Aeronautical mobile entry in the RSGB 144 MHz FM contest – a UK first!
In what is believed to be a UK first, there was an aeronautical mobile entry in the RSGB 144 MHz FM contest on 3 September.
Nick Long and Amy Whitewick operated G4BIN/AM from Nick’s Beagle Pup aircraft. The aircraft has been fitted with monopole antenna tuned to 144 MHz and a temporary mount for an IC-705. Audio is routed via the aircraft’s instrument panel so that the pilot and co-pilot’s noise cancelling headsets can be used. Radiated power is 0.5 W. For the 55 minute contest, Amy was flying the aircraft and Nick was operating. Altitude was 8,000 ft asl; going much higher would have required oxygen.
The difficult part of the contest rules was keeping in one locator square, which is 3.7 x 2.5 nautical miles. “We wanted an offshore square”, say Nick and Amy, “and the obvious one was in Lyme Bay, off the Dorset coast. Amy had to phone up and negotiate access with the military as it’s part of their firing ranges.”
“We came 5th which is encouraging; we were alongside people on hilltops with 100x the power and beams.”
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