GM7STP : 1st Activation : GM/SS-251 : Ben Bowie : 15-May-2025

[GM7STP]

Summary of my 1st Activation :

SOTA Summit: GM/SS-251 : Ben Bowie : 313m : 1pt

• Activation Date: Thu 15-May-2025
• Callsign used: GM7STP/P
• Alert as : 19:00 UTC on 7-ssb & 14-ssb
• Equipment: for 7-ssb & 14-ssb :
  • IC-705 / AH-705 / LiFePO4 for 10W output
  • Sotabeams Carbon 6 / Bandspringer Midi 10m-60m
• Equipment : for 145-fm :
  • ID-52 handheld (no counterpoise)
• Successful QSOs :
  • On 7-ssb : 7.096 MHz : QSOs = zero.
  • On 14-ssb : 14.293 MHz : QSOs = zero.
  • On 145-fm : 145.550 MHz : QSOs = 5.

Operation on 7-ssb and 14-ssb : was disappointing as I was expecting at least two QSOs from each in order to secure the 1pt for the activation. CQ on 7-ssb from ~18:50z for about 45mins; then CQ on 14-ssb from ~19:40z for a further 45mins or so but with no joy. A number of faint stations were heard but none clearly or complete enough to confirm as a QSO. May have had something to do with the CME and related propagation that evening.

Operation on 145-fm : after failing to activate on HF I started packing up as time was getting on but decided to give a call out on 145.500 on my ID-52 at about 20:15z. Immediately Stuart @2M0ROT replied and after QSY to 145.550 became my first SOTA QSO on my first Activation ! Well pleased with that !

After advising me of the latest CME, Stuart then Spotted me on SOTAwatch3 and also in the Sota Alerts In Scotland FB site. This prompted a further four very welcomed QSOs with Steve (2M0DKU), Iain (@MM3WJZ), Bob (GM4CMI) and Graham (2M0IJU). Finishing the evening at about 21:00z with a final sign-off with Stuart and a big thank you from me. (I was fortunate to meet up with Stuart, Steve and Graham in person at the Braehead Radio Rally the following Sunday ).

With Ben Bowie Activated and QSOs for the 1 point secured I finished packing up and with head torch on headed back to the car following the same known route down rather than taking any shortcut. Back at the car by about 23:30 BST.

Background stuff : Route & Photos :

Route : Start : OS Grid Ref: NS 3278 8422; Lat. 56.02171 x Long. -4.68449; at 65m elevation.

Route : Finish : Summit : OS Grid Ref: NS 3399 8297; Lat. 56.01083 x Long. -4.66426; at 313m.

Distance : to Summit : 3.52 km over ascent of 313 - 65 = 248m

Wx : Sunny and dry day. A little windy on top. Got a little chilly too as the sun went down.

Route: The route pretty much follows part of The John Muir Way, then onto The Three Lochs Way for a short distance, before turning right following the fence on the left side towards Ben Bowie then over a wire fence and on to the summit tops, with the summit cairn on the second top on this approach. Great views over Helensburgh and the Clyde to the west and over Balloch and Loch Lomond to the west.

OSMaps-Route-GM7STP-GMSS251-01.jpg : “Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2025”

OSMaps-Route-GM7STP-GMSS251-02.jpg : “Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2025”

Photos :

Above: Photo-002 : Parking just off A818 nr Daligan / Gate and start of track.

Above : Photo-003 : Gate at start of track; part of The John Muir Way.

Above : Photo-006 : View of west side of Ben Bowie

Above : Photo-008 : View of west side of Ben Bowie just after fork in track.

Above : Photo-009 : Signpost to Balloch & Helensburgh; continue on track behind; Three Lochs Way.

Above : Photo-010 : Small track leading to fence posts by gate; part of The Three Lochs Way.

Above : Photo-011 : View from The Three Lochs Way path along the left side of the fence towards Ben Bowie. Lone tree visible.

Above : Photo-012 : Looking back along the fence on the left to The Three Lochs Way path.

Above : Photo-013 : Right turn over fence and up towards the first top passing the lone tree.

Above : Photo-014 : On first 313m top looking towards the summit cairn top (also at 313m).

Above : Photo-015 : Summit cairn at 313m with view over Loch Lomond.

Above : Photo-018 : QRV : Radio & antenna set up; with view over Helensburgh.

Above : Photo-019 : IC-705 on 7.096 MHz

Above : Photo-021 : Night view over Helensburgh and the Clyde.

A great day out successfully activating Ben Bowie thanks to all the 2m QSOs.
73 Peter GM7STP

[M0JSB]

Thanks for the nice report and photos, Peter, and congratulations again on making your first activation.

Glad you were able to rescue things when hf decided not to play ball!

I hope it’s the first of many for you.

73, Matthew M0JSB

[G8CPZ]

@GM7STP

CQ on 7-ssb from ~18:50z for about 45mins; then CQ on 14-ssb from ~19:40z for a further 45mins or so but with no joy

90 minutes! Full marks for persistence and what bad luck with the CME.

@GM7STP

Operation on 145-fm

Phew! Well done – I know 2m can be variable in GM.

I had an adventure coming down once from Ben Bowie after tree loggers had felled everything. Walking across the brash [because the paths were no more] I went up to my thighs in a bog. I lived to tell the tale.

Short-notice trip to Glasgow, advice on local summits please

Ben Bowie SS-251 today. A canny Scotsman at the start of the walk from the A818 told me despite the early mist that there would be no rain, and he was right. By the time I had gone up a boggy ride and through the lines of trees to the summit, it was clear and sunny with great views. Ben Bowie has two 313m summits close together. I chose the one with a lone tree on which I attached one end of my EFHW, the other end to 4m pole. I was snug sitting in the heather on the leeward side of the hill get…

[GM5ALX]

Congratulations on your first successful activation and qualification of summit! Lovely weather for it.

@GM7STP

Stuart then Spotted me on SOTAwatch3

Did you spot on 40m and 20m?

[GM7STP]

Hi Alex, yes I even managed to Spot for the first time too !
As spotted from the summit Thu 15-May …

with minor spelling corrections on 17-May !

73 Peter

[G4TGJ]

Evenings can be tricky and combined with tough solar conditions can be even worse. I went out on Wednesday evening with the hope of some US DX on the higher bands. I didn’t get a single RBN spot on 15m and it took ages of calling on 20m for a single QSO. 40m did work much better but it was hard finding a clear frequency and immediately after calling CQ an Italian decided to call CQ right on top of me (to be fair to him he did ask QRL? but obviously couldn’t hear me). After a QSY I managed 6 more QSOs.

I was using CW which works much better with low power than SSB so that won’t have helped you. I’m amazed you called CQ for so long - perhaps it’s worth sending another spot after 10 minutes of calling as chasers will probably only look at spots in the last few minutes. With CW I’ll often get another automatic spot from RBNHole after 10 minutes and that can start a fresh pile up.

Having several bands available is key. For a regular daytime activation I usually start on 30m which should bring me my 4 QSOs very quickly. But if it doesn’t then a move to 20m or 40m is likely to work well. And there is always 2m which obviously worked for you.

But keep persevering. My first two activations only got me 1 QSO each time but that didn’t put me off.

[MM3WJZ]

Hi Peter,
Great to work you, alerted by Stu’s spot I had to run upstairs to grab a radio and give you a call, being less than 4km from the summit at the home qth. Wildchild #1 wasn’t complaining as he got a delayed bedtime out of it too

Certainly picked a cracking evening.

Earlier that evening on the Goukhill side of Ben Bowie.