Gerald MW0WML and I are both at the Tandem Club international rally in Gouarec [Gwareg in Breton] central Brittany. We hope to activate at least F/NO-022 Roc’h de Toullaëron in the ‘Black Mountains’ as the opportunity arises one late afternoon or early evening this week. It’s only 43km drive from camp. I’ve had superb advise from the 3 previous activators Daniel HB9IIO, Alain F6ENO and Peter ON4UP. The only worthwhile pictures of the summit are on the HB9IIO qrz.com page. Thank you Gents. It’ll be a 20m ssb activation and I’ve bought my HF Packer amp so hope folks can hear us. We’ll try to self spot or else ring dear Don G0RQL before setting off with news.
Gerald is keen to do a second one [F/NO-009 ?] if time and our wives permit. That’s keen. F/NO is a region with most summits unactivated which I take as a reflection of private ownership and nil access.
In reply to G3CWI:
Yes very well, thank you Richard. The rolling countryside looks a little like Welsh Borders but with right hand traffic. The Nantes - Brest canal towpath and the trackbed of the Reseau Breton narrow gauge railway [Pempoul model railway layout fame] make for flat sections. It’s really lovely countryside. The towns and villages are fine, filled with ‘Welsh’ cottages but it’s August and, in France, much is shut for holidays. It’s another superb rally organised by the Tandem Club. At the National Rally we have our own group of chasers at the campsite who enjoy a game of pass the handheld. Here is different.
Gerald M0WML and I drove from camp at Gouarec to the summit car parking spot [see link on F/NO-022 summit page for long/lat] which is the throat of a field gate and lots of room for the car. Every time Billy Connolly gave a concise instruction on the TomTom, Gerald chuckled. A short walk up the road and we entered the woods by the grey gate, guided by the map sent by Alain F6ENO. The well-trodden path leads up through mixed deciduous woods to the summit, where the fractured rocks of the peak [seen in the HB9IIO qrz.com page pictures] poke up above the tree canopy. We set up the dipole at the highest point of the path in amongst the trees. I had a good match on 20m on the 817’s SWR meter but, when I connected the amp up, it looked like open cicuit. So for want of a working patch lead ,my first QRO activation returned to the normal QRP. My battered 817 does a little over 3 watts all out these days on external battery. Gerald self-spotted us and I called in vain for over 10 minutes on 14.285 MHz ssb in English and French until we lost the frequency. We switched to 7.138 MHz and, as the self spot struck home, my CQ call was answered by Mike G6TUH and, I think, Manuel EA2DT. Gerald and I swapped the mic back and fore for the first 4 QSO’s but were plagued by a strong QRM tone. I QSY’ed down just 1kHz and the tone was not a problem. We both spoke with G6TUH, G4WSB, G4UXH & G3XQE. I spoke with G4ELZ, MOMDA, 2E0CWY & M5AGY. Gerald is unsure if he completed the QSO with Mick M0MDA. After 8 QSO’s there were no more. We were delighted to have activated our first French summit each. We clambered up to the tiny summit and stood on the block where the trig point was. This afforded a wide panorama above the tree canopy but with an interesting sheer drop on one side. How HB9IIO activated from this tiny space is a wonder. A 10 minute descent took us back to the car. Thanks to all chasers. No more summits in F for us.
Gerald is unsure if he completed the QSO with Mick M0MDA
In my book if he’s unsure then he shouldn’t log it. That can sound hard at first but it’s the only way to be honest. It does mean that sometimes you don’t get to work that elsuive summit/DX. But life’s a bitch and then you die. And, your benefactors have to pay Inheritance Tax on what you leave behind!
I had 2 people who thought they worked me today on NS-096. No stars for them however.
Phased the vertical and inverted V to try and hear you on 40M SSB - just too much noise. Strangely on 20M Denis MM0USV/P (SSB) was 52 on GM/SI-076. Might be worthwhile a brief visit to that band/mode.
40m and 30m were dire Mike. 20m sounded so-so but 17m SSB was full of JA’s. Sadly all the EU chasers were much bigger signals than me so no JA’s in the log. Still I pulled in N7UN and a handful of Europeans until the rains came.
David, to de-hijack your thread, I guess I see a tandem on the roads in my usual SOTA grounds once every blue moon. But I’ve seen 4 tandems since Monday. Bit like London Buses, see none for ages then 4 come at once
Hi Mike. On our return, I set the same amp, rig and leads up in the shack and they worked fine! There’s no telling what snags will befall an activator at the summit. C’est la vie…
David
