Thanks to Steve 2E0UEH for finding and activating a new location for amateur operation in Essex – Maldon Promenade Park.
Steve 2E0EUH, Peter G0DZB, Pete M0PSX and Sarah M6PSK visited Maldon Park on the 19th of April 2015 to set up a couple of stations and test the location’s viability as a place to operate. Here are a few photos from the afternoon of radio.
The site is a nice one to operate from – plenty of places to site antennas, some nice open spaces, good traffic from passers-by, and decent RF conditions. We started off at around midday, with a rather chilly breeze blowing, but after a couple of hours, it turned into a nice afternoon – made all the more pleasant by Steve and Sarah’s hot beverage machines – a coffee-capsule (non-Tassimo) machine, plus an analogue kettle.
At the time of writing, I don;t have the tally of contacts & bands, but we tried most bands out for size, including 2m from a Slim Jim, and a brief spell on 6m. Pete M0PSX was happy with his contacts with the Azores and Lebanon from his modest 5m HF fishing pole. Peter G0DZB was operating CW from the back of his bike, making use of his new 10m vertical SOTA beam, which straps neatly to his back for biking, with the wires wrapped around the base.
The park is a nice family park too – great for kids with a nearby playground and plenty of space for kite flying.
For those Essex Hams playing Ingress – lots of opportunities here – what once was green, is now blue! Amateur Radio & Ingress
No doubt, Maldon Park will be active in the Summer, so watch this space!
