[UK-CONTEST] Topband Contest

[Colin]

Disaster!

30 minutes into the session my new shack Windows 7 
minicomputer decided it didn't like the MicroHam USB router 
software and blue-screened, three times!

Back to the old laptop for next weekend unless I find a 
solution in the meantime.

Thanks for the contact Stewart.

73

Colin, G3PSM



On 21/11/2010 11:33, Stewart Rolfe wrote:
> Rob, Roger et al...
>
> Having recently bought a couple of Spiderbeam poles and had the nod from the farmer to put them up temporarily in the adjacent field, I thought I'd spend yesterday in the glorious sunshine hanging an inv V doublet off one and venture into top band contesting for the first time.
>
> The first couple of hours were very busy but the qrn levels illustrated the need for a dedicated receive antenna! I was clearly getting out to UK and EU but some continental signals were a struggle to copy. In the last hour or so the qrn disappeared but so did the signals, presumably replaced by Ws and other dx for those suitably kitted out; drying paint makes very little noise....
>
> BTW, my Rayburn cooker/ch boiler uses a so-called glo coil to ignite the fuel, a heating element so no arcing. Sounds more like a dodgy motor if it's continuing for minutes at a time?
>
> 73,
>
> Stewart, GW0ETF
>
>
> --- On Sun, 21/11/10, Roger Cooke<g3ldi at yahoo.co.uk>  wrote:
>
>> From: Roger Cooke<g3ldi at yahoo.co.uk>
>> Subject: Re: [UK-CONTEST] Topband Contest
>> To: "Rob - G4LMW"<g4lmw at btconnect.com>, "UK Contesting"<uk-contest at contesting.com>
>> Date: Sunday, 21 November, 2010, 8:48
>> Hi Rob.
>>
>>    Welcome to my top band world!!!  The noise at my
>> place never goes below S-7 and
>> if it is damp goes up to around S-9.
>> If it's raining, do a crossword or something! It then goes
>> to s-9 plu 10dB. 
>> Last night was good for me, starting at S-7 and ending
>> at S-9. Makes you feel very embarrassed when you are giving
>> "599" and then
>> asking for repeats!   I just read Don,
>> G3BJ's report
>> of the "string of Ws including Az" that he worked. Chance
>> would be a fine thing
>> here, didn't hear a solitary one W.  Better put up
>>
>> the gamma on the tower again I guess for next November.
>>    After midnight it was a bit like watching paint
>> dry.
>>
>>    Regards from Roger, G3LDI
>> Swardeston, Norfolk.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Rob - G4LMW<g4lmw at btconnect.com>
>> To: UK Contesting<uk-contest at contesting.com>
>> Sent: Sun, 21 November, 2010 1:06:05
>> Subject: [UK-CONTEST] Topband Contest
>>
>> Slightly OT......
>>
>> Apologies to those whom I kept asking for repeats tonight.
>>
>> Have had some sort of electrical "arching" QRM for a while
>> but not ventured onto
>> 160m for a while.......but found out that it is a killer on
>> LF!
>>
>> The worst thing is that it is intermittent. Could hear
>> people Q5 between the
>> periods of QRM.
>>
>> We have overhead supply here. I got the electricity board
>> to replace the span
>> from the road to my pole which seemed to help, but it is
>> back again. It doesn't
>> sound like the arching of a thermostat (besides, does
>> anyone have one of those
>> these days??).
>>
>> Any suggestions as to how I track this nuisance down?
>>
>> 73, Rob
>> G4LMW
>> http://www.G4LMW.co.uk
>>
>
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