Sorry for the lateness of this last post, the team have been busy in real life!

Saturday / Sunday

Woken early on the Saturday by the sun rising and warming the tent again. Once up, the van & car were packed and we headed off to our operating point at Rousse Headland to setup the station.

The van was parked up and unloaded & the 80m antenna was to be put up first. It was taking a while to sort out the wires for it and the radials, but we were heading closer and closer to the 1pm contest start time.

Paul M0TZO suggested we leave the 80m antenna for now, and put the 40/15m antenna up first as we would probably start on 40m. This proved to be a sound move. It took about 30 minutes to erect the antenna pole and lay out the radials and helped Paul to get on the air “a bit” later than the 1pm (12:00 UTC) start time!

We had a problem setting up the Yaesu FT-450 to PC interface, so decided we would operate without it. We used N1MM for the logging software on a small Samsung NC-10. When the contest started we hadn’t reckoned on the sun being so strong so we improvised a few screens made out of a baguette box recycled from bins at the nearby tearoom!

Our next antenna to be put into service was the 80m vertical on an 18m Spiderbeam fibreglass pole with the “slugly balun”.

Finally the last pole was a vertical for 20m

Each antenna had a set of 12 radials cut to a quarter wavelength and terminated with a crocodile clip, this made light work of connecting the radials to the heavy guage copper wire radial rings. We had a lot of wire to lay out but soon worked out an efficient system.

Eventually we settled into the operating and making the QSOs.

We even had a gas cooker and some tea & coffees were welcomed as the sun started setting. Before it got too dark the food kiosk was used. Mark & Paul finally had their first taste (and not their last) of Guernsey Beanjar. Yum.

The sun soon set, and we started to feel the cold. In the early hours was so cold we moved the operating position into the van. This was also a chance to change band to 80m.

As the operating continued a few of us sat outside the van with coats & jackets on. Although there was no camp fire, we had a petrol lamp which was very bright. We sat there drinking beers, chatting and putting off the operator in the van. Sometimes intentionally, other times accidentally.

The sun came up and it started to get warm and we carried on operating until 1pm. About 11am the 80m antenna was taken down then the 40/15m while we finished on 20m.

It took a while to pack the van & car to take stuff back to the camp, and before we left we did a check in the long grass to make sure we hadn’t left any wires, tools or cable ties.

Once unpacked on the camp site we decided to head to the Houmet Restaurant for early evening meal. When we arrived it was closed. So headed back to the Kiosk which was still open for some hot snacks. These were taken back to the campsite and washed down with some beers, including some given to us by some rugby players who were leaving.

Although we didn’t set any targets, as was to help the newer guys get some contesting experience, I feel we did well and 680 QSOs was well earned. Hopefully back next year to break the 1,000 mark.

Everyone on the team operated the radio during the 24hrs.

Jes MU0CHN, Louis MU6FER, Mark MU0MJH,  Paul MU0TZO & Tom MU3ZLQ.

Some Log Highlights

• 18:33 – 20m – YB0NFL - Jakarta, Indonesia
• 18:34 – 20m – 4Z5PJ – Israel
• 19:14 – 20m – XM2I - Isle-aux-Grues, Quebec, Canada
• 21:15 – 40m – PR2P - Brazil
• 21:17 - 40m – VK7AC - Tasmania, Australia
• 21:26 - 40m – PP5XX - Brazil
• 21:58 - 40m – PY6HD - Brazil
• 23:07 - 40m – VK6EH - Western Australia, Australia
• 01:52 – 80m – K3ZO - USA

Monday

Monday was a fairly quiet day mainly spent charging phones, a little operating on the radio we had at camp and making sure everything was packed for the following day (well as much as we could).

The evening was spent drinking more beers and a Barbeque that was hastily organised but worked well.

Tuesday

Sadly Tuesday morning we had to head to the airport so Mark & I could return to England. On the way Jes took us on a detour to a pub so I could sample some Guernsey beer. Nice.

