Trans-Atlantic S2S reports 20th April 2024

[MW0IDX]

Nice to have good weather for a change, mostly S&P yielded just 21 contacts but 16 of those were S2S. 6 of those were with North America.

Propagation was generally poor especially on 10m. 15m seemed to be the best band, with VA2EO a partially strong signal on 15m.

I was very pleased to get a summit complete with WN3F on W3/CR-003, thanks Roy!

I was using my trusty K2 with 10 watts to a 33’ doublet.
Many thanks for the contacts and S2S!
73
Roger MW0IDX GW/NW-051

S2S’s
M3ZCB/P
M1MAJ/P
G4TGJ/P
M0FMF/P
G4OOE/P
LZ1GJ/P
WN3F
WW4D
M/F5UBH
VA2EO
VA2YZX
K2CZH
MW0PJE/P
KC1SRI
M0KXN/P

[MM0FMF]

Thanks for the S2S, it got me my 10m challenge multiplier

[WN3F]

Thanks Roger for the contacts! You were actually my first caller today which I somehow missed when I called you later on 15m later. Conditions were much better the first time!

It was surprisingly raining when I left the house but the weather cleared for my activation. Even worse, I managed to leave behind my Hardrock 50W amp despite bringing the relatively heavy battery and other accoutrements. This wasn’t discovered until I put up the UL-404 OCF antenna on the treed summit, which always takes longer than I like, and I had no adapter to use the PL-259 from the antenna because as I expected to connect to the amp. I blame post-MG complacency. Fortunately I had a 9:1 transformer with 41’ wire and counterpoise that works pretty well with the KX2 ATU, so I connected that to the radio and cranked it up to full 10W.

Wound up with 16 contacts, 7 S2S including three across the pond. Longest DX was LZ1GJ with a surprisingly good signal and ears on 10m. I love these S2S events and look forward to the next.

73,
Roy WN3F

[N1AIA]

My alert said 1330 but my first QSO was 1513. The hike took longer than I expected, with lots of downed trees on the trail I chose.

On top of W1/CR-002, my 20m dipole worked against me but I finally got it in the air and on the air. QSOs came slowly, so I switched to an EFHW and went to 15m. Much better. Happily found @EI9KY, then @G4OOE found me, so it was officially a successful TransAtlantic S2S event.

Ended with 23 QSOs and 10 S2S. Heard @M0NOM (nice signal) and @EA3GNU but didn’t connect.

Next time I take the easy way up.

[K6ARK]

You had a big signal into Southern California! I was running 10 w on the KX2 with a 15 m portable moxon and a random wire for the other bands. Fortunately, the best action for SoCal to EU seemed to be on 15 m.

Full report post up next…

[K6ARK]

After such great success last November for the fall TA S2S event, I felt a compelling need to get out for this one as well. The G3 geomagnetic storming the day before didn’t bode well for band conditions, but at least the SFI is way up. So, I packed up my bags Thursday night so I could leave straight from work and head to the trailhead of my chosen peak - Palm View Peak, W6/CT-068 at 7,160ft/2,182m in the San Jacinto Mountains.

I have done Winter Field Day (youtube video) there, and worked other good DX with a crazy antenna from the summit which, depending on setup location, has good terrain for propagation East or West. Although it’s pretty remote, it overlooks Palm Springs almost 7,000 ft below, and RFI from the city still makes it up the hill (noticeable with a directional antenna).

I arrived at the trailhead around 4pm local time on Friday, loading up my 32 lb overnight pack and hiking up in nice, 70 F / 21 C temps. It’s about 4 miles / 6.5 km and 2,000 ft / 650 m of gain to the summit. It took a little under 2 hours to make the trek, so I had about 1.5 hours of daylight to set up antennas.

I rigged up the 25 ft mast and 15 m moxon with 12V DC rotator, and the 41 ft random wire, set up my bedding, and checked for spots on SOTA Watch.

My rig was the KX2 this time, running off of a Bienno LiFePO4 for a full 10 w output.

Pointing the Moxon West, I found BX8AAD on BV/PI-036 in Taiwan and heard him just above the noise. With some effort, we completed the contact - my first with Taiwan.

I rounded up a bunch of regular US chasers and friends on 20 and 40 m, and also nabbed JE1LHW/1 S2S on JA/KN-017 before shutting down around 8:45 pm local time and going to sleep.

I set the alarm for 5:30 am local time hoping the bands would warm up early and give some decent propagation to Europe. That was unfortunately not the case.

I’m not sure I’ve called CQ that much on a summit in quite a while without a lot of responses. But, I still managed to get plenty in the log.

