Category Archives: MP-817 amplifier

SOTA View Edge (G/WB-018) 25th June 2013

I had attempted to activate View Edge, G/WB-018, the week before, from the edge of the old quarry, on 2M only,and failed miserably to gain even a single contact!

This time, I packed my new Sainsonic MP-817 HF Amplifier as well, just in case I had similar problems..

View Edge is essentially a ‘drive on’ summit, so to comply with SOTA rules, it’s really necessary to operate from somewhere away from the car. After parking at the side of the road at the entrance to the old quarry, next to a gate which looked as if it hadn’t been opened in quite some time (I did try to leave enough room, just in case someone needed to open the gate of course!) I walked up the road towards the house on the right hand side, crossed the road and climbed over the stile.

Simple 'route' to my activation point

Simple ‘route’ to my activation point

I then followed the route of the footpath along the side of a field to the next stile where I bungied the fishing pole to a fence post, and attached the Norcal Doublet and the coaxial colinear.

View Edge activation

View Edge activation

View Edge Activation

View Edge Activation

With the ft817nd, HF Amplifier, and travel tuner balanced precariously on top of a fence post, the following contacts were made in just over an hour:

Time Call Band Mode Notes
13:30z G7JMZ/M 144MHz FM John in Halseowen
13:40z MW6BWA/P 144MHz FM Viki on GW/SW-004
13:44z MW0JLA/P 144MHz FM Rod on GW/SW-004
13:45z G8CMU 144MHz FM Mike in Ross on Wye
13:50z M3SLQ 144MHz FM Mick in Cannock
14:28z CT1BQH 14MHz SSB Carlos in Portugal
14:30z DL1DVE 14MHz SSB Thomas in Germany
14:32z DF5WA 14MHz SSB Berthold in Germany
14:34z HB9BYZ 14MHz SSB Peter in Switzerland
14:37z DL8DXL 14MHz SSB Fred in Germany

It seems to be quite a popular walk, as 2 groups passed through during this time, maybe next time I’ll not bungy the pole to the side of the stile……

Once packed up, it was a short walk back along the path, retracing the route back to the car,