That made me think @MM0FMF. I’m new, some some basics still to figure out for next year:
- Faff Factor reduction. try a few multi-band setups and work out whats the best faff compromise. Oh and a reliable one.
- Work out a fast and light setup, so i can do multi-day trips with the need for a new back (Ladhar Bheinn (GM/WS-046), etc ).
- Make most of (what should be?) good band conditions. Do some early morning and evenings. I fell off my karrimat when I found 10m was open to California this afternoon on 10w ssb - with decent reports!
- 2024 main ‘hill’ objective is to bring a radio and activate on the few munro’s I have left on my round.
- Enjoy & have fun.
BTW: The sota community has been most welcoming and the information on the reflector very useful.
Though I intend to do some gentle activations in 2024, my main efforts are going into improving my chasing prospects. I, like many other people, am severely afflicted with noise. I shall be doing my best to reduce this problem. In my favour I have a long narrow garden which easily accommodates a 40m long doublet. I reason that if I can put an effective antenna as far from the houses as possible and feed it with low loss coax that will minimise noise pickup. Going further I have constructed an end-fed half square for 20m, once positioned end on to the house there will be a few dB of nulling towards the houses and a few dB gain broadside on, which will help. The next step is to replace my rig for a newer design with more effective DNR.
The other problem is a little more unusual. Years ago we bought a magnolia which purported to be dwarf, pink and scented, and planted it inside a curve of rose plants. When eventually it flowered the flowers were white, resembling magnolia denudata, and it was growing fairly rapidly so definitely not a dwarf! This last year it has put on a spurt of growth and has now enveloped part of the doublet, which now shows signs of imbalance. It is too magnificent in flower to reduce it, which would anyway only be a temporary solution, so my only choices are to either abandon the doublet and the lower HF bands, or re-route the doublet involving re-positioning the mast. I forsee a busy time once the garden becomes less waterlogged!
This year’s plan is:-
Activate some summits wanted by chasers to complete a region:-
2E0MIX - 5 GW/NW
GM4COX - 8 Cowal + 7 Kintyre + 3 Loch Awe
Activate on QO-100 all Welsh grids (6) from SOTA summits
Not SOTA
Activate on QO-100 my last English grid (Scilly Isles)
I have 1740 points after my double up UTC roll over activation NYM.
Running average of 3.83 I have 54 summits planned for 2024 plus maybe some extras I am working on access for.
It depends on how the winter season goes here this year and if access permission is granted for all the summits to get around the 54 summits.
That means I will have a cruisy few to make Old Goat x 2 in 2025 assuming my health and body holds up. Scary stuff this SOTA.
I also am keen to Chase other SOTA ops to give them a score though out the season.
Good work everyone.
Regards
Ian vk5cz
Nor me. In fact I would be very happy to have any QSO with Japan (and South Africa).
Finish my portable 10m moxon (things got in the way this month).
Finish activating the English hills.
Start on the Munros
My SOTA plans for 2024 are:
Climb “Pico” on Pico Island, Azores.
Do more bike activations, this year I did one and I liked it.
Do SOTAS that present some type of challenge.
Training my CW
Do SOTA with friends.
Happy New Year
Gomes, CT1HIX
I feel if I put it down in writing for everyone to see there’s a better chance of me completing my SOTA to do list.
With only 3 activations in the last 3 years, I need to get more active, so more time on the hills would be good.
I’m currently on 65 activator points, to get to 100 would be amazing but I would settle for getting to 80 - 90.
I’ve been chasing on CW and would like to complete my first CW activation.
To increase my Chaser tally from 6251 to at least 7000 which should be comfortabley do-able.
To increase my Activator tally from 301 to 400 which will be quite a stretch. It doesn’t help that I have a current knee problem which is knackering the Winter Bonus period for me at present.
Just to get out & about in the fresh mountain air, due to other matters I haven’t activated since July. 73 all, & a happy 2024. John
Principally it is the same for me, Whether I will manage another 38 Unique summits to reach my 600th Unique or another 223 points to reach Double Goat before the end of 2024 is entirely another thing. I am now travelling at least three and a half hours to reach new summits in Scotland from my base in Northumberland, so considerable effort will be required. Under consideration is the Isle of Man for an easy 5 Uniques and Germany for some easier (than Scotland) 10 pointers, but neither currently feature in my plans for 2024.
Now your talking Dom.I have 2300 the synthesised version of the 2200. I tried to arrange the SOTA “electic handbag event” for these venerable radios but the WX spoiled it. But we need one in 2024 for all the old 2m radios (FT290mk1, TR7010, TR7200g, TR2200, TR2300 etc. etc.)
