MS0SCG Tales from Arran

Tales from the Isle of Arran

Hello Folks,

First of all please accept my apologies for the late start to the daily blog. We set off from Morecambe as planned around 7am with the local pickups completed by 07:30 on a wet and blustery morning. We joined the M6 just beyond Carnforth and headed for the DXpediton rally point at Gretna Services where we met up with the guys from Workington and grabbed some refreshments. We set off on the last phase of our journey to meet up with the final member of the team Brendon EI6IZ who was meeting us at the ferry to Arran at Ardrossan.

Pics from the car.













Brian G0RDH














I traveled down following the white van driven by Ian G0VGS. The van was filled up the day before with all the masts, antennas, food and may of the suit cases.

In total there was one Van and two cars taken from Morecambe, Workington took two vehicles and Brendan came with a van and his CW station which was to prove so effective.

Pics from the ferry.


















We joined the 12:30 sailing from Ardrossan













Maneuvering to leave port













Underway














As you can see we had a a calm crossing although there was a bit of a wind up on deck












Steve, Brendan, Ian, Andrew and Kev are all shown in this picture.














All credit to Kev G6FKE who for the third DXpedition of the group has faced problems with with sailing.













Our DXpedition base for the week. The lower floor is the Whins which has the 80m ragchew station in the lounge and the VHF/UHF station in the large kitchen. We had one set of bunk beds one of which was used by Martin, one double room used by Andrew and Steve and one single room with en-suite used by me.
































Entrance to the Willow and Beech apartments where the CW and 20m stations are located via three K3s.

All our meals are prepared by Mark and Paddy in Rowan Lodge where Mark, Paddy, Kev and Damien have their rooms.

Antennas setup on Saturday.

Once we had the accommodation sorted, the guys got busy setting up putting the Nest of Dipoles
covering topband, 80m and 40m (They will also cover 20m and 15m). The 40m phased array was assembled as well as the 17m 5/8 vertical.

Sunday

Today we made a 30m vertical, a 20m phased array. We also ran out two 100m Beverages, one running North to South and the other East to West. Both are working exceptionally well.

Monday

The antenna rigging crew set to work this morning on a 15m vertical. The 6 metre beam was also assembled. The only vertical we have not yet put up is the 80m antenna due to strong winds.












Looking for a good fishing spot.













Phased Verticals on 20m










Damien having a little fun whilst setting up the 20m phased Verticals on Sunday Morning

























Martin M0ZIF setting up the 6m beam

Under Starters Orders

Hello Folk's,

This is the last Blog before we set off on our DX-Pedition to the Isle of Arran. On a personal level anything that could go wrong this week has with expensive Fridge freezers going on the blink, A header separation kit I was hoping to loan for my FT-8900 falling into the put away somewhere safe..... I think we all have items like that and there's more but I am not going to send you into fits of depression..... Radio World came to the rescue with the head separation kit and the radio is nicely installed ready for the trip.

So the day started here with me fitting the head separation kit and everything was done with out issue.

The Wx was very good with a fine sunny day accompanied by a bracing breeze














This picture was taken around 2.30pm looking across Morecambe Bay at Low Tide.

Loading the Kit
Stop 1 Ian, Hughie, Martin and Damien arrived complete with van to load the coaxial cable and Racal mast and tables etc from my QTH.

























































Stop 2 Morrison's for a food shop

The shopping list for Morrison's included all the basic in vegetable, Bread, Condiments and spices which Mark and Paddy will turn into a veritable feast over the coming week.

Martin had one shopping list and ticked off the items once we had them and Kev and his Dad Paddy had the second list and attacked the contents in another part of the Store. Both Kev and Mark managed to bring the food bills down with sizable discounts which was great.





























So what does it take to feed an army of hungry DX-Pedition people?

Here's Marks list

The butcher is gonna Vac-Pac tommorow mornings fresh meat cuts for maximum freshness!

The Meat list for info with approx prices:

2 x 5 lb Packs Minced Steak (approx £20)

5 x 5 Ib Packs Cumberland Sausage (approx £50)

1 x 5 lb pack of chicken breasts (approx £10)

1 x large Ham/Gammon joint (approx £15)

1 x large Lamb joint (approx £20)

4 x Packs of Bacon approx 180 rasher in total (approx £40)

6 x Horseshoe Blackpuddings (£15)

2 x large Steak tray pies from Harrisons at Cockermouth, which i have ordered and need to pick up tommorow night.

