BATC Forum

After a cold and not-so-successful day today, I propose to go the Bullbarrow Hill IO80UU, near Blandford Forum, tomorrow. On-site from about 11am.

I will have 146, 5665, 10368 and 24048. Talkback 144.75

Dave, G8GKQ

I will still be on but possibly not in the afternoon. Didn't manage to work anyone today. Tried with Noel but equipment issues prevented a QSO.

Mike

Sorry go'na have to pull out today got a puncture and need to get it fixed today grrrrrr. Good luck to you all

Thanks to all in the South-West for a really enjoyable activity day. From Bullbarrow Hill near Blandford Forum in Dorset, I heard 8 stations on, including:

G8VPG/P (Shaun, 3 /P locations)
G4UVZ (Adrian, Taunton)
G4BVK (Ken, Bristol)
G8GON (Alec, Hey Tor)
G8GTZ/P (Noel, /P at Mendip mast)
G4KLB (Colin, Bournemouth)
GW8BVI (Phil, Chepstow)
GW0KAX (Petrie, Bridgend)

Some successes, some failures, but a lot of lessons identified and things to correct before next time. My highlights were a 2-way on 24 GHz DATV 1MS with G8GTZ/P at 48km and a one-way with G4UVZ on 10 GHz 1MS at 60km.

Dave, G8GKQ

Yesterday was a very interesting day out, with lots of ATV activity in the West Country, much of it on the microwave bands. My objective was to take my 5.6GHz FM ATV gear out for its first outing and test. After Noel decided to operate from Pen Hill, I went to Bath Race Course at Lansdown. I thought it would be a quick test and home in time for lunch! I drew a blank at Lansdown and decided to move to another hill a bit closer, Dundry. This was also unsuccessful and so I went up to the Mendips and found a spot on the A39 near Green Ore, less than two miles from and visual line of sight to Pen Hill. Success at last, with a P5 both ways! Adrian G4UVZ then suggested I move nearer to Pen Hill and try to work him in Taunton. By this stage I was ready to come home, having been out five hours with no food or drink. However, I moved to the lane opposite the entrance to Pen Hill and had a very good P4.5-5 two way QSO over a reasonable distance. My objective had been attained and the system was proven as working.
I've got a bit of work to do; the system needs better support to stop the dish for sagging down; the tripod needs some work to stop it jamming and the up converter used to drive the 28V relay generates terrible hash across 2m! I am a complete novice at the higher microwave bands, but one thing I learnt is that the sites need careful selection. The two sites I tried first would have worked at 23cm, but modest amounts of bushes and trees seem to make a real difference at 5.6GHz and above.
Thanks to Noel and Dave for coming West and creating quite a full day of ATV activity.
73 Shaun G8VPG.

Yes - very good day after the disappointment on Saturday. I drove to Penn Hill (site of the Mendip TV transmitter) and a good microwave site with excellent take off, particularly to the South and East.
Contacts included:
G4UVZ at 45Km on 146MHz, 5.6 and 10 GHz.
G4BVK on 146MHz with H265
G8VPG on 5.6GHz - eventually!
G8GKQ at 47KM on 146MHz, 5.6 and 24GHz - I don't think we ever made it on 10GHz because the GB3SCX beacon (within 1KM of Dave was too strong to receive him on DATV!).
Tried 146 with both GW8BVY and GW0KAX but we were unsuccessful - possible due to the TV mast being directly in line with my antennas.

A very busy day which proved that activity breeds activity! If you are thinking no-one ever comes on in my area, try contacting them this week and arranging a QSO for the next activity day on February 10th and 11th.

If you are unsure if there is any one near you a good place to start is to take a look at the Portsdown builders map - they are probably looking for their first QSO as well! https://drive.google.com/open?id=16rtNS ... sp=sharing

73
Noel - G8GTZ

Shaun
Re your tripod stability issue Try using a 'bungie' to lash the mast to your open tail gate..protecting the boot lid with foam water pipe insulation ...works for me
Adrian