[UK-CONTEST] VHF FD Write Up

[Adrian Rees (MW1LCR)]

Hello all

I took part in last weekends VHF NFD, the first VHF NFD I have taken part in
since 1981. I entered the low power section, as I could field 50MHz, 144MHz
and 432MHz. I thought I may stand a reasonable chance of wining something so
I registered the site I planned to use. I made a decision to enter VHF NFD
as a one man entry, because of a number of reasons, those being: 

The local club (Wrexham ARS, I am a member) wanted to enter VHF NFD, but not
as a competitive entry, more of a jolly boys day out sort of thing, just a
few hours on Saturday, and a few on Sunday. 

There had been much chatter about the downfall of VHF contests, that I
thought, in my own way, of supporting VHF NFD, which I think offers a level
playing field to all stations, irrespective of location. So I arranged a
site and planned my activity. 

On Friday morning, I received a telephone call from the local farmer, whose
field I was going to use, to say that he had cut the grass for silage on the
Thursday, but it had rained over night so his plan to bail Friday morning
had been put back to Saturday, if it didn't rain again. This mean't that at
best I couldn't gain access to the site till some time Saturday morning, at
worst no site at all.  A telephone call to the Contest Chairman (Hi Don) at
13:30 advised to re-register an alternate site, which I did ay 13:35. The
alternate site is 350 yards away from the original site.

At 15:45 Friday, I commenced the station build. The plan was to put the
144MHz Yagi and 432MHz Yagi on one mast and the 50MHz Yagi on another. (The
reasoning behind this was because I could only operate 144Mhz or 432MHz at
any one time, as the rig is a FT736R, and 50MHz a 756ProII).  The 144MHz and
432MHz yagi's went up in the air no problem, on a 30 foot ex army mast. The
50MHz yagi got about half way up, and a stake gave way (gin pole style of
erection) and the yagi ended up with one broken director and one bent
director. An hour of emergency repairs facilitated a sleeved director and a
bent-back-into-shape director. The yagi went in the air no problem after
this.

I then put up the tent, cabled up the generator and installed the table and
chair. I then retired to the pub for the evening. 

Saturday morning arrived, and I completed the station set-up. All seemed to
be going well, until the generator failed at 10:30am. A quick check over of
the generator, indicated it was a carb problem, and I wasn't going to mess
about with that just before a contest start. So a quick phone call to the
local hire company, got a 2.5Kw Petrol generator for £25 the weekend. Off I
went to collect it.

Things then seemed to go fine for a while, until the table started to
collapse, and the rain poured down, and I got attacked by horse flies (until
I had a bath in Tea Tree oil that frightens 'em off ), the generator drank
petrol and the wind got up. Oh, and then the contest started. All went fine
until the table eventually collapsed, and the laptop wouldn't key the rig
properly, I had mains hum on my 144MHz TX, but not on 432MHz, but on 432MHz
I had ignition noise from the generator, but not on 144Mhz (or 50MHz).

The horse flies came in for a second attack, and I spilt my tea. The rain
then came in for another wave, the horse flies came in again, and by this
time my feet where soaked. 

The contest itself was great fun, with plenty of DX worked. The stats are:

50MHz 86 QSO's ODX being YT1AD 
144MHz, 173 QSO's, ODX CT1HZE 
432MHz, 29 QSO's, ODX being PA6NL 

The station take down took around 2 hours, followed by tea and a long bath.

What have I learned?

1. Get something to rotate the yagi's, particularly 70cms, its too
directional. Armstrong doesn't work when its pouring with rain and you run
the gauntlet of guy ropes everywhere, you've been awake all night, after
setting up a station and run around like a nutter, you think someone has
called you, but aren't sure, and the wind has just started again.

2. Get a better tent, table and chairs.

3. Get a better generator.

And so to answer; Quote "...I was surprised to hear no stations at all from
Wales, except for one who, when I called on Sunday morning  had the gall to
say "I'm beaming south east, call again later".   (You know who you are,
thanks OM I needed you for the multiplier) "

Well that would have been me then. I hold my hands up and say yes, MW1LCR/P
in last weekends VHF NFD actually said that. I'll get a rotator for next
year, just for 70cm, see lesson learned number 1.

 
Cheerio


Adrian MW1LCR (occasionally /P)