Rod M0JLA 5000 s2s points

My thanks for all the kind remarks and congratulations. Also for the many contacts along the way that actually got me to the 5000 total from 1329 s2s contacts. Allan, GW4VPX, and Vicki, M(W)6BWA/P deserve special mention - my very sincere thanks to you both for the uncounted large number of s2s contacts. To Allan also for very many other QSOs. To Vicki also for the frequent use of her radio and the mast and dipole which make all the difference as well as her company on most of the 500 unique summits. Don, G0RQL, also deserves a mention - still my best chaser - thank you.
I was hoping to produce some summary statistics but this is a bad time of year for indoor concentration and they remain undone :unamused:
Vicki, M6BWA/P, and I started on s2s as soon as she was licenced; our weedy radios made getting 4 contacts on 2mFM quite difficult so separate summits gave us one sure contact and we did not interfere with each other or have to share. It was the latter that got me into 2m ssb (once I had a decent radio - ft-817) with frequent s2s with Matt, now G8XYJ, and Geoff, 2E0BTR and also onto 70cmFM before migrating to HF.
This was before SOTA took up the idea of s2s and my many unique s2s were logged with the old HEMA system. I have certificate 250-011 for the first 250 unique s2s.
The first s2s logged on SOTA appears to have been on 02/02/2013 with 2E0YYY/P on G/SP-004, Shining Tor from GW/SW-002, Waun Fach. There were 13 in the log by the end of February, on 2m FM or 40m ssb. Many of the calls worked in 2013 are not in the log for 2021; sadly, several stalwarts are SK which after a lot of contacts feels like a personal loss even though we never met.
With the increase of noise in the domestic environment my chaser log is increasingly dominated by the s2s contacts as days go by without a successful chase from home. As long as the legs and back will oblige I hope to meet you all many times s2s in the months to come.
Thanks again,73,
Rod

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You now have a free run to overtake me Rod, as I’ll be away at sea until December!

Well done Rod!
Great effort, and even find time for some contesting.

I think I will need more than six months to catch up, Tom, now that you have updated your log more fully. I see from your other post that you really are going to sea; I hope you have a good time, both socially and professionally. Also that you are able to get approval for operating /MM.
73,
Rod

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Thanks, Steve. Perhaps one day I will become proficient at contesting but I think the more relaxed approach of SOTA suits me better.
Now for the next challenge. Which will it be, 500 completes or fully completing GW? Both are within sight but I am not sure I will manage either. Even so, I think both are more likely than being good at contesting.
73,
Rod

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Congratulations Rod, thank you for the s2s we have shared, I wish you many more to come, & I look forward to being on other end of some of those as well, all the best & 73.

Neil.