I’m heading up to the NW of Scotland today for some R&R, camping, DXing and SOTA. I’m on my own and have little knowledge of the area so I’m planning easy activations. I’m unsure of what kind of phone signal I’ll have but when I can I’ll post an alert but may ask a chaser to put a spot on for me. The following hills are planned
GM/WS-333
GM/WS-313
GM/WS-337
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Do you mean western Scotland (WS) rather than southern Scotland (SS) peaks?
Ciao
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Or even NS?
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There is only one suitable word here…Doh!
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Not enough NS summits!
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What ever you do take some real insect repellant with Deet in it. Also a bug hat and/or a bug jacket.
My mobile used BT.com and I had good coverage on most hills. Well, unless you go deep inside the Cairngorms… or some other range…
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Or some Smidge.
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Why not spot with SOTAmat (assuming you’re doing SSB and not CW, which would get spotted via RBN)
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Hi Paul,
I had quite good results on GM/WS-178 a few weeks ago. It may be 792m but the start is at about 600m from the top of the road over to Applecross. Phone signal was good (Vodaphone). I was very lucky with the weather and the insects were mostly clegs rather than midges the day I did it.
Andy
MM7MOX
Cheers alas I’m back home after one night. Climbed WS-313 but no QSO’s tried searching for some on 20m but no takers. Managed to sprain my calf on the way up too so canned it. Thanks for advice re SOTAmat, I tried before but had no joy doubtless my fault so I’ll go back again. The hills were selected due to ease of access as I haven’t been doing a lot of training or activity recently and I’m on my own. I knew there would be some phone signal issues, I had 4G at the car, walked past one microwave relay mast up to the top of 313 with mast and had intermittent phone signal! Really need to teach MRS 2M0OSB how to spot for me
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40m would have been a good bet from where you were. Even if 40m is a bit long, there’s usually good skip from that part of Scotland into G and GW. WAB net on 7160 would soon have got you the contacts.
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Yeah tried 40m near the QRP COA but no joy. No bother another reason to go back
WS-117 can be reached from the same point, giving two 4 point summits from one outing. You only ascend 270m from the top of the pass for WS-117 and 166m for WS-178, the going is rocky but the terrain runs to rock pavements so it is easier than it looks.
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