November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Please post here if you are planning any significant ATV Activity such as DXpeditions or Contest participation
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g8gtz
Posts: 1733
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by g8gtz » Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:20 pm

One week to go until the next excuse to spend some time in the shack or go out portable and test all that gear you've been building.

A lot of people seem to be experimenting with 5.6 GHz and hopefully we will see several people out /p trying to work other groups - don't forget the current record is 138Km and held by the South of England team :-)

If you are planning / thinking of getting on the air or going out portable, please post your plans here. I've not decided on plans yet but will be out, potentially on Saturday and Sunday when there is also a 3.4GHz NB contest, so maybe a good time to try some 3.4GHz DATV.

73 Noel - G8GTZ

M0DTS
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Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by M0DTS » Sun Nov 12, 2017 7:27 pm

I will most likely be out on the Sunday.
Will be at one of the usual spots on the Moors, IO94MJ most likely.

Will have most bands available.

Rob
M0DTS

M0SKM
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Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by M0SKM » Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:14 am

Just leaving to go to Dunstable Downs with 5GHz and 13cm digital kit. Initially doing some tests with G4CPE. Will be stopping on till lunchtime and happy to make contacts.

Steve
Find me on D Star through GB7BP

M0SKM
Posts: 369
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Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by M0SKM » Sun Nov 19, 2017 4:26 pm

Lovely Sunday morning; just a tad cold.
Went out early to load my new mobile shack and the doors were frozen shut; good excuse for another coffee. :D
My van is recently acquired so no fixed desk at the moment; should be properly sorted for activity weekends 2018.

There are a couple of handy parking spots in the top car park (Visitor Centre), the surface is large stones covering a metal grid so the end bays are best; the only places you can use one of the screw in pole mounts. On this occasion I used a drive on mount for a telescopic mast and 13cm horn.

I had made some plans to do a couple of tests on 13cms and 5GHz with Arthur G4CPE. Arthur is fairly local to the downs but we wanted to see if a path existed on 5GHz; there's a solid line of trees to the NE of the visitor centre. 13cms was easy using 2 watts and a horn antenna; sadly we drew a blank with 5GHz.

Phil G8XTW is working on a 5GHz project and had in place a transmitter only; I swung the Wi-Fi grid around and there was his P5 picture; you'll note in the pictures below I was beaming straight through a hedge. Keen to see if he could receive my signal Phil climbed a ladder to a flat section of his roof with a handheld receiver; his efforts rewarded with a P3 picture using just a Wi-Fi dipole.

On completion of the local tests I had a listen for a while on 144.750 but all was quiet; possibly due to just using a handheld radio into a mobile whip. At this point my legs were losing contact with my feet due to cold; it was an easy decision to clear away and head home.

Next time out I'll endeavour to be a bit more organised.
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M0SKM
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Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by M0SKM » Sun Nov 19, 2017 4:41 pm

One more picture; a screen dump just received from G4CPE.

Yours truly in a happy place.

Steve
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G8GKQ
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Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by G8GKQ » Sun Nov 19, 2017 5:28 pm

I made a very late decision to go to the Ridgeway just South of Harwell this morning.

My first contact was a 2-way on 5.6 GHz FM ATV with Noel G8GTZ who was at Walbury Hill 25 km away. Not surprisingly P5 both ways. Arthur G4CPE mentioned that he might have seen me briefly on the 5.6 GHz input to GB3TZ. Unfortunately further attempts to get pictures into GB3TZ failed; I was also unable to copy or be received by Arthur or Phil G8XTW on 5.6 GHz.

I swapped dishes and then managed to receive Noel on 3.4GHz DATV. He had to go up to 6MS SR as I was using an old LNB with really bad phase noise. A first for us - 3.4 GHz; I need to build a better receiver next.

Lastly I worked Mike G0MJW on 146.5 MHz DATV. He sent 720P to me, and I sent 576p back. I did not have a DVB-S2 capable tuner to try full HD with. Arthur G4CPE also copied my 146.5 MHz signal.

I thought that I briefly heard Rob M0DTS/P on 144.75, but he was very weak and did not seem to hear me.

A great day out in lovely weather!

Dave G8GKQ

M0DTS
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Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:03 pm

Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by M0DTS » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:58 pm

Sorry Dave, i did not hear you.
I was running 8el Horizontal antenna today rather then the slant i normally use, much much harder to work the vertical stations so will be back to slant next time (at worst -3dB x-pol).

Conditions were average, I worked Ken G8VDP and Gary M1EGI just over 100km on 23cm analogue but weak ish signals.
Later i worked Clive G4FVP on 146.5MHz digital 15dB MER, very obstructed path.

Nobody else heard on 144.750.

I switched on for the last 10 minutes of the ssb contest on 23cm to find lots of activity and quickly worked 5 stations there, 5 more stations calling me after the contest which was nice for some longer qso's.

Heater was required all day, 1c max on the hill and a rather sketchy drive up there with the icy roads.... 'Ice Road ATV' next time??!!

73 till next month

Rob

g8gtz
Posts: 1733
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 6:26 pm

Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by g8gtz » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:31 pm

First, well done Steve looks good :-)

Very last minute decision to go to Walbury Hill - as Dave said we exchanged pictures on 5.6GHz and also one way on 3.4GHz using DATVexpress driving my narrow band transverter.

I also worked G4SJH @60Kms on 24GHz (had to put the tripod on the roof rack to get over local trees!) - no TV but maybe next time :-)
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G1BVI
Posts: 282
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Re: November 18th / 19th activity weekend

Post by G1BVI » Mon Nov 20, 2017 12:08 pm

Very impressive set up !!

I do not have a roof on my 90, and miss the extra length of the 110 sometimes for transporting larger masts and antenna systems around.

73

Nick

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