SOTA NEWS - JANUARY 2015 - Part 3 of 3
SCOTLAND - from Phil G4OBK
The XYL and I are taking a short holiday near Biggar in Lothian Scotland, between Jan 5th and Jan 9th. I hope to activate a small number of summits in that area, to the south and west of Edinburgh. If the weather allows I am hoping to activate up to 4 summits on HF CW/SSB, these are likely to be SS-209 Broomy Law, SS-203 Goseland Hill, SS-158 Black Mount and SS-254 Cairnpapple Hill. These summits have been chosen because they are easy to access and shouldnât impinge too much on our holiday. Single early morning activations at first light are likely, before I return to my hotel for my breakfast, although Cairnpapple Hill will be combined with a tourist day out in Edinburgh, either on the way there or back. I will alert my plans the night before.
Later in January from Jan 20th for 4 days, with Geoff 2E0NON, we have booked 3 nights away in South Wales. We will stay in B&B pubs with one night in Abergavenny and two nights near Porthcawl and will be targeting a mixture of higher scoring winter bonus summits in the Brecon Beacons as well as some easier SOTAs in south west Wales to help boost my SOTA Complete score. These are around Port Talbot, Neath and above the valleys to the north and north west of there. To save time and to maximise the number of activations, we will deploy our station on VHF 2m FM using 40 watts to a vertical dipole but we will also carry an FT-817 and link dipole as a QRP HF backup should we need it to qualify the summits on 40m or 20m CW/SSB. I have provisionally alerted this activity in SOTAWatch which will be dependent on the weather allowing us to move around safely by car from point to point.
73 and Happy New Year
Phil G4OBK
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Phil G4OBK also writes to say he has just completed scripting a âTravelblogâ of his SOTA activations in September, when he was on holiday in the Algarve region of Portugal. You can read about the eight activations he completed at Catterblog: September 2014
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SOTA REPORT from Gerald MW0WML
I started 2014 needing 358 points to get to my Mountain Goat. I knew it would be tight with commitments to work, family and Mountain Rescue, but slowly the points total grew with 32 new Uniques thrown in for good measure.
A handful of these new summits were also first activations for the SOTA programme, something that is getting harder to do in the UK. Having cycled and walked for hours up remote Scottish glens I can understand why these hills hadnât been done before. For those interested these are GM/WS-114 (Aonach Buidhe) and GM/WS-137 (Faochaig). I did some other hills as well that week.
As the winter bonus season in the UK started on the 1st December I had 24 points to go. A quick trip to the Lake District with some South Pennines summits thrown in got me to 995 points. I intended the last one to be in the Lakes, but the weather decided to play the storm card, so I identified a quick trip up Pendle Hill would do the trick with the last 5 points. So on the 9th December my long suffering wife Sue and I popped up to the summit in the gathering storm and got the necessary contacts (and more) to take me to exactly 1,000 activator points.
Next targets are Shack Sloth (which is actually tricky when you donât actually have a shack!) and get to 1000 summit to summit points.
A big thanks to all the chasers and to my wife Sue who steadfastly refuses to get licenced herself.
The âlong sufferingâ Sue on Pendle Hill on my Mountain Goat activation
Me on the same hill looking happy as we close down after the activation is complete
(Belated) Merry Christmas from Sue and I from the summit of Foel Fenlli (GW/NW-051) on Christmas Day.
Cheers
Gerald MW0WML
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CW REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2014 by Roy G4SSH
Severe weather conditions, the shorter daylight hours and the Christmas holidays resulted in a low level of EU SOTA activity during December, which was limited to about 5 daylight hours 0900-1400 UTC on most days in Europe.
The month started well, with Chris EA8/ON6QZ active from Grand Canaria Island and Joe EA8/DF8KY active from Gomera Island, both in the Canary Islands.
Heinz HB9BCB was also active from the FR region of Switzerland and the BW region of Germany.
On the 3rd December Ignacio EA2BD arrived on the summit of EA2/NV-101 only to discover that his home brew iambic keyer would not work. Having worked all the chasers on SSB and anxious to work a few of the regular CW chasers he moved to the CW part of the band and sent CW by voice into the Mic., answering CW signals from chasers PA0XAW, OE7PHI, G4SSH and DL2YBG. Chasers intending to copy Ignacio had to tune carefully in order that he would hear them. It is probably the first time that many operators have ever had to employ the âReverse CWâ button on their rig. Many did not make it.
Manuel CT1BWW commenced a âFall SOTA Tourâ on the 5th, which coincided with the first snow of the winter at my QTH on the exposed North Yorkshire coast.
