Apology - no HF on GW/SW-002

Activation Reports Issues/Errors
1

Apologies from MW0JLA/P for the lack of HF on 14/02/2020 with a valid Alert still in place. I made a series of bad decisions - first was probably getting out of bed :smiley: - which resulted in a decision to axe the HF in favour of a quick qualification on 2m FM because of the very cold wet wind. I think hypothermia must have been setting in as the bad decisions continued. I then found all the SOTA pages working well on the phone but could not log on to amend the Alert. We finally left after a very cold hour on the summit.
No idea when the next activation will be.
73,
Rod

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2

Sounds a bit grim. Take care out there.

3

Hi Rod and Viki.

I hope you are both ok after your problems yesterday. I was not around yesterday so unaware of your activation.

Like you I have booked a few SOTA weeks in the UK starting late April. It’s getting more likely that I will have to pull the plug on these activations in the near future if movement restrictions come into play.

Stay safe both, equally the same applies to all our SOTA friends in the UK and around the world.

73 Allan

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4

Hi Rod and all,
I fully understand your situation, It is amazing how quickly things can go from bad to worse. Activating Sota is a stressful, even dangerous activity, particularity in windy wet WX. I agree with Colin M1BUU’s advice that 30mph windspeed is the tops for erecting poles on mountain tops. Don’t fret about the alert, sometimes technology beats us.

Preparing for lockdown

David

G0EVV

5

Thanks for the sympathetic and understanding comments. As it happens it actually turned out for the best - the mast snapped today, TWICE, in really very pleasant conditions on G/WB-016, Wapley Hill. I just poked the broken section down the hole and carried on - both times. In the conditions on Saturday I think the whole mast would have shredded :smiley:
I must make it clear that this was a very lightweight short fishing pole and not one of the Sotabeams somewhat heavier ones - we now know why those are heavier! EDIT - I have now ordered a small one.

Incidentally, I expected to be 15 minutes early today instead of ten minutes late. We lost 20 minutes on a diversion today - Herefordshire has found some money to do flood/pothole repairs. No messing about with alternate one-way traffic lights - full road closure.
73,
Rod

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