ALSO, bought the VINO:

1 x 3 lt box of Banrock Station white wine
1 x 3 lt boxes of Kumalal red wine
2 x 3 lt boxes of Banrock Station red wine

Supermarkets are great for convenience and low prices but there is nothing like getting fresh meat from a family butcher..... The pictures below were taken this afternoon at a traditional butchers just a stones throw from the Owls Nest where you'll find members of sands contest group each Monday night.







































































All the meat you see here is fresh quality meat, nothing frozen, no artificial lights to make the food look good and all prepared by a local family butcher with tradional fresh cuts of meat.

Sadly the man who prepared these meats is one of a dying breed of Master Butcher whose meat is guaranteed to cook and taste fantastic....

Why make a point of this?.... Well its because I had the privilege of being taght by two Master Butchers an a small traditional family butchers that was passed down from father to son..... My wages were not great £6 per week and all the meat my mother wanted at half price...... I started work at the age of 12 each night after school, I went into apprenticeship after leaving school at 14 and served my time.

The Owls Nest

I mentioned the Owls Nest earlier and it dawned on me that throughout all our Blogs there have been no pictures of it.



























Our delectable Landlady Maria and her staff keep us supplied with excellent beer and we will miss her cry at the end of a Monday Night, "Right Radio Men, Time to go!"

Planning the route:

Ian had a chat with Brendan and after finding problems with our original plan decided that our best route would seem to be M6 then M74 to the A71 then across country. Which also appears to be the shortest route.

The guys from Workington expect to meet up with us at Gretna Services from where we will travel down in Convoy

Well that's about it for now, in the next blog you will find news of our journey as we set off for the beautiful Isle of Arran.

73
Brian
G0RDH (The Reluctant Contester)

Preparing for Arran

Preparing for Arran

Hi Folks,

We're in the final stages of preparing for our DX-Pedition to Arran. Any group that puts an event like this on have to be dedicated and focused to get it right. In our case the preparation can be broken down into two sections.

Section one

Looking for a Venue/Transport: Kev G6FKE and Ian looked at a couple of venues and their findings were taken back to the group to decide which one we should go to. Once this was done Kev took over the role of booking the venue and looking at transportation and overall cost for the event. Ferry crossing times and costs were also looked after by Kev.

Health and Safety: People going on the DX-Pedition could have medical problems so members were asked to submit details of any problems and who to contact in the event of an emergency. It may sound very negative to be looking at things like that but accidents happen and personal medical details could save a life. Access to the information is restricted and will be destroyed at the end of the event.

Food: Our QM for the week is Mark M0WCR from the Workington Group.














Mark M0WCR

Mark is ordering the meat needed for the event and sorting a list of provisions for us to buy. He will be assisted By Kev's dad Paddy














Paddy, the first part of the Irish Connection is not licensed. Paddy's interest is in walking and enjoying the wildlife he sees. Along with Mark he is also partial to a wee drop of the amber from time to time.

Mark was affectionately re-named as Mick by Paddy and they get on great together.
If anybody has any major dislikes during the week Mark caters for them with a different meal.

Finances: Although Frank G8BME is not joining us for this event he has kindly agreed to look after the finances for the event, making sure deposits and other monies are paid out on time and that all Dxer's are aware of what has been paid and what is left.

Section Two

Radio Equipment:

Paul M1PAF from Workington took this subject on and it's not an easy task. As with all the sections, communication and assessing the needs of the group played a vital role. The group are running equipment covering everything from HF voice communications to CW and data on both VHF and HF. Paul needed to know what equipment was available so that he could assess where the stations could best be located to prevent breakthrough.

Once Paul had all the information he needed it was the responsibility of each person taking a station to supply not only the radio but all the accessories and spares to keep the station on the air. Along with the six base stations there will be mobile stations operating SOTA and other outside stations around the Island. The majority of base stations are using the Elecraft K3, along with TS-2000, FT2000D.

Antenna's

Kev G6FKE is covering this topic and again members were consulted about their needs. We will have a nest of dipoles covering topband 40 and 80m, along with verticals and antenna's that the guys from Workington will be taking. Martin has a 6m beam he is going to try out and there will be some experimental work with phased verticals.

VHF/UHF

Martin M0ZIF is covering this topic with Andrew G0LWU.... This includes Data Communications and the antennas and equipment needed.

SOTA

Again this topic is down to Andrew G0LWU and Martin... They are looking at the possible activations they can do including health and safety issues and what equipment is needed.

Computer Logistics

Brendan is the second part of our Irish link and he will be doing most of the CW during the DX-Pedition. Brendan and Ian will be setting the internet links up along with linking all the computers together for logging..... Ian has been busy installing the N1MM Logging software on to laptops and the other computers will be sorted out during the week.

