SSB 59 59 Ivan Lizard Pennisula    
24/09/2022 10:53 2E0JWW 40m SSB 59 59 John Derby    
24/09/2022 10:55 G0VEH 40m SSB 59 59 John N E London    
24/09/2022 10:58 G0UQT 40m SSB 57 59 Steve Bridgwater    
24/09/2022 11:01 M0DFW 40m SSB 59 59 Dave St Neots    
24/09/2022 11:10 M3KQJ 40m SSB 59 59 Charlie Birmingham    
24/09/2022 11:12 MW0CIA 40m SSB 57 58 Neath     FT900
24/09/2022 11:15 G4GFI 40m SSB 59 59 Martin Epsom   100W Inverted Vee Dipole for 80m
24/09/2022 11:18 M0PWC 40m SSB 59 59 Paul Stoke On Trent   Near Alton Towers
24/09/2022 11:20 GB4ACR 40m SSB 59   Clive Ashton Court Bristol   Shirehampton Amateur Radio Club
24/09/2022 11:24 M0GDX 40m SSB 59 59 David Sheffield    
24/09/2022 11:24 M0HEM 40m SSB     John Dagenham Docks Railway   John O’Toole
24/09/2022 11:28 M6NER 40m SSB 58 59       North Eastern Railway
24/09/2022 11:30 G0SDD 40m SSB 58 59 Chris Lydney    
24/09/2022 11:35 G3YZY 40m SSB     Howard Portsmouth    
24/09/2022 11:39 GB2WSR 40m SSB 58 59 Richard West Somerset Railway   John Newton Memorial Radio Club / Richard Newton
24/09/2022 11:44 M0KPD/M 40m SSB 58 59 Rob Gatwick Airport   IC 7300 400W Screwdriver Antenna on a Ford Transit
24/09/2022 11:47 G6NYG 40m SSB 59 59 Roy Droitwich    
24/09/2022 11:58 GB0NDR 40m SSB 59 59 Richard Shillingstone   Flight Refuelling A R S
24/09/2022 11:58 GB1FLR 40m SSB 59 55 Phillip-John Stoke On Trent   Moorlands And District Amatuer Radio Society
24/09/2022 12:01 M0TZR 40m SSB 59 59 Paul Durham    
24/09/2022 12:03 EI7HDB 40m SSB 59 59 Dale Co Carlow    
24/09/2022 12:07 GB4GCT 40m SSB 59 59 Jeremy Greenham Common   Greenham Control Tower Visitors Centre at Greenham Common Airbase
24/09/2022 12:14 M7GLS 40m SSB 58 58 Gary      
24/09/2022 12:18 G4NKT 40m SSB 59 59 Dave Bristol    
24/09/2022 12:21 GB2CPM 40m SSB 59 59 Peter Arundel   Amberley Museum
24/09/2022 12:27 M0TPT 40m SSB 59 59 David St Albans    
24/09/2022 12:28 2E1BPC/P 40m SSB 58 59 Brian Chatham    
24/09/2022 12:31 M7BBZ 40m SSB 56 59 Norman Bristol    
24/09/2022 12:34 M0PSB 40m SSB     Joe Cornwall    
24/09/2022 12:35 2E0PBC 40m SSB 58 57 Peter Hastings    
24/09/2022 12:45 G0GWY 40m SSB 59   Geoff      
24/09/2022 12:47 G0FOZ 40m SSB 59 59 Simon Christchurch    
24/09/2022 12:49 M7UTG 40m SSB 57 59 Dave Bristol    
24/09/2022 12:50 M6ZBO 40m SSB 58 59 John Nottingham    
24/09/2022 12:51 M6EAM 40m SSB 53 59 John Christchurch    
24/09/2022 12:53 M7SSW 40m SSB 53          
24/09/2022 12:55 EI6GHB 40m SSB 59 59 John Dublin    
24/09/2022 12:56 M0PTZ 40m SSB 59 59 Paul Andover    
24/09/2022 12:58 M0JRA 40m SSB 59 59 Alan Rotherham    
24/09/2022 13:00 M0MBD 40m SSB 59 59 Dave Hainault Ne London    
24/09/2022 13:03 M0XCZ 40m SSB     Mark Bognor Regis    
24/09/2022 13:06 F4VPL 40m SSB 59 59 Dave Brittany   Member of the Somerset and Dorset Heritage Trust
