[UK-CONTEST] Farmers and Contests - Widnes & Runcorn ARC visit to IO82KW

[tom wylie]

Not everybody is a hot shot operator running 4 QSOs per minute.   Some 
guys just go out for the fun of it.   I used to before becoming an 
expert  ;-)


Tom
GA4FDM



Ray James wrote:
> A visit to YouTube and a search under GW7HOA will bring forth a selection of 7 videos that will make a lot of operators cringe but give you a hell of a laugh at the same time.
>
> 73 Ray GA4CXM
>
>
>
>
> --- On Sun, 16/8/09, Adrian Rees (MW1LCR) <rees.a at btconnect.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> I hope the RSGB CC are reading
>> this....
>>
>>
>> Hello all
>>
>> At first this may not appear too relevant to Contesting or
>> Amateur Radio for
>> that matter, but just go with me for a while...
>>
>> We moved into our home 3 years ago. Its an old Welsh Hill
>> farm comprising
>> Farm house, barn, dairy and about 7 acres of land. We are
>> some 1,300 feet
>> asl with a clear take off to the horizon, around North _
>> East _ South. Due
>> West is  reasonable. Not surprising we have hill
>> farmers as neighbours and
>> the area is sparsley populated. HF and VHF Radio wise the
>> location is
>> superb. 
>>
>> As good neighbours we have become very friendly with the
>> local farmers and
>> inhabitants, some of whom have farmed and lived in the area
>> through many
>> many generations. As a community they are wary of
>> newcomers, and wary of
>> most things. This is quite understandable, given the fly
>> tippers, boy
>> racers, 4x4 heroes, boom - boom music lovers, Bar B Q nuts
>> and random
>> campers all messing up the country side,  land and
>> more importantly  lively
>> hoods, because they don't know or don't care about the
>> Countryside code, or
>> common decency.
>>
>> I know the local Farmers, and I have secured an excellent
>> contest location
>> to use, much better than my own back yard, and only 100
>> yards or so away. A
>> local amateur used this site successfully in the PW QRP
>> 144MHz contest this
>> year. My neighbours have expressed how pleased they were
>> with this operaton,
>> because of how the amateur had requested use, cleaned up
>> afterwards and
>> expressed his thanks. This then paved the way for a more
>> elaborate request,
>> on this same particular site, for large HF Contest
>> operation by a local CG. 
>>
>> (The site is not suitable for a high powered VHF contest
>> due to the close
>> proximity of VHF / UHF PMR and Home Office Comms systems in
>> the form of a
>> comms tower. In fact on 144MHZ a bandpass filter is
>> recommended to prevent
>> break through from 144MHZ TX to the higher bands in use.
>> Low pass filters
>> are used for HF), this is because of known breakthrough
>> problems from
>> amateur to commercial / Home Office.  
>>
>> So as you can see a pretty reasonable site for low power
>> VHF, full power HF
>> and well negotiated (over a 3 year period) with my
>> neighbours and local
>> farmer. 
>>
>> So what has this to do with contesting ? Read on....
>>
>> Last weekend, the local farmer stopped at the gate and was
>> chatting away. He
>> was particulary annoyed with a group of "radio amateurs"
>> who had turned up
>> in the afternoon, to use the field at the top of the hill
>> (the one I refer
>> to above) and thought I had something to do with them. I
>> explained I hadn't.
>> He then went on to tell me that this group of "radio
>> amateurs" had shown up,
>> out of the blue, parked 8 (or so) cars and a mast on a
>> trailer in the middle
>> of the field and then asked to use the field for a contest,
>> and if possible
>> move higher up the field next to the PMR Mast.He suggested
>> that they do not
>> go near the PMR mast as the local amateur who lives over
>> there (meaning
>> me....) had expressed concerns over interference "with that
>> mast".
>>
>> The farmer was some what peeved, to say the least, as there
>> is no public
>> right of way across the field and they had set up their
>> gear before asking
>> permission to use it. Then when they left they didn't offer
>> any thanks or so
>> on. I said I would look into it, but doubted if it was a
>> group of radio
>> amateurs, because of the way they had conducted themselves
>> and setting up a
>> station directly under a PMR mast is asking for trouble. 
>>
>> I have now ascertained that it was a group of radio
>> amateurs (who shall
>> remain nameless, but hopefully they will read this email)
>> who set up a
>> station to operate in the 144MHz UKAC contest on Tuesday
>> 4th August. 
>>
>> So to summarise this group set up blindly ignoring the
>> countryside code
>> (bulls in fields spring to mind...) or common decency to
>> ask permission, or
>> thank the farmer. Neither had they considered any EMC or
>> RFI problems that
>> they may create. 
>>
>> And now for the bomb shell...the particular group also
>> included at least one
>> person who is "high up" in the RSGB...and who teaches the
>> Foundation
>> licence. You would have thought they would know better eh
>> ?
>>
>> It's a good job I wasn't home that evening, as I would have
>> also operated in
>> the UKAC 144MHz Contest, with my newly built linear (pair
>> of 4CX350B's) to a
>> stacked pair of Yagi's...some 170 yards from their site. 
>>
>> The farmer acknowledged that I had nothing to do with this
>> group and the
>> site's use by the local CG is still possible. (Admittedly
>> after buying a few
>> pints in the pub last night).
>>
>> So if you are going to play radio /P ask about before
>> stomping across
>> peoples land, and ask if there is a local amateur who is
>> also active.
>> Getting full chat from a big linear to pair of Yagi's at a
>> range of 170
>> yards will be painful. 
>>
>>   
>>
>> Adrian Rees MW1LCR QRA: IO82KW 4.5 Miles E. Llangollen
>> North Wales
>>     
>
>
>
>       
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