New licensee

Good Afternoon
I’m new to radio this year, would like to start activating in my area.

Got my qrp radio yesterday, and hoping to get out and about

Any other activators, chasers in Inverness Area, ideally I’m looking to possibly meet and activate with others near me

Iain

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Hello,
I can’t help you with nearby friends, but being fairly new to amateur radio as well I wanted to say congratulations and welcome!

Cheers
Chris, KC1BGK

Thanx Chris

It’s all very daunting to me at the moment

Hoping il meet other local minded Hams

So I can kickstart my sota expeditions

Good luck Chris

Did you look for a local club?
That is always a good way to start.
It is an awesome hobby, but take it a bite at a time or it will turn out to be a huge elephant to eat all at once :smile:
If you have any background with electronics it all helps a lot, if tou don’t there is a new wonderful world opening up for you to explore.
Have fun and be safe out there.

Cheers
Chris KC1BGK

I’m in a club, haven’t been couple months as been in hospital
My clubs 50 miles their and 50 back
Il need to c if their a club locally

No electronics background

Brickwork background I’m afraid

Yeah your right about the elephant though

I

Hi Iain! Congratulations on getting your first licence. I hope it will give you many years of enjoyment.

As for a club in the Inverness area, you could try this one:

The Inverness & District Amateur Radio Society (IDARS) aims to promote interest in all aspects of Amateur Radio and short wave listening (SWL).

The club meets on the 2nd & 4th Wednesday each Month 19:30 - 21:30, the later meeting featuring a speaker,

Anyone with an interest is welcome.

Meeting Room @ DMH Blacksmiths
7 Carsegate Road, Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom

Details from John, GM0OTI, on 01463 791 444.

73,
Walt (G3NYY) - unfortunately I’m about 500 miles from Inverness!

Thanx Walt

I thought the Inverness club was kaput

Il find out about this, it’s 5 minutes from me and that’s walking😁

yeah I love my radios mostly listening and trying to make Antennas

Though not had much success currently

But I’m very patient and a quick learner

Or email address john (at) elhanan.co.uk

and sorry, I’m 900 miles away!

DD5LP

Many thanx

Emails good

:+1:

Hi Iain
Welcome!
Although I’ve been licensed for 35 years I’ve only just got back into the hobby so feel a bit of a beginner as far as SOTA is concerned. The key is the antenna. What QRP radio have you got? Which bands are you planning to activate?
Richard G4TGJ

Hi Richard

I’ve just bought a new ft817, also have an End Fed Half Wave 80-10m 134ft wire, that I may chop to 40m to 10m

Also a sotabeams bandspringer midi and sotabeams pole 7m

I’m thinking 80m and everything above, trial and error will decide I’m sure

Also like the linked dipole, and may try make 1

:+1:

Hi Iain

You made a good choice of transceiver and the sotabeams bandspringer will stand you in good stead. Try 20m if you want to see how far 5 or even 2.5 watts will get you on a good day (and there is no consistency from one day to the next at the moment so don’t get disheartened if the bands are dead at times) or try 40m for a less formal band where you are more likely to chat to folks in the UK or Western Europe. I have also worked 80m but find that my sotabeams quadbander is less responsive on that band (probably due to a lack of height at the ends of the inverted-v).

Just enjoy yourself - no-one can tell you everything overnight so it is important to keep experimenting and keep getting up those hills!

Kind regards, Mark. M0NOM

p.s. if you can’t get up hills find when there are 40m/20m activations (or even 2m/70cm if line of sight) and chase wherever you can find a place to setup. If you have a mobile phone you can watch the spots and work the bands - you will be surprised how once you’ve found an activator somehow you manage to work them even with very weak signals. It’s just as valuable experience in a non-mountain top environment.

Hi Mark

Yeah il get up the hills no probs. Just need to find out where the summits are and how to get their, where to park etc

Be good to have someone to show me the ropes

Don’t understand the activate and chase as yet. Or spots etc

But sure il learn somehow
Band are quite bad for me at moment in house, with static,
But when I operate from caravan I’ve no static at all

I’ve picked up a new iPhone so I’ve got the sota site on it, and been checking it out

Welcome, Iain, to this very addictive branch of amateur radio. The most useful link I can suggest for a newcomer living where you do is
http://www.sotamaps.org/range.php

Set address to Inverness (or wherever else you fancy) and country to United Kingdom and click on Map.

This will show and list 85 SOTA summits; use the Icons button to label them as you wish and then just sit and consider what to do :smile:

Take care on the hills!
73,
Rod

Thanx Rod, il do that and report back

Sons setting my phone up with the tv so it mirrors it

I’d need a 50 inch fone to be able to c it without specs

Many thanx

That might make using it on the summit a bit tricky :wink:
73,
Rod

:joy: aye your right, be like monkey and that fat dood from the pg tips tea advert

U know the one with the gigantic backpack

GM1TCN works in Inverness and is normally on 2m. If you are needing any help give him a shout

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Hi Iain - and welcome on-board!

I am one of the early GM SOTA adopters.First Activation was in September 2002 - GM/CS-001. Checkout my QRZ.com page GM4COX for SOTA related details about myself. A great aspect within amateur radio.

And, as to someone showing you the ropes - Robin - GM7PKT would be a good choice. Based just south of Fort William he is very active (6,4,2M) and has activated a fair few summits over the years in CS, WS & NS. He will keep you on the ‘straight-and-narrow’ :slight_smile:

Looking forward our first QSO at my shack or S2S (Summit to Summit)?

Ever-upwards and 73

Jack(;>J
GM4COX

Classic British understatement… love it.

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