The weather is pretty unpleasant round here this evening, and I can’t really be bothered doing the FMAC / UKAC thing on 70cm. However, I’ve got a drop-off and pick-up to do, and I badly need some exercise.
So, I will attempt to ignore the wind and rain, and walk up to Cloud summit between my taxi runs. I will only have my VX7 handheld, so FM only. If I make any QSOs on 70cm, I will exchange contest details FWIW. But I’ll probably do some 2m as well.
I could. But I didn’t.
I’ve just copped for a soaking on Cloud summit! Mind you I’m back in the car with the heater on full and my quick-dry walking clobber is doing what it says on the tin so to speak.
The rain is now incredibly heavy too, so I made the call to descend at the right time.
Just used a VX7 handheld with its helical “rubber duck” antenna. 7 contacts on 2m FM. Got 3, then it started raining. But at that point it seemed I had a pile up! Fortunately it just turned out to be 4 more stations to work through.
Got to pick Liam up at 9.30pm. Might go and see if there’s a pub serving decent ale and showing the football!
A little more effort will go into Thursday evening’s 6m UKAC activation. Normally, the interesting stuff on 6m would be very much behind us by September, but there have been some good openings very recently, so you never know. Thankfully, it does look like the monsoon weather will be behind us by Thursday - so, anyone else fancy it? A few 6m S2S would be very nice indeed!
Not bothering tonight (correct date this time) for the 70cm FMAC & UKAC. Haven’t got around to repairing my 70cm antenna yet + very heavy rain forecast + Macc Town at home (though that could fall victim to the wx too).
No work today so will try and catch up on things. My database logs and my summits website are both, yet again, well out of date 
Another low-effort activation today. I had some work in the northern suburbs of Stoke-on-Trent, so it was a “blast from the past” time with a nip up The Cloud G/SP-015 on the way home.
There was some blue sky and the clouds didn’t look too menacing as I parked up on Cloudside. It was a bit breezy, but when I put my coat on I was too warm, so I removed it and chucked it back in the car. A quick walk to the top, with VX7R handheld in one pocket of my zip fleece, and my logbook and pencil in the other.
First back to my CQ call on 2m FM was Ian G4IKP/A in Telford, and we ended up having quite a natter for ten minutes. As we were signing, I noticed a very sharp dark grey rectangle, about a quarter of a mile wide, dropping from the sky directly down onto Alsager. Further more, it was advancing towards me. The wind picked up - and I didn’t have my coat with me!
I called QRZ, and worked Tony G4ERQ - ironically in Alsager - in seconds with a very “rubber stamp” QSO. The rain started to fall. I gave one more QRZ call. It wasn’t answered within 3 seconds - so I switched off and began a rapid descent.
Within metres I was back out of the rain, and actually escaped the anticipated soaking.
Two QSOs on a 2m FM handheld with rubber duck. Another classic SOTA activation by M1EYP. Hoping for better weather for tomorrow night’s 6m UKAC. But now - I’m off to listen to the Liam Read Show on Upload Radio - http://beta.uploadradio.com/player/wrexhamchesterliverpool/ - or on DAB across Liverpool, Chester & Wrexham.
This morning’s intention to do a multimode 20m activation, has been dampened by the wx. I will go up G/SP-015 for the 20th time in 20 days - but just with my 2m handheld in my pocket.
The sequence was due to end on 17, but my weekend tour dates all got cancelled. It ends today on 20 though as we’re off to GI this evening. Possible early morning activation of Divis GI/AH-004 in the next few days.
…2 lengthy ragchew QSOs on 2m FM. Breezy, cloudy, but dry.
I will not be activating G/SP-015 tomorrow.
Monday 27th November 2017, and another low-effort activation of The Cloud G/SP-015.
Well there was a bit of effort involved in driving the 7 miles to the parking spot in heavy rain, and a bit more in making the decision to climb to the summit, even with just handheld in pocket.
A bit of effort (that I’m used to) climbing the big concrete staircase, and then rather more in negotiating the short section of path alongside the farm that has become a worse mudplug than the first part of the Gun G/SP-013 path!
There have been no sightings of the NT working party since they were seen loading tools back into their van after making their access path from the farm to the summit path. What I’m wondering is if their work will be limited to the summit path from the signed NT land only - ie, after the really awful section past the farm. Those concrete steps need a lot of mud clearing from them too.
There is erosion damage to the main path, and erosion damage to the vegetated areas either side. I presume these are the main foci for the NT working party - but the concrete steps and connecting path are the most treacherous.
Once on the eroded summit path, it was fairly easy going, and I didn’t need to worry about “effort” until I returned to the NT boundary again on the descent. At the summit, regular chasers Pete 2E0LKC and Steve 2W0ISV were worked on 2m FM, but not Anne 2E0LMD who was out at the shops.
Every chance I’ll activate it again tomorrow.
