Though I’d take this summit in, on the Llandudno Rally setting-up day, Friday. Unfortunately, this meant no marathon on what was a lovely day with not too much wind. Didn’t even bother with a VHF antenna, simply opted for 40m instead.
Due to space and weight in the motor, I brought along the 6m fishing pole antenna rather than the 10m. Bit of a mistake really as my signal reports weren’t too clever. Worked the 40m chasers and then qsy’d to 15m. Although OK, it was not as good as a week or two ago. Found plenty of SOTA chasers waiting for me on 15m. Played about on 10m and then made one contact with MM0EDZ/MM on 17m.
Worked some nice DX, including, UAE, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Dominican Republic, Namibia, Nigeria, Gambia, the rare PJ4 Bonaire and the very rare KH0 North Mariana Islands. Possibly three or four unique countries for SOTA UK and maybe a couple for SOTA as a whole. Looks like about 40 DXCCs worked, with exactly 100 contacts.
Nice days radio, such a pity I had to go to work… As Mark G0VOF just put it …C’est la vie!
As usual, big thanks to all the chasers and to all the SOTA people who came along and said hello at the rally. Thanks to Steve GW7AAV and Helen GW7AAU for their very enjoyable company, Saturday evening…
Nice to work you on 40m for a change, it seems that this is the only
way that I can work UK summits as most activation’s are out of range
on 2m FM.
Keep up the good work Hi Hi.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the call…
After my last visit to GW/NW-070, I just couldn’t be asked to try and work through the VHF QRM. Maybe I’ll take a look a building a filter as a club project.
I’ve decided to continue with the 40 metre band on activations. However, it’s another antenna to carry and I’m extremely reluctant to leave the cumbersome A-99 behind. It has performed so well 17 through 10m and and nothing comes even close to the antennas ability to sniff out DX, that I’ve used /P.
BTW Ken, sorry about the poor signal on 40m, a lot of chasers gave the same report. Sadly, the 6m fishing pole antenna was a compromise due to weight and space. I’ll see if I can take the 10m fishing pole with me for my planned activation on Saturday.
Maybe I’ll have a total rethink on my antenna strategy in the new year.
In reply to 2E0YYY:
I’m surprised you can remember anything after Steve and Helens hospitality on Saturday evening?
Good report Mickey. Some great DX done there too…I am especially impressed by your hop to the Mariana Islands. Some folk live in superb places…sigh! Still, I am sure to find the appeal of sunny Stoke on Trent By The Sea one day.
Ton-up contacts in the log - well done.
Enjoy your achievements Mick…it is getting to the time of the year when I might dust off my fishing pole and give you a run for your money
Maybe I’ll have a total rethink on my antenna strategy in the new year.
Here’s something for you to ponder Mike.
You enjoy working DX on the higher bands and you enjoy the simplicity of VHF FM working, in both cases using omni antennas. Also you enjoy (wx permitting) long activations. You should be looking at how to achieve that with the minimum of weight.
So clone the guts of your X-300 and A99 and mount them on the 10m pole. The X-300 is a dual 5/8 co-linear about 3m long and the A99 is an 11m shunt fed EFHW, about 5.5m long. You could mount the clones, they’ll be bits of hookup wire right at the top of your 10m pole and enjoy the same performance now with a massive reduction in weight. You wont need all the aluminium, fibreglass, clamps and spanners you currently have to lug up the hill. You can also hang a dipole for the lower bands from the pole.
In fact the reduction in weight will probably be more than a small fishing shelter weighs and taking one of those would greatly improve you endurance when the WX is not perfect.
You enjoy working DX on the higher bands and you enjoy the simplicity
of VHF FM working, in both cases using omni antennas. Also you enjoy
(wx permitting) long activations. You should be looking at how to
achieve that with the minimum of weight.
So clone the guts of your X-300 and A99 and mount them on the 10m
pole. The X-300 is a dual 5/8 co-linear about 3m long and the A99 is
an 11m shunt fed EFHW, about 5.5m long.
Just a thought.
Its an excellent idea, Andy. To get the guts out of an X-300, would be a 15 minute job. The A-99, a bit longer with a Dremel tool
Weight must surely be the activators biggest enemy… Even a short hop such as The Cloud or Gun is hard graft when you’re laden like a pack mule. My view on working DX from SOTA summits… When conditions aren’t good, it don’t come easy and it must be earned, hence the wacky A-99 idea.
Mind you, learning Morse would seem to be the most appropriate solution
Weight must surely be the activators biggest enemy…
Aye. I abandoned thoughts of SOTA activations from G/LD when the route planner announced we’d be back-packing from Seatoller over Windy Gap to Black Sail on day two of five. Carrying an extra couple of kilos (plus a pole) seemed like less of a good idea when added to a full pack…
Mind you, learning Morse would seem to be the most appropriate solution
If you can, yes… Trouble is, you always hear how easy it was to learn from folks who had no trouble learning it (or who’ve forgotten how hard it really was)…
Oh, and thanks for the HF SSB activation of GW/NW-070, even if the QRN did make the QSOs tricky.
