Today I spent a happy hour at the roadside lay-by at Lacey Green, IO91OQ for the penultimate UkuG 10GHz contest. Lacey Green is a high spot on the Chiltern Ridge (774ft, 235m ASL) with fantastic views to the West and North. The Wx had not been great with lots of rain earlier in the day, but I managed to dodge the precipitation by venturing out late in the afternoon.
Conditions seemed to be average with no rain scatter enhancement. With just the DB6NT G2's circa 150-200mW and the 60cm offset dish, I completed 4 QSO’s which is a record number for me - usually its just 1 or 2! Today proved to be my busiest 10GHz session so far in the the SHF UKAC’s and UKuG contests, a really pleasing result.
On arrival after a quick CQ on the Microwave Talkback frequency of 144.175MHz, using just the FT-290R Mk1 with 2.5W and its telescopic whip, the first in the log on 3cm was G3ZME/P. Martyn was operating with the Telford Group up on Brown Clee in Shropshire IO82QL (1,770ft, 440m ASL) at a distance of 154km. This QSO beat my previous ODX of 147km (when I last worked Martyn from IO91MP Christmas Common) and means I’ve finally worked beyond the magic 150km wall!
After another CQ on 2m and a bit of meeping on ON4KST chat, the next 2 QSO’s were quickly arranged with the father and son team of Stewart G0LGS/P and Matt 2E0MDJ/P who were on Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire IO81XW, the highest point of the Cotswolds (1,083ft, 330m ASL) at a distance of 91km. Both were amazingly strong signals on 144MHz and 10368MHz.
I then tried several times with M0HNA/P the Combe Gibberlets team (Brian G4SJH and David G1EHF) on Walbury Hill near Hungerford (974ft, 297m). We worked each other fine on 2m SSB at 60km, and although I could detect a very weak signal on 3cm we were unable to complete a QSO. The SW is not a great direction from the Lacey Green site and the path to IO91GI is very obstructed with several other hills in the way. We have tried lots of times in UKuG contests from various locations and I’m sure we will make a QSO one day soon. For sure it will not be for want of trying!
Last in the log was Noel G8GTZ/P located just south of the M3 at Basingstoke which was arranged by mobile phone. Noel was at the same location I tried in IO91KF when I worked him at Hannington in the May SHF UKAC contest. It was a very pleasant surprise to work Noel at 56km, as it involved pointing the dish just West of South - again not a great take-off direction from Lacey Green. For this outing I had the SoundLab 4m Gear4Music tripod which I use in the UKAC's with me. I managed to elevate the dish so that it was about 2m above the ground clearing a nearby hedge, which seemed to do the trick!
Overall this was a very enjoyable UKuG contest and I plan to revisit Lacey Green again for either the October or November SHF UKAC’s with 3cm and also 13cm kit.
A record 4 QSO's in 1 hour on 10GHz. Busy!