Our next Exercise will be 15th – 16th June 2019 – Expected Operating Times 08:00 to 17:00 – UTC
Some stations may only be on air on one day either in the morning or afternoon, these are known as ‘Pop Up Stations’.
Please note:- If you are operating on 5398.5kHz you must change to another available frequency by 14.30hrs UTC on the Sunday as the GB2RS Weekly News Bulletin will be read out to all Radio Amateurs from 15:00hrs on this frequency. Do not tune up or operate until this station has announced that the frequency is clear for use.
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On the dates above the RAFAC (Royal Air Force Air Cadets) will be organising and running a military style national radio exercise named ‘EXERCISE BLUE HAM 19’; other users may be the ACF (Army Cadet Force), SCC (Sea cadet Corps) and CCF (Combined Cadet Force) and RAFAC Cadets. To make this successful we would like to invite all Full Licenced Amateur Radio Operators to take part and make contact with our ‘Special Callsigns’ during the weekend.
The exercise will take place on the MOD 5MHz (60 Mtr) Band and a significant part of the exercise will be on the section of the band that amateurs are authorised to use. PSK31 Data Mode on 5366.5kHz or Olivia Signal 16/500 may be used on the 5368.0kHz frequency exchanging the same QSO information as listed in bold below.
Various Cadet stations will be operating on each of the days, mainly from 08:00 to 17:00, but could also be outside these times and will be on various frequencies within the band. Where possible stations will advertise which frequency they are operating on using the live page on this website as the exercise is in progress and amateurs are welcome to check this page and call in on the advertised frequencies. The website will be going live at the start of the exercise and before that time it may be running test software/calls where all data will be simulated.
Cadet stations will call ‘Alpha Charlie’ which is the equivalent of CQ, amateur stations are welcome to reply. Exercise Callsigns will all be in the range MRE01 up to MRE98 although other MR, MF and MA prefixed callsigns may be taking part.
The information exchange to score the contact will be
- Your Callsign
- Your Location. Using the 6 Digit Maidenhead locator only
- Transmitter Power
- Radio Check / Signal Report
- Antenna Type
- Antenna Direction
Your operating location is to be in 6 digit Maidenhead Square format as it makes it easier to log (details are above) and can be a location near you. Cadet stations will also be using 6 digits, but this may not necessarily be accurate. As Cadet stations change frequency contacting them again on a different frequency will score as an additional contact, as these frequency changes they will be reported on the exercise website where possible. Maidenhead locators need to be logged carefully and entered correctly on the system so that Amateur callsigns are shown on the AC Map in their correct location.
The contacts will be plotted almost live on the exercise web server.
We will issue Certificates for amateur stations that contact 10 or more Cadet stations during our period of operation, contact with the same station on different days count as separate contacts. After close down of the Exercise email your callsign and contact details to claim your Certificate to: blueham@alphacharlie.org.uk (By contacting us your are confirming that we have your permission to reply to you either by email or post)
We will also issue to Squadrons and Wings a ‘Certificate of Operation’ providing they email a request to blueham@alphacharlie.org.uk
Please Note:-
This exercise does not give amateur stations permission to operate outside of their normal licensing conditions.
The RAFAC/ACF/SCC and CCF RAF Sections look forward to operating as many of you that we can during the period of the Exercise and it will give our young operators an ideal opportunity for them to utilise their radio training on HF equipment to a different audience.
Once a contact is logged into the system it shows up onto a map which can be accessed at http://alphacharlie.org.uk/blueham/showmap.php
Feedback from the last exercise has again been good and thanks go to those who have sent in the detail.
Thank you for taking part and giving the operators plenty of ‘Air time’ which helps to cement their radio training that they have received and experience longer periods of operating.
A big thank you to those that have assisted with the set up and running of the Exercise.