A very windy day in the Moelwyns

Old Reflector
1

Yesterdays wx forecast was for heavy showers eventually clearing from the West, so West I headed hoping the rain would have stopped by the time I got there.

Moelwyn Mawr GW/NW-016.
When I got out of the car in Croesor, it was so windy that the SB5 beam stayed in the boot, it would have to HF only. Although the pole is higher for HF, you effectively have another 3 guys for better stability. I had read GW4BVEs route the previous night but didnt write it down. I must have missed a turning as I ended up in the disused quarry - no problem, theres a feint track from here direct to the summit. On the summit the wx was gale force wind with showers. Id been told the view was spectacular from up here, I`ll have to take their word for it as I was sat inside a cloud with zero visibility. Conditions on 5Mhz were rubbish, only 7 stations logged with the best reports coming from GM. 7Mhz was much better with 25 stations logged, mostly DL/HB9 area.

Allt Fawr GW/NW-025.
I very nearly cancelled this one. Firstly I was low on energy having left my sandwiches in the fridge. Secondly, I parked up in the parking spot on Crimea Pass (around 350m asl) and had to get out of the passenger door as the wind was so strong. A long energy sapping trudge to the summit rewarded me with decent views as the clouds had finally parted & the sun came out. This summit has a narrow sharpish hump on top so I operated well below the true summit. No matter where I went, I could not get out of the wind. 5Mhz was again poor with only 10 stations logged, 7Mhz gave 7 contacts, apparently I missed F5NEP by a couple of minutes. A try on 14 Mhz provided a further 2 contacts. With HF being so poor, me being so hungry & the pole bending alarmingly in the wind I decided to pack up & head home. Thanks to all stations who called / spotted me. Hope I can post this now as last attempt failed as the site appeared to crash for a few minutes & I had to re-write everything.

73 Steve G1INK.

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In reply to G1INK:

We seem to have lost all todays spots except one - creepy.

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In reply to G1INK:
Unless they were deleted. Not sure if we made it in the end on 5 for NW025.
the rpt may have been for BVE who I could not hear

Graham

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In reply to G4JZF:

I updated my alert. Then the site went offline and when it came back the old alert was being displayed.

Andy
MM0FMF

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In reply to G4JZF:

Graham - I have you in the log @ 1537 on 40m.
Nothing hrd at all on 60m - even John BVE was very hard work. - Steve.

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In reply to G1INK:

In reply to G4JZF:

Graham - I have you in the log @ 1537 on 40m.
Nothing hrd at all on 60m - even John BVE was very hard work. - Steve.

Sorry Steve I did not get my report on 40

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In reply to G4JZF:

Bravo Graham, in the true spirit of sota, your honesty is a real credit to sota and typical of most ops.

I salute you.

73 Mike

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In reply to G4JZF:

Hi Graham - I had you in the log with a ??? I was on 7.055 which was great until a DL in Hanover popped up on 7.054 with a BIG signal. At least we made it from NW-016. - Steve.

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In reply to G1INK:

Conditions on 5Mhz were rubbish,

Indeed - I know conditions are bad if I don’t hear you! I did pick you out of the noise on NW-016 and called once, but somebody else got in. After you’d worked that station, I didn’t hear you again.

Listened for you on NW-025 but nothing.

Even the usual suspects who normally blow the headphones off were weak here.

10

It seems I was lucky to catch you on both summits Steve, although reports both ways were well below par.

Thanks for yet another unique.

73 Mike

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In reply to G1INK:

Thanks for both summits Steve. You were certainly putting a big signal into central Scotland especially on NW-025 where you were a good solid 59+10.

73 Glyn