[UK-CONTEST] GB3VHF

[Ray Hills]

I am not sure where it is now but its first home was half way up the mast at 
the BBC Band II radio transmitter at Wrotham, Kent.  I know that because I 
was involved, together with the late G3FZL, Geoff Stone - later President of 
the RSGB -  in doing the installation.  I was then a young BBC engineer who 
happened to be in the right Department.  There was, as far as I can recall, 
no charge, even for the services of BBC riggers to do the work on the mast.

Much later in my career, as Chief Engineer (Transmitters) and then Assistant 
Director of Engineering of the IBA, I had the authority to grant the use of 
IBA masts for amateur beacons and repeaters.  Emley Moor is a good example b 
ut there were many others.  Again there were no charges.  Sadly the wet got 
in when IBA was broken up, became NTL and started going into the commercial 
field of renting out mast facilities to all and sundry.  BBC Transmission 
also was privatised as Castle Communications and went the same way. Nowadays 
renting out such facilities is just a commercial exercise and, sadly, 
amateurs are asked to pay the same rate card as anyone else.  The present MD 
of Arquiva used to work for me at IBA and I did try and get him to take a 
lenient view of amateur installations but apparenrtly his hands are tied by 
the bean counters.

On the use of beacons, I would be very sad to lose GB3VHF.  It is my 
"marker" of conditions when down in IO70 and, conversely, GB3MCB (in IO70) 
is my marker when in Hampshire.  I would feel "blind" without them and I am 
sure I am not alone.  At least in Hampshire I also have PI7CIS as a guide 
but only to the East.  A good signal generator will tell you if the rig is 
working OK but it says nothing about propagation conditions.

Ray G3HRH