Aage LA1ENA did a tour around the LA/AA region on the 6th of the month.
On the 6th, Joao CU3AA activated the Azores for the first time ever, on 28 MHz CW from TE-004
Hans PB2T was again active from summits in Germany on the 13th and 14th of the month.
and Juerg was active from Austria as OE/HB9BIN.
Juerg HB9BIN commenced another OE two-day tour on the 19th, but problems with his car after the first activation curtailed his plans for the first day so he extended this by another day, until the 21st.
Zoli HA3HK was active during the last week of the month and Miro OK1DVM was active from numerous summits on the 26th.
Hans was active as HB9/PB2T and OE/PB2T on the 22nd and 23rd giving 10 point summits to delighted chasers and again from OK during the last 2 days in December.
Petr OK2MPB had such a large pile up of chasers whilst on OK/ZL-003 on the 27th that he resorted to working split, listening â1 upâ on 10 MHz.
Dominik HB9CZF was heard on the last few days of the month operating as MW/HB9CZF from high scoring summits in Wales, and Jurg HB9BIN rounded off the year with a couple of summits in Austria.
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SOTA CW ACTIVATORS SUBMITTING ENTRIES TO THE DATA BASE ABOVE 7 MHZ DURING DECEMBER 2014 - from Kevin G0NUP
This file produced on 28/Dec/2Ă14
Mode: SOTA CW on 1ĂMHz: activity for December,
DFĂH/P, DJ2FR, DK7MG/P, DL/HB9AFI/P, DL/HB9BCB/P, DL/OE5EEP/P, DL1ASA/P,
DL4TO/P,
DL8DXL/P, DL8JJ/P, EA2BDS/P, EA2IF/P, F/HB9AFI/P, F/HB9BIN/P,
F/HB9CAT/P, F5LKW/P,
F5UKL/P, F6HBI/P, G4ASA/P, G4ISJ/P, GWĂHIO/P, HA2PP/P, HA7UL/P,
HB9AFI/P, HB9BAB/P,
HB9BCB/P, HB9BIN/P, HB9BSH/P, HB9CBR/P, HB9CGA/P, HB9CLT/P, HB9DGV/P,
HB9DPR/P,
HB9DST/P, HB9JOE/P, HB9TVK/P, KĂJQZ, K1JD, KE5AKL, KXĂR, LA1ENA/P, MĂIML/P,
NĂPCL, N6JZT, N7RR, NA6MG, NF1R, NM5S, OE/HB9BIN/P, OE/PB2T/P, OE5EEP/P,
OK1DO/P, OK1DVM/P, OK1MLP/P, OK2BDF/P, OK2MPB/P, OK2PDT/P, OK3EQ/P,
OK8JOE/P,
OM/HA5CQZ/P, ON/PA7ZEE/P, ON/PB2T/P, ON6UU/P, S51RU/P, S52CU/P,
SP9AMH/P, VK2IO/P,
WĂCP, YO2BP/P,
Mode: SOTA CW on 14MHz: activity for December
AC1Z, AD5A, CT1BWW/P, CU3AA/P, DF3MC/P, DK7MG/P, DL/HB9AFI/P, DL/HB9BCB/P,
DL/HB9BRJ/P, DL/PB2T/P, DL4TO/P, DL8DXL/P, DL8JJ/P, EA1AER/P, EA2BD/P,
EA2BDS/P,
EA2IF/P, EA8/DF8KY/P, EA8/ON6ZQ/P, F/HB9AFI/P, F/PB2T/P, F5LKW/P,
F5UBH/P, F5UKL/P,
F6HBI/P, F8FEO/P, G4ASA/P, G4ISJ/P, GMĂBKC/P, GW4TJC/P, HA2PP/P,
HA2VR/P, HA3HK/P,
HA7UL/P, HB9/PB2T/P, HB9AFI/P, HB9BAB/P, HB9BCB/P, HB9BIN/P, HB9BRJ/P,
HB9CBR/P,
HB9CGA/P, HB9DGV/P, HB9DPR/P, HB9IAB/P, HB9JOE/P, KĂJQZ, K2JB, K4ADV, K6CMG,
K7NEW, K7SO, KE5AKL, KF7PXT, KTĂA, KXĂR, LA1ENA/P, LA9XGA/P, MĂIML/P,
MĂMPM/P,
NĂPCL, NĂTA, N1IDN, N6JZT, N7RR, NA6MG, ND7PA, NE1SJ, NF1R, NM5S, NN5K,
OE/HB9BIN/P,
OE/PB2T/P, OE5EEP/P, OE5EIN/P, OE5FSM/P, OH2NOS/P, OK1CZ/P, OK1DVM/P,
OK1MLP/P,
OK2BDF/P, OK2BWB/P, OK2PDT/P, ON/PA7ZEE/P, ON/PB2T/P, ON6UU/P, PA1IJF/P,
S51RU/P,
S52CU/P, S57TX/P, SP9AMH/P, VA2VL, VA2VL/W2, VK1DA, VK2AFA, VK2IO/P,
WĂCCA, WĂCP,
W2CKL, W4EON, W7JET, WA7JTM, WBĂUSI, WSĂTA, YO2BP/P, YO6PSX
