Regular NETS Details


Special Nets


On this page you will find details of radio nets run by the Vintage & Military Amateur Radio Society and by members under their personal arrangements. These nets are NOT exclusively for VMARS members. All licenced amateurs are most welcome to join in and all we ask is that you follow the purpose of the net, for example by using A.M., USB or LSB where specified. Scroll down the page for more information.

Special Nets

All Special Nets are 3615 Khz Amplitude Modulation 07:30 local UK time unless otherwise stated

The Society holds a number of controlled Special Nets which are designed to encourage the use of specific types of vintage and home brew equipment. These nets take place, usually but not exclusively on a Saturday, from 07:30 UK local time on 3615KHz and run for one hour, following which the frequency is handed over to the VMARS Net Controller for the regular Saturday A.M. net at 08:30.  

Details of forthcoming Special Nets are published here and in the monthly VMARS News Sheet. Some examples of previous nets are also reproduced here to provide an idea of the type of interests covered.

Saturday February 10th 2024
Wartime tactical equipment – Wireless Sets 19, 22, 29, 46, 48, 62, T1154/R1155, Bendix TA12, Collins TCS-12 etc.

Wednesday April 18th 2024 07:30 – 08:30 3615KHz: A.M. QRP Net – 10 watts or less, even a lot less. The lowest powered signal heard widely on the last QRP net was 167mW. Several stations regularly communicate with less than 1 watt. It can be done with a decent aerial!
Thursday June 6th 2024: D-Day 80th Anniversary, commencing 05.00 hrs BST

Saturday July 20th 2024: Anything military.

Saturday August 17th 2024: Anything civilian

Thursday 10th October 2024: QRP – 07:30 – 08:30 3615KHz: A.M. QRP Net – 10 watts or less, even a lot less


Normandy Landings Beach Zone Expedition June 2024

VMARS members join the 80th anniversary commemorations

The following French ANFR issued call-signs were used during this expedition at the various organised locations over the period of 6th – 15th June 2024. Frequencies in use were 3615KHz for Amplitude Modulation working in the mornings from around 07:30BST and 7070KHz for USB* working from around 12:00.

*Note. Under licence conditions there are no restrictions on the mode of operation used on the 40m band that preclude the use of Upper Side Band. The reason for operating USB is beacause the military equipment used by many stations on the net only have Upper Side Band functionality

Pegasus MemorialTM80PB
Merville Batterie

TM80MGB, TM80SNAF
B8 airfield and Douvres paradeTM808ALG
Pack, Chateau d’Audrieu,

TM80RWR
Gold Beach,

TM80GOLD
Douvres Radar MuseumTM80SR
British Memorial, Ver-sur-MerTM1944DD, TM80BRIT
Gold Beach 
Juno Beach
TM80GOLD,
TM80JUNO
Chateau de Creully TM80MCO

Visits to the above sites were made with advanced agreements and arrangements with the museums and site owners and comply with all health and safety measures specified by them

James Burrough, M7JBZ, has been keeping a blog of the expedition crew which can be followed here https://afpu.weebly.com/

Note of interest: – Using  advanced communications for D-Day net backup

Recent solar activity at the peak of sun spot cycle 25 has caused periods of severe disruption on HF radio links. Because of the importance of the 80th D-Day anniversary commemoration station TM80PB located at Pegasus Bridge near Caen, and the desire of the 2024 expedition crew to maintain communications in the event of radio propagation drop out, it was decided to set up a remote station in the UK that could be operated from the Normandy beaches. Rich Bamber, M0XRB set up a remote operated Flex 6400 radio at RAF Windrush, a former WW2 flying training station on the Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire border, connected to a 15m mast with an 80m Inverted Vee aerial used on the 3615KHz AM and 7070KHz USB operating frequencies for the two weeks of activity.. The location is in a very low noise rural environment but it has no internet available for remote control. Rich set up a 5.8GHz microwave link between RAF Windrush and his works office, about 10.7 Km away, where he has access to a 100mB up/down internet connection. The arrangement allowed UK based frequency monitoring over local French Wi-Fi  or over 4G mobile telephone connections. While the operator was in Normandy, the station was in England and operated under the callsign GB1RAF when transmitting. Although propagation did suffer on several occasions the remote station was necessary on receiving only a few of the weaker stations making contact with TM80PB and not being received directly in Normandy.

