2m is GO!

The strong temperature increases and high pressure over the past few days in the UK have had a positive effect on 2m propagation.  About three days ago, I was again having strong, stable QSOs through repeaters out to about 165 miles distant, using only 20W and a homebrew copper pipe SlimJim.  Forget the stupid debates about 'gain' of SlimJims - all I can say is that this one flattens the meter on all the local stations, and is in every sense a very successful omnidirectional antenna. 

My homebrew 2m SlimJim.

Then, over the next couple of days, good simplex DX started rolling in.  Not the long-haul stuff, you understand, but certainly out to 80-odd miles on 25W.  Stations down in Newquay (SW Wales) and Port Erin (Isle of Man) were nice and strong, allowing a change from the same old handful of local 2m ops!

So, it's once again time to scratch my head and figure out which commercial beam will replace the beautiful and very successful 5-element quad that the XYL recently broke whilst reversing the car.  Grrr!!