21/22nd January Activity Weekend

[M0DTS]

Hi All,

I'm available for tests either day this coming weekend from one of my portable sites on the Moors, likely IO94MJ this time.
2m and 23cm only.
Hope to get 2m going from home too, I really must get the new 2m amp installed for that!

Anyone else planning to be around or going portable?

Rob
M0DTS

[radiogareth]

Looking unlikely for me this time Rob as I'd have to roof rack my 2m beam for 130 miles each way (Warwick and back) and I have not yet built my VLN preamp for 23.
Gareth

[G3GJA]

Hi Rob

I'll be on from home and available both days.

I'm looking forward to trying out the 23cm PA that's now finished.

I'll try to get the 2m horizontal beam connected if the weather relents before the weekend.

Clive

[M0DTS]

There's high pressure coming in at the end of the week, lets hope for some tropo...
http://tropo.f5len.org/forecasts-for-europe/

Rob

[M0DTS]

I think I'll be out Saturday, looks the nicer day. Not much in the way of tropo either day unfortunately.

I was going to IO94MJ but for you Clive that would be no good so probably IO94LI once again.
Should be there ~10am.

Rob

[G3GJA]

Surprisingly, IO94MJ is a better path for me than IO94LI, according to Radiomobile.

I'm assuming you'd be at Rosedale Head or Blakey Ridge as both are within the MJ square.

My 23cm amp is completed and managed to get to Dave G4EEV from home on Tuesday night. Not a brilliant signal, but considering the flat conditions, the 500 foot plus Wolds in the way and it was 85.5km I'm pleased that it locked for him. Radiomobile predicted a 0.7µV signal!

Clive

[M0DTS]

Interesting, there's a rise in ground to the south east that i thought would block you but i'll have to re-check that.
Good news on the amp!

IO94MJ86QM actually.
https://www.egloff.eu/qralocator/

Rob

[M0DTS]

Yes IO94MJ86QM at Rosedale Head should be fine, I'll be there then.

Rob

[keng8vdp]

I'll be active from home

Ken

[radiogareth]

Saturday I was busy in Warwick cutting up bits of MDF and kitchen worktop, bu I listened in on Zello "ATV South" and heard Rob and Mike managing tropo-enhanced two-ways on 2m using a variety of modes and SR's. I didn't feel too cheated as the tropo wasn't in my home direction so I would probably have just got COLD....
Sunday I was home again so to 'use it or loose it' I arranged with Justin G8YTZ to conduct various experiments involving DVB-T, DVBS and 29, 146.5 and 437 MHz. Using my Portsdown (where you can select the guard band) we found that 1/8 offered the fastest lock. Our built environment provides a variety of interfering signals, but two-ways were achieved on 70cms. As my 2m beam was not on the mast we used co-linear to co-linear and at close to the ERP limit managed a one way.
Further experiments today (Monday) with DATVEasy 2.12 and a Rev C Pluto loaded with 0303 firmware showed that it will send DATV on 5.7GHz so with a suitable downconverter its now a lot easier to get on 6cms with DATV. Best I get on with my R strip then....
Gareth