I made my 3rd SOTA activation today from my “home” summit Bishop Wilton Wold.
I was pleased to work so many of the “regulars” this time - the activation went well and the rain mostly kept away. I managed to work 14 stations on 144mhz SSB and for the 1st time on 7mhz SSB I worked 15 and 1 on 14mhz SSB.
I will certainly be doing more activations in the coming weeks, the next one being G/TW-005 Normanby Top probably next week.
Thanks to all that have given words of encouragement and to those that have spotted me, (GW4EVX, G3RMD and DN3UL on this occasion) - the SOTA “bug” continues to bite !
Well done on Activation Number 3 - a good number of contacts as well, especially for a weekday. I noted you were out from the computer in the office and wondered how you were fairing. I wonder what power you were using on 7MHz SSB.
In reply to G4OIG:
Hi Gerald
I was using 75 watts from my FT897 to a 40m dipole in Inverted V form from the Sota Mast - seemed to work well, got some good signal reports
I suspected you were running a bit of power to achieve so many 40m SSB contacts Graham. I guess I had better have another look at that old transistor amp I have got.
Hi Graham, great job on G/TW-004 and one of the strongest sigs I have ever received from that summit on 2m-ssb at 59 rock solid. Well done indeed.
I thought it was Bishop Wilton Wold? Is “Burton” a local deviation to the summit name?
In reply to GW0DSP:
Hi Mike
sorry my mistake - Bishop Burton is a village to the south of Bishop Wilton ! - I got carried away with the “happy-feeling” I had generated & it was late when I typed it in, I think it’s called “brain-fade” !!
No problem Graham, I just thought it was one of those summits with a local name as well as a RHB listed name such as The Cloud/Bosley Cloud and Rombald’s Moor/IlkleyMoor.
High Street (Racecourse Hill)
Normanby Top (Normanby Wold, Wolds Top, The Wolds)
Watch Croft (White Downs)
Graig Syfyrddin (Edumnd’s Tump)
Mynydd Bodafon (Yr Arwydd)
Boulsworth Hill (Lad Law)
Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
Agnews Hill (Shanes Hill)
In reply to GW0DSP:
Actually Bishop Wilton Wold is known locally as Garrowby Hill as it is on the Garrowby Estate - in fact my activities were noted by the Estates gamekeepers who wanted to know what I was doing - no problem however, as they said “we often get guys doing this radio thing around here”, a demonstration of activity on 40m and 20m made them happy & they put their shotguns away & went off on their rounds !
I’ve got an HF PA block (for sale) that I’ve had about 145W from when driven by my FT817. Runs from 12V nicely, just needs boxing and relays etc. Should be able to get a bit more if you get the input matched better. Ex-aircraft so very light. Ideal for SOTA when the sky wont play!
