Looks like we’ll have a decent lift on this weekend. Quite sure a GM station managed to get in to a local-ish repeater today (from what I’ve heard) - promising.
It’s peaking Saturday into Sunday - hoping it’s still decent when I head up G/DC-001 on Sunday. 
No SOTA for me but i might get out tomorrow or Sunday and try my DL2MAN Moxon on 2 and 70 for CW using my Quansheng.
Might be a chance to get over to Scotland or down the cost line to Cornwall or Wales possibly. You can get across the Irish Sea reasonably regular on FM.
Not expecting a single QSO but still gonna pound some brass anyway! 
I’ve worked the 70cm EI7MHR repeater Mullaghanish, Co Cork from Clydebank, Glasgow this afternoon!
I’ll pop out mobile tomorrow for the 145 Alive.
Blimey. That’s some going! I think that eclipses the 235km+ QSO’s I managed with 5 watts on an FT65 on 433 Alive day recently.
Didn’t know it was 145 Alive tomorrow. In that case I will make sure to get out and about. Probably IE-0136.
EDIT: I’ll be hammering brass on 144.050 and 432.050 tomorrow morning from about 0800z (0900 IST) by the beach (post-run so +/- a few mins).
Going to run a Quansheng on CW 2 and 70. Using my RH770 for 70cm and alternate between the DL2MAN Moxon and the Slim G, both on a 7m mast for 2m.
I will also try FM on 2 and 70 with an FT65 as well, see if I can get across to the UK. If anyone is on a summit I will try and chase, see if the Thira Hird (lift) is on!
Tried calling for ages but no contacts alas. I switched to FM and heard a station in Northern Ireland calling CQ and a couple others having a chew over in Wales on 145.550. Wasn’t heard though so no QSO.
Definitely a bit of Lighthouse Family (lift 
) going on but 5w wasn’t enough for me today I guess.
Also, noticed something odd on 144.050. Sounded like air band chatter. Only heard a couple of times. Any ideas what it could’ve been and why was it smothering the CW calling frequency?
Couple of snaps below. I also went for a run earlier. Tripped on a root and split both knees. I’ll spare ye the gory snaps! First time I’ve called CQ on CW or FM with two bleeding legs though!
They may have heard you clearly but didn’t want someone butting in to their QSO/net.
All the effects can be marginal to severe but they all add up so take steps to minimise them when you can.
(*) you can make a 10-15cm cable with an SMA and BNC female for example. That allows attaching other cables to handies etc.
Cheers for the pointers. I didn’t know about the adapter issue. I do have a BNC to SMA cable but it isn’t long enough for the mast. I’ll look in to making a custom one.
The horizontal I get, I thought it would be alright for CW and a quick check on FM. Next task is to adapt a mast mount for the Moxon to seat it vertically. Added to the to-do list.
I did switch between the Moxon and RH770 but still no joy. I had the Slim G as well but couldn’t use it as I left a carabiner in another bag. Tried to tie it on but no joy.
Very good point about the coaxial strain. It did drop off at one point! Duly noted for the future. There was near zero wind this morning, not even a puff of air and the sea was like glass. Unusual as Loughshinny harbour is usually pretty exposed and can howl in the Winter months.
Any ideas what that chatter on 144.050 might have been? I might try again later and see can I record audio if it happens again.
A Yagi is on my project list to build too. Lots to learn and think about! 
QRP 2m - I have it all setup well, and at the last G/DC-001 activation I managed over 180 miles…
…keen to try 20w tomorrow, which leaves me with the adaptor conundrum!
Are you going to give 2m CW try? I can try and chase if possible.
Argh - I have no 2/70 CW equipment… and even if I did, I’m only just starting out.
I can send, but have difficulty receiving - a bit like my relationship with HMRC!
118 miles on 1 watt with my new home brew antenna , whist walking my dogs in the Wyre Forest Worcestershire I was hearing GM stations but my 500mw would not cut it !
118 miles on 1 watt with my new home brew 2/70cm attic antenna . Whilst walking my dogs in the Wyre Forest Worcestershire I was hearing GM stations on 70cms but my 500mw would not cut it !
We’ll see how it goes.
We’re trying 2m FM, possibly SSB… and if there’s time, 40/20m.
Well stations in South of the UK are working into Austria on 70cm right now as well as the GI beacon being heard in Northern France. Plus there’s at least one EI station that’s worked Austria on 2m.
2m FM is absolutely hopping today. Wonderful to hear. I know it is 145 Alive and all that, but it is just so nice to see it packed to the rafters with activity today. Pretty much every step change had people yappin on it. So good. 
Furthest I heard today was a radio club in Fakenham, Norfolk. I tried to QSO their CQ but wasn’t heard. Worked a few in NI, Wales and Scotland though. I hadn’t heard about an EI station working Austria, that is brilliant.
Sadly 144.050 was pure tumbleweed. I tried calling for a while though, hoping some lift bring a bit of luck my way. Alas nothing. I heard voice activity on it again today though which was a bit disconcerting. Maybe it is just a Quansheng sensitivity thing.
Also bagged a SOTA chase too with a fella some folks here may be familiar with… (I confess I missed the callsign at first so didn’t cop on to who it was, then the penny dropped! 
).
The cheap Chinese rigs don’t have the greatest filtering so it was probably air band breaking through. The downside of using cheap tat.
I had my suspicion that was the case. I’ll keep trying while waiting for the 290R to come back from the docs.
Might have to accidentally on purpose buy another all mode-er while it is away. Just for testing purposes of course… 
I heard a HB9 and an EA calling on 144.300 this afternoon but couldn’t work them with my basic setup, and I think I’d missed the peak of the tropo.
I saw your spot on 333 and I listened but didn’t hear anything, but it was a while since the spot was posted by then. My HamAlert isn’t set for GM spots on VHF/UHF!
On Sunday, a personal best for me (I think). 336km / 227mi from G/CE-002 to somewhere near Larne using 5W from an Alinco DJ-G7 handhand on 2m. Peaking at 59 both ways
Looks a good 30 miles from Larne that does. Nice QSO nonetheless.
