wythall radio club

Members of Wythall Radio Club are not just based in the West Midlands: we can boast membership as far afield as  St. Helena , Cardiff and Torquay! Kev G4XLO is a tremendous supporter of our activities and a real QRP enthusiast. Here he writes of a successful low noise G4XLO/P outing to Daddyhole Plain. (Lovely place name: Ed.)

Kev G4XLO in relaxed mode with friends

“Ever since I moved to Devon in late 2016 I’ve wanted to operate portable as the noise level here in Torquay is really bad- there is so much noise it’s sometimes impossible to really ‘see’ what is out there .

I was quite lucky last year as I’d saved some pennies for a portable setup and has taken a few attempts to get it all working as it should and streamlining the setup so it deploys quickly. Sadly with family and work   I can’t get out as often as I’d like but these are the times I really look forward to.

I woke up this morning and as I have a weeks leave and the station manager (!) gave me a pass out to play some radio, I headed to my normal place I love here called Daddyhole Plain which is in Torquay and the spot I use is a clifftop car park (free of course!) located 300 yards from the Coast watch station.

My equipment is quite simple, this is the station I use:

1.Yaesu FT817ND

2.Yaesu SCU17 digital interface

3.LDG Z817 auto tuner + 4. Long wire supporter on a SOTABEAM 6m mast

          Kev’s very neat mobile set up.

The kit  can be quickly up and working and in 20 minutes I was fully charged on batteries and ready to go with  2.5 Watts maximum. 

It was a breezy morning on the plain so I had secured the mast with velcro supports (again purchased from Sotabeams.) 

Sotabeam 6 metre mast supporting Kev’s long wire mounted high on Daddyhole Plain

I initially started calling CQ on 20m FT8 and then calling individual stations

I worked just the 4 stations in about an hour, Balearic Islands, Mainland Spain as well as a new one for this year Algeria 7X3WPL which was just over 1200 miles away from my QTH; there was also an SSB QSO I didn’t log as I forgot the last letter of his callsign. (note to self, next time take paper and pen!)

There were a couple of people walking on the Plain who were keen to see what I was doing so I spent a good 20 minutes explaining what Ham Radio is and how we communicate using different modes; they were witness to my HB9 SSB QSO. (Incidentally he gave me a 5 by 2 report) 

Another reason I forgot the last letter of the call for the log as I was busy explaining how the radio was working !!

The breeze picked up…. the mast fell down…..  so time to head for Tesco up the road from where I was to get lunch for the XYL and the junior op!!

G4XLO’s impressive log for the mobile QRP session on Daddyhole Plain

A morning well spent  and  some very satisfying  QSO’s with  very low power.”

Kev G4XLO in Torquay