G4YSS: Activation of GM/NS-074, 09-09-14.
Report 3 of 7 in 2014 G4YSS GM/NS series.
BEINN THARSUINN - GM/NS-074 - 2 points.
GM4YSS/P and SSEG Clubcall GS0OOO/P.
HF QRO/ VHF QRP; 61 QSO’s on 40m; 30m; 20m and 2m-FM.
All times: BST (UTC plus 1hr, UOS as z).
Third SOTA in the series of GM/NS-114; NS-101; NS-074; NS-014; NS-111; NS-037 & NS-020 during 10 night stay in the Dornoch Hotel 5th to 15th September 2014. (See other reports).
GENERAL DATA for this series of activations:
7 SOTA’s each on 7 separate days including:
All-time new SOTA’s: 4
Munros: 2
Total Ascent: 4,560m (14,960ft).
Total Distance Walked: 82km (51 miles)
Total Activator Points: 24.
Total QSO’s: 512.
EQUIPMENT:
FT817ND HF/VHF/UHF 5W Transceiver.
SainSonic MX-P50A, 50 Watt HF Linear Amplifier (designed for FT817).
Link dipole for 80m thru 20m on a 5m CFC mast with 1m end sticks.
(Home-Brew tuneable loading coils for 160m - not taken on this summit).
6 Ah Li-Po battery (no reserve).
Vertical J-Pole for 2m FM.
Reserve 2m-FM/ PMR rig: Vero VGC UV-X4; 2W VHFM/ UHFM, 5oz H/H (Like UV-3R).
QRO pack: 9.7kg (21.4 pounds) including 1 litre drinks & food.
INTRODUCTION:
This expedition was the third during a 10-night self-drive/ 7-SOTA holiday at the Dornoch Hotel from 5th to 15th of September 2014. SOTA`s worked in chronological order and separately reported were as follows: GM/NS-114 Meall Dheirgidh; NS-101 Carn Garbh; NS-074 Beinn Tharsuinn; NS-014 Ben Klibreck; NS-111 Maovally; NS-037 Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhughaill & NS-020 Ben Hope.
GM/NS-074:
Unlike the summits of the two previous days, this one had been activated before. It was a little further from the Dornoch Hotel and a similar distance to walk as NS-101 with more ascent. The copy map for this had been in my GM/NS paperwork pack and the GPS route done for almost a decade but I had still allowed someone to beat me to it. From what could be seen on the map, it looked like it was going to be a similar experience to the last two with similar character, a clothing of grass & heather and the lack of an all-the-way path.
ROUTE & EXECUTION - GM/NS-074:
This was the third afternoon activation in a row. In the morning, the XYL and I went had a ride out as far as Lairg. There we came across a really nice coffee stop called the Pier cafe where I bought a pendulum clock for our forthcoming 39th anniversary. They are made by Hugh Corbett - cafe owner and father of lady who runs it. One more Brownie point and the scones were nice too!
Local Artist Alex Houston:
Not long after leaving the hotel at 12:40 I genuinely started to distrust the satnav which seemed to be taking me in the opposite direction to any high ground. Pressing on I eventually reached a narrow lane and an apparent road block. I felt somewhat crestfallen when someone waved me down just short of several items which looked like a palette, paints, a chair and an easel which were spread across the road. Was the road closed, I thought? I told the man, who was dressed in a paint-splashed boiler suit, that I was probably lost due to a crazy satnav but when I explained that I was looking for Beinn Tharsuinn, he told me I was on the right track. That was after we put my bad pronunciation of the summit’s name behind us.
I stopped the engine and we introduced ourselves. I showed him my photocopied map and he mentioned that he lived close by and knew the owner of the estate across which I would have to walk. He seemed genuinely interested in the purpose of my visit and asked a few questions including where I came from. After studying the map we came to the conclusion that the proposed approach route was a good one despite it being, ‘A long walk.’ He gave me further details of places along the route and what to expect. Presently, he walked forward to remove his equipment from the road and wave me through. We shook hands and it seemed that I’d made a friend Alex Houston portrait artist which was well worth the ten minutes spent. After a further mile I was parking at the point indicated by Alex; the end of the Wester Baldoon farm track at NH 62836 75552.
