Bolton Wireless Club GX0BWC GX1ONE

Easter 2009 saw the revival of G6GVI's old FM-ATV equipment for some tests with Phil GD1HIA on the Isle of Man
(Ross and Phil both used to live in Bristol where they exchanged ATV pictures a decade ago).

Phil now resides on the Isle of Man, and is putting together a remarkable mobile shack, whilst Ross still has the tangle of wires and die-cast boxes which he's always used for portable ATV.

The first signals were exchanged via the GB3TM repeater on Anglesey, but by optimising their positions and beam-headings Ross and Phil were soon exchanging pictures directly over the 100-mile path across the Irish Sea:

Photographs of the small TV screens don't do justice to the quality of the video signals received!

The following day (a Bank Holiday Monday), we put G0BWC/P on ATV for the first time, sending signals again to Phil in GD, and also to Alan 2E0GYO in Ormskirk, Gary 2E0LGZ at Prenton on the Wirral, Brian G3SMU in Bolton and Bill (G3OTW) operating G3NWR from the Wirral ARS Club shack. We also received pictures back from Phil, Alan, Gary and Brian.
The BWC crew on the hill included Ross G6GVI, Derek G1AEQ, Jack G8HIK, Jon 2E0CNJ and Mac M0TXR.

I was back again a week later, when in addition to exchanging more pictures with Phil, I also picked up very clear pictures from the repeaters in Anglesey and Stoke-on-Trent, whilst Phil was receiving the one near Belfast.

As well as using the microwave bands (23, 13 and 3cm) to exchange the video signals, 2m FM is often used for audio talkback, so have a listen around 144.750 or watch this space for further developments!

In April 2009, the first-ever 23cm FM-TV signals from G6GVI's home QTH in Bolton were received by Andy G7ROM, using just an old Amstrad satellite receiver with a mast-head pre-amp, and voice talkback on 51.530MHz FM. By June, Andy had improved his receive system so that he could get colour pictures with sub-carrier sound from Ross and Brian G3SMU.
And in June 2009, the Club transmitted 23cm ATV pictures from their GB0SHM Special Event Station at Smithills Hall.

By the end of August, improvements to Andy's station allowed him to transmit his own pictures around the Manchester area.