Tnx for the story!
Tnx for your story!
I knew I was in the perfect activity/group with my first SOTA too. One year, wow! I’d need to do about 5 a week in my area to achieve that.
The iron is just a generic cheap butane gas iron which I purchased via Amazon.
The rating is 135w. I use lighter gas from Poundland 
(Poundland is a famous chain of shops which sells stuff cheap, most items costing £1)
73, Colin
1 Like
Hi Amy,
Good luck getting to Mtn Goat! You’re getting really close now. I set a goal to reach Mtn Goat doing 100% unique Colorado peaks. It started out easy and then got harder and required more driving miles. I did two easier peaks the day I reached Mtn Goat status as they were fairly close to each other and I wanted to be finished with that goal!! My Goat peak was not that fun of a bushwhack so I’ll probably never do that one again.
Hey, if you want to do something memorable for your Goat peak do Mount Hood 
. BTW, I like your QRZ page…your area reminds me of where I live and climb!
73, Brad
WA6MM
Hi Amy -
My MG summit was not particularly special, but I was happy to work two of my favorite Chasers, Rich-N4EX and Phil-NS7P, plus the grandfather of US SOTA, Guy-N7UN.
There are some stories on folks making MG in the PNW SOTA Newsletters - here are a few:
MG stories for Jim-K7MK and Rich-AC7MA
http://www.pnwsota.org/sites/pnwsota.org/files/downloads/K7ATN/PNW%20SOTA%20Newsletter%20Jul-Aug-Sep%202020.pdf
MG stories for Darryl-WW7D and Mark-K7MAS
http://www.pnwsota.org/sites/pnwsota.org/files/downloads/K7ATN/PNW%20SOTA%20Newsletter%20Sep-Oct%202018.pdf
MG story for Phil-NS7P
http://www.pnwsota.org/sites/pnwsota.org/files/downloads/K7ATN/PNW%20SOTA%20Newsletter%20Nov-Dec%202017.pdf
MG story for Bren-NU7A
http://www.pnwsota.org/sites/pnwsota.org/files/downloads/K7ATN/PNW%20SOTA%20Newsletter%20Oct-Nov-Dec%202020.pdf
And a fun “Surprise” S2S Party for MG Roland-K7FOP
http://www.pnwsota.org/sites/pnwsota.org/files/downloads/K7ATN/PNW%20SOTA%20Newsletter%20Jan-Feb-Mar%202021.pdf
Etienne-K7ATN
3 Likes
That would be a very long drive Brad. I am down in the very southern portion of OR, 15 mi from Cali. I think I need to update my qrz, no new pics for over a year! 73
I’ll take a look, thanks! 73
Got any driveups? Great… How about 1,000 watts for the thousandth point? You’ll be a legend forever.
EL
4 Likes
Same summit as my first summit. I hoped to be able to get my 1st SOTA chaser to be the 4th chaser on the MG activation but sadly didn’t.
During my journey to MG, I lost weight, gained improved fitness from regular exercise, made a massive improvement to the management of my Diabetes and learned CW.
8 Likes
Bring the equipment and we’ll do it!
That’s wonderful. I already know who 4th will be… 73
Hi Amy,
for me it was simple; I activated to get my #1 MG the same summit I did on my very first SOTA activation. As you said, a sentimental mountain, that’s it.
My MG video story here:
73 Ignacio
1 Like
Here you go, Amy: Most power ever on HF activation? - #43 by K6EL
Good for one QSO, with terrible RF feedback.
1 Like
Go for 144 MHz! 1.3 kW* is easily feasible, even on non-drive up summits.
Ahoi
Pom
*ERP of course
I did Kennaday Peak, an 8 point drive up summit a couple of hours away in Wyoming. I wanted to use my 100 watt rig (Yaesu 857D) and talk to people on SSB, rather than qrp cw. However, a drive up activation felt anticlimactic for reaching Mountain Goat.
Peter KD0YOB
1 Like
Thanks for all the stories and ideas. I’m sure wherever I choose it will be fabulous! 73, Amy, AG7GP
4 Likes
Amy,
I ended up getting MG on April 19, 2015. I needed 4 points, but there was a LOT of snow in the mountains at that time. I picked an easy summit, W0C/FR-062, Mount Bailey, that I knew I could get to, but the weather forecast was tricky.
I still remember driving up Highway 285 with snow coming down, wondering about how or whether I could do the activation. There were about 6-8 inches on the trail and on the summit, but I got up there OK on snowshoes. The weather got better, the snow quit, I got on the air, but about the time I had logged 4 contacts, the clouds moved in, and more snow started coming down!
My log was getting wet from snow, but I managed to scoot under an overhanging rock enough to preserve the log and keep going. Many of my favorite chasers, and some veteran activators, turned out to help with the celebration. EA2IF Guru is in that log!
After 48 contacts, I was done, but at the end the sun came out, the North Platte River Canyon was glorious and brilliant with all the snow, and I’ll never forget the experience!
At the start, I thought maybe I had chosen the wrong peak - but at the end, it was so right!
Hope your choice is happy for you!
Congratulations in advance!
73,
Carey/George
KX0R
10 Likes
For me it was the following factors: time of year, covid, weather, ease to access for a group.
For the most part the VE6 gang is a social group when hitting milestones so it was a summit that was easy for all to get up, had a fire ring, trees for fire and protection from the winds.
For me it was Square Butte VE6/RA-032 fit the requirements perfectly.
Malen
VE6VID
3 Likes