OK, so it’s nearly time for M1EYP’s annual Christmas Day morning activation of The Cloud G/SP-015. Personally, I have no preference for which band/mode to do, out of what I have available. Unfortunately, at present, I cannot offer datamodes, or the VLF, 160m, 60m, 4m or SHF bands.
This is inspired by me not really knowing the current band conditions, and not really knowing who is most likely to be wanting to work me. So if you’re likely to be trying to work me around 0700-0800 on Xmas Day morning, then what works best for you? Vote for as many that are applicable to you.
I’ll check it out at bedtime tonight, and again around 0515z in the morning, and hopefully QRV sometime around 0630-0700 UTC, and QRV until around 0830-0900 UTC.
So at the minute, it’s looking like 80m SSB & CW, with some 2m FM on the handheld thrown in. I’ll check again in the morning though.
I’m minded to disregard G3CWI’s vote for 70cm CW as I’m confident he has absolutely no intention of being in the shack to work me - well not on that band/mode anyway! I think he might be just being a bit silly - too much ginger wine?
I thought you were migrating to band/mode combinations where there was little interest or activity so 70cm cw was the obvious choice failing the missing option of 70cm psk.
From a parochial point of view, you won’t have missed much by oversleeping, Tom. The usual inter-G bands have been rubbish due to the current coronal hole. (The HF ones haven’t been much better!). Critical frequency is currently only 2.425 MHz. Happy Christmas anyway and hope things improve!
Hi Tom,
Got here a bit late - it’s already 0800 UTC 25th. Dec. But my vote would be for SSB on 60m (on one of the frwquencies overlapping with the WRC15 band we now have in Germany). Unfortunately that’s not on your list´so SSB on 40 or 20m would be my next choice.
Hope all is OK as I have not seen any spot from you as yet. Possibly rather “boggy” and hence taking longer to get up to The Cloud I suspect!
See above Ed - I overslept. However on summit and set up now. All except for my SO239 to BNC socket adaptor, which is not in its usual place, nor any other.
So that’s the 817 and Bandhopper 4 out of the equation, just after I set it all up as well. Oh well, coffee and 2m FM handheld it is then…
The pack doesn’t get unpacked between activations Andy and I do that many of them that a “grab and go” policy is usually fine. I must have broken significantly from my usual pack down procedure on the last activation without realising it!
Such is life. Anyway, enjoying the banter on 2m FM!
Found it. It was still attached to the feeder on the 20m antenna in the boot of my car. Weird, because I always leave it attached to the back of the 817. Well, always minus one it seems. I’ll keep an eye on the weather to see when I can get things right.
The owner is the NT, which has consistently and explicitly forbade cycling within the NT area on The Cloud. I’d say therefore anyone making a judgement in a case of dispute would be likely to side with the NT and not the cyclist. If we consider the paths in question here, the NT’s reasoning for its stance stands up; cycling does erode/damage the land here and is a nuisance to walkers.
Where the NT could (against a brilliant and expensive barrister) come a cropper is its assertion on its notice that “It is illegal to cycle on a public footpath also”. That statement is false and demonstrably so, quite aside from the sloppy grammar. I suppose it could be argued that a false statement like that renders the entirety of the notice null and void!
There is one (and only one IIRC) cyclist I’ve met on there that has not damaged the terrain or caused a nuisance to walkers. This individual got off his bike at the (previous) “No cycling” sign, and walked the rest of the way, pushing/carrying his bike. That was you!
