category : Single-op, low, cw, 12hr, unassisted, island.
Note: I was Island category and not dxpedition due to the currently flawed rules and prize categories. It's not a contest you can win if you enter the dxpedition category as you are pitched in with 24hr monster multi-op stations, stupid or what?
Island : EU123 Isle of Bute
Maidenhead loc : io75jw
I took the families boat out from Tighnabruaich and motored across to the nearest point Bute (Rubha Dubh) on Saturday morning. All was calm and landing was easy a few hours before high tide meaning I could get the boat in over a large sub-surface boulder field.
As you can see in the picture centre above, the site is on the point of a peninsula meaning I have the advantage of being surround by sea water for 270 degrees. On the downside it's surrounded by mountains, but hey it's only a small boat and beggars can't be choosers.
New this year was the addition of a toilet tent. Not for it's obvious purpose, but rather for it's small footprint giving me the ability to pitch it on the beach at the high tide mark. I found that any tent that allows you to stand up in is too large to be securely pitched on sand. It was just large enough for me to sit on a chair in front of a small table...perfect! I could also stand up in there when sitting became uncomfortable and easily get in and out to adjust antennas etc.
You can just make out my green toilet tent and my red pop up tent further up the beach in the photo below.
Unfortunately the tide really goes out quite far (30m) at this point, so I had to get antennas up before high tide to keep them near the salt at low tide. It was a real battle to beat the tide and I managed to go in over my wellies several times whilst trying to get radials out over deeper water.
I was late to start, but as it was only a 12hr operation it didn't matter too much. Equipment used was Elecraft K2, microham cwkeyer, alinco dm330mw SMPS and SDMO booster 1000 petrol generator. Wintest was used running on a small Samsung netbook. Antennas were all vertical monopoles as high as the rules allowed and right down by the waterside.
I afforded myself a quick cup of tea from the gas stove before I started calling CQ.
Details to follow.....
Note: I was Island category and not dxpedition due to the currently flawed rules and prize categories. It's not a contest you can win if you enter the dxpedition category as you are pitched in with 24hr monster multi-op stations, stupid or what?
Island : EU123 Isle of Bute
Maidenhead loc : io75jw
I took the families boat out from Tighnabruaich and motored across to the nearest point Bute (Rubha Dubh) on Saturday morning. All was calm and landing was easy a few hours before high tide meaning I could get the boat in over a large sub-surface boulder field.
As you can see in the picture centre above, the site is on the point of a peninsula meaning I have the advantage of being surround by sea water for 270 degrees. On the downside it's surrounded by mountains, but hey it's only a small boat and beggars can't be choosers.
New this year was the addition of a toilet tent. Not for it's obvious purpose, but rather for it's small footprint giving me the ability to pitch it on the beach at the high tide mark. I found that any tent that allows you to stand up in is too large to be securely pitched on sand. It was just large enough for me to sit on a chair in front of a small table...perfect! I could also stand up in there when sitting became uncomfortable and easily get in and out to adjust antennas etc.
You can just make out my green toilet tent and my red pop up tent further up the beach in the photo below.
Unfortunately the tide really goes out quite far (30m) at this point, so I had to get antennas up before high tide to keep them near the salt at low tide. It was a real battle to beat the tide and I managed to go in over my wellies several times whilst trying to get radials out over deeper water.
I was late to start, but as it was only a 12hr operation it didn't matter too much. Equipment used was Elecraft K2, microham cwkeyer, alinco dm330mw SMPS and SDMO booster 1000 petrol generator. Wintest was used running on a small Samsung netbook. Antennas were all vertical monopoles as high as the rules allowed and right down by the waterside.
I afforded myself a quick cup of tea from the gas stove before I started calling CQ.
Details to follow.....
