It wasn’t the broadcast radio channel sharing effect that grabbed my attention Mark, it was the fact that both stations mixing on 102.8MHz were playing Billy Joel tracks at the same time!
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Hi Tom,
Maybe a “playlist phenomenon” Hi!
Strange co-incidence though.
I remember watching a sitcom many years ago on one TV channel, then switching over to watch another one & found that the plot was exactly the same. Not just very similar, but exactly the same. This was probably sometime in the 1980’s & I didn’t imagine it. Nor did I imagine The UK Subs being played on the Sooty Show 
Do you think you will be out & about tomorrow morning?
Thanks & best 73,
Mark G0VOF
[quote=“M1EYP, post:39, topic:9858”]15m CW[/quote]I had a listen for you, but heard nothing. Sub-optimal antenna (link dipole less than 6 metres high) and nearby electric fences here probably didn’t help any…
73, Rick 5Z4/M0LEP/P in KJ80ih
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Just came back from my summit YO/EC-206. What an hike: 20km, 10 hours, 1000m ascent, snow and a few hours after sunset using headlight. My record hike with over 38k steps.
73,
Petronel
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Thanks Phil and Mark.
Good to hear you both in there along with many of the regulars.
Not so sure about all the DLs. I’m sure some must have thought I was some exotic DX - didn’t recognize many familiar callsigns.
Turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day.
My only regret is that I didn’t get some photos of the spectacular sunrise, as I was knee deep in DLs at that time 
I must admit, I was feeling a bit tired by the time I got home after being up and about for 21 hours (night shift).
The 3 hours sleep before Christmas dinner was welcome.
Oh, and I must sort out my ATS4. Yet again, in sub zero temps, I get distorted audio on receive. It only manifests itself during the winter months! I’ve popped the rig in the fridge to see if I can replicate the issue at home. I suspect I have a dry joint somewhere 
Now finished work for Christmas and new year, so hope to be out again soon.
MX es HNY
72
Pete
Well, this topic has morphed more into “Christmas activations” rather than “Christmas Day activations”, but that’s just fine. I always prefer to use existing topics rather than start a new one at every slight opportunity!
The 27th and 28th of December turned out to be unanticipated non-activating days, due to a surprise dep gig coming up on the Saturday. Playing with this outfit - https://earcandylive.co.uk/band-detail/motown-gold/ - in Solihull - also meant a lie-in and generally restful day on the Sunday. However, come Sunday night I was getting itchy feet, especially with the favourable weather forecast for the next couple of days.
However, Marianne advised that she was off work on the Monday and wanted to go out for a walk. SOTA tends not to be allowed on walks with The Government. Double however, Marianne also advised that she would be commencing her Monday with a lie-in. Therefore I set my alarm for 5am on Monday 29th December 2014, and plotted an early morning activation of Shining Tor G/SP-004. After all, the three winter bonus points were still available to me for this one, even if the two summit points had already been bagged.
I took it easy on the roads, which looked pretty icy, and the temperature was certainly subzero as I set out from Macclesfield. The A537 Cat & Fiddle road was not closed, and there were a few cars coming the other way down Buxton Road. Sure enough, the road was clear of snow all the way to the Cat & Fiddle, however, the parking spot was very iced up. Hence I went past it, turned around, and pulled into it so that I was facing downhill!
After booting and kitting up, I commenced along the track with the light of my Petzl headtorch illuminating the particles of fog as much as anything else. With little to see other than the snow beneath my feet, the walk seemed to take spookily longer, but it was good fun nonetheless. The “landmarks” of the various dry stone walls and kissing gates were only visible once within a few feet of them, so it was mainly a case of following the bootprints in the snow and having faith!
Upon reaching the summit, I assessed the direction of the prevailing breeze, which was thankfully fairly light, and dug myself a shelter in the snow by the corner of the wall. Up went the 30m dipole, and I switched on the radio. The band seemed quite lively, and I initially answered a couple of CQ calls from S5 and SM. I then settled myself on 10.120MHz and called CQ SOTA. I wasn’t too upset that the first calls did not attract a reply, as it gave me time to pour my first hot coffee of the morning from the flask.
A steady run of 20 QSOs was had on 30m CW, and I even managed to video one of them!
After packing away, I put out the obligatory call on the 2m FM handie, and worked Ian GW6MXJ. With that, the radio was all quiet and I got on my way with the return walk. This was now very different in character. Not only was it daylight, but visibility was excellent under clear blue skies and bright sunshine. The walking was such a pleasure that I yearned for more.
After returning home, I persuaded Marianne and Liam to come out with me for a walk in Macclesfield Forest. We walked from Trentabank Reservoir towards Shutlingsloe, although I lost out on a majority vote and was unable to take the spur to actually summit the “Cheshire Matterhorn”. We continued to Standing Stone and then completed the circular walk following the road back down to Trentabank.