Merville Gun Battery Museum – TM80MGB – VMARS member Martin Smythe, M0MGA, one of the two co-owners, on board the Chevrolet Canadian Military Pattern lorry, widely used by the British and Canadian armies in 1944. In the background, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft – designated “Dakota” by the RAF – nicknamed SNAFU.

Details of the assault and capture of the Merville Gun Battery can be found here



Pegasus Bridge Museum – TM80PB.  Early morning on June 6th 2024. The CMP lorry is loaded with fully operational WW2 wireless equipment and is in position here parked alongside the original Caen Canal bascule bridge in the museum. By prior arrangement with the museum, a 15 metre tall Inverted Vee Half Wave aerial for 80m operation was erected for communications with AM stations on a controlled net beginning at 06:00 local time on 3615KHz. The net was run by Paul, M1PVC from his home QTH in East Sussex and lasted for almost 5 hours attracting 77 call in stations.

Tony Barron here after demonstrating the equipment in the CMP and telling these French school children visiting the Pegasus Bridge of the importance of radio communications in the military actions. They asked how old he was in the war!


The station will be operating in Normandy for a few days until 15th June at various locations which had significance in the 1944 Normandy landings. For direct contact with the CMP vehicle listen on 3615kHz A.M.  from around 07:30 BST and on 7070kHz USB during the day. Some efforts will be made to link up on  51.700mHz F.M. but these will be dependant on 6m propagation.

VMARS members after arriving in Normandy from England on Wednesday 5th June with the 1943 Canadian Military Pattern lorry – CMP and a support vehicle, the crew refresh themselves and prepare for the rigours of the coming week.  Left to right -Tony Barron, G3YYH, – Martin Smythe, M0MGA –   James Burrough, M7JBZ –  Rik Proctor M7NTS – Rich Bamber, M0XRB – Trevor Sanderson, PA3BOH.

Douvres-la-Délivrande – Tony Barron, G3YYH, wearing a WW2 helmet waving to the crowds from the CMP as it led the 1940’s vehicle parade



Gold Beach – TM80GOLD, Viewed from Ver-Sur-Mer – the CMP working from Gold Beach on the morning of 10th June 2024 at low tide

Martin, M0MGA operating a Wireless Set No.46 used by Beach Masters on D-Day


Wireless Set No.46. A crystal controlled man-pack built by EK Cole at their factories in Woking and Southend-on-Sea during WWII. Water resistant and used by British paratroops and by Beach Masters like Captain Colin Maud R.N. on D-Day for controlling beach landings. Three crystal controlled channels in the fequency range of 3.4 – 9.1 Mc/s and about 700mW RF output on AM and up to 1.5 watts on MCW. The set has six valves which include 2 x ARP12’s, an ARP37, an ARTP2,an AR8 and an ATP4 in the final. Power originally came from 150v and 3v batteries but VMARS users usually employ a small 6v battery inverter to supply these voltages when operating the set as a portable man-pack.    It can be used with a whip aerial or with a wire aerial through a 40pf capacitor to achieve longer ranges. When conditions are right, VMARS users have frequently achieved good point to point contact between WS.No.46 sets over distances in excess of  200 miles (320Km) using wire aerials on 3615Kc/s. Probably the best British man-pack of WWII

Gold Beach – Flypast over the beach, morning 10th June 2024 in weather more like that experienced by D-Day invasion forces on 6th June 1944

Chateau d’Audrieu – TM80RWR. Operating from the grounds of the Chateau to honour the memory of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Green Howards men who were massacred by German 12th SS troops on the night of 7/8th June 1944 after they had surrendered


Equipment on the CMP – L-R: Wireless Set No.19 transceiver with RF amplifier on top. Wireless Set No.76 transmitter with R109 receiver.

