Thanks to Mike G4BLH for a superb spotting service today while I activated SP-014 and NP-028.
However, I don’t understand the statement from Steve M0SGB, “not at the trig, in the car park”, what’s that all about?
Although I don’t have to explain myself, because the car park is well into the AZ for Rombald’s Moor, or I thought it was, I will repeat what I said on air, up front, during the activation.
As it was late and I had 114 miles to drive home, I parked in the car park, then walked approx 2oo metres to the disused wooden hut near the transmitter masts and back to the car, I then set up my station on the fence some 10 metres to the side of the car.
Anyone who thinks that this was not a valid activation is free to delete their chaser entry and the chaser point with it, I won’t be offended.
If this didn’t count as a valid activation will somebody let me know and I won’t log an entry for it into the database and I will gladly do the summit again when I go up that way shortly to activate Easington Fell.
Hi Mike,
the last weeks/days i read many about rules,rules and agn rules in the reflector.
ooohhhllaaaaa, sota is a fine thing !
to all = have fun with ur activations and chasings , enjoy sota !!!
is a activation near the car . then take a slab an go a few meters in the activation-zone. i don´t have problems from mobile-stations in the activation zone. ok, its not my thing,because i like ( need ) the trips trough the nature, but there are other people who are not so fit or maybe older. and so its possible for them to do sota as an activator !
i hope nobody missunderstood my bad english.
so make not problems, there no problems are…
vy 73 klaus DF2GN
P.S: Mike, keep on ur sota-activations.maybe in future we do a s2s again
Seems okay to me Mike. If you’re inside the AZ, then you’re inside the AZ. There’s a 378m spot height on the access road and the car park appears to be around 380m or so. You should have checked the altimeter in your car. Perhaps Roger can confirm.
Sorry that I missed you… it’s been one of those days!
I hope the marathon training is going well, I’m not sure when the event is but good luck
As for the activation near the car, in the UK there are a few summits where it is difficult to get far away from the car.
I always use a 7ah SLAB, as Mick can confirm, because he later joined me on my Longridge Fell activation today, sometimes (but rarely) if I use the 817 I use it’s internal batteries.
I activated today from within the activation zone, so I don’t think there is a problem.
As you say enjoy your sota, it is great fun wether activator or chaser.
I look forward to hearing that sweet cw of yours soon.
You have done your homework, top of the class for you my man.
I activated from the point where the road ends and the track to the radio masts begins and there is a contour line running straight through that point at 380 metres, the summit is 402 metres, so I was at least 3 metres in, probably even higher because I was on the radio mast side of the fence to keep clear of the cars turning around at the top.
In reply to GW0DSP:
Hi Mike
Just been checking my facts on Anquet - I have height data installed.
The carpark on NP-028 is 379m on the left of the road (coming up) and 380m on the right. The first large mast is at 386m so the hut is somewhere between 380m and 386m. So all well within the activation zone. As far as validity re car - you acted in the spirit of SOTA, which is all that is required.
I note that Steve,who makes lots of ‘off the cuff’ remarks in jest,did TW-004 on 22/07/07 I wonder how far he was from his transport? ;=)
Roger G4OWG
ps Sorry I missed you - I should read the spots more carefully - saw DSP and automatically thought Hope Mountain won’t get him on 2m DOH!
Thanks for the reply. Your figures agree totally with mine. I figured that I was at 380+ metres and in the activation zone without a shadow of a doubt.
I did declare on air that because I had activated SP-014 earlier and was running late, with still a 114 mile drive home ahead of me, that in the spirit of sota and the final ascent, I walked up to the large mast and back to the car, then set up approx 10 metrs away from the car using the fence as a support for my pole/sotabeam, exactly on the point where the road ends and the track begins.
On reflection, I’m sure Steve’s comment was only made in jest after the issue being raised recently.
In reply to GW0DSP:
Did a similar thing on Great Orme. Parked in carpark, walked down to cemetery to find geogache then set up in grassy bit west end of carpark. About 100m from car.
Could you please provide the exact NGR for your activation of NP-028 discussed on the reflector, so the next time I’m travelling through that part of Yorkshire I’ll also call in and do a quickie activation.
