Report by Peter GM4DTH on the first LRS “Viral Net” on April 8th 2020 during the coronavirus period while normal meetings are cancelled:
There were 8 stations active with a 9th listening for us. The net opened at 20:00a on 144.350MHz SSB. The net coordinator was Colin GM4HWO (Liberton). Stations active were Pete GM4BYF (Fairmilehead), Robin GM4YPL (Linlithgow), Mike GM8KCS (Fairmilehead), Peter GM4DTH (Bruntsfield), Norman GM1CNH (Corstorphine), Brian GM4DIJ (Corstorphine) and Brian GM8BJF (Peebles). Mike GM4IGS (Troon) was listening but did not hear us. All stations with the exception of GM8BJF could hear each other at good strength and readability. Minor netting errors existed and RIT was used to tune out the errors. There was a mixture of vertical and horizontal polarisation used with power levels ranging from 20W to 400W. Pete at Fairmilehead was using the 400W and his beam to try and get a signal down to Brian GM8BJF in Peebles. Brian was using a low vertical dipole and could hear GM4BYF with difficulty. In Edinburgh GM4HWO, GM4BYF & GM4DTH could detect Brian but his readability was no better than R1