With the predictions of the weathermen of maybe the best summer on record, what better way to spend a warm balmy evening than doing SOTA in the mountain breeze? Let us all hope they have got it right and that there is the propagation to match.
Timing of these evening sessions is always a bit critical for me, due to running around collecting my kids/granddaughter from school and picking them up from work combined with my 7pm shift start/end when I am working, but you can bet I will be chasing even if it is from the car most of the time.
Iāll be active from NW-1billion - Roman Camp, the local high(ish) spot over Bangor. I know I can work the Pennines from there, and Iām sure that I could make it back to some of the more costal NW activations on 2m. If I was feeling particularly daring, I might make a bus ride to NW-070 Great Orme one night.
In reply to GW0DSP: Sorry for a late reply - just back from EA8 and still re-acclimatising. Count me in this year. Several summits within easy reach, but Iāll have to a deal with GW4BVE for GW/MW-027.
Iāll be doing the 6m RSGB AC from G/SP-015 this coming Tueday (22nd April). Probably mainly SSB, around 50.120MHz, but could do some CW and FM as well I know the date for the first SOTA Fun Evening is not for a further two weeks, but does anyone want to try for some 6m S2S contacts next Tuesday?
Note 1. Only to be used between station in different continents.
Have I missed something or is there going to be a huge lift on 50MHz?
Seriously though, next time Im on a hilltop I will put out a call on 6M FM using my VX-7R. It will be interesting to see if there are any real operators out there tuning the bands instead of sat watching the cluster.
Ever the optimist me! No, seriously, I wil be working stations in the contest, so presumably they will be positioned a little higher up the band than where I estimated. Excuse my uninformed guess!
Is it possible to āmissā advance news of a lift on 6m? They are almost impossible to forecast arenāt they?
Openings on 50MHz are very easy to miss. Though you have me thinking now Tom, a home made di-pole for 50MHz wouldnāt be very big at all would it? Great to use during the summer months (when 6M has its best openings) and wouldnāt take up much room on the summit either so ideal for the busier hilltops.
a home made di-pole for 50MHz wouldnāt be very big at all would it?
If you find yourself two suitably sized telescopic antennas of the type used for FM broadcast radios then you can make a collapsible dipole for 6m, 4m, 2m and 70cms. All you need to do is adjust the antennas to the correct length for the band in question. Further, if you use a piece of string with knots tied at the correct places you can attach the string to the dipole centre and then you have a simple method of setting the right lengths on the elements. Better, as the measuring string is part of the antenna you wont forget to bring it and as itās simple to hold out whilst you adjust the telescopic elements you can do this whilst you have your gloves on.
Hello Tom. re 6 meters on Tuesday evening.what are you going to use for an antenna.And will it be vertical or horizontal.I may give it a go from Bouldsworth. Thanks and all the best Geoff. G6MZX
Iāll be doing the 6m RSGB AC from G/SP-015 this coming Tueday (22nd
April). Probably mainly SSB, around 50.120MHz, but could do some CW
and FM as well I know the date for the first SOTA Fun Evening is not
for a further two weeks, but does anyone want to try for some 6m S2S
contacts next Tuesday?
Tom M1EYP
According to your alert Tom you will be QRT an hour and a quarter before the contest starts.
The 6m RSGB AC is 8pm to 10.30pm. I intend doing the first 45 mins.
I have to go QRT at 8.45pm (1945z as in my alert) in order to pick Jimmy up from ATC, but the contest will have been running during my summit time. Hereās hoping for some activity!
I have made some enquiries as to the discrepancy between the UKSMG site and the RSGB VHFCC site. The latter is definitely correct, but I canāt see how the former would be āwrongā. Perhaps there is a wider EU activity night in these times?
In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom
The RSGB Activity Nights have always been listed as ā2000 hrs LOCAL timeā in Radcom and yes there are Nordic Activity nights as well on a Tuesday !
Obviously someone saw the 2000 and assumed it to be UTC when they listed it on the UKSMG site (- their site has been undergoing a revamp recently with a few hiccups with the changes.)
I was pleased to work you on 6 metres and again yes, the conditions were lousy !