Dave, It will be FM only for me this time, in the spirit of the event, and after 2 hours of operating I won’t have any time for other modes or HF. I will be unbolting the yaesu ftm-10 from the Land Rover and using that. It’s a robust and waterproof little radio that probably no one has ever heard of!
I remember our summit to summit well. I was just using the handheld and nagoya whip. I’m not sure which one of us was most surprised!
Dinky little unit - with a fantastic display - advertised for motorcycles at the time I believe. Had planned to try it out in wet weather leaving the main unit in the backpack and use either the head unit or the BT mic.
But that idea came to me mid-summer in soaring temperatures; never got round to it yet…
Look forward to find out how you get on with it on a summit and whether it is a practical option.
73, Robert
I have a waterproof mic for mine, however the head unit can also be used as a mic. If I have time to rake out all the accessories that come with this radio, I may try that.
I see you have the bluetooth headset. I’d be interesed in seeing how you get on with that. I once tried bluetooth, however the wind kept triggering the VOX. However, that was a smaller yaesu headset without that boom mic.
The BT headset worked OK, but never used it in windy conditions. On that warm summer’s evening, I envisaged using the unit in foul weather, hunkered down, main unit packed away in the backpack, antenna up a sturdy pole and using the waterproof head-unit as mic.
There was a big advertising campaign when it was released, lots of back covers of ham magazines etc. It was the first ham radio with BT built in. ISTR there was a shortage of accessories when they first came out and I don’t think it came with a fist mike as standard, you were expected to use a BT headset.
It’s a sort-of replacement for the FT90. That too was a dinky wee thing but not waterproof. FT90 Mk1 did have a tendency to consume themselves if they got too warm.
REPORT
Well, all I can say is I am so very glad I didn’t head up Ben Macdui GM/ES-001. With low cloud and a bit of sleet in the morning, things were not looking too promising. Mount Battock proved enough of a challenge. Read on…
I used the same route to ascend Mount Battock GM/ES-032 as last time*, setting off by bike at 1045 local time. I ditched the bike when the going became too rough and walked the last km to the summit, finding it covered in spring snow. Around 1 hour 35 mins.
The good news is there is a fence as well as random wooden posts and two summit shelters. I was standing facing the fence, pondering life, antenna set up, the weather and what I was doing here (!), a mountain hare appeared in front of me, it’s fur a similar tone to my own hair - I think they call it salt and pepper. I was still and it didn’t seem bothered by my presence. It wandered alongside me, just 3 m away, found a well used way through the fence and wandered off past the summit shelter. Some winters and summers go by without seeing any of these hardy animals, however this winter I’ve encountered them on many of my hikes.
As it was a Saturday and as I hadn’t brought many guys, I used the fence for my two longer poles. I didn’t even use any velcro - the masts wedged nicely between the wires and post. I’d bought three masts. One for the slim-G for 2m FM, a mast for another slim-G for 2m APRS and a 2m high mast for my 145MHz beam. The beam mast sat in front of the fence and was guyed.
I got going at 1300 BST using the Yaesu FTm-10, a 8400mAh LiFePO4 and an antenna switch to make life easier. I hadn’t brought a microphone. The head unit of the radio can be detached and used as a speaker mic. I have to say that if performed really well. Great audio.
I actually somehow managed to be in semi-control of a Net for 1hr 45 mins of the planned two hours, working 24 stations and encouraging as many of them as possible to work one another. In among all of this, I had summit to summit contacts with:
@2M0WNA GM/ES-061
@MM0GLM GM/SS-176
@MM7SWM GM/SS-236
@MM0XET GM/SS-059
After some time, the cold started to affect my fingers and I started to get pretty chilly. The fence I was leaning on was riming up quite nicely with ice, as were the masts. Thankfully (for me) Garry MM0XET was quite late onto GM/SS-059 Ben Cleuch, so after our QSO, I handed the net over to him.
I made 24 2m FM QSO’s in total, and it was great to hear many of the stations attempt to make QSO’s with the other activators and with one another. My DX was Iain M1CPP, an old friend, who was /p near Newcastle.
Once I’d shaken some blood back into my veins by jumping around and windmilling my arms, I got the kit packed and headed down to find the bike. My reward for a hard push up some of the hill was a speedy 45 minute descent back to the Land Rover, where I’d left a small flask of tea. Perfect.
*my last ascent of Mount Battock
Great work running the Net from a very cold Mt Battock, Fraser, and good to get another S2S with you. I was delighted to be involved and my QRP setup of FT818 with hand-held 2-el Yagi did pretty well from Oxen Craig Bennachie (GM/ES-061) some 26 miles farther north and 250m lower than you were. Despite that, my best of the day was a S2S of 80+ miles to Jim @MM0GLM on GM/SS-176. Stations in the Scottish Borders also heard very clearly although not worked. A thoroughly enjoyable event, despite the cold. 145 is definitely alive in Scotland. 73 Mike 
Hi,
yes I thought it was a very successful event. I was on a cloudy, wet and windy GM/SS-062 (Beinn Chaorach) just east of Faslane naval base. Surprisingly cold and I should have taken more clothing/shelter as I only managed to stay on air for about an hour. Spoke with Jim (MM0GLM) on GM/SS-176 and also MM7SWM/P (Stuart) on GM/SS-236 (Corse Hill). Plenty of local stations in SW Scotland.
