The South African Radio League Top Band (160m) QSO party was held 23 to 27 June this year and I wanted in on the action. I mentioned this to a few people and received mixed reactions.
Hennie was just not interested. Which was interesting, because there is not a lot that does not get the rock spider going, but this was something that did not seem to excite him at all.
Andrew Gray – my other SOTA partner in crime – and Hamnet director for the Eastern Cape was keen and said he would think about it.
I spoke to Al Ackers (ZS2U) about an antenna and he got excited. A few phone calls, a trip to the hardware store, and a few test-deployments and the antenna was there. An inverted L with a matching unit.
I mentioned it to Andrew Gray and it was on. So, after the Hamnet Field Day we set off to the park in Lorraine where we normally deploy.
160m is a nighttime band. A lot like the Rolling Stones – unpredictable, but better at night! As a nighttime band (ok, maybe I could have made a plan) we did not take ANY photos 🙁
In my normal, loud mouthed approach to these sorts of events, I told everyone where we would be and invited everyone. Andrew and I managed a contact each and that was it – slim pickings.
Sunday saw the news bulletin and we pushed it again there. Sunday evening saw more contacts. Many more, but not enough for the SARL TOP BAND AWARD. I was missing a ZS5 contact and had a ZS1 contact that was probably not going to confirm on the SARL site, so I needed an insurance contact there as well.
A bunch more people visited: Andre (ZS2ZA AKA The Zulu) returned from his roadtrip to find us knee deep in something again. Bevan (ZS2RL) also popped out. Al was planning to, but caught short with car problems and so did not manage to join us.
At the end of the Top Band QSO Party I was just missing ZS1 and ZS5 in terms of confirmations of the website.
Well, having fun is the main idea right? Bull! We started something so we will finish it. The following weekend was the Hammies Boot Camp and Andrew and I would, once again, be out in the sticks playing radio. Not a lot of arm twisting was required to get Andrew into redeploying the tiny little dipole antenna again the following weekend so that I could get my remaining contacts.
The week was full of all sorts of work which seems to intefere with my radio activities on a regular basis. I did however manage to send off a few targeted emails to 160m-capable stations and get some interest in coming up for the QSO the following weekend. Obviously wx dependant and being off the grid at the Hammies Boot Camp, meant I was not able to put in the exact time for the QSO. Hit and miss is how it will have to be.
Saturday evening, once the day time activities were over, I made my way down to the edge of the gauge and got ready for the final straight (so to speak). Andrew and I had hung the dipole (Andrew made a dipole, Al made an inverted V which we used the previous weekend) earlier in the afternoon and dropped the battery off under some trees. I carried in the radio and hooked it all up.
It only took about 3 minutes to make the contacts, but I was there in the bush until after 10pm! Lloyld (Juanita’s husband) accompanied me – with a few little faces who faded early. As all good things must end, I eventually signed and we carried the battery and radio back to the hall.
Andrew and I are not known for doing things in small doses – Andrew was reading the PEARS news bulleting on the Sunday morning (just before the Hammies wrote their exam). On the news bulleting Andrew mentioned that the Hammies were about to write and that I had completed my Top Band Award. Talk about breaking news!