G3SKY - The Club Shack

 

G3SKY – the Club shack 

The Isle of Wight Radio Society operates its own radio station, its shack, with the callsign G3SKY and it is available for use by any licensed member of the Club.

The club has many means of communication in the shack. There is a Yaesu FTDX-10 for HF communications, an Anytone 4m radio, a Yaesu FTM-400 for 2m and 70cm and an Icom TS-50 HF radio and almost ready to go is a home made system for the QO100 Sattelite.

The FT-DX10 is a multiband, multimode transceiver providing coverage of the 160-10 meter bands plus the 6 m and 4m bands, offering SSB, CW, AM, FM, and Digital modes at up to 100 Watts.

The aerials and antennas consist of a general purpose long wire and for VHF/UHF, the Club has a 2m/70cm collinear used with a Yaesu FTM400DE dual band radio and we also have a 4M radio that we use and hold a net on alternate club nights.

There are VSWR meters, a smart ATU for HF and numerous switches for cross connecting the aerials and antennas.

 

Operating G3SKY

The Amateur Radio Licence makes provision for a Club Station with its own callsign. It does so by associating the Club Station callsign with a specific Club Member who must hold a Full Licence. It becomes that Member’s responsibility, on behalf of the Club and Ofcom, to ensure that the Club Station is operated appropriately. Alan Ash G3PZB is the custiodian of the clubs callsign.

Operation of our Club Station, G3SKY, is dealt with in the Licence Conditions under “Operators and Qualifications”, see the extracts below:-

 

3(3) Only where this Licence is a Full Licence or a Full (Club)’ Licence may the Licensee also permit the operation of the Radio Equipment:

  1. by a person on a Recognised Foundation Training Course; or
  2. by a person who holds a current radio amateur licence issued by any other
  3. by any person:
  4. i) who does not fall within Clause 3(3)(a) or (b);
  5. ii) whom the Licensee has reasonable grounds to believe is not a Disqualified Person; and

iii)    who holds a Radio Amateurs’ Examination Pass Certificate recognised by Ofcom.

provided that in each case, any such operation of the Radio Equipment is carried out in the presence of and under the direct supervision of the Licensee and that such persons are made aware of, and of the requirement to comply with,, the terms, conditions and limitations of this Licence.

3(5) Only where this Licence is a Full  (Club) Licence issued to the Licensee for use on behalf of a Club, may the Licensee:

  1. authorise any Club member who holds their own separate Full Licence to use and supervise the operation of the Radio Equipment on the Licensee’s behalf under this Licence;
  2. permit a non-licensed person to send a Message using the Radio Equipment provided the Radio Equipment is operated by the Licensee or by a Club member who holds their own separate Full Licence,
  3. provided that, in each case, such persons are made aware of, and of the requirement to comply with, the terms, conditions and limitations of this