24/09/2022 13:08 G0BFJ 40m SSB 59   Brian      
24/09/2022 13:09 G1BBY 40m SSB 59 58 Walter Newcastle Upon Tyne    
24/09/2022 13:10 G0FVH 40m SSB 59 59 David Poole    
24/09/2022 13:12 PA3BOE 40m SSB 58 58 Reni      
24/09/2022 13:13 G4DDP 40m SSB 59 59 Richard S E London    
24/09/2022 13:14 G0MIT 40m SSB 59 59 George Liverpool    
24/09/2022 13:16 2E0MNG 40m SSB 59 59 Neil      
24/09/2022 13:17 ON2KP 40m SSB 59 59 Karel      
24/09/2022 13:18 G0ALI 40m SSB 59 59 Alison Congresbury    
24/09/2022 13:20 G1EIX 40m SSB 59 59 Harry Stratford Upon Avon    
24/09/2022 13:22 2E0HGT 40m SSB 58 59 Alan Wakefield    
24/09/2022 13:25 M0HHG 40m SSB 59 59 Gary Torquay   100W Trapped Dipole
24/09/2022 13:27 M0FRH 40m SSB 57 57 Ian      
24/09/2022 13:28 2E0HND 40m SSB 58 59 Steven Birmignham    
24/09/2022 13:30 G4CPA 40m SSB   59 Geoff Skipton    
24/09/2022 13:34 G1NLS 40m SSB 55 53 Geof Peterborough   IC7300 100W inverted vee
24/09/2022 13:36 G4AHO 40m SSB 59 59 Ken Bromsgrove    
24/09/2022 13:40 M7BSF/QRP 40m SSB 59 59 Dave      
24/09/2022 13:42 G4ZTQ 40m SSB 59 59 John      
24/09/2022 13:44 G0JBA 40m SSB 59 59 Phil Sandwich    
24/09/2022 13:48 G0WFH/P 40m SSB 55 57 Chris N E England    
24/09/2022 13:50 2E1DNH 40m SSB 57   John Brighton    
24/09/2022 13:54 G4DXP 40m SSB 59 59 Charles Stockton    
24/09/2022 13:56 G4OBB 40m SSB 59 59 Des Suffolk    
24/09/2022 13:58 G4BSC 40m SSB 59 59 John Cheltenham    
24/09/2022 14:01 M6EVR 40m SSB 57 59 Steve Bristol    
24/09/2022 14:04 2E0MTR 40m SSB 59 59 Mike Folkestone    
24/09/2022 14:07 GI0LGV 40m SSB 59 59 Hugh      
24/09/2022 14:10 G1PIR 40m SSB 59 59 Dave      
24/09/2022 14:12 G4TFG 40m SSB 59 59 Brian      
24/09/2022 14:14 G3TMG 40m SSB 59 59 Gary Portsmouth    
24/09/2022 14:18 GB2MGN 40m SSB 59 59 Linda Wickwell   Bittern D X Group
24/09/2022 14:25 G0ROJ/P 40m SSB 59 59 Peter Sturminster Newton    
24/09/2022 14:32 G4RAC 40m SSB 59 59 John      
24/09/2022 14:34 ON4KY 40m SSB 59 59 Rolland      
24/09/2022 14:35 MW0SAW/QRP 40m SSB 57 59 Steve      
24/09/2022 14:36 DL8FQ 40m SSB 58 58 Rolf Homburg    
24/09/2022 14:37 GB0HBL 40m SSB 59 59 Cliff     The Poldhu Amateur Radio Club
24/09/2022 14:43 G3VHH 40m SSB 59 59 John Langley    
24/09/2022 14:46 2EOFVN 40m SSB 59 59 Mark      
24/09/2022 14:49 GB4MHR 40m SSB 59 59 Chris Ropley   Horndean And District Amateur Radio Club
24/09/2022 14:54 GW4BZD 40m SSB 58 59 Chris Bangor    
24/09/2022 14:57 EI0YOTA 40m SSB 59 59 Marty      
24/09/2022 15:01 GB0WRH 40m SSB 59 59 Dave     Galashiels And District Amateur Radio Society
24/09/2022 15:05 G0UJI 40m SSB 59 59 Dave Ferndown    
24/09/2022 15:08 G3WZP 40m SSB 59 59 Geoff      
24/09/2022 15:12 2E1DFI 40m SSB 55 57 Roy      
24/09/2022 15:14 G7SWS 40m SSB 59 59 Olly Spalding    
24/09/2022 15:15 G4TXF 40m SSB 59 59 Colin Pershore Worcestershire    
25/09/2022 10:32 PB5X 40m SSB 59 59 Bob Breda Holland    
