I only focus on competing against myself and bettering my own results. I’ll never ever catch G1INK in the G activator table, nor will I catch OK2PDT in the current challenge. However, my enthusiasm for improving my scores in both pursuits remains as high as ever.
Other bands available? Not so. We were carrying antennas only for 10, 6 and 2.
I might have taken that approach, too, but for this bit in the challenge announcement:
[quote=“MM0FMF, post:1, topic:9822”]There will be certificates for the top chaser and activator. There will be certificates for best chaser and activator on an association by association basis as well.[/quote]…which made it a formal competition, and thus killed it for me.
[quote=“M1EYP, post:21, topic:11325”]carrying antennas only for[/quote]“Right, which bands seem to be working today?”
“Ah. Only the ones I don’t have kit for…”
Been bitten by that one, too… 
[quote=“M1EYP, post:12, topic:11325”]Sat here on a very wet GI/SM-014 and contemplating failure![/quote]Did you get sufficient contacts in the end?
Yes, one on 10, one on 6 and several on 2. Jimmy got all his four on 2.
Excellent! Nothing quite as frustrating as spending ages getting nothing.
Its only going to get worse… Sorry !
Makes it strangely more satisfying when you do get through a QSO.
Jonathan
Keep up? I never intended to start, so as far as I am concerned there is nothing to keep up with.
My point entirely! It would be nice to have a chance of these summits on 40m or 30m.
Now you’re being obtuse. We’re not talking about your good self Mr. Gerald, we’re talking about Tom. Tom is “challenge oriented” till August 14th. I have to say not having any other fall back bands other than 2m is, shall we say, brave. If it was N. Wales or the Lake District or Pennines overlooking Manchester/Merseyside then sure 2m would be fine. Although with the way the bands have been lately having only topband to 23cms may still have been brave!
I’m hoping to get a bit of island bagging in this month but you’ve already worked the summits I was planning on doing so I can’t offer you any new summits till my next island jaunt in November, sorry.
Never let it be known that I am anything other than obtuse.
No seriously, I agree that it is a matter of focus and personal preference. I was not getting at Tom personally, rather I was referring to the intensity of focus on 6m and 10m to the exclusion of all other bands (2m FM excepted) which has been created by the current Challenge. Activating just the Challenge bands means that a wide section of the SOTA fraternity will not have the opportunity to work what are infrequently activated summits. For me, part of activating is to provide a wide spectrum of opportunity, so the joint activations with Paul G4MD are geared to offer as many bands as possible within a reasonable amount of summit time. To my mind, focusing on the Challenge closes this down, hence why I have ignored it. Each to his own of course, but I still say that alongside the 6m / 10m activity, it would have been nice to see a session on 40m or another non-Challenge HF band…
Dismount soapbox.
Good point Gerald, BUT, “The activator is King”
Runs and hides from incoming flak 
Well we did a bit of 40m today. But admittedly, only because it suited us. 10 and 6 were lifeless, and I was only picking up the challenge multipliers with Jimmy persuading a local 2m contact to listen on 28.490.
With the mults in the bag, we were then going onto 40 Ssb to get us both to the magic 4 QSOs.
I’ll be the first to admit that my activation plans and choices of bands etc are entirely to suit my own objectives, and never to provide a service to chasers.
Having said that, chasers do get a good deal from me over the years as I will return many times to many summits and put them on again on different bands/modes.
Having said that, there’s definitely one or two today that I doubt I’d ever be desperate to revisit.
If your up by The Mournes this weekend Tom the N.Ireland festival of flight is planned to take place on Saturday, weather seems clear at the moment just hoping it keeps that way.
As for me I will be on my way home, didn’t have much chance for many sota activations, seems to be a lot more 2m activity than my previous visits to The Mournes. I did manage two QSO’s in CW on the 20m band that probably brings my total to 9 or 10 sota QSO’s from a summit in this mode.
73 have a good trip
Graeme
We will be back in Co. Antrim Saturday Graeme, before sailing back to Liverpool on Sunday.
Two more Sperrins this morning and you could say “one of each”. One hill a most pleasant walk with a fantastic view, the other a purgatory of damp tussocky squidgy midge-infested bog. The summit was nice but the walk was desperate.
One of each radio wise too - one where 40m was needed to qualify, and one where the 2/10 combo was sufficient.
No being heard in Cornwall, good damn bands, just not playing ball.
Would made good additions to me log etc.
Oh well can’t win them all.
Next Sota summit please
Karl
Oh no! What will they think over at “the other place” 
and I see blue cloudless skies!
Better than the weather this side of the ditch.
It’s been a long time coming Peter. Rain, rain, rain most days up here in GI. Yesterday was forecast to be good. It was I suppose - we only got soaked to the skin once. Today has been lovely - conversely better than forecast. Good wx on the summits although the warmth and lack of breeze on SM-013 meant that we endured a sustained mozzie attack on the purgatorial boggy splodge back to the car. Enjoyed the sunshine this afternoon though, walking the coast path from Portstewart around to The Strand - absolutely stunning. Sometimes, the best walks are not on SOTA summits (am I allowed to say that?).
The last one in the Sperrins will be tomorrow (Saturday) morning. Marianne has okayed the plan and the wx looks to remain favourable. We have to check out of the cottage by 10am, so it will be another early morning job. Therefore antennas in use will be the SOTAbeams MFD (2m) and EFLW with SOTAbeams Micro Z tuner. If condx on 10m are like they were on my second summit today, then FB, but it could be too early for that. In such a case I’ll continue the tactic of asking Jimmy to ask his strong local VHF contacts to see if they can hear me on 28.480MHz SSB. It’s one way, albeit perhaps not the most satisfying, of collecting that all-important challenge multiplier!
Of course, the better news (for some) of that case is that I would then be retuning the antenna and 817 to 40m to complete the requisite 4 contacts each for Jimmy and I. The alerts for tomorrow are posted as 0700z, but we could be up to an hour earlier. Nice condx on 28MHz on the second summit today, nice wx too. I would have liked to have stayed longer and taking advantage of the good shape of the band, but keeping my wife happy is more important to me than keeping the chasers happy 
One thing I haven’t done in the Challenge yet is any PSK31. I may well do so back in G-land early next week, as it may be a way of attracting some new unique call signs (and therefore challenge points) into my log.
Activated Slieve Donard GI/MM-001 today and had the added bonus of a Blenheim and Two Typhoons on practice runs for tomorrows air show.
Darrell GI4KSO
I may have to plan for this next year on my yearly visit to see the parents. When I was younger during the 80s we could watch it from my house in Ards and always looked forward for the red arrows and may be a boom from Concorde as it passed over in the afternoon.
73
Graeme
Cor it’s lonely on this one! SM-003 has only ever been activated 3 times before, but no-one is answering on 2 or 10. Looks like we will need to use the 40m option, but still need to find that multiplier from somewhere…!