I just got a new mobile phone and tried SPOTlite and it works fine. The main reason for getting it is so we can alert everyone of our activations during two weeks in Scotland from 18th August. The question is can we do the alerts using the same method?
We plan to activate at least one hill every other day, WX dependent of course, but we will make the decision which hills to do when we get there and I want to try and get an alert up the night before if possible. I think I can link the laptop by Bluetooth and up-date from the main page but that might start getting expensive. Other than that it will be a phone call to Mike GW0DSP every other day ;o)
You have me green with envy, the thought of 2 weeks in glorious GM.
If you can’t alert by phone, or it’s too expensive, please feel free to phone/text me with the info and it will be my pleasure to alert for Helen and yourself.
Altenatively, if the place you are stopping at has a land line, let me have the number, because I get free uk calls after 18:00 local, weekdays and any time all weekend.
We are having a two centre holiday. I will post more details when I am at home (in work now). The only two things I can remember are that one week is in the highest village in Scotland, Wanlockhead in Lanarkshire and the other is the we are planning to activate Tinto GM/SS-064 amongst others. I seem to think that one cottage is about 100 miles or so from the other one.
Week one Wanlockhead – Lanarkshire NS871129 then Dunkeld – Perthshire NO025429 for week two. Summits are planned to be a minimum of one (hoping to do at least one multi-summit) every other day from those below. We will have more detailed plans, but you know how plans are? and we intend to keep it as flexible as possible.
August 2007 SOTA summits within 15miles
Wanlockhead – Lanarkshire NS871129
Reference Name Distance (Miles) Points
GM/SS-123 Green Hill 0.612 2
GM/SS-056 Green Lowther 1.887 4
GM/SS-112 Well Hill 4.809 2
GM/SS-075 Ballencleuch Law 6.366 2
GM/SS-064 Tinto 14.299 4
GM/SS-070 Blackcraig Hill 14.416 4
GM/SS-194 Cairn Hill 3.852 1
GM/SS-131 Hods Hill 8.319 2
GM/SS-139 Cairnkinna Hill 8.502 2
GM/SS-164 Kirkland Hill 8.952 2
GM/SS-072 Queensberry 10.956 2
GM/SS-120 Cairn Table 11.521 2
GM/SS-165 Dungavel Hill 11.793 2
GM/SS-116 Colt Hill 13.790 2
GM/SS-077 Gathersnow Hill 14.133 2
GM/SS-174 Common Hill 12.158 1
GM/SS-172 Lamington Hill 13.596 1
GM/SS-241 Wauk Hill 13.797 1
Dunkeld – Perthshire NO025429
Reference Name Distance (Miles) Points
GM/CS-122 Newtyle Hill 1.673 1
GM/SS-221 Birnam Hill - King’s Seat 1.733 1
GM/CS-108 Deuchary Hill 3.559 2
GM/SS-057 Beinn na Gainimh 12.795 4
GM/CS-065 Ben Vrackie 13.426 4
GM/CS-081 Farragon Hill 13.839 4
GM/CS-102 Creag nam Mial 7.189 2
GM/SS-104 Meall nan Caorach 8.177 2
GM/SS-076 Meall Dearg 8.681 2
GM/SS-105 Meall Reamhar 8.792 2
GM/CS-094 Blath Bhalg 11.315 2
GM/ES-058 Meall Mor 14.147 2
GM/CS-116 Hill of Persie 10.129 1
GM/SS-235 King’s Seat 14.146 1
As always we will be at the mercy of the weather and we are not what you might call experienced hill walkers, so will take no chances WX wise. I hope the number of activations to be in double figures, but as long as we get Tinto and any other summit I will call it a success. The main target is to do as much walking as possible and get our levels of fitness up, to relax and chill out.
Steve GW7AAV
Note: The grid locators (Wanlockhead – Lanarkshire NS871129 & Dunkeld – Perthshire NO025429) are for the cottages where we are staying. I hope to be QRV from there on 80/60/40/20m if anyone needs them for WAB or whatever.
