G4YSS: GM/CS-080 MEALL TAIRNEACHAN, 21-06-24
Issue-1 (pse rprt errors)
Activation of MEALL TAIRNEACHAN GM/CS-080-4
21st June 2024 using G(M)4YSS. Unaccompanied
HF - QRO on 40-20-15m CW/ SSB & 2m-FM
All times: BST (UTC plus 1hr, UOS as ‘z’)
EQUIPMENT:
FT817ND HF/VHF/UHF 5W Transceiver
MX-P50M, 50 Watt HF Linear Amplifier 80-10m with 160m capability
Link dipole for 80m thru’ 20m on a 5m CFC (carbon fibre composite)/ alloy mast
1m CFC end-sticks
One HRB 5 Ah Li-Po battery
J-Pole for 2m FM
Reserves:
IC-E90, 4-band, 5W VHF H/H with extendable 2m set-top helical for 4m FM (not used)
UV-3R 2W/ 2-Band H/H (top pocket)
QRO pack: 9.4kg (20.7 pounds) including umbrella, light down jacket & 0.75 litre drinks.
INTRODUCTION:
This summit, which shouldn’t be confused with the similarly named Meall nan Tarmachan, acivated on the 19th, was the forth and final activation during our nine-night break at Lochs and Glens Loch Tummel Hotel from 13th to 21st June 2024.
This was our final day so the weather would have had to have been quite bad to put me off a small hill at least. The forecast was acceptable so I went for a medium sized mountain, very close to the hotel that I hadn’t been on before. It can be accessed up a mine road reminiscent of a forest track. In fact for the first mile (1.6km) it is a track through Tay Forest Park.
EXECUTION and ROUTE:
The parking place for CS80 is just off the B846 at NN 7800 5622 (320m ASL). This is a small pull-off at the opposite (west) side of the road to the mine road. Announced by notices, parking and driving are prohibited. Pass through an open area and go up the gravelly track and over a cattle grid at NN 7806 5616 after which point the gradient increases. This track may be quite boring and a bit rough in places but it’s an easy and convenient way to gain most of the height required for CS80. More waypoints: NN 7843 5587, NN 7880 5573 and a left hand curve at NN 7894 5550.
Leave the trees behind at NN 7914 5567 crossing the second cattle grid at NN 7925 5557. These are heavy duty grids designed for heavily loaded mine vehicles. This one has almost a one metre deep space underneath, so don’t drop your camera as I almost did. You reach a point at NN 7937 5547 on a right hand curve where the track levels out before losing about 8m of altitude into a shallow dip at NN 7946 5525. Climb up via a left curve at NN 7980 5484 to a third cattle grid - NN 8018 5480.
At NN 8073 5472 the track flattens out and turns sharp right and just ahead is the point where it can no longer be of help. As the track turns off left at NN 8073 5467, leave it and go straight on. This point is marked by a thick steel reinforcing bar threaded with nut and knocked into the ground at an angle. A fairly well-defined grassy path goes from here all the way to the summit (and beyond) via NN 8073 5467 and NN 8073 5440 to the trig point (TP-2183) which I GPS’d on arrival at NN 80748 54368.
After a 5 minute/ 2.5 mile drive from the hotel, I set off walking in clear conditions at 09:31. After my fifth pair of Scarpa Ranger GTX boots failed quite spectacularly on CS15 two days prior, I wore some £30 unbranded fabric boots that came from ebay for local walking. Though claimed, having soaked my feet in them on Skiddaw in 2022, they’re not waterproof but would prove adequate for this task.
By the time I left the track the cloud was down on the summit and that didn’t clear for over an hour. It was quite breezy up there and I couldn’t find a good place to operate, knowing 40m of wire was about to be erected. After walking around for a while the mast went into a slight dip about 20m SE of the trig with the dipole set up NE/ SW.
MEALL TAIRNEACHAN - GM/CS-080: 787m, 2pts, 10:42 to 14:11. 11C. 15 mph west wind. Dull overcast with low-cloud until half way through. A very light drizzle on descent. Vodafone coverage 4G. LOC: IO86AP, WAB: NN85 – Trig TP-2183
Alerts earlier in the day were for 7.160; 7.033 and 14.061 but other opportunities arose later. I assume alerts are more likely to be effective if put on the night before but I don’t always alert.
