G4YSS: PA/PA-006 Signaal Imbosch (Solo) on 19-09-26
Issue-1 pse rprt errors
Activation of SIGNAAL IMBOSCH PA/PA-006 - 1 point
Saturday 19th September 2026, G4YSS using Callsign PA/M1NNN/P
QRO on: 40m-SSB, 15m-CW, 20m-SSB, 30m-CW & 2m-FM
All times: CET (UTC plus 2hr, UOS as ‘z’)
EQUIPMENT:
FT817ND HF/VHF/UHF 5W Transceiver
MX-P50M, 50 Watt HF Linear Amplifier (RX fault)
Link dipole for 40m & 20m (30m & 15m) on a 5m Ali-CFC mast
HRB 11.1V/ 5 Ah Li-Po (No9) battery (est 90% discharged)
RM TC150V, 50W Linear Amp for 2m-FM (modified)
J-Pole vertical for 2m-FM
Backup (not used):
Vertex (Yaesu) VX-150 2m-band 5W H/H
UV-3R H/H. 2-Band, 2W-FM H/H (shirt pocket)
Garmin GEKO-301 GPS
Folding chair (800gm)
Pack weight:10kg (22 pounds) approx
INTRODUCTION:
Once again our base was the Bilderberg Hotel in Oosterbeek, Arnhem with my XYL Denise who’s father visited the area for a few days in 1944 as part of Op’n Market Garden. Thanks to Hans PA0HRM the PA SOTA manager I am now very familiar with PA6 which along with Hans has become an old friend. This was to be my ninth PA6 activation.
EXECUTION and ROUTE:
This year there were closures on the roads near Ooosterbeek so I used Google maps and my phone for navigation. The Garmin NUVI-2970 was demoted to recording the tracks. The drive takes just over 30 min.
I set off walking at 13:12 following the route shown below. It took 26 minutes (net) to reach the summit, stopping on the way to send messages to my son Phil G0UUU, who was waiting /M for my appearance on 40m-SSB and Hans PA0HRM in case he was back from Ginkel Heath in time to join me or alternatively to work the station.
Route (again):
A few years ago you could drive within a 10 minute walk of the summit but gradually restrictions about how the National Park is used have come into force. Nowadays the path to PA6 starts at the Pavillion de Postbank café (6691JM Rheden) at the NW end of the car park (N52.02931 E6.02232). Further waypoints are: N52.03124 E6.01974 and N52.03320 E6.01856 which brings you to N52.03479 E6.01497 and the old parking place of 2022 (no longer permitted). You can walk the road or alternatively the cycle track to cover this first section – they run parallel. I used the road because there were a lot of bikes around. I’m more scared of Dutch bikes than Dutch cars. If you come here, you’ll see what I mean! Besides that being English, I always look the wrong way.
After this you turn right at N52.03516 E6.01324, keeping left at N52.03607 E6.01338 to go via N52.03509 E6.00859 and N52.03572 E6.00439. Just after you reach a point along the sandy path at N52.03719 E5.99838 (my usual operating position for joint activations) there’s a sign and a short path off to the right to take you up to the summit proper, complete with marker stone at N52.03825 E5.99877 (110m ASL). The route features some minor re-ascent and areas of deep sand.
Today I met a herd of Highland cattle on and around the path. They looked intimidating with their massive horns but were really quite benign. I assumed they’d been put there because they’d have a better chance of standing up to Wolves but I have it on good authority that even they are not totally safe.
SIGNAAL IMBOSCH, PA/PA-006, 110m, 1pt. 13:41 to 17:51. 17C, < 3mph wind on the tree-lined summit but 15mph where exposed. Overcast with a little sunshine. No rain. LOC: JO22XA. POTA: NL-0007. Good phone coverage (EE).
Setting Up:
It was quiet for a Saturday so the summit proper is where I decided to set up. It’s possible to get an 80m band dipole between the trees but much easier with a 40m one. Two trees are conveniently placed. Trees are generally well spaced and undergrowth is minimal.
7.163 SSB - 26 QSO’s:
Choosing the opening band was made easy today by way of a sked set up with my son Phil G0UUU/M at Ravenscar . That’s high spot north of Scarborough, my home town and often where we do the 2m-UKAC. The path between us wasn’t brilliant, 44/ 55 but QSB came up to allow us a brief chat during which Phil got the SOTA point and the POTA . Actually this was a P2P.
Phil’s SOTA spot soon had the chasers lining up.
In the log: ON7ZM Jean; HB9DHA Reinhard; G0FEX Ken; HB9CGA Uli; G0HRT Rob; S57MS/P Marko S2S on S5/BI-017; M0NJH Neil in York; DL1DBB Dirk and ON6MAT Matty.
Next another S2S came courtesy of F/G5MUP/P Mark (a GD) on F/AM-613, then PD1CW Patrick; F4LKC Franck; G0TRB Roger; M9PMB Paul in Bacup; PD3RL Alex; M7KXQ/P Roger; PD1JN Jur and F6OYU Luc. 50W for all the above.
