On Monday 2nd May, Jimmy and I will be activating Swinside G/LD-057. This is a rare one for chasers, only previously activated about 10 times. Furthermore, there has only ever been 23 QSOs on 40m CW - usually the most common combo for SOTA chasing.
Therefore I hope to have many calls on Monday and to work down a big pile-up! My call will be MR1EYP/P, and Jimmy will operate as MR3EYP/P on 2m FM.
This summit is on private land and permission from the estate is required to access it and to operate, so it may be a while before it airs for SOTA again.
I’m thinking of adapting my W3EDP with a loading coil in the counterpoise.
would be most interested to hear how you get on Brian - I’ve tried several times over the years to get my home station W3EDP to tune on 160m without success (note I use a “real” W3EDP with tank arrangement, not just a piece of wire with an ATU…)
Great stuff! I hope to work you S2S from Gt. Whernside G/NP-008 using GX7OOO/P (Scarborough Special Events Group) if I am early and you are late - hi hi!
That’s interesting, Paul. I, too, use the “real” W3EDP. I originally got the idea from a PW article reprinted in an “Antennas to Go” supplement. In that article it suggested for Top Band a 132-foot counterpoise but for a hill-top that seems a little OTT hence my thoughts about a loading coil. You might be interested to know that a few years ago I had a very successful first couple of Es seasons on 6 metres with the 817 and a GW0GHF antenna which was really just a variation of the W3EDP with a quarter-wave counterpoise.
In your version of the W3EDP do you use a variable capacitor in series with the antenna? I do and it makes tuning a little easier, one coil covers 80 to 20.
Cheers Roy. I’ve a feeling that OFCOM have changed how they are recording club calls. I can only assume that they think the assorted OOO calls are actually personal not club calls. Certainly the validation document when I transferred my late friend’s call to myself as the holder on behalf of a club lists the call as GS3PYU. Validation docs I’ve seen from the past showed English club calls just as G4??? not GX4???.
Believe it or not Brian, a resonant halfwave dipole! I am working through considering the challenges that this throws up, but it is an interesting challenge.
