Sunday 25 July 2010

Chinese takeaway at the radio club camping weekend.

Last weekend was the Watcombe Radio Club camping weekend, yours truly wasnt under canvas, but merely an evening visitor making the most of everyone else's radio, next year though I plan to do my own station, need to purchase a tent first, it does help.

Anyway I sat myself in front of Andy's (2E0OJE) radio as I know he runs a good radio and even nicer audio with the broadcast mic and EQ deck, and started tuning around 20m - The band was alive and chock-a-block with stations, lots of QRM, and in amongst the noise I heard something that well, just sounded DX, even before he said his call, you just sort of know, and no he didnt have a chinese accent at all.

His call was BD4HF, this got me asking 'where is BD' to Andy as I had never heard of it, a few shouts back and we had exchanged 5/9 both ways, his being a genuine 's' meter reading.

I then turned around to see everyone in the camp behind watching me make the contact, then run off to their own tents to try for themselves, Andy made the trip also, the others wern't so succesful as by now I suspect he had been cluster reported and there was an ever increasing 'pile-up'.

A few beers, good company and great radio, what better way to spend some time.



Myself (in the stripey fleece) writing down a callsign with alan (M6DXU) in the camo and Adrian (SWL).



Alan, M6DXU with andy, 2E0OJE in the gimp mask !



Yes I am dancing to thank the Radio Gods for my contact !!
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7 comments:

  1. PE4BAS, Bas25 July 2010 at 14:06

    Hi Paul, I like chinese take aways like that ;-)
    Great contact. From the pictures it seem to be a very nice and cosy camping weekend. What kind of antenna did you use when you made the QSO to BD?
    73, Bas

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  2. Paul Stam PAØK25 July 2010 at 17:46

    Hi Paul, great! Never worked China before. It's on my wish list. 73 Paul

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  3. G4NKX25 July 2010 at 17:59

    Hello Paul:

    I love operating in tents - reminds me of NFD, excellent contact into BD, very good - looks like good time had by all.
    Cheers de Peter.

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  4. Paul M0PCZ25 July 2010 at 18:18

    Hi Bas - It was a very nice weekend i have to say - Andy had set up a 450' long wire end fed with a magnetic balun and coax, most of us at the club have these types of antenna, I use a long wire with a 9:1 unun.

    Hi Paul - Hope you had a great holiday, didnt know Germany got so warm !

    Hi Peter - NFD ? It'll probably come to me in a minute when I've posted - yes everyone had a good time, nice to do some quality radio time away from the family etc.

    The location was around 400' ASL, very quiet electrically as only one building nearby with electric, wonderful sea take off to the east, it was really nice to hear some different countries, contacts were made into India,Africa, Australia, Tazmania etc, places most of us at the club just dont hear from our home qth's.

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  5. QRP Station M6RDP25 July 2010 at 18:46

    Hallo Paul,

    Just had my letter read out on Radio Romania! Great photos of the camping weekend. I think NFD is "National Field Day". Makes me yearn for my 817 and an MP1, though China would have been unlikely with that equipment I think! Great contact though - no wonder you were dancing! Though I heard the beer had somethbing to do with it! Bye for now, Adam

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  6. G3SDW27 July 2010 at 19:07

    Heard all the news last night at the club and well done you.
    What a great antenna you had there and just calculating it you were using close to 7 wavelengths on 20m. Love to see what the polar diagram looks like.
    73
    Ken G3SDW

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  7. Paul M0PCZ29 July 2010 at 17:51

    Hi Ken,

    I cant take credit for the antenna, that was Andy and Ian's creation, and they say that 'size doesn't matter' ? ;-)

    ReplyDelete

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