I’m thinking about picking up a 2/4m Wouxun rig for /P (just something else to weigh me down). Which antennas are activators/chasers using or any recomendations?
TIA
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Try this, I use it, and several other activators do too.
http://www.summitsbase.org.uk/tiki-index.php?page=4m+J-pole
73,
Mike G4BLH
In reply to G4BLH:
I’ll second that point Mike. It’s a very good antenna and was spot on straight away from the recipe. My edit in the article covers protecting the feedpoint and making the joints to the coax more durable based on experience of it being broken when reaching the summit.
73
David
In reply to G4BLH:
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Try this, I use it, and several other activators do too.
Chers Mike, I’ll pick up some 300 ohm ribbon cable at the McMichael Rally, next Sunday
73 Mike 2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I’ll pick up some 300 ohm ribbon cable at the McMichael Rally
If you use the heavy-duty black slotted twin 300 ohm feeder, obtainable from the Holsworthy, Devon supplier, the dimensions given in GW8OGI’s description work perfectly. I just tape mine to the SOTA pole and use croc clips to attach the coax at the feed point. (Be sure to connect it the right way round … the braid goes to the side with the break in the conductor.)
Do not try to support it with a metal pole … it will not work in close proximity to a metal object!
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
P.S. DieSea sends his regards. I have just had breakfast with him and his XYL at Tewkesbury Wetherspoons. 
In reply to G3NYY:
In reply to 2E0YYY:
If you use the heavy-duty black slotted twin 300 ohm feeder,
obtainable from the Holsworthy, Devon supplier, the dimensions given
in GW8OGI’s description work perfectly. I just tape mine to the SOTA
pole and use croc clips to attach the coax at the feed point. (Be sure
to connect it the right way round … the braid goes to the side with
the break in the conductor.)
Thanks for the info, Walt.
Do not try to support it with a metal pole … it will not work in
close proximity to a metal object!
All noted. I’ve got some electrical conduit laying about, I may try and knock something up for home use too.
P.S. DieSea sends his regards. I have just had breakfast with him and
his XYL at Tewkesbury Wetherspoons.
IIRC, I haven’t seen DieSea at any of the rallies this year. I’ll give him a call next week.
73
Mike 2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I’m thinking about picking up a 2/4m Wouxun rig for /P (just something
else to weigh me down).
Hi Mike,
Is this the KG699E? I’m totally confused looking at
Wouxun’s site exactly what this radio covers (apart
from 4m) Is this the radio you are considering, or
another model? I wouldn’t mind a 2/4 metre H/H myself.
Kind regards Dave G0ELJ
In reply to G0ELJ:
I think Mike is probably referring to the Wouxun KG-UVD1-PL 4m + 2m Handie
http://www.hamradio.co.uk/acatalog/Am_Handheld_Wouxun.html#a4853
I don’t think they have arrived yet.
Mike G4BLH
In reply to G4BLH:
In reply to G0ELJ:
I think Mike is probably referring to the Wouxun KG-UVD1-PL 4m + 2m
HandieMike G4BLH
Many thanks for the info Mike, - looks very interesting.
Kind regards Dave G0ELJ
In reply to G3NYY:
I used the translucent 300Ohm ribbon cable available from Maplin, & the Summitsbase dimensions worked first time for me too. I also scaled up the dimensions for 6m & scaled them down for 2m & those antennas also worked first time, all fed with RG58.
Best 73,
Mark G0VOF
In reply to G4BLH:
I think Mike is probably referring to the Wouxun KG-UVD1-PL 4m + 2m
Handiehttp://www.hamradio.co.uk/acatalog/Am_Handheld_Wouxun.html#a4853
I don’t think they have arrived yet.
No not arrived yet. I have one on pre-order due the end of June according to the email I got. Mmmm! Now July! Don’t know if W&S said which June.
Steve GW7AAV
I wonder which I will get first the KG-UVD1-PL or the mythical Woxun dual band mobile rig?
In reply to GW7AAV:
I have one on pre-order
I often see this term pre-order and wonder what it means. If I go to a shop and try to buy something which is out of stock the shopkeeper will order it for me. Then I have it on order. So is a pre-order the case where you go to a shop and the shopkeeper is not only out of stock of the item but also out of stock of orders. In which case you have to order an order for the item. Hence pre-order. Am I right?
Andy
M0FMF (IO84 near Penrith)
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Hi Mike
Firstly may I say congratulations on thinking about choosing one of the most under-rated and under-used VHF bands! 4m is superb in my honest opinion.
