GB4RSL at LLANDUDNO 2000

Near to the spectacular limestone headland of Great Orme's Head in Gwynedd lies the resort and tourist centre of Llandudno. For those who cannot travel to this charming locality a visit to the LLANDUDNO WEB SITE is the next best thing.

Frequent visitors include Dennis GW4XKE who made his 12th attendance at the North Wales Conference Centre on the Promenade for the period 3rd, 4th and 5th November 2000. His mission was, once again, to air GB4RSL at the North Wales Radio Rally Club event and that entailed a 200-mile drive via the A470 from his home at Dinas Powys.

After settling in at the Ormscliffe Hotel, a short walking distance from the Rally Centre the first objective was to carry out item 1 of the Task List given to him by our Webmaster G3NVK and take the photographs which you see by following the adjacent links to VENUE and WELCOME.

Next came the arduous task of man-handling to the third floor the station equipment:

• TS530S
• AT230
• SP230
• MC60
• VISITORS' BOOK
• ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY BOXES
• LOG and PENCILS (sharpened at both ends of course!)

A preliminary assessment of 40m and 80m lead us to believe that the better one was 40 so a quick "tune up" and a couple of CQ calls - a reply from GØMMP in Liverpool and a good 5/9 contact augured well for the Event. An almost "pile-up" situation ensued, MØRWM at Farnham being next in the queue followed by many others including G4IFO, G4BXQ, ON6MN, GØSCP, G3DVL, G4LLJ, GØDTR, MØBTY, GØLSG, MØOPW and GØBXV - the RSARS Members' therein gaining kudos and points for the Awards Scheme.

Saturday morning came all too early and the requirement to test the station all too urgent - so a staff member of the RadioCommunications Agency was invited to launch us and it fell to Warren G3DPG to show our delight when we "passed muster" and could commence operations. The moment was captured for you and visible by clicking the TESTING! button supplied before going on via the STATION link below it, then by opening the ACTION page you can see us in full swing.

CW means one thing to some people, but it is even more mouth-watering if you click on the name button here and is Open Sesame to another vital and essential activity at Amateur Radio Rallies.

Credit (and its title button will prove) is undoubtedly due to many people, GW4XKE and G3DPG for their devotion to duty but they also acted as Press Gang and were ably assisted in much operating by a passer-by in the form of Arnold G6PFN.

As Deputy Net Controller of the Sunday CHATTERBOX NET, now in its 15th year, Dennis couldn't avoid joining at 1100 on 3740 after a quick contact with the HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS NET higher in latitude and frequency at Inverness and 3745+ from which its Controller Ken GM3WKM wished the Welsh contingent a "Bore da" and "Hwyl fawr i chi, Cymru am byth!" The stalwarts of Chatterbox exchanged greetings and inncluded Peter GØRGB, Fred G4JHF and Dick G3NVK.

In all some 144 contacts were made from GB4RSL and all will be acknowledged by the card shown at the end of the PSL QSL link: of course we'd like yours particularly as the station was licensed for the period up to 19th November and had the additional benefit of an RSARS "Millennium Number" for awards purposes.

Our grateful thanks to all concerned, for the continuance of Amateur Radio and the spirit and friendship of many individuals throughout the Event.