Ben GW4BML, commenced his Sota journey in June 2021. Just one year later he had achieved 1000 Activator points and the coveted Mountain Goat. At this time Ben was also trying his hand at CW so I suggested to him that he should follow in my footsteps and work towards achieving a Mountain Goat - all CW. I am very pleased to announce that on Thursday 15th February 2024, along with 9 others I worked Ben whilst he was on Foel Goch GW/NW-039 on the 80m band using CW. This was his 1000th Activator point using CW, achieved in just over 12 months and the first Welsh Operator CW Goat. Welcome to the CW Herd Ben.
30 Likes
Ben, Very Many Congratulations Indeed . Magnificent to be the First Welsh MG. You really are Amazing to have done this and especially using CW. 73. de Paul M0CQE.
2 Likes
Congratulations Ben! I hope you are feeling very proud of yourself as your CW sounds very nice, well done on reaching a high standard in such a short time.
3 Likes
Just to be picky, I’m pretty sure that when applying the CW mode filter on the SOTA Database honour roll, it includes each activation that has at least one CW QSO within it. So it is theoretically possible that some of those included activations could have <4 CW contacts within them, and therefore the total wouldn’t add up to MG - from a totally purist point of view!
Having said that, Ben is an activating machine, and I would be astonished if he ever operated on the key from a summit and didn’t make a shedload of QSOs!
Congratulations mate, and from an entirely personal perspective, it’s great to note the achievement by a fellow CW op of the “No Morse test” generation - ie those of us that decided to do CW simply because we wanted to, and after the abolishment of the 12wpm and 5wpm tests that were gateways to certain licence classes.
Now, hope nobody minds, but I’m making the executive decision not to push this one as a SOTA publicity press release. Ben (and Martha) have featured a lot as the image of amateur radio and SOTA in the media over the past couple of years, and perhaps the world needs reminding that older and less good-looking people are involved with AR too…
7 Likes
GW4BML
MG, all modes, all bands, 2022-06-18 GW/NW-061
MG, all FM, all bands, 2022-11-19 G/LD-009
MG all SSB, all bands, 2024-01-03 EI/IE-021
MG all CW, all bands, 2024-02-15 GW/NW-039
8 Likes
Thank you for the clarification Andy, data base wizard.
5 Likes
Congratulations Ben on CW 
…
73 Allan
4 Likes
Congratulations Ben, great stuff!
3 Likes
Congratulations Ben on being the first Welsh operator to achieve Mountain Goat all on CW
Jimmy M0HGY
4 Likes
Many congratulations Ben
73
Ian
G4WTF
3 Likes
Congrats Ben!
3 Likes
Well done Ben. Also thanks for the 80m ssb QSO.
73,
Rod
3 Likes
Thank you very much @G0EVV David for the kind words. Also thank you for encouraging me to take up CW, I’m so glad I took in what you said - I’m really enjoying the mode and will continue to do so!
73, Ben
GW4BML
6 Likes
Thank you very much all it’s been a very exciting journey.
73, Ben
GW4BML
4 Likes
Congratulations Ben, awesome achievement in such short time! Well done, and I’m sure you won’t be stopping with the 1xMG!
3 Likes
Congrats Ben.
Good going in getting there in a little over 13 months.
3 Likes
An amazing achievement, many congratulations. 
3 Likes
Well done Ben. Given it was mentioned you only started using morse in 2021 I hope you don’t mind me saying that your morse is really good. I hear it takes some people for ever (or ( never ) to reach that level of competence at all.
3 Likes
Congratulations Ben and thank you for encouraging me to have a go at activating CW.
4 Likes
Good work Ben 
. FT-8 MG next?
1 Like