25/09/2022 11:01 MW0CIA 40m SSB 59 59 Norman Neath    
25/09/2022 11:06 2E0HKQ 40m SSB 56 55 Phil Farnborough    
25/09/2022 11:22 GB4BHR 40m SSB 59 59 Mike Bideford   Appledore And District Amateur Radio Club
25/09/2022 11:48 GB1MHM 40m SSB 59 59 Trevor Cornwall   Cornish Radio Amateur Club
25/09/2022 11:54 GB9WLR 40m SSB 59 59 Phil Preston   Leyland And District Amateur Radio
25/09/2022 12:03 2E0BVP 40m SSB 57 59 Glenn Ipswich    
25/09/2022 12:06 PD1AKJ 40m SSB 57 59 Nico Holland    
25/09/2022 12:09 GB2SRT 40m SSB 59 59 Dave Southwold   Lowestoft District And Pye A R C
25/09/2022 12:15 GB0LMS 40m SSB 59 57 David Carnforth   Morecambe Bay Amateur Radio Society (M B A R S)
25/09/2022 12:18 MW6FGJ 40m SSB 59 59 Mike Pembrokeshire    
25/09/2022 12:20 GB2EVR 40m SSB 59 59 Mike Bishop Auckland   Mike
25/09/2022 12:26 M0UKB 40m SSB 59 59 Bruce Newcastle(Ish)    
25/09/2022 12:29 G2NV 40m SSB 59 59 Tom Lutterworth    
25/09/2022 12:31 M1EEN 40m SSB 59 59 Greg Walcott Norfolk    
25/09/2022 12:35 G0CNN 40m SSB 59 59 Ian County Durham    
25/09/2022 12:38 G0RDH 40m SSB 59 59 Brian Morecombe Bay    
25/09/2022 12:40 ON7TWA 40m SSB 57 57 Geert West Flanders Belgium    
25/09/2022 12:43 G7PNF 40m SSB 59 59 Mark Newcastle-Under-Lyme    
25/09/2022 12:43 M0ABG 40m SSB 59 59 Andy Sizewell Suffolk    
25/09/2022 12:45 GM4MTI 40m SSB 59 59 Stuart Oban    
25/09/2022 12:48 G0TXY 40m SSB 59 59 John York    
25/09/2022 12:50 PD1JN 40m SSB 58 59 Jur Netherlands    
25/09/2022 12:52 2E0PCL 40m SSB 59 59 Garry Bridlington    
25/09/2022 12:54 MM0KBT 40m SSB 59 58 Davy Dumfries And Galloway    
25/09/2022 12:57 PD0CQ 40m SSB 58 59 Pierre Rotterdam    
25/09/2022 12:59 2E0PBJ 40m SSB 58 59 Paul Grimsby    
25/09/2022 13:01 MW0IDT 40m SSB 58 59 Ian Bridgend    
25/09/2022 13:04 M6OXN/P 40m SSB 54 57 Les Grantham   Operating /p from Lincolnshire Wolds home QTH is Grantham. ATAS-120 antenna.
25/09/2022 13:09 G0BPK 40m SSB 59 59 Nigel Pontefract    
25/09/2022 13:12 M0ELS 40m SSB 54 57 John Canterbury    
25/09/2022 13:14 G4CYI 40m SSB 57 58 John Newquay    
25/09/2022 13:20 G0RDH 40m SSB 57 57 Brian Morecombe    
25/09/2022 13:22 G0KZH 40m SSB 59 59 Elaine Rochdale    
25/09/2022 13:23 G7ENA 40m SSB 59 59 Daphne Louth    
25/09/2022 13:28 EI3HQB/P 40m SSB 59 59 John Tramore   Strap Valley Railway? Operated by South East Amateur Radio Group.
25/09/2022 13:31 GM4OMG/P 40m SSB 57 57 Clive Timsbury   /p from 60 miles south of Ullapool on mainland opposite Isle of Lewis.
25/09/2022 13:36 M3TZX/P 40m SSB 54 59 Dave Bromley   /p from New Romney Kent
25/09/2022 13:38 PE1ISP/P 40m SSB 53 59 Ron      
25/09/2022 13:43 G4CLN 40m SSB 59 59 Phillip Devon    
25/09/2022 13:45 2E0HHT 40m SSB 58 59 Bob      
25/09/2022 13:48 G7TYP 40m SSB 59 57 Brian Alfreton    
25/09/2022 13:51 EI8JK 40m SSB 55 59 Tony Ireland    

