RURAL RADIO SILENCE

PLAYING IN THE TROUGH

In the last 3 months I've felt under a great deal of pressure at work and haven't had a day off (or even an hour) in the last 3 months! At weekends I've just felt too knackered or stressed to go out and relax.

So I eventually managed to get a couple of days off to get my head out of the work-pit. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all to myself and considering the weather was unusually bright today, I decided to grab my rucksack and go for a walk in the TROUGH OF BOWLAND which is just under an hour away from my home.

 

It's a beautiful place which I know very well because I have a holiday home just around the corner from it. Because it's Winter and the days are short, I couldn't go to some of my preferred (higher) locations, so I had to stay relatively low.

If you've never walked around the Forest of Bowland, you really must do something to change that - it's a stunning place, offering something for everyone, including families with kids. Needless to say, it's great for dogs too, but they must be kept on a leash - there's lots of wildlife and livestock around.

After stopping for a hot drink and breakfast sandwich at a well known Chuck Wagon in the Trough, I started my walk and pretty soon I was setting up my station which consisted of the ICOM IC-705 and a SotaBeams EFHW with counterpoise. I also had an Elecraft T1 ATU with me.

 

By the time I got set up, it was incredibly cold and there was a steady wind that kept the temperature low. Brrrrrrr! Of course, like an idiot, I forgot my gloves, so it was all very uncomfortable.

Switching on the radio warmed my heart though, because the noise level was on the floor. Almost silence!! Spinning the dial found loud, clear signals straight away. They weren't particularly strong, but boy, were they clear. I made SSB contacts all over Europe, Russia, and Canada. I was going to play some FT8 but my fingers were FREEZING! So after a couple of hours I closed shop and headed back home with heated seats on the highest setting 😂

Had a fabulous day and it was much needed!

Thanks for visiting.

73, Tom, M7MCQ.