Meeting report Tuesday 20th January 2026

The regulars were almost outnumbered by the number of visitors we haven’t met before, several of whom are working towards their Foundation licences.

Against all odds everything worked and we had a great time, demonstrating many facets of ham radio – short wave, VHF, FT8 – and talked about more ambitious things like moonbounce. The only slight negative was that it started tipping down with rain as we were packing up. Pro-tip: when lowering a tripod in the rain make sure you have a really good grip on the upper part when you unscrew the clamp. Guess how I know this?

We also learned that Google Maps has taken to directing people to the road behind the school, which led to much confusion, but we know how to let them in now. For reference the correct address is St. Dunstans Road and we’re through the first gate you come to as you come from the hospital.

Next meeting Tuesday 20th January 2026 in William Morris Sixth Form annex

This week we’re looking forward to meeting several new people, most of whom are working towards getting licenced, so we’ll grab a corner of the room for introductions and chat about the licence exam, and we should have some radios set up so we can give demos and answer questions.

Everyone is welcome to bring their own equipment to show or test, but if it requires table space please drop us a line so we can coordinate what goes where, both in the room and outside. Please check with Dave or JJ before setting up your own equipment and operating because we’ve had some near misses working the same bands and even the same frequencies, and also problems with sound levels in the room.

The evening will run from 7:00pm until 10:00pm, but the room is usually available from about 6:30 onward if anyone wants to arrive slightly earlier (e.g. to set up any kit).

Anyone coming by car is encouraged to use the gated carpark (to avoid neighbours complaining about parking). The roads in the area tend to be very busy until at least 6:30pm, so don’t arrive too early.

To access the room (and car park) you will need to be let in through the security gates. Once you’re right outside the gate just summon someone using a handheld on 145.500MHz. If you can’t use a radio for entry then contact us in advance and we’ll provide a mobile number you can call instead.

Wi-Fi is available in the room (although it’s been problematic lately so we’ve had to rely on tethering), along with a toilet, a kettle if anyone wants hot drinks (you’ll need to bring your own cups & beverages) and you can bring your own snacks and drinks, alcoholic or otherwise.

Don’t forget that the Events calendar on our website https://www.m0xhs.uk/events/ has some links at the bottom that allow you to synchronise it with Outlook, Google or iCalendar so meetings will automatically appear in your normal calendar.

As usual check the Discord server for up to the minute info and chat. Email for an invitation link if you don’t have one.