A pub lunch was taken at the Puss In Boots, but still I yearned for more. Marianne and Liam stated that they would be watching “Frozen” at home that late afternoon. I took this as a cue to excuse myself, and get out for some more hilltop fresh air.
It was already going dark, and was completely so by the time I pulled onto the iced-up parking area for Gun G/SP-013. As I started walking, I noticed that the front of my left thigh was sore and possibly strained. Fortunately, this eased slightly during the rest of the evening. I didn’t bother going all the way to the summit of Gun, even though it is only a short easy walk. I got as far as the marker stone which is well within the activation zone, and set up there.
I was interested to compare the just-after-dusk performance of the 30m band with that from just-before-dawn early that morning. There was no comparison. The band was all but dead. The fact that an auto RBN spot was generated from a skimmer in Spain gave me encouragement to persist, but to little avail. Richard G3CWI was worked to banish the spectre of the possibility of erecting an aerial and taking it down without making a contact! I ploughed on and on, and at least got a call from EA8, possibly even a new one for the year on 30m CW.
That crumb of satisfaction was enough to encourage me to give it up as a bad job and pack away. On 2m FM, I added two further QSOs to take me to the nominal four for the activation, not that I needed that having activated this summit many times already in 2014. It was bitterly cold - in fact it had remained a constant 1 degree Celcius all day - and my padded gloves were very welcome, even for a five minute return walk to the car.
Next was the drive across the Dane Valley to The Cloud G/SP-015 for a final bit of exercise for the day. The 30m dipole was jettisoned from my rucksack, as I predicted that the band was not about to reopen. Instead, 40m was the plan for this one.
On the ascent, I noted how treacherous some of the underfoot conditions were. Even the iced-up sections had been generally safe all day, but now there were some really dangerous patches that I made a mental note of, to watch carefully on the later descent. I went all the way to the summit this time, mainly so that I could use the topograph as a backrest and shelter.
Well 40m was a bit better than 30m was on the previous summit, but not by much. Five chasers were worked before I was flogging the proverbial dead horse. I packed up and put out a call on 2m FM. Richard G3CWI had been messaging me on Facebook during the activation, and generally ribbing me about his nice warm house and roaring fire. To be fair though, he did put a 2m FM spot on for me - for some strange reason, even though Facebook Messenger was working FB on my smartphone, SOTAwatch was struggling to get an internet connection. Anyway, eight QSOs were added on the handheld, before I got on with the descent.
The return walk, albeit only a few minutes, was every bit as horrible as I feared it might be. Several sections of the path were so dangerous with polished ice - at a gradient - that I had to avoid it completely and trudge through the snow-filled heather to the sides.
A fine day’s walking!
Now where else could I glean some extra points from? Well, quite remarkably I had not visited Kinder Scout G/SP-001 at all in 2014. Remarkable as it is the fourth nearest summit to my home QTH. Seven points going begging if I could squeeze it in before year end.
The weather was again forecast to be good on Tuesday 30th December 2014. Marianne and Jimmy were both out early to work. Liam and I set out around 10.30am from Macclesfield, for the approximately 45 minute drive through Whaley Bridge and Chapel-en-le-Frith towards the village of Edale. Just before Edale, we turned left for the usual Barber Booth parking area - which was full. I pulled onto the verge opposite the main parking area, as several other vehicles had done.
This approach begins frustratingly with 2km of dreary road walking to Upper Booth and Lee Farm, and then a futher 1km to the foot of Jacob’s Ladder. It was perhaps slightly less dreary thanks to the abundance of treacherous icy patches that needed avoiding - or care in traversing. At the stone bridge beneath Jacob’s Ladder, we paused for our first snack of the day - milk chocolate covered Ritz crackers - very nice!
Jacob’s Ladder itself was not pleasant with ice and very compacted snow. I made a mental note to use the more graded alternative of the packhorse track for the descent. Snow and ice remained a problem all the way to the summit from here. The snow wasn’t deep and it wasn’t wet. However, it had been pounded under hundreds of boots, and was, shall we say “smooth”? Just as slippery as the numerous ice-coated rocks and flagstones anyway.
Nonetheless, it was not too disruptive, as we were ascending and our body weight was pushing forward. It was clear though that due care would be required for the late afternoon descent to come. After climbing past Swine’s Back and Edale Rocks, we got a glimpse of the white trig point at Kinder Low, 633m ASL. This is around half a mile from the actual summit at 636m ASL, but well within the activation zone, and indeed my intended operating spot. Kinder Low features several lofty boulders, and at least one of them is usually good for shelter. I identified which one was best, and started setting up the 17m groundplane antenna.