At the airport we had one final drink before just about making out flight. We didn’t hear the announcement upstairs, but they had been calling us.

Fun Facts from out Trip:-

• Music which became our themes
• Mahna Mahna by The Muppets
• Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner by Hubert Gregg
• Paul added 14 beers to his Beer list during his trip (www.mylastbeer.co.uk)
• Louis & Mark are good at Foreign Accents, Paul isn’t

Thursday

Paul M0TZO arrived at Gatwick not long after Police Officers walked passed Mark M0MJH with their semi-automatic guns primed. Soon they were through security (and Paul was given a Frisking due to his belt buckle setting off the metal detector) and made their way to the bar.

After Paul had 3 pints, and Mark and his Breakfast and a pint, they made their way to the check in and boarded the flight to Guernsey.

An hour or so later and finally the shoreline of Guernsey came into view and the plane landed safely.

By this time a common theme had started for the weekend, in that phone batteries were going flat. Thankfully the luggage took next to no time to arrive on the carousel and headed towards the exit.

As Paul & Mark entered the arrivals hall someone was waving to them. Neither had seen a photo of Jes MU0CHN, but he seemed to recognise us, so we wandered over & introductions were made. Then we headed off to meet Louis MU6FER.

In the carpark we were to meet the Beast. A Mitsubishi Delica, with big wheels, which made getting into & out of more interesting.

A quick journey across the Island and we picked up Louis and half his shack, and camping stuff. The van was now quite packed. Mark & Paul were also issued with Hats. Oh the Hats.

Once on the campsite we were directed to the camping area and proceeded to erect our tents.

The larger tent Mark MU0MJH slept on the left & Paul MU0TZO on the right. When Louis MU6FER was here (Damn the wedding) he slept in the small tent, and Jes MU0CHN elected to sleep in the van.

Whilst erecting the tents, we met the Local Pussy.

In the evening Louis MU6FER had to work, I’d go into more details, but I heard was a load of Cock & Bull. Mark MU0MJH, Paul MU0TZO & Jes MU0CHN headed to the Houmet.

We had seen on the website that they served until 9:15pm, but was then told they finished at 9:00pm. It was 9:10pm. As the waiter wasn’t sure he checked with someone and they let us have a main course due to the mix up.

We each decided on Steak (served on a wooden chopping board) with Chips (served in a small deep fryer style basket. We joked about how they couldn’t even afford plates. The steaks were perfect. Eventually the darkness drew in and we headed back to the camp. Unfortunately Jes had the only working light and Guernsey doesn’t have too many street lights. Thankfully we made it back without too much trouble and headed off the out tents.

Paul MU0TZO snored through the night and kept half the camp awake. We aren’t sure, but there might have been fewer tents on the camp in the morning.

Friday

Louis MU6FER was at a wedding during the Friday and our only task on site was to sort the vertical antenna wires.

This started as a slow day. In the morning after eventually waking up, Paul MU0TZO & Mark MU0MJH headed to the site shop. We got something to drink then headed to the room above the shop to charge phones. Also some time was spent watching daytime TV until Mark found the British Grand Prix practice laps being shown on one of the channels.

Once phones were charged we headed back to the tents and the afternoon was spent measuring the wire for the verticals we were going to use for the contest.

These were:-

• 80m antenna (20metres of wire)
• 40m/15m antenna (10metres of wire)
• 20m (5metres of wire)

At the operating site these could then be tweaked to tune them better once they were on the vertical poles.

Later in the day Louis rejoined us and we caught up with how grumpy he was. I wish I could explain here, but I would just be writing lines of expletives, and wouldn’t be productive.

We finished packing up the antennas, radials, and the evening was once again spent at the Houmet, although this time we truely missed the hot food and evening meal was crisps & nuts.

Once back at campsite it was to bed for the final time before the contest. Paul MU0TZO managed to continue his pattern of keeping people from sleeping properly with his own snoring.