Firstly, apologies for anyone chasing on VHF. I took my FT-817 and have had issues with it on VHF - high SWR - on previous activations. Sometimes it just ‘goes away’. This time both my Spectrum SlimJ and whip antenna both showed high SWR and I knew it really wasn’t working when Robert @M0RWX was heard 59 on White Howe a Staveley Fell and he couldn’t hear me on either antenna. I need to fault find now and see if it is maybe the rig that is experiencing issues.
I should have been out much earlier today! In the end rather than not go out I decided that a sunset was likely going to be just as spectacular as the sunrise surely was. Running lightweight I took the FT-817, a 2200maH LifePo4 3-cell gumstick battery, 6m Decathalon travel pole and SotaBeams Band Hopper IV, all carried in my Runature compact over-the-shoulder bag. Knowing that I would most likely be descending with fading light I took my usual route up Loughrigg from a parking spot off the A593 Coniston Road up Ellers Brow. Summit temperature was around -2ºC with a light breeze giving a bit of windchill.
Radio: 20m was brisk with S0 noise, as was 80m. I like 80m but don’t have it with the Chameleon MPAS 2.0 which I’ve use for the most part recently, and when I have attempted 80m lately it has been quite poor, so nice to get a few good contacts today. 40m was a bit of a bun fight - finding a clear frequency was tough going. My S2S with Andrew MI0TXM was completed with what sounded like an over-the-hill radar running at S9.
After the sun had set the temperature dropped significantly, following the last of the photos I made it back to the car without the need for a headtorch. It was good to get out; the Lakes was really beautiful today with lots of white on the pennines in the distance.
Cheers, Mark. M0NOM
| TIME | CALLSIGN | BAND | MODE | RST | RSR | OPERATOR | SIG | REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:45 | EA2DT | 20m | SSB | 59 | 55 | Manuel | ||
| 14:46 | OH3GZ | 20m | SSB | 58 | 59 | JUKKA | ||
| 14:46 | IU3GKJ | 20m | SSB | 59 | 57 | Riccardo | ||
| 14:47 | EA1AAP | 20m | SSB | 58 | 55 | Fernando | ||
| 14:47 | EA3EVL | 20m | SSB | 55 | 53 | PABLO | ||
| 14:48 | EA2DDG | 20m | SSB | 59 | 55 | Jose | ||
| 14:49 | SP6KEP | 20m | SSB | 58 | 57 | Radio | ||
| 14:51 | SP9JKL | 20m | SSB | 59 | 55 | Jerzy | ||
| 14:52 | EA2CCG | 20m | SSB | 58 | 57 | Joaquín | ||
| 14:52 | S57ILF | 20m | SSB | 58 | 33 | FRANCI | ||
| 14:57 | 2E0FEH | 80m | SSB | 55 | 44 | Karl | ||
| 14:59 | G6LKB | 80m | SSB | 59 | 55 | David | ||
| 14:59 | 2E0AGB | 80m | SSB | 59 | 59 | Allen | ||
| 15:00 | MW0SAW | 80m | SSB | 58 | 53 | Steve | ||
| 15:02 | G0RQL | 80m | SSB | 59 | 59 | DON | ||
| 15:07 | MI0TXM | 40m | SSB | 55 | 57 | Andrew | SOTA | GI/MM-007 |
| 15:10 | MW0SAW | 40m | SSB | 59 | 59 | Steve | ||
| 15:11 | ON3RMB | 40m | SSB | 58 | 44 | Kristof | ||
| 15:12 | F6FTB | 40m | SSB | 58 | 56 | CHRISTIAN | ||
| 15:12 | M0GQC | 40m | SSB | 59 | 56 | James | ||
| 15:13 | F4HZR | 40m | SSB | 59 | 56 | MICKE | ||
| 15:14 | G4IAR | 40m | SSB | 59 | 59 | Dave | ||
| 15:14 | MW0BYS | 40m | SSB | 59 | 59 | BILLY | ||
| 15:14 | G0FVH | 40m | SSB | 59 | 59 | DAVID. | ||
| 15:15 | M3LDS | 40m | SSB | 59 | 59 | Reg | ||
| 15:15 | GW3YQP | 40m | SSB | 59 | 59 | Chris | ||
| 15:15 | ON3LMA | 40m | SSB | 59 | 59 | Serge | ||
| 15:16 | M0VBA | 40m | SSB | 58 | 59 | Vlad |
