UHF Fun Weekend Sep 8/9th 2012

I’d like to remind everyone of the informal UHF fun weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday, September 8th/9th 2012.

The aim is to try to get more activators and chasers using UHF and up. There are no awards, certificates for this, only the delight in have contacts on 70cms and above. It’s surprising what can be worked with no more than a handheld and rubber duck but best results will be obtained with better antennas of course.

Don’t forget that there are a lot of people out there with 23cms handys nowadays along with a few SOTA stations equipped for 23cms SSB.

I hope to be out (WX dependent) and be QRV on 70cms and 23cms. On 70cms I’ll have FM/SSB with a small 6ele Yagi and 20W PA. On 23cms I’ll have a FM only with a 3 ele WA5VJB Yagi and a double-quad and just 1 W.

Andy
MM0FMF

In reply to MM0FMF:
Hi Andy

Well done on putting a thread on about the event!

Unfortunately I will be unable to make it now, a family commitment has come up, however good luck with the event.

73

Matt G8XYJ

In reply to MM0FMF:

Id love to join in but Ill be in Bamberg drinking smoked beer :wink:

In reply to MM0FMF:

We’ll be up activating something in LD on the Sunday with 23cms. Summit subject to wx and arrival time - hopefully one of the higher tops. Possibles are Scafell Pike or Great Gable & Kirk Fell or Grasmoor & Grisedale Pike.

Karen & Neil
2E0XYL & 2E0TDX

In reply to MM0FMF:
Hi Andy!

Tks for the reminder, unfortunately I have family commitments otherwise I would have liked to have had a serious go on 70cms. Maybe next year? And GL to all taking part. Have fun!!

73

Jack (;>)
GM4COX

In reply to MM0FMF:

Great stuff - I only operate above 144 MHz anyway. I’ll try and scoot up to Mynydd Bodafon, here on Anglesey, with 1W FM 23cm and a 19-el beam (vertical pol) and see what we get.

VHF and above reflects the true sprit of operating from hilltops. Besides gathering points, I don’t ‘get’ HF on hills, though nothing against those who indulge, of course.

Great tropo forecast for this week too - could be exciting!

73 to all,

Rob MW0DNK

In reply to MW0DNK:

VHF and above reflects the true sprit of operating from hilltops.

An interesting viewpoint, Rob. Care to explain?

73 de Les, GO3VQO

In reply to G3VQO:

It could be argued that HF operation from hills better reflects the international spirit of SOTA in that it permits communication between more Associations, but really such comparisons are invidious, we do whatever grabs us!

73

Brian G8ADD

In reply to G3VQO:

Nothing wrong at all with operating HF from hilltops - I imagine it must be great fun too! Bit jealous at not having an FT-817…

However, I’m sure people started hilltopping on VHF and above because of the line of sight benefits it brings. No such benefits at HF; so it appears to me to be more about points (which is also fine). I should have written ‘the original spirit…’ perhaps.

73, Rob.

In reply to MW0DNK:

I think HF benefits also from being used on mountains. HF is great fun from SOTA summits! In fact all radio is fun from hill tops.

Not sure where ‘points’ come into it - the same amount of points are there whatever frequency/mode you choose to use. I guess there may be a different amount of challenge to gain the points - it should be quite easy to qualify any summit with a few watts on 40m these days, but maybe it might be a different story on 70cms or above.

There is so much scope to provide your own challenge - do you want to qualify the summit quickly, easily and then descend from the summit - or do you want to try different stuff just because you can?

There is no right or wrong - the activator must do as he/she wants - nobody said to me that I had to qualify every single one of my Winter summits using no more than 200mW HF CW, but I did because it was brilliant fun!

Just enjoy yourself, whatever band/mode you choose!

73
Colin, M0CGH

In reply to M0CGH:

I know exactly the point Rob is making. The traditional views of portable radio are that you take VHF and above to the tops of hills and HF to the seaside. Hilltop locations aid VHF which is is still considered a line-of-sight more (although it isn’t even at 10GHz) and operating vertical dipoles or 1/4wave verticals over a gently sloping beach is considered one of the best ways to experience HF.

