For the August SHF UKAC I ventured back to the Pink Road Layby at Lacey Green (IO91OQ, 235m ASL). It was a calm, dry and pitch black evening. On 3cm with the bigger 1m Offset Gibbertini Dish I managed 6 QSO's, my ODX was G3PHO (IO93GG, 182km).
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| GHz Fun in the Hawthorn Hedge! |
On 13cm with just 0.8W and the 1m Grid Dish I worked 14 stations with ODX being G4JLG/P (I083RO, 244km). The Hawthorn bush and razor sharp barbed wire reminded of of what an inhospitable location Lacey Green actually is to operate from! I'd strapped the mast to the farm gate post which was now in the overgrown prickly hedge. I cut my fingers and hands to pieces rotating the pole! Next time I must bring some gardening gloves and pruners.
Overall it was an enjoyable outing, despite poor band conditions and the hawthorn bush. It was a struggle at times hearing some signals with quite a few regulars missing. My QRP doesn't help, I must start on building out more powerful GHz systems this winter.