Thanks everybody

Dear SOTA community I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the great activators I have had the pleasure to work since I started chasing summits in 2012. As a chaser I really appreciate the fact that activators go out in all weathers. I have also had the pleasure to work some great chasers while “keeping frequencies warm” for activators for S2S contacts etc.

As some of you may or may not know I am a registered blind (legally blind in the USA). I was made redundant from my job as a Welder/Fabricator in October 2010 due to my sight loss and I have being looking for paid employment ever since. During this time after working Chris M0RSF (previously 2E0FSR) and Mike 2E0YYY from various Northern and Southern Pennines summits Chris suggested that I should sign up on the SOTA website as I’d collected a few points. I finally did what he suggested in January 2012.

Since I started chasing summit stations it has given me something to occupy my time by giving me something enjoyable to do and keep me relatively sane. In February 2012 I managed to get a paid 3 day a week 6 month contract with Action for Blind People, part of the RNIB. After the 6 months was up I stayed on as a volunteer mainly working Tuesdays and Thursdays in various different roles until now. All the time I was continually looking for and applying for jobs but with no luck.

Back in December I was lucky enough to get an interview with a company I’d previously had an interview with several months before. I had a really good feeling about the place the first time I went there and thought I may have got the job but as usual I didn’t. However after my second visit I finally got a job offer just over four years, hundreds of application forms and interviews since being made redundant in 2010. I couldn’t believe it when they phoned me to let me know, I was shocked and very pleased to be offered a 12 month contract.

I’m really looking forward to starting the job on Monday January 26th but I will really miss SOTA chasing during the week, however I will still be around on weekends and one day during the week if I have the time so you don’t get rid of me that easily.

I would also really love to do SOTA activation myself at some point but it’s pretty impossible for me to do this on my own due to my sight condition.

I hope every activation is safe and successful in 2015 and beyond.

73 de Mick M0MDA

3 Likes

Congratulations there young man on the job thats good to hear.

Karl

Many congratulations Mick. I shall miss the reliable mid-week chase on HF.
Hope to catch you at weekends or on the day off.

73,
Rod, M0JLA/P

Hello Mick,
Extremely pleased for you - a bit of a struggle but you got there in the end :sunglasses:
Thanks also for the help you have given me in the past.
Good luck with the new job and make sure those shoes are nicely polished!
Best wishes and all the best.
Mike

Hi Mick,

Well done on the job front. So hard to come by these days - I know, my place of work is in the process of being bought over and I don’t think I have a job end of February.

Good to hear you on the bands either chasing myself or hearing you chase someone else. Hope I have gave you a few unique summits over the last few years and hopefully more in the future.

Get a dipole slung from your workplace roof and hide a mini shack in a discrete corner somewhere - call it “team building” or something. Not that I’m encouraging you to skive or anything you understand. :wink:

All the best and hope all goes well.

73 Neil

1 Like

Hi Mick, well done on securing the job. I haven’t been doing as much chasing recently, however any time I listen on SSB your distinctive voice is usually there.

Best of luck with the job.

73 Victor GI4ONL

Hi Mick

Congratulations and Good Luck with your new job.

I’ll miss you during my weekday activations but no doubt our paths will cross during the weekends. I hope to hear you tomorrow - 6 pointer up for grabs :smile:

73 Allan GW4VPX

1 Like

Good luck, Mick. I’ll certainly miss your midweek calls. Hope all works out for you!

73 Mike
2E0YYY

Thanks for the good wishes Karl, Rod, Mike, Neil, Victor, Allan and Mike. I’ll miss the quitter weekday activations.

I’ll also miss you tomorrow Allan on your 6 pointer :frowning:

I don’t thonk I’ll get away with a station at work Neil as I’m in the centre of Leeds in an office block. I used to have a 2m/70cms and a 10m multimode in a draw in my tool box when I was a welder. I got away with it for quite a while, I was only found out when I took the antennas down once I left.

73 Mick

1 Like

Hi Mick,

Congratulations on getting the job. Always a pleasure to work you from the hills and I have not forgot that you want to do an activation. There are several steady summits that are not too far away so I’m sure we can sort something.

73 Chris M0RSF

Fantastic news Mick !

Pleased for you. If you ever want to activate something in the Lakes or NP then let us know. I am sure you will find many of us wanting to return the favour here. You are an excellent Chaser.

Best of luck on the first day.

Jonathan

Hi Mick

Many congratulations on the new employment :smile:

I’ll miss your familiar voice that I must have heard on just about every activation I’ve done in the last few years but hopefully we’ll meet up again at weekends and on your days off!

All the best in the new job, and take care

73 de Paul G4MD

Hi Mick

If you fancy a joint activation let me know and I am sure that we could come up with a plan!

73
Nick G4OOE

Hi Mick,
glad you’ve got an offer that suits you. Congratulations! I hope that if you work as good as you chase your contract will last much more and your future will be safer.

If you have the chance to pay a visit in EA2 I’ll be pleased to guide you to some of our summits.

The good part of missing you in the week days is that I activate on weekends (most part of the year) so I’m not going to miss you on my end!! Believe me your voice has got a great punch on it!

All the best in your new job and hear you soon, Take care 73
Ignacio

Congrats, Mick, for the longly chased new job.
I hope you’ll still be able to chase me and all of us on the weekends.
Have a great working week.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF

Congratulations Mick on the new job, I hope it all works out as you expect. I know only too well how annoying it can be working and seeing all those juicy SOTA spots that you can’t chase, but I guess you will get use to it. You will become a weekend Chaser like me :smile:

73 Andrew G4AFI

Good luck starting your new job today Mick.
73
David EI7GEB

Mick,

Good luck with the new job. I’m pleased for you. You are an excellent chaser. Without chasers SOTA activators would not have any work.
I hope hear you soon.

Best wishes and all the best.

73/88 de Eva HB9FPM

Well done Mick, all the best with the new job! The 9-5 grind might be a bit of a shock to the system but you’ll get back into it and it will be like you never stopped :smile:

My log shows we’ve had QSO’s on 15 of my activations & I’m sure there will be more to come (at weekends)!

Cheers,
James M0JCQ

Hi Mick

Best wishes for the new job, hope all goes well for you.

Since our first SOTA contact in April 2012 you have featured in around 37% of my 177 activations from that date.

When I have activated on bands I know you could possibly receive me on you have been missed when we have not made contact.

Carolyn