GB4MPS - Mendlesham Primary School
Operating as part of the National Science and Engineering Week (9th - 18th March 2007). Mendlesham Primary School is situated in the small Mid-Suffolk village of Mendlesham. With 70-80 pupils the school is at the hub of the local community. Pupils explored all forms of communication including amateur radio and the use of Morse code. The station was set up in the main school hall and was QRV on all bands (160m - 70cm) and all modes, especially CW. Pupils were able to pass greeting messages with Hams cross the globe.
It is said that a Childs brain is like a sponge, it will soak up as much information as it can. I can certainly agree with this theory as after just 1 hour of practice in CW the majority of the children could identify a large number of letters when sent in Morse and write down Morse characters I sent via the oscillator.
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GB2SJA - St. John Ambulance
Operating from the Headquarters of St. John Ambulance - Suffolk.
St John Ambulance is a modern, vigorous health care organisation with members in over 40 countries worldwide, but its origins date back over 900 years to Jerusalem. With nearly 300,000 members, St John Ambulance has diversified to meet local community needs around the world. In addition to first aid activities, it has developed ophthalmic and dental care, primary health care, youth programmes, relief work and disaster planning. St. John Ambulance in Suffolk boasts a large membership, the finest modern fleet of emergency ambulances and a busy commercial wing which supports the charitable mission of the organisation.
The special event offers those members of the organisation who hold an amateur radio licence the opportunity to communicate in a different format with other members across the world. The station also gives those who do not hold a radio licence the chance to meet new friends over the air.
GB2SCS - Sudbury Cub Scouts
Operating from the the 3rd Sudbury 'C pack' Cub Scout annual camp in the middle of a field, Pebmarsh, Essex
The station was set up in a patrol tent and used a G5RV connected to a Yaesu FT-757GX, operating 100 Watts. Numerous contacts were made and the cub scouts were able to pass greeting messages with several of the contacts. Power for the radio gear was provided by a large petrol generator which chugged along all day and night and kept most of the camp awake, the other half were awoken by my calls of CQ, CQ all night!
We look forward to working fellow amateurs at all of our special event station. Keep a watch on this site for dates of future special events.
Permanent UK Special Event Stations
The following GB callsigns are all permanent stations. Many of these permanent stations are set up in museums/historical sights of amateur radio interest which can be visited. If you do visit any of these places of interest, it may be useful to take your licence validation document with you as you may be allowed to operate the station during your visit (at the discretion of the station operators).
GBØIBC | Radio Amateur Invalid & Blind Club |
GBØIWM | Imperial War Museum |
GBØREM | Royal Engineers Museum, Chatham, Kent |
GBØSNB | Secret Nuclear Bunker, Hatch Lane, Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex |
GBØSUB | Submarine ARC, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hants |
GBØSWR | Sir Walter Raleigh (ship) |
GB1IBC | RAIBC VHF net control |
GB2AIR | South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Sandy Lane, Doncaster, South Yorks |
GB2ATG | RTTY news service broadcast |
GB2BP | Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, Bucks |
GB2CPM | Chalk Pits Museum |
GB2CW | RSGB Slow Morse Service |
GB2DHH | De-Havilland Heritage, Mosquito Air Museum, Salisbury Hall, London Colney, Herts |
GB2GM | Guglielmo Marconi, Poldhu, Mullion, Cornwall |
GB2GMM | Guglielmo Marconi Memorial, The Needles Pleasure Park, Alum Bay, Isle of Wight |
GB2GP | Gilwell Park (Scout site), Chingford, London |
GB2IW | RSGB Monitoring Service |
GB2IWM | Duxford Airfield, Imperial War Museum, Cambridge |
GB2LD | Lizard Wireless Museum, Basspoint, The Lizard, Nr Helston, Cornwall |
GB2MC | Muckleburgh Collection, Weybourne Military Camp, Weybourne, Norfolk |
GB2NAM | North East Aircraft Museum, Old Washington Road, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear |
GB2NLO | Norman Lockyer Observatory, Salcombe Hill Road, Sidmouth, Devon |
GB2NSC | National Space Centre, Exploration Drive, Leicester |
GB2OWM | Orkney Wireless Museum, Kiln Corner, Junction Rd, Kirkwall, Orkney |
GB2PLY | HMS Plymouth |
GB2RN | HMS Belfast, River Thames, London |
GB2RNR | Royal Navy Reserves, TS Greenville, Sea Cadets Corps, 27 Ferguslie Main Rd, Paisley |
GB2SFL | South Foreland Lighthouse, St Margarets Bay, Nr Dover, Kent |
GB2SM | Science Museum, London |
GB2VHF | RSGB Special Activities Station |
GB2WSM | Windermere Steamboat Museum |
GB3RN | Royal Naval ARC, HMS Collingwood, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hants |
GB3RS | RSGB HQ Station |
GB3WM | National Wireless Museum, Puckpool Park, Seaview Rd, Ryde, Isle of Wight |
GB4FUN | RSGB For Fun (Mobile display) |
GB4HMS | Her Majesty’s Ship |
GB4ORH | Operation Raleigh HQ |
GB4RS | RSGB (Presidential installation) |
Special Event Stations Documents
If you wish to run a Special Event station you will need to apply to the Office of Communications (UK) Ofcom using the following form OfW 287 (Application for a Notice of Variation for Special Event Callsign). The issue of Special Event NoV will only be granted to Full / Advanced licence holders.
If you wish to apply for a Special Contest Callsign you will need to apply to the Office of Communications (UK) Ofcom using the following form OfW 286 (Application for a Special Contest Callsign).
Health & Safety at Special Event Stations
Special event stations should be an exciting, interesting and pleasurable experience for those involved, however it can all go sadly wrong if simple health and safety measures are ignored. To help plan your event a formal risk assessment should be conducted to identify potential risk prone activities and identify how best to reduce the risk of injury. Below are some documents which may be of use to help keep your event trouble free:
In the spirit of amateur radio theses documents are released for personal use without support or warranty of any kind. No monetary profit is to be made from their use including commercial distribution in any format.
The use of a risk assessment does not remove the liability of the user to provide sound health and safety services. The author accepts no liabiliy from use of these documents. By downloading these documents you accept these terms.
Free to download. (As mentioned in the RB2RS News broadcast & RSGB RadCom)
Special Event Risk Assessment - Highlights the main areas of risk.
Electrical Safety & You - Document from the Health & Safety Executive.
Safe use of ladders & step ladders - Document from the Health & Safety Executive.
Using electric storage batteries safely - Document from the Health & Safety Executive.
Safety in electrical testing of domestic appliances - Document from the Health & Safety Executive.
Safety in electrical testing of audio, TV and computer equipment.
Health risks from Rosin (Colophony) based solder fluxes.
Basic Advice on First Aid - Should an injury occur then make sure you know what to do.
Warning sign 1 - Caution risk of electric shock.
Warning sign 2 - Caution keep clear of antenna.
Warning sign 3 - Danger risk of electric shock.
Warning sign 4 - Danger of RF burn from antenna.