QSL Manager for the event

Kev G6FKE is looking after the QSL side of the event and we should have EQSL setup for those who like to use it.

PR and Blogging

Brian G0RDH is covering these topics with a little help from Ian on national and international internet sites promoting the event and his XYL Linda G0YLM who has covered QRZ.com

Overseeing the Event

Ian has been overseeing the whole project and giving encouragement and advice as need.... That may sound like an easy task but it's not.

Ian set up a special collective email address for us all to keep in touch with whats happening. It has worked extremely well for team members who have been able to keep in touch and discuss all aspects of the event so that informed decisions can be made.

Well that's about it for the overview covering preparation of our forthcoming DX-Pedition. For those who have organised DX-Peditions in the past, sorry if I'm telling you how to suck eggs, but I hope it has been of interest to those thinking about organising a DX-Pedition in the future. The key thing is effective communication get that right and you're half way there.

So on to Sunday 12th September and its time for the final countdown

Checking the gear is ready and fit for purpose:


















Members were contacted via email to see who from the group was available to checkout the equipment.















Left to Right: Martin M0ZIF, Andrew G0LWU and Ian G0VGS

Andrew took the opportunity to have an autumn clear-out of the garage so that we could work in an uncluttered garage.


















Some of the Stakes we will be using to secure the masts and antennas.














Hughie G4UME lending a welcome hand sorting out the rope box..... I caught him off guard with the camera and could not resist the wanted poster..... Hughie really is a great guy and for all the fun I throw in his direction a much valued member of the group and a friend.

RSGB SSB Field Day 2010

RSGB SSB Field Day

This years RSGB Field Day was full of drama as we prepared for the Big Event. Like all contests it starts with preparation.... Finding out who is available, deciding what equipment you need to take and organising an antenna rigging crew.

The crew this weekend were: Hughie G4UME, Martin M0ZIF, Damien G0LLG, Andrew G0LWU with Brian G0RDH looking after photography. As you can see from the pictures below it was a beautiful morning with a mild breeze, the sort of weather anyone doing field day dreams about.....

The sunshine stayed with us until mid-afternoon when the sky grayed over and we eventually had a downpour that started around 8pm.... A shame because we were looking forward to watching the International Space Station fly over at around 10:15pm.














Damien & Martin

Problems warts and all

I strongly believe in posting information on both our successes and our failures.... why you might ask? The answer is simple provided you address it..... In every failure you can learn how and why it occurred, a process that can only make you stronger.

We planned to use a doublet for the contest but things did not go quite as planned. Our thanks go out to Hughie who spent time sourcing the parts and building a 80m-10m Doublet using plans by G3RWF. Nether the plans nor Hughie were at fault but the antenna didn't quite work out and we did not have time to experiment with the contest start time looming ever nearer.

The original idea was to suspend the Doublet in free space between two masts with the feeder dropping from the centre of the antenna. I opted for using a single mast to support the centre of the antenna. My thoughts in doing this was to save collecting two masts with the ultimate aim of cuttting down the time needed to erect the anntenna, in hind sight this was a mistake, I had not taken into account the adverse effects the alloy mast could have with the feeder being so close even though it was pulled away from the mast.

Since the event we have had the time to do a postmortem, and we will try the antenna again sometime soon. There is a positive side to this tale of woe, hopefully my candor in explaining this problem will be something for other contesters/prospective contesters to think about and give them food for thought when experimenting with antenna's.


















The day was saved by Stephany G1LAT with a Windom constructed by Barrie G1JYB for SOTA operations.

Logging software
There was a glitch with the SD logging software that was eventually sorted out, but this was down to human error and not the software.

Field Day Station:
Our Generator and FT-920 HF station was supplied by Damien G0LLG and both provided excellent service to our base at Hancock's Hut.














The generator was small but purred like a kitten supplying all our power for the event.


















The last time the group used an FT-920 it was for the Abolition of the Slave Trade special event station at Sunderland Point. This model made a welcome return as a contest station in the restricted section for Field Day, it was a dream to use with its well laid out controls, great receiver and transmitter.














Our Shack for field day was Hancock's Hut which is located in a fenced off garden area at the back of Barrie's house. The impressive StepIR on the mast was not used for the contest, our antenna is located in the Meadow you can see in the foreground. Hancock's hut is a double skinned shed which keeps us warm and helps with noise reduction of the wind and rain, should it visit.

Band Conditions.
Band conditions were fairly good no doubt helped by the zero noise floor at Oysterber Farm.

