RSGB SSB Field Day/Weekend September 2008

 

 

 

Date: 6 / 7 September 2008.
Time: 1300 - 1300UTC
Bands: 3.5, 7, 14, 21, 28MHz
Mode: SSB
Exchange: RS + Serial Number.

 

 

 

A small group of members met at the shack and loaded up Colin’s van with the generator and the bits of the beam. The mast was then hitched up and a small convoy set off for the field. The field is between Lower Withington and Swettenham but is not easy to find until you have been a couple of times and a convoy was the safest way to ensure that everyone arrived in the same field.


Many of us had been looking forward to the competition as our first HF contest and the first outing of the clubs new mobile tower. It was also a great opportunity to deploy the clubs frighteningly large three-element beam.

 

On arriving at the field the club tent was erected in short order followed by Adies tent that was to provide dormitory facilities during Saturday night. An outstanding team effort saw the mast positioned, stabilised, fitted with the beam, erected and guyed in only thirty minutes.

 

 

With the generator running a quick test of the set-up gave a Japanese contact and a chap in Coventry using a kite antenna. The club Kenwood TS570 performed flawlessly throughout the contest as did the new heavy duty rotator and the antenna array.

 

 

During the weekend the weather continued fine and despite the thirty foot mast the wind stayed calm. Several visitors were welcomed to the camp including G8RDO. Even the failure of the generator on Sunday morning didn’t slow down the work rate as Colin had a spare. Thanks go to Jim G1DUT who arranged the use of the field and who looked after us so well on the weekend.

 

 

More than two hundred unique contacts were made over the 24 hours of the contest. Calls were completed to: Great Britain and Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia.

 

 

All those involved seemed to have a great time and most are looking forward to another field day – with or without a contest.

Those taking part in the weekend included: Allan G0JNJ, Greg 2E0RXX, Colin M6???, Roger M0GMG, Liam M3ZRY, Andy G1DDU, Cleo D0GGY, Jim G1DUT, Adrian 2E0DOD, Ron G0WUZ.