Equipment on the CMP – Left – top, Wireless Set No.12 transmitter, bottom, R107 Receiver



VMARS members Martin, M0MGA and Trevor PA3BOH, operating the Wireless Set No.12 transmitter and R107 receiver with the call sign TM80GOLD from the CMP at Gold Beach on the 3615KHz morning net 10th and 14th June 2024

On Thursday 13th June the CMP radio truck and equipment was invited to take part as a publicised exhibit of the Juno Beach Centre, the Canadian Normandy museum. This was a pre-organised visit which was promoted by the museum and publicised in their advanced promotional campaign. This was a fitting display and practical use of the Canadian built lorry and of the Canadian made wireless equipment installed inside, as well as an interesting practical demonstration over several hours making direct radio contact with stations in England & Wales, France, Belgium and the Netherlands using the ANFR issued callsign TM80JUNO. Click here for information on the Juno Beach Landings.


These two attractive French visitors to the CMP showed much interest in the exhibits and brought an infectious smile to the crew

A Spitfire taxis past local farmers harvesting wheat at B-2 Bazenville Advanced Landing Ground in June 1944


The CMP with the Luftwaffe Würzburg Radar at Douvres in 2023

For more information click here for the Luftwaffe Douvres Radar Station link

Photographs here are of a WW2 German Wehrmacht wireless truck visiting the Douvre Radar museum on Saturday 15th June 2024

Early morning on Gold Beach 11th June 2024, the CMP is set up for the TM80GOLD wireless station
Below:- Early morning on Gold Beach 6th June 1944, British troops  leading the beach assault

For information about Canadian Military Pattern lorries, extensively used by British forces, click on this link

Local map of the Gold Beach first assault wave plan for 6th June 1944. The Landing Beach Zone Expedition  team operate from the East Red Jig location on the Beach Road.

Follow this link for more information

Flowers placed anually on Gold Beach in a moving tribute to those who landed here on 6th June 1944. We don’t know who the thoughtful people are who place them there, but we thank them.



The “Standing with Giants” commemoration area at the British Memorial. There are 1,475 two metre tall “giants” representing each of those who died under British Command on 6th June 1944. In the background are the remains of the caissons of the Mulberry Harbour at Arrowmanche.

Normandy Landings Beach Zone Expedition June 2024 Expedition

End

 VMARS official controlled AM nets are held at 08:30 on each Saturday morning. The frequency is 3615KHz and the Society welcomes all Amplitude Modulation stations using vintage or modern equipment. Operators do not need to be members of VMARS to join in.


There is also an informal net of UK AM stations and occasional Continental stations which operates daily on 3615KHz, beginning at about 07:00, depending on the band being open for inter G contacts, and usually active until around 09:00.

       



VMARS Saturday morning prenet & net recording 6th October 2018



          

Prenet recording: Click on the AR-88 receiver
Features ON/M0MGA and ON/G3YYH operating portable from the WW1 battlefied site located at Polygon Wood in Belgium   



VMARS Net Controllers Gallery

Below – Bronek Wedzicha, M0DAF, regular VMARS AM Net Controller located near York.

Bronek’s recently built transmitter shown here being used on the Saturday net, has a line up of  12BY7A VFO, 5763 buffer, 5763 doubler/driver, 813 PA, modulated by a pair of 811A’s. The audio front end employs a Datong Clipper followed by a MOSFET driver. The receiver in use when on air is either Racal RA17 or a Bendix RA-1B.



