On this page, you’ll find information about RSGBTech, an email group for technical discussion about amateur radio.
What is RSGBTech?
It’s an email-based discussion group, sometimes referred to as a ‘reflector’. You have to sign up via Groups.io to join, and then you can submit questions or comments either by email to the group, or via the Groups.io website.
The group is moderated to prevent abuse, and you can opt to receive emails as they’re received, in the form of a digest, or read the message via the Groups.io website.
You can join the group at groups.io/g/RSGBTechnical
| Update 2019: There is a new group which is gaining popularity, and has a less strict moderation policy. Take a look at: RSGB Workshop |
Who runs RSGBTech?
RSGBTech launched in early 2009 and was promoted as an RSGB service for many years. In a joint statement issued by the RSGB and the group’s owner Brian Reay G8OSN in April 2017, it’s stated that “Both the RSGB and G8OSN wish to make it very clear that RSGBTech Yahoo Group is entirely independent from the RSGB”
Moderators: Brian Reay G8OSN, David Barber (formally G8OQW) and Ray Kelly G3ZRK
Moderation Policy
The group is tightly moderated to ensure that discussion is kept on topic, resulting in a pleasant, informative and generally cordial group.
In March 2017, Essex Ham’s Chairman Pete M0PSX was removed from the RSGBTech by the moderators, despite having not posted in the group, or breaching any of the group’s rules. Pete’s wife (Sarah M6PSK) has also been refused access to the group. It is understood that this is in respect of a ten-year long conflict that the moderator has been having with both an Essex-based amateur radio society and the RSGB. Pete M0PSX, a member of both of these societies, was forced to make a public statement in defence of a number of allegations that had been made against him by the RSGBTech Moderator. The assumption is that the resulting ban, is out of spite – hardly in the best traditions of amateur radio!
RSGBTech ownership
In March 2017, there was some discussion about ownership of the group, with many believing the group to be supported and endorsed by the RSGB. The 2017 moderator believes that he has sole ownership of the group. In researching this subject, we were able to find the following information in the public domain:
Creation / ownership / management of the group is widely credited to Leslie Butterfields G0CIB. Leslie was an RSGB Director between 2006 and 2011:
Leslie’s LinkedIn profile states: “Technical Director (2005-October 2011) on the Board responsible for the Technical forum, RSGBTech and Propagation Studies Committee” and Leslie confirmed his responsibility for RSGBTech in a 2011 episode of the ICQ Podcast (Source: ICQ Podcast S04E22)
Several of the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee Minutes make reference to Leslie’s involvement with RSGBTech, such as “Leslie runs the RSGB Tech Yahoo Group and reports that it gets a lot of use.” (Source: RSGB PSC Minutes 02 April 2011)
The RSGBTech group has benefited from significant support and promotion from the RSGB since its launch, with numerous RSGB references being made to the group as an RSGB resource. Some examples:
Promotion for RSGBTech started on GB2RS in early April 2009, and the first promotion appeared on page 7 (‘RSGB Matters’) of the May 2009 Radcom (Link: GB2RS 11 April 2009)
From September 2009 to late 2012, the RSGB website stated: “RSGBTech is technical help for the 21st century. It is an RSGB internet site located on Yahoo!” (Source: Archive.org)
In 2013, the RSGB website stated: “The following Yahoo! Group forums are facilitated by the RSGB for use by members and non-members. They are all moderated and all users will need to observe the RSGB’s Internet Guidelines”. The list includes RSGBTech , RSGB LF Group , UKC4 and UKC5 Groups. (Source: Archive.org)
Between 2015 and 2017, the RSGB website stated: “RSGB uses a combination of dedicated facilities (RSGB Forums) and Yahoo! Groups for use by members and non-members. They are all moderated and all users will need to observe the RSGB’s Internet Guidelines.” List includes RSGBTech , RSGB LF Group and IARU Matters. Source: (Archive.org)
From 2010 to 2015, the RSGB Yearbook lists RSGBTech as an RSGB site. In 2015, the Yearbook states that RSGBTech is “an RSGB internet site located on Yahoo with 1371 members” (Source: Andy Talbot G4JNT RSGB Yearbook 2015)
The current moderators state that the group was created independently of the RSGB. The following quotes appear in an online Usenet discussion from March 2017, from group moderator Brian G8OSN:
“Why do you think, when every group the RSGB tries to run, fails, RSGBTech has flourished? True they like to advertise us and bask in our success but that is their way. They have no say in the running of the group, who is admitted, or removed, nor the appointment of moderators.”