Mode: SOTA CW on 18MHz: activity for December
CU3AA/P, DL/OE5EEP/P, F5UKL/P, F6HBI/P, HB9CBR/P, HB9CGA/P, HB9DGV/P,
K1JD, K6HPX/P,
K6TW, K7SO, KTĂA, KXĂR, N7RR, NA6MG, NF1R, OE5EEP/P, OE6FEG/P, OK1MLP/P,
OK8JOE/P,
S52CU/P, VK3JBL/6, VK6NU/P,
Mode: SOTA CW on 21MHz: activity for December
DL/HB9BCB/P, DL/HB9BRJ/P, F5UKL/P, F6HBI/P, G4ASA/P, HA7UL/P, HB9BAB/P,
HB9BCB/P,
HB9BRJ/P, HB9CBR/P, HB9CGA/P, K2JB, K7NEW, KXĂR, NM5S, OE5EEP/P,
OE6FEG/P, OH2NOS/P,
OK1MLP/P, OK2BWB/P, S52CU/P, VK2IO/P, VK6NU/P, W4EON
,
Mode: SOTA CW on 24MHz: activity for December
CU3AA/P, EA2IF/P, EA4MZ/P, EA8/ON6ZQ/P, F5UKL/P, F6HBI/P, G4TJC/P,
GW4TJC/P, HB9BCB/P,
HB9BSH/P, HB9CBR/P, HB9CGA/P, K1JD, KD7WPJ, NA6MG, OE6FEG/P, OH2NOS/P,
OK1MLP/P,
S52CU/P,
,
Mode: SOTA CW on 28MHz: activity for December
AC1Z, CU3AA/P, DFĂH/P, DL4TO/P, EA4MZ/P, EA8/ON6ZQ/P, F5UKL/P, F6HBI/P,
HA2PP/P,
HA7UL/P, HB9CBR/P, KĂJQZ, K6HPX/P, KD7WPJ, M1EYP/P, NA6MG, OE5EEP/P,
OH6FQI/P,
OK1MLP/P, S51RU/P, S52CU/P, VA2VL/W2, VK1DA,
Regards
Kevin G0NUP
*** Note from Editor. I am getting some feedback that indicates that not many readers are interested in the above statistics which are produced monthly by Kevin. If you wish to see these continue to be extracted from the database and published here please drop me a âYesâ to g4ssh@tiscali.co.uk otherwise they will be discontinued after this issue.
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SOTA News is normally published on the last day of each month, but there will be occasions when the Editor is not available at this time, in which case it will be published as soon as possible afterwards. It can only be as interesting as the items submitted, so if you think your particular field of interest is not being covered then please submit an article by the 25th of the month. Have you a favourite SOTA? favourite mode? favourite rig, antenna, or favourite band? How did you find your first day / month / year as an activator or chaser? Your comments and experiences will be read by SOTA enthusiasts all across Europe, the USA, Australia and beyond, in a total of 24 different countries. Your input will be most welcome.
I receive many e-mails during the month containing details of activations, milestones reached and general SOTA news. Unless advised otherwise I will use this information in the next edition of SOTA News. It is important therefore that you advise me if any information is not intended for publication.
Roy G4SSH
SOTA News Editor
g4ssh@tiscali.co.uk
U.S. and Canadian reports to:-
Fred K6DGW [aka âSkipâ on the radio]
Canada/US SOTA Reporter Dude
Auburn CA
k6dgw@foothill.net
Australian input to:-
Allen VK3HRA
VK Reporter
arharvie@gmail.com
South African input to:-
Dennis ZS4BS
zs4bs@netactive.co.za
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The SOTA News team wish all activators, chasers, SWLâs and their families a very Happy New Year and trust that you will reach your personal goals and gain much satisfaction from SOTA in 2015.