Ever wanted to activate a SOTA summit in parts of the UK on 2m FM but ended up activating on HF because there were no/not enough answering your CQ call?
This Saturday, January 14, 2023 is your chance as part of the ‘145 Alive’ event between 13:00 - 15:30 UK time.
The following areas - with nominal frequencies if available - are currently covered by:
Tim (@G5TM) covering West Sussex (145.325)
Stu (@G5STU) covering Dorset (145.450)
Dave (@M0TPT) covering Buckinghamshire (145.350) and
Lee (@2E0WYK) and Ady (@G6ADY) covering West Midlands (145.400).
Other areas are under discussion/consideration.
You do not have to be on a summit to participate, but why not walk up a hill, make contact with fellow 2m FM operators and claim some SOTA points at the same time!
For more info, Tim can be reached via his Youtube channel as well as via twitter on @Golf_5_TM
WX dependant, I’ll be taking part from GM-land. Preferably from GM/ES-012 Glas Maol, however if the WX is poor, then it will be vehicle based portable from the top of the Cairn o’Mount road, which has an excellent take off down the east coast.
I suspect Tim will be announcing it on his various social media fairly soon but I’ve now joined the line-up & will be active from Walbury Hill G/SE-001 on 145.425 (assuming that the frequency is clear), or as close to that frequency as possible.
Not valid for SOTA as I will be operating from my motorhome/car in the car park but welcome anybody to call in & would be happy to get a couple of summits in the log.
One of my friends says he is considering activating Leith Hill G/SE-002 on FT8. I suspect he will also do 2m FM.
I’m hoping to try from Brent Tor which is a HEMA summit G/HDC-005 on the western edge of Dartmoor. If there are any SOTA activators in range I will try to chase them.
Plan B for me, due to snow forecast. Operating from inside the back of Dora the Explorer with the heating on and a “white stick” on top of the 40’ mast.
From here:
NB (Topic title edited to reflect wider involvement than just southern England.)
I’ve just posted on Twitter I will try on 145.38750.
I will be operating from a low hill and plan to bring wood with me to continue construction of an Ark during any quiet spells. It has been very wet this month!
It was good to go out /M for the first time (on a local hill over here in Somerset) and join in today on 145.450 FM - many thanks to Stu G5STU for hosting the Dorset Net
Chorley/Manchester were 59 to me on GW/NW-043 as expected, although I only spoke to Phil not Steve.
I heard stations on 145.400 but they were very weak and sounded like the usual comparisons of this week’s medical complaints so I don’t think it was the event (I’m surprised I didn’t hear Lee/Adrian as several other stations called me from the WM).
I didn’t hear any of the others but it was too windy for a beam antenna today.
Lots of new call signs in my logbook which was great with several “only running 10w into a white stick” and surprised they were able to work me so hopefully the day has generated some interest on the band.
I was on Brent Tor, a HEMA summit on the western edge of Dartmoor. I managed to have two QSOs into South Wales in addition to some local contacts including of course Don @G0RQL. The furtherest QSO near Haverfordwest was at about 90 miles. I could hear G5STU in Dorset but I don’t think he could hear me. They seemed to be running some sort of net anyway and running through a list I wasn’t on so I didn’t linger.
It was a nice activation and I managed to dodge the rain!
I had fun from the top of Cairn 'o Mount in Dora the Explorer. Ancient 2 m/ 70 cm co-linear on top of the (not fully extended) mast. The ft-857d provided the fire power via a newly made length of RG-213.
Off to a great start working two SOTA Activators - Gary @MM0XET who was on Craigowl GM/SS-192, for my complete. Later I was called by Martin @2M0KAU from Ben Tirran GM/ES-016, which is one of my remaining three ES uniques. A few locals were out mobile for the event, and also my friend M1CCP Iain, near Newcastle. We managed a QSO at 177km, not bad with a white stick at each end. A chance to chat to a few locals about SOTA. A few of them had watched some of my videos and had plans to get out on hills in GM/ES this summer, so all good.
We decided to camp out the night in Glen Dye and had a nice stroll up the glen this morning, so a bit less hectic than usual but a nice change.
Martin, For one time only! It was nice to be sitting in the back of Dora with the heating on, being fed soup, tea and cakes by Mo! Although, it looks like you had a nice hot meal in your bivi on Ben Tirran.
Thanks for the QSO. It will be my final GM/ES summit and it’s nice to know I’ll hopefully activate it for a Complete.
I managed to make contact from GW/SW-006 Fan Gyhirych (725m ASL) with @G5STU who was on higher ground near Poole, Dorset. Distance around 170km (107 miles).
If another of these 2 m events runs at the end April (as has been mooted), I think we’ll see a lot more SOTA activity, with longer days and hopefully warmer weather. Perhaps it will open the eyes of non-SOTA hams to the power of 2 m, and maybe the advantages of keeping an eye on SOTAWatch3 for activity.
That’s true. 5 seats in mine unless I refit the rear rear seats and the middle seat. Then its cosy!
But like you have a I night heater as well makes life more comfortable on long cold events.
