s2s

= “Summit to Summit” and “School to School”.

My new batch of Foundation licensees, plus a few of last years, will be having our summer Cloud SP-015 outing on Friday 9th July. But this time, inspired by the idea of Jordan M3TMX, we hope to conduct S2S contacts and greetings messages with pupils from his school, who will be on Kirkby Moor LD-049.

Other schools with amateur radio are welcome to join us on frequency, maybe even from a SOTA summit yourself if the risk assessments can be turned around in time!

Of course, we look forward to working all the chasers as usual. Fingers crossed for decent wx this time - we all got a drenching last year!

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:
Good luck with your activation Tom. There are a large number of huge stinging nettles over the steps to be aware of - found out yesterday that they sting with gusto - suggest your kiddies do not wear shorts! John G1STQ

All systems go for the debut activations of M6EDZ, M6LJS and M6HUS, plus the 2nd activations of M3YUR, M6JLH and M6LDP, on G/SP-015 this afternoon. Approximate schedule is 1130 to 1230z 2m FM, then 2m SSB after 1230z as we try to hook up S2S with Jordan M3TMX and his school on G/LD-049.

There is a chance of rain, and the wind looks fairly strong tomorrow, so we may need to speed things up a bit. Hopefully though conditions will be kind and we can have a successful afternoon.

Look forward to hearing any regular SOTA chasers on air to work the youngsters.

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:

Hi Tom!

I’ll try to be QRV from a G/WB summit from 12:00 UTC onwards today. It will be SSB only. Look for me around 144.310 MHz … WX permitting!

73 and good luck to all the activators!

Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to G3NYY:

I’ll try to be QRV from a G/WS

…that will be hard Walt. There aren’t any!

73

Richard
G3CWI

I’ll wage that you know full well what Walt MEANT to type Richard! Are you still thinking of going out today, and will it be a S2S opportunity for our group?

Tom M1EYP

With a nod to the great Frank Sidebottom (RIP) who was celebrated last night at Castlefield Arena and live on BBC Radio Manchester, today was Absolutely Fantastic. Friday afternoons sees two hours of Radio on my teaching timetable, and for two academic years now I have been delivering an enrichment course incorporating the Foundation Licence course and exam. On the afternoon of Friday 9th July 2010, I hired a minibus to take 15 of us to Cloudside.

The fifteen included 3 Foundation licensees from this year’s course (Year 7), two from last year (now in Year 8), 8 children who have done the course but who are not yet licensed (two of whom are intending retaking next year) plus two staff members - myself and Deb, the attendance officer.

It was Absolutely Brilliant Actually. First of all, the weather, despite a fair degree of pessimism on the Met Office website, held up beautifully. (Last year, the weather was Absolutely Bobbins). Secondly, the children were wonderful. They were expressing wonderment from half way up the hill, feasting their eyes on the open countryside and the far-ranging views - maybe for the first time ever looking at some of their faces!

At the top, I set up the 2m SOTA Beam with Joshua and Paul, while the licensees together with Qanita, Rani, Aroosa, Maryam, Manisha and Luke all headed with Deb for the excellent vantage point of the large slabs towards the north-west end of the highest area. I was chuffed to see so many of the pupils enthusiastically collecting images on their mobile phones and DS’s.

Once set up, I gathered this year’s M6’s around me while I demonstrated activating the summit and achieving four contacts. This was all on 2m FM. Edson M6EDZ took to the microphone and nervously but competently worked his four contacts, before Ali M6HUS also did so more confidently.

Then it was the turn of my strongest of this year’s cohort, Lauren M6LJS. She actually carried on beyond four contacts and worked six QSOs. In between, I grabbed some further contacts for myself, particularly the S2S opportunities with Richard G3CWI/P on Gun G/SP-013, Walt G3NYY/P on Seager Hill G/WB-022, Nick G0HIK/P on Kirkby Moor G/LD-049 and Rob G4RQJ/P on Mull Hill GD/GD-005.

The “old veterans” from last year - Charlotte M3YUR and Lewis M6LDP - then had a go on 2m SSB, and both qualified their activations. I was delighted with how well my licensed students did on their debut (or second) activations, and even more delighted that my non-licensed students really enjoyed the outing, and were kind enough to tell me so. But the greatest accolade must be a Big Fantastic ego-massaging thank you to my SOTA activating and chasing friends for making an effort to be there to work my students.

It was a great day. You know it was, it really was. Thank you!

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:

Glad you and the students had a good time, Tom. Thanks for all the contacts, S2S, etc.

Rob G4RQJ/P on Mull Hill GD/GD-005.

GD4RQJ/P surely? I did manage to work both Rob and Nick eventually … and also one you missed, Andrew - M6ADB/P on Walbury Hill G/SE-001 with his new FT897!

Will send QSLs for Charlotte, Lewis and Joshua.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

Hi Walt,

Will send QSLs for Charlotte, Lewis and Joshua.

Joshua does not have an ammeter radio licence; I assume you meant someone else who was on The Cloud G/SP-015 who you did work as well as Charlotte M3YUR and Lewis M6LDP to give a QSL to.

Jimmy M3EYP

In reply to M3EYP:

No, Jimmy … I did speak to Joshua. He was sending me a Greetings Message under M1EYP’s callsign, which is quite in order as long as the station is under the control of the licensee.

:slight_smile:

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

Hi Walt,

I didn’t know my Dad M1EYP was supervising Joshua other possibly some of his other students who were unlicensed to send a greetings message. All understood now.

Jimmy M3EYP

In reply to M1EYP:

It was a real pleasure to work two of your students this afternoon Tom. I was limited in the amount of time I had having nipped out in my lunch break, but managed to work Lauren M6LJS who was doing extremely well on 2m FM & was full scale on my FT817 & J-Pole @ 6m AGL.

Once it went quiet on FM I assumed you had moved down to SSB & I soon found Charlotte M3YUR. With only a vertical antenna signals were down on what they had been on FM but Charlotte was quite readable despite the odd burst of QRM from a nearby commercial transmitter.

The weather at Belthorn was also better than last year when I had to operate from a bus shelter in a howling gale & torrential rain. There was a little rain this year, but nothing heavy & I was able to operate from a much better location out in the open.

I am very happy everybody qualified the summit & especially pleased to hear that the students also enjoyed being out on the hill :slight_smile:

QSL cards will be made out for Lauren & Charlotte, & also for those I worked last year who I don’t recall sending cards to.

73,

Mark G0VOF

In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom.I was most suprised to hear you call cq Sota.I was just pulling out of a farm gateway on the Longridge to Goosenargh road.After working you I then went up on to Jeffrey Hill to just above the parking spot for Longridge Fell from here you can see 4 Sp summits .A pleasure working your students all the best Geoff.G6MZX

This is the list of stations that worked one or more of my students:

G0GBO
G6MZX/M Geoff
GW7AAV Steve
2E0MAS Mike
M3MTB/M
GW0WTT Paul
2E0PHJ David
2E0TDX Neil
G0HIK/P Nick on Kirkby Moor G/LD-049
G3CWI/P Richard on Gun G/SP-013
G0VOF/P Mark
G0ODU Bob
G3NYY/P Walt on Seager Hill G/WB-022
G4BLH Mike
G0TRB Roger
M6MMM Mike

Jolly good show!

Many thanks,

Tom M1EYP