Thankfully the weather forecast was for dry for the September SHF UKAC contest. I decided to drive North for my annual pigrimage to Dunstable Downs. This is an amazing chalk escarpment, forming the north-eastern extremity of the Chiltern Ridge. At 243m (797ft) it is the highest point in Bedfordshire.
IO91RU is also the go-to site for Jules M0UGA/P in the UKAC's, and he had driven up to the same car park to take part on 13cm. My plan was to try and work Steve G1PPA/P (JO03AE, 154km) on 3cm and 9cm - or at least try as that direction looked to be reasonably clear.
Because it was very windy, I decided to put everthing on my 5m EA telescopic mast on the drive on plate and to guy it. This meant that 3.4GHz was a very low only about 1.5m off the deck. 10GHz and 5.7GHz were above the guyiing point at 3m and 3.5m high respectively.
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| 6cm, 3cm and 9cm at Dunstable |
It was great to get set-up early and have a listem for beacons before the start of the contest. Bampton GB3LPC on 3400.935GHz (IO91FR, 71km) was reassuringly end-stop. No beacons were heard on 6cm as Farnham GB3FNM to the South was obstructed. On 3cm, Reigate GB3SEE was similarly undetectable. However it was comforting to be able to listen to GB3CAM on 10368.755GHz (IO92WI, 61km) which was 579 and a very useful frequency reference.
It was the first portable outing on 3.4GHz for the 90cm PF dish with G4DBN feed. I was super pleased to get a record 7 contacts in the log. First up was Neil G4BRK (IO91HP, 62km) followed by Pete G4CLA (IO91JL, 98km), then Chris G0WUS (IO92KO, 93Km), John G3XDY (JO02OB, 123km), David G4FEV (IO91RG, 47km), Mike G8CUL (IO91JO, 54km) and finally David M0GHZ (IO81VK, 124km) for my ODX and a total of 587Km points. Not bad given that the dish was very low to the ground.
With 5.7GHz there were not so many folks active, plus the site is badly impacted by local WiFi noise. I worked just two stations Anthony G7LRQ (IO91TQ, 22km) and G4CLA (I092JL, 84km) for my ODX. Both were loud and easy signals to copy. I tried with Gordon G3WJG but nothing was heard at either end. It was pleasing to hear both M0GHZ and G3XDY but with only 1W they could not detect me, so I definitely need more RF on this band.
Conditions on 10GHz did not seem to be that great. I worked Stewart G0LGS/P on Birdlip Hill (I081WU, 109Km), G4CLA (I092JL, 84km) and G3XDY (JO02OB, 123km) for my ODX.
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| G1DFL/P and M0UGA/P in the Car Park |
ON4KST was busy and I could not get Keith G4ODA's attention - he would have added a very useful and easy 106km points on all three bands! I did try multiple times to work Steve G1PPA/P on 3cm or 9cm but withiut success. Overall it was another enjoyable SHF UKAC, and great to see Jules at a social distance across the car park - I was operating outside whilst Jules was in his car.
I'm looking forward to another calm dry UKAC SHF when I can put the 9cm dish up a lot higher in the air. That will make a considerable difference to its efficiency, and to my score!