40m SSB - 20 QSO’s:
7.160 SSB (WAB frequency) DISRUPTION!
An IC706-2G and H/B mobile whip in the car enabled me to hear WAB enthusiast Steve G4HPE on the drive to SOTA’s every morning. Today was no exception so I knew in advance that the band was in good condition for UK traffic. I wasn’t to know then that my WAB plan would be mostly thwarted.
There were two stations chatting on 7.160 when I switched on. At first I thought it was a random QSO but soon realised that I’d switched on during ‘Calls and Comments.’ This is something the WAB net do when there’s no mobile traffic and it consists of handing the mic. round the fixed stations on the net, partly to keep the frequency but also so they can collect one another’s WAB square, book numbers etc. They leave gaps for mobiles and portables. It’s all highly organised and slick which is why I like the WAB net. Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve been one of them since 1987 (book No 7664) specializing in remote portable squares and mobile activity. Anyway, that’s an aside.
I wasn’t quite ready but I jumped into one of these gaps while it was on offer and was answered by GM6ZAK Andy in Fife 59/ 55. That’s a callsign I recognize as WAB and as is routine, I was asked if I wanted to be run down the net. First in was M0ICR Carl in London but that was the moment the music started. It was loud, very loud! Music played in SSB is often a bit distorted but I could hear all the words of this song for the several minutes it was present. Carl and I ignored it, the accepted method, managing to exchange 59/ 57, somewhat optimistically and more like 39/ 37!
Running down further I managed with difficulty and one repeat to exchange the same reports with M5JB Jerry in Holmfirth, whence my NN85 and the SOTA got swapped for Jerry’s SP22. Whether there were any others on the net I never found out. The music abruptly stopped but Andy, who was obviously exceedingly upset, suggested it would be better for me if I found my own frequency and self spotted. That way, anybody on the WAB net could find me and claim the square. He also mentioned that this wasn’t the first time that this had happened and they knew who was responsible, adding, ‘You’ll be better off as they don’t target SOTA stations, only WAB.’
This particular incident didn’t upset me personally but I’ve witnessed it in the past and the whole idea of someone jamming bona fide amateur radio QSO’s certainly does. It’s highly reminiscent of the moronic behaviour we had to suffer on CB in 1983 and later on the GB3YC 2m-FM repeater in the 2000’s. Whether this is just someone who’s got hold of an transmitter or indeed a licenced amateur is unknown but this is not what amateur radio should be about. My heart bleeds for the Worked-all-Britain ops who are merely going about their business in pursuit of an innocent pastime.
7.140/ 7.170 SSB – 17 QSO’s:
After all the upset on 7.160, I received a text from my son Phil in Scarborough. He was planning to go mobile to try and work me from Throxenby Mere, his nearest low-noise option in Raincliffe Woods. ‘What freq?’ I tried a few places on the band but each time when I thought it was quiet, a sideband would splash across.
After 5 minutes without success, I went for 7.140 and text the QRG back. Phil G0UUU/M was quick and we exchanged 55/ 57. However the QSB was very deep indeed from almost inaudible to a genuine ‘8’ on my meter. ‘What was all that about on the WAB net?’ I explained but like me, Phil has heard it all before and can’t understand why this net should be targeted. I thanked him for qualifying CS80 for me and he in turn for the 4 chaser points. While writing in the log I lost the frequency, moving up 30kHz to 7.170 where a self spot got a lot of attention.
In the log:
MW7LWX Paul in Cardiff, a SOTA activator himself who responded to my Sotawatch spot; EI3GYB Michael in Co. Mayo and G4WHA/M Geoff who nipped out of the office in Carlisle just to work me. Geoff was obviously having a city noise problem but he came back at the second opportunity to safely exchange 56/ 48. I always give Geoff priority when he comes up on a work day. We don’t want to get him the sack!
Next: PA7RA Rien – Oude Huybergsbaan; G0RQL Don in Holdsworthy, Devon; LB0HJ Bord in Bergen; G8VNW Nick in Threshfield, Wharfedale 59/ 59-47; 2E0AGB Alan in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire; G0FEX Ken, former WAB newsletter editor in Leicester and MW0UVA/P ’10 miles up from Aberystwyth’ and reporting 57 to 59 plus 10dB in QSB.
