Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Hi Mike,

I listened right through your activation and heard nothing, not even VK chasers.
However, the DL on 14287 that forced you to QSY down 1 was very loud.
Very selective path.
Cheers,
Gerard - VK2IO

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Hi Gerard,

Many thanks for listening.

It’s a strange old hobby, ham radio. Yesterday saw some of the strongest signals I’ve heard from VK for about a year, maybe even longer. Much stronger than the VK/ZL/EU day a couple of weeks ago. My comment to Tony VK3CAT was “it sounds like you’re on 2m FM!” He was just a monster signal.

Andrew VK1AD is always a great bet, however, nothing from the East coast of VK. I suspect G/CE-001 may have been a unique for him, so he’ll be disappointed not to have logged it. Not to worry Andrew, I’ll nip up and do it again in the summer for you.

Not a peep out of WA either.

73 Mike

Quick band conditions and activation report on GW/NW-044 Moel Famau, Saturday 22 April.

There are not too many SOTA summits which are Antron-99 and collinear friendly and Moel Famau is no exception. Carrying heavy antennas can be extremely rewarding but it’s hard work, especially with an FT-857 and 22Ah battery stuffed in the rucksack. On nearly all of my activations, I carry a collinear as an insurance policy against bad HF conditions and on this activation, it proved to be a smart move. Today, I opted for the lighter Diamond X-200.

I arrived at the trig point at about 0530z, turned on the handheld and worked a couple of contacts on 2m just before setting up the Antron-99. Taking a look along the 20m band found it dead and I new the chances of working any DX would be pretty slim.

Nevertheless, I put out a CQ and my first 6 contacts were all groundwave, including John G0MHF and a surprising s2s with Rob G7LAS, who was activating G/CE-004 Bardon Hill. The Europeans started to drift in but the band was very hard work, the best of it being Serge R3GQ. Many thanks to Jonathan VK7JON and Ernie, VK3DET who worked his socks off for ages to try and make the contact happen but with the K index at about 6, it just wasn’t to be.

So, as I had no antenna for 40m, 2m FM it was. The Diamond X-200 was bungeed to a fence post. At 555m ASL, Moel Famau has a good take-off and a weekend activation can be very rewarding on VHF.

I noticed that Rob G7LAS was now on 2m and so I gave him a shout, for an easy s2s.

The best of the contacts had to be with Tony GD4SVD, who was working from his house with a handheld, he sent a 5/9 report, he then asked if I had 70cms? I quickly QSY’d up and worked him again, receiving another 5/9 report. Tony was made up with this contact.

20 contacts on 20m ssb.
65 contacts on 2m fm.
1 contact on 70cms.
4 SOTA s2s.
1 SOTA to HuMP s2s.

Thanks to all the callers…


73 Mike
2E0YYY

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Thanks for the SWL point again Mike. I’m going to enquire about having a 100 point SWL certificate endorsed with “All YYY”.

Perhaps he’s using a Baofeng and genuinely can’t hear you? I mean it’s a possibility.

I see what you did there Andy…

Band conditions and report on G/SP-013 Gun 04/05/2017

Its been a while since I last visited G/SP-013 Gun and with my work finishing earlier than anticipated, I thought I’d nip out and activate it. A real treat was finding the track bone dry, for once.

There was a strong wind and getting the A-99 into the hawthorn tree, was tricky. Nevertheless, after a minute or two, it was well secured with bungees.

The plan was to work some 10m, however, the band was quiter than anticipated and so I opted for 20m instead. For some reason, my self spots were being rejected and after about a dozen attempts, I finally gave up and put out a CQ on 14.285.

My first contact was at 1210z. The band was acting strange, maybe something to do with E’s. The skip was running ridiculously short. PA, ON and DM/DK were calling in large numbers. I noticed a spot for Martyn M1MAJ activating GW/NE-003, working 40m. I hit the tune button and called s2s. Martyn came straight back to me, he then handed the mic to Carolyn M3ZCB for another s2s.

There was a call from Scott K7ZO from Idaho close to the West coast, a State, that I’ve not worked very often. Three more North Americans from the East coast made the log, followed by a further run of Europeans. It was at this point I had another listen to 10m and worked Stig SM5FBG, my only 10m contact of the day. A further half dozen contacts were logged on 20m before I pulled the plug.

Strange conditions indeed, with 3 GM’s worked on 20m as well as Barry M0IML, near Dover. A total of 8 OH worked, how often does that happen on the 20m band!

I suspect the organisers of the EU/NA S2S day coming up on the 14 May, will be pleased to see some North Americans making my log.

Thanks to all the callers…

84 contacts logged, which I guess is a fair result with the SFI still wallowing in the doldrums.

81 on 20m ssb
2 on 40m ssb
1 on 10m ssb

Mike
2E0YYY


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Well done Mike,
Unfortunately I missed you yesterday otherwise I could have been one of those DLs calling. Great that you got some DX in the log as well as the UK and European stations.

