I had a good day operating in the Algarvian hills yesterday. I picked up the Seat Ibiza diesel hire car at 10.00am - we have it for five days. This should allow us time to tour the area north of the coastal strip and activate the eight AL summits, and I hope, CT/BT-001 Serra de Mu, in the adjacent Baixo Alentijo region.
Out of the 119 QSOs made yesterday on three summits, most were on the 20m band, and I had to cut short the final session on AL-008 by just using 20m due to the success and resultant time spent on AL-004 (a hill known locally as Picota) where 69 QSOs were made on 20 and 17m.
We broke the day for our lunch at a bar/cafe in the hill town of Monchique between AL-001 and AL-004.
At breakfast today after looking to the weather forecast, we will decide our day, my XYL Judy is still asleep. . I expect to activate one or two summits and will alert the proposed activity in a few hours time.
On this trip I am using an FT-817 with 5 watts to a .link dipole for the 17/20/30m bands on a 5m pole. Yesterday I operated with the FT-817 internal battery on AL-004 (69 QSO), and used an external 3 AH laptop backup battery on AL-008 (21 QSO) and AL-001 (29 QSO).
Activities planned for today a walk from the Cicerone Guide to the Algarve over Serra da Rocha da Pena AL -007 with lunch in Penina then later in day AL-005 Monte das Sarnadas. Timing as usual is variable.
Just missed you yesterday for a S2S - GM/SS-173. I noticed you were on 17 so QSY’d from 40. Wasn’t sure what freq you were on, but tracked you down and you were just finishing with Roy SSH when I turned my 817 to fit the key jack in the back and knocked the tuning knob. I hadn’t noted your QRG and tuned around again - but you were gone - arggggggg!!! Operchancity missed (;>(
Thanks for the two contacts yesterday Phil = Completes for me. I could imagine the scene as you activated them. I just missed you on AL-001 as I was chasing someone activating the last GM/SS summit who will remain nameless…
I think you will enjoy the summits today. Both have excellent views out to the coast. I am sure you have sussed out the access for AL-005 (which I didn’t fully and ended up walking further than I had intended) and AL-007 on which you keep to the main path even though it does take you away from the summit before you access the summit plateau.
You are doing a great job activating all those summits. Congrats!
Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be able to work you as you are not prepared for short skip bands during the day (I mean 40).
I tried to hear you but no way. I could only hear the other EU countries calling you. Today I’ll give it a try again but the hope levels to work you keep very low.
In the meanwhile have a good stay in CT1 Land and enjoy all your activities (both SOTA and holidays). The WX seems to be cooperating so that you can go back home with plenty of good memories.
Good day today, as usual hot unbroken sun, but we are told the weather is about to change. Condx very good PM on AL-005, think the DX Cluster picked up my presence on 18Mhz CW, so no time left for SSB on that band, or 10 MHz, which has so far been a disappointing band.
AL-007 4.5 miles circular walk 37 QSOs
AL-005 0.8 miles there and back walk 56 QSOs.
Again will do one or two summits tomorrow, decide in the morning.
Just missed you on AL-007 yesterday Phil - quite literally heard you make the move - you’d gone by the time I had called. Unfortunately the noise level was too high here to work you on SSB. However, many thanks for the 18MHz CW QSO from AL-005… looks like you found the correct track to the summit, Hi!
Hopefully catch you later and I hope that the weather stays fair. Your comment about unbroken sun reminded me that it was 36C in the shade when I activated AL-007 and BT-001.
Glad to get you on AL-005 Gerald. We woke up to fog today and slept in. Its lifting now so we are trying to do 3 summits which should just leave AL-003. Sorry I was unable to work the close in stations Carlos, I made the 3 band dipole for the trip as time on summits is limited. I hope you may hear me today if you are QRV, but 5 watts produces little scatter for shorter range QSOs.
I would prefer not to be put on the DX Cluster as happened yesterday on 17m. The CT7 prefix seems to be sought after, as are WARC band slots by the DX crowd and that I think reduces the chance of SOTA chasers getting through the pile up which resulted. I had to QRT with stations still calling due to lack of time. Ants were biting on AL-005.
Looking to the hills now WX looks unpredictable, we leave soon and hope the storms do not come.
Thanks for the QSO’s from AL-006 today, I was amazed to hear you at all on 30m as that has been quite poor lately. 20m seemed to be the most successful band & you were a genuine 599 at first. All the bands were badly affected by QSB but thanks for pulling me out on 17m SSB just as you were going QRT. 17m is a very noisy band here & I could only hear you well enough to work using my 5m vertical, my 80m loop was just too noisy.
Hope to catch you on a few other summits over this weekend.
Thank You Phil for the S2S - CT7/AL-006 … F/CR-254
Pse send me few pictures from your summit … via my email.
I would like to make a movie.
See you next
73 Roger
Thanks again for CT/AL-006 on 30 mtrs. Signal was not so good as it was last thursday on CT/AL-008. Just missed CT/AL-001. We went into town here on Texel island for shopping
73 cuagn Tonnie PA9CW/p from Texel island.
Hi Phil, I heard you on AL-006 today on 20m directly after my 40m run on GM/WS-328. By the time I had pulled the links for 20m you had gone to 30m, c’est la vie!
Thanks for help today with spots and QSOs. Condx superb on first summit AL-006 with 71 QSOs. Struggled then on the latter two “after the Lord Mayor’s show” … condx were not conducive for QRP working. I left 20m SSB alone from my last one BT-001 after listening, due to the SSB Field Day Contest, 18Mhz was pretty good though.
One summit left on the list to do - AL-003, ei!ther tomorrow or Monday.
Hi Steve
Sorry I moved so quick, a QSO would have been nice… Hope you have good WX. We had a little rain today,but just a dampening. Have a good one Steve…
Great stuff Roger, I’ ll send a pic after I get home on Thursday. Sadly I have no means to transfer photos from my camera to the hard drive etc until them. Great to make the S2S QSO, one of several today.
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73 Phil
Think I got you on Two out of Three today. QSO count of 122 in the day.
Open Street Map and TomTom is my saviour in foreign places with Android app OSMAND+, a lovely mapping combination to help find the summits. Your own reports on Summitsbase News a big help, also an obliging XYL…it’s good to share the knowledge
Hi Phil - many thanks for the two Completes today. AL-002 was a casualty of poor conditions and I had absolutely no chance of working you on that. At least on the others, the 300Hz filter and DSP in combination allowed me to beat the high local noise level.
I hope to work you on AL-003 - let’s hope the conditions are good for that one.
Pleased the reports were of use. I thought you may have read them as you were able to access AL-005 without the “detour” that I managed to achieve.
I could imagine the scene as you activated them. I just missed you on AL-001 as I was chasing someone activating the last GM/SS summit who will remain nameless…
