The Dragon ARC operates a number of "special event" radio stations during the year, setting up and operating these events is the responsibility of the Club's Station Manager and his team.  These responsibilities include preparing the site, setting up antennas/rigs, arranging a rota of operators, publicity etc.   Incidentally whilst the Club's QSL policy used to be that we would send cards to all stations contacted this was proving to be an expensive (and time consuming) task so it was decided that we only send cards to those stations who send us cards... SO, the moral is - if you want a card then send us one hi...  We are often asked for our locator and IOTA numbers by stations who contact us.  Anglesey's IOTA number is EU124, our locator obviously will depend on where we are operating from.  We do make an effort to check our locator before going on air but if we are unable to supply the information at the time of the contact make sure you ask for it when you QSL.

Incidentally the 'powers that be' have decreed that Anglesey will be removed from the IOTA list, needless to say a lot of local amateurs are very annoyed at this.  The Dragon Club is at present examining the situation with respect to our standing within the IOTA listings and we have been in contact with the RSGB to record our concern over their decision.

The Club regularly takes part in the RSGB NFD.   We have also taken part in the AFS and IOTA events and the recent prestigious Coast Station Event operating GB2GLV (GLV being the call sign of the old Coastal Radio Station we were operating from). 

The Club regularly takes part in the Lighthouses/Lightships 'event'  using the special callsign GB2TD  ( TD - Trwyn Du ), from Trwyn Du, Penmon, Anglesey.  The 'shack' is a beautifully situated Coastguard Station. This is really an idyllic location, looking out over the sea.  Our thanks to the Coastguard for the use of their facilities again, thanks also to Bert who regularly makes the arrangements for obtaining keys etc.

History was made in 1918 when the first radio telegram was transmitted directly from Waunfawr to the receiving station at Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia.  Waunfawr is on the mainland, near Caernarfon and is the site of the old Marconi long wave transmitting station.  The Dragon ARC celebrates this event every year using the special callsign GB2VK (GB to VK...).   The Club sometimes operates two stations, one station operating from the old building whilst the other station operates from the Club's caravan in the car park a few yards away.  This separation helps to reduce the interference so often experienced when two stations operate in close proximity.  GB2VK normally operates for the full 24 hours.  If you hear us do please give us a call and get that special QSL card.   See pictures of the old  Waunfawr station

The Club call sign has been regularly heard  from the Vintage Rally at Plas Coch on Anglesey.  These events were invariably very popular with many visitors coming along to the Dragon caravan for a coffee and chat.   This was always a good opportunity to distribute Amateur Radio publicity to the visitors.  Our 'van was invariably 'conveniently' located between two -VERY-  tall trees and Martin, one of our Club members, used a bow and arrow to get our big doublet high up into the branches.  The Vintage Rally has since moved from Plas Coch and the Dragon has not been able to arrange operation from the new site (still on Anglesey).   However we hope to see (and hear) GW4TTA operating from the new site soon.

The Dragon Amateur Radio Club (GW4TTA) of Anglesey is one of ten radio clubs around the coast of UK and Ireland collaborating to make possible this unique centenary celebration of the 1901 Marconi stations.  Operation will be on 80 and 40 metres, Phone & CW, on 30th June & 1st July 2001, 8am to 6pm.  Dedicated QSL from each station, via bureau.  Certificate to commemorate the centenary available on request + certified copies of log, showing QSO’s with a minimum 4 participating stations qualify + voluntary contribution to RNLI funds of minimum £4 or $6.  

Apply to GW3PRL QTHR Tel: 01248430848  -  ( Please make cheques & PO's payable to RNLI )

After first demonstrating the ability of his new ‘wireless’ to cross the Bristol Channel between Lavernock and Flat Holm in May 1897, Guglielmo Marconi (1874 - 1937) continued to improve his equipment and aerials and thereby increasing the range.  On January 23rd 1901 a distance of 186 miles was achieved, when signals transmitted from Niton, Isle of Wight, were received at the Lizard, Cornwall.

While Marconi himself took care of the technical aspects, his corporate activities also flourished with help from his cousin Henry Jameson-Davies, Managing Director of The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company Limited.  His company installed a number of coastal wireless stations with a view to making a commercial success of exchanging messages with ships having Marconi wireless equipment on board.  These stations, the Centenary of which we celebrate, were strategically placed around the coast to give good coverage.  They are listed below with the call signs used in 2001 and 1901 in blue: -

              Caister on Sea.      GB100CS           Holyhead                      GB100HD               Lizard     GB100LD
              Niton - I o W        GB100NI            North Foreland              GB100NF                Poldhu    GB100PD
              Rosslare Eire         EI1CRL              Crookhaven, Eire           EI1CCK
        X   Withernsea            WS                  ?  Portstewart  N. Ireland   PS

        X ?  This site not participating

The first British merchant ship fitted with wireless was the Lake Champlain, of the Beaver Line.  Wireless apparatus was fitted by Mr. F. S. Stacey of the Marconi Co. while the ship was in Liverpool.  Mr. Stacey remained aboard to operate the wireless apparatus, sailing with the ship as she left Liverpool on May 21st 1901.  When outward bound for Quebec and at a distance of 8 1/2  miles off South Stack, the  Lake Champlain sent wireless messages to the new Marconi station at Holyhead where the operator was Mr. Drier.  Further messages to the new Marconi station at Rosslare were received by Mr. Herford, when the ship was 7 miles off the Tuscar Light.  Early shipboard apparatus had a limited range of about 100 miles maximum under suitable conditions. This prohibited continuous contact with shore stations while crossing the Atlantic, however contact would be re-established when approaching the land.

