OK/G4OBK QRP Tour to the Czech Republic

Activation Reports
1

Dear All

I am preparing for my SOTA Tour to the OK/KR Eagle Mountains region on the Polish border, where I hope to activate for four days starting on Friday. This is the first time I have travelled on a SOTA Tour in “minimalist mode” - i.e. with no hold luggage in the aircraft. This saves money and time waiting for the suitcase to arrive on the conveyor belt, and so when I reach Prague I should be able to get to the car hire desk before many other passengers! What will security think of all this gear full of wires and batteries which they do not normally see, as most of it generally goes in the hold suitcase? We will see…

I am travelling via Easyjet on Thursday evening. The good thing about Easyjet is there are no restrictions on the weight of the cabin luggage - only on size. I am carrying everything I need in a Berghaus 38+6 rucksack, which is actually oversize when packed by 9 cms in length. In my pocket I am carrying a small pack up rucksack though, so if Easyjet turn my rucksack away I can just transfer my radio gear to that, which will reduce the height of the rucksack down from 65cms to 56 cms. Then I will have to pay to have the rucksack shipped in the hold. I prefer walking with two poles these days, sadly they aren’t allowed in the cabin so none can be taken. I’ve purchased some plastic tent pegs for my antenna guys should I need them. I’m leaving the alloy ones I normally use at home as I believe those would also not be allowed.

Here are three pictures of what I am taking - radio gear first, clothing and shoes next and finally the packed rucksack on my back:

Here is my parts list of items inside the rucksack. A few things like camera, GPS, pack-a-rucksack and documents will travel on my person in my walking coat, and I will wear my walking boots and extra clothing when I pass through security:

38+6 Berghaus Freeflow Rucksack Contents

Emergency Pack containing:
Spare Mobile Phone (EE network)
4 spare AA Batteries
Ibuprofen - Paracetamol - Aspirin
Wound dressing
Toilet Paper
Emergency blanket
Plastic Bivvy bag
Compass
Spare boot laces + String
Personal details

Main items:

Torch
Yaesu FT-817ND + case + mic + Yaesu FT-270 handheld + whip + spare battery pack
Palm Key + Ultra Pico Keyer + 2 leads + Headphones
Logbook + 4 short pencils
5m Travel pole + guy ring
3Ah LiPo travel battery + lead for FT-817ND
Link dipole 17m-20m-30m + 2 bungees
5 plastic tent pegs - insulation tape - choc blocks
TomTom Satnav and DC lead for car
Asus 10" Tablet
Garmin GPS62s (carried)
Foldaway rucksack (carried)
Canon SX160 Camera (carried)
Mobile phone (Vodaphone network) (carried)
AC Chargers for:
Tablet - Phone - FT-817 - FT-270 - LiPo

Travel Documents:

Car Park - Easyjet flight tickets - Car Hire Voucher - Hotel Vouchers - Passport - Ham Licence - Maps - Czech currency - Message in a bottle personal details - Written Czech / German phrases

Clothing etc:

3 pairs under socks + 1 pair hiking socks
2 hankies
2 long sleeve T shirts
1 pair walking trousers
3 pairs underpants
Slip on shoes
Washing kit soap - shampoo - toothpaste - toothbrush - Lynx stick

Size when packed = 65 x 40 x 22 cms (Permitted size for cabin luggage 56 x 45 x 25)

Total Weight = 12 Kgs

Fortunately, all this stuff will not have to be carried around on my tour. I will stay one night (Thursday) in Prague and three nights on the summit of OK/KR-069 at Masaryk Chalet at Serlich 1019m ASL.

I hope to work many stations on CW. If I have free time in my schedule I will operate also on 20m SSB if I can.

73 de Phil G4OBK

7 Likes
2

Hello Phil, well organised or what :smiley:

Good luck on you adventure. Will listen out if you venture into SSB land.

Cheers
Mike

3

Good luck, Phil.

Might catch you if you manage some 20m ssb.

73,
Rod

4

Glad to see you packed the travel plug and hope you have a good time.

73
Graeme

5

Be a listening
If heard be a calling :slight_smile:

karl have fun

6

Dear Phil,

your luggage (and equipment) looks very sophisticated, I’m taking it as a good example of a default for trips like this yours.

Eagle mountains and Masaryk’s chalet is a lovely place to stay just under the subalpine zone. At the same time it is a weak point of the Czech SOTA summits database - robust, well-defined ridge with a relatively flat ridge route.

Anyhow, if the weather is friendly, I am sure it will be a wonderful stay.
I wish you a nice wandering in the Old Prague and especially in the Eagel mountains!

