Setting up portable antennaContest operating /P

- and sometimes the sun shines!

 

 

 

Details
Hits: 992

Just a few shots of the main 70MHz beam being readied by Norrie GM1CNH. Not sure who the other op is, possibly Mark MM0MMK. Also present: Pete GM4BYF, Mark Mackay MM0MMK, Mike GM4IGS, Rob Hemesley MM1RAH and Brian GM4DIJ who took the photos. The rig was a Yaesu FT847 + 4CX250B linear giving 160W output. Antennas were an 11-element yagi (H) on 32m (68ft) mast plus a 6-element yagi (V) on a shorter pole for FM QSOs. Brian notes: "SWR went infinite 1/2 hour before the start of contest. Fortunately the dodgy connection was reachable near the bottom of the 68ft mast". 89 QSOs were made with best DX G1EHF/P at 549km. There was quite a lot of FM activity in NI after the GB2RS news and we made 4 QSOs in Belfast. This station GM3HAM/P gained 2nd place in Section M of the contest. 

 

Norrie securing the 11-ele  home-brew yagi onto the pole, assisted by Peter GM4DTH.

Details
Hits: 3296

Another contest operated from the excellent site at Gatehouse of Fleet with a good-sized group.

 

L-R: Mark MacKay MM0MMK, Sandy McTaggart MM0CJT,  Chris MM0ZCT, Simon Bussey GM1EXK, Norrie GM1CNH; in front: wee Stuart Wright; Colin Wright GM4HWO, Brian GM8BJF, Robin GM4YPL, Mike GM4IGS, Pete GM4BYF, Tommy GM1GEQ, Tommy GM4DCL, Peter GM4DTH, Brian GM4DIJ.

Details
Hits: 2466

Not much detail yet of this event, an HF DXpedition to Great Cumbrae island in the Firth of Clyde for an IOTA (Islands On The Air) contest.

Participants included Colin GM4HWO, Mike GM8KCS & XYL-Liz, Norrie GM1CNH, Pete GM4BYF and Peter GM4DTH. The camper van was kindly loaned by Tommy GM1GEQ. 

 

 Antennas included a 3-element HF yagi and a number of inverted-Vee dipoles

for the lower bands.

Details
Hits: 937

Norrie GM1CNH provided these photos of the first VHF NFD to be operated by the GM3HAM/P group from the site in the hills behind Gatehouse of Fleet which we have been using ever since at locator IO74wv. Formerly it had been used for many years by the well-known VHF'er Tom Douglas G(M)3BA, originally from Edinburgh, who became Engineer-in-Charge at the BBC TV transmitter at Sutton Coldfield. Tom was the RSGB VHF Manager and RadCom VHF Editor for a number of years. The site provides an outstanding take-off to the south into the Irish Sea with the Isle of Man visible in good weather. But to the north there is a ridge about 500ft higher than the site! Over subsequent years it has proved to be an excellent site, allowing GM3HAM/P to win many contests. 

 

 Camping tents erected on arrival on the Friday afternoon .