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Ragchew

Long before the age of the Internet, the club had a newsletter called “RAGCHEW”. In 2012, the late Brian Millard (M6BRI) resurrected this publication. He edited and published it until his untimely death in early 2016 when control passed to G4CIB.

These documents are "pdf" files.

Edited by G8CQZ

2024

Summer 2024

  • Editorial
  • My National HRO Receiver
  • Arduino Controlled 0-125MHz VFO Project
  • The Story behind the QSL Card - GW3ZV
  • Local Oscillator for a 2m FM Receiver
  • I can't afford a Spectrum Analyser
  • GARES Open Day (flyer)

Edited by G4CIB

SPECIAL EDITION
in memory of Tom Morgan G3XMM

2023

December 2023

  • From the Editor
  • Rain Gauges and Sir Christopher Wren
  • The Earth's Magnetic Field
  • Check those Batteries
  • Bat Detector Project
  • Safety in the Shack
  • Bringing an Old Rotator Control Box Back to Life
  • GARES Summer Picnic - 20th June 2002
  • August Bank Holday Monday - Crickley Hill
  • A Cable Fault Mystery

August 2023

  • From the Editor
  • Sunspots and Solar Cycles
  • DMR Radio - Help Requested
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • Radio Caroline goes green
  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy

April 2023

  • From the Editor
  • A Worrying Fault
  • Gordon Moore has died
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • Howards Way
  • A Simple but Effective Emergency Light
  • Lundy - March 2023
  • Trailer Mast Project

SPECIAL EDITION
in memory of Alan Lodge G4MGW

January 2023

  • From the Editor
  • Book Review: Chip War
  • A Winter Project
  • Pi, Pic, Pico, Nano, Uno - A personal view

2022

November 2022

  • From the Editor
  • Ragchew needs you
  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy
  • RSGB Convention
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • From the Archives

June 2022

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Roundup
  • From the archive: DF Hunt - Beechenhurst 1992
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • A Peculiar Problem
  • Evolution of a multi-purpose Arduino based ontroller
  • Spring Time Operating at Crickley Hill

February 2022

  • From the Editor
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • A Peculiar Problem
  • Lundy Update - Wifi comes to the Island
  • Airmec Attenuator - Some basic tests
  • Ian G4CLR (SK) - A photographic tribute

2021

December 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest News
  • A Seasonal Friend
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • Further Thoughts on the ¼ Wave Antenna
  • Bringing a Vintage VOM Back to Life

November 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Fred Mills (G4XXA) SK
  • Contest News
  • The Ham
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • 2m AM Net
  • The Autumn Equinox
  • Sir Clive Sinclair

July 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Corner
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • GB1TFG - The Folk of Gloucester
  • A Six Metre Surprise
  • Promising Results with 2m Flowerpot Antenna
  • Homebrew Step Attenuator
  • From the Archive
  • Early summer /P Operating

June 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Corner
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • QRP Power Meter
  • Vintage Column
  • G4CIB/P and G4RHK/P on Lundy

May 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Corner
  • HEMA
  • A Brief History of Radio
  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy - Update
  • 2 Metre Half-Wave Flower Pot Antenna
  • The Heathkit HW-30 “Twoer”

April 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Corner
  • Ofcom EMF Calculator Update
  • Top Band Memories
  • Restoring a Domestic valve Radio
  • From the Archive
  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy
  • Vintage Column

March 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Corner
  • An L-C Meter
  • The Trpuss Meter Tester Re-visited
  • A Year of Firsts
  • Vintage Column

February 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Corner
  • The Trawler Band (part 2)
  • SSTV from the ISS
  • An Update on Local Repeaters
  • UKEI DX CW Contest
  • UKEI DX CW Contest using FLDIGI
  • Super Check Partial
  • Using the Wellbrook Loop as a Receiving Antenna
  • Vintage Column
  • Before Amateur Radio

SPECIAL EDITION: Reminiscences of Roy
to mark the passing (aged 25¼) of
Roy Thompson G3VZR
1920 - 2021

