Meeting report Wednesday 16th July 2025

The main focus of the evening was helping to get a U5-Link data interface working for Rakesh and his FT-950.  We’d spent some time on this two months ago but the radio refused to listen to the computer, so this time we were armed with an oscilloscope and and RS-232 breakout … but it still eluded us.  The interface was definitely good as it worked first time with the club FTdx10 but the solution turned out to be to simply wind the baud rate down to 9600 at which it burst into life, QSOs rapidly appearing in WSJT.  Who knows why?  Maybe the radio was lying and stuck on 9600 all along?  I certainly wasted a lot of time with one radio because while we’d matched the serial baud rate but the CAT baud rate was another setting altogether.

Dave and I decided that a standard is needed.

Next month:

It was decided that due to the low numbers we get in August the meetings would be social, possibly incorporating some field operation.  See the events calendar for more details.

Next Meeting Wednesday 16th July 2025 at William Morris Sixth Form annex

No particular focus for the evening other than perhaps to get out further than previously. If you have anything you’d like to bring a long please drop us a line so we can coordinate what goes where both in the room and outside and potentially schedule time for you to to present it.

The evening will run from 7:00pm until 10:00pm, but the room will be available from about 6:30 onward if anyone wants to arrive slightly earlier (e.g. to set up any equipment). Nothing special planned other than trying to get radios working better than at the last meeting but if you have any suggestions post them on the Discord meetings channel.

People coming by car are 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 your 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.  (One planned task is to figure out how to mount a wireless doorbell near the gate so it’s subtly accessible but won’t be abused or stolen.)

Wifi is available in the annex, which also features hot drink making facilities (you’ll need to bring your own cups and ingredients), toilet, and you can bring your own beverages, 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 or 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 email if you don’t have a Discord link.

Next meeting Friday 11th July 2025 at 20:00 online

Usual meeting with random chat about forthcoming events and club projects.

Link to be sent on the day as usual.

Keep an eye on the Events calendar as the school is currently unable to confirm meeting dates more than a few weeks in advance so we may have to change some dates as we move to holding two meetings a month at the school during the summer months.

Incidentally, 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 or Google or iCalendar so meetings will automatically appear in your normal calendar.  The online meeting is easy to do manually but the meeting at the school is harder as it’s the second Wednesday (12 days) after the online meeting.  Setting up synchronisation will make it much easier.

Next Meeting Tuesday 1st July 2025 at William Morris Sixth Form annex

It’s RSGB VHF contest time again so let’s hope we can improve on last month.

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

People coming by car are 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 your 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.  (One planned task is to figure out how to mount a wireless doorbell near the gate so it’s subtly accessible but won’t be abused or stolen.)

Wifi is available in the annex, which also features hot drink making facilities (you’ll need to bring your own cups and ingredients), toilet, and you can bring your own beverages, 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 or 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 email if you don’t have a Discord link.

Next Meeting Wednesday 18th June 2025 at William Morris Sixth Form annex

No particular focus for the evening other than perhaps to get out further than previously. If you have anything you’d like to bring a long please drop us a line so we can coordinate what goes where both in the room and outside and potentially schedule time for you to to present it.

The evening will run from 7:00pm until 10:00pm, but the room will be available from about 6:30 onward if anyone wants to arrive slightly earlier (e.g. to set up any equipment). Nothing special planned other than trying to get radios working better than at the last meeting but if you have any suggestions post them on the Discord meetings channel.

People coming by car are 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 your 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.  (One planned task is to figure out how to mount a wireless doorbell near the gate so it’s subtly accessible but won’t be abused or stolen.)

Wifi is available in the annex, which also features hot drink making facilities (you’ll need to bring your own cups and ingredients), toilet, and you can bring your own beverages, 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 or 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 email if you don’t have a Discord link.

Next meeting Friday 13th June 2025 at 20:00 online

Usual meeting with random chat about forthcoming events and club projects.

Link to be sent on the day as usual.

Keep an eye on the Events calendar as the school is currently unable to confirm meeting dates more than a few weeks in advance so we may have to change some dates as we move to holding two meetings a month at the school during the summer months.

Incidentally, 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 or Google or iCalendar so meetings will automatically appear in your normal calendar.  The online meeting is easy to do manually but the meeting at the school is harder as it’s the second Wednesday (12 days) after the online meeting.  Setting up synchronisation will make it much easier.

Meeting report Tuesday 3rd June 2025

Building on what we learned last month, and with better coax (Ultraflex 7 natch) and decent ratchet straps that we could tension (£13.99 for six from a well known global tax dodger) we shattered last months record of 10 QSOs with a new record of 14. Onwards and upwards

!

If anyone know if it’s possible to get the voice recorder on the FT-991A to work on FM please drops us a line as it works beautifully on SSB but the option disappears from the menu in FM. Why, Yaesu, why?

And Godfrey’s mini white stick from AliExpress worked superbly with his FT-857 so he’s kitting up to go mobile on his Hardly Dangerous wheels.

Next Meeting Tuesday 3rd June 2025 at William Morris Sixth Form annex

It’s RSGB VHF contest time again and flushed with success from last month we’re going to focus on that again.

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

People coming by car are 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 your 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.  (One planned task is to figure out how to mount a wireless doorbell near the gate so it’s subtly accessible but won’t be abused or stolen.)

Wifi is available in the annex, which also features hot drink making facilities (you’ll need to bring your own cups and ingredients), toilet, and you can bring your own beverages, 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 or 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 email if you don’t have a Discord link.

Meeting report Wednesday 21st May 2025

Chaotic meeting with several new guests, but we got a lot done. New aerials were tried out and as ever much was learned.

NB: If you use the club laptop to do WSJT with a different radio, clone a profile, name it and edit it. DO NOT OVERWRITE A WORKING RADIO PROFILE as someone may have spent hours configuring it.

Next meeting at the school on Tuesday 3rd June.

Next Meeting Wednesday 21st May 2025 at William Morris Sixth Form annex

No particular focus for the evening other than perhaps to get out further than previously. If you have anything you’d like to bring a long please drop us a line so we can coordinate what goes where both in the room and outside and potentially schedule time for you to to present it.

The evening will run from 7:00pm until 10:00pm, but the room will be available from about 6:30 onward if anyone wants to arrive slightly earlier (e.g. to set up any equipment). Nothing special planned other than trying to get radios working better than at the last meeting but if you have any suggestions post them on the Discord meetings channel.

People coming by car are 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 your 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.  (One planned task is to figure out how to mount a wireless doorbell near the gate so it’s subtly accessible but won’t be abused or stolen.)

Wifi is available in the annex, which also features hot drink making facilities (you’ll need to bring your own cups and ingredients), toilet, and you can bring your own beverages, 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 or 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 email if you don’t have a Discord link.