Mt. Ortxikasko EA2/NV-106: troubles to activate

Activation Reports
1

Hello,

taking the chance of some good weather, I am trying to activate some mountains I have never been before.

I did a brief activation of Mt. Ortxikasko last Monday 13th May 2019.
I started the walk in the small and hidden village of Anoz, where the road ends.

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After parking the car and starting the hike a friendly dog went along with me, guiding me up the path.

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‘Bark! Follow me, I know where you go…’

The path is clear but muddy. It is not recommended to go there if it’s been raining for some days.

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The wide path run along the forest, and the final part is covered with big trees. The dog decided to stop when 50m were left to reach the summit, so he didn’t qualify.

I arrived in the summit and find the trig point surrounded by trees. It is not nice when there are no views and you stay hidden in a forest like that, a pity.

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I tried to install my EFHW antenna inverted vee, as usual, but it wasn’t possible with all these branches crossing. Most part of the antenna was horizontal at about 2 or 3 meter above ground. Too little to perform all right.

My first qso were in VHF and I logged with ease Santi EA2BSB and Jorge EA2LU. Glad to catch you there.

Then I started calling CQ in 10 MHz. I logged G4OBK, EA2IF (happy to get a complete with this qso) and PA0B.
I heard DK6IT calling me but unfortunatelly he didn’t receive my report.

I switched to 14 MHz and logged again EA2IF and DJ5AV.
I heard DL1FU calling but again he didn’t received my report.
Bu the time I felt my “emergency” setup with the antenna that low, and probably, the poor propagation were causing bad reports and missing contacts that afternoon!

I switched to 7 MHz to try working some more, but I could only log one more, Fabio IK2LEY, who completed the qso with patience.

I called for some minutes but no way to log anymore.
I went back to 14 MHz and heard DL2HWI trying to get the qso with me, but he didn’t get my report as well, so after some more unresponded CQ I closed down and packed with an unpleasant feeling.

If I get back to this summit I think I mus find a clearer spot in the activation zone, although it is difficult in this well covered summit…

It is not nice when you hear people you can’t work, so I hope to activate soon another with a better setup and enjoy a normal activation.

See you soon, 73 de Ignacio

5 Likes
2

Dear Ignacio:
It was, as usual, a great pleasure for me to chase you on 30 and 20m CW but I already got my Complete for this summit in March 2016.
imagen

I remember having activated that summit with a vertical antenna setup back in 2015, and extending the wire radials was a bit challenging with so many trees and bushes around the trig point.
Shame that you didn’t have a well populated log. The antenna wasn’t at it’s best configuration, but bear in mind that having activated in a Monday afternoon/evening didn’t help either because there are fewer chasers than on a weekend morning, for instance.
But you qualified.
Keep up the good work. There will be other better days for sure.
73,

Guru

3

Great report Ignacio.

This reminds me of when me and my dad Tom M1EYP were in Sark last year and a dog there decided to walk with us to the sea. I believe there was also a time when a dog decided to walk with someone up a SOTA summit in Scotland and then back down again after that activation.

Jimmy M0HGY