Our Amateur Radio Club

is open just a few wavelengths from your doorstep

Motto for 2009 - "We go the whole hog"

A little more radio activity does you good…

Local amateur radio enthusiasts have formed a new club of active hams meeting between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. The club is named after the Hog's Back, the famous landmark on the local horizon, appealing to members from around the district and, hopefully, further afield. Indeed, it offers a great launch pad for both our club and radio waves!

Affiliated with the Radio Society of Great Britain, the club has been founded to emphasize on-air activity with a friendly "can do" atmosphere. We usually meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, except bank holidays where we might instead arrange to meet somewhere nearby for a sociable pint ;)

Our next meeting is listed on our Programme page which you can reach if you click here.

It could be the radio club you've been waiting for...

With an emphasis on helping club members to fulfil their radio ambitions, or just do nothing more than have a good time, the club will be a sanctuary for local hams. The founders believe that a club should enable you to achieve things that the gear in your own shack, antennas, your knowledge or resources don't allow. You'll even get the encouragement and understanding that you maybe don't receive at home!

Come to a gathering of all ages, from the invaluable 'elmers', through the mature '2nd childhood' hams, to the young people nurturing their embryonic passion for a lifelong pursuit. Remember: "We go the whole hog!"

On the air:

Listen out for our club callsign: M0HBA "Mike Zero Hog's Back Amateurs".

We now have a number of great meetings under our belt...

The inaugural meeting kicked-off with doors open to guests from 7:30pm with, alongside a bite to eat and a drink to drink, an HF station on air which provided immediate interest. This comprised an FT-1000 feeding a tri-band beam on a 40ft tower and a windom for lower bands, and many commented that it was good to hear the rare sound of QSO's being logged at a radio club night! The evening started at 8:00pm and quickly boasted a room with 40 people! Short presentations from the founders about the club's initial plans were followed by lots of enthusiastic chat, more drinks and nibbles, and a chance to take the microphone and Morse key at the HF station, which will be a regular feature of club meetings.

Our 2nd meeting proved that we aren't just a flash in the pan! A very well attended presentation was given with lots of show-and-tell on the subject of Surface-Mount Device Manufacture. Simon G0SJH & James of local firm Volamp are very well qualified to do so as it's been their core business for a long time, and almost everything we buy is made that way now.

Our 3rd meeting marshalled an impressive range of test gear for members to test their rigs and radio gear to measure how it performs. Many sighs of relief were breathed over rigs previously suspected by their owners of having expensive problems ;) while others proved that appearances of correct operation can definitely be deceptive! In a relatively 'unstructured' meeting a great time was had by all, and a repeat performance beckons.

Another meeting was a very entertaining and eye-opening presentation on Amateur Television (ATV) operations by Mike Sanders G8LES of the Home Counties Amateur Television Group. It was a shame to wrap the meeting up because we were all entralled enough to stay for another hour or two!

Mike G8LES amazed and amused the audience with pictures and video of his ATV exploits.

In our first break from the subject of amateur radio, one of our members took to the floor and drew a good crowd with a presentation on the awe-inspiring hobby of astronomy. It was great to see "non-radio" family and friends joining us for the evening and enjoying their visit.

Julian M3XPJ, assisted by his son Jack M3SKZ, gave us the benefit of his many years of experience with a chance for guests to try out some very interesting props, including an impressive computer-controlled telescope boasting a 10-inch mirror.

Returning to a radio theme, Roger G0SWC gave a evening of fascinating personal insights into the Falkland Islands, their history, and their development over the 25 years since the invasion and conflict in 1982. As a frequent visitor and active radio ham, Roger's many photographs and explanation of the curious VP8 licensing regime were much appreciated by a full house.

Nigel G1XBV (left) and John M1ENA of Surrey and Hampshire Raynet groups, respectively, gave illuminating and entertaining descriptions of their exploits in the world of the Amateur Radio Emergency Network, showing what a worthwhile endeavour it is; always ready to welcome new members.

In our first club night away from Crondall we visited Surrey Satellite Technology Limited in Guildford. Phil G1LKJ gave us the benefit of his 'insider' knowledge and treated us to a tour of their two sites at the University and the nearby Technology Park. It was a real eye-opener and everyone was impressed at the world-beating technology that is being designed and built on our very doorstep. Apparently, quite a number of their people are licensed radio amateurs too!

Peter Hart G3SJX, well known author of equipment reviews for over 25 years, gave us an eye-opening explanation of HF transceiver architectures and their strengths and weaknesses. Topped off his with 'league tables' based on his workshop measurements of many popular radios, we all went away with much food for through. So, hands up those who now want to change their rig!

In our last meeting before Christmas 2007, Paul G4DCV treated the full house to his much travelled "Amateur Radio Goes to the Movies". As a senior lecturer in the media and especially film, Paul has compiled a long list of pieces from the cinema and television that feature amateur radio as a major element of the story. There's a lot more out there than just Tony Hancock! Pleasingly, very often the radio amateur is portayed in a good light with an element of technically capable 'hero', even if some of the operating details made us wince! A good night out.

Derek G3HEJ amazed us all by demonstrating how high capacity dummy loads can be made from a simple tub of water! The steam was rising as he dumped 400W of RF into an old coffee jar. Derek is an expert in high power radio systems, learned about this technique from a 1948 article and has used it for many years. The image shows steam rising from the dummy load behind the tuner and Derek energizing a fluorescent tube from the RF energy around it.

See the 'Contact' page for ways to get involved.

A printable map is available on the Contact page to make us easy to find. A membership application form is available for download, including the club's postal details.

Email to: enquiries@hogsback-arc.org.uk and you will be informed of updates and the many new developments currently in hand.