I managed the following tally:
83 QSOs
22 total DX
15 EU stations
3 EU S2S

• M0NOM/P G/LD-050 Solid signal, legit 599
• EI3KA/P EI/IW-082
• EI9KY/P EI/IE-020

I’m pretty happy with that result considering the challenging band conditions. I felt like every time I tuned over to a US station’s spot that I should have been able to hear, they just weren’t there. But, I think this is proof that even when the ionospheric conditions are sub-optimal, it’s worth going out and putting in an effort. Sometimes the propagation gods will give you just enough.

Adam
K6ARK

[IU1KGS]

@K6ARK

My rig was the KX2 this time, running off of a Bienno LiFePO4 for a full 10 w output.

Adam I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard you, it wasn’t a S2S, but a KX2 to KX2. I started recording a video of you calling but when the signal picked up I decided it was time to attempt a QSO.

K6ARK activating #SOTA summit W6/CT-068 on 15m

[MW0IDX]

Thanks for the contacts Roy, you were stronger the second time with me! Yeah, these S2S are great fun!
73
Roger

[MW0WML]

@MW0PJE

A beluga made an appearanc

Off topic… went to see XL6 on Tuesday night. It’s the final one in the planned build run.

Take off, approx 19:15 local, runway 04 Broughton.

[MM0FMF]

For those of us of a certain age who had to rush home from school on a Friday afternoon for Thunderbirds, those Beluga planes could have featured.

[MW0PJE]

@MW0WML

Off topic… went to see XL6 on Tuesday night. It’s the final one in the planned build run.

I remember nipping out of work to see the first one landing at Broughton.

[MW0PJE]

@MM0FMF

For those of us of a certain age who had to rush home from school on a Friday afternoon for Thunderbirds, those Beluga planes could have featured.

I saw it on the re-run in the 90s

[G5OLD]

A big thanks to everyone I worked, had a great day - Fantastic location, a walk in via one the finest beaches in the UK and the most summit to summits I’ve ever had in a day. And I only I went hunting for two (Ben on GM/SI-098 and GM/SI-212), but I did stumble Andy on G/NP-027 while looking for a band!

Approach via sandwood Bay

I brought mono and verticals for 10m and 20m but didn’t have much success with 10m when I deployed it on GM/NS-115, only working stations to the south like Isreal and Brazil. 20m didn’t sound good on the end fed outside Europe.

Having not had transatlantic luck I went back to the end fed and tried a few different bands and quickly worked out thats 15m was the money band, hearing US stations. I was lucky to get transatlantic S2S’s with @KZ4DZ Joe on W4C/CM-005 and @K2CZH David on W3/PO-023. Just using a simple end fed with 10w.

Summit of Beinn Dearg GM/NS-154

Later in the day i worked @K2CPT Scott on W2/GA-139, my final summit to summit of the day while on GM/NS-121, a fine finish to the day on this remote peninsula of the UK.

Looking towards Creag Riabhach GM/NS-115 with An Grianan GM/NS-121 to the right

Not really a day with picking a summit for DX, but a good mountain day with some transatlantic DX !

Time	Callsign	Summit	Summit	My Summit	My Summit	Freq	mode
10:06	MW0JKS/P	GW/SW-003	Fan Brycheiniog	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:13	M0KXN/P	G/CE-002	Walton Hill	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:24	GW4TQE/P	GW/NW-060	Mynydd-y-briw	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:34	GM4OIG/P	GM/CS-107	Drumcroy Hill	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:36	G400E/P	G/TW-004	Bishop Wilton Wold	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:43	MM7RVC/P	GM/ES-059	Kerloch	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:44	M0JIA/P	G/SB-001	The Cheviot	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:45	GW6OVD/P	GW/MW-001	Plynlimon-Pen Pumlumon Fawr	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
10:45	2W0IWM	GW/MW-001	Plynlimon-Pen Pumlumon Fawr	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
11:12	GW4VPX/P	G/SP-014	Longridge Fell - Spire Hill	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
11:20	G4YTD/P	G/LD-026	Tarn Crag (Sleddale)	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
11:51	GW4ZHI/P	GW/MW-011	Foel Cwmcerwyn	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
11:59	GM4BML/P	GM/SI-098	Conachair	GM/NS-154	Beinn Dearg	7MHz	SSB
13:09	M0FMF/P	G/NP-027	Dufton Pike	GM/NS-115	Creag Riabhach	7MHz	SSB
13:11	M3ZCB/P	G/SP-008	Boulsworth Hill - Lad Law	GM/NS-115	Creag Riabhach	7MHz	SSB
13:11	M1MAJ/P	G/SP-008	Boulsworth Hill - Lad Law	GM/NS-115	Creag Riabhach	7MHz	SSB
13:21	G400E/P	G/TW-004	Bishop Wilton Wold	GM/NS-115	Creag Riabhach	7MHz	SSB
14:03	KZ4DZ	W4C/CM-005	Black Balsam Knob	GM/NS-115	Creag Riabhach	21MHz	SSB
14:03	K2CZH	W3/PO-023	Broad Mtn	GM/NS-115	Creag Riabhach	21MHz	SSB
15:43	GM4BML/P	GM/SI-212	Bioda Mor	GM/NS-121	An Grianan	7MHz	SSB
15:46	G500E/P	G/TW-004	Bishop Wilton Wold	GM/NS-121	An Grianan	7MHz	SSB
15:46	GM4OIG/P	GM/CS-107	Drumcroy Hill	GM/NS-121	An Grianan	7MHz	SSB
15:46	K2CPT	W2/GA-139	Potash Mountain	GM/NS-121	An Grianan	21MHz	SSB

