Nice one John with using FT4 from a summit - first FT mode activator worked today on 20m! Took a few calls to attract your attention. You worked a few stations before me. Have a good one on G/DC-003
73 Phil
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Txs, FT4 is a bit manic!
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Hi all,
FT4 is the winner mode for SOTA data, worked in few minutes Tom @M1EYP John @M0WIV Frank @DL6DBN on 20m and again John @M0WIV on 40m 
73, Éric
F5JKK
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Struggled to decode Ben @GW4BML/P
I struggled to decode Ben @GW4BML/P on 7074 KHZ +753 HZ as MW0USK was much stronger with the same skip condx on +754 HZ but we completed in the end! Thanks Ben.
73 Phil
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Hi Phil what is the program you are using?
Geoff vk3sq
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Geoff JTDX
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Hi Geoff
I have used JTDX now via UDP connection to Logger32 for about 2 years. I stuck with WSJT-X for a couple of years but found JTDX was an improvement for me when I took up with it. K4CY who owns and wrote and maintains the Logger 32 software did most of the development work using JTDX so it goes well together. Some FT8 enthusiasts claim that JTDX decodes better on weaker signals than WSJT-X, but I cannot be sure of that. It took me an hour or two to set it up initially and was worth learning the different moves, fox hounds operation etc
73 Phil
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Well Tom that looked like a success. Congratulations
I worked several SOTA stations including yourself on 20 m FT4. I assumed that it would be short path but late in the session I turned the 2 ele beam and found I should have stuck with long path. I lost a few dB but fortunately (?) the beam has a poor F/B.
Nil on 30 or 40 m here from the spotted stations.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
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Hi Phil,
Just got JTDX installed and running - I was wondering how you get the RH side-window, the one showing a vertical strip of band activity, to show? Also the colored band buttons at the top of the window??
Using v2.2.159-32A.
Thanks, Rob
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Ron,
Than you for the QSO this morning. 
I wasn’t expecting to reach down to your part of the World on FT4 as FT8 is supposed to be the better for DX but whatever you were doing down there worked!
73
John
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Hello Rob
The Band Map is generated from my fab logging program Logger 32 by K4CY. This makes any MGM programme WSJT-X or JTDX for example so much more effective by displaying wanted band contries and providing lots of other options. The band map isn’t available unless you use the UDP function in Logger 32 which links via software to the operators log. I think other logging software may also provide similar functionality, (Log4OM etc) so wonder what you use for logging Rob?
73 Phil
PS The version of JTDX I run is v2.2.259r6462
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That was an interesting morning. I activated Kit Hill G/DC-003 which was covered in cloud when I arrived but the sun eventually burned it off. This photo shows the sun behind the old mining ventilation chimney which sits on the top of the summit.
A total of 29 QSOs were made in just over an hour including two S2S with DL6DBN/P and M1EYP/P. All but one of the QSOs made using FT4 with the exception of one on FT8, which I tried very briefly. Equipment was IC-705, SB linked dipole for 20/30/40m and an MS Surface Go 2 tablet (with BT keyboard) linked by WiFi to the 705.
20m was the most productive band with a QSO with Ron, VK3AFW at 0818 UTC the surprise of the morning. Later I discovered the QSO with R9GB was also DX as they are a long way east, just above Mongolia. I tried 30m FT4 without success but 40m FT4 was successful.
I had set a Tx Macro into WSJT-X with the SOTA reference. I tried using it once but the problem was it wasn’t sending 73 afterwards so the QSO was not being completed. Most of the QSOs were completed very quickly but my QSO with Tom M1EYP/P was very protracted and I must have sent RR73 7 or 8 times before he heard it and replied with a 73 to complete.
It was colder on the summit than I was expecting so I didn’t stay beyond 1000 UTC. In the last 20 minutes I tried 2m FT8 but unusually I couldn’t find any activity. I spent a little time on 2m SSB but without success. I was hoping to see a 2m SSB spot from Pom DG7ACF/P but his activation must have been delayed and with the cold starting to get to me I packed everything away.
Many thanks to Tom M1EYP both for the QSOs and suggesting this event.
