12:24:38
Well we seem to have had a busy couple of weeks since the CDXC dinner.
It all started with a trip down to the farm to take part in the CQ WPX Phone contest. Chris did a single band high power
entry on 80M, using the club call MC0SHL, and Oli entered on 40M using the club call MW9W. And what a weekend it was. Not only did we enter the contest but Chris also made, with help from Ant MW0JZE who joined us for the Thursday to set up the 80M antenna, a 30M 1/4 wave vertical - ground mounted with 4 radials - which worked pretty well. We managed to make 379 QSO's on 30M RTTY between the 26 March and the 30th March, not bad to say the boys were in the contest for most of the operating time. We also managed a few contacts on other bands using the 40M and 80M verticals tuned through the Palstar AT2K ATU, ending the full weekend with over 500 RTTY qso's.
Best DX on 30M was probably into Japan, but we also managed to work a number of US stations also. The next time I am down there I will also bbe setting up the antenna and radio again just to have some fun working this mode on this band. Chris is also on 30M RTTY working from home most days, although he doesn't have the room for the vertical he can get a inverted V dipole in and now has that up and running.
We were lucky with the weather too. Though it did rain as Chris was driving down. He set off from home at 04:00 and drove all the way down to the England/Wales border with clear skies, as soon as he got into Wales it started raining. And the
rain lasted all the way down to Rob's. But after a welcome cup of tea and a catch up with Ant and Rob the rain stopped and we were able to work on the antenas in relatively warm conditions, all be it slightly windy - or should that be blowing a hooley?The skies had cleared and we had a clear day to erect the antennas and the sunset on this evening was stunning, and the photo's do not do it justice.
The following week Chris was on holiday from work and managed to clean up his shack a little. And he entered the EA DX RTTY contest too. This was over the weekend of the 4th and 5th of April. Again only having the antennas for low bands I set out my stall on 40M and had lots of fun. Probably my best DX this time round was again out in to Asia, with a lot of US stations. Most contacts were with Europe, and I thank every one who called me for the contacts and points.
There then followed the 80M Club Championships organised by the RSGB. These allow all club members to get on the air from their home stations and pool their scores. These run from January through to July and are of short duration, only 90 minutes on alternating evenings through the month, and comprise of a CW, SSB and Data legs. Charles and Chris
have been entering these events since January, and Ant and other team members are now joining in as they get their 80M antennas up in the air. Sadly Charles has been commited to another club for the past few years, but it does put a little friendly rivalry in to the contests - especially after each event we compare how we have done. As a club we are slightly behind Charles other club, but as there has only been a couple of us entering we feel we have done well. Maybe in next years club champs we will be top 10 all the way.
Then this Easter weekend Chris entered the UBA Spring contest. This is a slightly different type of contest and he only entered for some fun. You have to make contact with Belgian stations only on 80M SSB, and Chris' score - looking at previous years - will hopefully put him in the top 5 foreign stations.
Happy Easter to you all. And don't forget to look out for the club members on the air - especially on Wednesday evening 15th April as it is the SSB leg of the 80M Club Champs, see http://www.vhfcc.org/hfcc/rules/2009/r80mcc.shtml for full rules and information.
It all started with a trip down to the farm to take part in the CQ WPX Phone contest. Chris did a single band high power
entry on 80M, using the club call MC0SHL, and Oli entered on 40M using the club call MW9W. And what a weekend it was. Not only did we enter the contest but Chris also made, with help from Ant MW0JZE who joined us for the Thursday to set up the 80M antenna, a 30M 1/4 wave vertical - ground mounted with 4 radials - which worked pretty well. We managed to make 379 QSO's on 30M RTTY between the 26 March and the 30th March, not bad to say the boys were in the contest for most of the operating time. We also managed a few contacts on other bands using the 40M and 80M verticals tuned through the Palstar AT2K ATU, ending the full weekend with over 500 RTTY qso's.Best DX on 30M was probably into Japan, but we also managed to work a number of US stations also. The next time I am down there I will also bbe setting up the antenna and radio again just to have some fun working this mode on this band. Chris is also on 30M RTTY working from home most days, although he doesn't have the room for the vertical he can get a inverted V dipole in and now has that up and running.
We were lucky with the weather too. Though it did rain as Chris was driving down. He set off from home at 04:00 and drove all the way down to the England/Wales border with clear skies, as soon as he got into Wales it started raining. And the
rain lasted all the way down to Rob's. But after a welcome cup of tea and a catch up with Ant and Rob the rain stopped and we were able to work on the antenas in relatively warm conditions, all be it slightly windy - or should that be blowing a hooley?The skies had cleared and we had a clear day to erect the antennas and the sunset on this evening was stunning, and the photo's do not do it justice. The following week Chris was on holiday from work and managed to clean up his shack a little. And he entered the EA DX RTTY contest too. This was over the weekend of the 4th and 5th of April. Again only having the antennas for low bands I set out my stall on 40M and had lots of fun. Probably my best DX this time round was again out in to Asia, with a lot of US stations. Most contacts were with Europe, and I thank every one who called me for the contacts and points.
There then followed the 80M Club Championships organised by the RSGB. These allow all club members to get on the air from their home stations and pool their scores. These run from January through to July and are of short duration, only 90 minutes on alternating evenings through the month, and comprise of a CW, SSB and Data legs. Charles and Chris
have been entering these events since January, and Ant and other team members are now joining in as they get their 80M antennas up in the air. Sadly Charles has been commited to another club for the past few years, but it does put a little friendly rivalry in to the contests - especially after each event we compare how we have done. As a club we are slightly behind Charles other club, but as there has only been a couple of us entering we feel we have done well. Maybe in next years club champs we will be top 10 all the way.Then this Easter weekend Chris entered the UBA Spring contest. This is a slightly different type of contest and he only entered for some fun. You have to make contact with Belgian stations only on 80M SSB, and Chris' score - looking at previous years - will hopefully put him in the top 5 foreign stations.
Happy Easter to you all. And don't forget to look out for the club members on the air - especially on Wednesday evening 15th April as it is the SSB leg of the 80M Club Champs, see http://www.vhfcc.org/hfcc/rules/2009/r80mcc.shtml for full rules and information.
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