Come on in a sit around the fire

Here is another episode of "Ray Reviews" the Monday Night channel 14 South Coast PMR Net for your entertainment.

The net was held on Monday 24th of November 2025 and shares this date in history with the first broadcast of Radio Belgium in 1923, Austin & Morris Motors merging in 1951 and the passing of Freddie Mercury in 1991.

My set up for the night was the CRT Space U and the newly repaired £1 pound mag mount.
Thank you to Toby for the soldering repair, Nigel for the tools and Andy for running between camper vans with the tools.

The weather on Ashdown Forest was cool, no cold, breezy cloudy with the odd break in the clouds to show the stars twinkling away.

As you know, if you read these reviews, the net is scheduled to start at 20:30 🕣. But due to the fore mentioned repair, it started a bit later and finished around midnight 🕛 or just into Tuesday morning.

My location was Radio Corner, Ashdown 🌴 Forest in the county of East Sussex.

With the when, what time, where and why out the way, on with my list of check in's and who heard and or worked who. So in no particular order.

CT 4610 -- Andy -- Ashdown 🌴 Forest -- East Sussex 🥇
CT 4362 -- Chris -- Ashdown 🌴 Forest -- East Sussex -- Shogun with Andy and had come up to see Radio Corner and put some faces to voices 🥇
RHP 285 -- Steve -- Reigate Hill -- Surrey
Pyro -- Jay -- Reigate Hill -- Surrey -- Bodyguard to Steve
CT 4013 -- Tony -- Brighton -- East Sussex
C V M -- Nigel -- Ashdown 🌴 Forest -- East Sussex
Delta 31 -- Adam -- Hastings -- East Sussex
CT 5159 -- Neil -- Maidstone -- Kent
Tango 187 -- Toby -- Ashdown 🌴 Forest -- East Sussex
CT 4515 -- John -- Ditchling Beacon -- East Sussex
XR 41 -- Jerry -- Hailsham -- East Sussex
CT 5147 -- Paul -- Ashdown 🌴 Forest -- East Sussex
CT 5140 -- Jack -- Ashdown 🌴 Forest -- East Sussex -- Shotgun with Paul
TK 8 -- George -- Tonbridge -- Kent
CT 5480 aka Jonny 5 -- Plumpton -- East Sussex
CT 4362 -- Chris -- Reigate Town -- Surrey -- 2nd location of the night
and forgetting me
CT 2290 -- Ray -- Ashdown 🌴 Forest -- East Sussex -- In the Chair 💺

Thank you all who joined the net, special thank you to the listen stations.
Sorry if you tried to call in and wasn't heard.

Here are the score on the doors
16 Stations in the log
1/2 a packet of Jammie Dodgers eaten
3 Counties worked
2 Coffee's ☕ drunk
2 Tesco Finest Chocolate & Mint Cookies 🍪 eaten

That about brings this review to and end, but first a blatant plug for the Southern Area & South Coast SSB Net anniversary net which will be held on the 4th of December 2025. The net can be found on 27.395 MHz LSB or channel 39 on the mid-block.

Best 73

Ray 2290 with the pens and paper 📝

Here is my report for the Southern Area & South Coast SSB Net held on Thursday 20th of November 2025, which did go ahead regardless of the dozen or so snowflakes ❄ that fell while set up.

The net is scheduled to start at about Eight Thirty 🕣 in the evening and finishes anytime from Eleven o'clock 🕚 onwards.

My equipment list was 2 car batteries 🔋🔋, Anytone AT-6666, 2 poles & a drive on plate, Solarcon A-99 antenna and some coax to join it all together.

The net is held on FCC channel 39 (27.395 MHz) using the LSB.

It was yet another night where the band conditions were flat, there was no skip or ground wave.

My location was a cold Radio Corner, Ashdown 🌴 Forest in the county of East Sussex, where sky went from cloudy to clear skies then back to be cloudy.

Here is my list of check in's and who worked and or heard who

DDB 50--Allan--Redhill--Surrey 🥇
CT 3466--"Radar" Ray--Crowhurst--Surrey
CT 4515--John--Ditchling Beacon--East Sussex
Tango 187--Toby--Ditchling Beacon--East Sussex--Shotgun with John
NB 101--Dave--Edenbridge--Kent
TC 156--Steve--Gatwick--West Sussex
GT 67--Danny--Crawley--West Sussex
JS 07--James--Rochester--Kent--Chairman of the Southeast Sunday morning Net held on 27.285 MHz USB
TM 3006--Mike--Brighton--East Sussex
TE 310 (3 to the 1 to the 0)--Kevin--Leigh on Sea--Essex
XR 41--Jerry--Hailsham--East Sussex
LT 1967--Andy--Bromley--Southeast London
CT 4362--Chris--Reigate Town--Surrey
CT 4013--Tony--Brighton--East Sussex
and me
CI 2290--Ray--Ashdown 🌴 Forest--East Sussex--In the chair 💺

Thank you all who called in, a thumbs up to the listening stations and sorry if you tried and wasn't heard.