As an aside, when I got home I used ADIFMaster to edit the adif file created by WSJT-X to add a new column with the S2S SOTA Reference. This seemed to upload to the SOTA database without problems.
Maps of the QSOs.
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Hi Phil,
Thanks for the tips - I had been using N1MM logger, but have not used it in some while. I’ve just now downloaded, installed and configured Logger32 and, after a few hiccups and very well guided by the excellent Logger32 help PDF, was able to get that band map working here also in tandem with JTDX. A really nice addition!
Thanks again, cheers, Rob
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Great stuff Rob well done! I know you are a very IT literate guy (SOTAMaps was built by you as most of us know) but many people are put off by the initial complicated appearance of Logger32 when they first download it (Free of charge even better!) and give up on it. You have done well to get it working so quickly OM. It does all sorts of station management stuff, I think I must have been using it now for nigh on 20 years and have followed the changes on the Logger 32 reflector, which is well worth joining, for suggested solutions should you get stuck on anything, however most things can be got working by studying the 908 page PDF manual!
73 Phil
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Well done on a successful activation John. When I saw you spotted on 144.174 MHZ I went on to 2m FT8 and made a presence on the band by working stations in IO92 (Birmingham) and IO93 (York) but couldn’t see anything from you. I was horizontal polarisation. Glad you were able to work S2S in the mode with Tom and Frank.
73 Phil
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On the first point, I’m flattered by your remarks - thanks! - but would also note that one or two well-placed and truly IT-literate members of the MT would seriously question that assessment of my, ahem, “abilities”. The SMP is a decent example of what a true amateur can create if they really care about supporting users. It’s old-fashioned now, and frankly well past its’ sell-by date.
Now that I’ve got the logger running, I’ll make some QSOs this evening after dark (when I can get the little vertical set up on the balcony without any neighbours noticing) and give the setup a proper test. At the moment, I’m just receiving through the big dummy load here 
with enough stations making it through to provide a nice view of conditions on 10m.
Cheers, Rob
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Very good Rob. SOTAMAPS may seem old fashioned to some but I find it extremely useful here and now. If I see your callsign pop up on FT8 this evening I will call you.
73 Phil
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Phil,
Thank you for trying. I probably wasn’t on the best position on the hill for VHF to the north.
John
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Sorry, that didn’t really go to plan today.
The weather forecast was exceptional for today - clear skies, light winds and very good visibility according to the Met Office so changed my summit to Moel Siabod.
As I was packing everything ready to go there was a wardrobe malfunction which needed repair (probably due to too little being outdoors this year) but I was on my way up to the summit at 0805 and according to my watch I was there in 1hr 10mins in a cold, windy, cloudy summit 
On the way I realised I’d left my 2m beam antenna at home so no chance of a contact with @DG7AC
It then took 35 minutes to set up:
- The tape I brought for the vertical antenna wouldn’t stick to anything, I think due to the cold
- I got the dipole up, outside of the wind shelter and in the shade
saw that John was on 7.074 so checked the antenna and was getting an SWR near infinity on 40m, but opening the links for 20 m was spot on - I plugged all the cables in and opened JTDX, synchronised the clock but the waterfall was looking very noisy. Checked the settings and the tablet wasn’t recognising the audio input connection so the tablet was just listening to the speaker on the FT817. I’ve tested it at home and it’s fine, it’s only a problem on summits.
I managed 5 contacts on 20m FT8, 3 in Germany, 1 in Coatia and 1 France. I could see other stations working (non SOTA) UK stations but the tablet wasn’t picking up any UK stations, probably due to the high noise and the skip.
I gave up with the FT8 and jumped onto SSB which got 6 contacts including @M1EYP and @MW0IDX, plus another S2S with @DL6FBK. By now I was freezing cold and struggling to write so I packed everything up and moved into the sun for a few more on 2m FM before heading down.
My plan was to try the red dot route up Glyder Fawr (new route for me) after Moel Siabod, however the cloud never lifted from the higher peaks and about halfway down I started feeling extremely tired so decided to give it a miss.
At least there was a good view every now and then:
And in the afternoon I saw Timmy Mallet riding his bike. Not sure why he’s back up in this neck of the woods.
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