I did some portable HF from Clermont Cairn near Dundalk today at lunchtime. I went up to the site of the EI2CCR repeater hoping to get some DX on CW but found conditions were not ideal. After putting out a CQ for what seemed like ages on 14 Mhz I had nobody coming back. So I kept going and eventually worked a couple of G stations - hardly great DX but at least I knew the equipment was working!!
It was a grey and windy day up on the mountain although it was clear and I could see a good distance away. To the north I caught a glimpse of Lough Neagh. I made a number of contacts into Europe and one QSO into the United States and at about 1.45pm (12.45 UTC) I decided to head back down the mountain to go back to work.
On returning, I had a nice email from one of the G stations, G4DTD, Ross, who says I am his only EI QSO since he moved to Cornwall in 2001. So I was delighted to hear that. Ross uses old valve radios and an indoor wire antenna. Nice QSO Ross, HPE CUAGN. 73.
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Good morning Anthony, we left Scotland yesterday but there at Loch Long we too were having grey, windy and cool weather as well. Back in England now it seems the weather has followed us here. So what rig did you use for the portable operation along with what antenna? I am using the KX1 from Elecraft and the Miracle whip antenna. I do have a long wire as well but in the hotel's we are in not enough room to really use it.
ReplyDeleteMike, I am using a battered old Icom 706 MkII which has seen better days. It's a great little radio for HF CW though and I've made some very decent DX contacts with it. There is something wrong with it. It only puts out 4 watts on 2 metres, and only 20 watts on 6 metres, but on some of the HF bands it gets 100 watts out. I use a Watson Multiranger on a triple magmount as my portable antenna. So I operate at all times from INSIDE the car, which is important in Irish weather HI !!!
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