May catch you on the band Tom of up to Ld-004 for the evening/night to try the 2m UKAC for
the first time, just hope the wind is calm for the beam.
If not got the dipole for 40m if all fails.
73
Graeme 
Excellent Graeme, that would be a FB S2S, and you will be popular from that square in the contest as well. Hope we can make the QSO.
Any other SOTA activators out tonight? I may do a bit of 2m FM before 8pm local if I am set up early enough.
I might try G/TW-001. Contest virgin so go easy!
Quite a decent night. 95 QSOs all 2m SSB, locators worked: IN99, IO64, 70, 74, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, JO01, 02, 03. DXCCs worked: G, GW, GI, GM, F.
Best of all was the number of SOTA activators out. I worked the following S2S, and it appears there may have been more than I missed:
GM7PKT/P on GM/SS-130
M0OAT/P on G/LD-004
G4IDF/P on G/WB-009
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So there was at least five SOTA activations on-air for the Fun Evening / 2m SSB activity night this week, which is very promising.
Next week - Tuesday 12th July 2016 - we will have another one, but this time the band of focus will be 70cm. Most of the activity will be on SSB, but there may also be a little SOTA / contest traffic on the FM part of the band.
Hope to work a few SOTA activators S2S again.
Most enjoyable evening was had on Skiddaw G/LD-004 set of from the car park at 1640hrs UTC and was set ready to go for 1830hrs. I always enjoy the scenery on the way up to the summit of Skiddaw or maybe its an excuse for a breather on the hike up.
Weather conditions were clear skies, wind about 10mph along with a dark cloud advancing over the Irish sea, my setup was a 3 el sota beam on a 5m travel mast, ft817 and the standard mic. Simple setup managed 40 qsoâs a few being chasers along with three S2S with GM7PKT on GM/SS-130 Criffel, G6PJZ/P on G/TW-001 Urra Moor - Round Hill and M1EYP/P on G/SP-015 The Cloud. I was planning some 40m action before packing up but the dark cloud was now over head and the temp had dropped a few degrees, bit of a shock to think you had the whole summit to yourself only to stumble over three wild campers by the trig.
I always enjoy the evening/night time hikes or camping trips more relaxing and a lot cooler than during the day, nice to look at the lights of small of villages in the distance. With having a young family, older dog and demanding job its nice to break away in your world for a few hours.
I will have to give next Tuesday a miss, as I will be out with a few old work comrades from EI/GI/GM for the 12th July any excuse to meet up for a few social drinks been planned for the past six months.
73
Graeme
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Love that second photo Graeme!
Thanks Tom i seem to get better pics from my Samsung S6 phone than I do from my camera. After Tuesdayâs outing I am now on the lookout for a new beam, my 3 el SOTA beam has gone a bit wonky after some abuse from the wind and a mast collapse been looking at these DK7ZB as a replaceplent prices seem reasonable and the instructions seem clear to follow.
So far I have had five offers to join contest groups is this worthwhile to do or just go it alone for the odd Tuesday night SSB on the hill, has anyone started a group that is made up from SOTA chassers or activators for these events.
Looking to top up my 2m CW qsoâs only managed the one so far with G4OBK and that was surprise to even get a reply to my call on the band.
Cheers
Graeme
Yes, I always enjoy those views too Graeme! Thanks for the QSO - my first on 2m SSB
Tom, a bonus to get the S2Ss with yourself and Graeme.
Weather-wise, the best evening of my trip to the GM/SS summits so worked out perfectly. A bit windy on the top but dry and sunny.
Itâs a pity that the top half of the path up Criffel is so wet and muddy or I would have stayed longer. Iâm used to very wet and muddy hillsides in GM/WS but this is one of the worst! I was up to my knees in mud on the ascent so decided to pack up early and pick out a better descent route while there was enough light to see what I was doing. Managed to get down without going horizontal. 
Great to hear so much activity. If I had been operating from one of my local summits I would have been lucky to hear more than a dozen stations and get the attention of more than a handful.
73, Robin
Shortly setting off out for tonightâs VHF SOTA Fun Evening / UK activity night.
I will be mainly on 432MHz SSB with the occasional venture onto 433MHz FM I expect. No self-spots with it also being the RSGB contest, but hopefully any SOTA activators and SOTA chasers will be able to find each other.
Well that was cut short. I was on The Cloud G/SP-015 and underway bang on 8pm local. At 8.40pm I got a call from my wife Marianne that she had lost her car keys, and I needed to come home right away so she could borrow my car to drive to work for 10pm. The call came, spookily, just as a croc clip I had soldered back onto the coax feeder last week came away again. More things than one were telling me to go home!
So that was that. 25 QSOs, all 70cm SSB. 9 locator squares: IO64, 74, 82, 83, 84, 85, 91, 92, 93.
I was QRV from Arbury Hill G/HCE-002 between 07:10 and 07:30z, but couldnât find you Tom. Mind you, standing out in the rain was rather distracting. Hopefully I will manage to work you in the contest⌠one day.
73, Gerald G4OIG
Well we only missed each other by around 12 hours Gerald!
Got a borrow on a set of wheels, so Fun Evening is on for me tonight.
Anyone else? Last month on the 2m Fun Evening there were 7 or 8 SOTA activators taking part which was superb!
I had arranged just about everything to be able to head to the hills tonight.
The one thing that I canât arrange is the weather. It turned wet and windy this afternoon.
I didnât fancy sitting at 1000+ metres asl in the wind and rain so game off!
Perhaps 70cm next Tuesday - weather (and work) permitting !!!
Tom
I hoped to read that you had used a bike for an activation, as clearly the gods are telling you this by putting the car out of action, or is it out to pasture?
But sadly no.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
Oh is was a fun evening indeed.
6m opening nicely shame no Sotas about in ON, DL and OZ and PA as it was buzzing with these DXCCâs between 1730 and 1900hrs utc.
karl
It was 2m last night Karl, not 6m.
Tuesday 2nd August 2016 - The Cloud G/SP-015
I wasnât anticipating going out, now be without a vehicle, but my wife Marianne kindly invited me to use her car so I could do my regular Tuesday night activation.
The weather remained dry as the forecast promised, but there were some very black clouds building up all around as the evening wore on. The main weather problem was the lack of breeze, which meant that the midges were appalling until 9pm. I used my bothy bag to avoid them in the end!
Not a bad activation, with 82 contacts on 2m - 76 on SSB in the contest, then 6 on FM afterwards. S2S with Rob G7LAS/P over on Shining Tor G/SP-004.
Shame no excess to 2m at moment and also poor weather last night would been interesting operation from Kit hill yesterday evening on 6m G/DC-003. It would have been well fun evening up there with last nights conditions.
karl