18MHz was the band of choice today. This was because I had made the grand total of zero CW QSOs on that band in 2014 so far, and therefore it was the best bet to improve my score in G3WGV UK CW Table before scores are finalised after midnight New Year’s Eve. (John G3WGV is the founder of SOTA and runs the UK CW Table - http://ukcwtable.g3wgv.com ).
Meanwhile, Liam and I made short work of the flask of Baxter’s Chicken Broth for our lunch. Liam then focused on gaming with his Nintendo 3DS, and I started calling. After a Russian station answered my first call, it was apparent that the RBNgate had worked its magic, with familiar chaser callsigns coming through.
Although I was carrying a headtorch, I wanted to be at least back at the foot of Jacob’s Ladder before darkness fell. As such, I figured I would look to close down the radio side of things around 2.30pm. The 17th and last 17m CW contact came, conveniently, at 1428 UTC, and it only then took one unanswered call before I packed away.
Calling on 2m FM with the HT, as promised/alerted prior to descent, brought in three more taking the activation total to 20 QSOs. The underfoot conditions downhill were tricky as anticipated. Well they were for me anyway. Liam seemed to make short work of this and quickly raced into a commanding lead. His green Dunlop wellies seemed to be doing better than my Hi-Gear boots.
The packhorse alternative was taken to avoid Jacob’s Ladder as planned, and as intended, we were back at that stone bridge still in daylight. Now for the mainly level - but very long plod back to Barber Booth. We reached the car under attractive early moonlight at around 4.45pm.
Many thanks to all chasers that called in.
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I hadn’t realised this had turned into a festive activation thread!
Anyway, after my Christmas day activation I finally finished work on Sunday and squeezed a few winter bonus points out before the new year.
Yesterday was absolutely superb weather on Brown Clee and Titterstone Clee Hills.
Winter days don’t come much better than these.
It was worth waiting for the sunset on Titterstone even if it meant driving all the way home in the dark.
Although the forecast for today was promising, it turned out to be rather overcast on Great Rhos with a brief snow flurry thrown in for good measure. Still a marvelous day and glad I made the effort to get out.
That’s all for this year but there are plenty of bonuses available over the next 3 months…
HNY
Pete
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Super report and photos Pete. The sunset in particular is a great shot.
Thanks to Steve G1INK for pointing out I had posted a link to a whole YouTube channel playlist, rather than just the Shining Tor CW QSO. I have edited this now. No doubt some were surprised by the unexpected blast of Billy Joel!
I hadn’t expected time and permission to activate on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday 31st December 2014, but both materialised during the morning. After a few errands, I found myself walking up The Cloud G/SP-015 just before noon. The sections of the path just after the top of the steps, and just before and after the National Trust boundary were treacherous, with erosion, water, mud and ice rendering the paths almost unusable. Nonetheless, the summit was just as busy as one would expect on another beautiful winter’s day.
There wasn’t a hope of getting a spot on one side of the topograph with the hordes up there, so I wandered further along and set up close to the edge of the escarpment, using a bank of heather behind me as some sort of nominal shelter. Again I went for the 17m band with the homemade groundplane antenna.
The radio was great fun, and I made 58 contacts on 17m. These were 19 on SSB, 4 on PSK31 and 35 on CW. The highlights included a great chat with Wilfried EA8/DG1WG on Tenerife Island, running 10w from his Icom IC-703, and a S2S with Jurg OE/HB9BIN/P on Walmendinger Horn OE/VB-376.
As I was making my final contact - LA9AJA - a chap introduced himself as Tim 2E1DCL. He explained that he had been away from the hobby since 2001. He was amazed to hear about the current popularity of amateur radio in general and SOTA in particular, and all the changes like the three tier licence system, the removal of CW as a barrier into HF, that his “Novice” licence was now Intermediate and such like.
A great SOTA activation to round off 2014. Happy New Year one and all.
Tom M1EYP
Hi Pete
If I’d known you were going to activate Great Rhos yesterday I would have left you an energy bar on the trig as a Xmas gift 
Happy New Year
Allan GW4VPX
Tom, at the start of your Shining Tor video am I the only one to note the time on your clock?
73 Chris M0RSF
Hi Allan.
To be honest I wouldn’t have seen it - I gave up on the trig point!
I’ve never found an easy way through the bracken even on a non snow day.
Well yesterday I followed the path until my GPS indicated the trig was just to my left. I turned 90º and headed towards it (It’s a trig you don’t see until you almost fall over it). I was immediately waist deep in snow and bracken and after about 25 yards I could see the trig point ahead. Another step closer and, even after prodding with my walking poles, I stepped into a hollow which nearly devoured me, chest high in snow! I though b******s to this, the nice gate post and fence is well within the AZ, so fought my way back to pick up the trail!
What surprised me even more were the number of boot prints in the snow and then seeing no less than 8 people and 3 dogs! I’ve never seen a sole (pun intended) up there before.
