Post by mm5aho on Jul 4, 2011 21:58:54 GMT 1
This motley crew...
(This image thanks to GM0OQV, rest by MM5AHO)
assembled on a point about 150m asl and about 200m from the sea, about as far south as its possible to go in Scotland (actually on a parallel, south of Newcastle), to operate VHF NFD.
Barlocco is a farm. It looks like this...
But the view out to sea looks like this...
This image is our new technique of vertical polarisation 70cm, in order to work those using a colinear. Don't tell anyone of this contest winning secret method.
Getting set up takes a lot of work, and on a hot day that needs thirsts quenched.
The now obligatory flags have to be raised somewhere, necessitating a tower. If it were not for the flags, even this tower might be optional?
Once its all set up, its a wait until start time.
Complete with dining tent, tents for sleeping (of which there was little), and a van for a shack, the setup looked like a Roma camp.
A problem over the past few years has been this...
a wind farm offshore in the Solway Firth. Dozens (seems like hundreds) or huge power stations cause some qrm on some bands when beaming at them. We can live with this... just!
The sea views compass 180 degrees.
This is the view about east, and there's water all the way round from here, over the lake district, Barrow, Wales (just out of sight), Isle of Man (easily visible about 60km away), and Northern Ireland to the west.
Operating is fun too...
[img src="i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg170/mm5aho/radio/vhf%20nfd%202011/IMG_2595.jpg"][/img]
[img src="i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg170/mm5aho/radio/vhf%20nfd%202011/IMG_2589.jpg"][/img]
Someone's foresight in bringing a suitable cable, meant that the generator was able to be parked well away down the hill
In case we got bored, we had a HF station too.
And with this even a qso between UK and ZL was possible. It was apparently a funny one too.
At night, the sky was clear, the starts shone (the operators that is), and the sky was good to watch too. The lights of the widn farm and the coast of Cumbria beyond were clearer than this shot shows with its camera shake...
For those interested, this shot was 30 seconds hand held (forgot the tripod) F3.5, 200ISO at 18mm FL.
The night stars with beams that were not moving for at least the 30 secs exposure.
And a good time was had by all.
Roll on the results table...
(This image thanks to GM0OQV, rest by MM5AHO)
assembled on a point about 150m asl and about 200m from the sea, about as far south as its possible to go in Scotland (actually on a parallel, south of Newcastle), to operate VHF NFD.
Barlocco is a farm. It looks like this...
But the view out to sea looks like this...
This image is our new technique of vertical polarisation 70cm, in order to work those using a colinear. Don't tell anyone of this contest winning secret method.
Getting set up takes a lot of work, and on a hot day that needs thirsts quenched.
The now obligatory flags have to be raised somewhere, necessitating a tower. If it were not for the flags, even this tower might be optional?
Once its all set up, its a wait until start time.
Complete with dining tent, tents for sleeping (of which there was little), and a van for a shack, the setup looked like a Roma camp.
A problem over the past few years has been this...
a wind farm offshore in the Solway Firth. Dozens (seems like hundreds) or huge power stations cause some qrm on some bands when beaming at them. We can live with this... just!
The sea views compass 180 degrees.
This is the view about east, and there's water all the way round from here, over the lake district, Barrow, Wales (just out of sight), Isle of Man (easily visible about 60km away), and Northern Ireland to the west.
Operating is fun too...
[img src="i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg170/mm5aho/radio/vhf%20nfd%202011/IMG_2595.jpg"][/img]
[img src="i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg170/mm5aho/radio/vhf%20nfd%202011/IMG_2589.jpg"][/img]
Someone's foresight in bringing a suitable cable, meant that the generator was able to be parked well away down the hill
In case we got bored, we had a HF station too.
And with this even a qso between UK and ZL was possible. It was apparently a funny one too.
At night, the sky was clear, the starts shone (the operators that is), and the sky was good to watch too. The lights of the widn farm and the coast of Cumbria beyond were clearer than this shot shows with its camera shake...
For those interested, this shot was 30 seconds hand held (forgot the tripod) F3.5, 200ISO at 18mm FL.
The night stars with beams that were not moving for at least the 30 secs exposure.
And a good time was had by all.
Roll on the results table...