One of the major interests of the Bittern DX Group is the organisation and therefore the operation of Special Event Stations (SES) to promote this beautiful county of ours. Whether it be to activate a local landmark for one of the many amateur radio award schemes or to commemorate an historical anniversary we have built up an impressive CV.
As part of our licence agreement with Ofcom we are allowed to apply for a Notice of Variation which has to follow these guide lines;
“The Special Event Station allowed to be set up by Radio Amateurs under the terms of the Notice of Variation must be in support of an event which is of special significance, being in support of a celebration or demonstration and will be open to viewing by members of the public”
A special call sign can also allow members of the public to pass a short greetings message under supervision to another Radio Amateur anywhere in the world.
Over the years since the group’s formation in 2004 we have been lucky to operate from many different and unusual locations around Norfolk. We have operated from Windmills, Stately Homes, Railway Stations and even from the end of the Cromer pier itself…who says radio is boring?
We are lucky to live in the county such as Norfolk which is steeped in history, being the birthplace of Lord Horatio Nelson among many others. BDXG were involved with the countrywide commemoration of the 200th anniversary of his death at Trafalgar in 1805, operating from North Walsham where he went to school. Other things the group has been involved in commemorating are the 200th anniversary Cromer lifeboat in 2004, most famous for the exploits of Henry Blogg. But, possibly the most unusual local commemoration was the 300th anniversary of the “Great Fire of Holt” which took place in 2008.
As you can see from these brief examples that these Special Event Stations can take many guises, whether it is commemorating a one off historical event or an annual event of special interest to the general public. BDXG has been involved in all kinds and I hope you will look around this section to find out more about specific events.
In the past we have setup demonstration stations for the Scouts and Guides, showing them the different aspects of radio to how it affects everyday life. We are also proud of our achievements in fundraising for the British Wireless for the Blind Fund (BWBF) having scooped 6 National trophies in just four years.