This afternoon our SOTA holiday in the “Sauerland” had a very pleasant end. Our last activation was DM/NW-255 “Halde Haniel“, a very strange artificial summit made of stone from a coalmine. Look at it on Google Earth! When we were descending we met Lutz DL3SBA. He came to the summit because I wrote my plan on the SOTA cluster and he found us when we were descending. There are many ways down so we were very lucky to meet him and his nice dog. He even brought coffee and chocolates. We had a nice eyeball-qso on the way down and in a local restaurant. Thanks Lutz.
Norbert DK9ES/P tipped me already during a S2S from DM/NW-214 that he was looking for me.( thanks ). I was on this summit 2 days ago hi hi.
We had a nice short holiday and activated 10 summits. About 8 degrees, so very bad for winter sports. It was very wet and I was saved several times by the pencil in my emergency kit, my ballpoints did not work on the damp logbook.
I made many contact on both 40 and 20m. My new endfed vertical for 10/20/40m ( made by PA3EKE ) and 10m pole worked very well. The antenna needs some improvement for SOTA use, the wire is to stiff and the connection to the coil broke, but the performance was always good. SWR is good in any position and any location, also near wet trees and with the bottom end of the wire on the ground. Rob EKE is working on it to make a SOTA proof version ( FYG approved hi hi )
Thanks to all chasers and specially the spotters. Quick response is always nice especially with bad weather and waiting XYL….
Sorry if I left to soon and you misted me, weather conditions were bad.
I will publish some pictures on my website ww.smitzeewolde.nl as soon as I am dry and warmed up.
Logs will be uploaded soon.
73 the Hans DL/PA3FYG/P ( from DM/NW-238,182,244,190,214,208,206,227,237 and 255 )