Hi Andrew,
My bosses have now offered me a job in another company that they run from 1st July, so this just means I will be out of work in June, so will be available to join you for the activations if the weather is good.
Jimmy M0HGY
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Hi Jimmy
Thatās good you have a promise of the next job. Will send you a private message here, closer to the date of my activation, so we can make the necessary arrangements. It will be the 15th or 16th June.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
Update on my equipment and other arrangements. I decided to post the 817 to bypass potential problems at Dubai. I wanted to have some band flexibility so decided this was the way to do it. At Dubai our baggage was not examined at all in either direction- but might have been so YMMV.
So I have the 817 reassembled (had removed the reference oscillator board and CW filter so if it went missing I still had those components) and tested on receive. I will have my dxwire pole and home made multiband linked dipole. And a wire antenna for 6m.
Plan is to activate on Wednesday 15th or Thursday 16th June. Will alert in due course.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH currently in Oxford being a tourist
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for the update. When you know if it is the Wednesday or the Thursday that you are planing to activate, please let me know as I would like to join you if the weather is good. I can let you know my address for you to pick me up either by email or private message on the reflector.
Jimmy M0HGY
Hi Jimmy, will reply in private message.
Andrew
Hi Andrew, When you leave the UK to head for DL, please remember to pack the good weather - Iāve had enough of the rainy days over here (as Andrew VK1AD will tell you) - we just had 2 nice days an now the rain is due back today and is forecast for the next 5-6 days!
Welcome to Europe!
Ed DD5LP/VK2JI.
Hi Ed,
thanks for the welcome, we have had rather nice weather for our entire trip so far, excluding one rainy day (the day we left London) and one day of very light and intermittent rain. Iāll try to bring it with me. By mid next week my luck might have changed, the forecast is for some damp weather between now and then.
The radio conditions are just as much an unknown. but I will do what I can. Having organised the ft817 I hope the band flexibility will pay off.
Cheers
Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
The plan is to decide early in the week on either Wednesday or Thursday, based on the weather forecast. These are unfortunately the only dates I have available in the trip for SOTA activations. I will confer with Jimmy privately and post alerts on that basis. Activation time for the first summit likely to be no earlier than 0830.
Hoping to catch up with Tom at the end of the day, then drive back to Chesterfield.
Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
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Both days currently indicate isolated light showers in the afternoons - shouldnāt be a problem on easy summits like Gun and Cloud. Just wait in the car until the rain stops if necessary - but the rain should only be very light anyway if you are unlucky enough to catch it.
The Thursday morning looks clearer and drier than the Wednesday morning for Shining Tor.
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The weather forecast has deteriorated for tomorrow now, which is a shame.
At the current rate of change, this afternoon it will be different again! Iām going to head over your way in the morning anyway, and wing it. We will do what we can!
Cheers
Andrew
VK1DA/VK2UH
Whatever happens, hopefully weāll get a chance to meet up and jointly activate.
Hi Tom,
A number of factors (my sore feet plus a poor nightās sleep plus the uncertain weather) combined to make it an unsuitable day for me, unfortunately. We will have to catch up another timeā¦
Thanks to you and Jimmy for your help.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
I am hopeful of activating a summit in NP region on Monday 20th June. Bands are likely to be 40, 20 and possibly 6m. Mid morning UK time. SSB and CW.
Andrew
M/VK1DA
Thanks to Mike 2E0YYY, I activated NP028 today. With some sporadic E evident on 20m I should have tried my diamond quad on 6m but I was concerned that the walk up to np028 may have over exercised my injured foot. It is quite sore tonight so minimising the stress was probably prudent.
Thanks indeed to Mike 2E0YYY who selected the summit, drove all the way to Leeds to pick me up, activated with me and drove me back to the hotel.
This lets me leave England with one summit activated, which is much higher than none. 1 divided by zero is infinity, so that was an infinite improvement over my previous G summit score!
Thanks Mike, hope I can reciprocate with the same level of hospitality one day.
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
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Foot, what have you done this time?
I did listen on 20m on your alerts but nothing heard on SSB or CW in VK2.
Compton
VK2HRX
Congratulations Andrew, nice to have a G hill in the log. Great to have the company of Mickey 2E0YYY on the summit, there is no limit to Mickeyās generosity. I too would like to see Mickey in VK one day. 
So you are leaving the UK with two functioning feet and one SOTA summit, good work!
Have fun at Friedrichshafen. Gehrenberg DM/BW-348 is a short drive, perhaps a local can help you out?
Cheers,
Andrew (VK1AD)
Hi Compton,
The foot problem is possibly Plantar Fasciitis, due to overuse. Developed it in March-April. Stretching seems to relieve the symptoms but is not a cure. Orthotics might help.
Cheers
Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH
Ouchā¦ I can sympathise with that, I had a similar thing last year, which thankfully seems to have ādisappearedā now 
only to be replaced by knee problems 
Just pleased Iām not a horse, as theyād probably put me downā¦
I hope you had fun, and didnāt get visited by the midges on the āsummitā as I did a couple of years ago, everyone thought I had measles for a week afterwards
Shame I didnāt have anything HF in the car as Iām working in Harrogate, and could have possibly made a contact via groundwave.
Pleased you got one G summit
Don
m0hcu
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