The next instalment of the 433Alive activity day in the UK has been scheduled to take place place on Sunday 25th May 2025 between the hours of Noon and 3pm BST. (11-14 UTC).
Once again, I intend to take the beam up G/SP-017 Billinge Hill and see what can be worked. Mainly FM but I am open to trying some vertical SSB.
No special operating rules, just call cq, make qso’s and join/post on the facebook group page (if you want to).
Would be great to get some S-T-S in the log on 70cm.
Ian
If all goes well with our GM/MS land trip we will be heading south by then (after a week near Alness 17 -24th) and will be at Newtonmore. Judging by my efforts on Ord Ban last year (just outside Aviemore - 60 mins - no contacts 2m/70cm) I am unlikely to hear anyting on 70 cm but we willl hope to be up something (perhaps one of the 4 pointers??) and I will listen out for Billinge Hill (and flying pigs, if they are transmitting on the right frequency which is 433.475 for me!) good luck
Viki M6BWA
Is trying for VHF contacts from Ord Ban the 2020’s version of Trivial Pursuit ? 
Full marks for trying but looking at the map the (modified) words to Stealer’s Wheel “Stuck In The Middle With You” jumped into my mind. Not “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to right…” but “Monadhiath to left of me, Cairngorms to the right…”
Your dedication to using V/UHF FM needs no encouragement but does need support so I would have tried to be somewhere to give you a possible QSO when you’re in Newtonmore but I will be 100miles North up in NS country. The upside is there will be 2 of us based near the Griams from 22nd onwards so there’s a possibility of some NS S2S QSOs. I’ll have HF+2m FM, my fellow co-conspirator will have an 817 with him. We’ll keep a lookout for alerts nearer the time.
Don’t forget Barry GM4TOE is on the coast at Banff and has a decent 2/70/23 setup so summits in NS overlooking that stretch of coast will give you at least one UHF chaser. We had a FB 23cms FM QSO when I was on Ben Horn NS-107 last year.
EDIT: Cafe Volante in Kingussie served some fabulous fish&chips when I was last in Kingussie as opposed to driving by on the A9. Apparently it’s now Joe’s Chippy on the Corner but still gets good reviews.
Hi Ian @G7ADF
Nic and I will be in the Lakes, aiming to get a few of the bigger G/LD’s completed. We will have 70cm with us, but I suspect we’ll be out too early for the event. These 145/433Alive events always seem quite late in the day for us…
Hopefully we’ll make a S2S, but if not, I’ll try to chase from the hotel.
73, Simon
If the weather looks good I might be up there early so hopefully a sts.
Its my birthday weekend so I can take liberties with timings
A fair point on the timings of the
144/433 events. I’ll make a request in the group for an early one. They are around every 3 months so august september still has the daylight and hopefully good weather.
Ian
One never knows if conditions play ball. If we dont try we will never succeed
Ian
And How! It has always been extremely difficult to get out from that one. I had 120W ERP and still failed. Ryst was back in 2014 when 2m activity was arguably better than it is now.
Tx Andy for the reminder of Barry GM4TOE but he usually take the precaution of going off somewhere else on holiday when are ever somewhere near him - but I will certainly contact him. Glad to hear you are out and about from 22 May and I will listen out hopefully…
Tx for the info re fish and chips in Kingussie. I think we will need them as the local hills seem to go on a bit as they are mostly 4 pointers (we avert our eyes from anyting still higher…)
Will put up alerts when we can. Have a good trip.
73 Viki
Mount Eagle, Hill of Nigg have something like 50m of ascent. Cnoc Mor didn’t seem to be difficult either. Cnoc Corr Gunie is simple and so is Struie (short and sweet) but well worth it and just by Alness. Ben Horn behind Brora is simple. Easy if you keep plodding. Meal Dola by Lairg doesn’t have much climbing. Creag Thoraraidh at Helsmdale is easy. Beinn na h-Eaglaise by Ousdale is simple and is true LOS to Barry’s QTH… I worked him on 13cms from there. The 13cm antenna fell over and the signal was still 59++ with it pointing at the sky
Sadly the others are either a long walk (after a long drive) or a big climb. Or both 
But I will be home by then, obviously got my holiday dates wrong 
Tx Andy for a very useful list. some of those are definitely on our ‘wishfull’ list. Won’t be going north of Golspie so may be attempting some of the longer plods.
Tx Barry GM4TOE for getting your dates wrong. We may well be in touch soon - and also pse listen out on 2m 145-500 (and 575 I’ve been told) - also 433.475 - to give me a surprise! .
Just over a week to go - so plenty of time for your rather good settled weather to migrate elsewhere.
73 Viki
Plan A is for me to get myself up onto the long Mynd in Shropshire with a simple mobile ( 1/4 wave whip and 1 watt from my Baofeng) and maybe ( if weather permits get my self portable on the Highest point or up Titterstone Clee portable.Hope to hear a few of you.
Brad
Just finished the top of the range no cost portable 70cm antenna made from junk. I tried it on the allotment and it is getting into two local repeaters one at 15 mile the other at about 10 with just one watt at about 8 feet above ground. this is with high ground between me and both repeaters.
What’s the groundplane made from or are you missing a pan from the kitchen?
It looks quite a neat little thing that could be made to just stick in a pack. 70cm can be a a good band if we could generate a little more activity and a small easy to pack antenna might encourage more people to try it. Does the groundplane unscrew from the PL259 as that would make packing it even simpler?
Due to my planned location being a very easy walk (easier than the long myndd) I should be taking the 17ele beam (held vertical on a wooden brush handle) . Hopefully we will make the trip to whatever location you decide on.
Ian
I haven’t got a clue what the ground plane was originally but it does look like something was stuck on the other side so I’m guessing a backplate for some sort of tool. I was looking for something to use as a ground plane ( tubing) and stumbled across these ali discs which had been thrown out for the scrap man. They are a little smaller than a 1/4 wave ( centre to edge by about 1cm ) I have fitted an so239 so that the same coax with PL259’s at each end can be used for other projects. I was going to use a J-pole or Slim Jim design but couldn’t find the plans for a coax Balun to use with it so I’ve stuck with the simple 1/4 wave. The wire is quite thin so would easily be folded flat. I just feed the coax down the centre of the plastic waste pipe and the antenna sits there nicely.It is very Heath Robinson in construction.
You do know you’ll go straight to hell for using such connectors at UHF.
It looks like if everything goes to plan I could go uphill on Sunday too. I always have my 70cm 5 el beam and 40W radio with me anyway, so will try to participate if I get a chance.
73 de EI4JY, Alex