January 2021

  • From the Editor
  • Contest Corner
  • The Trawler Band
  • Radio Spectrum: 30GHz - 300GHz
  • GARES members - 2020 HF Championship placings
  • Restoring a Domestic Valve Radio
  • Vintage Column

2020

December 2020

  • From the Chairman
  • Contest News
  • Members News
  • Some 'Other Countries' Contest News
  • From the editor
  • From the archives
  • The art of Communications
  • The Half-Wit

November 2020

  • From the editor
  • Contest roundup
  • Excellent Support for "SkootumLogger"
  • How to Build a Steam Engine
  • Vintage Revival - VL2280 Repair Follow-up
  • Winter Challenge
  • Radio Spectrum: 3GHz - 30GHz
  • From the Archives

October 2020

  • From the editor
  • Update on M0HNK VLF Upcoverter
  • Alan Turing - BBC Radio 4
  • Contest Roundup
  • Practical Wireless 4 Metre Contest
  • Heathkit VL2280 Amplifier - Repair report
  • A Strange Fault
  • Radio Spectrum: 300MHz - 3GHz
  • Lundy 2020 and 2021
  • From the Archives

September 2020

  • From the editor
  • Contest Roundup
  • G4BCA/P from Dartmoor
  • Radio Spectrum: 30MHz - 300MHz
  • A Woman's Lot is Amateur Radio
  • An Alexanderson Day Success
  • Raspberry Pi - The story so far
  • NanaVNA-H: Tiny Vector Network Analyser
  • Antenna Teardown: Jaybeam 8el. 2m Yagi
  • Before Amateur Radio

July 2020

  • From the editor
  • Many thanks
  • Contest Roundup
  • RF Notes
  • Some interesting QSL Cards
  • Raspberry Pi - The story so far
  • More Contesting
  • Radio Spectrum: 3Mhz - 30MHz
  • From the archives: RSGB Bulletin June 1950
  • QSL cards from the archives
  • Legendary stories about working at GKA (Portishead) Part 3

June 2020

  • From the editor
  • Contest Update
  • New Activity 6-7 June
  • Have you tried SDR radio yet?
  • Where to listen to all kinds of stuff
  • Mr Bunnell's Triumph Part 3
  • History in a Shoe Box
  • Radio Spectrum: 300KHz - 3MHz
  • GB1VED
  • Legendary stories about working at GKA (Portishead) Part 2
  • G4CIB/P on the 2m "Virtual Coffee Morning" Net

May 2020

  • From the editor
  • Contest Update
  • RF Notes
  • Radio Spectrum: 30KHz - 300KHz
  • >Mr Bunnell's Triumph Part 2
  • Legendary stories about working at GKA (Portishead)
  • Arduino Uno DIP V3 Starter Kit
  • Net Topics
  • Building the Ubitx V6 multi band QRP transceiver Part 2
  • From the Archives

April 2020

  • From the editor
  • May Ragcrew
  • Radio 4 - again!
  • Contest Roundup
  • Building the Ubitx V6 multi band QRP transceiver
  • Mr Bunnell's Triumph
  • UKEICC Contesting
  • Radio Grimeton and building a VLF Converter (part 2)
  • Radio Spectrum: 3KHz - 30KHz
  • RSGB Training Manuals
  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy

March 2020

  • From the editor
  • Flying Visit to Lundy
  • Contest Round-Up
  • Radio Grimeton and building a VLF Converter (part 1)
  • RF Notes
  • Radio Spectrum: 300Hz - 3KHz
  • From the Archives: NFD Entrants 1948
  • From the Archives: Snippets from 1948 Bulletins
  • Net Topics
  • Book Review: Clever Ways to (Roughly) Calculate Anything
  • From the Archives

January 2020

  • From the editor
  • RF Notes
  • Net Etiquette
  • Contest Round-Up
  • From the Archives

