Sunshine & blue sky here in Blackpool, hope to see a few of you later.
73, Mark G0VOF
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Seemed busy. Saw quite a few SOTA folk about. As predicted we had gone before 4pm. Thanks to everyone who said hello.
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Nice to see lots of folk. Highlight was, as always, Audreyâs cakes and sausage rolls of course! Thanks to everyone who was manning (and womaning!) the SOTA stand.
Didnât spend much - bought a SOTA T Shirt though.
We went to Longridge Fell G/SP-014 on the way home. Very boggy. Also I think it is the first time that 10/12 contacts were with mobile stations! 
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Yes, had an absolutely wonderful time. Great to see some familiar faces and put faces to familiar calls/names
Audreyâs cake much appreciated - didnât have any breakfast before setting out :-s
Hope to catch you all on the radio very soon
73 de Paul G4MD
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Thanks for the welcome and the chats today around (and away) from the SOTA stand. Once again this year put a face to some familiar callsigns. 73 Allan GW4VPX
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Great to see everyone. Enjoyed talking with everyone present at the rally. I didnât spend much today, what I bought I convinced myself I needed.
The Bill Sparks Trophy was an unexpected bonus !
Jonathan
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Was a bit surprised at the thick frost on my windscreen this morning!
I canât recall meeting so many SOTA folks at one place before!
I bought two things, both SOTA related, A RockMite kit (a future reflector post should explain all!) and a new SOTA T-shirt.
Kudos to Jonathan GW2HFR for winning the construction competition with his superb Picastar rig.
Really good day out, 73 to all.
Colin
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What a superb day that was 
It was brilliant to be able to put a face to so many familiar calls, although I never did manage to find anyone making name badges this year so had to introduce myself most of the time 
I was not intending spending much but did come way with one of the miniature mobile 144/430 MHz FM transceivers which after a good 30 minute on-air test works well enough for its intended use on my bike. Its immunity to pager breakthough on my main station antenna is not very good, as expected. Canât grumble at the price though.
Of course, there was one person I was really looking forward to meeting
After reporting on his Top Band exploits for several years, today I finally got to meet John G4YSS who arrived at the rally around 1PM after a morning activation of G/NP-004 Whernside on 2m & 4m FM. That really made my day, it was a real pleasure to meet you at last John
After staying until 4PM, which was chucking out time for punters I said goodbye to John on the prom & caught the tram to North Pier where I had time for chips & gravy in the sunshine before heading off for my train. Whilst walking up Talbot road I heard a very familar voice in my earpiece, non other than Dick GM4PPT who was calling a local friend on 145.500 whilst mobile on the prom. Dick is a well known VHF contester & from his home location near Ayr in Scotland is usually one my of best contacts in the RSGB VHF contests. After breaking in as his friend cleared the frequency, I had a very nice chat with Dick as I made my way to the railway station.
I donât know where Jonathan GW2HFR was at the time, but after several PA announcements, a couple of calls on S20 from me & finally a phone call from Simon G4TJC, he finally arrived at the stage to collect his trophy in the construction competition.
I have to say that when I went over to the stand where Jonathanâs radio was on display I was gobsmacked, it was absolutely awesome!
The photo below really does not do it justice, it is a beautiful piece of work
Thanks to everyone for a brilliant day 
Very Best 73,
Mark G0VOF
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Hi Mark
Nice to meet up with you yesterday and thank you for posting the pics of Jonathan and his wiinning entry. Well done once again Jonathan.
73 Allan GW4VPX
I couldnât get away from the WAB stand very much,due to staffing issues re family illness with other lined up helpers, so thanks to those who popped across to see us, including Andy, M(M)0|FMF, Allan, G(W)4VPX, Tom, M1EYP, John, G4YSS (who bought up our stock of pens), others with apologies that I canât put a callsign to.
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Thanks for posting the pictures Mark, and yes, congratulations to Jonathan.
The rally was much bigger and busier than I expected, well worth a visit. Iike you, Mark, I was hoping to get an ID badge made up, but didnât manage it.
Good to meet up with a few familiar names and call signs, and enjoy one of the famous cakes 
Steady rain here today, so whimping out of any activations.
Adrian
G4AZS
I need a hair cut, too much time in the computer cluster !
Thanks Mark 
Jonathan
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Au contraire Jonathan what you need to do is grow a beard 
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Nice to see what you look like under your anorak hood!
Well done on your construction project
Sunday 10th April 2016 began with me spending 15 minutes hacking the most stubborn ice off my windscreen I have experienced in over two years. In the second week of April?
Drove across town to pick Ed 2E0NSR up then back home to add Jimmy M0HGY. 90 minutes or so later we were pulling into the car park at the rear of the highly rated* Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool.
[* Over 300 positive reviews on Trip Advisor].
The next hour saw the team, now bolstered with Audrey, Rob G4RQJ, Barry GM4TOE, Andy MM0FMF, Geoff G6MZX, Mark G0VOF, Colin M1BUU (and apologies to anyone Iâve missed) raising the new SOTA banner and setting out the displays, quizzes, handouts, merchandise and cakes. Well it was, as usual, mainly Audrey doing everything, while all us men stood around pretending to look important and busy.
We were busy as usual and Simon G4TJC and Jonathan GW2HFR added to the manpower. the SOTA stalwarts and other interested parties calling at the stand included Richard G3CWI, John G4YSS, Roy G4SSH, Nick G4OOE, Peter G1FOA, Andrew M0LKB, Dave G6LKB, Carolyn G6WRW, Helen M0YHB, Gerald MW0WML, John G4LGX, Alma 2E11HS, Caroline M3ZCB, Martyn M1MAJ, Carl 2E0HPI, Kevin M0XLT, Aled MW0UPH, Paul G4MD, Keith G0OXV, Allan GW4VPX, Marcus MM0ZIF, Glenn G6HFF, Neil M0WBG, Emily 2E1AEQ, Ray G0DMV, Geoff GM4WHA, John G0TDM, Bob G6ODU, Val G6MML, Dave G4DRX, Adrian G4AZS, Ian G4WTF, Keith G8HXE, George M0SSD, Terry G0VWP, Dave G3TQQ, Peter M1CNL, Graham G7WFK, Neil G0WPO, Gareth M0MOL and David G0EVV.
Thanks to all that congregated around the SOTA stand during the course of the rally, and of course those that prepared and staffed it. Congratulations to Jonathan GW2HFR for winning the construction competition and attracting the very favourable remarks from Dr John Gould G3WKL.
After packaway, it was time for Jimmy, Ed and I to undertake our traditional activation of Billinge Hill G/SP-017 on the way home. We parked at the start of the access road to the cottages and transmitter compounds, and made our way up the short PROW from there to the summit.
Jimmy and Edward did 2m FM and both qualified without difficulty, despite the occasional efforts of the local QRM. I was using the HB1B and Micro Z tuner, but my Palm Paddle / Code Cube was playing up. I could trigger the CQ calls from the memory, but the paddles themselves werenât working - all I could get was a continuous tone from the âdahâ lever. Nothing else for it, I just used that as a straight key. Hence the confused spot from Manuel EA2DT about the unfeasable difference between my receiving speed and sending speed!
I made 4 QSOs on 30m CW before deciding that was more than enough and packing up. While I was doing so, the lads had found Eleri MW3NYR/P QRV on 2m FM from Moel y Gamelin GW/NW-042. We all worked her for the S2S before packing up and descending.
The SOTA day was rounded off in traditional SOTA style with a take-out from the Weston Balti Raj.
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