Hastings (UK) Electronics and Radio Club Publicity

G2 LL   G1HHH   G6HH  Registered with 

 

Stories     Training     Diary      Past Photos     Amateur Radio     Latest News      GN4FUN

Visit Visit official sites at http://www.radioclubs.net/herc/ and the Brede ARS at http://www.bsars.co.uk:80/

Local News- http://www.hastingstoday.co.uk and  http://www.1066online.com

We are a progressive club aimed at encouraging and furthering the interests of its members in Radio and Electronics.

Please note the club has nothing whatsoever to do with any site attempting to market or trade under its name.

 

Electronics and Radio Club (HERC) Chairman and Training -  Phil Parkman G3MGQ

We are a progressive club, aimed at encouraging and furthering interest in Radio and Electronics

 

History

There have been Radio Clubs in Hastings since the 1920s and the present club was founded in 1976 to promote interest in all aspects of electronics and amateur radio. We are one of the largest clubs in the South of England with a membership of around 100. A few years ago we had a member who took his Radio Amateur Examination when he was 90, and a youngster obtained his at the age of 12.

 

Members and meetings

Our monthly meetings are an opportunity to meet like-minded people for a friendly and informal evening to:

·         discuss a problem

·         see new technology or restoration of old equipment

·         enjoy a lecture

·         have a practical demonstration by either a club member or a visiting speaker.

Topics include radio, electronics, computer or other technical subjects. Members interests range from VLF to 1.3GHz ATV, QRP to DX, home-build to vintage restoration, digital modes, plus training, RAYNET and Foxhunts - there really is something for everyone.

Once John Logie Baird gave a talk to an earlier Hastings radio club while he was developing the first television and thus acquired the assistance of a club member, the late Vic Mills.

The Club is affiliated to the RSGB and the current programme is published in RadCom. The Club also publishes a monthly magazine, Vital Spark, free to members, with interesting and topical articles and news of our programme and events.

We have an annual lunch in January and a BBQ in the summer.

We also often hold regular used equipment auctions in April, July and October. Details are listed in the Diary above.

 

Training and licences

We offer a complete training program, enabling those wanting an Amateur Radio licence to work for their Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced Licences. We are actively promoting Amateur Radio in our area and contributed to RCF500.

In July 2006 we co-ordinated a visit by GB4FUN to four local schools for an activity week. This has led to an increase in interest in amateur radio with a number of staff and pupils working for their licences. Weekly training sessions are held at the Grove School. For more information contact our publicity officer gordonsweet2000@yahoo.co.uk

 

Special Events (G2LL, G1HHH & G6HH)

Members often take part in outside events and set up special event stations at various locations during the year.

Join our Club and get more from Amateur Radio. Current membership is still only £10 per year, with some concessions and family membership available. Just come along to a Club meeting where you will be made very welcome; 7:00pm for 7:30 on the fourth Wednesday in the month, at the Taplin Centre in Upper Maze Hill (The Centre is named after John Taplin a former club member.) See the club diary for details.

The Auctions are held on a Saturday in April, July and October, at St John’s Church Hall in Brittany Road in St Leonards.

 

LIBRARY

The Club Committee decided to support the RCE courses Phil, G3MGQ, was running at The Grove school with some books purchased from the RSGB. These have been loaned to the candidates to help them with their amateur radio projects. All these books are also available to members on loan – simply contact Phil (see Vital Spark inside cover) who will bring them to the next Club meeting for you. A strict condition of loan is that they are returned promptly so they are available to the RCE students.

 

The books available are:

Amateur Radio Explained (2nd. Ed. 2007)

A 74 page guide by Ian Poole, G3YWX, to getting started in amateur radio, giving an excellent introduction to our hobby for the uninitiated and suitable for students to browse in the school library.

HF Amateur Radio (2nd. Ed. 2007)

A first class practical guide, also by Ian Poole, for the newly licensed amateur to getting a station together and operating on the HF bands, with much too for those who have been licensed for some time!

RSGB Prefix Guide (8th. Ed.)

A comprehensive guide to callsign prefixes, and USA & ITU zones, DXCC entities and deletions, an IOTA checklist and RSGB & CQ awards. A handy quick reference for the newcomer but useful to existing licensees despite the inevitable obsolescence over time.

Rig Guide, 2007

A quick guide to the huge range of amateur radio equipment available, including obsolete models, with guideline prices for new and second hand. Basic information (Type, modes, bands, power & a photo) is provided on most models, but the is an index of RadCom reviews with the full review reprinted for the FTD900D, IC-E91, Ten-Tec Orion II, CG3000 auto-ATU and the Alpha 4510 HF SWR meter. Despite obviously becoming progressively more out-of-date, and therefore not including the most recent models, it will continue to provide a good guide to second-hand equipment for many years to come, after making appropriate allowance for the second-hand prices given.

RSGB Radio Communications Handbook (9th. Ed. 2007)

A truly comprehensive and up-to-date manual, (weighing 2.1kg!) covering every aspect of amateur radio construction and operation; LF, HF, VHF & microwaves, satellites and software defined radio, data modes and imaging. A great source of practical projects with circuits, PCB layouts and construction advice. An invaluable teaching resource. The complete contents of this Handbook comes on the accompanying CD, each chapter in a pdf file, which makes it the preferred way of loaning this heavyweight handbook to members!

ARRL Antenna Book (21st. Ed. 2007)

Another heavyweight, at 1.9kg, this is a comprehensive manual on the theory and practice of HF, VHF and microwave antennas, with practical advice on construction and erection. The accompanying CD includes the full text as pdf files, as well as software for a whole range of antenna-related design issues including a special demonstration version of EZNEC. Again, the CD is the most practical way of loaning this excellent compendium to members.

SPRAT

The Club is also a member of the GQRP Club, and therefore gets their quarterly magazine, Sprat. This has articles from members of QRP clubs world-wide on the design construction and operation of low power amateur radio gear; particularly simple transceivers (e.g. the OXO & FOX), test gear and antennas for small gardens. Phil also uses these as a source of practical projects for his RCE Intermediate students, but they too are available for loan to members. He currently has the 16 issues from Spring 2004 to 2008, plus some later editions.

 

APPPLICATION FORM from http://www.sigord.co.uk/VS/Application%20New.pdf

 

                        Gordon Sweet – Club Secretary – email  g6hhherc@yahoo.co.uk