Embarassing update 30th November 2010

Having sent out quite a load of direct cards since June, after early August it had been the odd one or two per week.  I had assumed that the initial direct card rush was over however:    This morning I was visited by the new owners of "Haywood Cottage"  a very similar house name about a mile away to say they'd had to push the front door open as there were a couple of dozen envelopes with my info on the door-mat.

This coincides with our regular postman retiring and a new chap taking over.   I will of course be getting the delayed cards off to the stations concerned asap.   I can only apologise for the delay.   I still await the first batch of cards from the RSGB bureau, hopefully they will be delivered to the correct address,  I've advised our local sorting office of the problem

Update 20 June

First batch of QSL cards now received and I am sending out the direct cards.

All certificates have been sent out, thank you for the favourable comments.

Thanks again to all who have made GB10GKA such a success.

Vy 73 Tony Roskilly G3ZRJ

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GB10GKA QRT at 23.59 UTC 27 May 2010

I wish to thank all the thousands of stations who contacted GB10GKA over the last  month.  We made over 8000 contacts on 10 bands.

I have received many emails thanking the team for the operation.  I know that GB10GKA meant a great deal to many ex seagoing and coast station R/Os and it was good to remind ourselves of the good old days when CW was King. 

To both ex-professionals and radio amateurs alike I would like to thank you for your contacts with GB10GKA.  

I have been answering hundreds of emails over the last couple of days.   I will send out the soft-copy certificates as soon as I possibly can.   QSLs will be sent out once received, still waiting for delivery. 

To those stations claiming the certificate, my congratulations,and to those who had no chance due to propagation conditions I can only sympathise.   The team really did the best we could to cater for all areas of the world.   It seems that HF conditions were picking up just as we had our final day.

I would like to thank all in the team for a splendid effort, with limited station equipment and aerials.

Rick G3YEC, for all his great efforts on 80M and 40M after his HF mini-beam developed a fault.

Mike GW3UOF for a terrific week and especially all his work on 6M

Peter G3TJE, who made thousands of contacts using the station of G6PZ in the final few days.

Larry G4HLN, who had his first amateur radio contacts since 1986 to help the team, using a borrowed vertical and low power G4HLN did a great job

For myself, Tony G3ZRJ, its been a great experience, I am so pleased to have re-kindled the memories of so many ex R/Os, so many have commented that hearing GKA coming over the air again was wonderful.  Thanks to the many many stations who have sent very kind emails praising our operation, it has been a great pleasure to work you all.

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To mark the 10th Anniversary of the closure of the World's largest Maritime Radio Station Portishead Radio / GKA,  a special callsign GB10GKA  has been granted.  GB10GKA is being activated for a period of one month 30th April 2010 through 27 May 2010.

Hours of operation will be dependent on individual operator's free time however, it is intended that the callsign will be active extensively throughout the licenced period.   Operation will be primarily on CW.  Bands used will depend upon individual station resources however, all bands from 80M up to 10 M will be QRV.   Current operation is in bold type

Update:   I apologise to stations in VK/ZL and Asia for lack of contacts, this is also true of stations in North and South America during daylight hours, conditions have been pretty poor.   Without access to big beams and super high power amplifiers, the GB10GKA team is doing the best that we can.  I hope you will understand about condx.  I hope that HF will improve soon.

Operations will be on all HF bands from the following stations,  each manned by an ex-GKA Radio Officer.

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Revised operation for week 21 May through 28 May

HF Operations by G3TJE (Peter) and G4HLN (Larry) from Somerset, England

6M Operation by GW3UOF Mike) from  near Treorchy, South Wales

160M Operation by G3ZRJ (Tony) from Hereford, England

Operations before this week

G3YEC Rick 30 April thru 6 May QTH near Colchester,  Essex, England

Station FT-1000 MKV Field  Cushcraft MA5B beam, 80/40M dipoles.
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G3ZRJ Tony  7 May thru 13 May QTH near Hereford, Herefordshire,England

G3ZRJ activity in GB10GKA counts for:

FOC 1774  FISTS 7727 SKCC 3492

WAB SO43 HEREFORDSHIRE  IARU LOCATOR IO82OA

Station IC-775DSP, FL2100Z AMP, Dipoles for 160M, 80M and 17M, Butternut HF6V Vertical on all other bands.

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GW3UOF  Mike 14  May thru 20  May QTH  near Treorchy, Mid Glamorgan, Wales
Carolina Windom 10 - 40m
Dipoles 10-15-20, 12-17-30m
DX-B sloper 30 - 160m
Vertical 9m 30 - 160m
3el yagi, vertical 6m
 
TS570D, FT857D
UK Amp Challenger amplifier if required.
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Special Anniversary QSL cards will be produced to mark this historic event,  eQSL will also  be used. Certificates for contacting GB10GKA on more than 4 HF bands will be available via soft copy thus at no cost to the winners.  If you work us on more than 4 bands please contact G3ZRJ as shown below so that your certificate can be sent to you via email.

Please note that due to time pressures cards and certificates will only be sent out following the closure of GB10GKA on 27 May.  All cards will be responded to .  If you decide to send a card direct with no return postage please understand that our card will be sent to you via the RSGB bureau.

I have received requests regarding sending cards direct with payment, please use IRCs if these are available in your area, if not then a US Dollar will be fine.

GB10GKA does not intend to make a profit from funds sent for postage, any excess will go towards QSL card printing costs.

Thanks to all stations for the contacts to date 13 May 2010, contacts are approaching 3000  Several stations have managed to work us on 4 or more bands and we look forward to working you on as many bands as possible.

Vy 73

 Tony G3ZRJ and the GB10GKA Team.

Point of contact: Tony Roskilly G3ZRJ  g3zrj.morsekey@btinternet.com

Information about Portishead Radio can be found at:  http://www.gka.btinternet.co.uk/