EU all over the place!
K9EZ
In reply to K9EZ:
On 12m, chased Tom M1EYP on PSK, couldn’t get him. Chased him on CW, not sure we made it. Got him on SSB/phone - go figure!
WH6LE
No sign of anything from you on the PSK waterfall Pete. But no problems with the contacts on CW and SSB.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:Tom,
You were quite readable (559) here in northern AZ on 12 meters this morning. Pleased to work you! What were your operating conditions (rig and antenna)? Sounded good.
Jim N6KZ
Prescott, AZ
Yes, thanks for calling in Jim.
I was using a very simple set-up:
FT-817, 5 watts.
Elevated groundplane antenna - four quarterwave lengths of wire - one vertical up the roach pole (driven element) and 3 radials (connected to braid), also functioning as guying for the pole!
Pictures: Snaefell GD-001
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Tom,
Definitely getting out! Good 559 into NC, and that was my keyer sticking…SRI.
Pete
WH6LE
While the cat’s away, the mice will play…
Saturday 28th September 2013, and Marianne and Liam cleared off to Blackpool for the day. That gave me freedom to make some decisions!
First was a trip to the supermarket to buy three tins of Baxters Royal Game soup for Sunday’s activation. This is Jimmy’s 21st birthday activation, so he requested his favourite soup. When I got to the soup aisle in Macclesfield Big Sainsburys, I was like a child in a sweet shop. So many new and exciting flavours. Some serious stocking up resulted, and in fact it will now be Won Ton soup for Sunday!
Next to Chester Road Chippy, as with Marianne motoring up the motorway, lunch was my responsibility. After watching Tottenham versus Chelsea on the new BT Sport 1 HD channel, it was across town to the Moss Rose to watch some real live football. The day remained pleasant with Macclesfield beating Welling by 2 goals to 1.
And so by 5pm I was in activation mode, and driving down the A523 Leek road en route to The Cloud G/SP-015, hoping for more fun on 12m. After a quick ascent I set up the 12m groundplane in troublesome gusty wind. On the first of many antenna collapses, I lost the cable tie, so I had to cobble together an alternative using the antenna bag! This did the job of keeping the structure of the antenna, albeit rarely for long before it collapsed again! I will be taking more care to find a more sheltered spot tomorrow! Thank goodness for the activation zone rule.
The radio was good fun. Thirteen QSOs were made on 12m, twelve on CW and one on SSB. Of these, one was in the same county as me (John M6BLV in Ellesmere Port), three into Ukraine, and nine stateside. The last two of these were very exciting contacts, for they were both DX S2S. Eric KU6J was worked on his activation on Mount Ingalls W6/CN-005, and then six minutes later, I exchanged with Dan NA6MG on Owens Peak W6/SS-318. Both stations were weak to moderate signal strength with me, and patchy in QSB. I didn’t expect either to hear me, but both came back first call!
After packing away, four QSOs were made on 2m FM on the handie. Usual suspects Pete M1CNL, Pete 2E0LKC and Anne 2E0LMD were worked before I got a surprise call from Iain M3WJZ/P, who was out bivvying on Fairfield G/LD-007 for a third S2S of the activation.
Another enjoyable and stimulating activation.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom,
It doesn’t get any better! Thanks for my second s2s with you - the last was on 10m, Granite Benchmark in 2012, with my old callsign WO6M. I also worked your fellow countryman today John, M6BLV. Great fun.
73, Dan - NA6MG
In reply to NA6MG:
Hi Dan
Great to work you on 12m CW, like you say “great fun”. I happened to be having dinner at the time. I casually glanced at Sotawatch on the mac, and spotted Tom M1EYP on 12m, I had to beg the station manager for permission to leave the table as there was an important contact for me to make!!! Permission was begrudgingly given, and I shot off to the shack. I worked Tom, on the cloud no problem, I was about to return to the dining table, but a quick glance at the monitor in the shack spotted yourself and other stateside activators, I thought I would push my luck with the manager and stay a little longer. I am glad I did, not only did I work your station, I also managed to work VE2DDZ on 20m SSB and NG7A on 20m CW, before being summoned back to the table. Definitely worth risking the wrath of the long haired one HI.
73 John M6BLV
In reply to M6BLV:
It was hard open at times, I worked many Russian/Ukrainian stations. DX that got away, a VK8 in Alice Springs who was, at times, 59++++. He had a serious pileup chasing him, one that 5W SSB is not going to crack. Likewise 9X0ZM in Kigali was loud and busy. Frustrated I listen on 10m, heard VU2DSI call CQ and worked him 1st call for a 56 report. This was 10m into a 12m GP and the SWR was horrible. I don’t how much power was radiated or which direction, but it was enough to work India QRP SSB.
You’ve got to love Sunspots in the Autumn 
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Hi Andy .I did listen for you and did try a call for you I also listened for Tom and tried a call for him .But I did work Steve G1INK on Sp001.And managed a non sota station on Mauritius.Steve was working lots of stations stateside.ATB 73 Geoff
In reply to G6MZX:
I think Steve’s 857 has the edge in that he runs at 35-50W and it can make all the difference.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
Good stuff Andy, I did listen out for you
but I seem to be in the wrong place for GM/G 8)
Whatever radiated it worked! Not so sure about the sunspots but I do like Autumn.
Mike G6TUH
I have only ever heard/worked one UK SOTA activator on 12m, and that was Steve (G1INK/P) on The Wrekin. I have listened for many others without success, including M1EYP/P from various locations. I just can’t seem to hear Tom at all on 12m. I hear lots of strong DX signals … just no UK!
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
In reply to G3NYY:
There’s a link in another thread (tail wagging dog?) showing an explanation of how Tom may have been able to work me. I’m going to move that to a whole new thread about propagation modes as the top deserves further discussion.
Andy
MM0FMF