Up to this time vessels could only report their position to their owners, by closing headlands or remote islands and signalling their identity and intentions to Lloyds Signal Stations, using semaphore or flags.  In bad weather, or particularly in fog, this could be a hazardous undertaking.  In clear weather these remote islands would send their reports to the mainland by visual signals, but in conditions of fog these reports could be delayed, sometimes for many days.  One early use for wireless was found in sending these reports, received by remote Lloyds Signal Stations, to the mainland where they went by landline telegraph to Lloyds of London, or the owners.  The first such installation was in 1898, between Rathlin Island and Ballycastle, Northern Ireland.  By 1901 Portstuart had replaced Ballycastle.

The new Coast Wireless Stations allowed vessels to report their positions quickly and safely, even in fog.

Within seven months, Marconi’s ‘wireless’ had spanned the Atlantic Ocean.   On 12th December 1901, after many setbacks, Marconi received signals from Poldhu Cornwall at Cabot’s Hill Newfoundland at a distance of 2147 miles.  This will be the subject of a major international celebration by radio amateurs, on the centenary in December.

Lloyds have an early connection with the Lifeboat service.  It was Lloyds who funded the Lifeboats from 1789 until the present Royal National Lifeboat Institution took over in 1824.  The first RNLI lifeboat equipped with wireless telegraphy was the Rosslare harbour lifeboat in 1926.  The installation comprised a 1/4 kW transmitter and receiver, built into a watertight case, the operator worked the set through a waterproof sleeve and saw his note pad and wireless through a glass window.  On the delivery trip the operator contacted the Niton Wireless Station at a distance of 85 miles and later, Portpatrick at 185 miles.  A further five lifeboats were fitted with wireless telephony from 1929.  By the end of the war, seventy of the institutions 151 lifeboats had wireless telephony receiving sets and fifty-seven also had transmitting sets.

Holyhead Wireless Station 1901 was installed in a house known then as 21, Queens Park.  The wireless apparatus was set up in a downstairs room adjoining the gable end.  Outside there stood a three section wooden mast, 150 feet high with three sets of guy ropes to support it. The call sign used then was H D and the first operator was Mr Drier.  Later on Mr D S Davies took over as operator.  The station at Holyhead was closed in 1903 when a new Marconi station at Seaforth, near Liverpool, took over the service.  The new station, known as ‘Seaforth Radio’ was also a wireless school.  The call sign used was LV, (LV = Liverpool) which was later changed to GLV, probably in 1909, when all the coast stations were taken over by the British Post Office (GPO).  Seaforth ran for many years, though some difficulties were experienced with coverage to the south of Anglesey. The decision was taken to replace Seaforth with a new station to be built at Nebo, near Amlwch on Anglesey.   Seaforth closed in April 1960 and the service moved to Anglesey.  The new station was known as ‘Anglesey Radio’ and retained the callsign GLV.  ‘Rationalisation’ subsequently took its toll and Anglesey Radio closed on 21st December 1986. This brought to an end the Anglesey connection with the ‘Coast Radio’ service.  These three stations gave a total of 85 years of stalwart service to mariners of every nationality, aboard yachts and supertankers on an everyday basis and in times of severe stress and emergency, also fulfilling a much needed social roll to the otherwise lonely business of seafaring.

The house is currently known as 66, Queens Park, (due to reorganisation within the town) and is the home of Mr & Mrs R Steadman and family to whom we owe our thanks for allowing us access to their home and making the initial suggestion.  Our thanks go also to the RNLI for assistance with printing and publicity.  It is our aim to contribute to RNLI funds by obtaining donations for the certificates available to Amateurs.

The closure of most of the Coastal Radio stations two years ago, was marked by the ‘Portishead Radio’ event in April 1999. For this tribute to the service provided by the Coast Radio Stations and the staff who manned them, the Dragon Amateur Radio Club ran a special station with the call sign GB0GLV and represented Anglesey Radio GLV in what was possibly the biggest international amateur radio tribute event.

It is hoped the negotiations presently in hand will lead to a permanent plaque being placed upon the house, thus recognising and marking the significance of the ‘Wireless’ history made here 100 years ago.

For further information on any of the above, please contact the Coast Wireless Stations Centenary organiser: -
D M Snow,GW3PRL,
Rhwng y Ddwydre,
Brynsiencyn,
Anglesey.
LL61 6TZ.

e-mail martinsnow@talk21.com

tel: - 01248 430 848.

(thanks to Martin who organised the above event and wrote the potted history of the stations)

I've some fond (and interesting) memories of the above event.  During the event I worked a station in New Zealand who was part of the old Area Scheme Commonwealth ship stations used to work when in that part of the world (I was an RO at sea for some time).  The other memory I have is leaving the Caravan in the early hours to go to the toilet - only to find it had been blown to the bottom of the field (we were experiencing very high winds at the time).  Needless to say in the true spirit of amateur radio I managed to compromise, return to the key and work some more dx - happy memories - thanks Martin  -  (John gw3vvc)