SOTA LD Weekend - High Street Activation

[M0NOM]

For my SOTA LD Weekend effort I made the trek up High Street G/LD-011
from Hartsop. I took my IC-705, 4200 mAH LifePo4 for 10w, Chameleon MPAS2 and Yaesu FT1XD handheld.

With the chance of Australia this morning, and knowing a lot of the OE SOTA Day Alerts were for 0800 UTC I started my ascent at 0530 UTC.

Beautiful Dawn Colours

Sunrise on Gray Crag

You follow a farmers track up to the Hayswater Tarn on the right hand side, then cross Hayswater Gill via the bridge for the steep ascent up to the Knott. By the time you hit the ridgeline you’re at 740m and the worst is over with. With generally excellent footing and paths this is an easy 8 pointer. After the Knott you have a short descent then the trudge up to the summit.

Early Morning Panorama of the Helvelly Range from near the Knott

Everyone commented on the excellent air clarity today, initial temperture on the higher summit was close to freezing with some frost in sheltered places. Air pressure was up which helped VHF. North Wales was clearly visible, which is fairly rare.

View towards Penrith

Rest Dodd

Looking towards High Street

View down Riggindale to Haweswater Reservoir

It is still on my list to ascend from Haweswater via the either ridgeline in the above photo.

Final Ascent

Long Stile

Summit Benchmark

One of the reasons for choosing High Street today is the long North-South wall that provides excellent protection from predominantly Westerly winds. To attempt to reduce the need for phone dancing I continued past the benchmark for about 100 metres with a view to the South and setup on the Easterly side of the wall. This afforded excellent protection and as the sun rose Factor 50 was applied and it was an excellent operating position with layers shed during the day.

Shelted Operating Position

Just as I arrived I got a S2S with Matthew @M0MZB who was on High Raise G/LD-019. Geoff was driving down to the Lake District and provided a unique challenge to logging sofware, being @GM4WHA at the start of the QSO and G4WHA at the end!

Early doors, thanks to Mike’s @2E0YYY excellent propagation knowledge, saw the best DX with three VK operators calling in to my spot on 20m. Pretty tidy for 10w. I could hear Andrew @VK1AD from his SOTA location VK1/AC-043 but there was big splatter very close and I was unable to work him.

Sunbathing Butterfly

View towards Red Screes

Obviously lots of LD S2S were had and a good deal into Europe. There was an issue with the Chameleon (possibly down to the top section working slightly loose in the wind) that saw 40m and 60m with high SWR and few contacts which was a shame. I should have investigated the high SWR by fault finding!

Having seen the spot on 10m by Karl G1VQN who was activating Birks Fell G/NP-031 I switched to 10m and worked him. Whilst listening around 10m there was clearly some DX with a Brazilian station calling and then India VU2XO. I tried in vain (possibly my antenna was now compromised) but I did record Karl work him so congratulations on the SOTA DX Karl. Only a little jealous as I’ve yet to be able to tick India as a DXCC.

Alex @G7KSE made the trek to High Street having activated Red Screes G/LD-017 and Stony Cove Pike G/LD-018 on the way and we spent an hour chatting and doing very little radio, great to meet him in person.

Alex G7KSE operating VHF from behind the wall

All together a wonderful days radio from one of my favourite LD summits. Not only was it difficult to find a 2m frequency at times but 20m was also looking full at times with massive groundwave signals from several LD activators! Thanks to everyone who made the effort in LD land, those who braved the rain in OE land and all the other contacts.

Totals were 85 contacts, 51 S2S, of those 23 were G/LD.

