You might have guessed from my alerts/spots that I am hiking on the Appalachian Trail (AT). We started last Friday in Erwin, TN northbound. We have had rainy weather when crossing the Roan Highlands and no cell coverage. This put a dampener on SOTA activities.
Right now we are in a Campground on Watauga Lake. We want to be in Damascus, VA, by sunday evening. Alerts are placed. I hope I didn’t screw up times and dates.
My rig is QMX built from a kit just in time for this journey. I can get 4W on 14-28MHz. I use a EFHW for 20 and 10m and vertical wires for 15 and 17m. I typically start at 14.062.5 and then call at 28.062.5.
I will upload some fotos when I have WiFi, might not be before reaching Damascus.
Heinz,
So nice to catch you on trail/summit yesterday. Keep us posted on your progress. Especially as you head into New England. I’m looking forward to following your progress.
Oh and if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.
73,
Fred WX1S
We have arrived in Damascus, VA. On the way here I activated W4T/SU-040. I called CQ for half an hour from W4T/SU-037 without success. I must have mixed something up in my alert. I didn’t try the third summit although we walked right over it because forecast was for rain and we wanted to reach town before it started.
Next summit will be Whitetop Mountain, 21 miles from Damascus. Alert will follow. I am severly restricted in my mobile phone coverage, my phone is stuck on T-mobile, which has a very patchy coverage here. I will try to get another SIM card, preferably a pay-card rather than a contract.
@WX1S Fred I have to disappoint you. I am only three weeks on the trail, my annual vacation. I will not make it to New England. Thanks for the S2S on last Saturday.
We have arrived in Atkins, VA. Today I activated Glade Mountain. Thanks for the S2S contacts to AC1Z and K6EL! 15m was open to Europe and F4WBN was the first in the log, followed by EA and DL stations.
On Wednesday I was on Whitetop Mtn and called 20min without success. I must have screwed something up with date or time in my alert.
Next summit could be WV-041 tomorrow and WV-009 Chestnut Ridge the day after tomorrow. Alerts will follow. I am now in an area with better fone service.
As I read, you had more of luck in conds from W4 than I recently from CT8/CU.
But the most important thing are pleasant wx-conds. That`s what I enjoyed in CT8/CU more or less by chance.
I will have a look to your cw-signals here in my HQTH.
I use TMO in VA. I’ve often found my phone will have no data connection in places where there is, in fact, weak service on my carrier. The work-around is to put the phone in and out of airplane mode, and then I have usable 4G LTE service. I don’t know if this is particular to my phone or the TMO network or what.
No doubt you are in some places with truly no service, but maybe that will work in other places.
If you find yourself in need of spare parts or summit tips, get in touch. I or other local SOTA fans might be able to help out.
I am off the trail, now in a hotel in Charlotte waiting for the evening flight home. We have had memorable days hiking the trail, with great views, wildlife encounters, weather from sunny to hail storms, nice camp sites, beautiful sunrises, meeting fellow hikers and last but not least some SOTA activations!
Thank you to all chasers and the SOTA community for their support!
, Geoff