G4CIB and G4RHK on Lundy 9th-16th September 2017
September 2017 will be remembered by many for the succession of low pressure systems which swept across all parts of the country also for the terrible destruction caused by the hurricanes in the Caribbean. Our sailing this year was from Bideford and we took the opportunity to spend a few days there beforehand and were pleased to note the steamship “Freshspring” moored at the jetty. This vessel, the only surviving example of the 14 Fresh class water carriers built by Lytham Shipbuilding and Engineering for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, languished for many years in Bristol docks. Our Chairman remembers going to a party on board, the then owner working in the same office as Dave at British Aerospace. The vessel was then acquired by the Freshspring Preservation Society and for a few years was moored at Larkham's shipyard at Bullo Pill near Newnham on Severn before coming to Bideford last year where a dedicated band of volunteers are now undertaking restoration work.
Saturday 9th September
The inshore water forecast for the Bristol Channel was very rough (waves 4-6m high) to high (wave 6-9m high). We set sail from Bideford under leaden skies a few minutes after 8.00am and the first 20 minutes or so of the journey is down the calm River Torridge. However you are being lulled into a false sense of security for as soon as you cross the Bideford Bar you meet the full force of the Atlantic. The forecast was correct and very few people on board survived the crossing without being ill. Leta and I were in that select group but we did end up thoroughly soaked to the skin. It is under these conditions that you realise the limitations of so-called waterproof clothing. Instead of the usual hour and three-quarter crossing the duration of this crossing was nearly two and a half hours such was the strength of the wind and tide against us. On arrival the Marisco Tavern beckoned us not only for lunch but for warmth to dry out. By late afternoon we were in our accommodation for the week - Stoneycroft - a small cottage adjacent to the Old Lighthouse on the highest part of the island. A quick check of the various 70cm antennas I took was carried out using the Cornish beacon GB3MCB as my reference signal which was S8 on the 7element ZL Special, S7 on the HB9CV and S3 on the Moxon loop. As the wind was still pretty strong I decided it was too rough to erect the 80 metre dipole so we retreated to the Tavern in the evening for a meal.
Sunday 10th September
Heavy rain and high wind in the morning so I erected the vertical antenna suitably guyed against the wind and managed a few QSOs on 40 and 20 metres. The rain eventually stopped around midday so I decided to put the dipole up and ventured on to 80 metres and amongst others worked Mike G4IZZ. As the wind strength increased again I decided to lower the dipole antenna and then spent some time programming into my Kenwood hand-held the various marine channels in use in the Bristol Channel.
Monday 11th September
My notebook recorded at 0645 “wild north westerly wind” and sure enough the Maritime and Safety Information broadcast from Milford Haven ten minutes later warned that a Force 8 gale was imminent in sea area Lundy. No HF antenna erected today as the weather was too atrocious. My mobile pinged a message late morning and Dave G4BCA wanted to try a 70cm contact from the Isles of Scilly where he was staying for a few days. I managed to erect the 7 element ZL Special on my glass fibre telescopic mast and point it in the right direction. After several calls on the selected 70cm frequency and exchanged texts we decided on this occasion that the conditions were against us.
Tuesday 12th September
The wind had subsided sufficiently to erect the 80m dipole although the forecast for later in the day was dire. I joined the Vintage Military Amateur Radio Society (VMARS) Amplitude Modulation (A.M.) morning net on 80 metres and renewed some old acquaintances including Keith G3XGW, Brian GU4LJC and Martin G3YJO. As the weather was deteriorating quickly I lowered the antenna after breakfast. It was a shame that the forecast was so bad as I had hoped to erect the 7 element ZL special for the 70cm UKAC contest in the evening but the wind was so fierce any thought of even venturing outside was dismissed. In the end I propped the antenna on top of the wardrobe in the bedroom and worked GW0RHC/P operating from a camper van on the Gower. That was my one and only QSO. I subsequently put an entry in and was pleased to note that I did not come last!!
