Radio Corner

Hi everyone. Following my little introduction, I am back with a practical question for our upcoming weekend field test near Ashdown Forest. My partner and I plan to set up our portable gear for an evening session to catch the local nets and spend some time outside. Since we stay out for a good part of the day and evening, we always like to keep an eye on the weekend football fixtures and sports scores through this page while monitoring the channels.

I want to make sure our power setup and mobile signal handling are solid so we do not run into dead batteries or drop connection in the middle of nowhere. For those of you who regularly run outdoor setups or attend field meets, what kind of portable power banks or signal solutions do you use to keep small screens and equipment running smoothly ? Also, if you know any good high points around the area with decent coverage that remain quiet on weekends, I take all recommendations.

I tried asking an ai assistant for battery estimates and coverage details earlier but it gives totally unrealistic figures and suggests gear that is not suited for local conditions. I prefer asking real people who actually know the terrain and use the equipment.
Thanks in compart and I look forward to reading your advice.

Hi Alisha

All the below is taken from my own personal experience on Ashdown Forest.

When I have use King's Standing, 4 Counties or Friends Clump car parks, I have found that Vodafone can be strong on one side and drop out just walking to the other side of the car park, which is frustrating when trying to log contacts on Cluster 446 or Cluster DX.
Some other radio users have found a way to combat this by using a signal boost to stabilise the signal and give almost flawless connectivity.

I think a good power bank would keep a phone going over a 24 hour period, which will keep you up to date with the scores/race results.

When your on Ashdown Forest, do you use the radio while in the vehicle or when you go walking?
I use old car batteries, which last me about 4 night of radio over 2 weeks, when I'm on the Monday & Thursday nets.