Lincoln Shortwave Club

///////////////////////////////////////////
A Brief History of Lincoln Short Wave Club

Posted: 06 Feb 2021 08:26 AM PST
http://www.g5fz.co.uk/official-club-...ort-wave-club/


Lincoln Shortwave Club - Bringing Amateur Radio to the Community


Roger, G3PVU, has been sorting through notes written by the late Colin,
G3MUL, and has written in detail ‘A Brief History of The Lincoln Short
Wave Club’. Unfortunately due to lockdown and not being able to get to the
club Roger has only been able to write the history up to 1961 as later
records are at the club.




By the year 1921 more and more people were becoming interested in the new
phenomena, wireless. A group of eleven such enthusiasts met at the Spread
Eagle Hotel in Lincoln. (The hotel was located at the lower end of the
precinct on the east side). At the meeting held on February 10th 1921 the
formation of an Amateur Wireless Society was discussed. It was agreed that
the group should be known as the Lincoln and District Wireless Society.
During the meeting Mr. A.R. Cooper was nominated as President, Mr. A.J.
Yeates as Chairman. It was also agreed that the society should be
affiliated with the Wireless Society of London. (The forerunner of the
R.S.G.B.) Maintained right through to the present day.




Future meetings of the Society were held at the Technical School and by
March 1921 the Society was becoming well established. Meetings were on
Mondays 19.00hrs. to 21.00hrs. In the Electrical Engineers Shop and on
Tuesdays 19.00hrs to 21.00 hrs. In The Electrical Engineers Lab. Lectures
on all topics eg circuits, aerials, insulation and thermionic valves.




The secretary of the Society was asked to make the necessary arrangements
to obtain the PMG’s licence for transmission and reception. Mr. C.W.
Cotham was to be nominated operator as he already held a licence and the
call 2UL The subject of the Society obtaining a transmitting licence was
discussed during the AGM held in February 1922 a deputation was appointed
to approach the Newark Wireless Society in order to secure their
cooperation needed as part of the application.




It’s September 28th. 1922 and a great day for the Society. It was disclosed
that a letter had been received from the Postmaster General authorizing the
Lincoln Wireless Society to commence transmitting.




Mr. Herring, a member of the Society was delegated to check availability
and prices of ex WD equipment. We tend to think of ww2 equipment but this
was in fact ww1 wireless equipment.




The callsign 5FZ was eventually issued but the records do not give the
date, however Mr. Cotham was to be the operator. On May 10th. 1923 the PMG
authorized Mr. C.H. Friskney ( 5NT) and Mr.R.Bates (5OD) to transmit in
addition to Mr.Cotham . The first contact using the Societies equipment
occurred on June14th. 1923 communication was made with 5GS in Grimsby.
Prior arrangements had to be made for this contact.




The name of the Society was changed in January 1924 to the Lincoln Wireless
Society




There are little or no records of the society after 1924.




On the evening of August 31st. 1939 the BBC announced that all full and
artificial aerial amateur transmitting licences had been ‘determined’ and
from early the next morning Post Office officials were engaged in
impounding transmitting equipment.




Following ww2 new licenses were issued from January 1946 it proved to be
less restrictive than before the war




A notice appeared in the local paper, the Lincolnshire Echo asking any
person interested to attend a meeting at the YMCA on Wednesday September
1st. 1948 to form a Short Wave club. Some 30 people attended the meeting
and a committee was formed consisting of J.R.Charleswoth, C.A.Fletcher,
J.Otter, J.R.Dales and G.C.Newby. Mr. Charlsworth offered accommodation for
the next meeting at the Lincoln Technical College. During the next meeting
Mr. Charlsworth was elected Chairman, Mr. Mullins (G3XM) secretary and Mr.
Draper (G4BU) treasurer. It was agreed a subscription of 2/6 for the rest
of 1948. The annual subscription would then be 10/- for the subsequent
year. A set of club rules were formulated and accepted by members on
October 10th. 1948. The Lincoln Technical College was used for regular
meetings.




The first Annual Dinner was held at the Bridge Hotel in Saxilby on December
7th. 1949 24 people attended.




Mr. Draper (Dick G4BU) still treasurer in 1952 told members at the AGM held
on January 9th. That the club was in a ‘healthy’ position . The balance at
the beginning of the year was £10/18/9 and that by the end of the year it
was £23/19/00




The first ‘Hamfest’ held in Lincoln was in May 1923 when the Lincoln and
District Wireless Society held an exhibition in the City School. The event
was open to the public for three days and was attended by 322 visitors. In
addition 108 school boys attended. The event was regarded a great success
and the society made a profit of £3/19/6.




The first recorded Hamfest after the cub reformed in 1948 was held on
Sunday April 29th.1951 at the Great Northern Hotel on Lincoln High Street,
there were 73 visitors. The 1953 Hamfest was held on Sunday May 10th. This
was at the Welcome Café on Lincoln High Street. There was a demonstration
by Panda radio and a surplus equipment sale. 80 visitors attended. In 1954
157 visitors attended. A lecture by BTH in Lincoln was followed by each
member getting a packet of transistors.




At the 1959 Hamfest Mr. Farley of Siemens-Edison-Swan presented a lecture
on VHF for amateurs There are no records of the1960 event other than that
Mr. W.R. Metcalf (G£DQ) President of the RSGB attended. A picture appeared
in the October 1960 bulletin.




A change of venue came in 1961, the Hamfest was held at the North Kesteven
Grammar School. There are no records of attendance. (although I was
there G3PVU! And so was J.Birkett of Lincoln. Maybe his first rally
appearance)




The Lincoln ‘Hamfests’ continued and to this day the club hosts an annual
event although under the new name of ‘National Hamfest’




Information researched by Colin G3MUL SK written by Roger G3PVU

Lincoln Shortwave Club - Bringing Amateur Radio to the Community