Mt. Ezkintza EA2/NV-148 by EA2IF/P on 19/05/2020

I enjoyed so much yesterday’s activation in the nice sunny afternoon that, given that WX was sunny and warm again today, I couldn’t resist activating a new SOTA today.
I decided the drive-up SOTA by the village of my ancestors, Cirauqui. I amaze when I think that they were living right there in the 17th century.
>Disfruté tanto la activación de ayer en la agradable y soleada tarde que, dado que el WX era otra vez cálido y soleado hoy, no me pude resistir a activar una nueva SOTA hoy.
Decidí la SOTA accesible en coche junto al pueblo de mis antepasados, Cirauqui. Alucino cuando pienso que ellos estaban viviendo allí mismo en el siglo XVII.

After crossing the village, I took the dirt road, crossed the extremely narrow bridge over the small river and drove the 6.5Km on 4x4 LH mode to the summit. After parking, I took my rucksack, fishing rod and foldable seat to enter walking into the closed perimeter surrounding the ermitage. There I setup by the Western fence thinking on some possible DX from Northamerica.
>Después de cruzar el pueblo, tomé la pista de tierra y piedras, crucé el extremadamente estrecho puente sobre el regato y conduje los 6,5Km en modo LH 4x4 hasta la cima. Tras aparcar, cogí mi mochila, caña de pescar y silla plegable para entrar caminando en el recinto cerrado que rodea la ermita. Allí instalé junto a la valla al Oeste pensando en algún posible DX desde Norteamérica.
imagen
The antenna was again a 10m long endfed wire to a 9:1 unun with a counterpoise wire of 6m, which today was elevated on top of the fence.
The rig was again my FT-817ND at 5W with my MFJ-941B antenna tuner.
>La antena fue de nuevo un cable de 10m de longitud alimentado en el extremo hasta un unun 9:1 con un cable de contraantena de 6m, que hoy estuvo elevado sobre lo alto de la valla.
El equipo fue de nuevo mi FT-817ND a 5W con mi acoplador de antenas MFJ-941B.

The activation went absolutely awsome, fantastic with a huge number of QSOs and 2 unexpected and amazing DX with VK5 on 40m CW.

  • 20m CW: 9 QSOs in 13 minutes.

  • 30m CW: 13 QSOs in 16 minutes.

  • 40m CW: 32 QSOs in 53 minutes, 2 of which were DX with Australia VK5.

  • 20m CW: 3 QSOs in 8 minutes.

  • 40m SSB: 45 QSOs in 53 minutes.

>La activación fue absolutamente impresionante, fantástica con un enorme número de QSOs y 2 inesperados y alucinantes DX con VK5 en 40m CW.

  • 20m CW: 9 QSOs en 13 minutos.

  • 30m CW: 13 QSOs en 16 minutos.

  • 40m CW: 32 QSOs en 53 minutos, 2 de los cuales fueron DX con Australia VK5.

  • 20m CW: 3 QSOs en 8 minutos.

  • 40m SSB: 45 QSOs en 53 minutos.

This is the full log with 102 QSOs and 2 DX with Australia.
>Este es el log completo con 102 QSOs y 2 DX con Australia.




imagen

You can see it on the map:
>Pueden verlo en el mapa:

As a chaser, I’ve seen conditions on 20m are far from what they were some weeks ago and chasing Northamerican activators has became quite hard lately.
The 20m band didn’t produce any DX today, but the 40m band surprised not only me but also the 2 VK5 hams, who wrote me an email in awe after our great DX.
>Como cazador, he visto que las condiciones en 20m están lejos de lo que eran hace algunas semanas y cazar activadores Norteamericanos se ha hecho bastante difícil últimamente.
La banda de 20m no produjo ni un DX hoy, pero la banda de 40m me sorprendió no solo a mí, sino también a los 2 radioaficionados de VK5, quienes me escribieron un email impresionados tras nuestro gran DX.

It was also great making so many QSOs on 40m SSB and I finally had to QRT because the Sun had already set below the horizon and the light was dimming.
>Fue también fantástico hacer tantos QSOs en 40m SSB y tuve que hacer finalmente QRT porque el Sol se había ocultado ya bajo el horizonte y la luz iba bajando.

Thanks dear chasers for your calls and QSOs today.
I’ll be looking forward to copying you all soon again from a summit.
>Gracias estimados cazadores por sus llamadas y QSOs de hoy.
Estaré esperando volver a copiarles pronto a todos ustedes desde una cima.

73,

Guru

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Hi Guru,

I remember that town. Quite a unique name. Approaching this on the camino, the pic below was the scene.

Perhaps your summit is the one on the right in my pic?

Well done with the activation…

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH

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Hi Andrew,
No, that mountain seen in your picture was not the SOTA I activated yesterday. Mt. Ezkintza should be towards the left (i.e. South) of the scene in your nice photo.
After my 2 VK5 yesterday and once the pile had dried up, I kept CQing for a while thinking on a possible QSO with you and/or other VKs.
Perhaps next time.
I’ve been thinking on whether yesterday’s QSOs with VK5 were via LP or SP. The theory sais it should have been SP, but the fact that I was facing the setting Sun and had setup at the West end of the summit, with the ermitage building behind me, kind of blocking the signal path towards the East, I feel tempted to think that it wasn’t via SP. I’ll ask my 2 VK5 chasers whether they were using a beam and where was it beaming to.
I’ll be looking forward to a nee DX QSO with you
Take care my friend.
73,

Guru

Hi Guru,

Those QSO times are early in the morning for me and 30 minutes even earlier for the VK5s. We are 10 hours ahead of UTC here, so 0000 is 10 AM local time. 1745 UTC is 03:45 local time. I think short path is normal at that time of day, if any path is working at all! I noticed your vk5 contacts were with two callsigns that are the reverse of each other!

Still, let’s hope for a QSO one day.

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH

Yes, that was very probably the working path yesterday.

Yes, that was very surprising to me. They seem to be a couple of OM and XYL, as they both sent me a joint email after our QSO with a picture of them two attached. So it was 2 contacts with 2 hams using the same single radio station, I assume.

I’m sure the time will come.

Take care.
73,

Guru

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Since you were walking thew Camino towards the West, you surely took your picture at some point of your way between Mañeru and Cirauqui, so the mountain you were guessing is in fact Mt. Iguste EA2/NV-127, which I have activated sometimes in the past and I’m planning to activate again pretty soon because it has a relatively short and easy hike which will serve me very well to asses how my physical strength is.


As I said, when you took that picture, Mt Ezkintza EA2/NV-148 was towards your left, i.e. South-West.
Cheers,

Guru

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Hi Andrew @VK1DA and all,
As I said the other day, I asked my VK5 chasers and here is their answer:

For conclusions, I’ll leave it up to anyone. We’ll never know, though.
73,

Guru