Moving on: M1AOB/M Richard ’17 degrees C in Holdsworth near Don’s QTH’ 57/ 53; MI0AIH David in Cookstown using using 200W to a 2-ele beam and reporting my signal as 59 plus 20dB! Obvious who’s antenna is doing the most work! Next GM0NCA Robert, a WAB activator living in Castle Douglas D&G.
The final three stations on 40: GB0PLM - Maurice at Predannack WW2 Anti-Aircraft Battery and Museum on the Lizard peninsular, Cornwall; M0OAT/P Graham S2S on G/TW-002 Cringle Moor in the North York Moors National Park and GW5GDP Graham at Swales, Caerphilly 57/ 44.
Unless previously stated, outgoing reports were 57 to 59 with 55 to 59 or 59 plus coming back but there was QSB, deep at times.
7.033 CW - NIL:
On what was once the ‘banker SOTA CW sub-band’ this doesn’t often happen but after a self-spot and several 50W CQ’s, silence!
14.061 CW - 8 QSO’s:
It wasn’t that warm and after stiffening up somewhat, I hobbled across to the antenna links, noting that the low-cloud had now lifted. Not knowing that my CW ‘key’ had but eight more QSO’s left in it, I called CQ following another self spot.
Callsigns logged:
ON4ZD Leon, QTH Lillois Witterzee ; EA2EFI ‘Nol’ - Biscay; EI3HA Tony in Sligo and EA7TS Jose – Granada.
Morse Key AWOL:
Following on was OK2KG Jiri in Kotvrdovice; HB9CGA Ulrich (Uli) – Sirnack; OH3GZ Jukka – Tiovakka and finally RW4PP Rodin - Pobedy. At the end of the QSO with Rodin, when I was in the process of sending 73, the Morse key stuck and started sending strings of dots all over Europe. How embarrassing! All exchanges were 599/ 559 apart from the final two 599/ 579. Power was the maximum 50W, as it was for all HF QSO’s.
No other stations called so it was fortunate that this failure occurred at the natural end of the session. Obviously there would be no more CW from this SOTA today. These three-position miniature biassed C/O toggle switches only last so long but if I can keep sourcing them (RS 317-033) they’ll keep being replaced. They used to be as cheap as chips but not any more and that’s if you can find them at all.
14.285 SSB - 8 QSO’s:
Now ‘safely’ on SSB I worked:
EA2EXN/P Javi S2S on EA1/SO-018, 55 both ways (home QTH Bilbao); GW0PLP Don near Ceredigion (Cardigan) N. Wales 57/ 53 to 57 QSB; HB9DHA Ray near Zurich 57/ 53; EI3HA Tony in Sligo to make it two modes and 59 both ways; F6ARL/M Daniel ‘enjoying’ 26C heat on the beach in the South of France, 56 both ways.
Someone, who I failed to get back to, with callsign ending ‘GZ’ called in around 11:55z. Could this have been Jukka looking for an SSB contact? ‘Is that you Jukka?’ No response. Let’s blame the QSB.
The final three on 20m: EA1DHB Ricardo – Burgos 59/ 55; OK/OM1ALT/P Michal S2S on OK/JM-013, 2x 55 and LA9DSA Knut in Elverum, SE Norway 59/ 56.
21.320 SSB – 2 QSO’s:
I closed the 20m links and opened the 40m ones to form a three lambda by two SWR match of around 2:1 on 15m. The penultimate self-spot brought the attention of Gerard OE6GND in Gamlitz 57 / 55. ‘Nice to hear your voice Gerard.’ ‘We usually work in CW but my key is broken.’ The final HF contact of the day was with SQ9PBR, Pawel in Gnojnik, Poland 57/ 44 but there were no more takers.
145.400 FM – 1 QSO:
The chances of working anybody from a 787m ASL hill in the middle of other hills, were not good. Earlier in the week, it had been possible from the much higher Munro summits but that was with 25W and weekday replies were few and far between even then. Today I only had 5W QRP to a vertical half-wave and it was still a weekday, albeit a Friday with a greater chance of early finishes for those unfortunates that still have to work for a living. (Sad emoji)
I packed some of the HF kit away apart from the FT817ND, battery and mast, making three trips up to the windy trig point to set up on VHF. A missing top cap made it an easy job to just drop the mast with the J-Pole mounted on top, down the hole in the trig.