TIME	CALLSIGN	BAND	MODE	RST	RSR	OPERATOR	SIG	REF
07:04	M0MZB/P	2m	FM	59	59	Matthew	SOTA	G/LD-019
07:06	GM4WHA/M	2m	FM	59	59	GEOFF
07:45	M5TUE/P	2m	FM	59	59	Nigel	SOTA	G/LD-046
07:47	OE5HDN	20m	SSB	59	55	Heinz-Dieter
07:47	OH3GZ	20m	SSB	59	59	JUKKA
07:48	GW4TQE/P	20m	SSB	53	42	JG	SOTA	GW/NW-043
07:49	SQ9JTR/P	20m	SSB	55	55	Łukasz	SOTA	SP/BZ-045
07:50	EA2DT	20m	SSB	59	57	Manuel
07:50	IK2LEY/P	20m	SSB	59	59	FABIO	SOTA	I/PM-218
07:51	F4WBN	20m	SSB	59	59	Christian
07:51	OH1MM	20m	SSB	59	59	Pasi
07:51	DG0JMB	20m	SSB	59	44	Joerg
07:52	SQ9MDF/P	20m	SSB	55	55	Leszek	SOTA	SP/WS-003
07:52	EA3EVL	20m	SSB	55	55	PABLO
07:53	OE6RCD	20m	SSB	59	55	ROLAND
07:53	VK5PAS	20m	SSB	59	55	Paul
07:55	VK1MA	20m	SSB	59	32	Matt
07:57	IW3AGO	20m	SSB	51	44	HEINRICH	SOTA	I/TN-184
07:57	VK5MAZ	20m	SSB	59	55	Marija
07:59	OE/SP9MA/P	20m	SSB	59	59	Jarek	SOTA	OE/OO-298
07:59	EA1DHB	20m	SSB	59	57	Ricardo
07:59	IN3ADF	20m	SSB	59	58	Markus
08:00	SQ9BQW/P	20m	SSB	59	58	Wojciech	SOTA	SP/BZ-068
08:11	G7KSE/P	2m	FM	59	59	Alex	SOTA	G/LD-017
08:24	DC5BK	20m	SSB	59	55	Benjamin
08:24	OH1XT	20m	SSB	59	59	JARI
08:25	DL8DXL	20m	SSB	59	57	Fred
08:25	F5PLR	20m	SSB	59	59	Didier
08:26	EA2GM/P	20m	SSB	59	59	Javier	SOTA	EA1/AT-084
08:26	OE6GND	20m	SSB	59	59	GERHARD
08:27	EA6/M0DLL	20m	SSB	59	53
08:28	DL2DXA	20m	SSB	59	57	Bernd
08:28	EA1AAP	20m	SSB	59	55	Fernando
08:28	SM5LNE	20m	SSB	59	57	Jan
08:30	HB175RAIL	20m	SSB	59	55	c/o	SOTA	HB/LU-029
08:37	G0RQL	40m	SSB	59	59	DON
08:39	MW0SAW/P	40m	SSB	51	51	Steve
08:41	EA2CCG/P	20m	SSB	59	55	Joaquín	SOTA	EA2/SS-047
08:54	F/G4OBK/P	40m	CW	559	559	Philip	SOTA	FL/NO-078
08:56	LZ/SV2RUJ/P	20m	SSB	55	55	Stavros	SOTA	LZ/RO-003
08:57	G6AEK	2m	FM	59	54	David
09:00	MQ0JKS/P	2m	FM	59	59	David	SOTA	G/LD-001
09:01	G1OHH	2m	FM	59	59	Susan
09:02	G7CDA	2m	FM	57	55	Douggie
09:05	G3TQQ/P	2m	FM	55	57	J
09:19	GQ0WPO/P	2m	FM	59	59	Neil	SOTA	G/LD-008
09:14	M7BIA/P	2m	FM	59	59	Martin	SOTA	G/LD-018
09:23	OE5REO/P	2m	FM	55	42	Martin	SOTA	OE/OO-415
09:33	G4IVV/P	20m	CW	599	599	Jonathan	SOTA	G/LD-021
09:35	GQ6PJZ	2m	FM	59	59	Andy	SOTA	G/LD-003
09:36	G4VPX/P	2m	FM	59	59	ALLAN	SOTA	G/LD-043
09:39	G1ZAR/P	2m	FM	59	59	SG	SOTA	G/LD-004
09:44	CT2IQK/P	20m	SSB	53	54	Jorge	SOTA	CT/MN-030
10:01	GW4TQE/P	2m	FM	57	57	JG	SOTA	GW/NW-043
10:09	CT2HOV/P	20m	SSB	59	55	Nuno	SOTA	CT/MN-031
10:11	EC2AG/P	20m	SSB	59	57	ANTONIO	SOTA	EA2/BI-046
10:14	M0VPM/P	20m	SSB	59	59	Alan	SOTA	G/LD-020
10:24	M1BUU/P	2m	FM	59	59	COLIN	SOTA	G/LD-007
10:28	OE/OM1ALT/P	20m	SSB	55	55	Michal	SOTA	OE/OO-446
10:32	I/DG4SFF/P	20m	SSB	55	55	Susanne	SOTA	I/LO-445
10:37	OE3IAK/P	30m	CW	339	519	Andreas	SOTA	OE/NO-096
10:40	OE6TTF/P	17m	SSB	57	41	Eric	SOTA	OE/ST-285
10:48	2E0LDF/P	2m	FM	58	58		SOTA	G/LD-015
10:49	G4WHA/P	2m	FM	58	58	G	SOTA	G/LD-015
11:04	MM7SWM/P	2m	FM	57	55	Stuart	SOTA	GM/SS-064
11:17	M7MCG/P	2m	FM	55	56	Micah	SOTA	G/NP-009
11:22	G7LFC/P	2m	FM	57	58	Derek	SOTA	G/LD-049
11:24	EA2GM/P	20m	SSB	57	59	Javier	SOTA	EA1/AT-084
11:24	SP6BOW	20m	SSB	59	59	AUGUSTYN
11:25	DL2DXA	20m	SSB	59	57	Bernd
11:32	F4IVI/P	20m	SSB	57	56	Jerome	SOTA	F/AM-361
11:47	G8CPZ/P	2m	FM	59	59	AJ	SOTA	G/LD-056
12:02	G6WSB/P	2m	FM	59	59		SOTA	G/LD-017
12:07	G1VQN/P	10m	SSB	55	41	Karl	SOTA	G/NP-031
12:57	MQ0RWX/P	2m	FM	59	59		SOTA	G/LD-050
12:21	M7KAZ/P	2m	FM	59	59	Karen	SOTA	G/LD-052
13:22	M0TRI/P	2m	FM	59	59	Andrew	SOTA	G/LD-052
13:29	EA3EVL	20m	SSB	59	55	PABLO
13:29	HB9BHU/P	20m	SSB	57	55	Friedrich	SOTA	HB/LU-022
13:30	HA7WA	20m	SSB	59	57	Viktor
13:31	OK1SDE	20m	SSB	59	44	Dalibor
13:31	G3TQQ/P	20m	SSB	59	59	J	SOTA	G/LD-046
13:36	EA2CW/P	20m	CW	559	599	Mikel	SOTA	EA1/CT-102
13:41	G0EVV/P	30m	CW	599	599	DI	SOTA	G/LD-017
13:44	G4IPB/P	40m	SSB	59	44	PJ	SOTA	G/LD-014