Operators for the weekend
We did well for operators during the weekend with












Andrew G0LWU












Martin M0ZIF












Hughie G4UME












Damien G0LLG
you can see a short video of Damien operating during the graveyard shift by clicking on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w6lOmiywS8












Mark M0DGK
Other operators were Joe 2E0JEX and Brian G0RDH and Stephany offered to operate if needed.

Guard Sheep:














Our resident guard sheep...... makes dogs look like pussy cats...... Don't mess with the sheep!.














Evening Meal:
Barrie and Kathy were good enough to invite us in for our evening meal.

Main Course
Stephany cooked individual Shepherds Pie served with garden peas, red cabbage and cherry tomatoes that had been nicely marinated in herbs and balsamic vineger. Not knowing anything about this dressing I took a look on the internet and borrowed the information below.

What is balsamic vinegar?

How does a lowly vinegar come to reap such praise? As far back as 900 years ago, vintners in the Modena region of Italy were making balsamic vinegar which was taken as a tonic and bestowed as a mark of favor to those of importance.

Although it is considered a wine vinegar, it is not a wine vinegar at all. It is not made from wine but from grape pressings that have never been permitted to ferment into wine.

If you would like to learn more about this subject and read the full webpage I can highly recommend the source of the information above

http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookwithcondiments/a/whatisbalsamic.htm

A few went back for seconds of everything..... No names, no pack drill :)

Sweet
Our sweet for the evening was a seasonal apple and blackberry crumble filled with fruit freshly gathered from Barrie and Kathy's apple trees and blackberries picked that afternoon by Stephany around Oysterber Farm. The crumble was served hot with chilled double cream.

Fun and High Jinx

Hughie operated the radio on numerous occasions during the contest and we dived for the first aid kit when a station asked his age..... In fairness to Hughie the contact did not identify himself as a Working all Asia contest station.

During our off time from the radio we would either try and get a little sleep or chat for a while before our next stint on the radio. Poor Hughie was trying to get some sleep in Hancock's Pit but found it strangely difficult as Damien and I went into a little windup routine guaranteed to spike Hughie's interest.... and it was all Martin could do not to laugh as he was working contest stations.














As you can see Hughie finally managed to get some sleep in Hancock's Pit after his bedtime stories but lacking his full 40 winks was to cost him of what he holds dear.... his money! More later!

Breakfast was a little late

Breakfast was a little late served at + or- Watson time

I was QM for the event and made the traditional Sands Contest Group Breakfast; sausage, egg, bacon, freshly sliced mushrooms and tomatoes, all delicately placed in a large Bun/Barmcake.

We were joined by Mark M0DGK who arrived just in time for the last meal before taking over the radio to give us a break.....















In foolhardy; nay dare I say uncharacteristic outburst, Hughie surprised us all by announcing " Right Mark, get on that radio and I'll give you a pound for every contact made!" Sanity was soon restored as our very own Private Frazer came to his senses upon hearing Mark rack up 8 contacts. Hughie in a weak, feeble, terrified and slightly pleading tone of voice said "Now slow down son, I've only got a wee pound coin in my pocket you understand, only a wee pound coin ye hear!"

All in all it was a good weekend. We won't be anywhere near the high scoring stations in the contest but all who took part will remember it fondly for years to come.

Below are a few pictures I took over the weekend but if you would like to stay at Oysterber Farm click on the link below and you can see inside the accommodation. There is also a small caravan paddock with mains power available and other amenities. Oysterber Farm is a Certified Location of the Caravan Club.

http://www.oysterberfarm.co.uk/cottages.htm

If you would like to see some video, Chris M5XYZ has done a great job using a model helicopter as a platform for some nice aerial shots.

http://vimeo.com/2388040












































Well that's the end of this blog. We're now getting the equipment ready for our DX-Pedition to the Isle of Arran to activate IOTA along with a few SOTA activations. We're on the Isle of Arran for one week starting on the 18th of September, our callsign is MS0SCG.

We hope to have nearly all modes in operation running via six stations with the aid of Workington ARC who will be operating from our base and on the road mobile from time to time. Brendan, EI6IZ is joining us from Ireland. Brendan will be operating CW and Andrew and Martin will be doing both SOTA activations and operating data modes. You will find me on 80m running a ragchew station via the FT-2000D so draw up a chair with a drink of what you fancy and come and join us.

I will be keeping a running blog each day so don't be a stranger or as they say in Scotland, "Hast Ye Back". Information will also be available on QRZ.com if you look under MS0SCG

73 for now

Brian G0RDH "The Reluctant Contester"