More in hope than expectation I called CQ after the final self-spot of the day. To my surprise someone came back almost immediately and I recognized the callsign MM7DIR from my September 2023 expedition to the area. Neil in Longridge gave my five Watts a 52 report with 57 sent back over the 95km path. Success!
Neil had a friend in the shack called Adam, who is a prospective Radio Amateur studying for his foundation exam. Neil explained that Adam is full of enthusiasm and looking forward to getting on the air. I wished Adam success and Neil 73. The final QSO of the holiday was in the log. That was it. No more fun for a while.
Descent:
Dark clouds were gathering so it was a damp walk down to the car, reached at 15:07, in a very light drizzle. It had been a good day and a good holiday but the next day was home time!
ASCENT & DISTANCE:
Ascent 490m (1,608ft) / Distance 2 x 4.3 km (5.4 miles)
Start point at 320m ASL
CHRONOLOGY:
Drive from/ to hotel: 5 min (2.5 miles)
Walk started: 09:31
GM/CS-080: 10:42 to 14:11
Returned to Car: 15:07
Walking times:
Ascent: 71min
Summit time: 3hr-29min
Descent: 56min
Time Car to Car: 5hrs-36min
QSO’s:
20 on 40m SSB
0 on 40m CW
8 on 20m CW
4 on 20m SSB
2 on 15m SSB
1 on 2m FM
TOTAL: 39
COMMENTS:
A somewhat boring approach on a miner’s track but I’ll take that any day for the time and effort saved. I’m very big on saving either or both of those, always looking for the easiest way up. If we were allowed, which we’re not – and if there wasn’t a padlocked barrier at the start, which there is, I think I could just about get my little, 23-year old Ford Fiesta up there but it would be touch-and-go on the early section, which is rough and steep. Certainly I could have got my wife’s Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid with its big wheels, up to the start of the summit path but that is doubly not allowed! ‘Park it beside the road please.’
Due to the shape of this top, the activation wasn’t particularly comfortable but neither was it threatening, making cowering behind the brolly not worth the effort of holding it. Band conditions were good but the QSB, present on all bands, was deep at times. I didn’t use that particular band but if I had woodpecker was again present on 18 MHz and very loud indeed. I did get one local contact on 2m-FM which when doing HF, is always pleasing, especially in GM.
WAB Net:
Somebody made the WAB net sound like a pirate station from the 1960’s except I didn’t recognize the song from that era, or from any other era for that matter. After several episodes, GM6ZAK was understandably very upset and quite angry. It needs a dozen or so amateurs with QTH’s scattered around the country, to build DF loops. Once the cocked hat is identified, a mobile with progressively less efficient antennas fitted, could move in to nail the street. Then it’s a case of removing the antenna altogether to find the house, followed by an official complaint to OFCOM. Would that work? It seems to for fox hunts, minus the complaint of course, which reminds me the Scarborough club are arranging one for later in the year…
There were three S2S’s plus four mobiles, the latter including my lad Phil at Throxenby Mere, so conditions can’t have been all that bad. Geoff G4WHA/M managed to dig me out of Carlisle City centre, armed only with a mobile whip then I got Richard in Devon and Daniel sunning himself on a French beach. S2S’s were with G, EA and OK.
Equipment failure:
My CW ‘key’ will need replacing, the leaky rucksack liner has finally torn, the log backing board is shot and the Scarpa Ranger GTX’s will need substituting with more ‘soleful’ units of the same name. All but one of my GPS’s have ‘reverted to their childhood’ with a 20-year-old date stamp. On top of that I really should try to find out why the Moonraker M270M Mobile 25W-FM transceiver’s TX kept on cutting out on a cold, damp CS5 but I’ve tried before and failed. Good job I always take backup.
The Hotel:
Lochs & Glens tours are designed for coach travel and are normally 4 or 5 nights long. Depending on uptake of the coach holidays, L&G release self-drive holidays at relatively short notice, a month or two ahead. They are cheaper because they don’t include travel to and from your home town or the daily coach trips. Like in previous years, we put two of these together to make nine nights. Cost was £978 for two people including breakfast and evening meal. It works out at £54.33 pppn, which is quite reasonable.
