Galleywood Common GB1JSS 19 June 2016

The 2016 Summer Solstice takes place on Tuesday the 21st of June, and a group of Essex Hams will be on-air all day from Galleywood Common. As it’s a Tuesday this year, event organiser Charlie M0PZT suggested that we hold a pre-Solstice get-together on Sunday the 19th of June… so that’s what we did.

The event took place on Galleywood Common – not in the main carpark area, but adjacent to the Horse & Groom Pub – a great place for some Sunday lunch plus some light refreshment!

Setup of the stations started at around midday, with a total of five stations active:

• 40m primary station
• 2m FM
• 2m SSB & 4m station
• CW station, mostly on 30m
• 20m station

As is typical at such events, there’s always the chance to try something new, so antenna config changed throughout the day, with newly-acquired filters allowing 40, 30 and 20 to coexist nicely.

After an initially quiet stat, 40m livened up with Charlie, Colin, Ben, Peter and Pete keeping 7.138MHz busy for much of the afternoon. Three other special event stations were active in Essex, workable from Galleywood – LEFARS at North Weald, Bay Museum operated by SEARS, and the boys at the bunker GB0SNB. Several other special event stations were on, making for some interesting QSOs with other groups.

Great to see both Dean M0XDA and Lisa M6KIS setting up their new HF antenna and getting on-air. Dean was also in the air, with his recently-upgraded drone, with impressive new display. Thanks to Dean for the footage, which we’ll be sharing soon.

The main event takes place from around 7am this Tuesday, so if you can make it, please come along, or if you can’t get time off work, give the stations a call… as it’s the longest day, we’ll be making the most of the daylight for as long as is practical.

Here are a few more photos from the event:

Thanks to all who turned up, or worked the stations – hope to see you, or work you, this coming Tuesday!

Related Links

• See Charlie M0PZT’s GB1JSS page
• Amateur radio at Galleywood Common