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Not sure it warrants an award, but it's nice to know that a server-side script out there somewhere knows that I'm still alive!

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- Written by: Maintenance Guy
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Phil G4UDU mentioned this a couple of days ago, and I thought I'd take a quick look. It's the RSGB Transatlantic Centenary Tests, staged to commemorate the first transatlantic amateur radio signal - between Wandsworth and North America using (G)5WS.
It's annoyingly addictive in a masochistic kind of way, and it's particularly twisted in that as far as a transatlantic test celebration, it involves us as GB stations trying NOT to get across the Atlantic, but to hit-up all the (original, renewed) GB station callsigns involved in the very first tests.
You can view the leaderboard, and search for callsigns here: https://clublog.org/charts/transatlantic100.php
Of the MSARS members I can find, Phil is in the lead with 34, I'm second with 9, and Ken is still in the running with 2.
Yeah, I know, but I'm kind of poking you with a stick here. Can you beat 2? Well CAN you?
Berni M0XYF
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Ron is a longstanding friend of the society, and if you listen in to the lunchtime nets, you will be aware that he has been having terrible trouble with his landline provider TalkTalk.
Unbelievably, he has been without landline phone and broadband since November 3rd, along with a good few of his immediate neighbours. That's FIVE WEEKS!
Without getting into too many details, it looks like a clumsy excavator operator has torn through a bunch of Openreach cables in the street, but TalkTalk have failed to provide him with any alternative means of communication, even though he is a vulnerable senior gentleman living alone - and I'm sure he won't mind me describing him as such.
I'm pursuing various means to apply pressure to said company (who have behaved despicably in my opinion), but what I'm asking of society members or indeed any local member of the public, is if they have a redundant 4G/LTE router which they could lend to Ron to get him back in contact with his friends and family in the short term. We will obviously provide the SIM card.
Update
Whether it was anything to do with my lobbying those with influence or not, but I'm happy to report that Ron has now been reconnected with the rest of the world, and I can tell you that he is mightily relieved. Many thanks to the office of our MP, Mims Davies, and in particular to Sarah, her Chief Officer for their efforts.
I'll leave this article up here as a warning to other potential TalkTalk customers, and because it took me ages to Photoshop that image.
Berni M0XYF
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The RSGB’s final Tonight @ 8 webinar of 2022 is on Monday, 5 December 2022.
David Palmer, G7URP will explore 100 years of BBC technology and innovation.
You can watch the presentation and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or via BATC. There is more information about the presentation, and how to take part, on the RSGB website.
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Any of our Foundation level members fancy having a go at this? It's the #1 course in the country, and we'll all give you a hand swotting up! Intermediate really isn't that much harder than Foundation, so why not give it a go?
I actually found it the most fun of all the exams, and Steve Hartley is one of the best trainers around.
The closing date for applications for the next Bath-Based Distance Learning (BBDL) course for the Intermediate exam is Thursday, 7 December 2022.
Following application, students must complete some short pre-course study and a quiz to ensure they are able to use the BBDL systems, and to see if it suits their needs.
That work must be completed by 21 December 2022.
The course starts on 4 January 2023, with exams expected in May 2023.
For full details and an application form, please email Steve, G0FUW, at


