Record 6 contacts on 10GHz!

The first UKuG 10GHz Cumulative took place at the end of May, and I decided to return to Lacey Green IO91OQ, high up on the Chiltern Ridge.  This time I was joined by my twin Brother Rob G1TYY, and we met up with Carl M0ICR a friend from the Drowned Rats Radio Club.

Carl and Rob set-up a 4m station for the third RSGB 70MHz Cumulative using my FT817ND,  25W Spectrum Transverter into Carl’s Moxon. Between 3pm and 5pm local time they had fun completing 38 QSO including IO64, IO70,74, 75, IO80-4, IO90-94, JO01, 02, and JO22, working G, GW, GI, GM and PA. 

On 10GHz I set-up the 60cm offset dish on the tripod and for the first time mounted the dish horizontally, so that I didn’t have to optimise the elevation, so one less variable to worry about. It seemed to work much better in that configuration. I’ve not yet managed to re-house and add the LNA and RF amp, so the DB6NT G2 was barefoot with approx 150mW to 200mW out, driven from my trusty FT290R Mk1.  For 2m talkback I used a Trio TR-9000 with a 100W Amplifier into an HB9CV.


10GHz /P at Lacey Green

After setting up, I switched on the 2m Microwave talkback 144.175MHz and the band was worryingly quiet! KST was busy with UK folks trying to work stations in Northern France. First in the log was Martyn G3ZME/P on Brown Clee at 164km (which was my ODX) followed by Stewart G0LGS/P on Cleeve Hill (IO91XW at 96km), both very strong signals.

Mike G6TRM/P (JO01QD at 161km) who I have tried to contact previously on both 10Ghz and 24GHz, was out near Dover and he called me on my phone to try and set-up a QSO.  For the first time ever I heard his beacon to the South East distorted with an auroral-like tone due to RS enhancement and scatter. We quickly completed a QSO which made my afternoon as we have tried several times before from other sites without success. Its all about the location! 

The QSO with Mike was tailgated by Graham G8HAJ (JO01JR at 119km) near Maldon in Essex, the first time someone has called me on 10GHz and he was also a very strong signal but hugely distorted. Graham’s signal was only readable when beaming South East towards Dover, no signal was heard on the direct path.

I also made contact with Noel G8GTZ/P who was at Hannington (IO91JH at 50km) and Matt 2E0MDJ/P who was co-sited with Stewart on Cleeve Hill before packing-up.

3cm Contacts in all directions from Lacey Green!

It was a great couple of hours on 10GHz with a record 6 Contacts completed. ODX was G3ZME/P on Brown Clee IO82QL at 164km. Great to work two stations in JO01 including my first complete QSO with Mike G6TRM/P. Lacey Green seems to be a good GHz site in most directions. The Wx was great, warm sunny with a blue sky and some really interesting rainscatter propagation.  I’m looking forward to returning to Lacey Green later in the year.