Hi all
A few photos of last night/this morning are here:
I will do a short write-up soon but thanks for all the contacts!
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
We had -1.6C in Buxton last night so perhaps -2 or -3 on Gun.
A Night on Gun
I was pondering why more people haven’t tried combining bivying and amateur radio as I set off in the car for Gun last night. I suspect the reason is that they are quicker witted that I am. I was completely taken with the romantic notion of such a trip and the stark reality of possible privations did not really occur to me until I was on the road. Was it really sensible to be setting off into the night to sleep on a hilltop in the open-air so close to midwinter? Too late to back out by this stage. Most people would have spotted the potential for discomfort at the outset; and thus consigned the idea to the “not in a million years” pile.
This was a trip that has been a long time in the planning phase. The Genesis of the idea started in February 2003. I can be that precise because the trigger was reading an article about a “sleeping bag radio” in the then newly published “Experimental Methods in RF Design ( http://w7zoi.net/abstr.pdf ) . I had plenty of previous experience of operating radios from tents and, on occasion, I had been laying in my sleeping bag (e.g. Mamore Madness) but the idea of operating inside the sleeping bag seemed strangely appealing. Another factor in this plan was the inspiring night-time journeys by Jon GM4ZFZ. Jon made extensive use of a bivy bag in full winter conditions for his trips (e.g. GM4ZFZ/P - Mountain Adventures with a Radio: The Twin Carn Deargs ). Thus the seed was sown.
I had most of the things needed for such a trip apart from a suitable sleeping bag and the all-important sleeping bag radio. The sleeping bag was easy; so it turned out, was the radio. Night-time operation favoured 80m and thus an SW-80+ was slightly modified to become my sleeping bag radio ( smallwonderlabs.com ). The modifications were modest, being the inclusion of an internal keyer and a small power-on LED. The idea of the LED was to allow me to find the radio in the sleeping bag and operate it in the dark (an idea that actually worked for once).
Gun is a small hill, just 385m asl. I know it well and so it was an obvious choice for this first bivy foray. The weather forecast was good in that they predicted a dry night – rain makes bivying horrible. It was quite misty at the parking spot for Gun. I donned my boots and put on the rucksack. The backscattered torchlight from the water droplets in the mist reduced the visibility to a few metres as I set off across the waterlogged moors.
Walking in the dark is interesting. Distances get hard to judge and things seem to take longer than I expect so it was with some relief that I saw the trig-point in the beam of the torch. My camping spot was a little further on and I was worried that it might be hard to find in these conditions. However I was soon there. The spot that I had in mind is my normal operating spot on Gun, by a handy fence and with some shelter due to the wind-stopping effect of the nearby trees. First up was the 80m dipole with its untried extensions for CW operation (the basic dipole is cut for 3740kHz). I have erected aerials here dozens of times so it was quick and easy, even in the dark. Next came the important job of finding the right spot for the bivy bag. A flat area with no “lumps” was found right next to the aerial pole. A groundsheet and inflatable mat were soon followed by the bivy bag and sleeping bag. Boots off (placed upside down in case of rain) and into the bag I wriggled.
Once I was comfortable I connected up the radio. On switching on I got the impression that the low temperature (4C) had caused it to drift a little so I had to guess where 3560kHz was. The band sounded lively with John G3NCN in QSO just below 3560. My first few CQ calls went unanswered but soon a steady trickle of SOTA people and G-QRP people were calling. I adopted a relaxed style of operating, sending quite slowly because I was holding the key in one hand and keying with the other. The mist started to clear and before long I was lying flat on my back looking at the stars while sending CW- rather surreal experience. During my QSOs I told callers about the stars and general things about my operating situation, but you really had to be there! It was incredible. I was warm, dry and enjoying some very special radio moments. In a little over an hour I made 16 contacts; mostly with people I knew. By that stage there were no more callers and it was 2130 so I decided to have a cup of coffee. By then I was feeling tired so instead of calling again I decided to get some sleep. Falling asleep in the open air under the stars is something everyone should try at least once. I was warm and comfortable and so I soon drifted off to sleep.
I woke again at about mid-night and listened to the midnight news. I had been expecting a text from Tom M1EYP. He had been out for the evening at a Christmas meal and had wanted a contact. However, with no text by midnight I assumed that he had forgotten. After the news I went back to sleep again.
Suddenly I was woken by a terrible noise. It was a text message arriving! I rummaged around to find my glasses and looked at the time. It was 01:37 and the text was from Tom. He was in the shack and waiting for his contact. Reconnected the radio and he called me. A rather interesting contact followed. I gathered from the state of Tom’s CW and the late hour that he had been making merry for quite a while. I briefly thought that he was sending Japanese Morse…
While listening, I again admired the sky. It was now completely clear and the vast starfield of the Milk Way stretched from horizon to horizon. I am rubbish at recognising stars but I do know Orion and it was magnificent. The Orion Nebula M42 was very obvious even with the naked eye. The orange lights of distant towns twinkled on the horizon. We miss so much with the light pollution we live with these days.
