First activation getting nearer!

Hi folks…

Having bought a Sota beam and mfd from from Richard on Monday, things were bveginning to take shape nicely and Karen and I had decided to do our first activation this coming weekend…wx permitting of course!

Things have gathered pace more so this morning with an unexpected turn of events.

We have been somewhat undecided as to which radio to buy for our Sota activities, as we felt that just relying on H/H’s and a 290 may limit our success a bit…this morning I had to go and pick up some cash from an amateur that had bought a radio from me and in the discussion about radio in general I mentioned we were looking for a decent portable rig…“I’ve just the thing you need” says he!..and out comes a rather tidy 817, complete with BHI DSP unit built in.

So, needless to say, a deal was struck and we are now the rather proud owners of an 817nd and it is charging very nicely as I type.

I guess that that means we are plumb out of excuses now, so we’re just going to pluck up the courage and go and activate somewher pretty soon!

We’ll be checking the various weather forcasters on Friday day/evening and hopefully we’ll be out somewhere on Saturday or Sunday.

ATB…N & K

In reply to 2E0TDX:

Well done N & K,

Of course now you have an 817 you have next to no excuses for qualifying just about any hill now. At least with my rigs (or lack of) I have excuses.

I am of course only jealous and look forward to working you soon, don’t forget to beam in my direction (towards IO84GN), ahh there’s one excuse ‘I must have been beaming in the wrong direction at the wrong time’.

Best of luck,
Colin.

In reply to 2E0XSD:
I was glad to work Karen for the first time today, sorry I missed your first proper activation. It was a pleasure to work someone who didn’t just want your name, QTH, 5-9 and 73.

Hears to our first S-S.

73,
Colin.

In reply to 2E0 XYL:

No problem missing my spot, it was a spur of the moment activation, mainly a Dog walk up a hill with Radios (which most of mine are).

I had hoped to put a spot up earlier but 3G coverage was not that good.

Unfortunately low light stopped play (it was a nice sunset over the Scottish Hills though) and I missed qualifying the hill by 1 contact. So I will just have to go back & do it again (I’m sure the Dogs won’t mind).

73,
Colin.

In reply to 2E0 XYL:

No problem Karen, I’m sure there will be other opportunities.

73,
Colin.