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Old 27th Dec 2020, 9:40 pm   #41
Radio Wrangler
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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The Telford rally has since moved to the Ironbridge Gorge mouseum - I must arrange to visit it when it next comes around, as I have family in the area that could also do with a visit.
You may be disappointed, not as bad as going to Blackpool on the wrong day, but Telford Rally has moved again.

It's now at the Harper-Adams (agricultural) University. I went there last year (2019). There are many halls at the venue, loads of space, plenty of parking. I just found the choice of stuff on the stalls a bit uninspiring. I think it's the first time I've gone to a rally and not bought anything.

It was good to meet up again with some of the QRP gang, but the >600 mile round trip was rather a lot. Accommodation can be booked on-site if you're quick. I wasn't quick. I can recommend an overnight stop at the Queen's head at Horton was a real treat, but expensive.

THere was one stand selling vintage radios, a few component stands, Many stands selling junk, but nothing interesting and one selling test gear.

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Old 27th Dec 2020, 9:53 pm   #42
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

I'm rather familiar with Harper Adams, having grown up not that far away and played Rugby against their students on many occasions back in my youth. I can see the logic in using their premises as a venue - it's easy to get to [not far off M54.

Whether I'll make it there if/when we get back to having rallies again after the virus has abated - who knows?

I gather next year's Harwell rally which is normally in very-early-Spring has already been cancelled.
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Old 27th Dec 2020, 11:30 pm   #43
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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Since the advent of Satnav not only in self contained units but also now on mobile devices, how many rallies still do the traditional talk-in on S22?
S22? Traditional? What newfangled thing is this? Traditional talk in was on Topband! Used to listen on my Codar T28 with homebrew mobile whip clamped to the roof rack on Dad’s old Austin.

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The Worcester rally held in Droitwich High School was one I always attended many years ago.
That's where the Upton-on-Severn Rally moved to. I couldn't remember the new location – I think I went maybe once or twice.


I rather think that back in the day I've unknowingly rubbed shoulders with many forum members.
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Old 27th Dec 2020, 11:37 pm   #44
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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The Telford rally has since moved to the Ironbridge Gorge mouseum
This I must visit. I suppose it was inevitable now that tablets and mobile phones dominate the personal computing world.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 12:12 am   #45
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

It just came to my "little grey cells"... The Blackpool rally... in my early times was at the Bellevue Pleasure park Manchester.......It then moved to Wythernshaw..... another suberb of Manchester.....I had joined the Otley Radio soc as a "over the hill" member of the Lancashire clubs group......... and as it happened..... we won the Best Club stand competition, due to the mammoth amount of home brew stuff we had. I may have done one more at Wythernshaw.. then I think It moved to the Norbrek.
Yes David... The DDARS..... did hold the rally at Salendine nook and Honley....., but as with all things..... members lost the enthusiasm. Even now.. the DDARS Junk sales look impossible.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 10:31 am   #46
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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The Telford rally has since moved to the Ironbridge Gorge mouseum
This I must visit. I suppose it was inevitable now that tablets and mobile phones dominate the personal computing world.
The museum or the rally?

The museum is still there, but the rally isn't. Did you miss my previous post?

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Old 28th Dec 2020, 12:21 pm   #47
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

This thread made me think of Hammaskjold Road Harlow. The rally was in the sports centre and I came away with some good swag from there over the years.

Just to check my memory I tried to find it on Google Maps.
Housing estate. Bah!

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Old 28th Dec 2020, 2:00 pm   #48
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by G6Tanuki View Post
The Telford rally has since moved to the Ironbridge Gorge mouseum
This I must visit. I suppose it was inevitable now that tablets and mobile phones dominate the personal computing world.
The museum or the rally?

The museum is still there, but the rally isn't. Did you miss my previous post?

David
Have a look at G6Tanuki’s quoted words again. Just my attempt at humour!

Probably a result of a little too much ginger wine!
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 5:14 pm   #49
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

I remember going to Bolton radio rally in the early 1990s, Birketts of Lincoln had a stall there. The rally later moved to a leisure centre in Horwich.

I went to the rally in Manchester that has been mentioned, mid 1990s. I am sure it was at the Gmex centre. I remember the parking was in a large basement with brick arches.

The Llandudno radio rally was a favourite as well from around 2005 onwards. It moved a few times and the last time I went it was at Abergele at a school/college.

The Telford rally at Ironbrige was not bad, I went from about 2006 onwards.

The Blackpool rally was/is also a favourite of mine being close by, I always came away with loads of things.

I also went to the Elvaston castle radio rally in 2007 which was a fine day out. I mananaged to find the 500khz calibrator cystal in a B7g package for my Eddystone 730/4 which was missing. Unfortunately that was also the last time for the rally.