“I set up RSGBTech as an independent group with Leslie, who did supported the idea. He ‘pushed it’ via his portfolio etc., which I was more than happy with.”
“RSGBTech has always been independent. I see no reason to change that.”
Summary
Whilst the RSGBTech Group is an excellent resource, we do not feel is is right to restrict access to amateurs and their families based solely on their club affiliation, or due to offline feuds between moderators, the RSGB and local radio societies. The group claims to be “open to ALL radio amateurs”, but if a personal vendetta is involved, it seems that’s not the case.
The unfair banning, or blacklisting, of Pete & Sarah is the tip of the iceberg. There are several others who have been arbitrarily banned from joining the group, or even being allowed to read the archives of this “Technical Resource”, purportedly open to all Radio Amateur’s. Their crime was to disagree with one of the “moderators” concerned, or to take exception to his contemptible statements, such as calling anyone and everyone challenging his pronouncements “Usual Rejects”, “Failures”, “Lacking Qualifications” and more recently “Scum”. If you don’t agree with him and many don’t – you are banned and the subject for extra further abuse, including venomous abuse, from him.
There is no place in a hobby that prides itself in the equality of all Radio Amateurs for this sort of divisive behaviour and it is time that the RSGB realised that it is doing the hobby, and the RSGB considerable damage.
The RSGB recently solicited opinion in their “RSGB Strategy Consultation” , where one of the aims was:-
“Encourage and respect the full range of amateur activities, in all its diversity”. That clearly must include debate, even argument on subjects connected to the hobby and the freedom for radio amateurs to be allowed to disagree without sanctions. It is becoming clearer by the day that the RSGB is ignoring this issue – maybe hoping it would go away. Weasel words. The RSGB needs to stamp this issue out, if any future consultations are to be taken seriously by the membership and potential membership.
The RSGB needs to 1) Stop promoting this group. 2) Revoke any permission for RSGBTech to use the RSGB in its title, by legal means if needs be. and 3) Publicly denounce the policies that have brought the moderators and the RSGB into disrepute, if the RSGB wishes to regain credibility.
I can understand the need to keep some undesirables out. For example, http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/towns/chippenhamheadlines/9317744.Porn_slur_leads_to_dock/ Now, that really isn’t the sort of person one would want to meet online.
As the defendant of that court case it is more important that the events leading up to that case are discussed; events which were a protracted campaign of grossly offensive abuse on the Internet directed at me by Brian Reay G8OSN which included the suggestion that my wife was a sheep in the bed next to me. I believed then, as I do today, that it was entirely right and proper to raise with his school Reay’s unsuitability as a school teacher, irrespective of the outcome of the court case which I hold to be a miscarriage of justice because the judge forbade me to cite DPP v Collins in the House of Lords which
IMHO (IANAL) fully vindicated my actions and defence. I had been athe subject of a vendetta by Reay since 2002, and it continues to this day.
bounce up…woo hoo…what hammy mens radio is now all about….
Got to say that M0PSX sounds like a bit of a knob, from his own website….
“I’m now licensed to transmit at powers of up to 400 watts on the amateur bands. I’m often found monitoring GB3DA, the Danbury repeater”
400 watts on a repeater. Classy.
Another example of an endemic problem. G8s and G3s conspiring to make life difficult for the future generation. There are too many old guard hams out there with a penchant for pedantry and keyboard politics, intent on making life difficult for those with new ideas and approaches.
The RSGB’s plans toughening entry to the hobby for non-academics highlights whose side they’re on.
It seems the mods on RSGBtech finally lost the plot, resulting in a breakaway of several movers & shakers. There is now an open group at https://groups.io/g/RSGB-Workshop and it appears many users are moving across.