Whitton Amateur Radio Group

Continuing with the yearly urge to get “radio serious” the Whitton Club looked around for some hot and exotic country (just like last year’s M2W trip to Malta as 9H0WW!) to get away from London the grim, rain and of course the stress of home life.

After searching the holiday brochures and web pages the decision was made! with out any hesitation the Crawley Radio Club offered us an alternative site to Malta’s exotic sun and sea …. arrangements made and the earth moved for us! (see wx report later)

We were extremely lucky to have the loan of the Crawley clubhouse for the radio station a tower with a seven-element three-band beam ready and willing to be put to the test.

We wish to thank the Crawley club member’s particularly Stewart Bryant G3YXS Chair, Derek Atter G3GRO Secretary but most of all Alan M0FUU. Alan spent a considerable amount of his weekend keeping us going with raising our sprits, food and coffee as well as helping with log keeping.

However, most importantly directing some of us for a Sunday roast beef and Yorkshire pudding dinner and a welcomed cold pint at the local pub.
Ian G0OFN and Allan M0FUU
Stewart G3YSX and CARC members

Meanwhile; A yacht lies damaged on a beach and storms overturn a caravan

A further facility laid on by the Crawley Club was our temporary sleeping quarters, which turned out to be a small caravan placed right next door to the clubhouse. Sleeping in the caravan was quite an experience with gale storm winds and heavy rain during Saturday night (both outside and inside the caravan causing it to rock fearlessly from side to side)

Here is a round-up of the damage caused around England while we was warm and cosy calling “CQ Contest” during the contest oblivious to what was happing around us:

Wind speeds of more than 90mph were reached, the highest recorded was a gust of 96.6mph at the Mumbles in south Wales. However, conditions were not as severe as the great storm of October 1987.

· Damage caused could cost up to £50m to repair, according to the Association of British Insurers.

· Power lines were brought down, cutting off electricity to thousands of homes.

· By Tuesday, power had not been restored to 64,000 homes in East Anglia and 15,000 homes in Wales.

· Salt blown from stormy seas short-circuited overhead power lines to the Eurostar leaving 6,000 passengers stranded on Monday night.

· The cross-border rail link between England and Scotland was halted after landslides in East Lothian.

· The East Coast line between London and Peterborough was closed because of debris on the track. On Sunday, British Airways cancelled 39 flights out of Gatwick and Heathrow and passengers were trapped on incoming planes because it was too windy to get steps up the plane exits.

So what causes these storms at this time of the year? The driving force behind virtually all weather systems is temperature contrast and the autumn months see the contrast across the North Atlantic heading towards a peak. Temperatures are dropping rapidly in the Polar regions as daylight hours dwindle, while further south the waters of the Atlantic are still hanging on to their summer warmth. Bring air masses from these regions together, and you’ve got most of the ingredients for a storm.

That’s what happened off the coast of Newfoundland last Thursday, as polar air moved in from Northern Canada to meet the warm and moist air off the Atlantic. A low-pressure system began to form and was quickly boosted by a strengthening jet stream, a ribbon of 150mph winds in the upper atmosphere that sucked the air out of the top of the developing storm, accelerating winds speeds at the surface. The jet stream also helped to speed the intensifying storm across the Atlantic, to hit our shores with 96mph winds on Sunday.

So back to the contest

Results (click ‘results’ for full summary sheet)

Under the circumstances with the weather conditions we believe that our results merit the effort although the results in a years time will clarify our hopes or fears.

It was noticeable that the quality of operating by other contest stations was of a very high standard this year and it was extremely rewarding to hear that other stations had the time to quickly wish others well and to ask how we were getting on. What a difference to a forty eight hour marathon when fellow competitors find the time to exchange such comments particularly when its 3am and you are falling asleep, or your head phones have made your ears into 2 lamb cutlets. I am sure that we will have many stories of who worked who when we meet other contest groups in the coming year at Radio Rallies.

Once again in appreciation of the Crawley Radio club, some video clips where taken during the contest which also shows the Crawley chaps helping out whilst we were down the local pub for roast Sunday lunch!(goto home page and click on the VIDEO BUTTON

So what was the best DX you worked over the weekend I hear you thinking! well we were very pleased when Garo G0PZA worked ZL7C Chatham Island which from our location was 12,000 miles away. We are looking forward in receiving that QSL card and of course all who would like M2W card in return.

Our best regards to all of the many stations that called us – awarding us points – and it is fingers crossed that our result when received proves the weekend worthwhile.

Can anybody recommend a location for next year?