Evening at the Summerhouse

After June being so hot, July started a little cooler, but the sun came out precisely on time for our evening picnic and radio operating from the Summerhouse in Lily Hill Park, Bracknell on the evening of 12th July.

The Summerhouse is about as far away from the North Car Park as you can be within the park, so Antennas, tripods, radios and our picnics had to be carried (or wheeled) up the hill.

Most of us had our VHF/UHF handhelds with us, particularly lucky for me as I managed to walk well beyond the Summerhouse, so put a call out for directions. Thanks to Steve M7TED for managing to track me down.

Ray 2E0RWJ had brought along his Sigma SE HF-360 Vertical antenna and set this up about 30ft away from the Summerhouse. Colin M0XCA brought along a G5RV-Half horizontal dipole antenna and hung this from the Summerhouse and nearby tree.

Both the vertical and horizontal antennas allowed a busy 40m Band to be heard with ease on SSB. Before leaving for the evening Ray 2E0RWJ and Colin M0XCA contacted Martin 2E0XBZ on 80m AM using the Sigma HF-360 vertical antenna and the built-in tuner of the x6100. Gareth M7GRB also brougth along his X6100 and demonstrated FT8 recieve and decode on the radio running the R1CBU alternate firmware available for the radio.

Thanks to all that joined us for a social summers evening.