Unfortunately there is no automatic mechanism to guarantee the same room for both halves when putting two holidays together. The hotel receptionist has to notice on the paperwork, so it’s worth reminding the company when booking and the staff once in the hotel and at intervals thereafter. Changing a room in the middle of the break has never happened yet but it once came close.
With the amount of equipment I take on holiday with me, being asked to move out in a morning and move back in the same evening, would be a minor disaster which might even cause an activation to be cancelled or rescheduled into a less favourable weather window. The latter can be a scarce enough commodity in Scotland without being thrown a curve ball.
Apart from this risk I can’t praise L&G enough. The hard working staff are both friendly and well trained. At the Loch Tummel hotel many of them are from Hungary and one receptionist was so interested in my various sorties that I presented her with a rock from the top of Schiehallion. This is now in pride of place on her table at home. Home for most of them is a purpose built, detached building round the side of the hotel, which isn’t that old.
Drive Home:
The drive home to Scarborough takes about 6.5 hours net for 301 miles. All the dozen or so speed cameras along the A697, except the ones in Longframlington and Longhorsley, have been bagged over and labelled ‘Out of Use’ as have the ones north of the A697 on the A68. For the first time I was able to drive safely along at 60 mph while watching the road and not the speedometer. It’s so much safer! The camera in the dip under the underpass on the M9 is still there.
The petrol prices ranged from 139.9 pence a litre at the Esso garage in Coldstream (further discounted by £1.50 on a tankful via Nectar card) up to 149.9 elsewhere.
SUMMARY FOR HOLIDAY (Four SOTA’S):
GM/CS-100-2 DUN COILLICH, 15-06-24
2024: Ascent 235m (771ft) / Distance 1.7km up/ 2.7km down - 4.4km (2.8 miles)
GM/CS-005-8 SCHIEHALLION, 17-06-24
Ascent 765m (2,510ft) / Distance 2 x 5km (6.3 miles)
GM/CS-015-8 MEALL nan TARMACHAN, 19-06-24
Ascent 710m (2,329ft) / Distance 2 x 4km (5 miles)
GM/CS-080-4 MEALL TAIRNEACHAN, 21-06-24
Ascent 490m (1,608ft) / Distance 2 x 4.3 km (5.4 miles)
TOTALS for 4x SOTA’s:
Ascent 2,200m (7,218ft) / Distance 31km (19.4 miles)
SOTA Points: 22
Miles driven Scarboro’ to L.Tummel Hotel: 301
(Whitby-A19-A1-A697-M90-A9 Pitlochry-B8019)
Total Miles Driven: 808
(53.5 mpg. Petrol non plug-in hybrid)
THANKS:
To ALL STATIONS worked and for the SOTA phone spotting service. To my XYL Denise for the use of her ‘much posher than mine’ car, for her ‘SOTA tolerance’ and for handling the booking as she always does.
73, John G4YSS
Photos:
1-3-5-7-9-12-14-16-19-20-23-25-28-29-37-P746-P801-48-Key-50-55-56-60-62-64-68-71-73
Above: The B846 parking place opposite the mine road entrance. Coach from the hotel approaching
Above: Start of the mine track. ‘No parking.’
Above: Locked barrier
Above: Looking back having left the trees behind
Above: Second cattle grid. Substantial!
Above: The target is the one with cloud on top
Above: The third grid
Above: Leave the track here. The steel rod marker just visible in the murk
Above: Summit path starts here. 5 min to the top.
Above: Grassy path, slightly boggy in places
Above: Arriving
Above: Ordnance Survey Trig Point S9397 AKA TP-2183 to WAB ops
Above: Erecting the dipole
Above: The continuation of the road east towards Farragon Hill
Above: HF activation of GM/CS-080 (phone photo)
Above: HF setup (phone photo)
Above: The rogue CW ‘key.’
Above: Radiospares 317-033. Hoping I still have stock!
Above: QSY to VHF
Above: VHFM QRP on 2m
Above: A convenient type of trig point
Above: View roughly NW
Above: Stone built trigs blend in well
Above: Starting down
Above: Path meets track.
Above: Track-back
Above: Grid-2. A head for heights required?