RSGB Centenary

GV, MV and 2V Centenary Prefixes

The RSGB has announced that any UK radio amateur can now apply for a special commemorative prefix.

The special prefix will be valid from 5 July 2013 from 0001 BST until 31 July 2013 at 2359 BST.

Amateurs can apply online to get a Notice of Variation (NoV) of their UK licence - http://rsgb.org/main/operating/licensing-novs-visitors/online-nov-application/rsgb-centenary-nov/

RSGB Centenary Day 5 July 2013

The RSGB Patron, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh is indisposed due to recovering from a recent hospital visit and as a result, will not be able to be present on the Society's Centenary Day.

His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, Bt JP has kindly agreed to officiate in his stead.   

A downloadable voucher for Members to gain free entrance to the Park is now available on the RSGB wesbite - http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2013/06/11/centenary-day-admission-voucher/

VK hams invited to use VI 103 WIA

From 23rd May through to 27th May 2013, a special callsign, VI103WIA will be activated, to mark  the national society in Australia, AGM and Conference being held in Fremantle, Western Australia for the first time on 24-26 May 2013.

Stations throughout Australia can request to operate and be allocated operating times to use the special callsign during this time which is intended to promote Amateur Radio and the WIA.

A local club, the Peel Amateur Radio Club, will be operating portable in Fremantle on the Saturday morning and part of the afternoon and no doubt the callsign will be used in various parts of Australia during the allocated slots. I have not seen a list of who is doing what and when. A special QSL card will be available.

The Fremantle 2m repeater VK6RFM on 146.950 MHz (output) is also equipped with Echolink via VK6DN-R (node number 170709) and IRLP (node number 6200).

An explanation of the callsign, V I is the special prefix allocated by the ACMA (same as OFCOM for you or FCC for the US) for special events, 103 is how many years the WIA has been going (Apparently the oldest Amateur Radio Society in the World) and WIA for Wireless Institute of Australia.

More information -  http://conference.vk6.net/home

Isle of Man special callsign

The Isle of Man Amateur Radio Society will be QRV on HF bands using a very special callsign on Sunday 2 June 2013.

GB4JDF has been issued on behalf of the Joey Dunlop Foundation, an IOM Charity set up to cater for injured riders.

Named after 26 times TT Winner Joey Dunlop, the Foundation is getting together with IOMARS members to host the station on "Mad Sunday" on the Isle of Man. The station will be on air from around 9am until midnight, and celebrity riders may be on air from time to time to pass greetings messages.

Joey Dunlop died tragically in a motorcycle accident, but his name lives on, and his record of 26 TT wins has yet to be equalled or beaten.

More information - http://www.joeydunlopfoundation.com