Ken,
The repeater at Lumley (GB3TW) is working, alive and well on 145.725 but the coverage isn’t what it used to be. We are currently looking for a new site to improve coverage
The Crook repeater is the new 1 in the area and is getting alot of use but where I live (Washington) the local fave is GB3NT on 70 cms, paticularly during the day.
I’ve found the Lumley repeater (GB3TW) need a long press of the key (around 6 secs)to open it up. Just registered on the site but have spoken to a few of the contributers on here, so hope i’m welcome, even as a “White Van Man” LOL. 
Dave 2E0LOG
Hello Dave,Nice to see you on here.
I can now have a virtual chat with you,as well as a one through YW.
Ken.
John.
A good site for the Lumley repeater,would be on top of Penshaw monument. 
But wouldn’t the guy at Birtley,allow it to be put on the back of the shop? I’m guessing you’ve already asked him.
Ken.
For the benefit of the fellow Hams and anyone even vaguely interested. Im posting this link to Ofcom.
ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/ … r_2028.pdf
It shows what the various licences are allowed, but significentely it looks like M3’s will be allowed 10 metres from October. Shame the Sporadic E season will be over by then
73 de G8YMW[/b]
Just for information …
My 11 yr old Son, David, passed his Foundation course last night at Great Lumley radio club and I have the task of contacting Ofcom for his license and callsign today. Watch out anybody coming to the North East, we have a new Amateur on the air. He already monitors GB3TW (2m) and NT (70 cms) repeaters.
I’ll post his callsign on here as soon as he gets it!
Congratulations and well done Titch ■■■
John Vasey
G1JDV
Pass on my congratulations John.
It looks like I could well be going for my 2E0,when our next course starts at the end of this month.
Ken M3SSQ.(2E0■■?)
Thanks for that Ken,
He was so pleased with himself last night, scored 19 out of 25 n said it was to easy!! 
Anyway, I’ve been on the phone to RLC, Bristol and requested his call sign, sent the application form off by courier for delivery tomorrow and by next week he should be M3ZDV, keep your ears open when passing Washington
73
John
Congratulations to M3ZDV and Ken, looking forward to 2E0SSQ. My missus got her 2E0 (2E0LUY) April 05, she’s working on her M0 at the moment.
When Lucy took her 2E0 at home (She’s a wheelchair pilot) there was simultaneously the 2E0 exam being held at the Pywipe Inn at Lincoln with this couple and another sitting theirs’ .
Backtrack to January…
The male half of this couple came home and found the brackets holding hiis antennas up looking ready to come down. So…up the ladder he goes on his todd, ladder goes one way, he goes another. He lands on his feet BUT he lands on concrete and jars his back badly (Most of '05 off sick including some abortive attempts to get back earlier)
Fast forward to the exam…
Lucy was using her computer and scanner to zoom in on the question paper and she had question 41 on and the first line of question 42 which went
When using a ladder one must…
No need to tell you that Lucy howled with laughter. The female half of the couple was laughing so much she thought she would be kicked out of the exam, he had a major monk on.
So Ken this is one mark “In the bank”
When using a ladder one must…
PMSL…
I don’t know if 2E0SSQ would be available,but a phone call to the RLC in Bristol would answer that question.
Ken.
Well, M3ZDV has been on the air for most of the weekend. Making contacts as a new call sign is easy, everbody wanted to talk to him. He even managed to bust the pile-up for a special event staion for ‘Windmills on the Air’ w/end.
How is he operating without his license being issued? Easy peasy, as it has been allocated to my Son, David, he is free to use it from the day it is logged into the RLC computer. Of course, as soon as he heard that, he was away and has had a very enjoyable time of it.
Now it’s his birthday in July and he already has his order placed, so it looks like a trip down to Martin Lynchs place for some new radio gear!
73
G1JDV
How is he operating without his license being issued? Easy peasy, as it has been allocated to my Son, David, he is free to use it from the day it is logged into the RLC computer. Of course, as soon as he heard that, he was away and has had a very enjoyable time of it.
Interesting that John.
When I had my call sign allocated,the phone call went like this:
K. I’m enquiring about my request for SSQ,and have been told to ring you back today,and see what the state of play is.
RLC. Ah yes,I’ve dealt with that personally myself this morning,and can confirm that you have got it.
K. Superb,now I can go a calling if you’ve allocated it.
RLC. Not so fast.You can’t use it until the computer has been updated at midnight tonight,any usage before hand will render you an illegal user.
K. But if you’ve allocated it,surely I am legal to use it?
RLC. No.Like I said,you have to wait until the main system updates all of todays allocations.
Now correct me if I’m wrong,but surely if they tell you that you’ve been given XYZ callsign,you should be free to transmit,after all,that is going to be your callsign from now on?
Ken.
Ken,
As I said above and I think it’s correct, you can use your call as soon as it’s logged onto the RLC computer as you just said above to.
The Sporadic E season is well and truly open.
On 10 metres EA3 (Spain) SM7 (Sweden) and 9A (Croatia) heard on SSB, 6Metres was open and I have read reports that 4 Metres has been open to Slovenia
70mhz.org/
73 de Tony
Hi Ken,
Nice to chat with you through the repeater today and thanks for surprising Titch that you knew his callsign hahahaha 
Just for everybody elses info, Ken, aka Quinny or M3SSQ, was up near Alnwick and I was in Washington, chatting on 70cms UHF and at least 50 miles apart. Thats the beauty of Ham Radio and the nationwide repeater network.
Hope to meet you when your up this way again next week mate.
73
John
G1JDV (& Titch M3ZDV)
Hi John.
It was a pleasure. It just goes to show,that contact can be made with QRP.
For those that are reading this,and think CB is the dogs danglies,think again.
As John says,there was quite a distance between us,and I managed to get into the repeater in Gateshead,from Alnwick with 5 watts.With the equivalent power on CB,you’d be lucky to get 5 miles.
So if you had any thoughts about going for your entry licence into ham radio,there’s the above proof that’s it’s streets ahaead of CB.
Ken.
Now Then Guys
I was mobile on the M20 talking through the Repeater down there talking back to the one of the guys in Yorkshire, who was talking to a guy walking his dog, while off to get his morning paper not bad going eh to say we was all on handhelds doing 2/5 watts, and by the way the other guy was walking to his local Shop in Lima Peru.
Beats cb any day come on guys go sit the exam you dont know what you are missing it’s not that hard,the HGV theory test is harder than a ham licence
Paul
2E1AYS
My guess is,that was through IRLP or Echolink Paul.
I love that system,and think it’s a great way to play with limited equipment.
Well,since I last posted on here,I have bought a Yaesu FT 7800 from a guy in Leeds.It is less than 12 months old,and still has the receipt with it.£240 quids worth of radio,for a respectable £140,and I’ve had excellent audio reports while using it.
I still have my little Yaesu FT50 handheld as well.
Ken M3SSQ.
told you it was a good hobbie, glad your all having fun on the ham bands, glad i put this chat forum on here now…
chat soon lads
73’s gd dx to all
de steve … m1bux
south yorkshire …