73 de Karel OK2BWB

7

Hi Phil,

Looks well organised (only to expected - hi!) and it sounds like a great trip. I’ll try and keep track of you with possible S2S Saturday?

Look after yourself and fingers crossed for good wx and that the great ionosphere in the sky plays ball!

73 es OK onwards & upwards

Jack(;>J

8

Hi Phil,

Best of luck on your trip.

I hope that you manage 20m SSB

73

Dave

9

Thanks all for your best wishes for this tour. I have added one thing to the side of my rucksack - a small gentlemen’'s folding umbrella. This will just about keep the radio dry if I can get it through security… Accuweather forecast is looking pretty good at present though.

Comment noted Karel re Mararyk’s Chalet - recommended to me by top activator Jan OK2PDT - and you are right about the prominence of the ridge. I shan’t get time to wander around Old Prague tomorow or on the day I leave - something I did about 10 years ago with my XYL. I won’t have time for that on this SOTA trip as when I land tomorrow it will be 2130 local time.

I expect I may get a chance to do a little SSB but I need to keep my eye on the time and how I progress each day against my targets.

I’ll try and report in each day via my tablet if I have time and energy left and there is wifi - if not just a short message on Twitter will have to suffice @YorksWalker

73 Phil

10

Hi Phil,
good activation and good luck.
73 David OK4KOP

11

Thanks for your good wishes David. I am looking forward to my first OK activation tomorrow.

No problems getting my gear through security and on the plane. I am now in the bar of my hotel south of Prague enjoying a Czech Pilsner beer!

73 Phil

5 Likes
12

:slight_smile: very very hard to hear you in back of me box.
Hope you having good time.

Karl

13

OK/KR-064 - Zilch in GM 30 or 20M :weary:

Here’s hoping the sky will play ball on the next one?

GL Jack(;>J

14

GW0WPO/P WAS 1KC down on NW-001 so nada this side

MW3PZO
Sean

15

OK/KR-061 - wow that was quick. Still zilch. I guess the sky still doesn’t want to play today :sob:

73

Jack (;>(

2 Likes
16

That was a real fun day in fine weather. Conditions favoured England, Jack - no Welsh or Scottish stations worked, but Ireland was logged - EI2CL on several summits. Five summits activated for 126 QSOs. Hope I can repeat the same tomorrow. I used 30m and 20m and did find time for SSB on 20m on all summits. I marched into Poland, but unfortunately OK/KR-010 is on the border but is not one of the border summits. Here is a pic of me on there this afternoon at about 1330z. That is one impressive trig point. I also found the trig on KR-069. The greatest finder of trig points in Belgian forests, Peter, ON4UP, would have been proud of me!

IMG_2537.JPG2816×2112 2 MB

I got completed earlier than I thought today, but breakfast here is served at 8.00am so I’ll adjust my times a little for the first two summits tomorrow. It’s easy walking on good tracks mostly so far so I made good progress. Thanks for all spots today - mobile coverage for self spotting seemed a little patchy.

73 Phil

2 Likes
17

Phil,
Thanks for trying for a repeat from me but you were taken out completely by QRM just after I called. Sorry about doubling with Mick, M0MDA.
Hope you have another good day tomorrow; might catch you from Birdlip Hill, G/HCE-006.
73,
Rod

18

Hi Phil,

Nice to hear you’re having a great trip. I switched on when I got home from work & saw your alert for OK/KR-069 & set up listening for you. Shortly afterwards I checked the spots & found you had already been & gone.

Hopefully catch you at some point over the weekend.

BTW a young family have just moved into the house next door as my neighbour (who has lived in that house longer than pretty much anyone else around here) had to leave due to her advancing years. I hope my new neighbours don’t have too many QRM inducing gadgets, & whatever gadgets they bring with them have good immunity from RF breakthrough.

Fingers crossed :wink:

Best of luck with your remaining activations :smile:

Thanks & best 73,

Mark G0VOF

19

Thanks Phil, for the ten pointer from OK/KR-064 on 30 mtrs.

Maybe this weekend we will meet again. Enjoy your holiday with some nice weather.:sunny:️

73, PA9CW, Tonnie.

20

Phone message from Phil: ( 26/09/15)

"In order to conserve battery power, I shall keep all my over’s as brief as possible. (call and report only) for the rest of my tour. Do not be offended if I do not use your name.

This should, hopefully, enable me to squeeze in an extra activation on each day".

73
Phil OK/G4OBK/p