The 19th GM DX convention was on Saturday the 19th of April, I decided to drive up from London on the Friday evening which took a little over 8 hours journey time with traffic to arrive in the King Robert Hotel in Stirling up in Scotland. When I finally reached the hotel it was really nice to meet up with Dave EI9FBB and Jeremy EI5GM, Col MM0NDX and Clive GM3POI and have a couple of pints and a catch up before heading off to bed in the small hours of the Saturday morning.
At the convention on Saturday afternoon, there was 100 day-time attendees with 80 attendees for the GM-DX Dinner later that evening.
The day's schedule had excellent guest speakers and ran as follows:
TI5W Costa Rica by Mark M0DXR
HR2J Honduras by John G4IRN
YOTA Report Adam MM0KFX
UKEICC News Chris GM3WOJ
TX7EU Marquesas by Tom GM4FDM
S79C Coetivy Island by David EI9FBB
It was a fantastic weekend and it was really nice to meet up with some new and familiar faces in this wonderful hobby, I certainly learnt a lot over the weekend and it was great to share some of the experiences and some great laughs with fellow radio amateurs throughout the weekend. One major lesson learnt from the weekend was, "when attending the GM DX Convention next time, actually Fly to Scotland and then rent a Car for the weekend when your up there" feeling tired all weekend from driving up there was not ideal but we got through it anyway.
To top of the Weekend, Col MM0NDX and Dave MM0EAX invited Dave EI9FBB, Jeremy EI5GM and myself Pat EI5IX / M0XII out to the Stirling & District ARS Club Station (GM6NX) and to have a look at it and maybe operate the GM-DX Call-sign "GS8VL" on the air from the station. When we got there it was too good of an opportunity to miss so each of us gave a shot at SSB and CW on 40m, 20m, 17m and 15m bands even a bash at 6m was done, I really enjoyed myself with a Pile-up of stations on 17m and 15m bands on both CW & SSB from Russia and Eastern Asia it was a really nice opening to get. It was also great to meet a few of the faces behind the Club station that put it all together and maintain it on a regular basis and also meet some of the operators and youngsters in the club who operate their contest station from there as well. Other clubs around the world should "take note at how a Club station should be done" There was a fantastic team spirit in the club that made us feel very welcome and almost like we were at home. A truly award winning club that promotes excellent service to the hobby, Thanks to all involved there for a fantastic radio operating experience you guys really have something special up there.
Below is a few Photos taken over the weekend from the GM-DX Convention and the GM6NX Club station with some photos that Nigel G3TXF had taken and posted on his web page that are also re-posted here, Thanks to Nigel and Justin G0KSC for taking some of these pictures over the weekend. Also Thank you to all that I met over the weekend it was fantastic and certainly a event that I will remember for years to come. Bring on GM-DX next year. :-)
Start of GM-DX Convention 2016 with Mark TI5W talk
A view from the back of the Talks
Some Promotional handouts
Some of the Raffle Prizes
Dave EI9FBB, John G4IRN, Mark M0DXR and Tom GM4FDM collect their GM-DX Convention speaker mugs.
A Kenwood banner including the signatures of all those attending the GM-DX Dinner is auctioned off for £40.
The "riff-raff" table at GMDX
Dave MM0EAX, Col MM0NDX, Colin GM0RLZ, John MM0CCC, Clive GM3POI,
Dave EI9FBB, Pat EI5IX / M0XII and Jeremy EI5GM.
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GS8VL @ GM6NX CLUB STATION
Billy GM0OBX was on flames in the heat of Battle on a 17m CW pile-up
Dave EI9FBB on 40m as GS8VL
All 3 stations in full swing as GS8VL on SSB
with Jamie 2E0SDV on 17m, Dave EI9FBB on 40m and Pat EI5IX / M0XII on 15m
Billy GM0OBX setting up 40m CW for Jeremy EI5GM with Pat EI5IX / M0XII still going on 15m SSB
Billy GM0OBX on 17m CW with Jeremy EI5GM on 40m CW and Pat EI5IX / M0XII still on 15m CW as GS8VL
VHF Station on 6m & 4m
2 element 40m Yagi
1st Optibeam OB 9-5 Yagi
2nd Optibeam OB 9-5 Yagi with a Vertical for 80 and a Vertical for 40m
7 element 6m Yagi & Vertical
Till next year GMDX
73
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