For the March SHF UKAC I was determined to try a new location further west along the Chiltern Ridge. The objective was to find a better site to work stations to the North West on 6cm WBFM including Matt G8XYJ/P on Titterstone Cleve in Shropshire.
I started on 6cm (5.7GHz) WBFM with the dish up higher on the mast, but despite several tries with Matt G88XYJ/P (IO82QJ) and Dave M0RKX/P (IO92BA) the 145km and 95km paths were not going to go. I did however manage to work our Hereford buddies at Cleeve Hill (Matt 2E0MDJ/P and Stewart G0LGS/P). Being only 55km away both were massive signals at half the normal distance from my other Chiltern sites. My ODX was 77km with fellow “Drowned Rat” Jules M0UGA/P at Dunstable Downs. The site was very noisy on channel 42, so 33 was used and signals were very loud and clear.
After looking at various options, I settled on Sparsholt Down near Wantage. It took about 90 minutes drive exiting the M4 at J13 Hungerford. Traffic meant that I arrived on site a bit later than expected at 7pm. All four systems were quickly set-up on the Ridgeway Path, just along from some horse stables. Lambourn the nearest village is famous for horse training.
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| G1DFL on Sparsholt Down, Wantage (IO91FN) |
I started on 6cm (5.7GHz) WBFM with the dish up higher on the mast, but despite several tries with Matt G88XYJ/P (IO82QJ) and Dave M0RKX/P (IO92BA) the 145km and 95km paths were not going to go. I did however manage to work our Hereford buddies at Cleeve Hill (Matt 2E0MDJ/P and Stewart G0LGS/P). Being only 55km away both were massive signals at half the normal distance from my other Chiltern sites. My ODX was 77km with fellow “Drowned Rat” Jules M0UGA/P at Dunstable Downs. The site was very noisy on channel 42, so 33 was used and signals were very loud and clear.
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| Path from Sparsholt Down (left) NE to Dunstable |
On 9cm (3.4GHz) it was great to work David M0GHZ (IO81VK, 66km) for the first time and we also completed QSO’s on 13cm and 3cm. Easy QSO’s followed with G4CLA and G4ODA.
With 13cm (2.3GHz) I had 8 QSO’s which was twice as many as February's trip to Lacey Green. No real DX but good to get some locals during the time between the other bands. Stations worked included G4CLA, M0GHZ, G0LGS/P, 2EOMDJ/P, and fellow Rats G7LRQ, M0SAT, G3WJG and M0UGA/P.
On 3cm (10GHz) conditions seems to be poor and it was a struggle with the site not being so good to the North. Stewart and Matt on Cleeve Hill were worked easily as was M0GHZ. Dave G4ASR/P was loud from Dorstone (IO82LB, 140km). My mobile phone data signal was intermittent and this meant KST was non-existent. No one seemed to be using 2M talkback, and Zello was also quiet.
In summary, Sparsholt Downs was a long way to travel and despite being better to the SW, I wont be going back in a hurry as it was not spectacular! To top-off a mediocre night I got a puncture on the way home - the roads are full of pot holes - which meant I didn’t get home till 2.30am! I’ll be back at a more local spot next time.