Below – Justin Woolgar, GW0FZY, regular VMARS Net Controller located near Swansea

Justin has a wide range of A.M. equipment ranging from an ex RAF Marconi T1509 transmitter to the home built Class E A.M. transmitter that he is seated in front of in the photograph. On top of that is an Optimod A.M. audio processing unit. Another of Justin’s hobbies is getting jet engines working and running them in his garden.

View Justin’s website by clicking on this link and be in for a surprise

Below – Keith Yates , G3XGW, regular VMARS AM Net Controller located near Evesham, Worcestershire

Keith usually operates the VMARS net with a Labgear LG300 transmitter and a National HRO receiver but he has been known to come up on a Heathkit DX100U transmitter with an RCA AR88 receiver.Keith is pictured here in front of his 1940’s Marconi T1145/R1155 RAF aircraft station famously used on board Lancaster Bombers.

View Keith’s interesting radio website here

Below – Stuart McKinnon, G0TBI , regular VMARS AM Net Controller located in Kinver, Staffordshire

Stuart’s main station for use on the net is an RCA ET4336 Tx and an AR88 D receiver. However, he will frequently be heard using some of his other sets, such as his Marconi T1509, a DX100U or KW Vanguard transmitters from his large collection of vintage and miltary equipment.

Below – Paul Craven, M1PVC , regular VMARS AM Net Controller located near to the village of Hartfield in the Ashdown Forest, East Sussex.

Paul operates the VMARS net with a Heathkit DX100U or Labgear LG300 transmitter in combination with a National HRO 500 receiver. Among other restored vintage wireless equipment to be found in Paul’s shack and frequently heard on air are a T1154 and Bendix TA12c aircraft transmitters


Below – Martin Sweeting, G3YJO, regular VMARS Net Controller located near Guildford in Surrey.

Martin is pictured here seated  in front of his fully restored Wireless Set No.53 transmitter next to  an R107 receiver. As well as being on the Saturday Net controller rota, Martin can be regularly heard on air using one of his collection of British WW2 wireless sets which includes WS No’s.19, 52 and 62, as well as the WS 53.



Listen to Martins’ BBC “Life Scientific” interview broadcast in August 2021

Below –  Bob Tucker,  G6AVI, regular VMARS Net Controller located near the town of Watton in Southwest Norfolk.

Bob  is pictured here using a Minimitter ‘tabletopper’ transmitter and his Collins 75A-4 receiver. He also has an interest in building his own equipment and his “Home Brew” 813 transmitter and modulator can also be seen, along with other vintage equipment from his fine collection.



Below – the shack of Tony Barron, G3YYH, located in the Cotswold Hills about 5 miles south east of Cheltenham.

Tony generally uses an HRO receiver from 1946 and a DX100U transmitter, with SDR on stand-by to resolve difficult signals. Tony also frequently operates from portable locations in the UK and France and frequently works from his Land Rover or the vintage WW2 Canadian Military Pattern lorry that he owns jointly with Martin, M0MGA.






Below – The shack of John Sommerville, MW0XHO regular VMARS Net Controller located in Conwy, North Wales.

John’s extensive collection of equipment includes some heavy metal transmitters and receivers which include a Collins KWS-1 tx and 75A-4 rx “Gold Dust Twins” station, a Diplomatic Wireless Service Mk210 transmitter and his 1948 Marconi T1509 RAF ground transmitter pictured below. Receivers at John’s QTH include an RCA AR88D and a Collins 390A.



Below – Jonathan Wymer, G8URE is a regular Net Controller operating from Chichester in West Sussex.

Seen here with his WW2 WS18, which he uses with a transverter to work on 3615 Khz, Jonathan can always be relied upon to turn up on net with some rare and sometimes exotic equipment combinations to entertain us on air.

Below – Ian Underwood, M0YMK , occasional VMARS Net Controller located in Gloucester

Ian, who also holds the French licence F4VSC, operates a 1950’s Labgear LG300 or a Heathkit DX100U for net control. Other transmitters regularly used by Ian on VMARS nets are Bendix TA12c, Wireless Set No.52, Wireless Set No.19, Larkspur C11/R210, Collins TCS12 & Collins ART-13.




