[G0KYA] Operating QRP from Beeston Bump (TG14) in North Norfolk

[G0KYA via rec.radio.amateur.moderated Admin]

G0KYA's Amateur Radio Blog

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Operating QRP from Beeston Bump (TG14) in North Norfolk

Posted: 19 Jul 2016 01:06 PM PDT
http://g0kya.blogspot.com/2016/07/operating-qrp-from-beeston-bump-tg14-in.html

Jim G3YLA and I operated HF and VHF QRP from the top of Beeston Bump in
Norfolk as planned today.
It turned out to be the hottest day of the year, so not exactly ideal.
Nevertheless, after parking up and walking to the top we were met by a
fantastic 360 degree view.
I quickly set up by 40m inverted L end fed half wave (EFHW) on a 10m
fishing pole, bungeed to a bench and fed it with my homebrew EFHW matching
unit, while Jim tried some CW on 2m from a little beam. He didn't get
anywhere with that so switched to FM and had a quick chat with some locals
on 145.275MHz.
Once the HF antenna was erected I handed Jim the coax and he set to on 40m
CW and quickly worked a station in Germany using 2.5W from his Yaesu FT-817.
Jim G3YLA working Germany on 40m CW.I meanwhile tried to see what I could
work on 2m FM and could raise the GB3FR repeater across the water in
Spilsby, Lincolnshire, but there was no one on it. I switched to GB3NB in
Norfolk and worked John G8VPE.
I then took over on HF, but 40m was hard work and 20m was not much better.
I eventually went back to 40m CW using my 2.5W Steve Weber-designed
Mountain Topper Radio (MTR) and raised fellow G-QRP club member Peter G3XJS
near Wrotham, Kent who was using 5W to a doublet. I was very pleased to
make the contact as that was the first time the MTR has been used in the
field.
Looking at the Chilton Digisonde data I think this was via Sporadic E (Es)
on 40m as the F2 critical frequency was only about 5MHz - we don't normally
associate Es with 40m, but you could see the Es on the plot.
Jim G3YLA then took over again using his FT-817 and had a long CW QSO on
40m with a station in the Netherlands.
The information board for the Y station.There were a lot of walkers on the
hill and we were able to explain what we were doing - it was quite apt as
this was the location for the Beeston Hill Y Station, a secret listening
post during World War Two. The chain of Y stations were on the front line,
feeding Enigma intercepts to the War Office’s Bletchley Park.
There is an information board all about the Y station and the concrete
foundations are still there.
Propagation was iffy at best and the heat was getting to us, so we decided
to take the station down and head for the nearest pub for fish and chips
and cold refreshments.
My home-made EFHW matcher and SWR
indicator.All in a great day and we both agreed we'll go back, perhaps in
late September when propagation is better and the temperature is a bit more
reasonable.
I also shot some video and I'll try and edit that over the next few days.My
three-band (40, 30 and 20m) Mountain Topper Radio.
3W CW on 40m raised Peter G3XJS in Kent.
Update:

I thought I would do an Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) tonight.

I was pleasantly surprised to see I was picked up all over the place,
including the US.

Jim G3YLA wasn't for some reason - not sure why as his CW is waaaay better
than mine. Perhaps it was because he responded to CQs and didn't call CQ
himself.

Reverse Beacon Network captures from the day -
chuffed I was picked up in the US (just) with 2.5W to an EFHW for 40m
(click to enlarge).

[gareth G4SDW GQRP #3339]

"G0KYA via rec.radio.amateur.moderated Admin"
<rec-radio-amateur...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:001a11407f78eb...@google.com...
> Nevertheless, after parking up

I know what, "parking" means but "parking up", and, in the
same vein, "listen up"?

Crass americanisms such as the use of , "antennas" when they mean,
"antennae"?

[Stephen Thomas Cole]

Malingering twat.

--
STC / M0TEY /
http://twitter.com/ukradioamateur

[Paul Cummins]

In article <nmne1b$ksi$1...@stc.eternal-september.org>,

use...@stephenthomascole.com (Stephen Thomas Cole) wrote:

> > Crass americanisms such as the use of , "antennas" when they
> mean, "antennae"?
> >
>
> Malingering twat.

Steve, why do you perpetuate and implicitly condone exactly the sort of
abuse you complained of when suggesting a Moderated Group?

--
Paul Cummins - Always a NetHead
Wasting Bandwidth since 1981
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