In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom, I could hear your SSB, too. But less than 2 KHz below there was a Swedish QSO with 9+ signals, therefore I did not call.
73
Mike
What would you like tomorrow morning everyone?
- 80m CW & SSB
- 40m CW
- 2m CW, SSB & FM
In reply to M1EYP:
Its 80 ssb for me but go with the majority.atb Geoff.
In reply to M1EYP:
Also in reply to G6MZX:
No objections against 80 ssb, Tom. Hope less qrm tomorrow.
73
Mike
In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom,
Tom was very happy to have worked you this morning and went off to School whistling!
We tried a different tack using a random long wire and just 10 Watts for both Tom’s and my call. The band conditions from our end were a lot better than yesterday.
Many thanks for another early bird activation!!
James
…>>
Well, I didn’t in all honesty go off to school whistling myself, but I did feel a sense of warm satisfaction from another pleasing activation. I got up at 5.55am, and Marianne asked “Aren’t you going to watch Jimmy open his presents?”. No, no need, no point, I already knew what was in them.
So off on the road to The Cloud at 6.20am, unable to make my mind up between Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live or Frank Zappa’s “Strictly Genteel” CD. Both excellent in their own way, but neither able to hold my attention for longer than five minutes this morning.
I don’t actually remember the ascent today. I must be well and truly into ‘automatic pilot’ mode for this summit. By popular request, 80m was employed for the second morning in a row, and fair play, for all the popular requesters were out in force monitoring my likely QRGs.
I was QRV on 3.663MHz SSB (because 3.660 was in use) by 0605z today, which was quite good. First up again was Geoff G6MZX, who found me while I was partway through my self-spot, and thus saving me the bother of completing it. He was followed by James G7MLO and Tom M3XFG, who, in contrast to yesterday, could hear me! Three more stations, including Mike LA5SAA were worked on SSB before things went quiet, signalling the QSY to 3.554MHz CW.
Five stations were worked on CW, before a second go on SSB. This time 3.663 was busy, but 3.660 was clear. I worked just Steve GW7AAV before things were quiet again. A final call on 3.554MHz CW brought SM6CMU into the log, and then it was time to pack up. I sent a “2m FM in 5 mins”, which was acknowledged (by G0TDM I think), and quickly packed my main HF station up. As usual, the call on S20 from the VX-7R was not answered, so I descended and got on the road to work, smiling, if not whistling.
14 QSOs, 8 on SSB, 6 on CW, 6 DXCCs (G, GW, LA, DL, HB, SM). Thanks for the calls.
Thinking of 2m CW/SSB tomorrow. Anyone want to try for a bit of VHF DX? The Cloud to Aylesbury might take some beating, but I’ve worked Belgium from there on 2m CW in the past.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
“Aren’t you going to watch Jimmy open his presents?”. No, no need, no point, I already knew what was in them.
Well Tom you never stuck me as cruel and heartless before, but maybe you didn’t want to stop around to hear Jimmy say “Oh No! no not Chunky Soup again!” ;0D
unable to make my mind up between Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live or Frank Zappa
No contest - Zappa every time.
I worked just Steve GW7AAV before things were quiet again.
Sorry but when I called I hadn’t had time to shower after the gym, so maybe it was my “man scent” that drove them off.
As usual, the call on S20 from the VX-7R was not answered
Are you sure it was on S20? I heard nothing on 2m however I heard you call on SU20 (5/9+60) but I had a mouthful of cereal and called you back asap but you had moved on.
Hopefully catch you on 2m SSB tomorrow.
73 Steve GW7AAV
Hi Tom
Thinking of 2m CW/SSB tomorrow.
No early morning SOTA for me tomorrow ?
Well - maybe it’s nice with a break. Good luck on 2, Tom.
73 Mike
In reply to M1EYP:
We’ll have a listen in the morning. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! You never know…
James
In reply to M1EYP:
Thinking of 2m CW/SSB tomorrow.
The cans will be on!
