Hope-ful Evening

Eager to go again after my activation of Raw Head, it was a pleasant surprise when Mick 2E0HJD asked me on Skype if I fancied an evening summit to summit from our respective local summits and at the same time run a few tests on Mick’s new portable beam. We agreed to alert the the activations for 18:00utc but planned to be up and running by 17:30utc so that we could run Mick’s tests before the activations proper. Congratulations on the beam Mick, it’s a cracker and works extremely well.
Mick set up on G/SP-014 Longridge Fell and I was on my usual GW/NW-062 Hope Mountain and although we had planned on a 2m activation only, I noticed prior to setting out that Robin GM7PKT/P had also alerted for GM/WS-147 on 60m, a chance of another summit to summit, so I packed the rucksack in the car and set off earlier than planned with a hope of working on 60m before my sked time with Mick.
It couldn’t have worked out better if I had written the script myself.
I erected the linked dipole and was on air calling cq on FE at 16:59utc which gave me half an hour before Mick would call on sked on 2m.
My initial call was answered by Paul G0HNW with a cracking 59 signal, 15 others followed on 60m, surprisingly enough, most stations were booming in as the bands recovered from the earlier solar flare, which completely killed all hf bands at my home qth.

Just as I was about to take down the hf antenna and go over to 2m, I was delighted to here Robin GM7PKT/P call me at 17:18, perfect timing, many thanks for the s2s Robin, just one more station was worked after Robin and the frequency was handed over to Robin, hope you had a good activation Robin.

The hf antenna was taken down and the sotabeam erected horizontally, just in time to hear Mick calling me, summit to summit number two was found within a few minutes of the first one and then Mick informed me that Richard G3CWI was qrv on a summit on 2-ssb but unfortunately, I couldn’t hear Richard anywhere on the band.

All in all, a very pleasant and productive activation on a summer’s evening, with a total of 23 contacts including the two summit to summits.
It would be a great idea if more people could activate their local summits in the early evening, now that the light lasts until late, and increase the evening sota activity, especially on a nice warm day.

Thanks to all stations worked…

GW7AAV, G0HNW, G3RMD, GW4BVE, GW7AAU, G4ZRP, M1MAJ, GM4WHA, M0VEY, GM4CFS, GM0AXY, GM4YMM, GW3BV, GW0VMZ, GM7PKT/P (s2s GM/WS-147), G4PWD, 2E0HJD/P (s2s G/SP-014), G1OKW, 2E0NHM, M/SP6LSZ/P M3SQT, M3TMX, G0JCQ.

73 Mike GW0DSP

It would be a great idea if more people could activate their local
summits in the early evening…

Hi Mike

Exactly what I plan for G/CE-005 when my SLAB arrives and I can take the 706 up the hill with me… and they dont close the Woods until 20:00 UTC now so anytime before that is easy.

73 Marc G0AZS