Well the results are now in for this session, and the cumulative on the series so far this year. And the pleasing news is that, with one session to go, I cannot be caught in 1st place. So even though I have been unceremoniously dethroned in the 2m and 70cm series, I can still claim to be ‘top dog’ in 6m - with an FT-817 running 5 watts and a delta loop, on a SOTA summit! I will probably venture out onto a SOTA summit for the November session, just for the ‘craic’.
Tuesday 13th November 2012 was the penultimate 70cm activity contest of the year, and I conspired to make the evening into a comedy of errors. After driving to Cloudside, I started packing my rucksack and donning hat, headtorch etc. I got the pole, the Aircell feeder, the cable ties, the boom. But where were the 70cm elements?
I couldn’t find them anywhere. I telephoned Jimmy at home to see if he had any idea. He advised me they were in the shack, in the box that we had taken to the RSGB Convention. Fortunately, I had gone out very early, with a plan to try a bit of 10m before the contest. Therefore, I could make the decision to drive back home to pick up the 70cm elements, while feeling rather cross with myself.
But would I learn? No! I arrived on Cloudside for the second time. One hour on the road to get there from Macclesfield by now! I made up the 70cm beam at the car, to carry up with me. I marched up the track at a good pace and continued the momentum with a rapid and lung-busting ascent of the stairs. As I reached the National Trust sign, it dawned on me that I hadn’t thought to put the guying kit in my pocket or pack.
So back down to the car it was. By the time I got to the summit, I had driven from home to the parking spot twice, and climbed the hill twice! Pathetic! All-in-all, I was QRV by 2015 UTC, so not too bad. I was soon underway working lots of IO83 stations.
My final contact was number 055, all 432MHz SSB, at 2214 UTC. Locator squares worked were IO64, 72, 74, 82, 83, 84, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, JO01, 02, plus ‘DX’ into IN99. The highlight of the night, undoubtedly, was working Rob G0PEB/P for a S2S, a new multiplier, and lots of km points. Rob was on St Boniface Down G/SE-008, and to work that from The Cloud G/SP-015 with 5 watts on 70cm was satisfying to say the least!
Tom M1EYP