2m Multimode Saturdays - or Sundays!

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It looks a lovely morning tomorrow, but only two alerts on for Multimode Saturday. Has the novelty worn off already after two sessions?

First priority tomorrow will be 2m CW, then SSTV, but I dare say AM, FT8, SSB, FM and C4FM may feature at some point.

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I usually go out every two weeks so my wife remembers I exist :slight_smile: so won’t be out tomorrow.

However! I will be out on Monday as it’s a bank holiday and I had forgotten about that. Probably GM/SS-167 so there will be SSTV opportunities if anybody is out.

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I’m still getting my kit together but will give it a try soon. A 2m Yagi arrived last week and a Surface tablet should arrive tomorrow for digital modes.

However, I was a bit thrown by your alert time of 08:00. I could get to Kit Hill G/DC-003 by then if I set the alarm early enough as I can drive to the top. :slight_smile: But is the intention the event will go on for a few hours? Just in case I sleep in? :slight_smile:

Of course being in the SW I’m a bit out on a limb but reaching South Wales might be possible.

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Yeah I’ll be QRV for 2-3 hours I expect. S2S to G/DC-003 from G/SP-015 should be doable on 2m SSB / CW / FT8.

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I’ve alerted for the morning on Corndon GW/MW-013, FT817 5W 4 ele yagi…

Looking forward to it!

73
Adrian
G4AZS

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I’ve popped this on the main SOTA Facebook group to try and boost interest from both activators and (mainly) chasers. Mostly to warn folk to be capable of it later in the year.

I’ll probably also post on Reddit and the amateur radio thread on Something Awful too - there are a fair few SOTA folk on both of those.

I’ll get it on Twitter tonight under a few pertinent hashtags.

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Calling on SSTV now. Last mode of the morning.

This morning’s results from The Cloud G/SP-015:

30m FT8: 10 QSOs
30m FT4: 11 QSOs
30m CW: 21 QSOs
2m FM: 11 QSOs
2m CW: 4 QSOs
2m C4FM: 3 QSOs
2m SSB: 7 QSOs
2m AM: 1 QSO
2m FT8: 3 QSOs
2m SSTV: 2 QSOs

Total: 73 QSOs

S2S:

2m FM:
GW4TQE/P on GW/MW-026
MW3TMX/P on GW/MW-001
2E0IXM/P on G/SP-004
GW4AZS/P on GW/MW-013
MW3TMX/P on GW/MW-007

2m CW:
GW4AZS/P on GW/MW-013

2m C4FM:
GW4AZS/P on GW/MW-013

2m SSB:
GW4AZS/P on GW/MW-013

2m AM:
GW4AZS/P on GW/MW-013

I overheard several walkers telling their hiking buddies that I was “testing the weather” today. I’m not even sure what that means. Some much more sensible walkers simply asked me what I was doing!

A drive out to Wincle microbrewery later on resulted in an unplanned jaunt up Gun G/SP-013 for a second activation of the day. This was just using the handheld and rubber duck but still netted 4 QSOs including one S2S: G7HEM/P on G/WB-004.

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That’s impressive.

I would like to try from down here but I’m not quite ready yet. My Surface Go tablet was supposed to have arrived today but seems have been delayed. If, assuming it is delivered. :slight_smile: I can get it talking to the radio I can try FT8 from a summit - plus other modes of course.

I’m planning on a more conventional activation from G/DC-001 tomorrow morning but this would be a good place to try 2m from. The much more accessible Kit Hill has transmitters on it.

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Here’s a question: If this kind of thing was easier to do on handhelds because of a ready-made interface that wasn’t OTT for something you may not want to do forever, would people be interested? Especially if holding a HT up to a phone is too much of a pain. I just ordered a PCB version of that circuit I’ve been using and they’ll arrive soon. I’ll have spares… Cost me £6.85 for 5 from JLCPCB.