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Old 28th Dec 2020, 6:27 pm   #50
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick View Post

S22? Traditional? What newfangled thing is this? Traditional talk in was on Topband! Used to listen on my Codar T28 with homebrew mobile whip clamped to the roof rack on Dad’s old Austin.
As mentioned earlier, I came to the amateur party quite late on and by that time channelised FM was more in vogue for short to medium distance mobile communications. No disrespect intended to old-timers like you, Nick.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 8:14 pm   #51
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

I will post more when more comfortable, as I had a second lot of spine surgery (in 12 weeks) last week. I really enjoy reading this thread, brings back memories from the past 55 years!
Here's some comments for starters.
Anchor Surplus had a marqee of their own, centred around government surplus. Maybe their armoured vehicle mentioned earlier. Based at Cattle Market , Nottingham.
Elvaston did fold (I was told by an organiser back then) because of no new, young blood wanting to participate in organisation and work setting up. The year before, I think, I was also told that a local councillor tried to stop it due to it being something like " no more than Sunday trading"! It was run by the Nunsfield House ARC.
A lot of rallies are organised by local clubs, both as a host and to raise funds, like Spalding, my own club.
Leicester Granby Halls was organised by the Leicester Show Committee. Volunteer helpers from clubs had a sum donated for their club funds. You really do need a lot of helpers at these events!
Pretty much like the Newark National Hamfest is run as a limited company associated with RSGB organisers. Again, club volunteers generate a bonus.
Picketts Lock was I think organised by Southgate ARS together with Brenda and Bernie of Amateur Radio Exchange.
Unfortunately, venues these days can be extremely costly to hire. Last time I was at Picketts Lock and The Leicester Donington Park, tables were £60 each with £20 or £30 for mains power. This was maybe 1997?
Our Spalding club used to use Springfields Exhibition Centre, but the last straw was I believe when they wanted to charge a day rent for us to set up tables the afternoon before!
John Gleed School was where we moved back to for several years, but then the powers that be didn't want to allow us there any more. Despite the fact our club provided tuition courses for newcomers in the community to gain a licence.
That is why we moved venue to the Rugby Club at Holbeach, our current venue, covid willing!
Even a small rally like ours used to have hire expenses around a thousand pounds! Due to hard work and effort by members (and friends, xyl) and other volunteers, we usually made a small profit to help keep annual subscriptions lower.
More later, need to eat!
e&oe!
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Last edited by CambridgeWorks; 28th Dec 2020 at 8:20 pm. Reason: typo
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 8:23 pm   #52
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

I've been attending radio rallies consistently for about 25 years now, during that time I have seen lots of really excellent events either stop, or be run into the ground.

It all rather depends what you go along for though - best "Junk" type rallies I have been to in recent years have been Rugby, DDRC at Stockwood Park, Milton Keynes, and Andover.

The "National Hamfest" Yuck, what a name! at Newark is probably the last of the big "Trade Shows" I have been a couple of times, once as a visitor, and once as a seller - the pitch fees were expensive, and it was flipping hard work!

I really miss the large shows that were held at Picketts Lock, and even the RSGB mobile rally at Hatfield House, where the Stevenage Club did the talk in, and managed to get a nice little donation for our efforts.

By far the best rallies or "Hamfests" are no longer in this country - the Dutch National rally at Rosmalen is very good, and there is the main event, Ham Radio at Friedrichschafen in Germany - you really do need at least two days to do this one justice, and preferably a week to take part in the whole Ham Camp and social side of the event.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 8:26 pm   #53
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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S22? Traditional? What newfangled thing is this? Traditional talk in was on Topband! Used to listen on my Codar T28 with homebrew mobile whip clamped to the roof rack on Dad’s old Austin.
As mentioned earlier, I came to the amateur party quite late on and by that time channelised FM was more in vogue for short to medium distance mobile communications. No disrespect intended to old-timers like you, Nick.
Just goes to show that what is ‘traditional’ depends on your era!

What they did before topband I’ve no idea.

Probably S22 talk-in endured far longer than topband. I once borrowed a Trio 2300 (I think) and 5/8 whip – the only time I ever operated FM mobile. Scary that we're talking 40+ years ago. (Old Timer now – eek! – back then I was one of those Johnny come lately G8+ threes. )

I’m so out of touch with 2m I’ve no idea if S22 still exists! I’ve an IC2A (the American version of the Icom IC2E) somewhere – must see if it still goes.

