BATC Forum

Please mark 9/10 June in your diaries for the IARU Region 1 ATV Contest. It should be the busiest weekend of the year for ATV activity!

I'll be posting reminders and links to the rules here as the date gets closer

Dave, G8GKQ

Hi folks,

as a newcomer to the scene who will probably only have 2m DATV capacity by June, is it worth me venturing into the hills? I see from the contest scoring spreadsheet that 2m is not included, presumably people will be concentrating on the contest bands and therefore contacts will be unlikely.

Your thoughts please.

73 Dave

Thanks Graham.

I've got a sat rx but I've also got a Minitiouner v2 so rx is no problem other than no aerial (Marconi and Fessenden used aerials, not antennae, if aerials were good enough for them... ). Of course my Portsdown will also tx 70cms and 23cms but without a PA or aerial I suspect dx won't be great. On 2m ready to roll with sequencer, PA and DG8 preamp but I'll have to work on getting QRV on 70cms. Seamus G7ITT and myself will be active from the plateau in front of and around the corner from GB3EV/GB3VE on 9th, there's the possibility that Ian G4EXD might be joining us. Seamus has a built Miniiouner and Portsdown but no ancilliaries yet, Ian is mid minitiouner/Portsdown build. Going to be a steep but shared learning curve for the three of us.

73 Dave

It's time to get serious about planning for the Contest on 9/10 June. Don't forget that the IARU Contest covers all bands from 432 MHz up, and the BATC will be running a simultaneous National contest on 146 MHz.

My plans are to go to Povington Hill near Lulworth in Dorset (IO80WP) on the Saturday (the contest starts at 1 pm local time) with the following bands:

144.75 MHz NBFM talkback
146.5 MHz DATV
437 MHz DATV
1255 MHz DATV
2405 MHz DATV
3406 MHz DATV
5665 MHz FM ATV
10370.5 MHz DATV
24049.5 MHz DATV

Then, on the Sunday, I will take the same equipment to Bulbarrow Hill near Blandford Forum in Dorset IO80UU. This site has a good take-off to the North and West and covers the Bristol area well.

Please post details of your planned activity here and monitor 144.75 MHz and https://www.dxspot.tv/ during the contest.

Dave, G8GKQ

Hi Dave, it looks highly likely that I'll be active on 146.5MHz on the Saturday afternoon from IO84sq, unfortunately I'll be at work on the Sunday so will be unable to participate then. I'm currently getting the station built ready for the day and have only this morning had a custom drive on plate for my aerial mast made. Onwards and upwards.

73 Dave.

On the Sunday I'll be on Dunstable Downs running.
146.5 MHz DATV
437MHz DATV
2405 MHz DATV
5665 MHz ATV

It will be the first outing for my new 6cm beast; measured output 10watts on 5665 MHz. My tripod won't take it so I'm planning to sit it on a stepladder to keep cables short.

Another step nearer being QRV next month, had a drive on aerial mast plate made.

73 Dave.

A reminder that, to promote UK activity during the IARU Region 1 Contest, the BATC will also run a 146 MHz Contest during the same time period.

Additionally, the following awards will be made to UK-based stations:

A £50 Amazon Voucher to the winner of the BATC 146 MHz Contest
A £50 Amazon Voucher to each station in the Best DX 2-way 5.6 GHz Contact
A £50 Amazon Voucher to the transmitting station using a Portsdown system received at the the furthest distance (any band)

Full rules will be published nearer the time. Awards will be presented during the BGM at CAT 18 (on the Sunday).

Dave, G8GKQ