Narrowboat Mobile Chasing

Hi all,

Following on from last July’s successful Adventure radio expedition on Narrowboat Mobile, although only one chaser contact with Gerald.(and still waiting for QSO card)

We had plenty of DX using a Multiband Mobile antenna with a mag mount!!

We are going to try to Chase as many SOTA Activities from Friday 21st May to Thursday 27th as a Narrowboat Mobile station on the Llangollen Canal(so GW will be in my sights on VHF/UHF).

All bands that I can use will be catered for with FT897 and Garex 4001. I will be planning to use a 20m Dipole and Silver Rod for HF with ATU (using all of the canal as a Counterpoise)and usual SOTA beam,Jimpo’s for 2m/70cm’s & 4m. plus very successful mobile multiband and magmount.

Hope to catch and put in the log as many Activators as possible!!

73

Tony

In reply to 2E0LAE:
Hi Tony.I will be watching for you and try to work you NB2NB+also some SOTA.All the best Geoff G6MZX

In reply to 2E0LAE:
Sounds like fun operating from a boat and something I have not tried yet.

The silver rod you have got has a matching coil in the base making it an end fed zep. Open the base up where the S239 is and remove it, Centre to vertical and outer to mount and no longer DC grounded.

A balun can then be added or ATU added at antenna feed point for best results, Set the length at 16.6ft ish and you will not need the 20m dipole …oh make sure the mount is earthed to the boats hull if its metal or drop a wire in the water…assuming your not moving when this is up? Sean M0GIA

In reply to G6MZX:

Hi Geoff, That would be good to get NB2NB!

what waterway are you on??

73

Tony

In reply to M0GIA:

HI Sean,

Thanks for that advice,if I have time this weekend I will have a look at doing this. I have a Earth wire that I used last time and the water became an excellent Counterpoise (300-600 miles of Earth Hi Hi)

Last year we did a lot more sailing than is planned this trip we are having a serious chill out time next week and will be moored at various planned locations for beauty and tranquility and Peace Glorious Peace!!!

Can you tell I’ve been working FAR TOO HARD recently ???

73

Tony

In reply to 2E0LAE:

I’m a bit surprised that fresh water can make a good counterpoise as in my experience it is quite high in resistivity compared with sea water. Have you tried comparing it with a wire counterpoise?

It sounds like a great trip, I’m envious!

73

Brian G8ADD

PS Just did some checking:

resistivity of rain water : 20,000 ohm/cm
…tap water…: 1;000 - 5;000 ohm/cm
…river water (brackish): 200 ohm/cm
…sea water (coastal): 30 ohm/cm
…sea water (open sea):20-25 ohm/cm

Heaven knows how this table will look when posted!

In reply to 2E0LAE:
Hi Tony we have a permanent mooring on the L&L about 1 mile east of Greenberfield Locks next to bridge 159.I only live about 5 mins from the boat so I will have to look out for you.If your email address is on QRZ.com I will send you my mobile number Atb Geoff.

In reply to G6MZX:

Hi Geoff,

It would be great to set up a sched ,maybe even trying different bands.

Yes my email is on QRZ.com so please do let me know and I will ring you once we moor up and arrange then.

Thanks for possible NB2NB experiment

73

Tony

In reply to G8ADD:
I have been operating HF & VHF / UHF for many years from my narowbaot and the counterpoise is excellent, 60 foot steel boat in water on just mobile whips for hf work almost as well as the ful size dipoles from the home QTH. Only problems are the low bridges which are plentiful and the antennas won’t pass under, in my case my other half is very experienced with narrowboats and she has had plenty of experience hovering between bridges while I have been operating radio chasing SOTA.

John M0JDK
N.B. Guava Jelly

In reply to M0JDK:

Interesting, John. I must admit I had thought that narrowboats were made of wood, so you live and learn!

73

Brian G8ADD

In reply to G8ADD:
Hi Brian.Its only the very old ones that are made of wood.And not many of these left.Atb Geoff

In reply to M0JDK:

Hi John and all others,

Trust me, last year I had the best contacts on the narrowboat since being licensed!!

Using my FT897 with the Multiranger 9 Mobile whip on a magmount we got into New York twice with 2 seperate stations 2 seperate days on 40 metres (These are the only times I got stateside ever since licensed)

The metalboat and water definetly worked last year and this year I am using more antennas and more bands!

Best fun ever on Radio,although very expensive to rent a narrowboat for a week, the rest and relaxation is well worth it and a change from summit walking!!

If any gets the chance to do it I would recommend it!!

Hope to get SOTA aswell as DX and also as many from this forum as possible and NB2NB with Geoff will be a unique

73

Tony

In reply to M0GIA:

" The silver rod you have got has a matching coil in the base making it

an end fed zep. Open the base up where the S239 is and remove it,
Centre to vertical and outer to mount and no longer DC grounded."

HI Sean,

followed your instructions to the letter and:

From the boat I had
18 DXCC’s
All HF bands (except for 80m & 30m) with ops on plus 6m using Silver Rod, and I damaged it on day two and it still performed better than I expected!! my LDG AT-897 tuned no probs!!

Since home I have repaired the damage and will now be using it regularly on SOTA Summits!!

Thanks for info Sean

73

Tony

In reply to 2E0LAE:

Hi Tony,

Glad you had good results with the modified silver rod.

Remember that bit of wire I was experimenting with when we were joined by G1INK on Fair Snape Fell?

That is more or less what you have there, minus the weight of all the aluminium :wink:

All good fun & why on earth you don’t think you’ve got what it takes to get a full licence is beyond me!

Seriously, I am certain you have what it takes & am more than happy to give you some assistance to get you there (assuming of course that I can remember enough) HI!

73,

Mark G0VOF

In reply to 2E0LAE:
Good to hear it worked so well Tony, Bet it was really relaxing playing radio on a narrow boat. Sean M0GIA

In reply to 2E0LAE:

Hope to catch and put in the log as many Activators as possible!!

Hi Tony!

I was delighted to catch you on 4 metres from the canal boat when I was on Mow Cop. Sorry it wasn’t a SOTA Summit, but it was a pretty good distance on 70 MHz and excellent signals from the Wouxuns in both directions. Glad you had a good time!

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to G0VOF:

Hi Mark,

Yes the end fed vertical worked better than I could have imagined!!

ref the full license, I do have enough confidence to give it a go: its more a problem with time to study and some domestic issues that are taking longer than I expected to sort out.

You will have noticed I have become less active up hills lately, thats because these things are taking up a lot of my time. I am also in between radio clubs at present,but will be joining the new one soon.

I have told myself,if I do the exam and fail miserably then I know I have reached my limits,if I just fall short I will give it another go and obviously if I pass then no worries!?

Thanks for the offer and will certainly seek advice when I start back properly

best 73

Tony

In reply to M0GIA:

Hi Sean,

Yes, excellent relax all week,we were moored up more than sailing and Elaine was glad I did the radio everytime we stopped,her ISWL log is filling up nicely.

it was all the better for the contacts we made including one stateside again this year.

Thanks again for info

best 73

Tony

In reply to G3NYY:

Hi Walt,

It certainly was a good contact on 4m the only one from the boat and both of us with same radio and antennas.

I also forgot to mention I worked all bands including 10m,6m,4,2m,& 70cm and it was great to finally have contacts on 12m,15m,and 17m.

thanks again for getting 70mhz in my log!

Best 73

Tony