Welcome to
Thames Amateur Radio Group

What’s Next?

• 15 June, from 10am. Southend Airport for a Special Event, GB2VFD. Tickets Required.

June Meeting

This picture says so much. 1) Guest speaker from Thurrock Acorns Amateur Radio, Nick G4HCK. 2) At our new premises with large clear monitor for presentations. 3) Online streaming via laptop with reliable fibre Optic connections for our online audience.

Nick gave an educational, and humourous, walk thought his life in amateur radio that was inspired by his father who, during WW2, scavenged electrical parts from shot down Nazi aeroplanes for intelligence purposes. There followed a remarkable display of radio sets, including one from a Russian tank, that helped him through the hobby right up to downloading images from satellites.

May Meeting

How’s that for a blue sky! Another perfect day for practical field radio for TARG at North Weald Airfield on 3rd May. Using Special Call sign: GB2VEE (Victory in Europe). We had HF, VHF, Satellite in operation (spot the antennas) and good social banter. Arrived at 8am to setup for a 10am start. So much to learn at these events. See how close we were the taxiway. 58 QSOs from 20 countries. What a great way to spend a day.

April Meeting

The first of our major events this year. Held at North Weald Airfield (as part of Airfields on the Air) so, in addition to the radio we watched helicopters taking off, training planes taxing a few yards from the shack and a jet fighter doing touch-and-go. One TARG member had a round trip of 120 miles – and well worth it.

As always with these events there was so much to learn in terms of practical field craft, such as the effects of the wind that twists around directional antenna, to snapped connectors, software hitches and QRM. We had satellite communications which resulted in an amazing 112 QSOs from 31 countries, and on 2m many contacts closer to home.

A much more detailed report is in the newsletter. Within a stones throw of us was the LEFARS caravan which was operating on 40M and we had a visit from from the Region 12 RSGB representative.

March Meeting.

Our last at Canvey Island – was all about the popular D-Star network with a practical demo of how to use it. Using the airwaves to get to Hern Bay repeater we shot down the internet and connected with a Reflector tucked away in a Server somewhere that allowed us to speak with USA. It works! Well chuffed. Being D-Star, having typed in our coordinates, it told us where the receiving unit was located with an arrow and distance.

February Meeting.

The second meeting at our venue in Wickford. Pleased to be joined by a guest from Harlow and LEFARS (Radio Amateur clubs). The theme was practical QSO and set up on 20 and 40m. A TARG member was in Milton Keynes and tried to tune in but was unable to make contact – but that didn’t matter as the whole point of the exercise is to try.

January Meeting.

New Year, new venue. Revisions to the Constitution approved so now right to up date. Followed by a presention on the traditional January non-radio subject, this year, Solar Observations from a do-it-yourself pin hole camera, to getting up close online. Reference made to the Solar exhibition in Greenwich (photo) and the Moon is coming to Basilon.

 

List 2024 TARG events in 2024.

• Dec. Interclub Social and Boxing Day Field Ops
• Nov. AGM and Social
• Oct. Inter-club meet up at TARG.
• Sept. Digital Voice Multi-Mode Repeater AND Special event at North Weald
• Aug. Foundation Training
• Jul. Special Event Station at Slough Fort in Kent.
• Jun. 2 TARG events. One at North Weald Airport and the other at Southend Airport
• May. It was all about D-Star.
• Apr. TARG and Acorns at Essex Wildlife Trust. Watch the Video.
• Apr.  Low power protocol called LoRa.
• Mar. Hot Spots
• Feb. Canvey Rally and Pagers
• Jan. A non-radio subject, Northumbrian Smallpipes.