[M3ZCB]

Well that was fun. Martyn M1MAJ and I had a great time on Boulsworth Hill yesterday. The highlight was our first ever transatlantic S2S and Martyn managed a second before the qsb faded him out. I had 75 qsos which I think is only second best to my 2012 MG activation, with 22 S2S (21 different call signs). Martyn had 42 qsos with 23 S2S. Between us we qualified the hill on 70cms, 2m, 15m, 20m and 40m but Martyn could only get 3 on 60m.

Possibly more details and photos when on a proper computer rather than phone.

[MW0PJE]

Great to get you both on multiple bands yesterday!

[GM4JXP]

A good day weather-wise up on Mount Blair, GM/ES-035, one of the first windless days we’ve had this month, but the bands were pretty disappointing. 40m was all non-EU, with 2 S2S: MW0JKS/P and Andy M0FMF/P. Just 3 ssb S2S across the pond - WW4D on 15m, KC1SRI and K2CPT on 10m and only 2 US chasers, W1WRA and N4VEP both on 15m. Strange that I got OK reports from the summits but an almost complete lack of US chasers. My first QSO on 10m was a S2S with Gerald GM4OIG/P, 57 both ways - the only other chase I got on 10m was EA8AMT. Manuel, EA2DT, was itl twice, on 20 and 17 - on 20 he gave me a 33, probably the worst I’ve ever had from him. Of the 7 other chasers on 20m, EA2WX/P was a S2S.
After the S2S with K2CPT I called fruitlessly on 10m for another 20 minutes and then packed up.
Equipment: KX3, Sotabeams linked dipole for 40/20, moxons for 17/15/10.
Activation location

Looking North

[EA4IS]

Hello.
For us it was a great transatlantic day. We only worked some local stations on VHF and everything else was on 10m SSB. We decided to use a 3 element Yagi from our summit. The strength of the signals on our receiver was surprising. All signs were around 7-9. We got 5 S2S, four of them with USA stations and almost everything else with stations from the American continent and surprisingly some European stations through Backscatter that were not received in focus. A very fun day.
73 to all

EA4IZ-EA4IS

[K6ARK]

Awesome! I love having the opportunity to see what things sound like at the other end. Thanks for sharing. The more I experiment with different and bigger antennas, the more I realize how even relatively small changes can make a real difference in being able to make a contact or not.

Thanks for sharing the clip.

Adam
K6ARK

[DK3RN]

Due to wx forecast I hesitated going. I thought about which nearby summit would have something like a cabin to provide some shelter from the rain. In the end I decided short term for a summit in the Black Forest dm/bw-851. I was very lucky wx was much better than expected and precipitation came down as light snow instead of nasty rain.

I only managed to make one dx s2s on 15m with joe kc1sri, but a lot local eu S2S. I left earlier than planned…. But tbh it was much colder than expected .

It was really nice. Only sometimes the wind blew some snow into it.

[EI9KY]

This was just an hour activation for me, starting at 16:00 UTC. A lot of unanswered calling compared to my usual earlier in the day activations. 15m was the money band for the USA. Across the bands, I had a total of 24 QSO’s with 7 to the USA and 3 x S2S with @N1AIA, @VA2EO and @K6ARK and a bonus to @PY1NP on 10m.

I had a clear sunny activation, with a cool breeze. Still need a jacket and hat.

The view to the NE, showing on the LHS Mt Leinster (EI/IE-004) and on the RHS Blackstairs Mountain (EI/IE-006)