SOTAWatch was a little strange yesterday, when I wanted to change an existing alert, I got the error message that DL is an invalid association when saving, what was simply a change to the comment area. I tried to save again about 20 seconds later and it saved fine. I suspect there was some temporary issue with the link between SOTAWatch and the database, as that would also account for your spots being rejected I think.

Here’s hoping for good conditions next weekend for the EU-NA event - by the way, there’s only one NA station alerted so far hopefully that will increase during the week.

73 Ed.

Thanks Ed,

I was getting exactly the same ‘invalid association’ error on my mobile phone. When I got home, I logged out then logged back in again and the problem disappeared.

I’m certain there’ll be plenty more alerts posted next week, from North America, for the EU-NA event.

73 Mike

Activation and band conditions report G/CE-002 Walton Hill 13/05/2017.

For the Activators in EU, who wish to make contacts with VK/ZL, this invloves an early start and even activating a local summit, requires a 5am local time alarm call for me.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned after 7 years of working SOTA… DX has to be earned and I’m only too well aware, even hard work is no guarantee of success. For sure, the propagation Gods are ruthless and wiil take no prisoners.

I made the 55 mile drive to Walton Hill and just 15 minute walk to the trig point and was QRV on the 20m band at about 0620z.

20m was in reasonable shape into EU, once again, the skip was short, not good for DX. I worked a run of EU contacts, however, QSB was the enemy today. My first DX call was Ernie VK3DET and it wasn’t easy, nevertheless we exchanged signal reports. There were other VK callers but I just couldn’t log them. The EU chasers were there in large numbers and I worked my way through, until 0830z, grabbing a number of s2s along the way.

I contacted Rob G7LAS who was on his way to HuMP G/HSP-005 with his newly licensed son, Ben M6XOO, for some 4m activity. My own AKD 4m rig is as deaf as a post and puts out about 10 of the 25 Watts it should do and is only fit for the scrapyard. However, it weighs a fraction of the Anytone, the other 4m rig I own and has only been out of the box once, for the addition of Powerpoles.

Bringing the AKD provesd to be a bad move, just one contact was made, a s2s with Matt G8XYJ and what should have been an armchair copy with Rob and Ben, never materialised. In the end, we all completed the s2s on 2m, with me using a handheld.

I’d taken the X-200 colinear with me for some 2m and set it up at about 1000z. In order to preserve the 22Ah LiFePO4 battery for the EU/NA party, I attached the Wouxun 2m/70cm handie to the X-200. Normally, this would be a no-no on many summits as the front end would be swamped by pager noise, however, rather surprisingly, no such problem on Walton Hill.

2m FM, S2S contacts were completed with Gerald, M0WML activating G/WB-022 Seager Hill, Barry MW0IML GW/SW-011 Sugar Loaf, Mike GW7HEM GW/NW-009 Cadair Idris. Always good to hear Gez M0NTC/M, thanks Gez. Great to work Stewart G0LGS and Matt 2E0MDJ in Cheltenam.

At about 1115z, I returned to 20m and put out another CQ and a few more EU contacts, including a s2s with Don M0HCU/p activating G/WB-015.

I also noticed a spot for Andy GM8OEG/P activating GM/SS-259, Largo Law. As I had no antenna for 40m the Antron-99 was tuned up and an easy s2s was completed…Thanks for a new one Andy! Just as I was packing up, I saw a spot for Luc EA6/ON7DQ on 17m activating EA6/MA-065, Puig de sa Cova Negra, no problem for the A-99.

All in all, a nice days radio.

135 contacts completed, 12 S2S

98 on 20m ssb
34 on 2m fm
1 on 4m fm
1 on 17m ssb
1 on 40m ssb

Thanks to all the callers.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

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I have found the Wouxun KG-699E to be a reasonable rig for 4m, which with a ribbon feeder slim jim makes a lightweight station. I did take it up Muncaster Fell G/LD-059 yesterday, but just didn’t have enough time to get onto 4m. We had a late start (06:20 local departure), but I didn’t get back home until 00:05 local this morning, courtesy of the great British Motorway diversion and roadworks.

73, Gerald G4OIG

To be honest Gerald, I must have had a brainsrorm, taking the AKD. It was more of an afterthough, as I was loaded up like a pack horse, so your Wouxun KG-699E is well worth investigating further. There were plenty of operators about on 4m yesterday. Barry M0IML managed to get amonst them and then his 4m handy decided to go flat.

Its not a band I’ve operated on too much but I know huge distances can be achieved, when conditions are sweet. Sorry to hear about your motorway woes, I spend a lot of time on the M6 and you have my deepest sympathy :frowning:

73 Mike
2E0YYY

As of Wednesday this week, if you are out on 4m you may have some DL chasers if there’s any Sproadic-E about. No S2S though as on 4m, like on 6m, /P operation is not allowed here in Germany.

