Some members of the club will again be going up the hill to operate a portable station for the Practical Wireless 144MHz QRP contest on Sunday 12th June. We will be using the callsign GM4YEQ/P.
The contest runs between 0900-1600 UTC (1000-1700 Local/BST). We’ll likely be on site from 0930 (local) if not slightly earlier for setting up.
Read more »Some of our club members again activated the Whitrope Heritage Centre near Hawick in this year’s Railways On The Air event.
Different callsign from usual WRH, which no doubt created some confusion when the QRZ page corresponding to the WHR callsign gives details of another station.
A good weekend was had by all, despite drizzly rain most of the first day then heavier rain on the Sunday afternoon.
74 QSOs were made over the weekend.
Station operating from the carpark of the centre. Thanks to Dave H MM0HTL for use of the caravan and awning.
Equipment:
Transceiver: Kenwood TS-430S
Antenna Tuner: Yaesu FC-902
Amplifier: Yaesu FL-2100B putting out about 200w peak.
Antenna: UK Antennas End-fed multiband antenna (40/20/15/10m)
Many thanks to the Waverley Route Heritage Association for allowing us to set up in their carpark at Whitrope again this year. Thanks also to Dave S GM0KCN, Dave H MM0HTL and Steven MM0ILC for organising, helping set up, and operating the station for the weekend, and other club members visiting during the event.
QSL cards will be on their way to stations contacted.
As COVID-19 restrictions have relaxed somewhat, the club took part in the Practical Wireless 144MHz QRP Contest this year.
We’ll assembled at the usual spot at the quarry off the summit of the Ettrick “Middle Swire”, between Yarrow and Kirkhope (W of Ettrickbridge).
Note: COVID-19 precautions were taken, and we were well short of the 12-person outdoor limit. All attendees were fully vaccinated.
Warm in the sunshine, but a persistent brisk wind and increasing cloud meant that we had to shelter between the vehicles for ourselves and to protect the mic from wind noise.
It stayed mostly dry with just a spot of drizzle late on, so we were able to operate outside with no interruptions.
We made almost 30 contacts over the day, reaching from Fife down to South Wales, and from the Isle of Man to Yorkshire, including one contact from the summit of Mount Snowdon.
Not quite the lift conditions we’ve experienced on some contest days, so no Irish, continental Europe or south of England.
Despite the slightly disappointing weather, we had a good day out and it was good to meet up with other club members again seeing as our weekly club nights have been suspended since March 2020.
Here’s hoping we have more days out, hopefully with slightly better weather.
On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September 2019, club members took part in the Railways On The Air (ROTA) event, operating from the carpark of the Whitrope Heritage Centre south of Hawick.
Report from Dave S GM0KCN:
Quite a slow start contacts wise on Saturday with only 17 QSOs. Mike and Steven did the majority of the logging and Dave H and I did most of the operating.
We all enjoyed the sunny weather and also a wander round Whitrope Station where Border TV were filming for Border Life programme.
Sunday was not good weather wise, lots of heavy showers, however radio
wise were the centre of a pile up again, just like two years ago, with I
think 75 QSOs, so a busy time for the three of us.
We called it a day just after 3pm when conditions were fading. Packed everything away in a break between the rain and were on the road
a little after 4:30pm.
Thanks to those who managed to visit and enjoy the coffee and biscuits
and see the radio station in action.
Big thank you to Dave H for providing the caravaning facilities and
mains power and the radio kit.
Whitrope Heritage Centre, Whitrope, Hawick, Roxburghshire TD9 9TY
Location: 11 miles south of Hawick on B6399.
Maidenhead Locator: IO85PH 00co
55.294320, -2.748944 (55°17’39.6″N 2°44’56.2″W)
NGR: NT 52540 00279
Google: 9C7V77V2+MC
W3W:///jousting.windmills.wire
https://wrha.org.uk/the-association/find-us/
https://rota.barac.org.uk/
https://wrha.org.uk/the-association/whitrope-heritage-centre/
On Sunday 9th June 2019, club members were operating GM4YEQ/P in the Practical Wireless 144MHz QRP Contest from our usual spot on Ettrick Swire between Yarrow and Ettrick.
We had a successful day, made 21 contacts in 12 different squares, from the Isle of Skye IO67 down to the Isle of Wight IO90.
We escaped most of the rain, retreating to the inside of Dave’s Picasso during a couple of the heavier showers, but otherwise occasional drizzle and a bitterly cold wind!
Many thanks to Dave (GM0KCN) and Jim (GM7LUN) for operating the station, Mike (MM3NTX) for logging, and George (GM1OPO) for helping set up.
Coordinates:
Lat/Lon: 55.5217N 2.9993W
NGR: NT370257
QTH: IO85MM
W3W: indicates.kitten.sprinter
PLUS: 9C7VG2C2+M7
