Closing in on the 2K

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I’m about to go out for my 1995th SOTA activation. It seems that 6m and 10m are lively with the Sp. E, so it will be the 10/6/2 GP antenna, and those 3 bands used. I’ll try as many different modes as possible too - hopefully all* five on 10m - CW, SSB, PSK31, AM and FM.

[*All 5 that I can realistically do /P at present].

6m CW, SSB and PSK31 all possible as well, as are 2m CW, SSB, PSK31 and FM.

Will need to start thinking about exactly what I plan my my 2000th activation, which is bound to occur within days!

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Crowborough is the only G summit that I can think of that would allow you to do the activation from a pub.

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Seeesh Tom,
And you get time to play in a band, teach and sink a few ales as well!

Great effort.

Good luck with number 2,000

73
Ron
VK3AFW

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Tom,

I just had a look at your log on the database. Is there anyone you havent spoken to from The Cloud?
Impressive number of activations.
Compton

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Fantastic TOM. Superb score. I hope to be one of the chasers for your 2000th, Activation. I was just now giving the info. to Peter 2E0LKC, (one of your best Chasers), Peter said he hopes it will be from a Summit where we can contact you and suggested, Shining Tor, G/SP-004. I think this will be within range of many of your friends, (just a thought Tom). Please let us know where you decide to Activate.
Best Wishes, 73 de Paul, M0CQE.

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Thanks for the comments guys. A plan for Activation 2K will only really start to hatch once activation MCMXCIX has taken place. So at the moment, I have no idea.

As for activation 1995, it was a lot of fun - apart from the hayfever. To be fair, the hayfever wasn’t too prominent - strong earlier on, but mostly quiet with the occasional burst of activity - almost exactly how the Sporadic E went as well!

A variety of bands and modes were used, all on the 6m-10m trap vertical with groundplane:

10m CW: 5 QSOs
10m SSB: 7 QSOs
10m PSK63: 1 QSO
10m PSK31: 4 QSOs
10m AM: 2 QSOs
10m FM: 4 QSOs
6m CW: 2 QSOs
6m SSB: 1 QSO
2m FM: 19 QSOs

DXCCs: DL, EA, G, GW, I, OE, OK, SP
S2S: G/CE-004, G/NP-017, G/NP-028, G/SP-011

WX: Blazing hot sunshine, 30 degrees.

In conclusion, I should have done 6m first as all the Sp. E had gone by the time I had finished playing with all the modes on 10m!

Now, what will Activation #1996 be…?

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Thanks for the S2S today Tom while I activated/got cooked on G/NP-028 Rombalds Moor. As well as you I worked G/SP-011 and G/NP-017, it was like the good old days having S2S on VHF.

73 Chris M0RSF

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The good old days have never left us Chris. VHF is still the place for the best probability of chancing upon S2S opportunities while activating and without being glued to your mobile phone, just the same as it always has been.

Likewise, great to work you today. I didn’t think to apply suncream beforehand - hmmm.

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Best of all today, one of the S2S stations - I think it was Simon G7WKX/P on Bardon Hill G/CE-004 - told me, on air, that it was mine and Jimmy M0HGY’s article in PW magazine that first inspired him to take up SOTA.

Great stuff! (And if anyone wants to see the El Teide EA8/TF-001 article, please click on the image below):

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Colin has set a standard that will take some beating. You’ll have to at least build a superhet radio onsite to be remotely impressive!

A dds vfo and multimode.

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That’s the problem with these Roman Tablets, the encryption was always pretty ancient :smirk:

GL with the 2K when it comes - you duo millennia you! Any cake?

73

Jack(;>J)

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No. More likely this:

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Why not make it a special event, with as many of us as possible joining you? A cask of ale and 50 kg of crisps…nah! But a get together would be fun!

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I presume you mean Colin.

I have no intention of trying to top that. It is so far beyond my capabilities it is unimaginable.

All I will do, is try to set a whole day aside, and make lots of QSOs.

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Since we are talking cans would this not be more appropriate :smile:

IPA Can.jpg683×1024 98.9 KB

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Noooo. Pub, afterwards, handpull.

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Yep can’t beat a ‘handpull’. Now I think we should stop this line of conversation - hi-hi!!

And all again GL with the 2K. Ol Timmer!!!

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The only cans that I can tolerate go over my ears!

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Nice one :smile:

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So SOTA Activation #1996 on The Cloud G/SP-015, Monday 19th June 2017, was my very first attempt at JT65 mode.

I read a couple of articles at home, and downloaded the JT65android app - the only one I could find to support doing JT65 with a mobile phone. I sure hope there is another one out there somewhere…!

Anyway, I was getting nowhere fast, even though I was able to receive, and, seemingly transmit - using the Wolphi-Link interface and cables between the Samsung Galaxy S2 and FT-817. When I popped onto 2m FM with the handheld, it transpired that Dave M6RUG - one of the stations I had been trying to work on 20m JT65 - had been trying to call me on S20 for half-an-hour!

Dave then provided excellent real-time support as we made the contact happen. As Dave was able to tell me what was coming out on his side (somewhat different to what I was putting in on my side), the lessons were learned quickly. Ultimately, chopping the “/P” off my callsign in the JT65android app, and also the last two letters of the Maidenhead locator, then made it all work, and a few QSOs were made on the mode.

Tell you what though, with taking it in turns at strictly 43 seconds each (with then 17 seconds gap) and a QSO being 3/4 overs each, each contact was taking 8 minutes or so. This mode ain’t for anyone in a hurry! So far, I’m not quite sure what all the clamour for JT65 is about - PSK31 seems much better, even for /P operations. I’ll stick at it for a bit though, and maybe try to persuade Wolfgang to make a DroidJT app.

Things I don’t like about JT65android:

Doesn’t appear to receive everything! An unsolicited email advised that I was receiving far more replies to my CQs than I was aware of!

No waterfall! (Ridiculous, but true)

No way to edit/customise the macros.

BUT - I’m only a few hours into my JT65 journey, so these observations might not be valid and may cause me acute embarrassment if I look back at them in a few weeks!

Also one contact made on 20m CW and a couple on 2m FM.

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