Activity weekend 2/3rd October 2021

[radiogareth]

OK, who is planning on what and where for this coming weekend?

Fresh from my September activity success from home using the 10m pump-up mast I have further upgraded all my 'down the garden' feeder to LDF4-50A and the 'up the mast' feeder to WF103 (basically removing 20+m of RG8-ish stuff from the equation).

Happy to try 2m,70cms, 23 and 13 (the latter with significant ERP especially if its dry outside and I run the station at the bottom of the mast).

If you are going to be active, please include the name of the nearest village/town/locality as its often easier for initial investigation (on Google maps) than looking up a locator...(probably need a combined path/frequency/power/gain software package to do the thinking for me... )

Gareth, JO01ai Hayes Bromley Kent

[M0DTS]

Ill be out with most bands available.

Probably from IO94LI north of Helmsley.

Edit: Sunday is now looking better and with less wind.

Rob

[PA3CRX]

If you are going to be active, please include the name of the nearest village/town/locality as its often easier for initial investigation (on Google maps) than looking up a locator...(probably need a combined path/frequency/power/gain software package to do the thinking for me... )

Gareth, check out the following link for that: https://k7fry.com/grid/?qth=JO01AI and fill out the locator of the other station.
Also working with 10 digits locator.
Good luck this weekend!
(In the Netherlands we had two weeks ago the activity weekend, nice temperature while I was active on 6 cm and 24 GHz /P).

[radiogareth]

Thanks, that's just what I needed, being able to estimate the terrain in very helpful and finding myself exactly on the map great too. JO01AI09KQ now
Rob, looking at the path between us there isn't much in the way except a 'bit of curvature'. Hoping to have 70cms, 23 and 13 ready to point in your direction.
Gareth

[g8gtz]

I do plan to be active during the weekend but the weather forecast is not great.

On Saturday I will try for the rare DX of a QSO from home! Gareth - we should be able to make it on 70cms.

If the weather holds up I could get out on Sunday - bands and timing to be determined later in the week.

It would be good to see more stations put in an entry for the 5.6GHz ladder https://batc.org.uk/contests/6cm-ladder/

73
Noel - G8GTZ

[radiogareth]

13cms too if you have something up, I have a 46 ele loop yagi I can put up, plus the QO-100 amp....
Gareth

[g8gtz]

Change of plan - due to the need to conserve fuel, there is still none available locally, I will be staying at home tomorrow and continuing with 70cms tests with G4XAT.

We cannot work each other directly but I managed some decodes this morning via what we think is aircraft bounce. We are now monitoring the path using the airscout program and the Portsdown band viewer is showing significant multipath on the signal.

Decodes were managed using the Portsdown no scan mode which seems to work very well with heavy QSB - Minitiouner did not show any real signs of locking to the signal. We plan to try DVB-T during tomorrow's 70cms tests.

We will also be looking for Rob if he ventures out.

73

Noel - G8GTZ

[M0DTS]

Yes I'm still planning to be out.
Half a tank of fuel in but garages seems to be reasonably stocked up here.
Forecast is for sunshine but strong winds so I'll probably have to ditch the 2m yagi to be able to lift up the mast!
2m 9ft colinear .750 FM - don't know why i didn't use this earlier, it works extremely well.
70cm 15el 40W
23cm 2x28el 50W
Higher bands on the 80cm dish but i doubt any luck with the low pressure/wind, next weekend looks much better, what a surprise!

Loc: IO94LI25.

I should be on site just before 10am and about 20min to setup, staying until 3pm at the latest.

Rob

[radiogareth]

I'll be up and ready on 70cms Rob, if it works on 70 I can change for 23cms or 13cm, RX only really unless the higher gain antennas helps us.
Only 340km
Gareth

[M0SKM]

There were some very fluttery 70cm signals yesterday, I observed both Noel and Gareth using aircraft in their attempt to get contacts. Apart from my near neighbour G4CPE the only other contact I had was with Rob M0DTS/P. Operating from home I was able to record a full test card from Rob at 250 ks, my own partial test card was received by Rob and is pictured below.

Given the poor conditions I’m happy to have had my first contact with Rob, the path length is 275 Kilometres.

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