Green Hill and Green Lowther from Wanlockhead are trivially easy.
Tinto? No don’t do Tinto. Everyone does Tinto. It’s boring and busy. Do Culter Fell instead. About the same amount of climbing but so much prettier and quieter and it’s only the other side of the Clyde.
Green Hill and Green Lowther from Wanlockhead are trivially easy.
I like trivially easy, why do you think we picked the highest village in Scotland ? ;oD
Tinto? No don’t do Tinto. Everyone does Tinto. It’s boring and busy. Do Culter Fell instead. About the same
amount of climbing but so much prettier and quieter and it’s only the other side of the Clyde.
Tinto looks easy, no navigation problems, straight up the motorway for feet of a path and follow the crowd. If we find it a romp then Cutler Fell is a possibility. I don’t think that was in my 15 mile radius list but we are flexible, it was just there are so many within easy reach we are spoiled for choice. Also re: Tinto if I don’t do it this time I will have to go back and do it sometime in the future and I hope to be doing eight pointers before breakfast by next year (some hope!).
If you wish you are welcome to call in for coffee enroute to Dunkeld. My email is glyn@golf mike four charlie foxtrot sierra dot co dot uk drop me a line and I will send you my phone numbers
Steve theres more than one "flavour" of this stuff. You want "soft & fresh" which comes in a white/turquoise(greeny blue) container. I dont think the other ones work.
iam over on the east coast scotland in fife i will listen out for you when your near Dunkeld and when your up the summits
my local summits are only 15 mins from my house are
Code Name Alt(m) Dist
GM/SS-198 East Lomond 448 15.3
GM/SS-187 Bishop Hill 461 17.7
GM/SS-154 West Lomond 522 18.4
so should be able to hear you
also the local 2mtr rpts for when your up in Dunkeld are
GB3AG - R5 (RV58) 145.725/145.125MHz 1750/94.8Hz (F) Access
Thanks for the information Gordon, I think I am going to have to make out a little note book with all the things I have been told, but it all helps. Maybe we can use the repeaters to warn of our arrival and drag a few on to simplex if it is a struggle on 2m which I think it may be. I would love to be able to qualify the summits on 2m and the way 5mHz has been I don’t think we can rely on that but you never know Helen’s voice on the mic might bring a few in, it has worked before.
Regards Steve GW7AAV
PS Thanks to Steve G1INK - I will tell the boss when I see her and she can order some. It might not be the best holiday ever but we will have lovely skin ;o)
I activated Tinto on 2M FM without difficulty, Common Hill was an
entirely different thing though. Managed two contacts in an hour and a half on my first attempt so had to return another day with 5MHz.Twelve contacts in half an hour on 5MHz and absolutely nothing on 2m despite putting out calls.
Hi Keith, Our Modus Operandi these days is usually myself on HF and Helen GW7AAU on 2m/70cm. If we think we are going to struggle we will share our first four on whatever band we can and then try for anything else separately.
We have available 80/60/40/20 & 10m SSB via the linked di-pole using the FT-817 and 2m/70cm FM on two dual band 5 watt handhelds. We are also taking the Icom 706 mkII G, a power supply and a second linked dipole to set up in the cottages we are renting so I should have a good idea what propagation is doing before we set out. If all else fails I could lug the 706 up the hills and run QRO, but the weight combination of that and a BIG SLAB is a bit off putting. My rucksack tends to be on the heavy side anyway. I could just slip it all in Helen’s and see if she notices ;o)
Hopefully I will be able to get out advance warnings via either SPOTlite if there is coverage, a quick telephone call or text to someone or a HF contact prior to leaving base camp.
Thanks for the offer Mike, I am only on 2/70 while mobile at the moment anyway. New coax and collinear on order. If the WX and work ever lets me get on the roof I should be back on soon. I do have 2m SSB via the 817 for what it is worth.
Going to have a big planning session soon so I hope to put up some tentative plans for the trip on the reflector and alerts pages. I will be in touch re: the SLABs.
