It did not take too long to get cracking, particularly with Jess’s feminine muscle power on the winches. One disadvantage of Folkestone is that everything has to be transported there so there are not so many towers to play with. We had opted for the KISS solution - ie a proven system on the three bands, the 6, 2, and 70 cm, we were attempting. I towed down the large tower with all the aerials suitably attached - or so I thought. Having got to the site I drove to the end to deliver the four aerials and poles for the 70 cm station. These were detached from one side of the tower and I drove back to the 2 m station. After about 100 yards on the bumpy track there was an ominous noise. A bungee cord had been loosened and another one broke depositing to 17 ele 2 m aerials with predictable results. Fortunately the booms were intact but many of the elements were shattered. There was nothing for it but to rebuild them. Fortunately the local B & Q had the appropriate 8 mm aluminium tube in stock.

  Once the materials were in hand we delayed the repairs to erect the other two 9 ele yagis on a couple of scaffold poles. Soon up and running the second contact to answer a CQ was an OK about 850 kms away with about 50 watts. Conditions had been up for quite a bit of the week but all that was to change…

  Things hadn’t gone well for Andy, G7FWE, that week. His engine in the Land Rover had failed only a few days before the contest and there were more problems to come. With a hired van to the rescue the gamma match on the 6 m aerial broke and his ICOM 7400 lost all output… With the aerial repaired an SOS was sent to Tim Trew, G8JXV, who had yet to set off, to bring a replacement rig. He not only brought that – I believe a trusty FT736 – but a vital aerial analyser as well. One advantage for Andy was that he could operate from within the van somewhat protected from the elements.

  Come Saturday all three systems were up and running actually well in time for the start of the contest. This had to be something of a record. We sorely missed 23 cms and  G3GRO,  Derek Atter’s valuable know how but he was still recovering from his knee op. Well enough I’m pleased to say to give us a call on 2 m from the Crawley Club on the Sunday morning.

  As I mentioned earlier conditions had been good but the weather forecast for most of the UK was poor with a depression moving over most of the country. High winds and rain were due but having checked with the Met office website for their 84 hour barometric forecasts the far south east of the UK appeared it might escape the worst. So it proved to be.  We certainly did not escape the winds which rose alarmingly during Saturday.
Aerials were by no means at full height though the 70 cm operators were undeterred by the continual bending
of the mast. During the night the winds died down but the weather came back with a vengeance on Sunday morning, taking the kitchen tent clean away and making taking the kit down quite tricky.

  The results speak for themselves:     http://www.vhfcc.org/results/08/nfd/nfd.html                                  Peter  G0VVE