Wednesday 13th September
The weather is an all important topic on Lundy and this week it was doing its worst! No antenna erected until the late afternoon and on 80 metres I managed to contact Barry M0HFY, Gary M0XAC and Alan G4MGW. The low 80 metre inverted V dipole, which I think would be defined as a Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) antenna, seemed to work very well on this band for distances in the 50 - 300 mile range. The centre was about 4 metres above the ground.
Thursday 14th September
The weather slowly improved and early in the morning I erected the 80m dipole and joined in the VMARS AM net. After breakfast we ventured out for a walk heading for the east side of the island. Sitting in a sheltered spot near the old granite quarry I noticed that GB3WR was end stop on my Yaseu handheld and was pleased to have a qso with G(W)KNA/M Andy, one of the South Bristol ARC members who in the past have regularly visited Lundy using the call sign GB2BLE. Just as I finished with Andy I was delighted to be called by GARES member Richard 2E0RKD in Stroud. Later in the afternoon back in our cottage I had a qso with Les G0ULH confirming that I would be on the Club on the Air net later that evening. Finishing our evening meal just in time I tuned in to 3.695MHz and was amazed at the signal strength of all the club members on the net - Les G0ULH, Arron M0HNH/P, Gary M0XAC, Tom G3XMM, Anne 2E1GKY, Barry M0HFY and Ray G1NVS. This really was the highlight of the week working the club members. I nearly forgot - Thursday night - 2nd Thursday of the month - 50MHz UKAC. Quickly retuning the antenna I had my first QSO with G3WAG/P in IO82QE when suddenly a massive bolt of lightning followed by a clap of thunder forced me to promptly close down. That proved to be the only contact I had. I still put an entry in and was pleased to note that I did not come last in this contest either!!
Friday 15th September
Our last full day on the island and the weather was very wet although the wind had subsided enough for me to leave the 80 metre dipole up overnight so the day was spent dipping in and out of the 80m band working all over the UK, the final qso of the afternoon being with Malcolm G0UYN on the Isle of Wight, who was an ex-de Havilland engineer. At about 1700 the station was dismantled ready for loading on the “Oldenburg” on Saturday for the journey back to the mainland.
Saturday 16th September
A dull, damp, dreary morning and the sea state was described on the Maritime and Safety Information broadcast as smooth to slight. We kept up the tradition of partaking of breakfast in the Tavern on the final day before spending the rest of the morning saying our farewells to the staff on the island we have got to know over the many years of staying there. Late afternoon we made our way down to the jetty to board the “Oldenburg” for an uneventful crossing back to Bideford.
Summary
This trip was probably one of the most challenging we have made to Lundy as the weather was very unsettled for the whole duration of our stay. The 80m dipole was only left up overnight once on the Thursday night when the wind had dropped to a reasonable level. The highlight of the trip was the GARES Club On The Air net on the Thursday night, and the disappointments were all weather related - the 70cm UKAC, 50MHz UKAC and the attempted 70cm link with G4BCA on the Isles of Scilly. Many thanks to Gary M0XAC for the loan of the FT857 for which he has received the Lundy “Old Light” Award for 2017. Over many years of operating /P whilst on holiday I have formulated a rule that whatever lists you create or whatever pre-journey checks you do, there will either be an item you forget to take or an item which is not compatible with another piece of kit. This year? In my haste to remember to take my CW paddle key I forgot to check that the key lead (terminated with a standard ¼ inch jack plug) was not compatible with the key socket (3.5mm miniature jack) on the FT857 borrowed from Gary M0XAC. Doh! Equipment Yaseu FT857 (loaned by Gary M0XAC) Kenwood TH-F7 dual band 2m/70cm hand-held Heath ATU-9 antenna matching unit 80m dipole fed with ladder line feeder. 7 element ZL Special (70cm) HB9CV (70cm) Moxon loop (70cm) 6m telescopic fibreglass mast 2018? Next years' trip to Lundy is in the early planning stage and will be at a similar time of the year. The accommodation is booked and it is at a different location, namely Castle Cottage high on a cliff on the south-east tip of the island with an excellent 180 degree take off to the north through east to the south. We last stayed here in 2002 when I took my Heathkit HW8 2 watt CW rig and an 80m dipole!
Brian (G4CIB)