Hayeswater Tarn on the Descent

Possibly the nicest path in the Lake District?

Hayeswater Gill Upstream from the Bridge

Hayeswater Gill Downstream from the Bridge

Nearly forgot the Mandatory Lake District Sheep Photo!

LD Activators - Red Screes G/LD-017 being a popular summit today!

LD Contacts

European Contacts

VK Contacts

All photos here.

[M0XPO]

Wow… what fab photos… that route & setting is amazing! Plus, congrats on the VKs.

73, Lea M0XPO

[G7KSE]

The High Street wall was where all the cool kids were. Great to meet you yesterday and thanks for the chat. Shame we couldn’t carry on in the pub.

Lovely to meet all the other sota-ists and see everyone else’s set up’s as well. A massive success all round I’d say. Thanks for setting up Mark and here’s to the next one.

Alex

[W6PNG]

Fabulous looking adventure, Mark @M0NOM, and love your snaps of the early morning LD vistas.

When do you think you’ll have dates for 2023 G/LD as I’d love to come again!!

Paul

[G4OBK]

Thanks for the interesting report Mark and the S2S QSO. Please correct my callsign, although you probably noticed the typo already. I came down on your route up High Street the other week with 12 other members of my walking club.

73 Phil F/G4OBK/P

[HB9DIZ]

Great event and great country - glad here to have you and others in my log on Saturday.

Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ (aka HB175RAIL then)

[M0NOM]

@G4OBK

Please correct my callsign

Apologies Phil, all sorted now. Thanks for pulling me out of your pile up!

Cheers Mark

[VK3SQ]

Thanks Mark for your report with great photos

Geoff vk3sq

[M0RWX]

Great report Mark, @M0NOM and thanks for organising the event. It was great to meet you and many other activators on Saturday evening.

FWIW, you may not have copied my callsign correctly from the log: M(Q)0RWX/P from G/LD-050 @ 12:57.

73, Robert
M0RWX

[M0NOM]

Hi Robert

That’s corrected in the report, QRZ.com, Clublog and will be in the SOTA database when it comes online again. Part of the reason for posting a full list is to have the opportunity to get callsigns corrected, as much as a PITA it can be to do so all over the place!

Speak soon from another summit, lovely to meet you and your wife on Saturday.

Cheers, Mark.

[MW0WML]

Great reports - brilliant set of S2S!

@M0NOM

LD Contacts

How do you create these? I’ve seen other sites that pick up station locations from fixed locations via things like QRZ.com, but I haven’t seen ones that pick up S2S contacts.

[M0NOM]

@MW0WML

How do you create these?

Hi Gerald.

This is my ADIF Processor. You either submit an ADIF file or a SOTA CSV file to the upload form and click submit - don’t worry about anything else if you are doing SOTA.

The resulting KML file can be loaded into Google Earth as a Project file and then you can explore the contacts. Each callsign can be clicked for info on the station, and each contact line can be clicked to show details of the contact.

I’m planning a series of 2 minute videos to talk folk through using it.

Regards, Mark

[MW0WML]

@M0NOM

This is my ADIF Processor .

Thank you!