The light at the end of the tunnel is extremely dim today! We have solar storm conditions yet again. The K Index is 6 this morning and all bands are in very poor shape.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Thatâs typical⌠the WX is fabulous today in Dublin and itâs meant to be even better tomorrow which is when I hope to activate Ben of Howth EI/IE-072. Hoping for better condition tomorrow.
Sorry, Andy, they are predicting a CIR (co-rotating interactive region) impacting tonight with a high probability of a G2 geomagnetic storm resulting. You might do better with semaphore! 
Brian
There`s always 2m/70cms.
Only got a rubber duck for the 817 Steve. Hey maybe will be able to work someone on 2m SSB/FM. Always worth a shot if HF is totally dire.
The way V/UHF activity has plummeted semaphore might be the better option! 
Brian
VHF/UHF can not be all that dead as Matt, G8XYJ has just completed the Goat on VHF/UHF only and Vicki, M6BWA did the same a year or two ago. While we were in Ireland this year she made more contacts on VHF/UHF than I did using HF QRP.
73,
Rod
2 Likes
Two is as quiet as the grave here, Rod, I sometimes leave a receiver on 145.500 all night and hear nothing. There is one daily SSTV net so I know the gear is working!
Brian
77 contacts, all on 2m, on yesterdayâs activation Brian. That was all SSB. The FM frequencies were buzzing as well, but I didnât bother with FM.
1 Like
But do you call CQ? 
Adrian
G4AZS
Yes, but I bet you couldnât do it tonight!
No, nor did anyone else, I work on something else at the time and just monitor for background, hoping for a distraction!
It seems strange that two should be so dead in a city with a population of about a million and in a large conurbation, I just checked and even the repeaters are quiet, nothing on but the collection of neighbourhood birdies!
Brian
Hi Steve,
Last week was the time to be playing VHF/UHF. Must have been one of the biggest lifts in years. Last Sunday, I was talking to Kevin G3AAF, who was telling me about the huge distances being achieved on 23cm.
73 Mike
2E0YYY
It must be impacting us indeed, because Iâm carefully stalking our Northamerican activators this evening with my ears open wide and I can hear nothing at all out of four.
Neither N1AW, KX0R and N1FJ on 20m CW nor KD5ZZK on 20m SSB.
Time to do other things.
For instance, time to sleep
GN and 73 de Guru
1 Like
Very poor conditions on 20m between EU/W, tonight, Guru.
73 Mike
2E0YYY
It looks as if the northern lights should be visible as far south as the English Midlands if the sky is clear, Iâll take the dog for a late walk and see if I can see anything!
Brian
As Rod says, there is activity provided you make the effort and of course plan the activation carefully.
The key is
- Antenna Selection - There is no point mucking around with a rubber duck on most summits. If I run a rubber duck, then there is no way the stalwart chasers on VHF are going to get me such as Don G0RQL, Stewart G0LGS, Roger G0TRB to name a few. If you take a decent vertical or a beam then you have such a better chance!!
For a basic vertical I use a slim jim
A calculator for working dimensions out is provided here
http://m0ukd.com/calculators/slim-jim-and-j-pole-calculator/
Here is another cheap and easy design!!
Or a VK2ZOI Flowerpot antenna
http://vk2zoi.com/articles/half-wave-flower-pot/
Or better still get a BEAM!!! SOTAbeams used to sell a 5 ele and a 3 ele DK7ZB beam, now the nearest theyâve got is a Moxon (Richard have you ever thought about dropping the beams part of your name???, rather misleading) Are you considering ever bringing the Beams back Richard??? Or the Rucksack Special (I.E. a VK2ZOI Half wave flower pot antenna)!
My beam is a DK7ZB, 4 element with the boom at 1m long. Cost me 26 euros to import the kit from Germany, via a website by https://shop.nuxcom.de/product_info.php?products_id=598&MODsid=497d85d4cea58fcf44697b7a88dabb06
Since then, I have actually sourced the 4mm and 3.2mm diametre aluminium welding wire, the IP54 boxes and the plastic conduit clips required to make this antenna! So my current one is actually the mark 2 version. Drilling the holes is easy as 3.2mm is 1/8inch so sourcing drill bits is easy enough, B and Q sell 20mm and 25mm conduit in 2 and 3m lengths. The hardest part is the dipole centres, for this I had to use the Nuxcom website and ended up buying them in bulk https://shop.nuxcom.de/product_info.php?products_id=592&MODsid=497d85d4cea58fcf44697b7a88dabb06
However I now work at a place that has nylon rod in stock and lathes to make this myself. All the parts you need can be ordered in bulk on this part of the Nuxcom website - https://shop.nuxcom.de/index.php?cPath=113_118&MODsid=497d85d4cea58fcf44697b7a88dabb06
Iâm not on commission for Nuxcom by the way, theyâre just an excellent company that are a pleasure to deal with!
-Day and time - Weekend is far superior as people like me with the chasing ability on 2m SSB/FM are off work, plus if you do it between 0900-1800 local, then we have more of a chance! This winter (Jan/Feb 2015) I was activating on Friday afternoons after work, I made sure that I used FM first as I had more chance of picking up Non SOTA people, however on weekends I use SSB first and then will only switch to FM if it is required to pick up the 4!
-Power - 5 watts is plenty on VHF, provided the antenna is Good! However more power is never a bad thing if youâre prepared to carry the extra weight! Of my 1000 points, I know that 3 (1 at Wendover Woods, 1 at Brandy Hill 1 at Wentwood) of those were done with an 857 to get me 50 watts on 2m SSB, the reason for 50 watts was because they were ether shrouded in Trees or theyâre a very low hill far from my regular chasers and needed the extra grunt. The 997 other points were all 5 watts or less, this is because the antenna was decent!!
However, as Brian says, It is alot quieter than it used to be. That is partly down to the success of SOTA as a more global scheme, so inter country chasing has become more attractive and subsequently us VHFers have been left with dwindling numbers!!
Finally as Adrian says, stop listening all the time and actually call CQ!! Brian, you use an 817, you can now buy a memory voice keyer in the microphone. You could record yourself calling CQ and then once in a while just press the replay button! http://www.dh8bqa.de/bx-184/
Sorry to HIjack a thread, my name was mentioned so I could not resist commenting.
73 all
Matt G8XYJ
6 Likes
Thanks, Matt. Your latest posting is the best advice for VHF activators I have ever seen on SotaWatch. You have already proved its validity by achieving your VHF-only âgoatâ.
Worth making it a âstickyâ?
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Thanks for you kind words Walt.
As you know 2m is a great band, it just needs more people to have a go.
73
Matt G8XYJ - Now feeling more reluctant to start activating on HF
All good points Matt!
I should say that I wasnât knocking, I rarely call CQ from home, but it does occur to me sometimes that we are probably all just listening and thinking how quiet it is!
I have made myself a new rule of always responding to a CQ call if I am able to 
Adrian
G4AZS
Hi Adrian
I knew you were not knocking. I am guilty of not calling CQ enough, my MFJ voice keyer will record 32 seconds of voice recording. So maybe it is time that came off the âcontest onlyâ shelf and is installed on shack bench into the Icom 910 so that I can call CQ on 2m SSB with the 100 watts and the 6 ele DK7ZB!
Currently researching the Mid and South Welsh hills that I have not done, planning an assault on them at some point in the near future.
73
Matt G8XYJ