Leaving the car behind at 13:17 and walking north past the farm, I was soon opening the gate at a left turn by Strathy Wood - NH 62762 76120. From there it’s NW for a while then generally N and NE along tracks via a high point and right turn at NH 62542 76700. Then it’s gently downhill following the track through NH 62748 76900; NH 62815 77283 to a gate in a fence where a left turn NH 62606 77716 up the hill needs to be made.
Following the fence (with it on my left) up a pathless roughish gradient clothed with tussocky grass, mountain plants and heather, to a point where it right-angles left at NH 61557 78306, I then struck out for the first high point - Torr Leathan finding a path at NH 61440 78409. I could have skirted Torr Leathan to save height gain but it was obviously more trouble than it was worth having found a path of sorts.
Torr Leathan which is annoyingly right in the way if you’re trying to reach Beinn Tharsuinn, was GPS marked at NH 61365 78537 at which point there is a high vertical stack of rocks. You could be forgiven for thinking that this 637m hill is the more important and most visited summit of the two and that idea was supported when I found a small child’s toy in the form of the Star Wars character YODA wedged at the foot of the cairn. From here a good path, with windmills visible on the right, leads down to the 588m col at NH 610788 which is only crossed with difficulty and by picking your way across quite a wide peaty, boggy gash which attempts to block access to NS74.
Having crossed this dirty gouge, I started on the final leg of the journey and though I found one path at NH 60699 79201, it was a case of threading one’s way up through and along deep depressions in the terrain to the summit trig point. The latter was GPS marked at NH 60654 79261. By now I had covered just under 5.5km and it was 14:45. The ascent had taken almost 90 minutes with the excuse that much of it was pathless and some of it quite rough.
This slightly ‘lumpy’ summit is covered in short grass and alpine plants with the occasional small pond. Since I had seen nobody on any of the three summits climbed so far, I set up with the trig as a back rest; the mast threading conveniently down the hollow pillar.
BEINN THARSUINN - GM/NS-074, 692m, 2 pts, 14:45 to 16:50. Temp 11 deg C. Wind 10 mph. Overcast/ hazy sunshine for 10min. No low-cloud. Reliable EE (Orange) Mobile phone coverage. LOC: IO77TS, WAB: NH67.
7.033 CW - 15 QSO`s:
Starting with a phone call to G4SSH, I then worked Roy 599 both ways. Apart from some QSB, conditions were excellent but only for inter-G. Countries worked however were: G; GM; DL; OM; HB9 and PA. With the usual 50 Watts output, signal reports ranged from 579 to 559 for ‘G’ down to 339 for the continent. The session took just 15 minutes.
7.132 SSB - 23 QSO`s:
A well known WAB collector Roger G0TRB was first in with 59 both ways collecting NH63, followed by Mike G6TUH who in contrast struggled to hear me in noise at 39. Nick G4OOE almost missed out when he had to take his cat to the vet. After six QSO’s I had to move 800Hz HF to avoid slashing from an adjacent channel which was making it difficult for the chasers. 18 from 23 stations worked were in the UK. The remainder were: EI2CL; PA0SKP; DL8DXL; OW5JKL and ON5SWA. The majority of incoming reports were 59.
A single S2S took place when GM1INK/P called in with 59+ both ways. Steve was on GM/NS-100 today and have seen his hotel’s evening act at Gairloch the night before, was able to predict the entertainer who would be appearing at the Dornoch Hotel that evening. Sadly I had to explain that a day’s SOTA made me too tired for evening revelry.
10.118 CW – 15 QSO`s:
With 50W to the offset dipole, I worked 15 on 30m starting with John G4WSX. Countries worked were G; OK; CT; DL; EA; F; LA and UT9.
Slow down; you move too fast!
