I have just noticed that missing from this thread is the activation report for my 1000th activation! A rather glaring omission, so here goes…
Sunday 5th September 2010 would be the day when I would undertake a SOTA activation for the 1000th time. This would also coincide with the 5th and final 2m Backpackers Contest of the year. It would have been obvious to select my favourite and modal summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 for the 1000th, but it is a busy and popular spot, especially at weekends. Hence I never really relish the thought of setting up several antennas, a tent and being there for most of a Sunday.
Gun G/SP-013 is much quieter, and with more options to set things up out of other peoples’ way. It is also much less likely to be visited by a warden or ranger. Therefore this was the choice, and I drove out there just before 6am on the Sunday morning.
Setting up took a good while as I erected a 2 man tent, plus antennas in rather strong wind. I was reluctant to seek natural shelter due to the 2m contest later, so I sited myself in a large area of heather right at the top.
A tent, a flask, an FT-817, three poles, six aerials and all the other usual stuff made for a heavy pack, and the short easy walk to the summit was therefore well in order. I set up the dipoles for 80m, 60m, 40m and 30m all from the same pole, with the ends of the 80m and 60m legs all supported above ground by walking poles - yes, I took four with me! The 20m vertical-groundplane “Magic Moggy” - or MM20 - was set on the second pole, while the 2m SOTA Beam, horizontally polarised, sat on the third.
I was finally QRV at 0727 UTC, and first in the logbook on 80m CW was Marc G0AZS. He headed up a run of 10 QSOs on 3.557MHz CW, followed by a single contact on 80m SSB. Then it was over to 40m CW, where 11 chasers were worked. Onto 60m SSB, it was 7 G stations worked, followed by a G and a GM on 60m CW. 13 QSOs on 30m CW, 8 on 40m CW (including S2S with DL1DVE/P on Bieleboh DM/SX-036), 3 on 80m SSB, 5 on 80m CW and one more on 5MHz SSB took me up to noon local, 61 QSOs in the bag, and time for the Backpackers.
This proved to be a slow Backpackers session, with just 56 contacts made, although distance points were quite good with plenty into JO01, JO02 and France. S2S in the contest included Rob G4RQJ/P on Dodd Fell Hill G/NP-016, the Studdart family (Steve G7AAV/P, Helen G7AAU/P, Caroline 2E0YLO/P and Adam 2E0DPI/P) on The Cloud G/SP-015, Ron GW4EVX/P on Moel y Gamelin GW/NW-042 and Walt GW3NYY/P on Mynydd Eppynt GW/SW-018.
After 4pm local, I went onto 20m, but found the band uncharacteristically quiet. Just 21 stations were worked on 20m CW, including USA and Canada, supplemented by 4 on 60m SSB, one on 60m CW, one on 30m CW and 6 on 2m FM. By now, Jimmy M3EYP/P had joined me on the summit, along with his brother Liam and my wife Marianne. A 1000th activation picnic and wine was enjoyed as the four of us crammed into the two man tent, before Marianne and Liam made a sharp exit.
Jimmy remained, and took occasional turns in the 2m SSB Backpackers. Steve, Helen and family arrived on summit to join the celebrations, and the four of them all qualified the summit, as they had done on The Cloud earlier. It was great to see them.
As I wound down on HF, Jimmy showed me how it was done, making about 30 contacts on 2m FM in very short order. I was green with envy and couldn’t quite fathom how he was so comprehensively out-QSOing me, even though I was on the normally prolific 20m CW!
I was QRT after my 150th QSO at 1800z, and Jimmy and I set about an hour’s packing up duties. This was the most QSOs I had ever made in a single activation, but I definitely haven’t got the best formula yet! I am already developing thoughts and ideas about choices of summit, bands and preparations for another such activation in the future.
Many thanks to everyone who worked me on my 1000th SOTA activation.
Tom M1EYP
