So many activations from EI and GI in the last few days. 
Well done Martyn M1MAJ (aka MI1), Caroline M3ZCB (aka MI3) and Victor GI4ONL (aka EI/GI4ONL/P)
The story continuesâŚthanks for all your effort.
Cheers
Mike
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Unfortunately itâs our last day tomorrow; hoping to squeeze in one or two more as we head back to catch the overnight ferry from Belfast. Weâve really enjoyed our week in the Sperrins. HF conditions have been a bit iffy but the weather has been splendid.
Martyn & Caroline
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Excellent effort Martyn & Caroline. And yes Mike, the story continues. Plenty more activations from that part of the SOTA world to come in just over two weeks. Just hope MAJ and ZCB have left some of the nice weather for us and not used it all up for themselves 
Cheers Mike, thanks to you and all the chasers for the contacts over the last few days.
Iâm quite pleased with my little expedition into EI/IN I managed to get 6 first time activations some of which involved rather difficult terrain, but my legs survived (just) 
ď¸
73
Victor EI/GI4ONL
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Hi Victor,
Me and my dad Tom M1EYP were going to be the first time activators of Crockkinnagoe EI/IN-061 until you gave this summit its first time activation just before we are coming over. I hope to work you from some of the GI summits while we are over there and maybe even meet up with you and the other Victor while we are over there.
Jimmy M0HGY
Well Victor, your x6 first activation dxpedition worked very well. Apologies from me for my sometimes poor RSTs to you perhaps I should check out the dipole!
Have a good weekend and many thanks for the new ones.
Cheers
Mike
Hello Jimmy,
Well enjoy your holiday and see what happens I suppose. I have not checked the EI - GI database but there must be some new ones left. Just have a nice time in a great country.
Night night.
Mike
Hello Jimmy and Tom,
I have not been around much on the radio too much but have listened out when your SSB spots have come up but no joy here because of noise levels and QSB.
Anyway you seem to be cracking on with the schedule and you are blessed with good weather. Shame about having to drop EI/IN-061 so, selfish I suppose, I am glad I caught GI4ONL when he was activating it.
A good example of how dreadful the bands have been. Ernest EA1LQ just now was 57 and then a minute or so later was swallowed by noise here!
Cheers
Mike
[quote=âG6TUH, post:8, topic:13178â]no joy here because of noise levels and QSB[/quote]âŚand the hideous VDSL re-training combs (at 4kHz intervals up 7MHz and 14MHz) common in populated areas these days⌠
Maybe not a âwhirlwindâ, but a slight breeze would have been nice on many of our summits this week. Instead, the âEYP fan clubâ were able to descend in their thousands rather more times than I appreciated
Musnât grumble though. The complete absence of rain facilitated a full completion of our aspirations.
We were particularly lucky in not encountering any midges, probably because although it was mostly fine it was also windy. We managed to break all three of the poles we had with us at different points during the week, but Martyn was able to construct one functional pole out of the three to save us from having to go looking for a fishing tackle shop!
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Hi,
Well midges are not too keen on wind
40M has been dreadful here for ages and the only stations worked have been using more than 5w and/or with good location/antenna
Down here the problem was the QRN and QSBâŚmajority of contacts have been on 20M SSB .
Night night
Mike
More Irish SOTA over the next two weeks âŚ
Thanks for the contacts today on EI/IE-060 Gibbet Hill and EI/IE-049 Lakeen (a first activation). Wind turbines everywhere on these lower hills! On Lakeen I had S7 QRN which I thought came from a 1MW turbine at the top, however, it might have been from a nearby microwave repeater mast. It sounded like Ethernet hash and covered all HF bands. Sorry if I could not hear your call.
Iâll try to text alert, may have to change my itinerary as the WX is very unsettled, unsurprisingly!
73, Phil ON4TA
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Hi Phil,
I hope you have a good holiday in EI. There are now currently only 3 unactivated SOTA summits in EI/IE which are Spinans Hill EI/IE-040, Cushbawn EI/IE-042 and Tinoran Hill EI/IE-059. As of tomorrow there will also be 2 additional activated SOTA summits in EI/IE which are Cullenagh Mountain EI/IE-073 and Knockmannon Hill EI/IE-074. I am just wondering of you will be activating the 5 remaining unactivated EI/IE SOTA summits over the next 2 weeks while you are in EI?
Jimmy M0HGY
I had spotted the two new ones in IE and plan to activate them on July 1st when they become valid. I have some notes about access to the hill but will have to check locally for permission (like I did for Lakeen EI/IE-049 which is on private land), will text alert when ready. WX does not look promising.
I had planned Tinoran Hill on my way north and more SOTA on the Irish west coast, Co. Donegal and Co. Mayo.
73 Phil ON4TA
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Welcome back Phil.
Hope the bands and WX improve for your trip.
73 David EI7GEB
I managed to activate EI/IE-074 Knockmannon Hill on âDay 1â. This involved a two hour walk [part of the Gathabawn Loop] over country lanes, muddy and mucky paths, a slippery grassy slope and a seemingly endless forestry track on the contour of the Hill.
WX was poor with frequent showers and blustery conditions at the top, however, I came well prepared! Band conditions were poor with only 1 contact to show for on 20m but enough contacts on 40m to qualify for the activation.
The area feels quite remote I did not see a soul all day. Got too tired and clothing got too wet to attempt the other new SOTA in Ireland East.
Coming weekend I will be in the Wicklow Mountains activating SOTA on VHF/UHF [SSB]: 6m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm depending on equipment / antenna combination on the day. There should be good signal take off for EI and across the Irish Sea.
73, Phil ON4TA
Continuing my tour of Ireland âŚ
Poor WX on Tonelagee EI/IE-003, I could hardly stand up and hold on to the mast, sadly no contacts on 70cm SSB nor 6m SSB.
Better WX on Trooperstown Hill EI/IE-035 with 2m FM S2S contact to GD and GI, and my first 23cm SSB contact across the Irish Sea!
As closer for Ireland East, a lovely evening activation from Tara Hill EI/IE-065 with 2m FM contacts to Wales.
The ânewâ EI/IE-073 Cullenagh is uninspiring. Access is via a forestry path, the top is an intersection of footpaths in a pine plantation, no view, damp, too many insects. Poor propagation on the day made me struggle to get 4 contacts.
I was in GI land activating CA-003 Carrigatuke and SW-001 Bessy Bell. The latter is a nice walk over a hardcore access road to the 2 wind farms of the same name, also the Ulster Way runs over the top.
Some Co. Donegal SOTA coming up WX permitting.
73, Phil