Thanks and 73
You don’t need any NGR for this one Phil because it’s so easy to find that it’s virtually impossible for you to go astray.
Just follow the road (from memory, Ilkley Rd.) from the crossroads, as far as you can and you will end up at the carpark right by the transmitters and the old wooden box below them, to call it a shed would be gilding the lilly.
There is a sign at the crossroads which says something like, this road is not suitable for cars after one and three quater miles.
A word of warning though Phil, although it’s not a bad road, the surface is uneven and in two or three places there are gouges in the centre of the tarmac where cars have bottomed out and hit the surface of the road, so drive steady.
When you reach the carpark, the road ends and you are 100% definitely in the activation zone, but the nearer to the masts you are the higher you are.
I got the postcode for the pub near the crossroads on air from Barry M3PXW while I was at Longridge Fell and put it into my satnav and it took me straight to the pub, from there it was a case of straight on and keep heading upwards.
It should be pointed out that it is only a very easy, flattish 15 minute stroll to the trig point/true summit from the car park. The summit can have a pleasant view Eastwards on a clear day too. So there is no need, for most, to deny oneself the greater joys of SOTA in the quest for an effort-free activation.
It should be pointed out that it is only a very easy, flattish 15
minute stroll to the trig point/true summit from the car park. The
summit can have a pleasant view Eastwards on a clear day too. So
there is no need, for most, to deny oneself the greater joys of SOTA
in the quest for an effort-free activation.
Maybe MT should scrap the 25m vertical height rule and insist on an activation from the trig, that way there would be no grey areas to consider.
It’s enough to put you off activating at ones own expense when people pass comments or whine and whinge when one is operating within a given set of rules. I personally have ALWAYS adhered to the rules 100%.
Add to that a disability and I have to ask myself wether to stop trying to give a few points back to the regular activators.
Another point some don’t seem to grasp, is that there are people on this planet who put radio first and hate walking, not the case with me I’ll hasten to add.
Unfortunately, too many of the rules are as clear as mud!
Maybe MT should scrap the 25m vertical height rule
That would be unworkable Mike. The 25m rule is there for a reason. It allows activators to move away from the summit itself if it is busy - after all, many other hillwalkers probably don’t want to be confronted by aerials, wires, incessant talking, dots and dashes at the ‘high point’ of their day’s walking. On most of my 470-ish activations, I have had the summit entirely to myself, so no issue, but it has been useful to retreat to a quieter and more considerate spot on popular hills - courtesy of the 25m rule.
I have to ask myself wether to stop trying to give a few points back to the regular activators.
Entirely up to you Mike. If you are enjoying SOTA, carry on. If not, give up!
Another point some don’t seem to grasp, is that there are people on this planet who put radio first and hate walking.
I would suggest to such people that SOTA is not really for them!
Unfortunately, too many of the rules are as clear as mud!
Don’t agree. They are perfectly clear.
I personally have ALWAYS adhered to the rules 100%.
Maybe MT should scrap the 25m vertical height rule
That would be unworkable Mike. The 25m rule is there for a reason.
It allows activators to move away from the summit itself if it is busy
after all, many other hillwalkers probably don’t want to be
confronted by aerials, wires, incessant talking, dots and dashes at
the ‘high point’ of their day’s walking. On most of my 470-ish
activations, I have had the summit entirely to myself, so no issue,
but it has been useful to retreat to a quieter and more considerate
spot on popular hills - courtesy of the 25m rule.
I take it the summit of Rombalds Moor was busy then…!
The summit didn’t need to be busy Tom, it could be deserted in fact.
If you read our rules as set out by our intrepid MT you will find that I, or anyone else, can activate from anywhere within the AZ, you should know that Tom, being MT yourself.
After the ascent/descent of NP-014, I was in quite severe pain due to my old back injury, I wasn’t really in a position to reach the trig while in so much pain.
Maybe you could put it to MT to include some easier summits in the sota programme for those of us with a disability, even summits with wheelchair access.
I must do some checking up actually, because I think it may be against the law to discriminate against the disabled!!
