[UK-CONTEST] GB7HQ

[James Hill]

CHRIS COLCLOUGH wrote:
> Well I think I managed my challenge to myself. All bands/modes in ascending order using the 80/40/30M nested dipoles I have up. All tuned through my Palstar ATU. Only 2 marginal contacts and I hope they were in the log 40M CW and 15M CW, but QSO B4 sent when called again.
> 
> Hope you all worked them on one or more bands and have had as much fun as I have.
> 

I only managed 6 band/mode slots, 160m, 80m & 40m. I only have a "Spud 
Gun" (Not even a little pistol!) setup here, comprising of MK3 ZD, 
FC-902, CW40 & 80m Inverted L. Couldnt even hear them on the other bands 
from sunny (but mostly wet) Norfolk.

I don't normally do 160m owing to local noise, but hearing GB7HQ on 160 
last night prompted me to grab a coil of wire from the shed, and 
lengthen the Inverted L, and dog leg the wire round the garden, from the 
top of the shed, via the bird table to the buddleia bush!, then load it 
up with the ATU. Very low down (Mrs FHM nearly decapitated herself first 
thing when she went into the garden, and I neglected tell her about 
it!), and didnt expect it to even load up, let alone radiate. The end 
result was a 1:1 match with the ATU, and SN0HQ on CW, and S50HQ on SSB, 
and all HQ's in between on SSB & CW. Quite impressive. One slight 
drawback was the lack of sidetone on the ZD. That seems to have packed 
up (last time I used CW was 3B7C), and made sending that little bit harder.

40m was my favourite band though, with some quite interesting DX going 
on. Notables (for me) include 9K9HQ, ZW5HQ & numerous Rx9's, W's & 
AO8HQ, of which surprisingly, EA8 is a new one for me on 40!

Generally signals were good, although I must comment that TM0HQ had some 
wide signals on the low bands, the worst being the 160m station at some 
7KHz wide (by my RX, anyway), and was totally obliterating the DARC 
station a couple of K's away.

Nice to see 15m show a bit of propagation this morning, too!

About 12h operating in total, with 112 in the log.

Roll on IOTA, I'll be part of a "big gun" team for that!

James G0FHM


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Skype: g0fhm_uk