I have now been active on the band 9 years since first getting my M3 in 2002. Since then I have had so much fun with the frequency on FM exclusively until I recently when I purchased a Transverter for SSB!
In terms of SOTA 4m - John YSS is the leading U.K. Activator, with myself and Barry MW6BDV a close 2nd and 3rd I think! I am certainly not trying to blow my own trumpet here, however I feel my success come not from the Rig but the Antenna choice!
I use the summitsbase design for most of the Activations, however I only had 450 ohm ladder line at the time. For SWR reasons I had to make my antenna 30cm longer then the summitsbase design, however it works really well and weighs nothing!
A slimjim is a superb method for SOTA, I have made them for 2m and 70cm, the best part is they fold away so easily and take no room up at all in your bag! Best part of it is that you have made it yourself and not handed over 25 notes for a dipole in some white tubing!
Finally if you require a bit more poke with your antenna then check out my Tay Beam!!
http://www.summitsbase.org.uk/tiki-index.php?page=News+February+2011
I wanted a portable 4m beam for SSB working and also FM from tricky summits. Anybody that has done GW/SW-009 and 015 will realise not only how rubbish the walking is, they will know how sheltered and poor the RF is from these hills! On both hills I took the portable beam and low and behold I had S2S with Inky up in NP land, an S2S with Alan EYO in LD and managed to work Ken G3LVP in Cheltenham with G/SW-041 in my way!!
Basically this band will provide with some excellent QSOs. My good friend Dave M0MYA and I use it as our local chit chat frequency, I think this is because Dave MYA describes it as a Gentlemen’s band! Basically you dont get the muppets on it like you do on 2m FM!
Finally the band allows DX!! Finland, Slovenia and Denmark are my three this year on a mixture of FM and SSB! The beauty of Sporadic E!!!
I hope you have fun with the band no matter what you do with it!
Good Luck
G8XYJ! Matt
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I just cannot have any peace anywhere.
I buy a radio on a band to get away from Delilah and then he goes and buys one!
Typical 
In reply to G1STQ:
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I just cannot have any peace anywhere.
I buy a radio on a band to get away from Delilah and then he goes and
buys one!
Typical
No doubt about it John, you’ll always be the pebble in my shoe ;-)))
73s and thanks fot the chat on G/SP-004 today…
Mike 2E0YYY
In reply to G8XYJ:
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I hope you have fun with the band no matter what you do with it!
Good Luck
Thanks for the very comprehensive post, Matt. Loooks like I have some serious catching up to do! Totally agree about antenna choice. John G1STQ really struggled with the rubber duck antenna from G/SP-013 last Sunday. I’ll pick some ladder line up for him next Sunday.
Thanks for the call onto G/SP-004 today, very enjoyable chat.
73
Mike 2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
Hi Mike
I have done a few successful activations on 4m now including Fair Snape fell, where I made 16 contacts on 4m before the Wouxun battery went flat.
I use a converted telescopic TV dipole, which I bought from eBay for £5. Each leg is just about 1m long when fully deployed. Therefore, it can be used for both 2m and 4m although add a crocodile clip to each end just to make it resonate on 4m. I have bulit it into a 25mm electrical conduit box which means it is protected during transportation and can easily be rotated for vertical or horizontal polarization. It is supported using my 6m fishing pole which also supports my HF dipoles when required. Nice to see some more activators getting hold of 4m kit. I bought mine from 409shop.com for £62 including the postage to the UK!!!
Good to catch you from Walton Hill yesterday.
Speak soon
Regards
Dave
In reply to MM0FMF:
I often see this term pre-order and wonder what it means.
Pre-order implies to me that the retailer had the product on order for stock before you asked for it, and has allocated you an item of that future stock.
On the other hand, it may simply be tautology, like that odd concept the pre-booked taxi.
In reply to MM0FMF:
I often see this term pre-order and wonder what it means.
I always think of it this way:
I walk into a shop and buy something.
I … and it’s out of stock so I order it.
I … and it’s a new not yet released product so I pre-order it.
The difference to my mind is that an order is a commitment to buy, but a pre-order is an expression of interest, if the actual product turns out to be a different specification from the advertising then I can say “no thanks”.
Colin G8TMV
In reply to M1MAJ:
You are right Martyn, it’s simple tautology so we should stamp it out.
Andy
MM0FMF