Below – Martin Smyth, M0MGA, regular VMARS Net Controller located in Whitehill near Bordon in East Hampshire.

Martin uses a Heathkit DX100U transmitter and an RCA AR88 receiver for his turns as Net Controller. At other times he can also frequently be heard using his very distinctive Wireless Set No 12 transmitter and regularly operates portable in UK and France with Tony, G3YYH.





Below – Martin Owen, G4JSX, regular VMARS Net Controller located near Rugby in Warwickshire.

Martin has a fine collection of Naval equipmemt dating from the 1940’s into the 1970’s, which can be regularly heard on air on the weekday SSB nets as well as on the weekly Saturday Morning AM net.


SSB nets
The society also runs SSB nets. A USB net takes place each Wednesday at 20:00hrs local time on 3615KHz +/-QRM to provide an opportunity for those who wish to use their unmodified military sets which operate in USB only. There is an LSB net on Friday evenings to encourage members to keep in touch on-air. This takes place at 19.30 and uses LSB on 3615KHz +/- QRM.

Special on-air events
From time to time, the Society runs special events, generally on the 40m, 60m and 80m bands, which specialise in use of vintage equipment or to commemorate some historic event with “wireless” connections. These are advertised to members in the News Sheet, and also on the Society’s website.

The VMARS call-sign is M0VMW

The SRS Nets
The Dutch Surplus Radio Society run AM and SSB nets for vintage enthusiasts, full details are on their website here .

Other AM Activity Frequencies
AM activity is increasingly found on a number of other bands, in particular: 5317KHz, 7143KHz, 14286KHz, 21425KHz and 29000 – 29150KHz. There are several local AM nets in the UK on topband.

FM Frequencies
For mobiles working into VMARS events, 2m calling in on 145.500MHz (S20) is usual, before QSY to a working frequency. At event locations where military equipment is in use, suggested FM “Centres of Activity” on VHF are 51.700Mhz, 70.425MHz (70.450MHz calling).

CW Practice Sessions
CW practice sessions are run by Colin, G3TSK  in Somerset and Keith G3XGW in Gloucestershire.The practice sessions take place on Mondays and Fridays starting at 09:00 local time and last about 30 minutes. The frequency is around 3.546MHz. Speeds are approximately 14, 16 and finally 18wpm. Listeners are invited to email G3XGW to be added to a group email to receive texts for checking. Keith’s email address is correct in the VMARS members list and on QRZ.com. The practice sessions are not nets, although brief reports will be acknowledged at the end of the session (in CW, of course!).

Colin G3TSK, running a morse practice session at below zero temperatures in mid-January, with Keith G3XGW, enjoying the comfort of his heated shack.

VMARS NETS & RECOMMENDED FREQUENCIES

All times are UK local

3615 KHz AM
Saturday AM net 08:30 – 10:30
3615 KHz USB

Wednesday USB net for military equipment 20:00 – 21:00
3615 KHz LSB
Friday LSB net 19:30 – 20:30
3615 KHz AM 
Regular informal net from around 07:30 – 08:30 and throughout the day
3546 KHz

3563 KHz CW 
+/- QRM
CW Practice sessions run by Colin G3TSK and Keith G3XGW are operated at 09:00 Monday & Friday on 3546KHz. These sessions are not nets but reports will be acknowledged. See above for more details.