It’s for 2-pin Kenwood jacks and you’ll need to supply cables. I cut the mic off a cheap Baofeng mic for mine and that cost me a fiver. But If I can find a cheap source of those cables then great. But also those cables look hard to make up if they don’t have the 2-pin jacks on, and I have no real kit for doing that myself.

You also need a TRRS lead (which I think means it’ll work with laptops AND Android phones/tablets?). I just bought one of those off Amazon for a fiver, which was a bit much. Total cost all in is probably £15 instead of the £30-50 quid ones (Easy Digi?) But those come in a fancy box.

There is an optocoupler for USB-to-Serial control too, but I won’t be using that so I have implemented a hard slide switch for TX as on the prototype.

People, get into making PCBs, I’m still addicted to it and I have learned so much.

Edit: on second thoughts Easy Digis are cheaper than I thought.

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Tonight’s activation will be 2m FT8. Anyone fancy trying for a S2S? It seems like it’s going to be a pleasant evening round here.

I’m getting there… slowly. :slight_smile:

The Surface Go 2 arrived yesterday - only three days after the “Guaranteed next day delivery”. I’ve so far only loaded WSJT-X as I was distracted by a rotten fence in danger of being blown over. I’m hoping to try it with the radio tomorrow and if that works the only reasonable weather window down here for a test in the field this week, so to speak, is Friday morning. The weekend is looking a washout. :frowning:

Tim @G4YTD is proposing a 2m Multimode Saturday this coming weekend.

I’m up for it. Anyone else? Could do with at least 4 or 5 (and hopefully more) 2m SOTA stations to provide the S2S opportunities and chaser interest to be able to call it an “event”.

The idea is to use lots of different modes on 2m, including less common and more quirky ones. Previous 2m Multimode Saturdays have seen SOTA operation on 2m FM, AM, SSB, CW, FT8, SSTV, C4FM. Could we add JT65, PSK31, RTTY and JS8 to that?

Careful eye on the wx needed though - it looks as though it could be OK - but TBC.

I’ve alerted anyway.

The weather is looking dampish in the SW so I’m unsure if I can come out to play. The new Surface Go 2 doesn’t look very weatherproof. :slight_smile: I have in theory all the kit now (other than any useful CW skills) and given dry weather I would like to join in one of these. If the forecast changes I will change plans. Friday is forecast to be our driest day this week at the moment.

…except the bothy bag by the sounds of it!

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Good point. :slight_smile: I’ve got a survival poly bag but it’s a bit cramped for radio work I fear. :slight_smile:

The annoying thing is I sold my 2 man tent a couple of years ago on the assumption I wouldn’t need it again!

Here’s an idea … shall we all agree on horizontal polarisation for all our multimode activities on Saturday? H-pol is traditional for CW, SSB, AM and FT8 anyway, so we might as well stick with it for SSTV and FM talkback. I will go V-pol towards the end of the activation for any remaining FM / C4FM chasers, but I think it makes sense for us all to start with H-pol for the Multimode Saturday thing. Thoughts?

Mind you, we need to keep an eye on the wx. Looks bad earlier on. Maybe a late morning / lunchtime session is optimal?

I hope so… the activator is king so you decide. Its good if we all know where we stand when listening out for activity - although I know in your case Tom you generally add supplementary information to your spot. My beef with some activators is they start off on 145.500 MHZ as a spot and that is the last you see of them. A quick QSY and you don’t know where they moved to. In marginal copy condx you might locate them by switching channels, but you might not…

I hope the weather keeps fine for those going out.

Condx have been excellent today into EU SOTA on 10m and 12m. After yesterday I gave the FT8 a swerve until now at least…

73 Phil

Hi John
You could shell out for another! Lifes a breeze have just got a new range in. 2 man job for around ÂŁ50, but you might want a better made, more weatherproof one! Still got to be carried though :hot_face: :hot_face:

73 Phil

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Works for me Tom.
If the WX holds, should be on LD-008 in the morning.
73
Tim