Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl, who shares the following:

(Sources: QRZ.com and http://www.martellotowergroup.com/gb5rc.html)

Celebrating five decades of offshore radio broadcasting GB5RC

For the full report of GB5RC in 2016, click here

Thursday 3rd – Monday 7th August 2017

Following our successful activation of MV Ross Revenge in August 2016 we are very excited to be able to run the special event station again in 2017. The Ross Revenge has been the home of the world famous Radio Caroline since 1983. To find out more about our 2016 activation, please click here.

Our plan is similar to last year, however we will be on the Ross a day early, heading out and setting up on Thursday 3rd August with plans to start operating either on the evening of the 3rd or the morning of Friday the 4th. We will operate two stations throughout the weekend, closing down in the early hours of Monday morning, grabbing a few hours sleep and then dismantling everything after a leisurely breakfast before leaving around lunchtime.

We will have two stations operating for as much as possible and this year we will be concentrating on 80m, 40m and 20m with the option to retune the 20m vertical for 17m, 15m, 12m and 10m if conditions are favourable. These bands weren’t very successful in 2016 so we’d rather stick where there’s the most activity. We will have dipoles for 80m and 40m and verticals for 40m and 20m. We may have something for VHF/UHF but we struggled on there last year due to interference from the solar panels whenever the sun shone!

For more details on GB5RC in 2017, please click here ((http://www.martellotowergroup.com/gb5rc.html))

QSL Policy

The QSL card for our 2017 special event station will be a different design to that used in 2016.
Please read this carefully. Failure to follow the procedure will mean your QSL card will either be delayed or you won’t receive it.

Please send cards either direct to G6NHU or via the Bureau addressed to GB5RC.
If sending direct from within the UK, please include an SASE.

From anywhere outside the UK, please include an SAE and $2.

Do not send stamps or any currency other than US$. Direct cards received without envelopes or the correct postage will be returned via the bureau. No exceptions.

If you’d like to add a few extra dollars to go towards supporting Radio Caroline, they will be gratefully received and passed on to the Support Group.

Remember – If you don’t manage to work us but would still like a QSL card, you can send an SWL report as detailed below. These are best sent direct and not via the bureau.

Please do NOT send IRCs.

Direct QSLs to Keith Maton, 41 Bemerton Gardens, Kirby Cross, Essex. CO13 0LQ, United Kingdom.

SWL reports

We appreciate this will be a busy station and due to the nature of the event, we encourage SWL reports. If you send an SWL report, please make sure you list the exact frequency we were working on, the time you heard us and list the callsigns of two stations or more that we were talking to. It would also be nice to know what radio and aerial you’re using.

For more information about Radio Caroline, including how to join the support group and help keep the station on the air and Ross Revenge afloat, please see the website. Radio Caroline’s main running costs are covered by Support Group subscriptions and donations.