I will be passing TW-004 tomorrow morning and intend to stop and make the arduous ascent across the layby with my newly-modified IC-E90, and to work some stations on 4m FM.
I expect to be QRV between 10h00 and 10h30 local time and I have a commitment in York at midday. Being new to 4m I’ll call on 70.450 and then take my lead from any more experienced chasers!
Will listen for you on 70.450 just after 10am BST but TW4 is not ‘line of sight.’ Trust you will be using 5W to a duck. I will be using 40W to a vertical dipole at 5m AGL. You can expect to hear me though I may not hear you. Good luck.
I will listen on 145.500 just in case you come up on 2m as I have nothing for 4m but you should get your 4 contacts on 2m or 4m, locals are me G0VWP, Phil M0VEY, John G4YSS an Phil G4OBK, I will be /M on 2m around York as I do a delivery job so will be in and out of the car so keep calling me if you get on 2m so hope thing work out and you qualify the summit.
In reply to G0VWP:
Yes, 73 Terry; glad you got the QSP. I could just tell you were transmitting but nil readability, as would be expected between our respective locations, neither of which have a lot to recommend them in the ‘ASL Dept’ and with the Yorkshire Wolds ‘sticking out’ in between.
When I contacted Chris on 2m, he told me that he had packed the 4m aerial away but not before hearing a signal on 4m at 10:20 BST. When I checked the time, this was my CQ call on 70.450 but I heard nil in return. Apparently, Phil G4OBK was away in Leeds, so couldn’t join the ‘party.’ Phil may have been Chris’s ‘best chance’ from TW4 on 4m, on a rig that Chris has had converted for some time but as yet has not made a single 4m QSO.
4m FM is not ‘overburdened’ with ops. My son Phil (G0UUU) & I have ‘put (NP area) summits on’ a few times in the last 12 years but never managed more than a handful of QSO’s even from 2000ft plus. Our super reliable 4m AM/FM op around here was G3HFW, Ernie in Cayton. His rig was never switched off. Sadly he passed-on about 3 years ago, leaving the band empty in this neck of the woods, at least.
Thanks to everyone for their efforts - especially John G4YSS on 4m. It obviously wasn’t to be today. But I shall persevere!
As it was, the weather stayed fine and between us we had a relaxed time on 2m from 10h25 local time for about an hour, then a steady run back into York for midday.