…Paul, G4MD for breaking the 300 Uniques barrier. Only seven SOTA devotees have managed this so far. Well done!
300-400 is probably as hard as 0-300 and only Steve G1INK has managed that so far.
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
The same good wishes also come from me.All the best Geoff G6MZX
In reply to G3CWI:
It was a shame that the Lake District couldn’t arrange a gloriously warm and sunny day for Paul’s activation of Skiddaw G/LD-004 (summit number 300), but when by necessity activations have to be booked so far ahead, you take them as they come. Thankfully Paul has considerable experience when it comes to wet weather activating!
Congratulations and well done Paul - it was a real pleasure to be with you up there in the dreek!
73, Gerald
In reply to G3CWI:
Congratulations Paul. Well done indeed.
73
Robert
G0PEB
In reply to G3CWI:
Many thanks Richard. It certainly appears to get exponentially more difficult to bag the uniques as the total rises, 400 seems to be a very long way off.
Thanks also to Geoff and Robert, and particularly to Gerald G4OIG without whose help and support it would not be possible for me to continue activating uniques at all.
And not forgetting the band of chasers that make each activation such a pleasure!
73 de Paul G4MD
In reply to G3CWI:
Well Done indeed Paul, Giving quite a few of us something to aim for again Hi Hi
Best 73
Tony
Congratulations Paul!
Best of luck for the next 100, I’m sure you will be successful.
73,
Mark G0VOF
In reply to 2E0LAE, G0VOF:
Many thanks Tony, Mark. The trailblazing will go on, but at a reducing pace. With only 55 summits left to do in England and Wales (and two of those being seemingly impossible to get permission for access) the attack on GM will have to begin in earnest! The travel distances involved make that a whole new ballgame…
Good luck with your own activations, hope to work you soon
73 de Paul G4MD
In reply to G4MD:
You can play callsign games instead. When you “finish” G and GW then you can start them again but using your old B callsign. Or with Gerald, he can use his old B call on HF only and you do VHF etc. etc.
That way you can out and revisit hills you particularly liked with spoiling your unique stats. Contrived? Of course but you still get play!
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G4MD:
Paul - To me this is absolutely, awesomely, jaw-droppingly unbelievable! Congratulations!
73
Ken
Congratulations Paul!
I normally reserve my congratulations for achievements which coincide with an award threshold in the programme - like the 250 activator uniques you have already gained. The next one - 500 activator uniques - will be quite something! But fair play - 300 uniques is quite something as well, and the 71 I still need to get there will be as hard as the 229 under my belt.
I have a couple of excursions planned for this summer which should help me towards the 250 mark, but 300 seems a long way off!
So what next for you? It’s obvious isn’t it? Revisit all those 300 uniques so that Roxy can activate them. If you feel you need to maintain your 100% uniques record, then make sure you don’t make any contacts on them yourself!
BTW, we’re now only 5 summits away from completing “Plan A” - to revisit all my uniques so that Jimmy could activate them. That completion is part of this summer’s travel plans - it’s been a long road!
There is another option for you of course - move to Colorado!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
There is another option for you of course - move to Colorado!
Tom M1EYP
Or Scotland!
73
Brian G8ADD
PS Just as an example, a weeks holiday in Glencoe would bring a couple of dozen summits into reach without driving more than 10 miles for any of them, and half of them within walking distance…or you could use the car more and cherry-pick a load of 8/10 point summits!
In reply to G8ADD:
PS Just as an example, a weeks holiday in Glencoe would bring a couple
of dozen summits into reach without driving more than 10 miles for any
of them, and half of them within walking distance…or you could use
the car more and cherry-pick a load of 8/10 point summits!
A preliminary assessment of such schemes has already been made Brian, along with several other options like blitzing the ON, PA or northern F summits. The issue will be getting a pass-out for a week…
The subject of how we continue our sorties once the English summits have been exhausted is aired every time we go out activating. I guess we both know that the most logical option is to increase the distance travelled, increase the number of days spent activating in a session and to increase the interval between the activations. Looks like Dumfries Travelodge here we come. The problem will be keeping fit between sorties.
73, Gerald
The problem will be keeping fit between sorties.
No problem! Options aplenty:
- Do some summits again - if you’ve not done them this year you’ll even get points!
- Do summits again even if you have done them this year. The database won’t give you points, but will acknowledge the activations.
- Go for a nice walk without a radio.
Are those options all too hideous for words?
Now, where to go for Backpackers a week on Sunday…
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G4OIG:
Some of my keen friends actually drive up to Glencoe or Fort Bill for the weekend nowadays, sharing the driving and camping or bunkhousing (and in a few cases campervanning) whilst they are there. I guess that is possible now because of the improved roads, it would not have been on when I was an active climber and the drive took 8 or 9 hours. Of course, they go mostly for the rock or ice climbs, but for SOTA purposes there are closer options such as Arrochar, Crianlarich and Bridge of Orchy. There are some very nice holiday lets in Scotland for the family… 
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Aye, when I was in Glencoe before Christmas there were a couple of guys who’d finished work on friday, driven up to Glencoe for the weekend and were heading back to work on monday morning…in Somerset.
Iain, M3WJZ
In reply to M1EYP:
No problem! Options aplenty: …
Tell my bank manager that! Options 1 and 2 are definite cost additions - my nearest summit is a 100 mile round trip! Besides Tom, you know I won’t break my 100% Uniques record. I see you hope that I will give in, but I have to inform you that you’ll have to wait a long time. Of course there is the possibility that I will use my other call from some of my favourite summits, but only when the spacing between “proper” activations gets to be so large that I am forced to do it to keep the effect of shack fever within reasonable bounds.
No, for the forseeable future the solution is to set out from home fully loaded to keep the fitness level up and take the kit up a local ripple and sit in the sunshine doing a bit of chasing. I’ll start work on finding a suitably private spot right now… it’ll be my Cloud!
73, Gerald
In reply to MM0FMF:
… Or with Gerald, he can use his old B call on HF only and you do VHF etc.
Oi, there’s nothing OLD about my Class B callsign! It was aired only last month. What’s that you missed it Andy? Oh well, I guess my 250mW of 23cms SSB didn’t make it to north of the border. As for using it on HF - hmmm, doesn’t seem right really. Think I’ll drag the 10GHz kit out…
73, Gerald
In reply to MM0FMF:
You can play callsign games instead. When you “finish” G and
GW then you can start them again but using your old B callsign.
Hi Andy
Sadly my RAE pass certificate ( which Ofcom require to re-issue my old Class B callsign) went AWOL in a domestic incident several years ago.
Considered getting a foundation licence but not sure I’d pass the exam 
73 de Paul G4MD
In reply to GI4FLG:
absolutely, awesomely, jaw-droppingly unbelievable! Congratulations!
Many thanks Ken, I find it hard to believe myself at times! When we first started activating together, Gerald and I could remember every summit we’d done and we often discussed after how many summits it would become difficult to recall particular ones without prompts or reminders. Although I didn’t notice it at the time, it was about 120 and since then it has all become a disconnected mass of memories.
73 de Paul G4MD