| My Radio operating |
|---|
| A lot of my serious VHF & UHF radio work is
carried out away from the main station address ('portable'), hence I
probably make as many contacts signing as G0LGS/P, G5BK/P and
other /P club callsigns as I do from the main station as G0LGS. |
| Why do I operate portable ? |
|---|
| Despite having contacted a number of EU Countries on VHF
from the main station address in the past, there are several reasons that
I now do a lot of my VHF & UHF operating from 'portable'
locations: |
- The main reason is that except during exceptional VHF & UHF
conditions, the location of Cheltenham with the Cotswolds Hills so close
to the south and east is generally not a good location for VHF & UHF radio
(50MHz may be a possible exception with over 100 Grid squares in 36 Countries
cotacted during 2008).
- Much lower levels of local (man-made) noise (no TV's, Computers, Baby
Monitors etc).
- Generally no-one complains about what antennas you put up (even if
they do sometimes stop to ask what you are doing).
|
| Packing all the necessary equipment in my vehicle,
driving to a hill-top location, unpacking and setting up, then taking it
all down again takes up to 2.5 hours each time (at least 3 times during
most months of the year, sometimes 3 times in a week during the peak of
the contest season). |
| Is operating /P worthwhile ? |
|---|
| It certainly makes a difference for me, in a
typical 70cm evening contest from the main station I would probably make
contacts with between 5 and 10 stations (perhaps fewer), all of them in
the UK, but operating from one of the hill-top locations I use it can
yield between 30 and 70 (perhaps more) contacts with several of them being
from other EU Countries. |
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