This afternoon, Saturday the 26th of March 2016 was another successful Essex 2m Activity Day, organised by the Thurrock Acorns.
The aim of the event is to get as much activity on 2m as possible – amateurs and clubs around Essex were invited to take part and spread the word.
For more, see the Thurrock Acorns ARC March 2016 2m Activity Day report.
Essex Ham was happy to promote the event, and was planning a field event for the afternoon, but the weather didn’t want to co-operate, so the Essex Hams active for the day were largely home-based.
Here’s a list of the 2m contacts made by Pete M0PSX today:
| M0MNG | FM | Edmund at Firle Beacon via GB3DA (slightly before the 1pm start) |
| M0LMR | SSTV | Dorothy SSTV image from Basildon |
| G4HCK | FM | Nick – 2m simplex |
| SSTV | Nick – SSTV image | |
| GX4HKO | FM | Thurrock Acorns FM station – Gordon |
| 2E1GUA | FM | James, Chelmsford, via GB3DA |
| 2E0MKM | FM | Keith, mobile, via GB3DA |
| M0SHQ | FM | Steve, Maldon – 2m simplex |
| SSB | Steve, Maldon – SSB contact | |
| M0PZT | PSK31 | Charlie, Chelmsford – PSK31 QSO |
| M0NFE | PSK31 | Nick, Westcliff – PSK31 QSO |
| G7OED | SSTV | Richard, Basildon – SSTV |
| 2E0RMI | FM | Jim, Leiston, Suffolk – Via GB3PO |
| M0HWM | FM | FM simplex voice contact (Herne Bay) |
| SSTV | SSTV image (Herne Bay) | |
| G4GRS | FM | Martin, simplex contact on Southend Pier |
| G1KPS | FM | Brian, Canvey Island – 2m simplex |
| M1GGY | SSB | Simon, Ockendon – 2m SSB contact |
| G0UCH | SSB | Colin, Basildon – 2m SSB contact |
Images from today:
Happy Easter everybody, it’s Edmund M0MNG here. I was portable on top of Firle Beacon, East Sussex, locator JO00BU, WAB Square TQ40, 560 feet approx a.s.l.
Conditions seemed rather strange yesterday. I have very deep and rapid QSB at times, and apart from very local stations in Newhaven, no 2 meter signals seemed very strong. The output from GB3DA at S7 was the strongest “DX” signal I heard.
The fact the constant very strong winds were waving my 7/8ths whip antenna all over the place probably didn’t help either!
The highlights:
1) I managed to receive some SSTV pictures for the first time, incidentally all four of them different to the ones that appear above!
2) I heard two CW stations – G0EKP and G0EKN (I think – QSB made it hard).
3) I managed to work a couple of Essex Hams!
4) I had some company from local amateur Ian G7HFS, who came up to visit me.
The lowlights:
1) I had some company from local amateur Ian G7HFS, who came up to visit me… and desensed my radio every time he transmitted on 2 meters from his car!
2) I called CQ in CW a few times on 144.050MHz but didn’t get an answer.
3) I could hear several amateurs who couldn’t hear me… GX4HKO calling on 145.500MHz being the main one that “got away”.
4) I only worked 11 stations altogether, less than half the number that I managed last time. I am wondering if a lot of people weren’t around due to family-related Easter activities.
5) I forgot to call CQ in DSTAR simplex mode on 144.6125MHz from my Icom IC-7100.
So overall I’m glad I went up there and took part, but unfortunately it was not quite as successful for me as the first two.
73 from a rainy West Sussex.
Edmund M0MNG.
Wow you did very well indeed xx
Lovely report of the day, you did very well, we had a few teething troubles at the start with x510 antenna, but they settled down and we were able to continue on sending SSTV images for the Thurrock acorns activity day xx thank you ESSEX HAM for being my first official contact on the day . And to G4 IJE for being my first EVER SSTV contact, coincidently we both were sending out test runs before the 1pm start and got each other . So the day was full of firsts for me xx