Nobody seems to have mentioned any Tuesday evening SOTA activity this week. The weather forecast seems dry but chilly, so I thought I might take a stroll up onto SE-002. If I read the RSGB website correctly, it is the turn of 6 metres for the weekly VHF contest tonight.
So, I shall aim to be on Leith Hill (G/SE-002) around 1900 UTC with my 5 watts and whip antenna to see what I can work. I will also give 2 metres and/or 70cm a shot, but no HF this time.
73 de Les, G3VQO
In reply to G3VQO:
Just stuck a note on my briefcase Les. Will look out for you on both 6m and 2m bands SSB, with CW as back up if signals are present but marginal. Might be worth holding the rig / whip horizontal for SSB.
73, Gerald
In reply to G3VQO:
Heard you work G3MEH on 6m Les, then you disappeared. There was a lot of deep QSB on the band. Nothing copied from you on 2m. I also listened for Tom on 2m CW, but couldn’t copy anything from him. Seems I will have to go portable myself to pick up some chaser points on these activity evenings, but tonight I had tasks to do at home. Hope you didn’t get too cold.
73, Gerald
In reply to G4OIG:
Well, I’m amazed you heard me Gerald! The band was wide open, and there was a big pile-up just before the “off” calling TF/G4??? who was a big signal. I worked G3MEH reasonably easily, but he always manages to hear the weaker stations well. Then I called G0KZT who was just about line-of-sight and 59+++. He didn’t even hear me for ages whilst I fiddled with the whip - horizontal, vertical, diagonal, on-the-ground, etc. Eventually he struggled to copy me, but we did QSO. I came to the conclusion that my whip antenna, whilst pretty good on receive, is basically a dummy load on transmit!
I gave a few calls on 144.300 using the rubber duck antenna, but got no response. I still find it amazing, with the whole of the metropolis laid out at my feet, that nobody appears to want a QSO on 2m. Well, it reminded me, once again, why I am an HF operator!
Thanks for taking the time to listen, and sorry we didn’t make a QSO. With that antenna I’d probably have to be on your doorstep! Still, it wasn’t as cold as I expected - no breeze and 13C.
73 de Les, G3VQO
I had quite a good night. Only one S2S - Mike GW0DSP/P on Hope Mountain GW/NW-062; I managed to miss Les, Terry, Barry and anyone else that was out, but I got about the bands and modes for a change. I optimistically alerted for six band/mode combinations. I actually managed four of these plus one other. I worked on 2m FM, 2m SSB, 2m CW, 70cm FM and 6m SSB. I think I will try to concentrate on either 2m/6m SSB/CW in future, as my operating time window is relatively limited - limited to between dropping off Jimmy, and picking him up again from the Macclesfield ATC Squadron.
I have carefully timed the driving, walking and set-up/packing-up and now know that if I am totally organised, I can be QRV from 1850 to 1950 on Tuesdays. Maybe we could even have a featured band/mode of the week?! I just wish I’d made more of 6m tonight.
Hello to everyone and a big thanks to all stations who turned out at such short notice.
Yet another successful evening.
Thanks to all stations for the s2s contacts
I managed 36 contacts including 3 s2s contacts with Tom M1EYP/P on SP-015 on 2-fm and 2-cw, Terry G0VWP/P on TW-004 on 60m-ssb and Barry MW3PXW/P on NW-044 0n 20m-ssb. Les G3VQO/P I did have a good scan around for you but couldn’t find you unfortunately.
Thanks must also go out to the chasers for their continued support in both chasing and spotting us.
One thing that was interesting in tonights activations was the wide range of options made available by the activators, ie 2m, 6m, 20m, 40m and 60m, also a variety of modes, fm, ssb and cw, so there was something there for everyone in the UK and overseas.
Let’s hope for some good weather for the next one so we can lever a few more of you out of your armchairs and get you on your local summit, hi.
I like Tom M1EYPs idea of having a featured band, provided we stick to the first part of the activation on 2-fm/ssb, then all qsy to a featured band.
Thanks again to all concerned
vy 73 Mike GW0DSP
In reply to GW0DSP:
Well I thought the Tuesday activity night went well I had 32 contacts 17 on 60m 14 on 40m and only 1 on 2m ssb and he was in Rawdon near Leeds.
On 60m had some new and also the regulars but 60m worked well for me had the static but did ease off, 40m was good had the lads on from Ireland they was some new ones from there as well
Only had one s2s that was with Mike GW0DPS on NW-062 60m was hoping for more but you can’t win them all.
And like you say Mike there was plenty to go at tonight with most of the bands covered on ssb and other modes.
And thanks to the chasers for their support and for the spotting.
I like the idea of having a featured band sounds good to me Mike as long as we stick with the 2m-fm/ssb 1st.
Sorry I missed Barry,Les and Tom better luck next time.
The thing was the weather was good to us as well I know when packing up how clear the sky was but it did come in cool when the sun went down, just hope for the weather to be good next time round.
Sounds like a good night had by all.
73 Terry G0VWP
In reply to G0VWP:
Nice to work you for first time Terry. TW-004 is difficult from here on 2m.