Learning morse to be able to conduct fluent conversations about any topic is quite hard. Learning morse sufficient to be a SOTA activator or chaser is much easier. So if, like me, SOTA is the primary reason for learning CW, you can see some tangible progress reasonably quickly.
Learn the alphabet using a program, then listen to as many spotted CW activations as you can.
Weight must surely be the activators biggest enemy…
Aye. I abandoned thoughts of SOTA activations from G/LD when the route
planner announced we’d be back-packing from Seatoller over Windy Gap
to Black Sail on day two of five. Carrying an extra couple of kilos
(plus a pole) seemed like less of a good idea when added to a full
pack…
Tell me about it Rick! A couple of extra Kilos don’t sound much, until you’ve lugged it about mile uphill, that is
Mind you, learning Morse would seem to be the most appropriate
solution
If you can, yes… Trouble is, you always hear how easy it was to
learn from folks who had no trouble learning it (or who’ve forgotten
how hard it really was)…
I’ve spoken to at least three stations this year, who have had between a 20-30 year dry spell from radio (a couple are active chasers on SOTA right now) and everyone told me how difficult it was to resurrect their Morse skills.
Learning morse to be able to conduct fluent conversations about any
topic is quite hard. Learning morse sufficient to be a SOTA activator
or chaser is much easier. So if, like me, SOTA is the primary reason
for learning CW, you can see some tangible progress reasonably
quickly.
Learn the alphabet using a program, then listen to as many spotted CW
activations as you can.
I’ve actually got a Morse tutor some gave me last year, sitting in my Van. So, I suppose there’s no real excuse for not learning it.
Being able to copy calls, signal reports and simple questions (ref? call?) is not too hard. Also understanding when chasers say “GM ANDY TKS” etc. Understanding long sentences causes my brain to freeze. So I can just do SOTA activations although last Sunday whenever I head a “D” I lost the plot. Hence me logging David as G3RBQ not G3RDQ (now fixed in the log David.) I don’t hear German prefixes as D L anymore just dah-di-dit-di-dah-di-dit and immediately listen for the number. But the letter “D” just didn’t register last Sunday
As for your two calls Mike, I would suggest you make hay while the sun shines. The word on the street is that OFCOM will be giving their database a right royal clean out after the Olympics as they no longer really understand just how many license holders there are due to multiple callsigns held by one person. That means rescinding all calls people accumulated on the way to their current license. So as you have an IL you will have to give up the FL license. Full holders will have to rescind any IL and FL calls. I’m not sure if they’ll be after me as well as I have two full calls as well as a club callsign!
Being able to copy calls, signal reports and simple questions (ref?
call?) is not too hard. Also understanding when chasers say “GM
ANDY TKS” etc. Understanding long sentences causes my brain to
freeze.
I’ll give it a try and see how I get on.
As for your two calls Mike, I would suggest you make hay while the sun
shines. The word on the street is that OFCOM will be giving their
database a right royal clean out after the Olympics as they no longer
really understand just how many license holders there are due to
multiple callsigns held by one person.
Damn!!! I’ve just had a MM6MMM badge made up at Llandudno for my next visit to GM…
Looks like another four quid down the drain
If what you’re hearing is correct, it almost beggar belief that OFCOM can’t filter out callsigns from their database using names and addresses?
BTW, it may stop SOTA activators qualifying difficult summits, because someone who is currently holding two or three calls, is going to be back down to one
In reply to 2E0YYY:
…and about time too.
You only need 1 call and I am suprised that current regulations don’t make you give up your old one on the gaining of a higher call. You would have thought the station would prefer to be recognised for the achievement.
Oh well - I guess there are a few hams who just can’t cope with having more than 1 letter in a callsign…Bring back the RAE
In reply to 2E0YYY:
…and about time too.
You only need 1 call and I am suprised that current regulations don’t
make you give up your old one on the gaining of a higher call. You
would have thought the station would prefer to be recognised for the
achievement.
Oooooh, I thought that might just have you singing from the tree tops! No more “beautiful callsign” Mike
Oh well - I guess there are a few hams who just can’t cope with having
more than 1 letter in a callsign…Bring back the RAE
Or a “Q” in the callsign
BTW, 30th anniversary of the legalisation of CB tomorrow. Will you be going out for an eyeball?
Tell me about it Rick! A couple of extra Kilos don’t sound much, until
you’ve lugged it about mile uphill, that is
…up a steep scree-covered slope on a day when (contrary to all Lakes expectations) the Sun has shone all day and the temperature’s heading over 30C…
I am so glad I decided not to take my SOTA rig.
I’ve spoken to at least three stations this year, who have had between
a 20-30 year dry spell from radio (a couple are active chasers on SOTA
right now) and everyone told me how difficult it was to resurrect
their Morse skills.
Ah. I wish a few folks like that would temper the enthusiasm of the “morse is easy” evangelists I’ve encountered.
