Shining Tor, Quick Report

Arrived at the Cat and Fiddle a tad early after cocking up the alert time. Couldn’t have chosen a nicer day to activate this summit for what must be the umpteenth time this year.

The walk up was tiring because as usual, I’d taken a belt and braces approach with equipment and really weighed myself down :frowning:

Anyhow, made my fist two contacts at 0759 UTC on 2m FM while looking for a rig check, then I QSY’d to SSB at 0805z. There were quite a few chasers waiting for me including Bob G6ODU, Don G0RQL and Karen 2E0XYL. A total of 14 contacts were made on SSB, before I QSY’d back to FM at 0825 UTC. Trade was brisk all day and to cut a long story short, I made another 192 contacts on 2m FM, the last one at 1736 UTC, making a grand total of 208 VHF contacts for the day.

Conditions were not the best on VHF, with no really big DX contacts. The contact with the Lincoln Shortwave Club who were repairing an antenna on the roof of Lincoln Cathedral, using just 2 Watts from their handy was quite amusing.

Equipment used…

FT-857 using between 5 and 7 Watts.
X-300 collinear antenna fed with 25 ft of RG213, perched on top of 3 x 5ft alumimium poles.

20Ah SLAB (virtually exhausted at the end of the activation.)

Many thanks to all the chasers and to the people who read the alert and got on their rigs to help get the total to over 200 contacts.

BTW, I’m not sure which was harder, getting the contacts or logging them onto the Database.

73
Mike 2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Many congratulations, Mike! I just don’t know how you do it! I did an activation from G/CE-003 yesterday on 2m and 4m FM and I could only find 7 stations to work.

It seems almost the entire UK population of active amateurs now resides in IO83 square!
:slight_smile:

P.S. Thanx for your message from Blackpool, which I received via Dave/G3JKB.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to 2E0YYY:
Yes Mike, another epic activation from Mickeys Tor.

Well done indeed, and judging by the time you posted your first comment, it was a very long day too. At least you had some sunshine.

Once again Mickey, well done…over 200 contacts in one sitting…and all on vhf…what an achievement.

In reply to 2E0YYY:

WTG Mike! Congratulations! What’s your next target I wonder?

I only managed 56 in 3.5 hours on Foel Fenlli NW-051 from the handhelds and SOTA MFD guyed on my walking pole. However, only 46 were 2m fm! 5 were on 70cms using the MFD, with another 5 on 23cms using just the rubber duck.

Thanks for the S2S.

73
Karen 2E0XYL

In reply to G3NYY:

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Many congratulations, Mike! I just don’t know how you do it! I did
an activation from G/CE-003 yesterday on 2m and 4m FM and I could only
find 7 stations to work.

Thanks, Walt. I was looking on my mobile phone at the spots, because I wanted to try and make contact with the station who was activating G/LD-001.

I noticed your spot posted about an hour earlier and tried to find you. However, you may have already pulled the plug by then. If conditions had been half decent, a S2S with you would have been easy.

I’ll keep an eye on the alerts, and perhaps we can try for a S2S.

BTW, what did you think about VHF conditions yesterday, Walt?

It seems almost the entire UK population of active amateurs now
resides in IO83 square!
:slight_smile:

Well, it certainly seems that way, having said this, there are normally shed loads of /M and /P stations about at weekends in IO83. Mind you, a collinear at 1840Ft ASL is a big help :wink:

P.S. Thanx for your message from Blackpool, which I received via
Dave/G3JKB.

You’re welcome.

73,
Mike 2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0XYL:

In reply to 2E0YYY:

WTG Mike! Congratulations! What’s your next target I wonder?

Well Karen, it won’t be 300 any time soon, too much like hard work :wink:

I only managed 56 in 3.5 hours on Foel Fenlli NW-051 from the
handhelds and SOTA MFD guyed on my walking pole. However, only 46 were
2m fm! 5 were on 70cms using the MFD, with another 5 on 23cms using
just the rubber duck.

Only 56!!! Don’t let Walt hear you say that ;-))

Thanks for the S2S.

My pleasure, Karen.

73
Mike 2E0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

BTW, what did you think about VHF conditions yesterday, Walt?

Flat as a pancake!

Never mind, I went out today to Mid-Wales and worked 57 stations in a total of 90 minutes on 40m and 15m (all CW). Including 4 PY’s and many USA stations on 15m.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to G3NYY:

I heard your big pile up on 40m and called many times but sadly it was not to be so I QSY’d to 30m and worked another page in the log. I ran out of time so no 12m but it was open, A41KJ in Muscat was loud but only seemed interested in W stations.

Andy
MM0FMF

In reply to MM0FMF:

I heard your big pile up on 40m and called many times but sadly it was
not to be so I QSY’d to 30m and worked another page in the log. I ran
out of time so no 12m but it was open, A41KJ in Muscat was loud but
only seemed interested in W stations.

Sorry I missed you, Andy! Better luck next time. I always try to listen for summit-to-summit. BTW, M/HA5CW/P is in the UK at the moment. He called me from non-SOTA “Tom Burt’s Hill” near High Wycombe yesterday. Hopefully he will be doing some SOTA activations later.

Re the DX, yes I heard 9V1YC on 15m CW at RST 599+ but he, too, was calling CQ for W and VE only. :frowning:

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to G3NYY:

I worked Joska yesterday. First time I’ve been called by a station with 2x / in the call. I kept hearing M/ as MX and my brain could make sense of what came next. Poor Joska must have thought he had a proper buffoon on the other end! Got him in the end, eventually.

ODX was LY5G on 30m.

Andy
MM0FMF