Whilst we continue with our moans about the weather and other SOTA-related matters, spare a thought for our fellow SOTA enthusiasts in South Korea. The situation on the Korean penisular, even from this distance, seems to deteriorate by the hour, so imagine how they feel when it’s up close and personal.
Not so long ago there were regular SOTAwatch spots for summit activity, but I haven’t seen any lately. I suppose that everybody has more important things to worry about, and perhaps many of the summits have been ruled “out of bounds” anyway.
Let’s hope common sense prevails and everybody can breath a collective sigh of relief before getting on with their lives in peace.
“[The U.S.] should clearly know that in the era of Marshal Kim Jong Un, the greatest-ever commander, all things are different from what they used to be in the past.”
Heck, NO, Andy - a pint of that and you’d declare war on England (two pints and it would be the USA!) I’ve got enough to worry about with a garden full of snow without having to dodge ballistic haggisseses!
In reply to G3VQO:
It is not really all that long ago relatively since much of western Europe and the rest of the western world existed under similar if not quite so belligerent threats. I am thinking of the things like the Cuban crisis and other events.
Today there is no accounting for hot heads like they have in NK and some places in the Middle East. Hopefully they will be deterred by the ultimate nuclear threat. But it cannot be pleasant for SK people in the current climate. Lets hope nothing untoward arises.
Jim, G0CQK
It’s not in the interest of Chinese (NK’s Ally)trade to have a conflict with the west.
I would suggest that you do not partake of whatever it is the NK’s are drinking as it may be laced with the nasty stuff that killed the dissident Russian in London.
a few are out of bounds and those that are, are common sense cases–ie: no DMZ activations.
Those that are closed are due to fire season (2.15 - 5.15) and the rest they’re checking for lighters and stuff…business as usual. Some patrols of fire helicopters. The actual fighter jets that do pass by are gone before you’ve heard them (but you /really/ hear them!!)
If you decide to camp on summit, try to stay off the helipad, in case sby wants to land. Really. Have personally witnessed four machines come from somewhere, each practice land and take off, then up and gone.
Unfortunately, all the hubub isn’t new, and life goes on.
Yesterday HL3QBN and I racked up 20 points, with HL/GN-006 Baekunsan (in the morning), had lunch at the parking lot in the pass, and activated HL/JB-012 Jangansan (the mother of the Honam Range).
While on Jangansan I made two S2S, one with DS1SPT who was up in Cheonan on HL/CN-025 Seongeosan and the other with HL5ZBA who was on his local mountain HL/GN-044 Geumguibong–finally completing his first activation (difficult going as Geumguibong is surrounded by higher peaks and he was using VHF in a relatively unpopulated area). Congrats to Andrew ZBA!
Snow in the morning, t-shirts and bare feet in the afternoon. Things keep moving! (and we will have an overnighting team on HF for the Int’l Weekend in May–stay tuned)
Great to hear from you Jason! I’m glad that folks are still finding time for SOTA amidst all the rhetoric. Good luck for the May weekend, and let’s hope that HF band conditions allow plenty of DX contacts.