I have just replaced the batteries in a Uniden Bearcat Scanner, for a 85 years young SWL. He isn’t licensed, however, his friend and neighbour was, but is now sadly, SK.
He has asked if he can join me on a SOTA activation…No problem for me whatsoever. Clearly, Scarfell Pike is out of the question, so I’m looking for a summit with a trig point that is easily accessible and not too long a walk from the car in the GW/NW, G/WB or G/SP regions.
Secondly, and apologies for being a little OT for the Reflector.
The Bearcat model is the UBC3000XLT and looks to be about 16-ish years old. I’ve just replaced the ancient 600mAh Nicads with 1600mAh NiMH cells. This rig is as mint as they get, boxed complete with manual and even the original bubble wrap. The price ticket is still on the box… £275, reduced to £250!
He has hinted that he’s looking to sell it in the near future and I know there are some serious collectors of scanners about. Pesonally, I don’t have a clue how to value scanners, or what sort of reserve to put on it if he does decides to sell, on that well known auction site. Any thoughts from the scanner aficionados/owners out there?
He has asked if he can join me on a SOTA activation…No problem for
me whatsoever. Clearly, Scarfell Pike is out of the question, so I’m
looking for a summit with a trig point that is easily accessible and
not too long a walk from the car in the GW/NW, G/WB or G/SP regions.
How about Great Orme, GW/NW-070? The car park is in the AZ and it is a not too arduous walk past the cafe to the trig point, which is also a great viewpoint for him to enjoy.
Never been there, but G/WB-021, Ruardean Hill springs to mind as you can park in the activation zone I believe.
As for scanners, it’s probably worth just keeping it, as they don’t tend to fetch that much sometimes. I have a similar condition Fairmate (AOR) 1000, which cost over £200 about 18 years ago. I’d be lucky to get £20 for it now. I rarely use it, but it’s just not worth selling. I guess Bearcat scanners may fetch a little more, as they tend to be popular.
The Bearcat model is the UBC3000XLT and looks to be about 16-ish years
old. I’ve just replaced the ancient 600mAh Nicads with 1600mAh NiMH
cells. This rig is as mint as they get, boxed complete with manual and
even the original bubble wrap. The price ticket is still on the box…
£275, reduced to £250!
He has hinted that he’s looking to sell it in the near future and I
know there are some serious collectors of scanners about. Pesonally, I
don’t have a clue how to value scanners, or what sort of reserve to
put on it if he does decides to sell, on that well known auction site.
Any thoughts from the scanner aficionados/owners out there?
I see one was sold in Dublin a couple of months ago for 70 Euro, which I think is about £60.
You are spot-on with the age … it was introduced in early 1995.
Its successor, the UBC3500XLT, is still manufactured and sells in the UK at £180 for a brand new one.
Depending on your answer to this question, I will recommend a few
suitable summits:
Would your friend be able to manage Gun G/SP-013 from the usual
parking spot?
He told me that he used to visit the Cloud, but he hasn’t been up there for about 10 years, Tom. I think Gun SP-013 should be ok with a relatively slow walk.
Thanks for the very useful link, Walt. I’m going to give him one of my dipoles for the 70cm/2m band to replace the rubber duck. Once he hears the signal improvement, perhaps he’ll keep it.
Mind you, if he finds the repeaters, perhaps not ;-)))
Winter Hill SP-010 (provided car access up the transmitter road is available)
Gun SP-013
Billinge Hill SP-017
Great Orme NW-070
Mynydd Bodafon NW-071
Bishop Wilton Wold TW-004
Normanby Top TW-005
Cleeve Hill CE-001
Wendover Woods CE-005
Long Mynd-Pole Bank WB-005
View Edge WB-018
Ruardean Hill WB-021
Hegdon Hill WB-023
Rombalds Moor NP-028
…and plenty more in SE, SC and DC.
Several of these have one particular approach I am thinking of, and other approaches that would not be suitable. So check the maps for the closest parking spots with least ascent involved from there to the summit. I can give you the GRs for the most suitable parking places if you let me know.
Bit further afield, but G/SE-001 Walbury Hill is another possibility. Great view from there, the car park is in the Activation zone and it’s an easy enough stroll up the track to the path that leads to the Trig point. Plenty of fence post along the path too for antennas!
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Gunn or Great Orme Mike.
Suggest Great Orme as you could get your friend quickly back to the car if he gets cold, or give him a cuppa in the cafe. Gunn can be a bit exposed…as we only know too well
Great Orme? Billinge Hill? Do you want to demonstrate the strong signal handling of your radio? Or not as the case maybe!
Guys, if you are going to demonstrate SOTA you may want to pick a summit where your radios wont be hammered into submission by tens of kW of commercial VHF gear sited there.
Nothing that 2m SSB and a horizontal beam won’t solve Andy. Or HF. I worked my first ever Brazilian on 5 watts from the summit of Billinge Hill - on 24MHz.
My FT817 was also fine on Billinge Hill on 2m FM using a vertical slim jim. The same cannot be said for my VX7-R which was swamped as expected.
By the way Mike, this video shows the easiest route to the summit of Billinge Hill, simply follow the track I was at the end of & you will see the beacon at the true summit. Very little vertical ascent involved & the track itself is within the activation zone.
Your FT857 should be able to cope with the strong signals on Billinge Hill but I doubt that your handheld will.