This is another “test period in Germany” for 4m. From May 17th. to August 31st, Home station, 25W ERP, horizontal polarisation any mode less that 12KHz wide between 70.150 and 70.180 on a secondary user basis.

Ed.

@70MHz @4m

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Good to work you on 4m Mike, I was slightly concerned as to why you were on Walton Hill and not 59+ whilst I was on Titterstone Clee! I could see that hill in the distance, so maybe that AKD is not well, I do recall reading about their deafness in an old radcom??

My set up was a 450 Ohm ladder feed slim jim, suspended from a 7m fishing pole, all connected to the Wouxun KG-699E.

This has netted me over 700 points on 4m, so I am pretty confident that it works well and seems to be the best compromise when it comes to power : weight!

I had 11 QSOs on 4m, so did not really feel the need (or the want, when the rain came) to go on 2m FM, despite having the Yaesu VX-170 and 450Ohm ladder feed slim jim for 2m in the bag.

Got home at 1100 (Local) and the YL had a bacon sandwich and cup of coffee waiting for me, so not a bad way to start the weekend.

The weekend went well, with all 4 Ludlow Cricket Clubs winning their matches (a wicket for me and 19 not out) then a BBQ in Chester on the Saturday evening, before relaxing on Sunday with Sporadic E on 6m (CW and SSB, yes CW, MJF morse decoder and then I send 5nn IO82PJ and their callsign), Lewis Hamilton having the drive of his life and Spurs (my team) winning 2-1 at their last home game at White Hart Lane.

As far as weekends go, it was a good one!

73

Matt G8XYJ

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Hi Ed,

My experiece of 4m is that it seems have something of a dedicated following. For example, my great friend Kevin G3AAF who is into microwaves and never, ever, ever, ever, ever strays below 23cm, with one exception, the 4m band.

I’ll never understand why 6m and 4m portable use is not allowed in Germany, Ed?

You mentioned Sporadic-E and as Matt G8XYJ pointed out, there has been some about. I’ve noticed some DX on 10m, however, unlike a couple of years ago, not anything like enough to warrant a special journey to a summit to try and work it :frowning:

73 Mike

Hi Mike - the various 4m & 6m sites are screaming about Sporadic-E being there TODAY - two days too early for me for 4m of course!

I believe the date restrictions on 6m and 4m and the mandatory use of horizontal polarisation 25W ERP and no portable operation is due to the remaining (few) primary users on the bands - notably the Military.

Ed.

It’s not that long since Band I was used for TV broadcasts in Germany and surrounding countries which was a reason, amongst others, that 6m was not available in the past. The UK dropped Band I & Band III TV in 1984 and that is what made 6m available in the UK for so long. Band III was allocated to CEPT1327 trunked land mobile radio and later on (the fiasco that is) DAB.

The restriction on mobile or portable 6m operation is possibly the fact it can be restricted not that it should be restricted as fixed 6m operation is likely to be as much as an issue as mobile or portable. Civil servants the world over find it easier to say “No” to any “Can I do X” question than to say “Yes” and then find they have opened a can of worms. That is why you should never ask a Civil Servant if you can do something. Just do it till they tell you to stop. If they don’t know you’re doing it then they can’t ask you to stop. :slight_smile:

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Es has been significant for several days, now, and it is only the start of the season! You will have plenty of chances.

Took a drive up to G/WB-004 Titterstone Clee, Friday morning 26th May. Not activated this one for quite some time.

My 4am alarm call local time, was far from welcome. The idea was to try and work some DX, and hopefully log Ernie VK3DET, however, the radio gods had other ideas. Very tough conditions on 20m, I couldn’t hear any VK/ZL stations on the band. There were a couple of stations from California, but I couldn’t be asked to sit in their pile-ups.

Big thanks to Matt G8XYJ for the 20m contact and spot, as per usual, no phone or internet signal on G/WB-004 and so initially, it was back to working radio the old school way…Finding a frequency and calling CQ.

At first the 20m band was tough going, however, it did liven up a bit and after about 90 mimutes, I figured I had milked the band for all it was worth and so, the X-200 colinear was deployed for some 2m fm.

The VHF take off from this summit is very good, but I still reckon G/SP-004 Shining Tor in the South Pennines which is just a little higher, has the edge on Titterstone Clee.

As usual, plenty of the regulars called in. A very nice s2s with David GW8NZN, up on GW/NW-001 Snowdon and Mike GW7HEM activating GW/NW-006 Tryfan.

124 contacts for the activation.

51 Contacts 20m ssb.
70 contacts 2m fm
3 contacts 70cm fm

Thanks to all the callers for a nice days radio.

73 Mike
2E0YYY


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Hello Mike. Great Report, as always. Thanks for the QSO from G/WB-004, yesterday.
Too Bad no DX for you, but good for us chasers, as it brings the Activators on to VHF.
Many Thanks, 73 de Paul M0CQE.

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