Hopefully see you in the morning.
73 Marc G0AZS
Again, I will mount my antenna vertically, as I think this is what most people looking for me have. If you need me to go H, let me know - but only if you are going to be up and in the shack at that early hour!
Feel free to post spots like “Pse beam N with H-pol?”. I will be monitoring SOTAwatch on my 'phone, and you can always delete the “spots” afterwards! 
Cheers, Tom
Can’t seem to get the spots page to work this morning - but anyway, still on for a 0600z start on 144.060-cw. SSB and FM to follow.
Tom
The above message and my “setting off” spot did eventually come through I see, but probably not in time to provide the intended update for chasers. Nonetheless, I was found by SOTA chasers on all three modes, albeit only once each!
I was a little late leaving the house this morning, and climbing up a misty dew-lined Cloud by 6.50am. I was set-up and ready to go by 7.10am, but could not confirm with my 'phone showing that SOTAwatch was still down, as it was when I had tried on my home PC earlier.
I called CQ on 144.060MHz CW, and was astonished to hear the unmistakably distinctive dots of G4SSH. Astonished, because I was beaming south (for G0AZS) at the time! I swung the beam around and completed a nice 2m CW contact with Roy, and without doubt the first time I have worked Scarborough from The Cloud on VHF. With SOTAwatch down, I received a text from Marc G0AZS advising a birdie on 144.060MHz, but suggesting 144.058MHz as an alternative. I tried calling on there a few times, but no joy. Perhaps we were lucky after all to make that contact last week.
Switching to SSB brought Roger G0TRB, while FM brought Steve and Helen GW7AAV/GW7AAU. On none of the three modes was there a tail-end QSO let alone a pile-up developing. 7.40am came around with just the four in the logbook, so it was time to pack away and go to work.
Many thanks to all callers.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Hi Tom
It was a pleasure and a surprise to have my first-ever 2m CW QSO with you this morning.
I have a 2m FM-only rig for local contacts and the antenna is a Slim Jim on the roof of my bungalow at sea level here in Scarborough on the Yorkshire Coast. Under normal conditions the maximum range is about 20 miles with a wind behind me, so I did not have high expectations of hearing your QRP signals from SP-015.
However I had been using an FT897 as a spare HF Rx for a while and had noted your use of 2m CW but did not have an adaptor for the PL-259 to n-type antenna connector at the back of the rig. Fortunately I managed to pick one of these up at the Hornsea Rally last weekend.
Sod’s law decreed that SOTA Watch was down, so there were no spots available, so I sat on 144.060 KHz from 0700 local time, hearing just background noise.
By 0715 I was ready to call it a day, when I was amazed to hear your CQ call, weak but clear. You came up as you swung your beam and it was then a pleasure to exchange 339/539 reports with you using about 50w at this end. A good contact over a distance of approximately 100 miles.
73
Roy G4SSH
Thanks Roy. It was gud DX. In fact, I thought it would be considerably more than just 100 miles, but even so, the sigs still did well to get over the Pennines.
This morning was another CW effort, but this time back on 40m - 7.032MHz. Things were slow going to start, but soon picked up. There seemed to be lots of faint stations in the background when I finished on 40 CW at 0634z. I hope they were calling/communicating elsewhere, and not very weak stations that were trying to call me!
An interesting mix of stations today. DL (2), SM (1), OK (1), SP (2), 9A (1), IK (2). I was called by F6GID at the end, but he disappeared after I went back to him. Much QSB I think. It had also turned considerably colder this morning, but at least the rain held off, much as it threatened.
The customary call on 2m FM prior to descent brought Mac 2E0VBQ from Bolton. One other person walking over the summit this morning. He didn’t recognise me with my fleecy hat on - he is my barber!
Thanks for the calls.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Sorry Tom.
I could only “recognize” you on 40 sometimes this morning. No readability.
Better luck next time.
73 Mike
In reply to M1EYP:
Nothing from you this morning either, no skip. Good sigs from most stations who wkd you.
