Planning for the 2008 CQ WPX Contest

Plans are underway for my operating in the 2008 CQ WPX Contest (SSB).

So near end of March I shall be flying down to Nice, France to visit my Uncle who is also a Radio Amaetur.

I will be taking part using his equipment and my callsign as F/MØTZO (first time in a foreign country as a Ham as well) as a Single Operator. This means I can operate upto 36 hours during the 48 hour contest. Wonder how much I can actually do??

This will not be a go all out to win entry, but more to operate from different location and practise my contesting skills.

My uncle has an Icom IC-737. (www.rigpix.com/icom/ic737.htm)

I will of course do some casual non-contest operating whilst there and may also build a SoftRock TxRx 20m kit.

As internet will be available I will be updating this blog, my other blog with non-amateur radio stuff, and my gallery with photos.

GB50BS

GB50BSOn the weekend of 20th/21st October 2007 I helped at the JOTA (Jamboree On The Air) event for the 7th Banstead Scout Group with the callsign GB50BS (Golf Bravo Fifty Bravo Sierra) or Banstead Scouts.

We had 4 sessions (2 Saturday & 2 Sunday) for the Scouts, Cubs, Beavers & Brownies to attend. Various activities were laid on. These included VHF (2M) and HF (mainly 80M & 17M) contacts to pass greeting messages to, Morse code practice. They also built an electronic kit.

Most built a simple Badge based around a battery box with a colour changing LED & a Dove on the front. A few of the older children built slightly more complex kits.

One of the Scout Leaders also brought the pictured cake with the 50th Jota Anniversary image printed onto it. (And it was delicious!)

As I stayed overnight at the hall after a late Chinese Meal we had a HF radio change and started slowly on the HF bands in the evening. Eventually after working TM2RWC things picked up enough to have a pile up for about an hour. (At this time I don’t have the log sheet, but in time will post some highlights soon