I’m staying over with my sister in North Wales on the weekend of the 11th, and plan on activating Snowdon with my brother-in-law to introduce him to SOTA and amateur radio.
Will anyone be doing 6M and/or 4M ?
Regards
Dave
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In theory my end fed wire tunes to 6m but I’ve never raised anyone on it. But worth a go! Just send up a spot and ideally post an alert the day before and a post on here will do no harm. 
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Ok, will do that. I did plan on doing 6M earlier this week on Boulsworth Hill (SP-008) but the wind was too much for my little yagi (2m), never mind the 6M Decathlon fishing pole (that I hang the HF, 6M and 4M on). Hopefully the 11th will be a tad more successfull.
73
Dave
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Hi Dave
I’ve been meaning to build/aquire a 6m antenna for a while, so will use this as a reason to get one sorted.
Regards, Mark.
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Is this Event for only using FM and 2m or ist it possible for HF (20m and 40m) so we can try S2S QSOs.?
73 Michael
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Not specifically Michael. Many of the people active in G/LD will use 2m FM so they can have S2S contacts with the other G/LD stations. Some may only operate on 2m but many will have HF running as well. I have not decided which bands I will be activating.
Hi Michael
That’s up to the individual activator, there are no rules, but as I have some prizes this year I’m going to suggest some challenges, one of which will be total QSO miles, which will encourage HF activations.
I love HF, and will ensure I do HF this time round, at least one of the weekend days.
Regards, Mark.
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Hi Mark,
That’s great, I’ll bring the 6m coax antenna with me - which just hangs off the Decathlon pole. There doesn’t seem to be much interest on 4m, so I’ll probably just bring the 2m/4m hand-held (Woxuan) with me.
I’ll also be up in the Lakes at the end of this week (Thursday 26th to Saturday 28th) doing SOTA, so I’ll throw in the 6M antenna as well. Anybody else out and about over the bank holiday weekend - the weather in the Lakes is looking OK :
73 Dave
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I am hoping very much to get out on the hills over the bank holiday weekend. I keep forgetting that my Super Antenna MP1 telescopic whip is resonant on 6m, so I will give that a go next weekend, but I might still make a roll up antenna to hang from the 10m mast.
Regards, Mark.
What do you think of the Super Antenna ? I have a SotaBeams linked dipole (20/40m) which works OK, but a friend of mine has a Super Antenna, and swears by it. The Slidewinder DX from M1ECC antenna’s looks like a good alternative to the Super Antenna - and I understand the tuning coil is a tad lighter. Presuambly it’s a doddle to put up ?
Regards, Dave
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Hi
I’m going to try and make something for 6m to hang from the mast before the LD weekend. (6m FM Vertical polarisation or should I be thinking of 6m SSB horizontal?) On the Saturday 11th I hope to do Grizedale Pike (G/LD-015), Grasmoor (G/LD-009) and then - not very imaginativly back via Grizedale Pike again. I’ll have the KX2 & FT-270 with me and will probably do 2m FM on Grizedlae Pike, 2m FM and 40M/20m on Grasmoor and depending on time back via some HF for the second visit to Grizedale Pike. No 6m on Saturday - Sorry.
Friday, Sunday and Monday are quite a lot more vague depending on energy levels and how many other people are out. If people are activating Burhhope Seat (G/NP-003) is a very easy one for me and should be good for S2S on the East of the Lakes on 2m / 6m. I also have Red Screes, Gummers How, Whitbarrow, Robinson and Dale Head on the list to do and will try and do some of them, and if it is a shorter walk take the FT-817 so I have 6m too. Fingers crossed that the weather is kind…
I am hoping for one more LD visit this week too, but need to fit this around the family so I won’t be able to plan much in advance, but it will probably be 2m FM and HF. Will add an alert when plans are clearer.
(Antenna - either 40/60/80 linked dipole or 40m/20/17 EFHW and roll up J Pole on 6m mast)
73 Paul
Works surprisingly well up to and including 40m, not so good using the 60m & 80m coils. China on 20m from Holme Fell with 30w says it all really! Very happy with mine, great for summits where the 80m Sotabeams Band Hopper IV is too large. I tend to use it about the same as the dipole on terms of number of activations now.
