Well since this is one of the few times I will be able to partake in any Friday morning sessions (I’m actually off work this week) it gives me a good excuse to get a decent pass out. The weather seems to have been kind , although maybe a little too hot.
I’m hoping I’ve not mis-remembered that the walk in is relatively short and easy. I think its a general rule that the distance between two points decreases in the mind proportionately to the time elapsed since the path was covered in actuality 
… today 6 spots 
what a day…
Looks good Chris - though might miss me in central UK! I’m heading out shortly to take part. Anyone else taking kit for datamode (FT8, SSTV)? Focusing on CW/SSB, but intending doing FM, C4FM, FT8 and SSTV too.
Thanks to Tom @M1EYP and Ian @G7ADF for the 2m SSB activations today.
Both good signals here, despite my using a simple co-linear antenna at 4m AGL.
73, Simon
A few moments ago there were three SOTA activators simultaneously calling on 2m CW. Long time since that’s happened I suspect!
I made the S2S QSO with Andy G8CPZ/P on 2m CW but I’m not sure if any other 2m CW QSOs have occurred at all.
Listened for you on 144.060MHz, but heard nothing. I suspect your beam heading was elsewhere. At least the “catch all” of FT8 worked. 25W to a halo in the roofspace here (main antennas still down) and a very mediocre take off in your direction. Not sure why the PTT isn’t working here… had to manually switch each period. Worked DO1KRT to the east of Bonn as well as you can see. First FT8 this year! Thanks for the QSO. 
Thanks Gerald. I will call (and spot) again on CW before packing up - and beam IO92.
Currently trying SSTV on 144.525 but really does seem like a dead horse I’m flogging.
Nothing heard on SSTV at the moment. Will look for you on CW.
I’ll call again now on SSTV, 144.525 beaming your way Gerald.
Unfortunately you are too weak to get a picture from you Tom. 
Ok maybe after I’ve peaked the beam on you on CW then…
Thanks for that one… some QSB as expected, but all okay. Nice to make it on the key.
73, Gerald
On the summi, deploying station. Pse qrx.
Today’s Friday 2m multimode was not successful for me. I haven’t heard anything not from the UK island and nothing else. Tnx Tom M1EYP and Paul DL6FBK for your effort.
And my forthcoming date with Pom in DL was abruptly ended by the massive attack of wasps.
A lot went to hf for this. I was particularly happy about the S2S with Lars, Armin and Silvia. My summit OZ/OZ-001 is the highest mountain in Denmark and a drive in.
Hutton Roof Crags (G/LD-052) is covered with trees, bushes and, er well, crags and I chose a clearing in sight of, and at the same height as, the trig point to set up my tarp and antenna.
Like most G/LD summits it is very thin soil over solid rock. That meant the guying pegs for the Yagi pole kept coming out and were difficult to find in the long grass if separated from the guy cord.
I wasn’t expecting to set any dx record with my 2m 5W SSB and 3-element Yagi (on its 3.5m pole) so was happy with the 9 contacts I got over an hour and a quarter. Several of the home stations were running 400W and were surprised to find I was QRP.
Good to get two S2S contacts: Tom M1EYP/P (on The Cloud) and Ian G7ADF/P (on Shining Tor). In fact, we had a brief 3-way chat before going our separate ways.
I switched to CW and called CQ for ages and Tom came back. Interestingly, he was now 589 compared to only 5/2-5/3 on the earlier SSB contact. Wondering if he fixed his antenna problem, or condx had improved, or what?
I used my beloved G4ZPY miniature twin-paddles instead of my usual Palm Pico only to discover the magnetic base wasn’t adhering to the FT817’s metal case making my keying erratic until I used my spare hand to hold it still.
My sympathies. A few weeks ago I was stung eight times in quick succession by angry wasps whose nest I must have disturbed whilst picking wild blackberries. It was very painful for few hours and itched for almost a week.
It helps to paint them dayglo orange.
I had an inconclusive battle with my rotator (well, actually I lost!) I can’t work out why when it moves at all it goes backwards…
They are bright silver with brightly-coloured PVC tape tabs on them which is enough to locate them on the vast majority of summits I visit. But they were submerged below a dense carpet of long grass and despite going down on my hands and knees I couldn’t find the missing one.
I think the solution is to reduce the size of the loop at the end of each guying cord so that, should the pole / guy pull the peg out of the ground, the peg stays attached to the cord.
I had my own share of problems. When unpacking my rucksack on The Cloud G/SP-015, I immediately noticed that a croc clip had parted company with the RG58 core to which it was attached. Hence the croc clip was repurposed to clamp the core to the driven element. To my relief, the connection made was good and the beam performed as it normally would.
Otherwise, a decent enough 2m Multimode activation. As indicated by the map sent earlier by Chris @DL1CR, the lift conditions over most of Europe left a hole over North West England! Some DX was worked, but only in FT8 mode.
S2S:
G8CPZ on Hutton Roof Crags G/LD-052
G7ADF on Shining Tor G/SP-004
MW6BWA/P on Y Golfa GW/NW-061
2I0IJN/P on Slievenaglogh GI/MM-012
34 QSOs:
2m SSB - 8
2m CW - 2
2m FT8 - 8
2m FM - 9
2m AM - 1
2m SSTV - 0
2m C4FM - 4
70cm FM - 2
5 DXCCs:
G, GI, GW, ON, PA
Good fun and satisfying. No takers for SSTV was disappointing, but 34 VHF QSOs on a weekday morning, non-contest, with 23 of them non-FM, was pleasing.
