new ham

[fraggle69 0]

Does anybody in the UK combine their interest in ham radio and geocaching. If so, how do they do this, are there newsgroups onair where ham/cachers meet up?

 

Cheers

Fraggle

[+Gwendolyn 0]

Does anybody in the UK combine their interest in ham radio and geocaching. If so, how do they do this, are there newsgroups onair where ham/cachers meet up?

 

Cheers

Fraggle

 

I combine the two especially on the high mountain ridges. There is something called SOTA where you amass points for contacts from mountains and several hills do have geocaches upon them ie Gt Knoutberry in the Yorkshire Dales.

 

VHF is quite popular and a simple half wave vertical will suffice and keeps the weight down.

 

GWENDOLYN

[fraggle69 0]

Well I have a vx-7r in th epost and I had seen the sota website that looked interesting enough. Not many mountains here in buckinghamshire though

[+Metal Pig 0]

Deleted: same content as below - oops!

Edited January 13, 2008 by Metal Pig

[+Metal Pig 0]

I tend to take my VHF unit with me, plenty of 2m repeater coverage in the UK.

Definitely take a look at the SOTA web site - you can purchase a cheap portable 1/2 wave dipole called the Ruckspecial if you don't want to make your self one, useful for on the move cachers..

 

metalpig

[+Dobunnis 0]

Carolyn has been licensed for some time. If I tell you that her call sign is G6WRW and you know how they have evolved over time it may give you an idea of how long

 

She let the license lapse but got it reissued last year and since June we have been SOTAing, with 13 peaks now activated, using a Yaesu FT-817. Since caches and trig points tend to be on or near the top of the peaks it keeps us both occupied (although I often end up as secretary). C built a beam which I then helped to optimise but if you CQ and mention SOTA with any reasonable antenna you will often get plenty of contacts and get mentioned on the SOTAWatch website leading to even more. It is a good way to talk to a lot of different people.

 

I am taking the foundation license next month and we were think of getting a VX-7R for me to use and also as a backup while walking on hills (since it is waterproof) to get the chaser points for SOTA or when activating.

 

Besides that C also has a radio (Yaesu FT-857D with an ATAS-120A and other aerials) in our campervan which is on most of the time while we travel.

 

So I guess yes we do combine the two quite a lot!

 

Helen

[fraggle69 0]

I have no complaints about the VX-7R, I haven't transmitted yet coz ofcourse I am still waiting to sit the exam, but it recieves fairly well. I am still having trouble working out what antena I can buy to use for it whilst in the car or out and about. I am finding in transit the signals drop out sometimes, and think this is due the stock antena.

I saw someone fit a nice upgraded antena to their bicycle that looked well funny. I don't have any desire to transmit from a bicycle, coz I Am normally gasping for breath 99% of the time. lol