This was a quick Sunday afternoon 3cm SSB/CW test with Mike G6TRM/P who was in Ashford JO01MD, some 135km to the SE of my local Knowl Hill Common IO91OM site.
I'd worked Mike with difficulty when he was at the same /P location on 23cm in the UKuG November Low Band contest a week before, from my home location in IO91NL.
It wasn't going to be an easy path to crack on 3cm with my current QRP, and in the end all I could hear was a ping from Mike's 10W CW Beacon at one point, probably via AS, just above the noise. Big thanks to Mike for going out and giving it a try. It was a useful test for Mike as he had dish alignment, feeder coax and frequency offset issues which he managed to fix as part of his trip. It was also the first try of his x-BT TWT Amplifier which seemed to behave itself. Unfortunately he didn't hear my 0.2W of CW.
I'd worked Mike with difficulty when he was at the same /P location on 23cm in the UKuG November Low Band contest a week before, from my home location in IO91NL.
It wasn't going to be an easy path to crack on 3cm with my current QRP, and in the end all I could hear was a ping from Mike's 10W CW Beacon at one point, probably via AS, just above the noise. Big thanks to Mike for going out and giving it a try. It was a useful test for Mike as he had dish alignment, feeder coax and frequency offset issues which he managed to fix as part of his trip. It was also the first try of his x-BT TWT Amplifier which seemed to behave itself. Unfortunately he didn't hear my 0.2W of CW.
GB3SEE
was a nice 59 when I peaked the offset dish. I think 130-150km is about
the limit of my current 60cm dish and 0.2w 10GHz "Quick Starter-like" system. The good news for 2016 is that I have an LNA, RF amp and
sequencer to fit in the box, over winter. That will keep me busy!
Anyhow, despite another "no-contact" trip, it was a valuable quick test of my gear, ahead of this
Tuesdays SHF UKAC, when I plan to travel back down to the Coombe Hill PMR
Tower, IO91GI on the West Berkshire Downs.
This might well be my last venture out this year, so I'm keen to end the year on a high - and beat my record of 3 contacts in one session! Also I hope to get the first 3cm SHF points for the Drowned Rats Radio Group.
This might well be my last venture out this year, so I'm keen to end the year on a high - and beat my record of 3 contacts in one session! Also I hope to get the first 3cm SHF points for the Drowned Rats Radio Group.