ABOUT US

Taunton and District Amateur Radio Club held its first AGM on 4 October 1968 in the Technical College, Taunton.  At this meeting Chairman D Rowe G3NNE, welcomed 31 people, 21 of whom were licensed.
H P Jones was club Secretary.  In November 1968, a constitution was agreed and the callsign G3XZW was obtained.  The club then affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britian (RSGB).
There has also been a close liaison with Raynet over the years and some of the current members are active in Taunton Raynet.

At one time, there was a close association and regular skeds (schedules to talk over the air) with Taunton, Massachusetts.  A highlight for the club was when Mayor Johnson of Taunton, Mass, paid a civic visit to Taunton, Somerset, in April 1990.
To much interest from the media and public, GB0TRC was used to pass fraternal greetings from both mayors to the USA.

In later years the callsign G5JJ was assigned to the club.  This was held originally by Doug Hall OBE who sadly became SK (Silent Key) in 2007 having served in various capacities and latterly as both Chairman and President of the club.

Doug was a great character and had a distinguished war record having been involved in the early development of radar. He received the Queen’s Award to Industry in 1981 for the supply of robots to British Leyland and Ford.

Taunton is a small club with a diverse range of interests including HF, VHF, satellites CW (Morse), and computing. We have successfully participated in RSGB Field Days using both SSB and CW together with the CC competitions.  In the past we have run DXpeditions (expeditions to set up an amateur radio station in a remote place) notably to the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Man

We have over the years also been involved with the local Scouting fraternity and regularly set up a special event station GB2TWH for Taunton West Hatch Scout Group each October for Jamboree on the Air (JOTA). We have also participated in their training activities particularly with their Communicator Badge.

Training for prospective Amateurs and coaching for the Licence examinations at all levels has also featured heavily in our schedule, indeed many people have passed through our club and are now on the air.  Training for the amateur licenses has now largely moved to on-line methods, driven by restrictions during the pandemic.

The club is therefore now looking more at how to help those studying on-line for a license and also those newly licensed.  The club became an RSGB Brickworks Accredited Club in November 2022.  More information about the Brickworks activities and award scheme can be found at: https://rsgb.org/main/beyond-exams-building-experience/brickworks/brickworks-activities/

The club currently meets on the first Tuesday of the month at the Scout & Guide Centre, Tangier in Taunton.