2019

November 2019

  • From the editor
  • Contest Update
  • Stan G4YYR - From the Archives
  • RF Notes
  • RadCom Plus
  • Before Amateur Radio
  • GARES on Facebook
  • The Bands Explained: 19m, 16m and 15m
  • Morse Practice on the Air
  • G4CIB/P and G4RHK/P on Lundy

September 2019

  • From the editor
  • Nick Perkins - G3MA
  • Contest Update
  • Cricket World Cup Amateur Radio Marathon Activity - GB19EB
  • G2HX/P - Low Power Field day
  • GB4RSE - Special Event Station
  • 80m Club Championship
  • Resurrection of a Classic
  • Now it can be told
  • The Bands Explained: 31m, 25m and 20m
  • Minutes of the Meeting held at “The Lamb” Inn, Kings Square on 20th October 1966
  • From the Archives

Summer Special 2019

  • From the editor
  • Bank Holiday Operating on Crickley Hill
  • A Crickley Hill Selection
  • And Finally...

July 2019

  • From the editor
  • Contest Update
  • The Future of Radio Clubs
  • From the Archives
  • Semaphore and Morse Signs
  • POW Radios Part 3
  • NFD 2019
  • 50MHz Test (UKSMG)
  • Thinking Day on the Air
  • Construction Contest

May 2019

  • From the editor
  • RSGB AGM Birmingham
  • Gloucester Repeater Group AGM
  • POW Radios Part 2
  • Contest Roundup
  • From the Archives
  • A Marconi Mystery Key
  • The Bands Explained (80m and 60m)
  • Spring is Sprung (/P operating)
  • From the Archives

March 2019

  • From the editor
  • A Flying Visit to Lundy
  • POW Radios
  • Is This a Stream key
  • A Selection of Photos
  • Homeward Bound From Lundy

January 2019

  • From the editor
  • New Year - New Challenges
  • A New 2m Beacon
  • Heathkit Becoming Collectable
  • Development of a CI-V (Remote) Interface for the Icom IC-7300
  • Christmas Holiday Operating
  • Archive Photos

2018

December 2018

  • From the editor
  • Christmas & New Year Holiday Tasks
  • Contest update
  • RF Notes
  • Calling all ships
  • A comment about RF Notes
  • Portable station for the winter challenge
  • Marconi Kestrel radio

October 2018

  • From the editor
  • Contest Round-Up
  • Antenna Workshops
  • IC703 vs FT817
  • A Rare (and Valuable!) Telegraph Key
  • A windy day at the Priory
  • And a Chilly Day at Crickley!
  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy
  • A Lundy Improvisation
  • RF Notes

September 2018

  • From the editor
  • Contest Round-Up
  • Antenna Workshops
  • Summer Picnic
  • RF Notes
  • British Inland Waterways on the Air - GB4RSE
  • A selection of photos submitted by members

July/August 2018

  • From the editor
  • New Members
  • RSGB Training and Log Books
  • Errors, Corrections and Ommissions
  • Contest Round Up
  • RF Notes
  • G2HX/P - NFD 2018
  • 6m QSO with USA
  • Construction Contest

June 2018

  • From the editor
  • G4CIB and G4RHK in Lundy
  • RSGB AGM - Birmingham
  • Intermediate Training outdoors
  • Portable on the Exe Estuary
  • Contest Round Up
  • RF Notes
  • Portable Operation on Crickley Hill

May 2018

  • From the editor
  • GARES Spring Challenge
  • RSGB AGM
  • RF Notes
  • My entry in the Spring Challenge
  • Amateur Radio Insights
  • From the GARES Archives

April 2018

  • From the editor
  • Contest Roundup
  • From the GARES archives
  • RF Notes
  • 2m/70cm Antenna
  • Lundy to Scilly Isles QSO attempt
  • Here's one I made earlier
  • From the RSGB and GARES archives