What is your approach to the trig point?
Here’s mine (red) from yesterday.
HNY
Pete
I’m sure you weren’t the only one to notice Chris. 0817 is there for all to see. Is there anything significant about that? (I’m presuming there must be for you to mention it, but I can’t fathom what it might be).
Perhaps the Rig?
Pete
Hi Pete
Yes, it was tough going getting to the trig from the gate:( I followed the fence for a few hundred yards then cut across towards the trig. If I’d kept going along the fence I would have found a faint path which leads to the trig. I came back that way and picked up one of those quad bike like trails which brought me back to the main route as shown on your GPS pic. Whether or not I can remember where it is remains until next time as the batteries in my GPS went flat so no record of the return journey.
As you know the AZ is a large one and next time (back in the New Year) I think I’ll be operating a little closer to the gate and fence like you did. Enjoyed the day and very happy with all the contacts.
HNY Allan GW4VPX
Report of activation of Great Rhos on http://mw0bbu.blogspot.co.uk
Ha ha ha. Brilliant. Or it would have been if I had set that up deliberately. Perhaps it is even more brilliant that it was a complete accident. And that I had no idea what Chris was going on about!
All these early mornings catching up with me I fear…
Yes 817, or to our American friends eight seventeen. Brilliant! What a coincidence.
Just sat having a few quiet drinks while waiting for the New Year.
Happy New Year to all, and may all your days off be sunny ones.
73 Chris M0RSF
For my New Year’s Day activation I drove my Dad and the family out from Kendal (where my Dad John lives) to a layby beside the start of the path for G/LD-049 Kirkby Moor. Dad was already dressed for bad weather. My wife and sons suited and booted up. We set off in the steady rain towards the summit wind turbine which was rotating at a fair lick. About 20 minutes later we were hiding in the lee of the summit cairn. Rain was coming in horizontal. I deployed the group shelter and got the rest of the family to get into it. These orange tents are the ones that 4 people through over their heads, tuck under their bottoms and facing inwards sit down together. The theory is great. THe reality is a comedy. As I was setting up the dipole and finding all the bits for the activation, it cheered me up no end as the four of them struggled to come to an amicable arrangement. In the end Ann-Cha and Peter M6EMP fell out of the huddle, requested the car keys and descended.
Clive M6CVD in Walney Island answered my CQ on 2m FM and agreed to register with SOTAwatch so he could put a spot on for me. THank you. Touch screen phones - even my new Galaxy are useless in the rain! Bob G6ODU and Rob G0HRT followed. I was astonished to have an S2S with Chas 2W0VAC from Foel Fenlli GW/NW-051. I assume he was hiding in the 3000 year old earthworks from the same vile weather as me. That’s what Peter and I did when we were there a couple of weeks ago. Colin M0NVJ was my final caller. Tom M6GGZ was not coming out from inside the group shelter until packing up time. No way Dad - not even for a S2S.
Any thoughts of an afternoon activation of G/LD-038 Grayrigg Forest had long been abandoned. So we descended asap and returned to Dad’s house for a change of clothes and a traditional post-activation trip to the Watermill Inn in Ings. The rain in the afternoon would have had Noah going back to his shipyard.
I have 10 summits still to activate in Lake District region to complete the 57 [including Baystones] and it’s Dad’s 80th birthday in June. He’s recovering well from a knee ligament injury which had him carried off Caudale Moor by two MRT’s. He’s restarting low level fell walks with his pal Bill so should be able to join me to complete my main challenge in SOTA [activate all G/LD]. He walks like me downhill now. It’s quite uncanny.
Happy new year / Blwyddyn Newydd Dda pawb
David M0YDH
PS in one of the worst conditions in which I’ve ever operated [or normal for Gerald and Paul] the Rite in the Rain notebook I used as my log performed well. It was covered in rain, kept taking the pencil script, has bits of grass stuck to it that were blowing around and has dried out perfectly. All the pages are separate. The last time I tried this with a plastic leaf notebook it welded together solid.
73
David
We went up to EA5/CS-015 Bartolo this morning, accompanied by our nephews and other family members. Very warm 17C and sunny weather again required short sleeve at one point!
Certainly the excesses of a couple of nights ago took its toll as I could not quite concentrate on my CW keying with the nephews buzzing around. We bagged about 45 QSOs on 15, 17, 20, 30m.
NIL on 10m.
Aerial used: 30ft wire wound on a 7m pole, 9:1 betterqrp unun, T1 & 6m of RG58. This aerial setup seems to be suboptimal w.r.t the others I normally use - my guess due to the lack of counterpoise wire.
Many thanks to all the chasers.
I will go up to EA5/CS-015 tomorrow morning.
73 Angel (from sunny EA5/CS)