All the parking area was taken when I drove up to Cloudside around 8.15pm on Friday 21st June 2013, “Summer Solstice”. I didn’t really want to leave my car tucked in at the side of the road through to after dark, so I pulled in and waited. Eventually, some walkers returned and drove off, and I quickly nabbed the parking space ahead of an evening walk up The Cloud G/SP-015.
Walking up the stairs on the first part of the ascent, I wondered what this route would have been like before the concrete steps were put in. Treacherous and dangerous I should imagine! A chap who had waited behind me for the next parking space was folloring me up the steps but never quite catching me up. We met at the National Trust sign and started chatting. He had his camera and tripod and was after some sunset and full moon photos.
A young couple with a little girl were having a picnic and bottle of wine at the summit, and they (and everyone else on summit) were keen to know what I was doing. They were still there after I was QRV on 12m CW at five minutes before nine BST, and I could report that my first contact was with Argentina. Caz LU1YT would remain as my best DX throughout.
In fact I couldn’t raise anything else on 12m, so I called on the 2m FM handie after a quick scan around for VHF S2S opportunities. Nothing could be heard on the spotted 2m frequencies, but six regular SOTA chasers were entered into the log.
I self-spotted for 24.945MHz SSB and was immediately called by Richard G0IBE/P for a S2S with Cleeve Hill G/CE-001. The QSO was complete with successful exchange of reports and summit references when my antenna collapsed. At least only the “73” bit was missing from the contact.
Four SOTA chasers then called in on 12m SSB before another look on 2m FM brought S2S with Neil 2W0TDX/P on Craig y Llyn GW/SW-010 and Don M0HCU/P on Long Mynd-Pole Bank G/WB-005. Because I was sat down with the 817 perched atop the rucksack, and headphones on, I couldn’t be bothered to stand up again with the VX7R. Hence I investigated what sort of SWR there was on 2m on the 12m antenna, since it was clearly receiving the other SOTA stations OK. Well it wasn’t great, but neither was it dangerously bad, and the contacts were made without difficulty, with M3YFL also calling in, giving me the second James in Macclesfield of the evening!
It was now time to try 12m PSK31. There were some faint trails on the waterfall, but I couldn’t really read them fully. My self-spot was responded to though and I worked Steve G6LUZ and Jimmy M0HGY on this mode.
It sounded like 12m had turned it in for the night, so I packed that antenna away and replaced it with the 20m groundplane. Well, eventually I did. There was in fact quite a delay here as I had another long chat with the photographer. He had earlier asked permission to take some photos of my antenna and myself, and he had made a note of my email so he could send through the shots. But the delay continued as the guy strings at the ends of the 20m antenna radials got in an almighty tangle. Fading light was inhibiting my efforts to unravel them, and the job needed to be completed with the aid of the headtorch.
First in on 14.021MHz CW was Barry N1EU with his customary big signal. This frequency was then suddenly occupied by a JA station calling CQ, so I moved 6 kilocycles up the band. UA1ACO, KC3RT, AD5A and M0TUB were added to the 20m CW log.
It was time to try 20m PSK31, which was very busy - but my logbook wasn’t! Dave M0TUB made it back-to-back QSOs being first on this band-mode, followed by RV6AFG, but that was all despite the high activity levels. Over on my self-spotted 14.330MHz SSB, I worked Russ M6RGF before hearing some CW on the frequency. I asked if the CW was calling me, and if so, please call again. This time, listening more carefully I read the call G4OBK, so switched to CW to work Phil.
I had pretty well had enough now, so packed the FT817 and 20m groundplane antenna away. The customary departing call on the VX7 delayed my departure by half-an-hour with seven more stations coming back to the call, and several of them in a very chatty mood! Russ M6RGF warned of some rain heading my way, although there was no sign of it from the summit at that time. The first couple of drops arrived with suddenly increasing wind just as I reached the car.
Activation summary:
20m CW: 6
20m PSK31: 2
20m SSB: 1
12m CW: 1
12m PSK31: 2
12m SSB: 5
2m FM: 16
Total: 33 including 3 S2S and 4 DX.
Good fun, nice idea.
Tom M1EYP
Or perhaps I could just stay up, walk down at first light and stumble into work!