G0OLE/P at Millington Heights (IO93pw)
Despite the photographs showing a clear blue sky, this was probably the wettest VHF NFD in living memory...
On Saturday 5th July, a severe depression developed over the UK, which brought in torrential rain during the antenna erection and continued to swirl around for most of the weekend. Several times during the day "static rain" on 2m and 6m signalled the build up of Anvil clouds overhead! with a respite on Saturday evening allowing openings over the warm North Sea to PA, ON and DL.
Also note the first outing of Steve's 23cms dish - a project several years in the making!
On Sunday 6th, the rain curtain brought in an auroral-sounding rain scatter path GM on 2m, which served as a barrier to those unfortunate QRO stations further south. The day ending in the usual stalemate when everyone had worked everyone else - except for the station wishing "To give a few points away to the backpackers" by talking over the weak PI station that he couldn't hear on his vertical at home!
73 de Andy