Taking your radio out of the noisy, RF polluted cities into the country (either seaside or hilltop) is a wonderful experience. Taking your HF station to the top of a mountain is something relatively new that SOTA has popularised, although certain long time licensed stations will remember SWAMP.

Rob, I’m not sure of the WX yet but I’ll try to find somewhere to operate from that would make 23cm to Anglesey more rather than less likely.

Andy
MM0FMF

Amateur radio is all about experementing and finding out what works best for you.

Nobody loves dragging odball antennas and bits of wire up a hill, more than me. Personally, I have very little time for antenna bibles, if I did, I wouldn’t have dragged half the stuff up onto summits that I have done and certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed myself anything like as much.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

I have very little time for antenna bibles

I have some Maurice Hately designs for antennas you’d just love Mike.

Andy
MM0FMF

In reply to MM0FMF:

WX permitting this end too - I’ll check here to see when you’re active, Andy. The tropo forecast is looking good this week so you never know!

Thanks for the comments, all, on HF too!

Rob.

In reply to MM0FMF:

Taking your radio out of the noisy, RF polluted cities into the
country (either seaside or hilltop) is a wonderful experience. Taking
your HF station to the top of a mountain is something relatively new
that SOTA has popularised, although certain long time licensed
stations will remember SWAMP.

In the mid 60’s I had a trip to southern Scotland with a friend, G3NAQ, and we operated off the top of various hills, though the only one I remember after this length of time is Green Lowther, now designated SS-056. We operated on two metres, 80 and 160 metres, so operating on HF from the top of hills isn’t really all that new an eccentricity! The equipment, by the way, was all homebrew and all hollow-state, and I remember having to do running repairs with a soldering iron heated on a Bluet propane cooker!

I don’t think I can get out this weekend but I will be listening for activations.

73

Brian G8ADD

In reply to MM0FMF:
I’ll try and get out this weekend even if its from a local hill as opposed to a SOTA one to try and make a contact or two. I bought a bargain Yaesu FT-790R 70cm rig the other week from a local 2nd hand music shop for a Tenner. The shop owner thought it was a CB! It even had 8 newish NiMH cells inside and just needed a couple of simple repairs to the mic plug.
It works fine, but it’ll be good to give it a good hill test with its 1w output.

73
Jonathan
2E0CTW

In reply to MM0FMF:
Hello Andy
My suggestion that a walk up the Wrekin G/WB-010 on Saturday for a spot of radio went down well. It’s turned into a family walk. My hopes of a rare foray onto 14MHz and above is dashed as the rest of the Holmans will want to descend for ice creams after a few minutes.
Alert posted for 432.222 ssb and 433.5 fm. 5W into the SOTABeam. I’ll try to work any cw callers who make it on the G4OIG calling frequency and I can copy. Straight key, hand sent with thinking time might work! If UHF doesn’t work I’ll self spot for some 2m phone. Otherwise it’ll be the usual rush before cries of “Have you finished yet?” and missing my summit packed lunch. Maybe it’ll be different this time?
I look forward to talking to a fair number of chasers. Sunshine, 1pt and no pager break through on 70cm!
73
David M0YDH

In reply to MM0FMF:

I have some Maurice Hately designs for antennas you’d just love Mike.

ROTFL! And then, of course, there is the Joystick and the Miracle Whip …

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to G3NYY:

Lol! I remember seeing a demonstration of the Joystick at a club. The Joystick really did work, although people reckoned that most of the radiation came off the lead. Using the lead on its own was far less effective! I wonder if any remain in use today?

73

Brian G8ADD

In reply to G3NYY:

ROTFL! And then, of course, there is the Joystick and the Miracle
Whip …

The Miracle Whip is the butt of many jokes, but it can be useful sometimes. Faced with absolutely no alternative on a couple of Mediterranean holidays, I have pressed one into service from my hotel room or balcony. Using just 2.5 watts from my FT-817, I have worked into the UK on 6m SSB on a number of occasions. It has also provided QSOs on 10m and 15m when conditions are good.

Of course, if you expect miracles using it for SOTA operations on 40m you will be disappointed!

73 de Les, GO3VQO