Amateur radio signal could set world record

A radio signal which has travelled more than 16,000 miles around the globe from Australia to Norfolk could put the county in the record books.

Barry Williams, 46, from Sheringham, believes he could have set a new world record after managing to pick up a signal from Australia using a portable radio backpack.

Mr Williams often uses Beeston Hill in Sheringham as a point to send out and receive radio signals - mostly from fellow enthusiasts in Europe.

But on March 10, he managed to make contact with Roy Melling, from Cuballing in Western Australia.

Mr Williams said: "It's pure luck if you can get a signal outside of Europe.

"This to me is such an achievement. It is so amazing, using such little power, making this contact over 16,000 miles away."

He was using a 10-watt transmitter, while Mr Melling had a powerful 400- watt piece of kit at his home.

The signal transmitted went over the southern ocean across New Zealand, covering 16,320 miles, rather than going on a shorter path straight across Europe.

Mr Melling said: "I heard him calling me here in Cuballing and returned his call and we had a chat.

"The total distance may be a record for a guy walking with a portable of only a 10-watt transmitter."

Mr Williams has contacted Guinness World Records with details of the signal and is awaiting confirmation that he has broken the record.

A spokesman for Guinness World Records said he was not sure if the longest transmission was a category they currently had, but that Mr Williams was welcome to let them know about his transmission and they would investigate the claim.

Mr Williams is also deputy coastal controller for Norfolk County Raynet, a voluntary organisation formed of radio amateurs who help provide back-up radio links for the emergency services, St John Ambulance and coastguard.

He is hoping news of his possible world record may encourage others to take up amateur radio.

Raynet can be contacted at www.norfolkraynet.org.uk, and The Norfolk Amateur Radio Club via www.norfolkamateurradio.org

BeestonHump is a great location & was used during WWII as a location for one of the Y stations, these were top secret Direction finding stations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y-stations
From this area of the Norfolk coast there is nothing but water heading north, so it is a superb portable operating area, using our kite portable on less than one watt from a car park about a mile away I have worked Germany on 80 meters SSB for a long & easy QSO with a 5 & 9 signal report. I have worked a mobile 2 meter station north of Edinburgh on 2 meters FM & into Norway on 20 meters from a mobile whip using my 817 & half a watt.