The RAYNET Trophy, 1998 onwards

This page contains information on holders of the RAYNET Trophy from 1998.

Year Recipient & Citation 1998 David Green, G8HPV David has represented RAYNET with the User Service community in the Coventry area and has been very successful over many years in building up a professional relationship between RAYNET and those we serve. 1999 Mike McCreery, GM0ETC In recognition of Mike's outstanding contribution to the Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network. 2000 Martin Harrison, G3USF It is in recognition of his enthusiasm and professionalism of his management of the Staffordshire County RAYNET Group that the decision was made to award the Trophy to Martin Harrison, G3USF. He is a Professor of Politics at Keele University and lives nearby. He has held an Amateur Radio licence for over thirty-four years and joined RAYNET sixteen years ago. His appointment as County Controller came some time later and, with his group, has been involved in many emergency incidents in the county, most recently the flooding at Burton on Trent. He was instrumental in providing communications cover for the Fire Service at Cannock Chase during the last two hot summers when the risk of heath fires was at its height. The group has also assisted in the searches for missing persons that have occurred in the county as well as a number of other emergencies and exercises. 2001 Alan Hopkinson, G8OJQ Alan originally joined RAYNET in 1976 as a member of the "original" West Cheshire Group. He has served as a committee member of the current West Cheshire RAYNET Group for the last eleven years and has been a co-opted member of the Cheshire RAYNET committee for a similar length of time. He is currently serving as the Deputy Group Controller for West Cheshire Group. He is a keen and enthusiastic member of the group with an almost 100% attendance rate on events which in the case of West Cheshire RAYNET in 2000 equates to 70 hours of his time. The events ranged from the 'routine' to a night-time user service exercise and a live callout for the November floods. This itself would probably not be seen as exceptional enough to merit the award of the trophy; but what does make Alan exceptional is the way he more than triples the duty hours above in liaising with User Services in the planning of exercises, review of emergency plans which incorporate RAYNET, advising local emergency planners on suitable amateur radio equipment to install in DOSEC's, and then almost single handily for the last two years going to each DOSEC and testing the equipment provided to ensure it was still fit for service if called upon. A retired gentleman, Alan has brought his previous skills in the education profession to the service of RAYNET with the result that our User Services receive a 'professional' image of our service. From the provision of appropriately presented paperwork to his attendance at many meetings representing both the West Cheshire and Cheshire RAYNET controllers where he beings his many years of experience and common sense to bear, Alan has become 'Mr. RAYNET' to many of our User Services, without his consistency it is unlikely that Cheshire RAYNET would still have the same acceptance amongst our users. Because Alan is 'always there' , the services know that RAYNET is 'always there' to help them. Alan also supports his Zone Controller, Dave Hicks, G6IFA, who says he could not do his job as ZC10 without Alan's friendship and encouragement. Alan is a confidant and sounding board and he also takes on many of the onerous tasks that Dave cannot find the time for. His skills are not just reserved for the User Services, Alan is a point of contact for many amateurs in the area who know that he has great practical, technical expertise and has probably got the means to make a system or radio work and will willingly give his advice (and often the parts) to make things happen. Alan is too valuable a member to be kept a secret. Given his home location he is usually first to volunteer to assist with events for the neighbouring Wirral RAYNET group and (though not required to do so) attends meetings of the North West RAYNET association. He also attends events at Easingwold and usually attends the National AGM regardless of its location. In this way his reputation as a respected RAYNET member has spread with good reason. 2002 Brian Tindill, G4HVA In recognition of Brian's outstanding contribution to The Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network, and in particular his work as The Network "postmaster", processing all mail sent to the Hunters Moon moon address and passing on the many queries raised by the membership. 2003 Bill Mahoney, G3TZM The RAYNET Trophy 2003 goes to someone who usually blows someone else’s trumpet, but who usually manages to stay out of the spotlight himself. I hope the recipient does not mind me referring to him as “one of the old school”, a person who is not afraid to stand up and be counted when it is felt that a stance needs to be taken. I respect this person for the way that he does what needs to be done in a methodical manner. From Zone 9, a person who has done a great deal of PR work for the Network as well as carrying out more regular RAYNET duties. 2006 Greg Mossop, G0DUB Greg Mossop G0DUB was nominated in recognition of his untiring work, commitment and co-operation at all levels of RAYNET. As well as being an active group, county and zonal member, he is also part of the RAYNET HF team, Emergency Planning and Technical voluntary teams and a hard-working member of the RSGB’s 5MHz Working Group. He was instrumental in the setting up of the RAY~WARP, and has assisted in the preparation of documentation for international conferences, such as the IARU Region 1 meeting in Davos in 2005, and GAREC 2005 and 2006. He also assisted in the preparation of the Capabilities document, and the application to include RAYNET on the Airwave Sharers List.