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FRARS Wimborne Rally Report

As you walk into the site (over 1/4 mile from the car-park- UGH!) you pass the miniature railway run by the Wimborne SMEE. This is a 5 inch gauge railway and is fully signalled using solenoid-controlled semaphore signals. They use reed relays with FG magnets mounted on the rolling stock for detecting trains. The track is made from 1/2" square steel welded onto steel sleepers, and has an authentic look to it as it is based on gravel ballast as per the prototype. There was no public running there today, but there were a couple of steamers in for a boiler test. The layout is complete with 3 platform roads, a tunnel and a steaming bay with a decent turntable. Despite arriving at the rally at 0915, I didn't get into the rally proper until 10:15, because of this greater attraction!

The rally itself? - no different in essence to the Newbury Boot Sale but with better catering and better toilets. The car park turned out onto a narrow lane that 100 yards later meets a T Junction/Stop sign. When I left at 1:30, there was a 10 minute queue to get to the T junction, glad I wasn't there when the rally closed! That exit road is one reason not to go there ever again!

There wasn't much to choose between the traders in the marquee, the traders outside, and the amateurs in the car-boot sale area.

Reply to
Airy R. Bean
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And the great shock of the day? To find that my friend whom I believed to be an M3 was now an M0; he had been motivated by my technical enthusiasm to move onwards and upwards and had been keeping up a "tease" on me because of my refusal to QSO him as an M3. It was the approach of another local ham that gave the game away!

Reply to
Airy R. Bean

Has it occurred to you that he pretended to be an M3 so you wouldn't have a QSO with him? We spotted that ages ago.

Interesting, he must have had a right old giggle at you pathetic attempts fitting a PL259. He probably could have shown you how to do it properly.

He has down the Foundation, Intermediate and Full (or is it Advanced?) examinations. More than you ever did.

Tee Hee. Maybe he can show you how to write software.

We will be able to trace him. Can't be that many who have gone all the way through the new system. Just wait until he learns about your antics on here.

This gets better and better.......................

Reply to
Gareth's Memory

On Sunday 08 Aug 2004 17:36, the primordial soup was bombarded with cosmic radiation and a new life form of genus Gareth's Memory emerged to test it's air breathing capabilities by gasping:

I doubt it. He probably got in for the December exam before the Retarded Selection of Good Buddies cocked it up.

Reply to
MattD..

Did it remind you of Westinghouse? ...(_!_)...

Reply to
Frank Turner-Smith G3VKI

Fortunately did not have to use the normal car park as we were in one of the marquees, of which this year there was only two of them. But there was more on the field in pitches. Good loos, although the disabled one was being used as a store room which made it a bit difficult for a disabled visitor who wished to use the facilities. But the manager of the pavilion did clear the area out shortly afterwards. Food counter was good.

The weather was warm and sticky, and it did come on to rain at which point some pitch dealers closed up. But it was on and off in spots, not the thunderstorm we were expecting.

We had a good day on our stand, not a commercial enterprise but purely a Radio Society, 31 visitors and a membership enquiry. Left at two as it was getting a bit quiet by then.

A friend Paul had a good day, Bird Watt meter for a good price and a Micky Mouse 100w linear for 2m, presumably for EME working.

Phil.

Reply to
g1lkj

One of the junk traders, just in front of you as you entered the marquee had a row of three of them for between £45 to £60, but with the appropriate frequency-sensitive detectors ("Buttons"?) missing.

I picked up a roller-coaster for £15 for my intended external ATU - two stalls away was an identical one in worse condition and the guy wanted £50!

I picked up a signal generator for generating waves in the 1 and 2 meter region of the spectrum for £15 - lots of luvverly brass tubing. Who knows, when cleaned up, I might even be able to play that trumpet!

Reply to
Airy R. Bean

You must be the only amateur of your vintage who doesn't know about Bird wattmeters.

Reply to
Gareth's Memory

Whereas, after you've fettled it, it won't be worth 1.5p

Reply to
Gareth's Memory

Waveguide at 2m? Gawd, you are thick.

Reply to
Gareth's Memory

Does it do the heat band?

Reply to
Gareth's Memory

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