73
First time i have taken part in 145 Alive and it was great to hear so much activity on 2m.Well done to Fraser for running the net and encouraging everyone to make contact.Good to make a few summit to summits with Stuart MM7SWM/P on GM/SS-236 Conic hill,Fraser MM0EFI/P on GM/ES-032 Mount Battock, Colwyn MM0YCJ/P on GM/SS-062 Ben Chaorach and my furthest contact to Mike MM7MWL/P on GM/ES-061 Bennachie-oxen craig both stations operating QRP.As you rightlly stated mike that was an 80+ mile qso.
I was unfortunately unable to take part in the 145 alive event on Saturday (working on 157.425 instead), but I can confirm it was also cold and wet down at sea level !
/home/ding2/Pictures/IMG_5482.JPG
Andy
MM7MOX (or callsign RIB 2 in this instance !)
Jim, Thanks for coming out! Great to hear you made summit to summits with other guys I couldn’t hear. I was so busy trying to keep track of things that I didn’t get round to seeing who else was out there.
Maybe next time you might run a central net and I could do a northern one.
My pleasure Fraser I really enjoyed the day.
Thankyou for considering me for running a Central net when the next 145 alive takes place.
Enjoy your activations up north.Hopefully the weather will improve.
Here’s my video summary of the event
I haven’t seen it mentioned here but there’s another 145 Alive even this Saturday.
There’s 35 stations on the list at the moment (including GI and EI).
I might have to drop down to 144.xxx for my activations if the regular simplex channels are all in use.
Extract from the list of stations below:
| FREQUENCY | CALLSIGN | LOCATOR SQUARE |
|---|---|---|
| 145.550 | MM0EFI | IO86RX |
| 145.550 | M0VRI / M7MLE | JO01HH |
| 145.550 | 2W1BUF, MW7BUF, GW0HKU, MW0KKR | IO81HR |
| 145.550 | EI3JRB | IO64MB |
| 145.525 | MW0HRD | IO72TW |
| 145.475 | G1RBO | JO02CA |
| 145.475 | MN0NWG | IO65HA |
| 145.475 | M0XIC & M0RHK | IO82UL |
| 145.475 | EI2JJB | IO63ND |
| 145.450 | G0CNN | IO94AI |
| 145.450 | G5STU | IO80WP |
| 145.450 | GI0AZA | IO64HQ |
| 145.425 | 2E0WHQ | IO91CL |
| 145.425 | GM3STM | IO75UL |
| 145.425 | EI4KU | IO63DD |
| 145.400 | G4ENH | IO82XJ |
| 145.400 | EI3IXB | IO63VF |
| 145.375 | GW4WXM | IO82LW |
| 145.375 | G2TO | JO02JF |
| 145.375 | G8AMC | IO80EK |
| 145.375 | EI4KH | IO52TA |
| 145.350 | EI9FVB | IO52DD |
| 145.350 | MI0LPO | IO64PR |
| 145.350 | EI9GGB | IO63TN |
| 145.350 | MX0KBS | IO93CL |
| 145.325 | MM0JNL | IO85PT |
| 145.325 | G5TM | IO90SV |
| 145.325 | EI2SBC | IO53XR |
| 145.300 | 2E0DGP & 2E0OTG | IO83RO |
| 145.300 | M0ABT | JO00BT |
| 145.275 | EI3CC | IO62JD |
| 145.275 | MN0IFG | IO64QF |
| 145.250 | EI2HZB | IO62OO |
| 145.250 | EI0W | IO64UB |
| 145.250 | M0XJA | IO82RJ |
Good to see the event growing. Ill be on Kerloch GM/ES-059
Not sure which radio I’ll take, possibly just a hand held with a decent antenna up a mast.
Next 145 Alive is this Saturday 30/09/23 13:00 to 15:00 and also a SOTA event on the 7th October for those interested
Well it looks like the entire Aberdeenshire gang will be on summits tomorrow afternoon.
@GM4JXP Craiglich
@2M0WNA Hill of Fare
@MM0RFN Carn mor Earn
@MM0EFI Kerloch
145 Alive in The Shire. 
If I can get the logistics to work, I’ll try and catch you from Creag Bheag GM/CS-111 tomorrow.
Andy
MM7MOX
Hoping to take a stroll up GM/SS-277 (TP4941) for this event. 2m handheld into a small amp (20w) connected to a flowerpot antenna on a 7m mast.
73
Andy
GM6ZAK
