On Sunday 27th September I had an enjoyable 3 hours and wonderful weather up on the Chiltern Ridge playing 10GHz in the final 3cm UKuG Cumulative Contest of 2015. First location I tried was Christmas Common (IO91MP) just West of the M40 gap, a North-facing sloping field complete with sheep and twitchers. First in the log was G0LGS/P Stewart on Cleeve Hill on the Cotswolds. After several attempts I finally worked Martyn G3ZME/P on Brown Clee Hill in Shropshire for my ODX of 147km, after correcting my offset dish elevation which somehow had gone wonky!
I then roved to a second site further East near Lacey Green Windmill (IO91OQ) in Buckinghamshire, which was much better to the West. Here I managed to utilise a gate post next to another field full of sheep (see photo of my 3cm basic lash-up 60cm offset and 0.2W, I must get my tripod operational). A call on 144.175MHz raised G0LGS/P again, this time with end-stop signals both ways at 90km on 3cm. Apologies to Stewart as my battery volts were dropping so the audio was a bit distorted.
Mobile phone and 2M talkback worked much better than ON4KST due to poor Wi-Fi at both sites. I noted that a separate 2M SSB talk-back radio for next time would have been most useful, as well as a small beam. Sorry to those that tried me including G8CUB/P, M0DTS/P, G4LDR and 2E0NEY, I hope to work you all next time. The Drowned Rats Radio Group M0HRF which I have recently joined, were nearby competing in the PW 70MHz contest and I popped into the pub to say hello to Dave G8LZE, Chris G4CLB, Carl M0ICR and Dave M0SAT a very friendly bunch. I decided to dedicate my UKuG 10GHz contest points to The Rats!
I then roved to a second site further East near Lacey Green Windmill (IO91OQ) in Buckinghamshire, which was much better to the West. Here I managed to utilise a gate post next to another field full of sheep (see photo of my 3cm basic lash-up 60cm offset and 0.2W, I must get my tripod operational). A call on 144.175MHz raised G0LGS/P again, this time with end-stop signals both ways at 90km on 3cm. Apologies to Stewart as my battery volts were dropping so the audio was a bit distorted.
Mobile phone and 2M talkback worked much better than ON4KST due to poor Wi-Fi at both sites. I noted that a separate 2M SSB talk-back radio for next time would have been most useful, as well as a small beam. Sorry to those that tried me including G8CUB/P, M0DTS/P, G4LDR and 2E0NEY, I hope to work you all next time. The Drowned Rats Radio Group M0HRF which I have recently joined, were nearby competing in the PW 70MHz contest and I popped into the pub to say hello to Dave G8LZE, Chris G4CLB, Carl M0ICR and Dave M0SAT a very friendly bunch. I decided to dedicate my UKuG 10GHz contest points to The Rats!
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| G1DFL/P at IO91OQ Lacey Green, looking West |