For info you were 59+20 on both 60 and 40 m (even heard 2E0HJD 59 on 40).
Not a sound from other activators though 
Roger G4OWG (Rawdon)
In reply to G3VQO:
Les, if it’s a quarter wave whip on six it will not work well because of an inadequate ground plane - the rig and you! Try putting 1.5 metres of wire on the earth and the antenna should buck up a treat! Better still, make an end fed loaded half wave.
Pity the posting was so poor last night, I got Terry and Mike on 5 megs but little on six.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G4OWG:
Nice to have worked you for the 1st time Roger.
I get up there often as it’s only 16miles NE of York, will let you know next time I’m going, well it will be on the Alerts.
Thanks for the reports as well yes Mick 2E0HJD was 59+20 on 40m with me.
Roger I monitor GB3YW repeater all day so give me a call.
73 Terry G0VWP
In reply to GW0DSP:
Hi to all
I had a good evening last night on the three bands that I did being 2m 20m and 6m.
I worked 22 contacts in contacts including one S2S with Mike GW0DSP/P on 60m ssb.
Sorry I missed you Tom Les and Terry. Hope to get you next time.
Thanks must go out to the chasers for their continued support in both chasing and spotting.
This time I used my bike to get to the summit. About 1 hour to get there and getting down JUST UNDER 9 mins to get back to the car.
73 Barry M3PXW
In reply to G8ADD:
In reply to G3VQO:
Pity the posting was so poor last night, I got Terry and Mike on 5
megs but little on six.73
Brian G8ADD
Hi Brian, I really don’t understand your comment above re: the poor posting, maybe you would like to elaborate? I for one am baffled!!
73 Mike GW0DSP
In reply to G8ADD:
Les, if it’s a quarter wave whip on six it will not work well because
of an inadequate ground plane - the rig and you! Try putting 1.5
metres of wire on the earth and the antenna should buck up a treat!
Better still, make an end fed loaded half wave.
Thanks Brian. These microwave frequencies are a bit of a closed book to me!
However, I’m getting to believe that 6m is not an ideal band for SOTA. When the band is open, everybody wants DX. When the band is closed, nobody is listening. The only exception appears to be during contests, and they make SOTA operations difficult too! Maybe, in years to come when the ionosphere wishes to cooperate, it WILL be the band of choice for working SOTA stations in that mythical W2 Association.
73 de Les, G3VQO
Barry M3PXW seemed to do well on six metres last night; he had nine contacts. Interestingly he was using his HF dipole and an ATU, he was running 10w from the FT-857. There seemed to be plenty of activity locally on ssb portion the band, but I only heard one contest station. The point is that six is an under-utilised band and its usefulness for SOTA can only increase if it is known that there is activity. We must bear in mind that there are less chasers with six metre capability and antennas tend to be poor. There are not many with big beams like on two.
Steve GW7AAV
In reply to GW7AAV:
one was in Northants and one in gd land both good sigs.
The dipole was cut 7.065.0 Mhz the ATU is the LDG Z-11 Pro nice little unit…
Radio was ft-857d
Slab was 17ah light weight
Barry M3PXW
In reply to M3PXW:
Much better to make a linked dipole, resonant for the frequencies you operate on.
No need to carry the extra weight of the atu, or waste battery capacity powering an auto tuner, or incurring losses in the atu and also no possibility of damaging a fragile atu on a summit.
73 Mike GW0DSP
In reply to GW0DSP:
On the other hand a relatively short doublet and a small manual ATU might allow HF operation from restricted spaces such as Tryfan, or busy summits such as Snowdon! Even this may be unsuited to the more difficult Scottish summits such as SS020, The Cobbler!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
If you make use of the “within 25m of the summit” rule, I cant see any problems deploying an H.F. dipole on any of the summits you mention Brian. Although GM/SI-002 would be a different proposition - wonder wholl be 1st to activate that one.
Does anyone know how far below the pinnacle the base is on this one? It looks a close call for the 25m rule.
In reply to G8ADD:
In reply to GW0DSP:
On the other hand a relatively short doublet and a small manual ATU
might allow HF operation from restricted spaces such as Tryfan, or
busy summits such as Snowdon! Even this may be unsuited to the more
difficult Scottish summits such as SS020, The Cobbler!73
Brian G8ADD
Having never deployed such an antenna on activations myself, I can only compare the linked, resonant dipole versus the doublet/atu set up from my own personal chasing experiences.
I always receive rock solid signals from the activators who use linked dipoles, the first ones who spring to mind are G1INK, GW4BVE, 2E0HJD, just to name a few, there are many more.
With the common use of the infamous FT-817, with it’s 5 watts, I would have thought that everone would automatically decide against using an atu of any description, primarily because of the fact that you want to put as much of the said 5 watts out of the antenna. This wouldn’t be the case when using any antenna requiring an atu, losses are inevitable.
Also, why include the added weight of an atu and patch lead/s when climbing a mountain?
Just my own thoughts, maybe I am wrong.
By the way, I am still waiting for a reply from my earlier question to you Brian…
Can you please explain your earlier comment on this thread, you have me baffled.
QUOTE: “Pity about the poor posting last night”.
73 Mike GW0DSP