Well hello.

Here is something a bit different, an episode of "Ray Reviews" the South East Sunday Morning Net.

The net was held on Sunday 08/01/2026 and can be found on FCC channel 28 USB and run's from 10:00 am to 11:30 am.

My set up for the morning was the Anytone AT-6666 and the Sirio 4000 Performer on the roof with a mag mount.

Here is my list of stations I worked

JS 07 - James - Bluebell Hill - Kent - Chairman of the net
FB 857 - Paul - Rye - East Sussex
CAM 17 - John - Bluebell Hill -Kent
RM 005 - Roger - Bexleyheath - Southeast London
UK 175 - Wayne - Wadhurst - East Sussex
CT 5468 - Steve - Loughton - Essex
AM 167 - Dave - Maidstone - Kent
OP 525 - Dennis - Mereworth - Kent
LT 727 - Dave - Elstree - Hertfordshire
GE 67 - Richard - Goudhurst - Kent - Mobile
DDB 50 - Allan - Redhill - Surrey - Heard only
GE 2020 - Matt - Butts Brow - East Sussex
and not forgetting me
CI 2290 - Ray - Ide Hill - Kent

Thank you to James for running the net and I look forward to calling in again

Best 73

Ray 2290

Good day to you, and welcome to the 1st episode of "Ray Reviews" the South Coast, Monday Night, Channel 14 PMR Net of 2026.

The net was held on the 12/01/2026 and started about 10 minutes late due to Chairman Ray helping another station get his radio up and running.

My location for the night was wet, rainy, windy Radio Corner, Ashdown 🌴 Forest in the county of East Sussex.
Ashdown 🌴 Forest is best known for being the home of Winnie the Pooh and friends.

The net is held on PMR analogue channel 14 NFM. To access the net you wont need to use any kind of tones or codes. This makes the net open to all kinds of radio operators new or old, and no need for callsigns, just use your handle or name.

My working conditions or set up, was the CRT Space U powered by a car battery 🔋, pushing about 10-15 watts out from a "Dean" made dipole.

The start time for the net is 20:30 🕣, work permitting, and can finish anytime from 23:00 🕙 onwards.

So with the when, where and what time established, on with who checked in, worked and heard who.

CT 1829 - Dean - Ashdown 🌴 Forest - East Sussex 🥇
London Calling - Mark - East London
CT 940 - Richard - Reigate Hill - Surrey
Dragon Slayer 1 - Prue - Reigate Hill - Surrey - Keeping Richard in check
CT 4515 - John - Ditchling Beacon - East Sussex
Tango 187 - Toby - Ashdown 🌴 Forest - East Sussex
RHP 285 - Steve - Reigate Hill - Surrey
Pyro - Jay - Reigate Hill - Surrey - Shotgun with Steve
CT 4013 - Tony - Brighton - East Sussex
Delta 31 - Adam - Hastings - East Sussex
Camper Van Man (C V M) - Nigel - Ashdown 🌴 Forest - East Sussex
DDB 50 - Allan - Redhill - Surrey
CT 5159 - Neil - Maidstone - Kent
Harry - Ditchling Beacon - East Sussex
CT 5464 - Matt in the Garage - Hailsham - East Sussex
CT 3466 - "Radar" Ray - Ashdown 🌴 Forest - East Sussex
CT 9484 - Mark - Haslemere - Surrey
CT 5480 - Jonny 5 - Plumpton - East Sussex
CT 4952 - Julian - Brighton - East Sussex
XR 41 - Jerry - Hailsham - East Sussex
TK 8 - George - Tonbridge - Kent
TC 156 - Steve - Gatwick - West Sussex
Sarah - Tonbridge - Kent - Welcome to the net 👍
CT 5502 - Paul - Reigate Hill - Surrey - Welcome to the net 👍
CT 5365 - Des - Pembury - Kent
RJ - Jay - Reigate Town - Surrey
and me
CT 2290 - Ray - Ashdown 🌴 Forest - East Sussex - In the Chair 💺

The net finished sometime between 23:00 🕙 and midnight 🕛.

Thank you all who called in and were patient while I tried to pass round as many as possible.
Sorry if you tried to call in and wasn't heard. Please try another night as it would be good to get in the log.

Score on the Doors were
27 in the log
2 Coffee's ☕ drunk
1 London borough worked
4 counties worked
2 new voices heard on the net
0 silliness from IQ 0's or grumpy stations

Best 73

Ray 2290, a bit rusty but made good use of the paper and pen 📝

Quote from: Jonny5's on Jan 13, 2026, 12:17 PMGreat to hear you out there chairing the net again on Monday Ray, I know it gives me something to look forward to on a Monday, thanks for all your efforts. Was also good to hear all the other voices out there calling in again. I managed to miss the end of the net this time, so guessing it didn't roll over in to Tuesday morning like usual.

Anyway, thanks again, hopefully hear you out there this coming Monday.

Jonny

Hi Jonny

After the last few weeks of "socialising" it was nice to get back in the big old leather chair 😃

You will see by the upcoming episode of "Ray Reviews" the night was somewhat of a success, with no silliness from stations unknown or known 😉😉

Best 73

Ray 2290

Great to hear you out there chairing the net again on Monday Ray, I know it gives me something to look forward to on a Monday, thanks for all your efforts. Was also good to hear all the other voices out there calling in again. I managed to miss the end of the net this time, so guessing it didn't roll over in to Tuesday morning like usual.

Anyway, thanks again, hopefully hear you out there this coming Monday.

