CE3/SA-019 Cerro San Cristobal Activation

G4OOE · 20 May 2023 18:54

CE3/G4OOE on CE3/SA-019 Cerro San Cristobal 15 May 2023

Cerro San Cristobal summit peak on the right. Picture taken from Sky Costanera Tower (300m high - tallest building in South America)

In March I was very fortunate in getting the opportunity to visit Santiago, Chile so I tried to get a temporary amateur radio licence without success. Fernando, CA3FJK tried on my behalf but time ran out so I couldn’t activate. Then a couple of months later I had a repeat opportunity and this time Clarissa CE2MT was able to get me a temporary amateur radio licence. This is essential as there is no reciprocal arrangements between CEPT and Chile. My temporary licence arrived by email from Marissa giving me permission to operate from SOTA summits with the callsign CE3/G4OOE. I was so excited and Fernando CA3FJK agreed to meet me and take me to the summit of CE3/SA-019 Cerro San Cristobal in Santiago. On my first visit Chile was 3 hours behind the UK but this time because Chile has moved to winter time and we are on BST the time difference is now 5 hours. On Monday 15th May my daughter, Sarah and I met Fernando and his son Luca and we took the funicular to the tourist summit of Cerro San Cristobal but this is not the SOTA summit so we had a short walk down and up to activation zone near the communication towers. Fernando kindly lent me his Kenwood D72 handheld that was set with my callsign for the APRS track. Once we had arrived at our chosen activation site Fernando suggested I start calling on 146-fm (the Chile 2m band plan is different to ours). While I was on 2m Fernando was setting up the hf station with a 20m/40m link dipole and the FT-891 with mic and morse key. My first contact was with Patrick CE3AFM, later Fernando connected the J-pole antenna and I had further contacts with CE3VRT Alejandro, CD3EAP Eduardo, CE3MT Marissa and CA3VVO Nicos. I was so chuffed to have qualified and to have worked Marissa who had helped me obtain my licence. I then switched to HF and tried 7-cw and managed to work Horacio LW2DO. The band was very quiet and I had no luck on 7-ssb. I then switched to 14-cw and again the band was very quiet, however, I did manage some dx: Chris F4WBN, Jan OK2PDT and Pasi OH1MM. I had no luck on 14-ssb so I returned to 2m for another two contacts with Juan CE3RIF and Armin CE3MRO. I savoured the moment having completed a successful activation in Chile!

We then returned to the tourist summit for a welcome ice cream and the Chilean speciality drink, Mote Con Huesillo! (a very sweet drink made from a nectar like liquid made from dried peaches, sugar, water and cinammon mixed with husked wheat berries and a half peach). Sarah and I walked up to see the statue of the Virgin Mary. On our return journey Fernando pointed out that we were sat on the same seat in the funicular as Pope John Paul II during his visit to Chile in 1987. I have attached some pictures, APRS track and a video clip with my qsd whilst working Jan OK2PDT! No excuses except that I was just too excited!

Thanks to Fernando for attempting to sort out my licence and for taking us up to the summit with his son Luca and thanks to Marissa for sorting it out for me in time. I have attached APRS file.

https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FG4OOE-7&timerange=3600&tail=360(upload://pMCSOqCTO7JbfHjHhBGODlbrdyG.jpeg)
aprs.fi – live APRS map

Funicular

Summit comms towers

Fernando CA3FJK & Nick CE3/G4OOE

Statue of Virgin Mary

Time	Callsign	Band	Mode	Notes
19:00	CE3AFM	144MHz	FM	Patrick
19:03	CE3VRT	144MHz	FM	Alejandro
19:07	CD3EAP	144MHz	FM	Hilardo
19:08	CE2MT	144MHz	FM	Marissa
19:09	CA3VVO	144MHz	FM	Nicos
19:13	LW2DO	7MHz	CW	Horacio
19:30	F4WBN	14MHz	CW	Chris
19:37	OK2PDT	14MHz	CW	Jan
19:42	OH1MM	14MHz	CW	Pasi
19:52	CE3RIF	144MHz	FM	Juan
19:53	CE3MRO	144MHz	FM	Armin

Also thanks to Fernando for the video clip and APRS file and thanks to all the chasers.

73 Nick CE3/G4OOE