The event will see over forty-five sponsored Amateur Radio stations contact as many other Amateur Radio stations throughout the UK and around the world to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Some of the stations are individuals operating from home whilst others are groups operating special event stations. Sixteen special event stations will be operated from lifeboat stations, including all of the Cumbrian and Orkney boat houses.

For further information about the event, or to make a donation to the RNLI in the name of the event, please visit the SOS Radio Week web site.

2011 R.A.C. Rally gallery

I went to the R.A.C. (Roger Albert Clark) Rally earlier today – it was great to get out and see some real rallying.

Gywndaff Evans was leading the event and, I have to say, he appeared to be in a class of his own.

It was also a treat to see a real Lancia Stratos out rallying, not a kit car replica. The sound of that ferrari engine was unbelievable as it echoed through the woods. However, Steve Perez must have been suffering from jet-lag as he was languishing down in twelfth place following his return to the UK earlier in the week have achieved a fine fifth place in the East African Classic Safari Rally.

Please view my 2011 R.A.C. Rally image gallery.

I was able to work several DX countries including the USA and Argentina using various PSK digital modes. Alison provided a really tasty Lancashire Hot Pot for lunch too.

Equipment used was a Yaesu FT-897 HF transceiver, HP G61 laptop, Buxcomm Rascal digital interface and Snowdonia Radio Company (SRC) vertical HF antenna mounted at about 10′ – 12′ above the ground.

The SRC antenna is almost perfect for this type of station, being quick and easy to erect and very economical with space.

As an aside, it is with sadness that we have witnessed the demise of SRC as they produced a great range of cost-effective wire and vertical_HF antennas that really do work.

Instead of the more usual CW (Morse) or Phone (talking) modes, PSK is a mode that enables Radio Amateurs to communicate using computers, keyboard to keyboard. The fantastic thing is that twenty, or more, different PSK contacts can take place in the space within the Amateur Radio band that would normally be occupied by a single phone contact – it is very, very efficient.

Furthermore, PSK contacts can be made when phone contacts can’t because of man-made (QRM) and/or natural environment (QRN) interference.

I try and chase awards whenever possible to record my performances and am pleased to have received new awards from both the European Phase Shift Keying Club and Belgian Digital Modes Club.

Attending the Warrington Communications Fair today. This is a new rally on the calendar and has been attended by several regular exhibitors, plus some local computer companies.

What makes this rally unique is that is held in public – right in the middle of the Warrington Maker (upstairs). What a great idea. Instead of running the rally behind closed doors for Amateur Radio operators only, this rally takes the hobby to the public.

If I’d have had the foresight I would have offered to run a special event station to show the public what Amateur Radio was all about and to raise some interest. Never mind, that’ll be the plan for next year.

I have to say that organising a public rally was a great idea. From a traders perspective they’ve got more people to sell to. From a club’s perspective there’s a new market to promote our hobby to. This has to be the future.

The first cycle of the Wheel of Liverpool was a bit of a blur, especially as the capsual rocked having stopped half-way around to take on more victims – sorry, I mean passengers. However, I got in to by the third cycle and, even on a dull dank day, the views were spectacular.

£20 for a family of four was a bit steep, but I was not impressed when, upon disembarking, we were offered a photo of us before we entered the capsule (we weren’t even in the capsule for the photo) together with a tat-bag (video, brochure, key ring, etc.) for a further £20.

What! £20? Yep – £20.

You need to use a CTCSS tone on your signal of 82.5 Hz to access the node.

The node is located on top of Holborn Hill on the border of Aughton and Ormskirk, about ten miles North of Liverpool.

I’ll post some more details and photographs of the node over the coming weeks.

For more details about the node see the specifications, instructions and links pages.

Signal reports sought

Obviously I can’t test the range of the node myself as I have to switch it off when I leave the premises so I would be interested to receive your signal reports.

Please specify your location pretty accurately as ‘Southport’ won’t really give me an idea of the true range of the node as Southport is several miles long and wide. I would also appreciate it if you could let me know what antenna and power you’re using. Many thanks.

K8CW was 57 on to Mynydd Mawr at the foot of the Lleyn Peninsula and I received a 57 from Alan.

Equipment used was an Icon IC-706MKIIG transceiver, LDG Z-100 automatic antenna tuner and Snowdonia Radio Company (SRC) HF 8010 vertical antenna mounted on the car. The new 75Ah leisure battery and MFJ power distribution board also proved to be very useful.

11:39 – Application declined, I should have read the instructions properly. There are too many nodes in this area and no available frequencies for another on 2m. Found a 70cm frequency that has no local nodes, so re-applied for 434.525 MHz.