On the 1st Nov, I and Sergio CT2JLS activated the SOTA ref CT/BA-003, Serra de S. Macário, near S. Pedro do Sul, Portugal.
While driving through S. Pedro Do Sul, we notice the existence of a dense fog.
While we climbed we noticed the decrease in the fog until…a beautiful sun shining in top of us.
Arriving at the car park we walked for the top, in the middle of a outstanding scenary.
The wind was blowing stronger at the top cooling us down.
We choose our operating positions, away one from each other, but inside AZ. Sergio, CT2JLS worked SSB while I worked CW.
Sergio went of to his op position in the middle of some rocks and I used the altar, near the outside walls of the church.
First time that a SOTA activation was made from an altar ?
I tried to tie the pole on the pulpit, with no sucess. The pulpit is made of one single rock, stucked in the floor, vertically, with an irregular shape.
Then I used the church outside rock walls to attach the pole, which was very easy.
At 1035 the first QSO, using 7 MHz. 3 minutes after I made the first S2S with Kurt HB9AFI/p on HB/BE-121.
After some QSOs I decided to try 10 m. The 10 m band was very active and I logged 10 more QSO. The pileup was going down slowly and I decided to try the 20m band before leaving.
Then a couple with a kid appeared and asked what I was doing there with a fish pole…I gave them an explanation of what is amateur radio and SOTA. The kid became so interested in the morse code that i played for a while with him, sending letters which he should catch. Not the best morse lesson in the world but the seed is there (i hope…)
At 1120 I started calling on 20m . A few QSOs after, I made another S2S QSO with Mirko, S52CU/p, on S5/KS-018.
At 1140 I went to see how Sergio was going on but he already started to pack up his home-made magloop and his rig on the backpack.
The cold (…brrrr) started to make us feel his effects…
Some 20+ QSos logged for each one. Not the best of the activations but a fair number of QSOs for one hour (+/-) in the summit.
Sergio tried but didn’t succeed to established any QSO in the 2 m band (SSB and FM). No chasers on 2 m ? A very remote part of the country?
I had some problems with my iambic morse key and some times it was alive on his own.
Sorry for that and thanks for the patience of the chasers!
Thanks to all the SOTA chasers.
Vy 73
Pedro, CT1DBS
The summit from the distance
Arriving at the summit - the trees were telling a story about the wind…
The SW view
Sergio CT2JLS looking to the magnificent landscape
SOTA station on the altar
Another view from the top
Sergio CT2JLS backpacking on his operating position
