BiWota – British Inland Waterways On The air
BiWota is the ‘British Inland Waterways On The air’ Event.
BiWota (BiWota) 2023 – The next British inland Waterways on the air (BiWota) event will be held over the August bank holiday weekend: 26 to 28 August 2023.
The event is open to all Amateurs who are boaters, cyclists, walkers and other users of the canals, rivers, towpaths, riverbanks for work or recreation. Many clubs and individual Amateurs on or near the UK inland waterways obtain Special Event Station (SES) callsigns. Others operate mobile or portable using their own callsigns. Many more like to contact the BiWota stations. It is also a good chance for WAB enthusiasts to get some rare WAB squares. The primary bands will be 40m (7MHz) and 2m (144MHz SSB and FM) but all bands will be acceptable. Tell your friends and colleagues catch you on the air…….The aim of the event is to bring together Radio Amateurs who regularly use the waterways to celebrate their hobby and raise awareness of the UK waterways.
If you would like to take part this year could you please register www.nharg.org.uk/biwota
Stefan Latimer M0OSL from Nunsfield House ARG is coordinating the list of participating stations so he will confirm details with you.You will need to supply the following details
- Callsign (SES, or personal)
- Club Callsign (if it’s a club station)
- Operators name(s) (or club contact and callsign)
- Boat or Radio Club name
- Station Location inc waterway
- Planned Bands
- Home station or Radio Club Location
- Station Maidenhead locator and WAB square (if known)
Updates can be found on the BiWota Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BIWOTA/
If you want more information about BiWota please contact John Rogers M0JAV on m0jav@rsgb.org.uk
Do we know how much space we have for the tent(s) and antennas?
David G3UNA
The organisers have announced there will be awards! https://www.nharg.org.uk/content/biwota-awards
The “good” news is that the linear amplifier works at low level and just needs to be given a bit more welly to get the power up to its proper level.
There’s one more thing to sort out and that is the PTT control to enable the change-over inside. This changes the antenna from a through position, ie not amplified and the active position which routes the incoming aerial connection from the rig to the linear and from the linear to the aerial. In a modern linear this will be a low level signal but this linear was built before that was the norm and MAY have a high voltage-operated relay. Any kind of relay needs careful handling, even a low voltage variety to ensure the back emf from the coil does not cause damage to the rig. As a minimum this is simply a diode eg 1N4000 series across the coil. The circuit diagram is not available to us, so, I need to invert the beast and remove bottom cover to find out for myself. It may need an additional buffer.
Not much time to go if we want to use it in the event, I should have thought of this weeks ago! : – [
73 David G3UNA
Hi David… with one day to go the good news is I am back in Ripon after working away… it would be nice to test it this weekend in preporation for the HF Field Day next week and with that in mind please do shout if you need a hand getting this working, i will be available!
Stephen
Its a bank holiday weekend and assuming your not sitting in an airport or a traffic jam on the M6 we will be setting up our portable station this weekend at Ripon Racecourse Marina for the BiWota event.
Steve KOV and myself will be there around 3pm this afternoon to get the mast on site then setup tomorrow from 9am
Friday
3pm set up mast,
4pm drink coffee and admire our work
Saturday
9am, set up station, antennas, tents etc
as soon as its ready… get on the air
Wrap it up a bit after sun set. (i shan’t be around Saturday evening)
Sunday
AM… Get back on the air
2pm YouTube live stream starts and as I have ‘advertised’ this I hope we can get the majority of stations in this afternoon
In parallel, BBQ, chill, social, everyone invited!
Shut down after sunset?
Monday
See how its going…. Breakdown the station.
We will basically run 2 stations…
HF, mainly 40m
VHF, Ask Steve KOV
I will also set up a VHF portable on GB3HG so we can all keep in touch Call sign G4SJM or M7HFY
The marina can be found on Boroughbridge Road as you come in to Ripon, between the Racecourse and the roundabout on the same side as the racecourse. HG4 1UG
We are setting up in the Marina garden. Parking may be limited on the Marina and not wanting to upset the residents I suggest you park in the public car park immediately on the right when you pull of the road and walk the 100 yards down to the marina.
Come through the gates and the garden entrance is on your left at the cycle sheds.
Please do drop in, help set up, make some calls, cook some sausages (bring your own) chill, enjoy!
See you all there.
Stephen
M7HFY