News of a planned 2 metres FM activity day for Essex in March 2015.
In response to recent comments about the lack of activity on 2m FM in Thurrock, the Thurrock Acorns Amateur Radio Club is arranging an activity afternoon.
The goal is to get people talking on 2 metres and also to encourage the newly licensed members to join in.
- Date: Saturday 28th March 2015
- Time: 13.00 to 16.00 hrs
Thurrock Acorns will be operating using their club call operating during this time, hoping to work other amateurs across Essex.
They’re hoping to get help from other groups in the Essex area to try to get as many people on-air as possible, and of course Essex Ham is happy to lend support and to help spread the word.
The idea of an afternoon of on-air activity is a good one, and it would be great to see Essex amateurs and clubs getting behind this, so keep the date free. Well done to TAARC for putting this together.
Interested in taking part in an Essex On The Air day, or got any thoughts on the idea of an Essex 2 metre day? Add a comment below.
Essex Ham is planning to operate from Shoebury East Beach for the 2m activity day (weather permitting – come and join us: Shoebury Beach 28 March 2015
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Great idea will certainly be listening out for activity.
Hi though I think activity days/evenings are not a bad idea the truth is there are many people that just dont use 2m Analog which is the level most Novice’s start at and many older licence holders go only on HF these days,. I use to remember I could easy get a contact here near Southend right through to 1am in the morning,… Now I can listen all evening and hear just a few people calling normally people they know, very few people make CQ calls these days. Though its been seen as great for many me included as a ex B licence holder I have use of HF its killed a lot of activity on 2M and 70cm.. Before all the changes people tended to call there mates and cq much more when B calls could not go HF, and the class A’s came onto 2m to talk to there class B friends thats all gone,.. Its a sad note to make but to me it seems the truth,. Be intrested to see others views especially those licenced for some years,..
I’ll be listening too but I’m probably too far away on the West Sussex coast. I can flip my 5 element yagi from horizontal to vertical. Is anybody in Essex planning to do some 2 meter SSB as well? Best 73 from Ed M0MNG
Just had a message from Phil G1LKJ in Surrey, he says: Interested in getting involved with the event on March 28th. Have you got any email type publicity for it so I publicise it in Surrey if possible?
Has a press release been produced ?
73 Trevor M5AKA
We shall try get the club Sign on air and call you from kent, The beams are currently set for ssb, but should be ok for the distance you are 2 us
What a great idea.
I have put a note in my diary to dig out my 2m FM rig and give you a call from my home QTH in Orpington on 28th March.
Should be a good day.
Poole Amateur Radio Society will also support this event.
Whilst most of us cannot reach Essex on 2m FM (unless conditions are very good) the club station, G4PRS will be operating /P from a hill on the Dorset-Hampshire border, which should (might) reach into Essex.
Shame I am at work that day :( but I will try and go /p from my work location.
Hello
An excellent idea to create some activity on the band. I assume most contacts will be made on FM but why not SSB and get those beams rotating! Contacts using FM horizontal polarisation are also quite effective. The Leiston Amateur Radio Club (Suffolk) have a 2M FM contest (10w Max) on the last Tuesday of each month for club and non club members alike in order to create some activity. I hope it goes well for you!
Cheers Richard. The event went well, although a few more folk joining in would have been good. We tried SSB, but it was very quiet – made it to Eastbourne from Shoebury. Otherwise, mostly FM.
Poole Radio Society joined in, in an attempt to spread the activity over a wider area.
We operated from the Hampshire/Dorset border, in the New Forest.
Conditions were not good and the rain and high winds didnt help when erecting aerials.
From that location it is possible to work into Essex when conditions are good. They werent, so we didnt.
But, we did have a number of contacts, some over 100 miles away, and the event certainly generated some activity.
Alan (G8BLW)