In reply to G4OIG:
Tom, you really must take care of your kit. I’m still on my one and
only SOTApole, now with over 2.5 years and 190 activations on the
clock. Pass me the oil someone, I’m beginning to squeak!
Gerald - thats nowt!! 2.5 years / 190 As indeed. Im still on my first sota pole after 7 years / 700 odd A`s.
Mind you - its had 27 new sections, 13 new rubber bungs & 15 new plastic end caps. 
In reply to G4OIG:
Tom, you really must take care of your kit.
…why do you think he’s my field tester Gerry? The “Tom test” is always a good one.
73
Richard
G3CWI
In reply to G3CWI:
Well you can take some credit Richard as the pole that I use is one sold by you. I’ve not had any replacement sections and the only maintenance has been when the section where the beam sits started to crack a little. I worked in some Araldite and bound it with electrical tape to strengthen it. Of course my lost cap / bung counter stopped once I’d lost the first one - thank goodness for milk bottle tops.
Arghhh, the WD-40 quick, I’m definitely squeaking now!
73, Gerald
In reply to G1INK:
I think you’ve nicked that line off John Sullivan!
In reply to G3CWI:
The one that survives the most brutal of field tests is the WASP Special kit for the SOTA Beam. Always solid as a rock in all conditions. Surprised it didn’t really take off as a product. It was just about the only thing that didn’t take off on Saturday night!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
In reply to G1INK:
I think you’ve nicked that line off John Sullivan!
Tom M1EYP
I first came across the idea in “The Fifth Elephant” by Terry Pratchett; “This, Milord, is my family’s axe. We have owned it for almost nine hundred years, see. Of course, sometimes it needed a new blade. And sometimes it has required a new handle, new designs on the metalwork, a little refreshing of the ornamentation…but is this not the nine hundred years old axe of my family? And because it has changed gently over time, it is still a pretty good axe, y’know. Pretty good.”
I would miss chasing a Unique to read a new Pratchett!
73
Brian G8ADD
I think the joke in Only Fools and Horses was Christmas Day 1996, which predates Terry Pratchett’s version by a couple of years or so. However, I suspect the gag has been around in other forms well before either!
I would miss reading a Pratchett to activate a unique.
Tom M1EYP
Monday 10th May 2010, and another activation of The Cloud G/SP-015. And quite an interesting one it was too. The ascent had me agreeing with the comments just heard on BBC Radio 5 Live that it was really rather cold for May, even if it was before 7am. At the summit, I chose a side of the topograph to sit beside for shelter and erected the 30m dipole accordingly.
Just one QSO had been made on 30m CW - HA0HH - when the mast collapsed. And just as a nice little pile-up had formed as well! By the time I had reset everything four minutes later, 9H1BX was calling CQ on my QRG. No problem, nice one for the log I thought, and worked him.
I moved up to 10.119MHz hoping that any chasers might find me there. They didn’t, but I still worked OM3TDD and OZ4B, so nice to get another couple of less common countries in the logbook. By this time, the 9H station had vacated 10.118MHz, so I called on there to find S51ZG waiting for me. He was followed by UT7WZA, and then by silence.
Bang on cue for pack away time at 7.30am. Many thanks to all who worked me. A small but interesting selection today.
Tom M1EYP
Tuesday 11th May 2010, and the calendar clicked over to the RSGB 70cm activity contest. On summit in good time, it was pleasing to have everything set up and tested a good ten minutes before the contest start time at 8pm local. One of those tests, around 1953 local, had me sending some Vs and my callsign. This was replied to with some more Vs and “G3NYY/P WB-022”. Great - a 70cm CW S2S with Seager Hill G/WB-022 to kick off the activation!
The contest also started with a S2S as Walt and I moved over to SSB for another QSO as soon as the clock ticked 8pm. It wasn’t the only S2S either, as Ron GW4EVX/P was worked later on Foel Fenlli GW/NW-051, also in the 70cm contest.
The contest finished with 47 contacts into IO74, IO81, IO82, IO83, IO84, IO92, IO93, IO94, JO01 and JO03. Best DX was GI6ATZ in IO74. G, GW, GD and GI were worked. The activation finished with 48 contacts, of which 44 were 70cm SSB, 2 were 70cm FM and 2 were 70cm CW. The evening finished with a pint of Robinsons 4-4-2 in the Harrington Arms, Gawsworth.
All very nice, but a little slow after 9pm - over 30 of the QSOs were made in the first hour!
Tom M1EYP
Brought Liam to Congleton
On
Saturday 15th May 2010
Looked at weather and fancied a walk
Expectedly, G/SP-015 was the choice
You don’t get a better view for a 10 minute walk.
CW was the mode as usual, 40m the band
Lots of QSOs, 28 in 35 minutes of
Operating, including 3 S2S and 13 DXCCs
Until 1043z the QRG was busy, but when 7.032MHz fell silent
Down I went
Tom M1EYP
Tuesday 18th May 2010 and I was
Hoping for an
Early start
Made it on the road by 6.15am
And motored down to Cloudside
Got myself on the summit and set up
In good time, and
Calling CQ by 0600z
Man in the yellow jacket wasn’t wearing it today
Over the hill came two dog walkers enjoying the fine morning
Got 19 QSOs
Got 13 DXCCs
Yearning to stay, but had to go to work
Radio conditions good, but no DX
Unless you count IS0 - Sardinia
Legged it downhill
Eager to obtain breakfast en route to work
Sandwich of egg and bacon attained in Biddulph
Q: What antenna did I use?
Tom M1EYP
Sunny morning
Awake by 4.30am
Up and about shortly after
Set off for The Cloud
Ascended in light drizzle
Got to summit and
Erected Magic Moggy
Amended alert time proved accurate
No DX despite chasing greyline
Deployed bothy bag to keep the kit dry
Enjoyable and relaxed activation
Got the summit to myself
Gone were the dog walkers from yesterday
By 7.40am, 28 QSOs in the log
Under what I had hoped for the early start
Tonight will be early to bed
Tomorrow, therefore, could be another early one
Yawning as I descended
Q: What did I have for breakfast after the activation?
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
WISKY - COCA ??
Best 73
Daniel / F5SQA
No Daniel, not before work, though it would be nice!
Strolling
Up The Cloud again, on a
Nice May morning
No coat required
Yet for some reason I wore it
Topped out, removed coat, erected 20m antenna
Hoping for many contacts and maybe DX
End result was
Neither
Maybe another time, as YI1RZ was heard up the band
In another QRG was a CQ from "YTV9E"
Suppose a sending error; he disappeared soon after
Total was just 7 QSOs in 6 DXCCs
Yomped back down to the car relatively early
Q: What (precisely) was the wx for my activation?
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
BJR Tom,
This morning : nothing
Just heard I, UT, SM but not you
WX : Blue, blue and … blue
Tomorrow ??
Best 73
Daniel / F5SQA
Thanks for listening again Daniel. Shame you couldn’t hear me today. Think I will do 40m tomorrow morning.
Sorry, the answer is not correct about the weather!
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
Sunny then misty. Sean M0GIA
Correct. But then, I told you how to do it the other day, so effectively, you cheated 
Tom
In reply to M1EYP:
Magic Moggy was the antenna & Sausage & Egg Butty was the breakfast
73,
Mark G0VOF
Correct on both Mark. I’ll have to find a different puzzle for tomorrow’s report
Tom M1EYP