Only 12 days to go before we celebrate the 9th anniversary on this net. You are all invited to get your name on the anniversary log.

Best 73

Ray 2290 with pen & paper 📝

Well well well wot 'ave we ere then?

Yes it's that time again for another episode of "Ray Reviews". The Monday Night Channel 14 PMR net held on the 17/11/2025

or

Did you know that on this date in history, The Sun puts the 1st pinup girl on page 3 😉

Now on with the review, my location for the night was Radio Corner, Ashdown 🌳 Forest in the county of East Sussex.

The net is held on PMR analogue 14 & doesn't use any codes or tones to gain access. Making the net open to all, no matter your knowledge or radio.

My set up fir the night was the car battery 🔋 powered CRT Space U, pushing about 15 watts out my £1 1/4 mag mount.

The weather was bitterly cold with a gentle breeze and a crystal clear sky.

The net is scheduled to start at 20:30 🕣 and finishes at 23:00 🕚. But be warned, it can sometimes go on to early Tuesday morning.

Now on with my list of check in's and who heard and or worked who.

CT 3466-- "Radar" Ray--Ashdown 🌳 Forest--East Sussex 🥇                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
CT 1829--Dean--Reigate Hill--Surrey
London Calling--Mark--East London
CT 5159--Neil--Hollingbourne--Kent
Ratty 248--Chris--Ashdown 🌳 Forest--East Sussex                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Witchy Women--Vicky--Ashdown 🌳 Forest--East Sussex--Shotgun with Chris
CT 940--Richard--Reigate Hill--Surrey
Dragon Slayer 1--Pru--Reigate Hill--Surrey--Riding with Richard
CT 5480 aka Jonny 5--John--Plumpton--East Sussex
CE 01--Rob--Canvey Island--Essex--Worked by Neil CT 5159
Tango 187--Toby--Ashdown 🌳 Forest--East Sussex
RHP 285--Steve--Reigate Hill--Surrey
Pyro--Jay--Reigate Hill--Surrey--Shotgun with Steve
Delta 31--Adam--Hastings--East Sussex
XR 41--Jerry--Hailsham--East Sussex
RHP 342--Andy--Reigate Hill--Surrey
CT 4362--Chris--Reigate Hill--Surrey--Riding with Andy
CT 5464--Matt in the Garage--Hailsham--East Sussex
Peter--Horam--East Sussex--Welcome to the net 👍. On a handy and worked by Jerry XR 41
Speed Bird--Russell--Reigate Hill--Surrey
and me
CT 2290--Ray--Ashdown 🌳 Forest--East Sussex--In the Chair 💺

Thank you to all who called in and to the listening stations.
Sorry if you tried and wasn't heard. Don't give up, persevere and you never know you could be rewarded.

Here are the score on the doors

3  M & S Puff Pastry Mince pies eaten
21 in the log
2 coffee's drunk
4 counties worked
2 shooting stars seen streaking across the sky
1 London borough worked
3 Gritters seen laying down the Salt & Sand
3 stations using handie's attached to different types of antenna

That about brings this episode or "Ray Reviews" to an end, thank you for reading and if you spot a mistake, let me know and I will put it right.

Best 73

Ray 2290 with the pen & paper 📝

Oh, before I forget, the 1st Thursday of December will be the 9th anniversary of the Southern Area & South Coast SSB, you are all invited to get your name in the birthday 🎂 log

I posted on FB about the 10M Test Net next Thursday (27th Nov) & Rod RU08 replied:

Most of you will know Kate as a dedicated CBer.

Next meet on the 3rd December, as Jerry advertised on the Monday PMR Net.

Looks good, think I need to upskill my building skills.
Yeah, share the finished in-box pictures also.
Nice work.

Jonny

AH thanks Mr Ray,

I have already seen that video, seen that I had already given it a like. I have made a portable one, basically the same, but for VHF.

If anyone is interested, here is the inside view of my fibreglass chimney; it looks like a regular brick one from the outside.

Hi John

Well done on building your Slim Jim antenna.

PMR 446 is a great band to make homebrew antennas which don't cost an arm and a leg.

Check out this wire antenna and a bit of plastic pipe

https://youtu.be/WVFZ77vH2Jw?si=C-kpHyUpvDo0b_q4

73

Ray 2290

Hello Everyone

I thought to show an off grid power supply with 12v in and 19v out with two noise filters . I have added a Buck converter on output to bring down to 16v for my other laptop as well.
I will add final picture when complete in box.

I saw it on YouTube so had to make one.

Cheers John  in the man cave LOL