Jonny

Nice looking radio Matt, I haven't heard of it before. Does it do 446 out of the box or did it need modding. I wish I could find a mod for my FT991a as the only way at present to have TX on 446 is to set the frequency/power/squelch etc., turn off then hold 3 buttons in & switch on.

Sputnik in the loft worked well before, I wonder if the 'tinkering' will allow me to hear you in Brighton.

The vna screenshot is beyond me, but well done for all your efforts.

Tony
ps. Lets hope Johnny 5's does as well.

As a few of you know i recently fell in love with my NanoVNA, now after much tinkering i think i have my PMR antenna to a very happy place for my home base setup.  So i thought i do a lil run down of what i am using

My Radio is a Yaesu FTM-3207D



My antenna is a home made 1/4 wave Vertical "sputnik"
(connected to radio with RG8 cable 11m in length to the loft of the house. giving it a mere 37m above sea level)



and this is the VNA sweep form 446Mhz to 446.3Mhz.



Before the new cable and Antenna i was barely getting Nigel (the camper-van man) from his home base at S2/R4  Now its an easy S5-6/R5. looking forward to the nett kicking off again so i can have a good listern of some people in different areas.

I think there is still a few tiny adjustments i could make but for now i am very happy.
 Matt

This net is on 27.285MHz USB from 10 - 11.30am.
If you wish to listen in but can't transmit or hear anything on your radio below are a few Web SDR's that should pick up James & many callers. (I say should because I have never tried).

http://kiwisdr1.hoka.co.uk:8073/
http://kiwisdr2.hoka.co.uk:8073/
http://kiwisdr3.hoka.co.uk:8073/
http://sdr.gb0snb.com:8073/

Well hello

A quick report of what happened on the 8th of January 2026

Being at a loose end and not letting Storm Goretti put me off, I choose to head up to Radio Corner, which is in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex and have a scan of 11m all modes.

I set up my Anytone AT 6666 powered by a car battery and Sirio 4000 stuck on the roof with a mag mount.

UKFM had the normal members of the 19 owners club on, and there were a couple of other QSO's on other channels.

On the pirate or "freeband" part triple 5 had some faint 26 division stations calling out for DX and up and down this part of the band the odd DX contact was being heard.

Then down on the CEPT/FFC part of 11m there were some continental stations on USB chatting and when I got to channel 39 (27.395 MHz) LSB, I heard 2 stations talking about the net and if it would be coming back.

I broke into the conversation, and confirmed that the net would be back at the end of the month.

Here is the list of stations that called in and were pleased to hear the net would be back.

CT 3969--Dave--Isle of Wight
CT 700--Dave--Crawley Down--West Sussex
MR 121--Matt--Copthorne--West Sussex
OP 525--Dennis--Mereworth--Kent
GE 167--Murphy--Eastbourne--East Sussex
WT 148--Tony--Eastbourne--East Sussex--Looking forward to hearing you on the net
DT 372--John--Pinner--Northwest London
NB 101--Dave--Edenbridge--Kent
JS 07--James--Rochester--Kent
XR 41--Jerry--Hailsham--East Sussex
FB 228--Martin H--Hellingly--East Sussex
and me
CI 2290--Ray--Ashdown Forest--East Sussex

Thank you all who checked the frequency to see if something was happening.
Thank you to SDR listing stations, you know who you are 😉😉)

Best 73

Ray 2290

This has now been approved on the App Store!

Hello and good day to you

Here is another, and last "Ray Reviews" of socialising at Radio Corner held on Monday 05-01-2026

BEFORE THE MONDAY NIGHT CHANNEL 14 PMR NET STARTS AGAIN ON THE 12TH OF JANUARY 2026

Lets do things a bit different.

Thank you all who came out and parked or perched on their favourite hill or high spot.
Thank you all who tuned in to get an update on when things will be getting back to normal on a Monday/Thursday night.
Thank you to the listening stations who know who they are.

The temperature was below freezing at 20:00 hours and had dropped to -4 degrees C by the time I went home.

I set up the battery powered CRT Space U and the "Dean" made dipole so I could listen to who was on channel 14 while I was chatting to who every came up to my window. This will mean that I may have missed you off my list, if this is the case let me know and I will add you.

Here is my list of who I heard.

TK 8 - George - Tonbridge - Kent 🥇
Ratty 248 - Chris - Ashdown Forest - East Sussex
Witchy Women - Vicky - Shotgun with Chris
CT 3466 - "Radar" Ray - Crowhurst - Surrey - Working a Handy
RHP 342 - Andy - Reigate Hill - Surrey
XR 41 - Jerry - Hailsham - East Sussex
Speed Bird - Russell - Reigate Hill - Surrey
C V M - Nigel - Crowborough - East Sussex
Lino - M23 near Gatwick Airport - West Sussex - Mobile
CT 5480 - Jonny 5 - Plumpton - East Sussex - Working a Handy and getting a cold hand holding the beam out of the window.
CT 5464 - Matt in the Garage - Hailsham - East Sussex
CT 4362 - Chris - Reigate Town - Surrey
CT 4515 - John - Ditchling Beacon - East Sussex
Tango 187 - Toby - Ashdown Forest - East Sussex - Working a Handy
RHP 285 - Steve - Reigate Hill - Surrey
CT 5140 - Jack - Ashdown Forest - East Sussex
CT 5147 - Paul - Ashdown Forest - East Sussex
CT 5365 - Des - Pembury - Kent
GM 593 - Graham - Rochester - Kent
and me
CT 2290 - Ray - Ashdown Forest - East Sussex - Enjoying the chat 🙂👍

Best 73

Ray