Bunkers On The Air – BARC Members Activate Arborfield ROC Bunker

On Friday, October 25th, BARC members comprising Paul G4HLF, Colin M0XCA, Ray 2E0RWJ, Chris M0GRW, and Austin M7OOB participated in a successful activation of the Arborfield ROC Bunker (Ref: B/G-0017) as part of the Bunkers On The Air (BOTA) program.

BOTA is an initiative that encourages amateur radio operators to activate historical bunkers and other structures. These activations aim to connect with other stations worldwide while raising awareness about these historical sites.

Activation Details:

This was the first time we used the club callsign, G4BRA, for a BOTA activation. Our goal was to achieve at least 25 contacts while operating near the ROC bunker.

We primarily operated on the 40m HF band (SSB) using a homebrew 88-foot doublet antenna and an MFJ-969 manual tuner. Our radio was a Xiegu X6100 transceiver running at 10 watts. We encountered a minor initial hurdle with microphone gain settings on the X6100, but after adjustments, the station performed flawlessly, receiving many positive signal reports (59 reports).

For logging, we experimented with the Ham2K portable logger running on a Samsung tablet. This software offers a convenient solution and integrates with popular databases like SOTA, POTA, and BOTA. Ham2K can also interface with QRZ.com, allowing for real-time lookups as you enter a callsign into the log.

Activation Highlights:

• 64 Contacts in 1 Hour and 32 Minutes (one duplicate QSO was removed)
• 8 DXCC Entities: England, Belgium, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France, and Wales
• 2 Bunker-to-Bunker QSOs
• 2 Bands Used: 40m SSB and 20m SSB

Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions (dull and drizzly), everyone thoroughly enjoyed the activation. The team maintained high enthusiasm throughout, and the experience proved valuable for all participants. We were able to manage high levels of activity by taking turns and allowing everyone a comfortable operating pace. Several pileups (multiple stations attempting to contact us simultaneously) occurred when switching bands, a first-time experience for some members. These situations provided valuable learning opportunities that will benefit future BOTA activations.

The magic of RF communication, particularly operating HF QRP (low power) with a simple antenna, is undeniable! We highly recommend attending future BOTA activities. It’s a fantastic way to spend a few hours while expanding your amateur radio skills.

For more information on the Bunkers On The Air program, please visit their website: https://bunkersontheair.org/site/

The Ham2k portable logger can be found here: https://polo.ham2k.com/

Regards,
Paul G4HLF