National Amateur Radio Museum, Library and GB3RS Shack
As part of the preparations for the relocation the HQ Shack, Library and Museum will close on Friday 1 February 2008.
There will be no public access after this date although the reception book shop will remain open.
GB3RS will be off air for approximately 6 months.
Back to RSGB Information
The National Amateur Radio Museum is located on the ground floor of RSGB HQ.The Radio Society of Great Britain is one of the few societies in the world to have a full-time staff located at a central HQ building. Situated just north of London, near to South Mimms Motorway Services which is adjacent to the M1, A1(M) and M25 motorways, RSGB HQ attracts visitors from all over the UK as well as all countries of the world.
here are details of the current exhibits in the museum:
The early days
To celebrate 100 years of amateur radio, there is a special working display of equipment used from each decade of the last century.
From the first two decades there is a spark transmitter, a brass key, a coherer receiver, and a Marconi magnetic detector. These are from the Maurice Child, G2DC, collection, which also includes a Marconi aerial tuner from 1903, and a Morse inker from 1900.
There are several examples of valve TRF receivers made in the 'twenties and two self-excited transmitters, one for 45m and one for 90m. Also on show is a fine example of a crystal set made from a kit supplied by Gamages in 1924.
For the 'thirties the museum has obtained an Eddystone Everyman four-valve TRF SW receiver built from a kit of parts.
There is a one-valve transmitter made by the late Len Newnham, G6NZ, using an American '10' valve, popular in the 'thirties. George Jessop, G6JP, has donated a replica four-valve transmitter for 5m used in 1934 for air-to-ground tests. These transmissions were received by amateurs all over London and proved the effectiveness of VHF transmissions from aircraft.
A National HRO with a set of six coils is on display, together with Hallicrafters receivers, Skyrider 23, SX16, SX24 and SX28, all popular with amateurs just before the Second World War.
As well as complete equipment, there is a large collection of radio valves (tubes) ranging from a 1908 DeForest 'Audion' to miniatures from the last days of thermionics.
Second World War
The 'forties was the heyday of Government surplus and we have on display an AR88 from RCA made for the US Navy and purchased by many hams for their main station receivers. It covers 75kHz to 30MHz in six bands and, in spite of the heat generated by the innumerable valves, is stable enough to resolve SSB. There is a typical transmitter to go with the AR88, as used just after the war. This is a 40W crystal-controlled CW and AM transmitter made by Webbs Radio who used to have a shop in Soho, in London's West End. This transmitter is rack mounted, is still in working condition and operates on 40m, giving 30W from its single 807 valve.
An 1154 transmitter and an 1155 receiver are on display, together with a BC348 receiver, all war-surplus equipment, bought in their hundreds by post-war amateurs.
Factory built
In the 'fifties Labgear, a British company, made a 100W transmitter called the LG 300. This is built into two large cabinets, one the transmitter and the other the modulator and power supply. The transmitter has an 813 valve in the PA and gives out a good 100W on AM and CW. The VFO operates on 3.5 to 4MHz and multiplies up to the other bands, with a series of wide-band couplers. The modulator has a pair of KT66s and four enormous transformers, each weighing about 10kg.
A Minimitter 150W AM/CW transmitter is on display with a typical working shack from this period using a Panda Cub AM/CW transmitter, an HRO receiver, and a BC221 wavemeter.
To complete the show for the 'fifties, there are Eddystone general-coverage receivers S640, 740, 670 and 888A, all in working condition.
For the 'sixties the Society has an Eddystone EA12, built in Birmingham. One of the first receivers designed to resolve SSB, it is an amateur-band-only receiver in nine bands with linear calibration, and looks superb with its illuminated long dial and its flywheel tuning.
Also from the same decade are a transmitter and receiver pair designed by the late G2DAF. These are specifically for amateur SSB with low-drift VFOs, narrow-band crystal filters and high image rejection in the receivers. These designs were published in 'the Bull' (the RSGB Bulletin which was the Society's journal at the time) as a construction project and many were built, putting many on the air with SSB signals for the first time.
Towards the present
A small section of the museum is devoted to VHF and UHF gear, comprising converters and transmitters for 4m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm. These were made by Bill Scarr, G2WS, and the designs were published in 'the Bull' in the 'sixties to encourage more activity on those bands.
The 'seventies are represented by a transceiver for five HF bands, giving about 100W PEP of SSB and CW. This is the Heathkit HW101 which could be built from a kit. It was manufactured in the USA and sold in the UK by Daystrom of Gloucester for about £100.
Also designed and built about this time, and kindly donated by Rowley Shears, G8KW, is a very rare KW2000D transceiver with digital frequency readout, one of the last British-made HF transceivers.
The 'eighties are represented by the introduction of the all-solid-state transceivers, eg IC720A, and the 'nineties entered the digital age with an Icom 2m FM transceiver and a PK232 packet radio terminal node controller.
Exhibits wanted
The curator is always looking for typical amateur radio equipment from the past, particularly from the first three decades of the century, and would be pleased to hear from anyone who wishes to donate them to the Society for the display.
The National Amateur Radio Library
One compact room houses the largest collection of amateur radio books in Europe, together with many historic books on radio and electronics in general. There are also magazines from almost every country in the world. Visitors are welcome to browse when the Library is open to the public (see above) and researchers may use the facilities by prior arrangement with the Librarian, John Crabbe.
The GB3RS Shack
Take the opportunity to operate top-quality equipment on HF, VHF, UHF or satellite using our world-famous callsign GB3RS. Please bring your licence with you.
©2006 Radio Society of Great Britain
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