As stated in a previous post, I will be on SP-013, for my first SOTA outing, on the 26th.
I have tried to enter it on the Sotawatch page, but it seems that I need to have a different login for that, (but no reason given), I tried to register a different one, several times, but no luck!
John G8HWI
From my POV, things just got even better! Iāve just remembered that the climbing club that I am a member of has a meet that weekend at the Bob Downes hut near Froggatt Edge, so I will have a selection of SP summits in reach.
Brian
PS Due to the peculiar topography of the Peak District all the SOTA summits are on the west flank, distant from the Froggatt area (despite the great amount of high ground there) so I will probably only do one summit, there being one or two other things to do (like sampling Bakewell Pud!)
Hopefully youāre trying to register at Sotadata3
The SOTAwatch database is not this forum!
Two different and separate entitiesā¦
72
Pete
Thanks Pete,
Yes, I have attempted to register at the other webpage, but I get a mixture of it simply wonāt allow my registration, or there is already somebody registered with my callsign.
I wonder if I might have registered several years ago, and forgot about it?
John
Iām at the G-QRP Convention on Saturday 25th but should be good to activate something on VHF Sunday 26th. No vintage gear though unfortunately.
73 Chris M0RSF
Why not send an email to Andy, he can look and see if you are already registered and if so can reset your password and let you know what it is so that you can then get in and change it to something to suit yourself.
Brian
I sent Jon Earnshaw an Email, explaining my problem, and he did the necessary to let me re-register.
Done that, logged in, added my entry, and logged out.
Thanks Jon, and to everyone that offered help and advice, I shall be ready on the day, āHandbags at 25 pacesā!
John
I just really hope this weekend is going to be dry, as I fear most of us with older and rather prized gear do not want to get it ruined consequently.
Out of interest how many people will chase an AM activation here ? OR are planning a HF AM activation ? for a possible S2S. Myself and my dad are seriously thinking of taking our WS19 up Hope mountain for the event. Trying to get organised for it with the power source and antenna first, its a fairly big task. Hopefully some of the VMARS members will work us as well.
Jonathan
For another few pounds weight I can add my 817, it does low-level AM, Iāve had a few AM contacts with it. Good luck with the WS19 - Iām glad youāre not considering an R1155/T1154 combination, though!
Brian
Or I could break with tradition and use this.
It still appears to work.
Careful Pete, you might need voice training first! 
Stick to the FT7, then I can use this baby to work you - 1983 vintage, replacement for an FT7. It has been doing some good work chasing recently. Unfortunately Iām unlikely to get further than the shack on the activity weekend, otherwise Iād be giving it an airingā¦ in more ways than one.
ā¦
I dug out my FT290R1 last night & like my FT7 it will need a bit of TLC before Iād be comfortable using it on air. Also as it doesnāt have a built in keyer I dug out a straight key just in case there was any call for 2m CW.
Well, after only using a twin paddle for so long I found a straight key a real challenge. I used to have a nice rhythm in my wrist & enjoyed sending, although I was not very good at reading Morse. Now, I can barely get up to 15 WPM, my shoulder was aching after about 5 minutes & my sending was terribly clunky! At least I can receive Morse at a decent speed now, but if I am going to send with the FT290 I definitely need a lot of practice.
I have new found respect for those like Gerald G4OIG, & Dave G4ASA who send consistently good Morse using a straight key 
In any case I hope to be on one of my local summit with an FT817 & Sotabeams SB5, so I will be listening for, if not actually using a āhandbagā.
HF SSB may be a little tricky due to the CQ WW contest but if conditions on the high bands are good there should be space at least on 40m. I would also be happy to try some low level AM & of course HF CW.
I havenāt been up my favourite summit for quite while but if the weather is poor it can be a bit bleak on G/SP-007 Fair Snape Fell so I will leave it until nearer the day before posting an alert. Saturday looks most likely for me.
I hope to work a few of you over the weekend.
Thanks & 73,
Mark G0VOF
This event sounds like good fun.
Last month I tried out a vintage activation using my old Heathkit HW-8, it worked a treat.
Weather permitting, I plan to be around for this one.
73
Rob G0PEB
I have respect for those that can send morse just at the twitch of their fingers! Horses for courses - my brain just doesnāt work as well sideways and I donāt think it ever will. I do have a semi-auto āside swiperā, but squeeze keying is beyond me. The speed of sending is unimportant - I am regularly logged by the system running between 18 and 20 WPM, so you are no slouch at 15 WPM Mark.
73, Gerald G4OIG
The VEHFE (guess what it stands for!) is gaining traction around the world. The Alexanderson RF Alternator will be QRV on 17.2kHz the day before our fun event 
Iām off to make an FT290 power cable adapter and to see how well it works on 3S LiPo voltages. Remember, FT290 coaxial power connectors are wired in reverse to the normal coaxial standard. And Iāll need a PL259 to BNC/SMA adapter and maybe a SLAB if LiPo is no go. Which fool thought up this event! 
According to the Handbook it will run on 8.5 to 15.2 VDC and runs at 60 mA on receive and 800 mA on transmit (FM)
Brian
Theory and practice Brian, theory and practice.
It may well run on 8.5V but will it produce any power? The 290 did 2.5W on 13.8V and quite a bit less when running on internal cells.
Iāve just realised I have a Tokyo HyPower HX240 2m->HF transverter. I can now do VHF and HF for the VEHFE without taking the 817.
I wouldnāt know, I only ever ran my old one on NiCds or an external PSU when at home and driving a linear, and there was very little power drop on the NiCds over the external PSU. Dry cells were too expensive to use regularly but I imagine there would be more power drop with them due to their higher internal resistance.
Brian
I doubt if youāll have a problem with your 290, mine has been ok on the activations I have done. Even my old MM amp copes with the voltage from 3 cell Li-Pos.
Unfortunately it looks like Iām not going to be near any hills next week 
Carolyn
Any more takers?