Old dog, new tricks

First attempt coming on Saturday from Brown Willy Bodmin Moor. I’m sure lots to go wrong and to learn, but looking forward to it. I notice the 5Mhz dipole also has a low SWR in bottom part of 28mhz (I don’t do ATU’s). Thanks to Don G0RQL for a highly informative conversation earlier today which answered a few basic questions. I was explaining the principles of SOTA to my XYL, she paused for a bit… ‘Oh, I get it,… Pillocks on Hillocks’, ‘Certainly not!’ I said, how dare you, 'its Geeks on Peaks’
Phil Williams G3YPQ

In reply to G3YPQ:
ROTFL!

Good luck with the activation Phil - hope to be listening for you (depending on family commitments).

73 Graham G4FUJ

Had a brilliant time on Brown Willy Cornwall
(hmm, I wonder if this post will be caught by the web obscenity filters!), 21 Qsos including 4 STS, my legs will feel it later though its a bit of a hike!

Phil G3YPQ

In reply to G3YPQ:

Well done, but I’m afraid you have now joined the rest of us with an incurable affliction. There is no treatment. The only respite is to call CQ SOTA from a hilltop. Some minor relief may be had by looking at maps and planning routes.

Enjoy!

Dave, G6DTN/M0DFA

In reply to G3YPQ:
Geeks on Peaks, i like it!!!

Adrian
2M0ETR

In reply to G3YPQ:

Hi Phil

Great to work you S2S today, many thanks for coming to find me!

Glad you enjoyed yourself, when’s your next outing ;-))

Catch you again soon

73 de Paul G4MD

In reply to G3YPQ:

Hi Phil,

It was very nice to work you on your first activation :slight_smile:

Although conditions were far from ideal I think you coped admirably. I hope to work you on your next activation, hopefully with the lower HF bands in better shape.

73,

Mark G0VOF

Gosh, what a thoroughly nice crowd the SOTA Chaps Are! Thanks to all, and see you again soon I hope, the 5mhz dipole worked well, so I’m going for an external battery and a better 2m aerial for next time. Yes looks like a slippery slope, in more than one sense!

Phil G3YPQ
Geek on Peak, brackets, Cornwall

In reply to G3YPQ:

The more I think about it, the more I like it - Geeks on Peaks! I’ll have to get it printed on a T-shirt!

Well done, Phil.

73

Brian G8ADD

In reply to G3YPQ:
Sorry to miss you Phil. Out in the garage, fitting the FT-857 to my (classic) car for an upcoming trip.
Good luck with future activations - sounds like the bug has bit!

73 Graham G4FUJ

In reply to G3YPQ:

Hi Phil,

Sorry I missed you on your 1st activity and well done on your log!!

And as Dave says your “Hooked on SOTA” or GonP !! no cure and you go cold turkey quite quickly hence you have to get out and up as often as possible to get your “Fix”

Welcome and I hope to get you S2S soon

Best 73

Tony

In reply to G3YPQ:

Hi Phil,

Many thanks for the attempt at the S2S from Brown Willy DC-002 up to Buckden Pike NP-009. I could just detect that you were there, probably not even strong enough to have made it on CW. The kit at my end was a 25W to a 5el. Having activated all the DC’s using 2m SSB, I can certainly recommend a beam and a bit of power - it’s a fair distance to the Midlands, let alone the distance that we attempted.

All the best for your future activations.

73, Gerald G4OIG

Yes, I’m going to improve the 2m set up for sure. Then have a crack at a few more DC’s! Thanks for the good wishes, Phil

In reply to G3YPQ:

For info only, I was out yesterday just listening from some high ground on the Lancashire / Yorkshire border between Slaidburn & Clapham. I was very surprised at what I could hear using only a dipole. If I had been using my 5 element Yagi I would have worked several new countries for me on 2m, with only 5 watts from an FT817.

A directional antenna of some kind is definitely the way to go for good results on 2m Phil.

Best 73,

Mark G0VOF

In reply to G3YPQ:

Hi Phil,

Welcome to an activity that is more addictive than hard drugs!!

Fascinating conditions on Saturday, I believe I was your first S to S and the path between us was excellent; pity the same couldn’t be said for the shorter skip distances. Some stations were 59+++ one second and completely unreadable the next. I had to wait until you finished on your frequency before I could qualify the summit, calling on other frequencies produced nil point!

I hope we can work many more times in the future

73

Barry GM4TOE

The QSB has been quite something over the past few days. This morning, for instance, a station answered my CQ call at 599, and when I called him in he had dropped to 519, making me think it was a different station! I’ve noticed deep QSB across both HF and VHF for up to a week now.

Tom M1EYP