A Great Day on Great Orme GW/NW-070

Having to make one of my regular sojurns to North Wales this morning, I took the opportunity to activate Great Orme and hopefully catch a few of the VK Chasers.
From the moment I left my home QTH, it did nothing but rain. I was on the verge of abandoning the activation, when, as I was approaching Llandudno, it suddenly stopped and I never saw another drop of rain all day
Sadly, I couldn’t say the same for the relentless wind :frowning:

I was QRV on 20m at 0645 and worked a steady stream of EU chasers. However for the first 40 minutes, I couldn’t buy a VK contact. Thanks to Tony VK3CAT for finally breaking the drought at 0725z.

The path to VK is certainly opening later and later. Mike VK3XL, working QRP popped in for a chat. As ever, Ernie VK3DET put in an appearance with his excellent signal as did Paul VK5PAS. Mark VK3OHM and Mike VK6MB both made the trip.

Things dried up on 20m, so I tried the 10m band. Clearly it wasn’t open as I struggled to work just three Eastern European stations. It was getting late and I needed to get to work, so I decided to give 20m one last try. I was rewarded with four EU stations and four more VK’s. Thanks to Andrew VK2UH, Gerard VK2IO, Adam VK2YK and Rhett VK3WE.

My work in North Wales was concluded early, so I though I may as well go back to Great Orme for another hour or two and have a play on the 10m band, (not before grabbing a Cheese Quarter Pounder, Fries and a Chocolate Shake (go Large) from McDonalds in Llandudno, though)

The 10m band is well within the Antron-99’s comfort zone. However, due to the wind I was unable get it any higher than 10 feet, a bit of a dissapointment.

The 10m band was in good shape and I struggled to find a QRG. It seemed every man and his dog was testing their equipment for the big contest this weekend.
There was plenty of action to be worked and the DX came in thick and fast. Great to bag so many of the North American Chasers, many of whom I hadn’t worked for ages. Working them on the 10m band made it even sweeter.
A combination of a battery that was getting low and the wind that was driving me nuts, made me call it a day at about 1530z

202 contacts for the activation.
45 on 20m
157 on 10m

64 North American Contacts…
10 South American contacts…
10 VK contacts…

Made this a fine days radio.
Big thanks to all the Chasers.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

1 Like

Wow Mike, sounds like a great day on the hill, makes me want to blow the dust off my few metres of wire. May do some vhf on Sunday if my 32 yr old icom ic290 will fire up.

Hi Steve,

You’ll probably be better off on VHF. I was battered to death with QRM on the 10m band and this was just the set-up day for the contest :frowning:

Good luck with the old icom
73 Mike
2E0YYY

Hi Mike;

I was listening to you being bombarded by dx calls on 10m, you were just too weak to work from Coventry and at times you had a strong echo on your signal.
73 de Ken G3XQE

Hi Ken,

Someone from the States sent me an audio clip of me working a station in New Jersey. It sounded like I was on 2m FM. Great conditions on 10m today.

Sorry we couldn’t make a QSO on 10m and I had no antenna for 40m with me.

I was tempted to chuck the colinear up for half an hour, but in the end I went QRT.

I’m hoping to activate Shining Tor next week, so hopefully catch you then.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

Glad to get you in the Log, Mike, new association for me.

73 Mike VK6MB

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the call on Great Orme!

Subject to WX, I hope to be out on Wednesday, when Andrew VK1NAM is planning an after work activation of Mt Majura VK1/AC-034, so there maybe one or two more UK/EU activators about.

73 Mike
2E0YYY