This coming Saturday, HB9SOTA is conducting its annual snowshoe excursion, this year to Chasseral HB/BE-104. Of course, it seems we’ve picked the worst possible weather, bitter cold with extreme winds forecast. But everyone has already made their plans… Luckily there is a mountain hotel not terribly far from the summit where we will be able to warm up. In fact, a few of us are going on Friday and will stay at the hotel overnight rather than get up in the middle of the night for an extremely long day on Saturday. (And no, you can’t drive all the way to the hotel; the road is closed in winter, so you must hike in the snow about 2 hours to get there.)
We could possibly have as many as 10 ops or even more on the summit (or fewer depending on how brave they all are, hi hi). Thus, to make sure we all get our 4 QSOs minimum, please don’t hesitate to work HB/BE-104 a second time if you hear a new op calling CQ. To avoid confusion in the logs, please be sure of who is on the air at any given time – we might be switching ops at very short notice when our fingers are about to freeze off. Note, too, that some ops will likely be using the club callsign HB9SOTA.
Thanks for your cooperation, you chasers have always been great.
Hello Chasers
In the night between the 12. and the 13.1.2017 the maximum windspeed was 144 Km/h on the Chasseral. When I activaded HB/BE-104 in the afternoon of the 13.1.2017 it was still very windy and snowing. That is why I only made 4 QSOs. When I came to the hotel at 5 p.a., I realised, that I was the one guest. But today more activators will arrive HB9BQU, HB9CBR, HB9FVF, HB9DQM, HB9EWO.
Have fun working HB/BE-104 today!
73 de HB9BIN, Juerg
[quote=“HB9BIN, post:4, topic:14479”]the maximum windspeed was 144 Km/h[/quote]Yikes! That’s a little too exciting! I trust nobody will try to get any summits on the air if there’s serious risk of them becoming airbourne thanks to excessive winds! Hope the weather’s much calmer today. GL ES 73
Chasseral WX stn currently reports -7.8 °C and 78…90 km/h wind.
Online wind chill calulator tells me this feels like -21°C.
One week ago I operated at -10°C and no wind on DM/BW-235. My CW fingers gave up after 8 QSOs. So let’s hope the brave guys on Chasseral will get the required 4 QSOs into their logs!
Although the guys will be eager to try and at the moment I’ve heard nothing to the contrary but let’s also not be upset if Juerg has to call the activation off. SAFETY FIRST - always.
Ed.
Update: HB9FPM spotted on the summit at 13:51, so they made it - well done!