The last half dozen on a reduced power of 30W were: M0WID David; M1RTB/P John; PA3BKA Koos; ON7ULM Fabien; G0DGF Malcolm and ON2OY Erik.
Twenty outgoing reports were 59 but both S2S’s were very difficult - 33 at best. Coming back was anything from 57 to 59 plus 20dB with one 43 and two 44’s.
Presently I had some visitors; the only ones of the afternoon. A young couple with a decent looking camera for observing bird life, were looking around for the highest point. After showing them the diminutive marker stone, they asked me about the antenna and seemed quite interested.
21.061 CW - 4 QSO’s:
Using 50W to the 40m dipole and after a self spot, I was called by Christos SV2OXS 559/ 539 but then nothing further. I text my friend Hans PA0HRM and gave him the QRG. He was just returning from the massed parachute drop at Ginkel Heath and some shopping on the
way. I went back to CQ’ing and a few minutes later Hans was in the log. He lives at Rheden, just 3 or 4 kilometres away. We had a quick chat but my Morse receiving is sub-standard these days along with my sending.
It took another 5 minutes of CQ’s until I heard a weak signal. In my low-noise environment, I clearly copied W4JKC and sent him 559 a multitude of times interspersed with his and my callsign, to no avail. Was my chance at DX gone? It was quite a disappointment. I sent another self spot, writing ‘Hearing W4JKC’ in the notes. Whether it was coincidence or not, he came back shortly afterwards and as luck would have it, in slightly better QSB. It was still difficult but we ended up with a good QSO 559/ 339; both reports probably optimistic.
Happiness! If I got no more, at least my bit of wire had made it out of the continent but then by way of a bonus; I heard WB2PHL. Again it wasn’t straightforward but in exchange for 539 – a bit closer to reality, I got 319 in return. So now my log boasted the callsigns of Tom in Anderson SC and Paul at Stone Ridge NY. Good work.
Linear Fault:
I know a bad workman shouldn’t blame his tools but since the start of the activation I’d been plagued with the receive signal dropping down so low as to be almost inaudible. It was like having a 50dB attenuator suddenly switched in. I assume this is due to one of the contacts in the relays which direct the signal to be amplified on transmit or to pass straight through on receive.
To be fair it’s been doing this for many a long year now but one well-aimed slap from the palm of my hand has normally cured it. However, today it needed a sustained beating and even then it would revert to fault condition almost immediately. Frustrated, I would have to decide between a further thrashing or screwing the AF gain fully clockwise only to be deafened when it decided to act normally.
Yes, I am perhaps going a bit ‘cloth-eared’ lately despite denying it to my wife whilst admitting it here but this was something else entirely. It made me miss parts of callsigns several times. I would give out 59 then ask for a repeat. One such embarrassment was when I worked WB2PHL. After three tries I was still missing the ‘B.’ It won’t be fixed while I’m here so I will have to choose between using it on a (possible) second ‘grin and bear it’ activation of PA6 or just going QRP. There’s a spare amp lying on a shelf at home but that’s no good to me now.
21.259 SSB - Nil:
I tried but no.
14.061 CW - Nil:
In the circumstances regarding the amp, I thought long and hard about this. 20m was bound to be busy or so I thought. I was wrong; when nobody responded to my self-spot and CQ’s it was a mix of emotions. Both disappointment and relief
14.265 SSB - 2 QSO’s:
With 30W I worked SV3IEG Dinos in Patra and EA3EVL Pablo - Tarragona. Both exchanges were 59/ 57.
10.118 CW - 5 QSO’s:
It took a while to decide whether this freq was QRL or not as in response to repeated enquiries someone kept sending one loud dot. Deciding to go ahead I self spotted, called
CQ and worked the following stations with the dipole in asymmetric form:
OE8GBK Gottfried; OV5O Verner (AKA OZ9ZU); EA2WX/P Marcial S2S on EA1/BU-002; OK1ZE Vasek and the final HF customer of the day – F5TIL a callsign I can’t find reference to anywhere. Maybe I got the call wrong? If so I’m blaming the amp!
By now the beasts which had blocked the path on the way in had migrated up to a point 100m from the summit. This is the first time I’ve ever seen cattle this near to a SOTA summit so I just had to get a photo.
145.400 FM – 1 QSO:
Time was marching on but there was just enough of it left for 2m-FM, a band that is quite a stranger to PA6. It took a while to connect the VHF linear to the FT817ND including DC power, RF and a PTT which I have added to the (normally) RF sensing amp. With the dipole down the J-pole is then free to use the lower three mast sections.
I could hear a strong local signal on .425 and a French accent faintly on .500 but both were soon gone. That gave me hope but 10 minutes after a self spot and lots of 50W CQ’ing, there was nothing to show for it. I wrote the word ‘Nil’ in the log and was about to pack up but then tried one more time. I had to eat my word. PE1CGC answered from the nearby town of Dieren, which he told me was 20km away.
