Royal Signals site Cannot Download

[HamishBoxer]

I am trying to get a manual (1698) but all I get is "Forbidden 403 Error". Tried another browser but no go.

Can anyone help ?

Thank you

[Station X]

Are you trying to obtain the document as a member or non member of the group?

At what stage do you get the error message?

It can be very difficult downloading stuff from that site. ISTR you must use an email address linked to an ISP ie not Hotmail, Gmail etc.

[HamishBoxer]

Hi Graham, I was trying as a non member and got the error straight away.

[Station X]

I've tried as a non member and my request was acknowledged. I'm still waiting for an email containing the link to the download though. I think this may be sent manually.

[HamishBoxer]

That is interesting Graham, not sure what is going off at my end then.

[Sean Williams]

It is a total nightmare to get any information from that site, for reasons only known to the site owner, the free sharing of information is to be frowned upon.

Anything that needs so many restrictions and regulations to access is a real spoiler to the hobby.

[HamishBoxer]

Thank you Sean, it does seem so and there is VMARS free to all but they do not have this manual I was after for a good pal of mine.

[Station X]

As far as I can see I've complied with all the terms and conditions, but needless to say I was unable to download any documents from the site.

Apparently they're concerned about people downloading stuff and selling it on eBay either as .pdf files or hardcopy. That does happen, but downloading is so difficult that it deters the genuine enthusiast wanting to repair vintage military equipment.

I'd actually be quite prepared to pay a reasonable fee for stuff.

[M0FYA Andy]

I have to say that I've never had any difficulty with downloading from that site!
Nor do I understand why so many people don't seem to be able to follow what are in reality a simple set of rules.
I'm not defending their approach, but I accept that the owners have the right to set the rules, in the same way that the owner of this site has.
But if you are having genuine problems, wouldn't it be more productive to contact the site in question rather than grumble on here?

Andy

[Station X]

I consider myself to be a reasonably intelligent person and I'm sure the same goes for HamishBoxer. I am capable of understanding rules and obeying them, but that site defeats me.

As for contacting them, I've tried that, but I'm just ignored.

[Station X]

Like HamishBoxer I'm now getting this:-

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access / on this server.
Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

Apache Server at www.royalsignals.org.uk Port 80

[David G4EBT]

In post #4 at this thread I reported that I couldn't gain access to the Royal Signals site to download a battery scan for a PP8 Battery:

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=143025

The links at which the scan was (allegedly) available were stated as:

http://www.royalsignals.org.uk/batteries/

http://www.royalsignals.org.uk/kd4hsh/index.html

I tried both of those to links check, but they report thus:

Forbidden.
You don't have permission to access /batteries/ on this server.
Additionally, a 403 Forbidden error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.

However, at post #6 in my thread, Joe ('ThePillennwerfer') stated:

‘Royal Signals has just let me on fine’

Maybe - as the title suggests - unlike the Vintage Military & Amateur Radio Society (VMARS) where the focus is on the equipment - not the background of potential members, Royal Signals is really intended as a closed group for member who were/are members of the Royal Signals and 'interlopers' aren't welcome? If that's so, given the passage of time, it won't have many members, and fewer by the day.

Perhaps it let Joe in because of the military connotations of his forum name, albeit it's a German colloquialism meaning 'pill thrower'! ("Don't tell him your name Pike!").

Odd.

[M0FYA Andy]

David,
I've no reason to believe that the site has any allegiance to the Royal Signals, I certainly have no connection, and as I said, have had no problem downloading from there.
The site is certainly closely related to the Wireless Set No 19 Group, which recently moved from Yahoo to Groups.io, I don't know which came first, the Group or the Website.
Having just checked the Royal Signals site rules, I note that it says non-members (of the WS19 Group) can only download a single document. I guess this means any second request will not work, ever.
Are the folk struggling members of the WS19 Group (now on Groups.io), and if not, are they falling foul of this rule?
As I said above, I'm not defending their way of working, so don't shoot the messenger, please, I'm just trying to be helpful!
Andy

[Station X]

I was a member of the group back in Yahoo days. I shall check whether I have been moved across to groups.io

[Station X]

The last time I was able to download documents as a member was in June 2013. I still have the email I received on that occasion and it would obviously have gone to the email address I registered with.

I can't access the royal signals site anymore, I think they've blocked my IP Address, but I recollect it said that all accounts would be automatically transferred from Yahoo to groups.io. I have been to the groups.io site and attempted to login, but it doesn't recognise the email address which I know to be correct.

[ThePillenwerfer]

The post of mine to which David refers above only meant I'd been able to view the site; I didn't try to download anything. I didn't need that PP8 scan as I gave it to them in the first place.

I only managed to download something once, after joining. Since then I've never managed it as either a Member or Guest. Now I simply don't bother as it tends to be things I'm curious about and don't actually NEED the information.

I've never had problems elsewhere; I can jump through RMOrg's hoops OK.

[M0SOE_Bruce]

I had the 403 error this week. Couldn't even access the main page. Cleared the browser cache and all is normal.

[Cobaltblue]

Curious I just tried a couple of the links posted by David and got straight in

Cheers

Mike T

[Station X]

The links work fine. It's when you try to download a document as described in post #1 that the problems begin.

[Cobaltblue]

No problem the battery Nets all load OK for me here in the office.

I will try this evening from my own broadband

I didn't try them all

Cheers

Mike T