I have two trips to the US coming up in May - the first will take me to Boston for my employer’s yearly customer gathering, and due to flights, I’ll get an opportunity to activate a few W1 summits, and with a 9 hour layover in SFO, will also plan to get out and bag W6 for good measure as well.
My plan for W6 is to grab an Uber to Mount Davidson and activate it on 2m, and then do the tourist thing and check out the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ll arrive in about 11am local, and fly out at 9pm, so if any W6 activators want to joint activate or catch up briefly, I’m open for that too. I’ll buy drinks, food and a Golden Gate Bridge snowdome for anyone who can pick me up from SFO and provides a full HF station
The second trip is in the last week of May to North Carolina (week after Memorial Day[?]). Having already gotten W4C as an association, I am going to try sort out a hire car and maybe grab a couple of either W4T, W4V or W4G. If I do get out on the Saturday after, I’ll likely be out early and will need to drum up contacts quickly to get back to RDU in time for my 6pm flight. Alerts will be posted once I get a better sense of what those will look like.
W4G will be an option only if I get an opportunity when I arrive. W4T and W4V will likely be W4T/SU-022 and W4V/WV-002 Whitetop Mountain, if I can knock some of the drive off the night before.
Depending on when in May, I might be available to help out with some S2S or hike with you (if you want) up here in W1 land. Do you have any ideas for summits?
Well, I’ll be out of town on the 11th. But the three peaks in NH are nice. I did them over Christmas break when I was at my parents. The trail up Joe English shouldn’t be a sheet of ice for you
Ah, too bad. I’ll be in Vegas that weekend hopefully doing some activating of my own. I live very close to MV-003 and MV-004 so it would have been very convenient for me to get involved with those. If you’ve got any questions about them, feel free to ask me. MV-007 is an utterly insigificant little bump on the side of the road. By all means activate it, but just keep in mind that you’re not really gonna do much walking.
Be sure to check yourself for ticks afterwards, especially if you spend any time at all off the trail.
MV-007 was a bit of a bust with only 1 S2S with @AC1Z and 1 contact on 2m FM. MV-003 was 4 contacts on 2m FM before the rain got very heavy so we headed back down.
Activation with Harish 9V1HP, the 9V AM, but he had not organised reciprocal permission, so only me transmitting.
The first component of this will be an arrival into RDU on Sunday night, followed by blowing some points flying down to Atlanta early the next day, grabbing a car, and activating W4A/PT-001 for Alabama, and then W4G/CE-001 either on the Monday or early on the Tuesday. Flying out Tuesday afternoon back to Raleigh for my meetings.
The second component will be as predicted, W4T/SU-022 and W4V/WV-002, which, if all goes to plan, will take me to 31 associations over 5 continents.
My flight to Raleigh has been cancelled, so I am rerouted via Chicago with a distinct improbability that my bag with HF kit will make it. Could be VHF only
Bags have landed in Atlanta! I should have them by the morning. Fun day today with Pat @WW4D deciding he needed to activate W4A for the first time too, bringing along a KX3 and a 50W amp to complement my FT-60. We met atop the mountain, I managed to work 4 on 2m, before 9 others on 20 and 40.
This is what I like about SOTA - the community spirit - someone just turning up with a HF set (and thanks to for the private email offers as well!) to help out.
Despite the abortive start with the luggage, the trip was a success. All summits activated on VHF and HF (except W4G/CE-001, VHF only), including S2S’ with AC1Z on W4G/CE-001 (allowing me to complete the next day), NS1TA on W1/AM-375, KI4SVM on W4C/CM-013, and AC1Z on W4V/WV-001. Two of those were on CW which surprised Rich N4EX who didn’t think VKs were capable of beeps and boops
Association count for Mountain Explorer now 31 across 5 continents. Mountain Explorer(VHF) count now 14 associations across 4 continents.
Yep, that’s my baby! It’s a great little amp with an ATU. It’s been on hundreds of activations now and is built like a tank.
Andrew - It was great meeting and activating with you as well as chasing you for a S2S. If you ever have a bit more time when you are visiting the mothership, I will be glad to take you to some of our nicer summits!
May 11th.
