A top band evening heads up - GB23YOTA on 160m - REPORT ADDED

[GW4BML]

Great night had last night - thanks to everyone who called in from your nice warm shacks it was pretty windy, but nothing too fierce! The lads ended up with a total of 34 contacts over 80m and 160m using GB23YOTA - a great experience knowing they have never used the top bands before.

73, the YOTA team from Stingwern Hill GW/MW-030

[GW4VPX]

Good to get all 3 of you either on 160m or 80m. Cracking signals into my QTH. Thank you.

[G4AZS]

Glad it went well, I hope the team enjoyed it! Sorry I missed you - it was mince pie night at our club, and I got home 10 mins after your “final calls” spot…
Next time

Adrian
G4AZS

[M0HGY]

@GW4BML

e! The lads ended up with a total of 34 contacts over 80m and 160m using GB23YOTA

Good to see the top band SOTA activation went well Ben. Did Jared @2E0JFJ make 4 contacts using 2W0JFJ/P so that he could claim the SOTA activation? As previously explained, any contacts Jared 2E0JFJ made using GB23YOTA, he will not be able to claim himself due to inly having an intermediate licence.

Jimmy M0HGY

[G8ADD]

Sorry I missed you, I came up looking for you just after you closed down - the later I get on Top Band the better the conditions so as you had posted to 23.30 I delayed too long!

[GW4BML]

Hi Jimmy,

Thanks for the kind words - yes, we know the rules. He made a good few contacts with his call-sign first on 80m

Have a nice Christmas and a Happy New Year!

73, Ben
GW4BML

[MM0EFI]

@M0HGY

As previously explained, any contacts Jared 2E0JFJ made using GB23YOTA, he will not be able to claim himself due to inly having an intermediate licence.

C’mon Jimmy. When did SOTA Police become a thing?

Merry Christmas

[GW4BML]

@GW4VPX

Good to get all 3 of you either on 160m or 80m. Cracking signals into my QTH. Thank you.

Thanks Allan - it was good to hear your strong signal on every band, and have a quick catch up on 160m thanks for the support 73

@G4AZS

Glad it went well, I hope the team enjoyed it! Sorry I missed you - it was mince pie night at our club, and I got home 10 mins after your “final calls” spot…
Next time

It was a good night - thanks Adrian. I think a mince pie night sounded more convincing to attend to me the wx wasn’t the best, although the temperature wasn’t that bad, the wind made it a cold night. Look forward to our next top band S2S 73

@G8ADD

Sorry I missed you, I came up looking for you just after you closed down - the later I get on Top Band the better the conditions so as you had posted to 23.30 I delayed too long!

Thanks for the message Brian - apologies for leaving slightly early, we began packing up approximately 22:15. The wx wasn’t nice at all and after calling out for a good 15 minutes with no reply - it was time to call it a night. We’ll be back out on top band soon 73

[M0CQE]

Hello Ben. Another triumph. Well done guiding those two Young Men on a fine Activation. I am very happy to have managed two contacts with the expedition. Best Wishes to All Three of You. 73 de Paul M0CQE.

[2E0JFJ]

Thanks for looking after us Ben and for bringing all the kit, definitely inspired me to make my own linked dipole but for ones between 10 - 20m instead hihi.

Thanks to all the chasers and nice to have a go at something different. Winding up the leg of one of the dipoles at the end really shown how remarkable the amount of wire we had up was!

73s,

Jared 2E0JFJ

[M1EYP]

Maybe the comment was offered in the spirit of helpfulness to make sure the lad got his points?

[M0LEP]

@2E0JFJ

Thanks to all the chasers

Thanks for the activation. Good to catch 80 metres and top band summits.

[M0JLA]

@GW4BML

He made a good few contacts with his call-sign first on 80m

I was glad to get him - just! The noise/QRM here was dreadful, so a 39 report and then I could just hear 2W0FLW before everything faded out and I heard nothing more except vague speech-like sounds. Same on 160m.
I have made a lot of 80m activator QSOs in the past (one GI holiday it seemed to be the band of choice) but only 4 on 160m and I guess they were responses to s2s calls.
Well done all of you for a successful activation.
73
Merry Christmas & hope to catch you in the new year.
Rod

[G0EVV]

Well done all, great to work you both from sunny Morpeth. Must say, I have never attempted a nocturnal activation.
I am sure I would leave half my kit on the summit.
I have only twice used a bothy bag.
Too noisy. For me, if it is hostile enough to warant a shelter it is simply too hostile to be up there.
David
G0EVV

[G4OIG]

@GW4BML

… would be good to get you itl if your about.

Unfortunately the local noise was too high. I need to try a ground mounted loop for the lower bands.

Great to read your report. Good to hear that a decent number of contacts were made. Well done all.

73, Gerald

[GW4BML]

@M0CQE

Hello Ben. Another triumph. Well done guiding those two Young Men on a fine Activation. I am very happy to have managed two contacts with the expedition. Best Wishes to All Three of You. 73 de Paul M0CQE.

Thank you very much for the kind words @M0CQE Paul - it was good that you managed to work both lads the other evening and also thanks for the great support throughout the year! Look forward to many more qso’s in 2024 73

@M0LEP

Thanks for the activation. Good to catch 80 metres and top band summits.

Thanks for the support Rick @M0LEP - it was great you managed to work both stations 73

@M0JLA

I was glad to get him - just! The noise/QRM here was dreadful, so a 39 report and then I could just hear 2W0FLW before everything faded out and I heard nothing more except vague speech-like sounds. Same on 160m.
I have made a lot of 80m activator QSOs in the past (one GI holiday it seemed to be the band of choice) but only 4 on 160m and I guess they were responses to s2s calls.
Well done all of you for a successful activation.
73
Merry Christmas & hope to catch you in the new year.
Rod

Thank you very much for calling in to Jared @M0JLA Rod, you were a good signal on 80m! Send my regards to Viki and I hope you both have a lovely Christmas and a happy new year! 73

@G0EVV

Well done all, great to work you both from sunny Morpeth. Must say, I have never attempted a nocturnal activation.
I am sure I would leave half my kit on the summit.
I have only twice used a bothy bag.
Too noisy. For me, if it is hostile enough to warant a shelter it is simply too hostile to be up there.
David
G0EVV

Thank you very much @G0EVV David - you were also a loud signal on the band! I was sat with my feet up logging - I had it easy you need to try a top band activation at night, great fun, maybe a S2S early in the new year? hi. Shelters aren’t for me either, but it was a good idea we took it, the wind was rather fierce. 73

@G4OIG

Unfortunately the local noise was too high. I need to try a ground mounted loop for the lower bands.

Great to read your report. Good to hear that a decent number of contacts were made. Well done all.

73, Gerald

That was a pity @G4OIG Gerald, it would have been great to get you itl. Saying that, we had S5 of noise, I think the electric transformer on the pole gives off noise on Stingwern Hill. I thought of you when I got home - my boots were covered in sheep 73

Thank you all so much for the support! Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year

73, Ben
GW4BML