Not sure exactly what I’ll be doing yet - will post to SotaWatch when I’ve got the maps out. I’ll tavel up (from Derbyshire) early Thursday morning, so will do something in the NP (Maybe Pen-Y-Ghent or Wernside) first. I’ll be staying in Kendle Thursday night and Cockermouth Friday night, so if I’m feeling fit I’ll probably do Helvellyn Friday and Skiddaw Saturday.
I should be bout this weekend @M0JKS but I’ll miss the LD sortie as I’m taking my aged father to Arran. Was looking at Grasmoor and Grisedale Pike but not settled on a day so far.
There is a feint possibility of some chasing so I’ll have to feed up the old fella and suggest he has a nap whilst I hop up goat fell for a s2s or it might be some beach chasing via hf or 13cm if I can sneak that kit in 
Hoping to make this SOTA weekend, possibly just the Sunday.
My last one was in February 2007, based in Derwentwater YHA, so I think I’m overdue another one.
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Hi Rod @M0JLA
We may work on VHF Rod on the Sunday, I hope you’re trip comes off into Southern Scotland and you can find some accommodation. I will stay in Creetown on the Sunday night, pre-booked this week.
I am concocting a plan in my quest for uniques that long weekend, and there are none in Cumbria G/LD or England left now, but I can still have some fun Mark @M0NOM:
11th Saturday: Operate from a high point with a 2m beam and HF in North Yorkshire as a chaser.
12th Sunday: Operate from two SOTA summits in Dumfries & Galloway.
13th Monday: Operate from three summits in Dumfries & Galloway / Ayrshire, then drive home.
Thanks for the M0NOM/P > GM4OBK/P QSO today Mark, when I was on Black Hill GM/SS-167. My feet were killing me by the time I got back to the car - only a 7.5 mile walk. My old feet expanded on such a hot day, so I went and bought a new pair of fabric type technical looking, Meindl boots 10.5 size at Craigdon Mountain Sports near Edinburgh. I usually get size 10. They feel comfy and light.
Day off tomorrow, the hills are so crowded with folk round here on the weekends so we are taking a swerving day off… I’ll try the new boots out on Monday and Tuesday, hoping a different boot and a half size up provide more comfort. Have used my previous Scarpa Kailash leather boots for two years now, but time to say goodbye to them.
73 Phil
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Phil, Despite the recent dry weather I’ve found many of the G/NP summits I’ve activated in July and August surprisingly(?) boggy in places and I was glad I was wearing my traditional well-waxed leather boots. So good luck with the new Meindl fabric boots.
73 Andy
I have a pair of leather heavier Altberg 4 season boots rarely worn, yet 8 years old and still good, for that sort of boggy stuff Andy. I just don’t walk SOTA I walk for pleasure and lead walks for our walking group in the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales, can often be boggy.
Never been a fan of fabric boots, but comfort is becoming more important for me now as a senior, and I think my feet have expanded a half size and my toes have become more bent in the middle over the last five years. Its probably arthritis or rheumatism. Also recently bought a pair of cheaper £60 suede type brown Sprayway boots for hybrid walk/cycle SOTAs that I plan to do this side of winter.
Not a fan of wax, but its built into Kiwi which I have always sworn by since I was serving in HM Forces and wanted the best shine!
73 Phil
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I agree (re comfort and age) and I do a lot of casual walking (inc. dog walks twice a day) in fabric and leather walking shoes. Grisport are my favourites for comfort and protection. But my hiking boots are also very comfortable and the extra weight doesn’t bother me.
I read that Reinhold Messner, the first person to solo-summit Mount Everest and also first to do it without supplemental oxygen, walked to Everest base camp in trainers. It puts the choice of footwear when hillwalking in the UK into prospective.
However, as you know probably better than me, north-western Britain has a lot of peaty boggy uplands and the constant wetting & drying seems to accelerate cracking of the leather or other fabrics especially due to flexing at the toe-foot line.
The forecast for LD and NP until the SOTA weekend looks like more of the same (little or no rain) so footwear might be a non issue.
Hope to work you on 2m, 70cm or 23cm that weekend [I’ll have HF CW too]. Haven’t decided on a summit yet. Will wait for visitors to pick and choose their favourite LD summits and I’ll find an unclaimed one. Maybe see you at the Saturday evening get-together
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Finally got you in the log Phil, nothing heard on 60m which I was surprised at, 40m was very faint and the QSB on all bands was making contacts very difficult from my location. I think I heard you on 30m, always seems to be fairly consistent regardless of distance.
Regards, Mark.
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