GB2VQJ

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This special event was the first real run out for the Comms Van since we acquired it. We had nipped next door to the Trolley Bus Museum but this time it was up the M18; along the M62, through Hull and out towards Withernsea and the Nuclear Bunker at RAF Holmpton. The van never murmured as she sat behind John and Sylvia at 45mph on the way there. John had gone green and was saving fuel to protect the environment! The number of glances we got from everyone that passed us (and everybody passed us including a caravan and a scooter) together with the comments we got whilst on-site just went to confirm that we are on a winner!

The event was very successful. John worked numerous G stations on 80m whilst Brian tried glory hunting DX on 20m and 40m. Gary and Bill worked 2m for a period from the car. The big success however was on a couple of fronts. There was the reception the van got from people both on the motorway and at the event. The good we did for Amateur Radio as a whole and the splendid turn out of club members. All of those who were able to attend should take a bow. A big thanks to Sylvia for keeping the operators well watered.

The day started early with Brian and Kyle following John and Sylvia out of the club premises and off on the journey to Holmpton. We arrived at 10 and once some teething issues were sorted with the siting of the vehicle (we had to move it 8 feet from where we had intended) due to the local farmer requiring access for his Hay making efforts, we were off and running. As we were in the initial stages of setting up, Stuart, David and Anne turned up to help and advise. We got the long wire run out across the car park and Brigadier James Fox kindly lent us a ladder so that we could fix one end of the wire to the lamp post directly across from the van (some 60m). John got the mast pumped up although for some inexplicable reason the last section refused (it had worked fine the day before!). Propagation was very poor across HF and so we decided to swap the FT897 for VHF and use the 757GX as the HF rig. The decision being easier after Gary and Bill had arrived and started working VHF from the car. Kevin operated 4m from his car and the team was augmented by the arrivals of Colin; Mike; Rod; David and Andrew. DX worked included Kazakhstan; Spitzbergen; Tel Aviv and Maryland in the States.

Many of the team took the opportunity to join the guided tour of the Bunker - which is highly recommended - before reappearing and then sadly disappearing. David got a Kite up in the air but we never attached a wire to it to try it out as an antenna. John and Brian, assisted by Kyle (until he had to give in) and catered for by Sylvia settled in for the night and then called it a day at 23:30hrs. Brian "slept" in the van and was up and about at 04:00hrs wondering what the, he was doing here! What little there was on HF was mostly an Italian Contest so it was a couple of strong hot coffees to A) get some heat in the old body and B) get the brain going. Sunday was spent hiding from the showers and John hitting the guys on 80m again.

Fair to say I think that all members of the public we spoke to, and there were many, all left us that little bit more intrigued and impressed.

A great team effort all round and a very successful event.

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