Exactly one month to the day since joining the SOTA gang I finally lost my activation virginity. Being relatively unfit following a long illness I decided on an easy stroll up Cairnpapple which is not too far from my QTH in Stirling. The mist started to clear as I approached the Trig Point and promptly set about setting up the aerial for HF. The plan had been to start on 5Mhz SSB then move onto 7Mhz and 10Mhz CW. Once all was set up, and having poured my first cup of coffee I made a quick call on 2m using the handie and raised one contact in Glasgow. Coffee finished several calls on 5Mhz produced nothing. Was my first activation going to be a diasaster? Changing to 40m CW changed everything with 14 QSO’s into HB9, DL, F and GM I was a happy man - more coffee! QSY’d to 30m but no QSO’s so back to 60m and struggled to work into Rochester but nothing else - the band seemed very flat today. Finally back onto 2m this time with the SOTABeam and managed 3 QSO’s with the Stirling mob.
All in all I achieved what I set out to do which was to activate my first hill, try out the portable kit in a real environment (albeit sunny and calm) rather than just the back garden and to take a little gentle exercise.
many thanks to all those who worked me I very much apprciated the company. Now looking for the next one - Dumyat?
73 Glyn…GM4CFS