Calling Frequency for CW. Scheduled operating times are 10:00 hrs and 19:00 hrs Daily. This is an informal net established to encourage greater use of CW by VMARS members, but non-members are welcome to join in. 
5317 KHz
AM   
Regular AM QSO’s, usually late afternoon. (Advanced licence required. 6Khz max bandwidth)
7143 KHz
AM   
VMARS AM operating frequency
51.700 MHz FM
VMARS FM operating frequency, also used at rallies and events
70.425 MHz FM
VMARS FM operating frequency, also used at rallies and events


VMARS Net Controller Rota for 2024/5 on 3615Khz

Amplitude Modulation every Saturday at 08:30 UK time

Hear and work 20+ stations using vintage equipment

last amended 3rd April 2024

Net Control Rota 2024

Download a printable copy of the 2024 Rota here

Date

1st
operator


2nd
operator





3rd
operator





January 6th

M1PVC

G0TBI

G3XGW

January 13th

G0TBI

G3XGW

M0MGA

January 20th

G3XGW

M0MGA

Guest

January 27th

M0MGA

Guest

G4JSX

February 3rd

Guest

G4JSX

G8URE

February 10th

G4JSX

G8URE

G3YJO

February 17th

G8URE

G3YJO

G3YYH
February 24th

G3YJO

G3YYH

G6AVI

March 2nd

G3YYH

G6AVI

M1PVC

March 9th

G6AVI

M1PVC

G0TBI

March 16th

M1PVC

G0TBI

G3XGW

March 23rd

G0TBI

G3XGW

M0MGA

March 30th

G3XGW

M0MGA

M0YMK

April 6th

M0MGA

M0YMK

G4JSX

April 13th

M0YMK

G4JSX

G8URE

April 20th

G4JSX

G8URE

G3YJO

April 27th

G8URE

G3YJO

G3YYH

May 4th

G3YJO

G3YYH

G6AVI

May 11th

G3YYH

G6AVI

M1PVC

May 18th

G6AVI

M1PVC

G0TBI

May 25th

M1PVC

G0TBI

G3XGW

June 1st

G0TBI

G3XGW

M0MGA

June 8th

G3XGW

M0MGA

M0YMK

June 15th

M0MGA

M0YMK

G4JSX

June 22nd

M0YMK

G4JSX

G8URE

June 29th

G4JSX

G8URE

G3YJO

July 6th

G8URE

G3YJO

G3YYH

July 13th

G3YJO

G3YYH

G6AVI

July 20th

G3YYH

G6AVI

M1PVC

July 27th

G6AVI

M1PVC

G0TBI

August 3rd

M1PVC

G0TBI

G3XGW

August 10th

G0TBI

G3XGW

M0MGA

August 17th

G3XGW

M0MGA

M0YMK

August 24th

M0MGA

M0YMK

G4JSX

August 31st

M0YMK

G4JSX

G8URE

September 7th

G4JSX

G8URE

G3YJO

September 14th

G8URE

G3YJO

G3YYH

September 21st

G3YJO

G3YYH

G6AVI

September 28th

G3YYH

G6AVI

M1PVC

October 5th

G6AVI

M1PVC

G0TBI

October 12th

M1PVC

G0TBI

G3XGW

October 19th

G0TBI

G3XGW

M0MGA

October 26th

G3XGW

M0MGA

M0YMK

November 2nd

M0MGA

M0YMK

G4JSX

November 9th

M0YMK

G4JSX

G8URE

November 16th

G4JSX

G8URE

G3YJO

November 23rd

G8URE

G3YJO

G3YYH

November 30th

G3YJO

G3YYH

G6AVI

December 7th

G3YYH

G6AVI

M1PVC

December 14th

G6AVI

M1PVC

G0TBI

December 21st

M1PVC

G0TBI

G3XGW

December 28th

G0TBI

G3XGW

M0MGA



2025

January 4th

G3XGW

M0MGA

M0YMK

January 11th

M0MGA

Guest

G4JSX

January 18th

Guest

G4JSX

G8URE

January 25th

G4JSX

G8URE

G3YJO

February 1st

G8URE

G3YJO

G3YYH

February 8th

G3YJO

G3YYH

G6AVI

February 15th

G3YYH

G6AVI

M1PVC

 

VMARS Members at play during summers with some of their prized vintage equipment