SOTA F/PO-142 - Signal de Bassia

Hello SOTA friends

The video of the SOTA F/PO-142 - Signal de Bassia is online

Best 73

Andre – f5ukl

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Good morning morning Andre.

What an enjoyable video to view first thing in the day, when there is nothing to work on bands. I enjoyed seeing how the weather changed throughout your activation. . It is cold, windy (gusts now up to 45 mph) and wet at my QTH this morning. The weatherman says we will have snow coming in off the north sea. None yet - only cold rain.

It was great watching the perfectly timed callsigns scrolling up the screen and listening to all the callsigns coming in - it was like a SOTA CW “Who’s Who” - it was also very interesting to note the differing speeds and styles of sending.

I think the halo reflection with the rainbow effect of your image in the mist is was what is called Broken Spectre. I never had that myself but I think John G4YSS has experienced this in the G/LD area once.

Well done on your 81 FB CW QSOs OM from PO-142!

73 de Phil G4OBK

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Hello Phil
I’m really sorry if I was late to answer but I’m busy with the sota’s video.
Thanks a lot for your comments and always glad to hear your strong signal and, sometimes, voice.
The halo was on the summit more than one hour and all the hikers take a photo with it. I was at the right place at the right moment.
Best 73 and long live to the sota.
Andre f5ukl

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Hi Phil and also greetings to Andre,

Roy G4SSH told me about this so I thought I would root out some photos. Andre was lucky that it hung around for an hour as it can be quite fleeting. Andre’s photo is about the best I’ve seen. For the record here are mine:

On SOTA expeditions I have seen Brocken Spectre four times and photographed it three times. I remember seeing it before SOTA but didn’t know it had a name.

Above: SOTA GM/SS-105, MEALL REAMHAR on 28-12-05. I was crouching for the photo so only my head and the summit cairn are projected.

Above: SOTA G/LD-020, DALE HEAD on 01-02-06. It was already fading as I climbed out of cloud onto a sunny summit. A very quick photo shows what remained.

Above: SOTA GM/WS-003, CARN MOR DEARG on 23-09-08. This shows the spectre with Fort William in the background.

Above: SOTA GM/WS-003, CARN MOR DEARG on 23-09-08. Same photo but wider angle shot. Ben Nevis (my next sota) is shown to left with Fort William in the background.

Wish I had taken a photo the first time I saw it on a SOTA. Congratulations to Andre for his photo and wonderful video report. Hope we work again soon Andre,
73, John.
G4YSS (G-0OOO/P)

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Hello John
Thanks a lot for your message, comments and really nice photos.
I can see that that this phenomenon is not rare but it is impressive.
It is necessary to be at the right place at the right time.
Best 73 and i hope that we’ll meet again.
Andre - f5ukl

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Hello Andre,
Thanks for the video, things are so different over there. The mountain views are most impressive.
The audio recording was interesting and could recognise some of the chasers I have had the pleasure of working.
There is a great variety of callsigns on a EU activation which are not to often heard in this part of the world.
At times I find some of the DX calls a bit hard to work out what they are.
I was most disappointed I had to close down on my last activation in the middle of a LP opening due to the freezing winds.
Good luck for your next activation and hope to hear from you sometime.

Cheers, Nick

Hello Nick
I’m really sorry about the late answer but I was on sota and there are no network in the mountains.
Thanks a lot for your message and comments.
Of course, mountains are differents in Australia and France but also in Alpes mountains and Pyrenean mountains. Here I can activate 500 kms of mountains, in France and in Spain. I’m a lucky man:-)
The propagation is poor at that time and the daylight is shorter in the north emisphere then not so much chance to cath a VK signal because the activity starts late in the day.
Best 73 and I hope that we’ll meet on the air.
Andre - f5ukl

PS: My mother lived 20 years in Bicton, the suburb of Perth (WA)

Remarkable effect of the shadow in the cloud, quite clear. Stunning photos!

Andrew
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