My QSO with Tom over I called CQ and was surprised to be called by GM4SLY, John in Troon. We chatted for a while and afterwards GM0OAA, Mike in Glasgow, called. It was 02:15 by then. No more callers so I tuned around. N1WPU was calling CQ and could hear me but too weak to work. A couple of calls to AC4NV went unanswered so it was back to bed. A nearby owl added some atmosphere by hooting periodically.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully. I was warm and comfortable and slept well. I woke later to see the first signs of the sunrise and checking my watch I saw that I was already a few minutes late for my morning session on 80m. A contest was in full flow so it took a while to attract some callers. A self-spot on SOTAwatch helped and over the next half an hour I had a further 8 contacts. Only Marc G0AZS made it into the log for a second contact. Again it was a rather relaxed session with mostly people I knew calling. The sunrise was pleasant but not exceptional.
At 08:00 I started packing up. Everything was down and in the rucksack by 08:25 and already the first dog-walker was at the trig point. The drive home was a rather anticlimactic end to a memorable night; perhaps one of the most enjoyable operating sessions that I have had for several years.
73
Richard
G3CWI
Light Pollution Links
http://www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/landscape/light-pollution/light-pollution-in-your-area
http://www.need-less.org.uk/images/ukatnightsim.swf
Photos
Super report Richard. I figured it would be safe to text you on my return, as you had suggested, assuming that you would have turned you phone off if you didn’t want to be disturbed!
What you heard was CW sent under the influence of about six pints of Robbies Old Scrooge and half a bottle of red wine. At first, it was jibberish rather than Japanese, as my usual keyer speed setting was completely incompatible with my inebraited state!
However, I wasn’t too drunk to notice that your own CW speed was significantly lower than usual, and I soon dropped my own down so to be at least understandable!
Anyway, thanks for the contact. It seemed an appropriate way to round off the evening seeing as I had been out with 2E0RXX, M0GIA, M1BYH and M3HVP (et al). Sean was in the shack as we made the QSO, but couldn’t be tempted onto the key. I too was surprised when the GM station came back to you after our contact!
73, Tom M1EYP (still with a bad head - I’m never ever ever drinking again…)
In reply to M1EYP:
However, I wasn’t too drunk to notice that your own CW speed was
significantly lower than usual
I thought you would be able to write the dots and dashes down if you were having problems! …actually it is the switch-on default speed for the keyer.
I take it a beer is out of the question then!
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to M0RCP:
I forgot how exposed that ridge is. I’ve crossed it, in the height of summer mind. Some of the time I actually walked on narrow ledges on the steeper north side, with the very peak of the ridge at hand height. Seemed to work fairly well. I wouldn’t want to do the ridge in a high wind though.
In reply to M0FFX:
You can actually increase the pleasure by approaching the summit of Crib Goch by the north ridge, which is also knife-edged but a little less exposed, and there is also a scrambling route to the foot of the north ridge from Dinos Mot in the Llanberis pass. It’s a lot of effort for 10 points, though!
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G3CWI:
Richard
In an insomniac moment I looked at SOTAwatch to see what activations were planned for the following day and there was a RED spot! At two in the morning! Eighty is pretty rubbish from here what with a high urban noise level and a very short antenna, but I thought I’d take a listen anyway.
I was surprised just how strong you were. To be honest, I was just a little jealous of you up there. I admire your bravery - or is it fool-hardiness - and I’d love to give it a go myself sometime. (But probably sometime warmer, and probably with a tent.)
I was settling in for a bit of a late-night chat when someone’s central heating thermostat tripped in and flattened the band. So sorry the QSO was cut short. Thanks for the point and here’s to the next time!
Mike GM0OAA
In reply to GM0OAA:
Mike
It was a pity that our QSO was cut short by QRN at 2am. You must live in an affluent neighbourhood if they have heating on at that time! Here’s to next time!
73
Richard
G3CWI
Turnbull suggests a journey from Church Stretton to Aberystwyth in his book (both with good rail connections). His route takes in several SOTA summits but more could be included. Perhaps it’s an idea someone will want to implement next year?
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
You must live in an affluent neighbourhood if they have heating on at that time!
You’ve never lived in Scotland? Just about everyone I know leaves the heating on at night! We turn the thermostat down 5c at night otherwise the house would be like KC4 land in the morning!
Andy
MM0FMF
Turnbull suggests a journey from Church Stretton to Aberystwyth in his book (both with good rail connections). His route takes in several SOTA summits but more could be included. Perhaps it’s an idea someone will want to implement next year?
Sounds like my sort of thing that. Not sure about the bivvying though. Are there B&Bs and baggage transfer couriers along the route???
Tom M1EYP
In reply to MM0FMF:
We turn the thermostat down 5c at night otherwise the house would be like KC4 land in the morning!<
And that’s in July!
Mike GM0OAA