All of this which reminds me: I remember rallies often referred to as ‘mobile rallies’ and nearly every car attending had a whip. Some cutting edge ops sporting 2m halos when converting Pye Rangers became the rage. I knew someone who had this set-up with a mosfet converter to an Eddystone EC10. tuning 4-6MHz. Must have been interesting tuning the band from high to low whilst driving; though slick operators could flick the knob with just the right amount of force for the slide rule pointer to travel just the correct distance without further assistance.

Conventions and fairs will date back to the start of the hobby but this has got me to wondering when the first ‘mobile rallies’ came about. I can remember when I was a child on a day out in the family car we followed something like an Ford Zephyr or Consul with what I later learned was a centre loaded whip bolted to the offside rear bumper iron. We were very curious as to what this wobbly contraption was.

My mobile transmitting was restricted 2m SSB (into an old round halo) to relieve the boredom of long motorway journeys 35-40 years ago when I didn't fancy driving my old banger(s) at more than 50mph. I can't conceive of operating mobile these days – I find the the roads such a crazy and aggressive environment it’s all I can do to concentrate on driving but that's going way OT.

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Old 28th Dec 2020, 8:33 pm   #54
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

@robinshack - yes running a decent rally is unlikely to be cheap! These days, with issues of public-liability-insurance it can only be horrendous.

The classic Leicester Granby Halls event was run under the auspices of the "Amateur Radio Retailers' Association" - which was presumably a properly-constituted Limited Company, whose members paid subscriptions [but were also limited in their liabilities as regarding losses on the events or anyone bringing a lawsuit against them because they trod on an inadequately-earthed power-connector].

I wonder what became of the ARRA? I can kinda see it fading away as the smaller traders pulled-out of the game and the larger 'Japanese-Big-Three'-authorised-resellers became more prominent, with their own corporate £5Million public-liability insurance.

Looking back to 1970s/80s editions of SWM it's intriguing to see the number of smaller traders saying they'll be attending Leicester.

Bredhurst Electronics? The Radio Shack [nothing to do with Tandy], Lowe Electronics/ZYCOMM, G3EKX SSB Products, Decca-KW, Lee Electronics (of 400 Edgware Road fame), GWM Radio from Hove, they were all regular attendees of the Leicester event - but faded away in the late-80s.

As to talk-ins, I only got into the game in the early-70s, by which time most people had gone 2M, if only because a 1/4-wave on a magnetic- or gutter-mount was really rather less-intrusive than a wobbly top-band whip [specially if you, or your parents, had a 'company car']. FM had pretty much become the VHF default-mode by 1975.

Last edited by G6Tanuki; 28th Dec 2020 at 8:38 pm.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 9:04 pm   #55
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

I was introduced to radio rallies in 1979 by a pal who answered an advert I had.
As well as introducing me to Thackers at Cheslyn Hay, he then took me to the rallies at Granby Halls, Drayton manor Park and Telford. Then I started servicing and selling simple test equipment (scopes, sig gens, CRT testers etc.) I had stalls at Drayton Manor, Telford, The "big one" at Beauleigh (sp?) and many more around the Midlands. I don't recall selling at Elvaston, but probably did.
The one at the School in Derby (?) was good, but you sold nothing whilst the big auction/give away was running.
Who knows, I may even have sold a 'scope to some of you.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 9:58 pm   #56
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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Drayton Manor was a big one in its day

There was one in a big exhibition hall in Manchester too

73 Fred
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The Manchester one was probably G-Mex, a huge ex-railway station, possibly Central Station.

The first rally I attended was in 1973 at Belle Vue, Manchester, eleven years before I got my licence.
I think the first I went to as a licensed amateur was Bolton.
These days I only go to the Stockport and Rochdale ones.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 11:24 pm   #57
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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Drayton Manor was a big one in its day

There was one in a big exhibition hall in Manchester too

73 Fred
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The Manchester one was probably G-Mex, a huge ex-railway station, possibly Central Station.

The first rally I attended was in 1973 at Belle Vue, Manchester, eleven years before I got my licence.
I think the first I went to as a licensed amateur was Bolton.
These days I only go to the Stockport and Rochdale ones.
I didn't realise Stockport had them.
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Old 28th Dec 2020, 11:57 pm   #58
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

Belle View, Manchester
Norbreck Castle, Blackpool
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Old 29th Dec 2020, 12:15 am   #59
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

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I didn't realise Stockport had them.
I used to go to a rally near Stockport about 20 years ago and I think it was called the Reddish Rally. It was a fairly small event held in a parish hall.
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Old 29th Dec 2020, 1:48 am   #60
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Default Re: Radio Rallies of the Past.

There used to be, possibly still is, a 'Red Rose' rally, which I have to assume was / is around Manchester somewhere. That was one I somehow never ever got to.
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