Those “Pesky” RSL’s

The Regional Secondary Locators are letters altered or added to an individual or club amateur radio callsign to denote which part of the United Kingdom the station is operating from, the map and table below indicate the principles:

Location Foundation Callsigns Intermediate Callsigns Full Callsigns Club Callsigns Special Event Callsigns
England M#☐☐☐ 2E#☐☐☐ G#☐☐☐
M#☐☐☐		 GX#☐☐☐
MX#☐☐☐		 GB#☐☐☐

Typically Special Event Callsigns are of the form GB + 1 Number (0-9) and 3 letters.
However, Special Special Event Callsigns can have 1, 2, 3 or even 4 letters after 1, 2 or even 3 digits following the “GB” prefix depending on:
1. Ofcoms disposition,
2. Who you ask,
3. Who you know, and
4. How much “clout” you can bring to bear.
Guernsey MU#☐☐☐ 2U#☐☐☐ GU#☐☐☐
MU#☐☐☐		 GP#☐☐☐
MP#☐☐☐
Isle of Man MD#☐☐☐ 2D#☐☐☐ GD#☐☐☐
MD#☐☐☐		 GT#☐☐☐
MT#☐☐☐
Jersey MJ#☐☐☐ 2J#☐☐☐ GJ#☐☐☐
MJ#☐☐☐		 GH#☐☐☐
MH#☐☐☐
Northern Ireland MI#☐☐☐ 2I#☐☐☐ GI#☐☐☐
MI#☐☐☐		 GN#☐☐☐
MN#☐☐☐
Scotland MM#☐☐☐ 2M#☐☐☐ GM#☐☐☐
MM#☐☐☐		 GS#☐☐☐
MS#☐☐☐
Wales MW#☐☐☐ 2W#☐☐☐ GW#☐☐☐
MW#☐☐☐		 GC#☐☐☐
MC#☐☐☐

Map of RSL's

We have long harboured the ambition to work all RSL’s on a single Special Event or contest but have yet to manage this (although we have come close on a few occasions). We didn’t manage it again this time either, but we live in hope!

    2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
 
M
o
t
A
 		 England       ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑     ☑
Guernsey       ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐     ☑
Isle of Man       ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐     ☑
Jersey       ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☑ ☐ ☑ ☐     ☐
N. Ireland       ☐ ☑ ☐ ☑ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐     ☑
Scotland       ☑ ☑ ☐ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☐     ☑
Wales       ☐ ☐ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑     ☑
 
 
V
H
F
 
F
D
 		 England ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑  
Guernsey ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☐ ☑ ☑ ☐ ☑ ☑   ☐  
Isle of Man ☐ ☐ ☐   ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☑ ☐   ☐  
Jersey ☐ ☑ ☐   ☐ ☐ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐   ☑  
N. Ireland ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☑ ☐   ☐  
Scotland ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☐ ☑ ☑   ☑  
Wales ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑  
 
 
I
L
L
W
 		 England         ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑
Guernsey         ☐ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐   ☐ ☑
Isle of Man         ☐ ☐ ☑ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐   ☑ ☑
Jersey         ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐   ☐ ☐
N. Ireland         ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑
Scotland         ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑
Wales         ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑   ☑ ☑
 
 
R
o
t
A
 		 England     ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑
Guernsey     ☐ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Isle of Man     ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐
Jersey     ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
N. Ireland     ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☑ ☑
Scotland     ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☐ ☑ ☑ ☐ ☑ ☑
Wales     ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑ ☑