After Eduan and I finished brunch and our comms admin was up to date, it was time to move out for the next true RaDAR operation. We only took the B25, 7 A/Hr SLAB and 40m fixed matched, end fed with us. I carried the kit and Eduan took on the role of “Captain”. He guided us through the bush and I had to bend down low to get through at times. Eventually we came to a place where he decided it was an ideal place to deploy our RaDAR station.
We put up the end fed, but had lost a tent peg for the third guy rope. I left it near the back pack but these things disappear in a mm of sand! I used a nearby rock instead. I’d made a similar arrangement on a few occasions on top of a mountain. It works!
Pieter, V51PJ had been monitoring the 40m RaDAR Calling frequency (SSB) on 7.090 MHz. He came back to our first call at midday. Then things were quiet and no one responded to our calls. I decided to do some “search and pounce” and broke into a net on 7.070 and worked ZS6TAN and Johan, ZR5JF.
I had posted a comms request on Facebook. When I went back to 7.090 MHz, there was Nico, ZS4N and John, ZS6BNS in conversation waiting for a call from our RaDAR Station in the field. We passed the required info which completed five contacts and allowed us to move position and go to lunch. I had in the meantime SMS’d Elrika, my wife and asked them to pay us a visit at “base camp”. She said they were on their way and were bringing burgers through for lunch!
Gary, ZS6YI also called us on 7.090 MHz. He had a very high SWR but was there to give us a QSO. We exchanged info but I could not claim “points” for the contact as I already had five and had not moved the required distance yet. This highlights what RaDAR is, various amateur radio stations assisting moving RaDAR stations with the required number of contacts in order to move. It is not a race.
Eduan and I packed up rather quickly having practised on the previous operation and made our way back to “base camp”. We waited for our guests and I completed some comms admin in the meantime.
To be continued ….. “Base camp communications”
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