Well I’ve been busy with work lately but I have been trying to do a few things to prepare to the mast installation. I dont have any VHF capability at G0MGM QTH so I though it was about time to get some. I bought a little Diamond X50N dual band vertical which will go on the top of the mast. This afternoon after work I decided to try it on a small 20ft push up mast I have and, with on of the three new coax runs I have put in to get to the base of the mast, I connected it to my little Icom ID51 hand held. Well Im impressed, I have never really been into VHF/UHF before but since Im on the side of a hill with good take off it would be wrong not to try it. On low power I can get into GB3SN in Four Marks, Hampshire. Thats 35 miles away. So now Im thinking I need to get a VHF/UHF radio for the shack!

As mentioned above I have also been busy running in new feeders to the base of where the mast will be. Three new runs of 44m of EcoFlex 10 have gone in as well as the 4 core control cable for the Spid Rak. At the MCR end i have just finished soldering the connections onto the plug for the rotator.

Now.. the wait begins until the end of next week when the mast base will be dug out and the concrete poured in.

Till the next update.

73

Rob