Site Overhaul
Yesterday (10-August-2009) saw the start of an overhaul of this site, beginning with changing the DNS (with the much appreciated help of Paul M0TZO - who has yet to be compensated for all his work!) and today sees a streamlining of the layout, with a new theme and a greater emphasis on confining related material into subpages instead of having them all as proper stand-alone ones - in short, all Amateur Radio related material has been grouped together. I've also changed the theme, from the Mangido one, to something a little different.
The actual content will be reviewed probably today or at the latest tomorrow or Wednesday, basically to ensure that links are still relevant, information and documents are up-to-date and still relevant.
I'll post another blog when this work has been completed, so 73 for now!
Advanced RCE
As you are more than likely aware, I'm planning to sit the Advanced RCE sometime within the next few months, having heard that a local(ish) club is planning to facilitate the exam in December 2008. For this exam, and the course they are offering, they want £105 (the last time I checked).
This got me thinking last week...and I wondered if it would be less expesive to travel to the Republic of Ireland to sit the exam in the ComReg offices in Dublin. To my pleasant surprise, when I included return train tickets to Belfast and on the Enterprise Service to Dublin Connolly, inclusive of the cost of sitting the exam and the study material provided by the IRTS, the total came to £60.
I'm quite happy to self teach the material for the Advanced Exam or for the Experiementer's Exam (in RoI) and with the vast difference in the cost of sitting each I'm increasingly considering going to Dublin, after which I may apply for both an EI callsign and use the HAREC facility (due to the fact that the Republic of Ireland, like the UK, is a CEPT signatory) to apply for a 'Reciprocal' licence with Ofcom.
Comments please...
Lough Erne Amateur Radio Show, 13-04-2008
Sorry for lateness......
The 26th Enniskillen Rally took place on the 13 April at the Share Centre, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh.
As usual there was a good turnout, both of the GI and EI Amateur populations, with Experimenters as far as Dublin travelling up to the rally. This was my 6th time travelling to Fermanagh for the event which prior to 2007 was held in Enniskillen town itself but for reasons beyond the control of the organisers it was relocated some 13 miles south of the town on the banks of the Lough Erne-Shannon Waterway.
It was an early start for grandad and I who had to travel the 110miles or so, to make it for 12noon opening time.
Purchases were few on the ground, the event becoming more of a social occasion. I did buy two RSGB publications on HF aerials and got another bunch of cards from the bureau, including one from JA7COI (thank you Ichiro!) It was also good to meet up with amateurs I'd only ever spoken to and not actually met, and of course the one's I've met on several occasions.
Chances are we'll head to Fermanagh again next year so watch this space!