This QSO with Roy was the first he’d had in a year and it was pure chance he’d switched on an old ICOM at the right moment. With concern for the battery and his proximity, I dropped down to 5W. It made no difference. I was still 59 plus on his meter. We had a nice chat but it was tea time and he couldn’t talk for long. Furthermore he had a sore throat for which I recommended a honey, lemon and brandy mix. Thanks Roy. You have just helped to raise the 2m band QSO count for PA6 by 25%! A quick 50W CQ yielded nothing further. QRT.
The Descent:
Not much to report there. No life was seen until the road. There was a National Park vehicle with two annoyed looking wardens asking me as I approached, ‘Is this your car?’. Upon a shake of my head they sped off to find the culprit. Cars are no longer allowed past the cafe but this one was parked on the verge.
ASCENT & DISTANCE:
Ascent 32m (105ft) / Distance 2 x 2.5km (3.1 miles in total)
(Start point approx 94m ASL but dipping to 86m on the way if you go via the cycle track)
Walking times:
Ascent: 26 min
Descent: 25 min
Summit time: 4hrs-10 min
QSO’s:
26 on 40m-SSB
4 on 15m-CW
0 on 15m SSB
0 on 20m-CW
2 on 20m SSB
5 on 30m-CW
1 on 2m-FM
Total: 38
COMMENTS:
40m-SSB was the big winner by a large margin and there was a mix of propagation into the UK and EU, favouring the EU. It was nice to work my son on that band. I could have been forgiven for thinking that 40m was a sign of things to come but the character of the activation changed dramatically after that. Don G0RQL called me on 40 but I failed to make a QSO. I called him in several times afterwards and at the end in case he should hear but nil. There was also a DK mobile that ‘got away.’
During our QSO Phil G0UUU told me about the special event station PH82LIB he’d worked on 7.155. I made a note in the log and then clean forgot to give him a call. I very much regret that because it would have been highly relevant to the reason we were in Arnhem. I hope he’s there next year and I hope we can go again.
15m got me some welcome DX and 30m performed quite well but 20m seemed poor from where I was looking. The final QSO of the day on 30m, I read as F5TIL. That may remain something of a mystery?
After a very warm summer I was expecting to be paying with rain by now but the WX was perfect.
My MX-P50M linear will need investigation. If it’s the relays the board will have to come out with lots of de-soldering to achieve it plus sourcing new relays. As always, I’ll be looking to see if there’s a quick fix I can do.
Other Information:
Overnight P&O ferry from Hull to Rotterdam: An 11-hour smooth crossing leaving at 8pm.
Cost £452 return (Std flexi. 2-persons, car, cabin and breakfast).
We were third in the queue at Rotterdam so only had a 5-min wait for the iris scans and fingerprinting of my left hand (my right hand has damage from engineering).
Hotel Bilderberg (Oosterbeek):
1,480 Euros B&B for 2-persons/ 8 nights. Evening meals extra
Petrol: Around Euro 2.50 per litre (UK price about Euro 1.86. 1 Euro is 86p). Diesel is more.
The Veluwezoom National Park (POTA NL-0007):
I met a man who used to be a ‘big wig’ for the park and a chairman of the Dutch equivalent of the UK House of Lords some years ago. He told me that the Wolves, that have gradually spread here across Europe from Poland etc have become something of a nuisance in the park. They are protected via heavy fines or custodial sentences. They have eaten their way through most of the Moeflon sheep in the park area and a lot of the deer. The remaining 30 to 40 sheep are in an enclave behind 2m fences but the Wolves can still get over without much of a run-up.
Because the green leading shoots of the Norway Spruce trees are not getting eaten by sheep etc, the undergrowth is increasing and is having to be managed. The Wolves range far and wide, proven when one was GPS tagged for 90 km in 24 hours. I was told that a toddler was attacked in Utrecht but the animal was beaten off with sticks.
In nine PA6 activations I have only seen one Wolf and that was close to the cafe. It was dark as I was doing 160m. It’s why the rules say nobody in the park after 8pm and that’s 6pm in
winter. I wouldn’t expect to see Wolves or Wild Boar by day and I am yet to meet the latter. The only thing the Wolves are scared of is a male Wild Boar but given the chance they will still take their young.
.
THANKS:
To ALL STATIONS worked. To G0UUU and the SOTA spotting service. Many thanks to Hans PA0HRM for the route (sorry you couldn’t join me) and to PE1GCG for the 2m QSO.
73, John G4YSS
(using PA/M1NNN/P)
Photos: 1-133358-7-135313-140156-11-165948-IMG20260919G0UUU-Log
Above: Start at Pavillion de Postbank car park
Above: Is this PA or GM?
Above: Arrival
Above: 40m dipole between trees
Above: Activation of PA/PA-006 on HF/ VHF
Above: The faulty linear. Relays not opening properly on RX?
Above: Highland cattle withing 100m of the summit
Above: A Father and Son effort? As well as our sked QSO, Phil’s log shows at least three callsigns that also appear in my log. POTA chasers and maybe SOTA too.