Billinge Hill or The Cloud

Yesterday’s visit to Moel Famau (GW/NW-044) and Foel Fenlli (GW/NW-051) were interesting. This was my first activation in Wales ever, so for my lucky I had the best possible guidance when Nick GW4OO/p was the Team leader. It was not raining on the parking place when I asked if I really need raincoat. Nick said that take it because of wind. This was the live saving advice – during the trip was the most awful wind what I ever has seen and experienced – time to time was problems to stay up. The same continued when working. First time I had problems to listen because the noise was so huge I could not hear loudspeaker when sending cw – new feeling.

With five layer in upper body I survived. Pile up started and I tried to handle it – better and worse. At 13.31 I sent 599 to DL1FU couple of time, but he did not answer. Same happened at 13.34 with DF5WA – I was a bit confused! But then Nick remarked that right wire of dipole was closed to the metal fence – fixing that operation continued. After pile up in 14 MHz we were so frozen that I proposed to Nick to change the place. Then we walked to Foel Fenlli and kept qsos on 2m – new experience again. Also I understood why 2m is good option here. Being frozen on the place where is not any trees where to install antenna it works!

I learned couple of things of real life: here is not any trees on the Hills, so you need to install your antenna different manner and if it is windy – it is windy and it is heavy. So far I have used screw mounted link dipoles. Now I learned that using alligator clips, life is easier. So the under construction being antennas at home will get alligator clips. Summa summarum, this was excellent experience. Especially thank for my guide Nick G4OOE and for all the other ham-mates who made this event possible!

73, Saku MW/OH2NOS/p

Nick is tuning the station.

2m qsos are starting.

Unfortunately from the pictures can not feel the wind! :grinning:

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Hi Saku,
I would rather say “fortunately” :wink:
I can imagine that horrible strong cold wind and I think we all prefer not to feel it, hi, hi!
Congrats for the successful activations.
73 de Guru

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Thank you for the report Saku. I’m glad you enjoyed the activations despite the cold wind and well done Nick for ensuring that Saku was able to enjoy a few hours on the hills of North Wales.

73 Allan GW4VPX

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Well done Saku (and Nick).
There was obviously something very wrong with your setup on CW.
I briefly heard a few dits and dahs at times, but it wasn’t a workable signal.
Later when you SSB you were 59+, but with the big pile up you had, I didn’t bother calling :smile:

Glad you enjoyed the Welsh hills and weather.
Looks like you had a nice day. Imagine what it’s like when it’s horrible!

CUL
73
Pete

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Saku on footpath to Jubilee Tower, GW/NW-044 Moel Famau

This dual activation of Moel Famau and Foel Fenlli was a great experience for me and the weather was kind to us in the main apart from the wind!

MW/OH2NOS/P in action on GW/NW-044 Moel Famau

We had a good chat on the way to the Jubilee Tower ruin that sits on the top of Moel Famau and I learned a lot about the history of Finland and Saku’s activations in the country. Saku is very fit and is a keen orienteer so these summits were very easy for him. We split the load into two rucksacks. I took the FT-857 and Saku took the FT-817 (as back up) and various bits of kit to ensure success. We started on 7-cw and all was going well for a while then although we could hear stations 599 on 7-cw and 59 on 7-ssb they were having problems reading Saku. A look at the antenna showed that the wind had blown part of it onto the barbed wire fence where it was tangled. After sorting out this problem Saku was able to work through the pile up. Saku then went on to 10-cw and 14-cw where he worked several dx stations including KT5X & NF9V. 145-fm was a new experience for him which I think he enjoyed. We spent almost 2 hours activating but unfortunately didn’t have time for 14-ssb if we were to fit in an activation of Foel Fenlli in our limited time frame. We headed back to the car for a quick drink before ascending the steep path to Foel Fenlli. We only had time for a quick “smash and grab” 145-fm activation. Saku could see that I was struggling so kindly carried the rucksack with the 2m equipment, a VX7R and FT-1900 (if high power was needed), LiPo and antenna. We arrived at the very windy summit of Foel Fenlli and were on the air for 16 minutes and we both worked 8 stations. We then headed back to Saku’s hotel in Chester where he had to get ready for his evening meeting.

I was so glad that we had managed to squeeze in the two summits and give Saku a taste of SOTA activations in the UK. It was a very rewarding day for me to learn something about Finland, a country that I had only visited once when accompanying my son on a business trip a couple of years ago.

Saku leaving GW/NW-051 Foel Fenlli

Thank you to Saku for this great joint activation and thank you to all the chasers for making our day successful.

73
Nick GW4OOE/P

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Well done Nick, thanks for the photos. I was pleased to work Saku on 7.033 CW.

73
Victor GI4ONL

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