For the August UKuG 5/10GHz Cumulative contest I took 6cm WBFM and the Pluto SDR on an adventure up to Barr Beacon near Walsall (IO92BN). Apparently 11 counties are viewable on a clear day. The site has a lot of mature trees and bushes so views in all directions are partially unobstructed. Access was however very good and there is a large 1-way car park that hugs the top of the ridge.
On arrival I was greeted by six armed police officers who were sweeping the hedges. There were some local hams parked up working 10m with a large Moxon. I chose a space half-way along that had the clearest take-off to the South and West. In the distant haze I could just about make out various Shropshire Hills and to the South West The Malvern Hills.
My main objective of going to this location was to try and work the Telford Group over on Brown Clee (IO82QL), which I could just about see in-between the trees some 50km distant. I set up the 1M and 60cm WiFi Grid Dishes for TX and RX attached to the Pluto SDR first.
The Zello SHF Chat mobile app was intermittently busy with activity, with most stations looking for 3cm contacts. My preference for talkback is 2M using an FT-290R, 80W amplifier and an HB9CV. The first station I heard on 144.390Mhz SSB was EA2TO from IN83MB at 1,060km! With high pressure over the UK, there was some nice morning VHF tropo duct to the South.
Tuning round on the Pluto SDR I quickly found GB3OHM (IO92AJ) at very good strength (-31dB) 20km to the South West of the city. GB3ZME (IO82RP) in Telford was adjacent in frequency to the West and weaker (-52dB) at 46km.
G3ZME were busy on 2m and I waited until thy had cleared some 3cm traffic to call them. Martyn G3UKV called in my direction on 5760MHz SSB and I found their huge signal (-27dB) on the display easily at 52km. Really chuffed to get my first QSO on the Pluto which was extremely simply thanks to Simon G4ELI’s SDR Console software.
Before packing up I plugged in the 6cm WBFM kit to try and work Dave G1EHF/P on Walbury Hill (IO91GI) at 137km. He could not hear me but I could just detect something from him on channel 33. Not strong enough to complete a QSO plus there was a lot of WiFi data hash in all directions on most channels.
After packing up I visited the ice cream van that parked up opposite, before heading back to Berkshire. Overall a very pleasant and useful trip!
On arrival I was greeted by six armed police officers who were sweeping the hedges. There were some local hams parked up working 10m with a large Moxon. I chose a space half-way along that had the clearest take-off to the South and West. In the distant haze I could just about make out various Shropshire Hills and to the South West The Malvern Hills.
My main objective of going to this location was to try and work the Telford Group over on Brown Clee (IO82QL), which I could just about see in-between the trees some 50km distant. I set up the 1M and 60cm WiFi Grid Dishes for TX and RX attached to the Pluto SDR first.
The Zello SHF Chat mobile app was intermittently busy with activity, with most stations looking for 3cm contacts. My preference for talkback is 2M using an FT-290R, 80W amplifier and an HB9CV. The first station I heard on 144.390Mhz SSB was EA2TO from IN83MB at 1,060km! With high pressure over the UK, there was some nice morning VHF tropo duct to the South.
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| Pluto 6cm SSB at Barr Beacon |
Tuning round on the Pluto SDR I quickly found GB3OHM (IO92AJ) at very good strength (-31dB) 20km to the South West of the city. GB3ZME (IO82RP) in Telford was adjacent in frequency to the West and weaker (-52dB) at 46km.
G3ZME were busy on 2m and I waited until thy had cleared some 3cm traffic to call them. Martyn G3UKV called in my direction on 5760MHz SSB and I found their huge signal (-27dB) on the display easily at 52km. Really chuffed to get my first QSO on the Pluto which was extremely simply thanks to Simon G4ELI’s SDR Console software.
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| Brown Clee to Barr Beacon, 52km |
Before packing up I plugged in the 6cm WBFM kit to try and work Dave G1EHF/P on Walbury Hill (IO91GI) at 137km. He could not hear me but I could just detect something from him on channel 33. Not strong enough to complete a QSO plus there was a lot of WiFi data hash in all directions on most channels.
After packing up I visited the ice cream van that parked up opposite, before heading back to Berkshire. Overall a very pleasant and useful trip!