Activation of DL/AL-001 (OE/TI-188) today

Hi all,

first many thanks to all people who called me while being on the summit “Biberkopf” today. I really enjoyed the event, wx was more than ok and the temperatures had been very pleasant even at 2600 m asl - just returned home 2 hours ago. The border between DL and OE runs right over the summit and although I was sitting on DL side by 1m I put both reference numbers on air not thinking this could ever be wrong. I just had a look back onto SOTAwatch Spots and noticed that exactly this issue seems to having caused a bit of confusion, my apologies for that! I honestly must admit that I haven’t been aware of paragraph 13 within the general rules section 3.7.1 (Many thanks G3VQO for the hint), which exactly says how to handle this kind of constellation. As I used my German call (without OE/ prefix), please let’s consider this activation having been made for DL/AL-001 only. 10 points for you - 10 points for me :slight_smile: I will put some notes onto the corresponding QSL-cards regarding this matter, too.

cheers
Bernhard DL4CW

Hi Bernd,

I see you have done lots of border summits in your activation record! I hope you are not too disappointed now having discovered ‘Rule 13’. At least you can do them again in the same year, if you can start your ascent in the other association.

I would love to read a report of your activation of DL/AL-001, which is much higher than anything I have climbed.

73, Tom

Hi Tom,

well, the disappointment certainly won’t keep me from further activations :-). Quite a few summits here are cross-border so you inevitably will be faced with this matter. According to the rules I will only use one reference for future activations, I also removed the dupes from my scoring table (which were younger than 19th Oct 2005).

AL-001 is the southernmost >2000m summit here in Germany. I left home at 8 am but had to drive all through the Lech Valley and reached Lechleiten in Austria abt. 2 hours later. I decided to ascend the summit from the Austrian, southern side. From my experience of former expeditions (two years ago I failed ascending the Parseierspitze owing to seasonal inconvenience) I knew there would be less problems, compared to an ascent from the North that late in the year. It was sunny and remarkably hot during the ascent and so I was grateful for the chilly wind that blew when I reached the ridge at around 2200m after good 2 hours. Finally I reached the point where the alternative ascent route from the North met mine. There was a long and steep snow field which I would have had to cross if I had been coming along from there. Almost impossible to cross safely at these conditions a slip would have ended down the abyss and so I was glad to having made the right decision. The final 400 metres through the rock had to be made in climbing, but only up to grade I - II. Remains of snow and wet spots inside the trenches made it a bit uncomfortable here and there but far from being dangerous. Finally I reached the summit good 3 hours after departure in Lechleiten and was delighted of the mild temperatures at this altitude. I relaxed a bit, ate, drank, enjoyed the great panorama and set up my rig (IC706 MKIIG, 20m wire inverted L at a fishing pole and a homebrewn matchbox) then. It took only two calls for the first station to come back to me and was involved in a huge pileup shortly after. I was running abt 5 watts on 40 metres and got fb reports from all over Europe. Owing to the nature of the 706 to draw quite a huge amount of current even in rx mode I always have to carry a lead acid battery with me. To reduce the weight of the equipment I will use my kit-made blue cool radio, a true qrp rig, instead of the 706 next time. As I can power it from small NiMH cells this will save approx. 4kg of weight.

The weather turned bad again this morning so I unfortunately can’t make any plannings for the near future, but certainly look forward to working you all again from the next summit.

cheers
Bernhard

In reply to DL4CW:

Hi Bernhard,

Really enjoyed your report on this activation, it gives an excellent flavour of high - altitude activating that I will never experience in this country. Looking forward to more of the same!

Enjoy yourself in the mountains,

73 de Paul G4MD

In reply to DL4CW:
Hi Bernhard

Great report… and I am amazed that you carried your 706 II G up such a route. I wonder what size SLAB you were using? 7ah?

73 Marc… currently ON/GØAZS

Hi Berhard

Thanks for a terrific activation report and for our cw QSO yesterday.
It was a little confusing at first, but it all makes sense now we know that the summit is right on the border.

The main point is that you acted in the true spirit of sota, so it won’t or shouldn’t be a problem whatsoever.

I hope to QSO again many times from the summits.

vy 73 de Mike GW0DSP

In reply to G0AZS:

Hi Marc,

yes, I was using the 706 with a 7Ah battery. The main reason for me to carry the 706 was the aim to be more flexible with additional bands/modes. For example I called on 2m quite often, trying to use the excellent takeoff from the summits, but it turned out that calling cq on 2m, especially on a weekday afternoon, can make you feel like being alone in the universe, hi. I can remember a number of SOTA expeditions in the beginning of my activities when I carried an FT290 with me and returned home without successful activation due to lack of activity. And even if successful, I never had that number of qso on 2m like I had on 7MHz yesterday (21 in less than 1/2 an hour). I now found there is no reason to not exclusively use a qrp shortwave radio, which will save weight and ressources and operating a homebrewn rig will certainly bring additional fun. Oh and not to forget, it will give more people the opportunity to chase DL/AL… and OE/TI… summits.

cheers
Bernhard