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Camb-Hams will be GS3PYE/P from the Isle of Lewis (EU-010)! 26 April - 3 May 2014
The Camb-Hams have been activating the Scottish Isles each year since 2008 and will be travelling to the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Outer Hebrides in 2014. Thirteen operators will be active on all bands and many modes from 4m to 80m, 2m & 70cm for Satellites and 2m & 23cm for EME from 26 April to 3 May 2014. The HF bands will be covered by five simultaneous stations, while the 6m & 4m stations will have a great take-off towards the UK and Europe from the islands northern tip in IO68 square. All stations will be able to run at the full UK power limit. EME operations will use 150W to 55 elements on 23cm and 400W to 17 elements on 2m. Primarily on JT65 but also available for CW skeds - if your station is big enough. Satellite operations on 2m & 70cm will use X-Quad antennas and a fully automatic Az/El tracking system. Activity is planned on AO-7 (mode B), VO-52, FO-29, SO-50 & AO-73. Contest operations will take place in the RSGB 70MHz UKAC on 29 April. A number of the group are planning to make an extra trip to operate as GS6PYE/P from the Shiant Isles (EU-112). They are aiming for afternoon/early evening operations on 28 April, but may switch to 30 April if the weather is bad. The group will be active on HF mobile and APRS as they travel, starting on 25 April.! All the up-to-date plans and progress will be on dx.camb-hams.com Most importantly, this is a group of good friends doing what they enjoy, so please give them a call and enjoy the trip with them. Active on the major social networks before, during and after the trip, you can check on progress and interact with the operators via their blog at dx.camb-hams.com or through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube [links below]. Please email skeds-2014@camb-hams.com to arrange skeds on the more challenging bands and modes. VHF and EME skeds will also be made via ON4KST, HB9Q (1296) and N0UKs EME Chat (144). All links are available via dx.camb-hams.com QSL via OQRS (info on QRZ.com) or M0VFC direct or via bureau. dx.camb-hams.com! twitter.com/g3pye! facebook.com/CambHams! youtube.com/CambHams --- end ---"

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Background Information for Editors :
The Camb-Hams were formed in early 2006 as the social and public-facing side of the Cambridgeshire Repeater Group (CRG), which was formed out of the Pye Telecommunications Radio Club. The Camb-Hams are made up of people from many of, but not exclusively, the various Cambridgeshire radio groups including CUWS (Cambridge University Wireless Society), CDARC (Cambridge and District Amateur Radio Club) and Cambridgeshire RAYNET. It provides a common forum for us all to work together and has been very successful in increasing the activity in the Cambridgeshire area. We meet on-air via the CRGs VHF and UHF FM Voice repeaters, and at regular monthly Pye and Pint nights. Our contesting side, using the CRG callsigns G3PYE & G6PYE, aims to provide an opportunity for non-contest operators to have a go, whilst putting a concerted effort into entering a particular contest. Camb-Hams frequently travel and have DXpeditioned to the Scottish Isles of Mull, Harris, Monachs, Arran, Lunga, Staffa and Iona, as well as organising social trips to many of the major European rallies. Since 2010, the Camb-Hams have been active and increasingly successful in the RSGB UKAC, Field Day and AFS contests. More information is available at http://www.camb-hams.com

Enquiries about this article to : Steve Thomas, M1ACB! +44 7711 329624! m1acb@me.com