There’s a bunch old grey giffers in my radio club who are active in SOTA. Myself and Andrew MM7MOX and Alan MM0VPM. We have some plans for joint stupidity and giffer activities to entertain us and also chasers. However, we had to make a change to one plan as Alan couldn’t come and play. But…
Myself and Andy MM7MOX will be doing the UK’s most Northern mainland Marilyn GM/NS-139 Sgribhis-bheinn this Friday 23rd May. (Alerts in place). This is your usual trivial summit, you know the one you wake up and decide to do with its 8-9hr drive from where me and Andy live, a boat ride and minibus ride etc. Actually, this summit is on the way to Cape Wrath (the name says it all) and Cape Wrath is not connected to the UK road network. We will get a 10min boat ride then a 45-60min minibus ride (how do they get the minibus to the peninsula and does it have an MOT?)
We’re staying well up North and so we will attempt a few other summits over the weekend etc. Of course we have had the most spectacular WX for the last 5 weeks and that is now changing. We did have Monday pencilled for this but moved it to Friday as the WX looks better. Saturday may let us grab a quick summit and Sunday and Monday are better still. But there is rain/showers predicted now
Plans for GM/NS-139 include HF on SSB/CW and we will try 2m (vertical SSB probably) as my good friend Martin GM8IEM is a possible path out on the edge of the country West of Lochinver. Getting 2m QSOs from Cape Wrath will be quite good fun should it happen. Alerts are up but keep an eye out for any spots and changes. Allegedly both Vodaphone and EE have viable coverage from the summit but we shall see. If we have no coverage I will try pass my namesake’s frequency via CW and hope anyone hearing that will spot Andy, I am relying on RBNhole.
Oh and it’s almost 9 years to the day since this was last activated by David G0EVV and the late Terry G0VWP.
Yes indeed, have fun. Unfortunately I am unlikely to be around due to my presence being required for extensive family time, but if I can sneak out from the throng with the KX3 and end fed, I might just be fortunate enough to get you on a summit.
Take care, travel safely and above all enjoy the remoteness… and no doubt the beer.
Looks like Northampton is around 750km from Sgribhis-bheinn which suggests 30m is viable, propagation gods willing. Voacap says 40 and / or 30m 10W CW into low dipoles should be viable from 9am till much later than we will be there. Now it’s not special like a 16000ft hill or as remote as Svalbard, but it’s reasonably remote and difficult to get to for the UK. That means we’ll try to work as many modes/bands as we can. I haven’t decided on antennas yet, KX2 will be there and what, EFHW or the 60/40/30 and 30/20/17m dipoles. Because we are getting the minibus in, the actual walk looks like 1.8km and 200m ascent which doesn’t sound arduous but we haven’t seen the ground conditions yet. Maybe take them all. Or not.
I see Andy has alerted for Hill of Nigg tomorrow PM and I have booked Struie (a unique) for myself probably around 1200Z +/- A9 traffic etc.
I’m in work unfortunately otherwise I’d try and give you a shout.
Sotamat works well in situations like this (just hold your phone next to the mic while pressing the PTT while it sends the squeals). Someone should pick you up.
Sorry for the late addition of Info with you travelling tomorrow - I spoke with Viki MM6BWA/P on Hill of Nigg today and she said that you were perhaps planning activating Hill of Nigg and Struie on your way up North, I thought I would alert you to some wind farm movements that are in the area and how to keep on top of their wherabouts.
The windfarm in question is Strathrory and the movements are from the port of Nigg - Through Alness - and onwards up the Struie road. Tomorrows movement is a blade, and the speed of this convoy will be 15mph and below.
They are maintaining a website with all the information at - Strathrory Deliveries - Energie Kontor
On this page you will also find details of their Facebook page which has updates on cancellations etc and there is also a live tracker accessible from the Facebook app which shows their location in real time.
I don’t forsee you being held up too badly, infact for you to be the Struie Activation at the time predicted - you will have to pass the point of the Road closure(within Alness itself) well before the convoy reaches there. The convoy did not enter the Struie road until 1400BST or so on Tuesday
The Nigg road may give you some issues, but all that was happening on Tuesday was the police escort was directing traffic to reverse into farm road ends etc.
They have to wait for the police escort which is booked for 0930(BST) so there will be no movement prior to that.
Thanks for that. I was planning taking the A9 round via Tain then coming in to the Struie Rd. from the North which may miss everything anyway. It’s a few years since I was last on the Struie Road, they seem to have built a windfarm on Beinn Tharsuinn in the intervening years. Might make it easier to reach the summit now!
Ah, and the status updates are delivered on a Facebook page
Didn’t see him at Drumochter this morning.
I’ll wave if I see him. Currently enjoying 2nd breakfast at the Truckers grill in Newtonmore.
Beautiful day but cold on the fingers.
Andy
MM7MOX
After yesterday’s s2s fest from Hill of Nigg GM-NS-152 on the way North, today was the day we (MM7MOX & MM0FMF) went out to Scribhis Beinn GM/NS-139.
This was brought forward from Monday since it looks like the weather will stop the ferry and minibus transport then.
The 2hr drive to the ferry passed without incident since the NC500 campervan procession hadn’t started yet.
The ferry was good and the minibus driver, intrigued by our activities was happy to drop us off at the highest point on the road nearest to the start of the walk.
The ascent took us 45mins to the trig point and the views were spectacular, we definitely got this on a good day.
We setup separately and set to. Due to a problem with my FT818 I could only do VHF but astonishingly I qualified the activation on 2m. Andy MM0FMF did well on HF.
After a couple of hours in the sunshine we packed up and headed down to wait for the minibus return journey to ferry and home.
The ground still had very soft bits even after the long dry spell, so the going was a bit tricky in places, but a very enjoyable day out.
Footnote : A lot of things lined up for this to work and we were extremely fortunate with the weather. Thanks to Andy MM0FMF for driving , all the chasers waiting for us, and my Mum for looking after us when we got back after a twelve and half hour day.
Andy
MM7MOX
Many thanks for the phone call yesterday Andy (FMF) to see whether I was available to try for a contact. Unfortunately I wasn’t near a rig at the time, but your extremely kind consideration was very much appreciated.
I’m really pleased that the weather was superb for you both and that all the arrangements fell into place in respect of transportation. A day to remember I am sure.
Today’s activation was a shorter jaunt down to Kildonan, across the level crossing and half way down the Glen Loth road. The Glen loth road is not for the faint hearted with potholes and grass up the middle.
Weather forecast wasn’t as good as yesterday but there was a window in the showers. So we set off up the hill following the track to the summit. Beinn Mheallich GM/NS-087. There was a warm wind at our back on the way up and the hill tops cleared around us. The sea came into view from the summit and Brora had the sunshine on the beach and Morven looked resplendent.
The Moray firth looked great.