March 2018

  • From the editor
  • Contest Roundup
  • A 4m/6m Multiband Dipole
  • GB4QBP Quedegley Brownie Pack 2018
  • Here's one I made earlier
  • Club visit to BBC Droitwich Transmitter - 1983
  • RF Notes
  • March 1970 144MHz Contest

February 2018

  • From the editor
  • January AFS 80m-40m
  • January UKAC
  • An introduction to using Amateur Satellites
  • How to Become a Cool Grandad
  • Listening Through Oscar 6 in 1972
  • RF Notes
  • New Aerials for 6 thru 70

January 2018 (Contest Edition)

  • From the editor
  • January 144MHz UKAC
  • 80m (3.5 MHz) Club Championship
  • AFS (Affiliated Societies) 3.5-7MHz CW & SSB
  • AFS (Affiliated Societies) Super League 2016-17
  • Overall UKAC
  • 50MHz UKAC
  • 70MHz UKAC
  • 144MHz UKAC
  • 432MHz UKAC
  • 2017 UKAC Comments
  • Practical Wireless 70MHz Contest
  • Hints for Hams
  • Christmas Crossword Answers
  • VHF Championship
  • Low Power Contest (80m, 40m and 20m)

2017

December 2017

  • From the editor
  • Congratulations
  • Hints for Hams
  • Any Mac users out there?
  • Christmas Crossword
  • RF Notes
  • An Interesting Trip to the Isle of wight
  • A Small World
  • Should I sign /P or /M?
  • I Saw The Light - A Jackanory with a Happy Ending

Autumn 2017 (October and November)

  • From the editor
  • Contest Roundup
  • RF Notes
  • Metrovna VNA Pro Touch Antenna Analyser review
  • Practical Wireless 4 Metre Contest
  • Should I sign /P or /M?
  • QSO Workshop
  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy
  • 70cm Contact Attempt: Scilly to Lundy
  • Caption Competition

September 2017

  • From the editor
  • GB4GHF - Saturday 2nd September
  • RF Notes
  • A Simple Dipole for 2 Metres
  • Low Power Field Day 2017
  • Crickley August Bank Holiday 2017
  • A New Club Initiative - Training Workshops

Summer 2017 (June, July and August)

  • From the editor
  • GB4GLM - Saturday 17th June
  • GB4GHF - Saturday 2nd September
  • RF Notes
  • Tony Kingscote (BRS479)
  • From the GARES Archive
  • ICOM CI-V Interface project overview
  • More from the GARES Archive

May 2017

  • From the editor
  • Contest Roundup
  • Coming up: Informal meeting and special event stations
  • Bits for Homebrew VHF/UHF Antennas
  • Operating GB0WMD at Alum Bay on Saturday 25th April 2017
  • From the Archive: May 1987 Newsletter
  • AMSAT-UK
  • RF Notes
  • Photos from the Archives
  • Digital Speech using ‘Continuous 4 level FM’ (C4FM)
  • Celebrating 20 Years in GARES

April 2017

  • From the editor
  • RSGB Study Books
  • The Radio Amateur Old Timers’ Association (RAOTA)
  • Contesting (by a beginner)
  • RF Notes
  • from the Archives

March 2017

  • From the editor
  • The UK Six Metre Group
  • RF Notes
  • Lundy Island
  • Interference on 2 Metres
  • And Finally

February 2017

  • From the editor
  • The GQRP Club
  • Contest gossip
  • You're S0 here OM
  • From the G8CIB and G4CIB QSL Archives
  • The scanning years
  • The club DF scene

January 2017

  • From the editor
  • 2016 Contest roundup
  • An Interesting QSL Card
  • From the GARES Archives
  • A Day on the Mountain 1978
  • The BBC Micro:Bit
  • G4CIB/P Operating on Boxing Day

2016

December 2016

  • From the editor
  • An initiative worth supporting
  • Contest gossip
  • A short history of my way into Amateur Radio
  • Time to check those batteries
  • From the archives
  • The Lundy "Old Light" award
  • GARES members enjoying the Christmas meal

