Since I moved back up to Bolton at the start of 2005, I've had many hundreds of contacts on Four Metres, The Friendly Band.
My home QTH is by no means a good VHF site, and I use just a Tait T199 with 25W output and six crystalled channels (although 80% of my QSOs are on 70.475, and the remainder on .425). My aerials are a half-wave vertical fastened to a drainpipe, and a 2-element quad in the loft.
However, living close to Winter Hill, I can easily gain another 800ft of altitude in the car, or get up to 1400ft ASL on foot.
I use an Ascom SE550 when mobile, and often take my 4m station out to higher ground on a Sunday morning, using either a quarter-wave or half-wave.
I also use a Motorola handie when walking on the hills, which gives out 4 watts into a quarter-wave.
I've been compiling a list of stations I've worked on 4m FM in the area over the last three years.
If anyone tries to tell you there's never anyone around on Four, just show them this list:
Greater Manchester |
Merseyside |
Cheshire |
Further afield |
| 2E0KDE Andy
2E0PEA Simon 2E0KDE Andy 2E0RFX Ray 2E1HZY Paul G0CTO Ian G0HVT Alan G0IUA Stuart G0KBA Peter G0MRL Laurie G0MZY Frank G0NAJ John G0ROC G0SAY Chris G0SNQ Howard G0TPT Martin G1AEQ Derek G1AJI Mike G1EFU Alan G1HSG Neil G1PYA Graham G1RAO Keith G3KLL Brian G3SMU Brian G3VII George G3WIS Barry G4DZK Geoff G4FSN Eric G4GFD Alan G4GSY Mike G4HGI Richard G4HPH Jim G4HYG Chris G4JXI Bert G4LUL Brian G4NTY John G4OCR Michael G4OZC Bill G4PLV Malcolm G4YNK Norman G6DEG Terry G6GUT Barry G6GVG Bob G6HFF Glen G6HJD Melvyn G6LBQ Andy G6IML Ian G6MRY Colin G6NNS John G6OCW Ray G6RUK Derek G6TNO Frank G6YRK Steve G7JKK Jon G7LWT Darren G7OAI John G7WFE Mike G8AEN Peter G8AFC Paul G8HDS Phil G8HIK Jack G8HXE Keith G8PRH Alan G8UVC Peter G8XPL Arthur G8ZLU Mike M0BUQ Dave M0DFD Steve M0MBX Bill M0SAD Dave M0SJS Steve M0VOM Noel M1BTI Dave M1FET Eddie M1NTO Hugh M3AUB David M3LQA Phil M3OOD Chris M3RXR Jonathon M3RYL Ryland M3SMK Stewart M3VPM Paul M3VPY Patrick M3WKN Ken M5DZH Jon |
2E0TGS Tony
G0CTR Graham G0NBD Graham G1VRH Stephen G3KRX Bill G3LWK Alan G3VUY Dave G3UZU Alan G4OAR Neil G4TQH John G4UDR Victor G6IKM Dave G7ODJ Paul G8ALB Mal G8XVJ Erik M0DWQ Roger M0JVW John M1DOT Steve M3IFG Frank M3NCD Neal | 2E0DRH David
2E0RNI David G0AMU Lee G0AUB Fred G0LMT Steve G1CXE John G1JVF Dave G1KXP Steve G3TDH Reg G3TZV Peter G3ZAU Mike G4DHO Albert G4CAX Dave G4FBG Philip G6GUT Barry G6TGO Ian G7RYN Dave M1EQD Paul M3CRV Dave M3JIC Paul M3KQW Howard M3WLP Will | 2E0BDF Colin
2E0CSG Derek 2E0FTR Derek 2E0IOG Darren 2E0MTC Heather 2E0NHM Nigel 2E0SBE Steven 2E0XCB Des 2E1EER Jim G0AOD Dave G0ASP Norman G0HDX Roy G0HIK Nick G0NMY Mark G0RLA Paul G1BQQ John G1BWG Bob G1OCK Bob G1OPV Phil G1VGF Keith G1ZGZ Richard G3AAF Kevin G3JDM Paul G3PTU David G3RSX Graham G3SDY Gerald G3TSA John G3UDA Ken G3UKV Martyn G3URM Ivor G3VBS Tom G3XPU Clive G3YNT Tony G4BEM Phil G4BLH Mike G4DGM Gordon G4EHT Bill G4FAP Roger G4FKI Dave G4IJD John G4NGV Tony G4REH Bob G4SCY Phil G4UFU Brian G4WGT Gary G6CJW Rod G6CRV Dave G6DMG Steve G6NWT Bill G6SOE Mel G6YWB Brian G7HRP Ian G7PAL Bruce G7PEB John G8CXR Ron G8FDJ John G8TZL Martin GB800SB Tony GW4EVX Ron GW6DDQ Myke GW8ASD Tony GW8OGI Ian M0DGQ Barry M0FAR Fylde Club M0GBF Brian M0SDA Tom M0SRV Ian M1AIU Gareth M1EGO John M1EOP Mark M3STG Steve M3XON Chris M5AEH Colin M5PYE Eddie MW1FGQ John plus five Danes two Slovenians and two Croatians all on FM |
If you're intetrested in having a QSO on 4m FM, keep calling on 70.45, or take a listen for the GB2RS News on 70.425MHz at 10:30am and 9pm on Sundays, and join in the net which forms afterwards.
Or if you'd like to try a sked with me on 4m FM, then please
get in touch.