I complain seldom about chasers who are generally excellent but I will admit to being wrong footed by what I eventually worked out to be ‘EA2LMI.’ Luis must have thought me a complete idiot, especially when I eventually gave him 599 but this was a classic case of ‘more haste - less speed.’ The CW was coming in so fast that I could not for the life of me read the callsign and it must have taken almost ten requests for a repeat until I was able to finish the QSO. I can usually get callsigns and reports even if I decipher little else but this was almost too great a challenge for me. I tried sending ‘PSE QRS’ and ‘TOO FAST’ but without effect. The signal was still incoming at such mind numbing speed that I could barely get pencil to paper and although my log times do not reflect it, I think this QSO unnecessarily cost us both 5 minutes.
I must at this point take the time here to reiterate that when it comes to CW reading, I am no expert and never will be. I get by and that’s all. That said, 99% of the chasers use the right speed for me but I almost had to abandon this QSO.
14.275 SSB - 6 QSO’s:
Another ‘phone-a-spot’ from G4SSH and I was soon set up on 14.275. 20m SSB was nowhere near as good as the previous day when the QSO tally came to 21. The channel dried up after DL5WS; OE7GGT; CT4NH; EA2CKX; DL8UVG and DG2MEL made it into the log. Incoming reports ranged from 59 down to 53.
145.575 FM - 2 QSO’s:
Responding to a CQ on the local chat channel was MM3ZRF - Bob nr Alness, 25m N of Inverness. After Bob Ray GM3PIL called in but my mind is a blank as to why we didn’t add Top Band that day. It may have been down to time but probably I didn’t bring the coils along. The 130gm Vero VGC UV-X4; 2W, 2-70 H/H and duck did a good job on 2FM again. Both Ray and Bob surprised me with me with 59 reports.
Descent:
I talked to Ray GM3PIL on the handheld while descending the rough section beside the fence, all the time grasping the fence wire to better hold me upright. Once again with a few minor variations, the ‘up route’ was followed down, meaning I had to re-climb the 637m Torr Leathann. Nevertheless, with my mind constantly on making it for the hotel meal, the car was reached in 66 minutes arriving at 17:56.
I did arrive back on time for the food at 18:45 but only just because I missed the ‘satnav sponsored’ short cut via the B9176. This was the variation that had made me so suspicious on the way in. The main A9 route is significantly longer and busier.
ASCENT & DISTANCE:
571m (1,873ft) ascent / 10.8 km ( 6.7miles) walked.
Walking times: 1hr-28 min up / 66 min down. Total: 2hr-34min.
QSO`s
15 on 40m CW
23 on 40m SSB
15 on 30m CW
6 on 20m CW
2 on 2m FM
Total: 61
Battery utilisation: 4.5Ah estimated.
COMMENTS:
Again quite a long walk in over contrasting terrain. The first half was almost flat along a good track which looked very bikeable, with the rest a bit of a struggle uphill through ankle or knee deep growth and largely pathless. The weather was perfect with no rain, moderate temperatures and the cold wind reduced in speed.
The activation pattern was carried forward to NS-074 with the same bands being used. At 61 QSO’s, this happened to be the lowest scoring summit of the series of seven but it wasn’t a unique. It’s hard to see how I could have reached any more chasers within Europe at least but maybe I should try 5MHz from time to time. I regret that there was not time on any of these activations to use 18MHz or above and the dipole used throughout only goes up to 14MHz. I am not interested in working DX for the sake of it unless the stations calling in are SOTA chasers. This would be the last summit of the batch of seven where 160m wasn’t used.
I could have saved time by using the folding bike but I didn’t know that until after I’d walked it. The aim here was for a good summit, not too far away to spend a nice afternoon on without straining myself. I had a more ambitious plan for the following day which would take more energy than the three summits so far.
THANKS to:
ALL STATIONS worked. Sorry it wasn’t another unique. Thanks also to G4SSH and G6TUH for spots. Once again, thanks to Roy G4SSH for following the activation closely and spotting where required.
73, John G4YSS
Using GM4YSS/P (database) & Scarborough Special Events Group Club call - GS0OOO/P.
Previous Reports: GM/NS-114; GM/NS-101.
Next Report: GM/NS-014 in due course.
NS74 Photo No’s:
1-Artist ‘Road Block’
5-Track In
7-Fence Up
14-Torr Leathann & Yoda (NS74 Ahead)
26-Activation.