73 Mike
Cold with fine drizzle when I left the house at 6.15am this morning. “Shall I go back in and relax with a brew and a proper breakfast?” I asked myself. Next thing I knew, I found myself driving in darkness on the narrow country lanes through North Rode. I questioned myself again in the continuing drizzle on Cloudside, but then found myself pulling on my waterproof overtrousers. Too addictive this SOTA business!
Unfortunately, the wind was blowing at 45 degrees to the orientation of the topograph on the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015, so no one side of it afforded total shelter. I had to mke the best of it.
The drizzle continued, so I operated with the 817 and paddle inside one of my drybags. That was a bit fiddly at first, but I was QRV on 40m CW - 7.032MHz by 0607z. Eight minutes of unanswered CQ calling ensued. I was abaout to “give in” and self-spot when HA7UG came back to me. He was followed by eight more stations, taking me beyond 0630z and pack-away time.
No answers to my calls on S20 (2m FM) and SU20 (70cm FM), although no doubt Steve GW7AAV will claim that he heard the calls but I had gone by the time he got to the radio!
Thanks to all stations who called or spotted:
HA7UG, 9A4MF, DK1HW, 9A7W, HB9DOT, OK1DAV, HB9CMI, SM6CMU, DL3BRA
73, Tom
It was a little colder, but a little drier, initially at least as I began my ascent this morning. On the summit, a strong and blustery wind threatened to make things difficult. I was glad I had alerted for another 40m activation, for the 80m antenna would have been difficult to put up in such conditions.
No sooner had I completed the first QSO - with HA5TI - than it started raining heavily. The 817 was quickly stuffed into a drybag, and I tried to start again on the paddle. However, the dots were now playing up. I’ve had this problem intermittently, and I think it is something to do with plug at the 817 end, as some fiddling there tends to rectify it.
Eventually, and somewhat wetter and colder, I was working again. I ended at 0627z with six stations in the log, from HA, OK, F and S5. I wasn’t sorry that the frequency was quiet by then! Neither was I that my promised calls on 2m and 70cm FM were ignored!
The heater was on full blast on my drive to work. And yet, it’s still “British Summer Time”. Thanks to all who called me this morning.
HA5TI, OK1ZE, F5UKL, F6EFI, OK1KT, S51ZG
Tom M1EYP
Wednesday 2nd October 2008. Colder still. Can’t be long now before the surface of the pole starts icing up.
I was up earlier today, and set up for 40m on the summit by 0555z. I worked two Slovenian stations before I realised that the rest of the likely chasers weren’t out of bed yet - apart from Phil G4OBK who posted on SW to say he was monitoring, but there weren’t any short skip conditions.
I tuned across the SSB part of the band looking for any likely spots, but settled into an extended period of short wave listening when I heard DF2BO in QSO with a loud and clear ZL station.
Back on 7.032MHz CW 18 minutes later, I worked F5UKL, but then I realised that my battery was running low. No problem, switched down to 1 watt and worked the rest of the callers from SM, HA and DL.
It was a pleasant view this morning, with the low early morning mist shrouding the valleys and towns, with chimneys and pylons poking through. I started packing up at 0630z, to be greeted by a friendly “Good morning” from a chap out walking his dog. His dog, however, was not so friendly, running up to one yard away from me, growling and barking. “Oh he’s alright”, said the man, “he won’t harm you”. I was not impressed. I continued packing up trying to ignore the dog, but still it lurched towards me barking angrily. “Would you move your dog away from me please?” I asked. “Now now, that’s enough, sit down” called the man half-heartedly to his dog, which continued to ignore him and continue stalking me. Eventually he grabbed his dog by the collar and dragged it away!
I called CQ on S20 and SU20 at 0642z, got no response, descended and went to work. Many thanks to the seven stations worked - S58MU, S51MF, F5UKL, SM6CMU, HA4FY, DL4FDM, SM6BSK.
Tom M1EYP