November 2016

  • From the editor
  • Contest gossip
  • Operating QRP from IM97kp
  • More photographs from the GARES archive

October 2016

  • From the editor
  • Contest gossip
  • The Top band Cycling Club
  • G3SGS
  • How I got into Amateur Radio
  • From the archives

UKAC Special Edition

  • GARES - UKAC update

Summer 2016

  • From the editor
  • How I became interested in Radio
  • Spring challenge
  • Operating on Lundy
  • Cheap and cheerful Moxon loop for 70cm
  • From The contest archives

June 2016

  • From the editor (G2HX)
  • Contest gossip
  • Construction competition 2016
  • 28-70 MHz transverter kit from transverters store
  • More NFD photos (1980)

10m and 6m Special Edition

May 2016

  • Use it or lose it!
  • Contest gossip
  • My DAB domestic radio experience
  • QRP Operating - part 2

Spring 2016

  • Brian Millard (M6BRI)
  • Pauline Clayton (G8MZV)
  • Tuesday night is UKAC on VHF/UHF/SHF Bands
  • Club championship contest happenings
  • Computer logging software
  • QRP Operating
  • Ragchew - the future

Edited by the late M6BRI

2015

October 2015

  • Holiday Operating in EI - Then 1982 and Now 2014
  • Monuments to Guglielmo Marconi - a quick quiz

December 2015

  • 2 Metres - Then and Now
  • A New Year Resolution
  • Some jokes from the crackers

September 2015

  • Giving a Few Points Away Can Be Fun
  • Portable Operating in the clouds

August 2015

  • G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy
  • More Welsh David's
  • Simple Cable Tidy
  • RSGB Low Power CW contest G4AYM/P 'Field Day'

Another June 2015

  • Extract from Ragchew June 1985
  • Visit to Severn Area Rescue Association

June 2015

  • Youngest GARES Member
  • Nicknames in South Wales
  • Camera Batteries

2014

October 2014

  • GB4GC
  • The Year We Had a Lot of Fun - 1973 (Part 1)

June 2014

  • Crickly Hill Country Park Meeting
  • Further 1970s 2 Metre Contest Reminiscences
  • History in a Shoebox

April 2014

  • Resistance Cube Problem
  • 2m Contest May 1970 (Part 2)
  • Just who did what? or Steam Radio
  • The other G5RV
  • Devastating effects of cutting down trees

2013

December 2013

  • The night before Christmas
  • This takes the biscuit
  • Ofcom policy review

July 2013

  • An Inverted Delta Loop for 6 Metres
  • Electronic Love
  • Times Past - In Celebration 1858

April 2013

  • Who was Hans Beggerow?
  • A Quick, Cheap and Easy Desk Microphone Project

February 2013

  • Who Was Loren Windom?
  • G0ULH Verticals
  • Hve u hrd?

2012

December 2012

  • An Amateur working in Antarctica
  • Military Wireless Museum
  • Heard on the air
  • Dxpedition to Black Rock
  • A tale to tell
  • JOTA Station GX4AYM at Wotton-under-Edge

August 2012

  • G2BI Aerial
  • Heard on the air
  • Watts in a name

June 2012

  • Olympic Torch
  • The Radio Ham (poem)
  • 1988 RAE
  • Heard on the air

Edited by Tony M1EET

1999

October 1999

  • GARES wins Frank Hoosen Trophy
  • 1999 Club calls contest
  • Thanks from Margaret
  • The AGM
  • What goes on at Barrow Wake?
  • The DF Hunt
  • From the fox's point of view
  • Dates for your diary

September 1999

  • From the Editor
  • The AGM
  • now that Ragchew is tabloid
  • Quiz
  • Dates for your diary

GARS Newsletter - Editor Unknown

1994

October 1994

  • Diary
  • Jim’s Story

These documents are "pdf" files.

Issues are placed on this website one issue in arrears so you could read the current issue by joining the club.

An Adobe pdf reader can be downloaded from https://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/

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