If the Sunday train is really running I hope to reach Church Stretton c1233 and, high winds permitting, to activate Pole Bank G/WB-005 c1445 (or earlier). Owing to database problems I have been unable to check my sums but I think I will, finally, reach 2500 with your help. Perhaps you will realise why i have been trying so hard! Unfortunately Rodney will not be with me on this occasion but I am hoping for some joint activations in the next week or so if the wind and weather behaves.
Must get ready or will miss the (only) train. Thanks for your help. Sorry about the advert but the alerts are down again and not sure how many people have found the Sotamap page. 145.500/425 fm and 433.475 fm I hope.
Viki M6BWA
Good to work Rod this morning when I was on G/CE-002. Very glad to hear he’ll soon be back in harness
Will look out for you from home this afternoon. Spots via Sotawatch weren’t working earlier so if you can use Andy’s SMS spotter it might be useful to go prepared (I couldn’t remember the format and hadn’t got a template in my phone :-s)
Thanks Simon for the S2S which was very unexpected. I had thought it was much too late for any sensible activator to be up a hill. I had decided the day before that the wind was too strong (and in the wrong direction) for the walk up from Church Stretton but the sound of an activator whilst eating breakfast and the mild weather made me look up the dreaded Sunday trains. It looked feasible so I scurried round, packed everything and went - especially as the forecast for the rest of the week was (and is) strong winds and much colder.
Won’t go into more detail here as i am really writing to congratulate you for trembling on the brink at 999! Well done - what a shame you couldn’t have already gained one more point (that is why we did the Worcestershire Beacon dash on Friday late afternoon as I was 1 point short) then we could have bleated away to each other!! When are you going out to seal the entry to the goatfold?? We are wondering about Sunday but it is going to be very cold even on something modest like Brown Clee Hill (not accessible by public transport realistically). I expect you are thinking of something a little more elevated. I look forward to the next S2S and congratulating you audibly.
Viki M6BWA
Very well done Viki - and thanks for hearing my rather feeble signal… Only picked you up when I heard Simon working you from Kinder. I was car based and so determined to catch you I’d taken two rigs and three antennas(!) - just as well, as I had one antenna failure and a power-to-rig failure, so backup was required after all. VX7 and a 5/8 on the car in the end! Hope to catch you again in better conditions before too long.
Helen 2E0VMD
Very glad to hear the pipes are installed and you are now able to get back on the hills again. Let us know when G4TJC’s MG will be but M0JLA is busy on Saturday so hope it will be Sunday if this weekend. Thanks for the congrats - must admit that the last 20 points by public transport have been hard work as buses/trains don’t seem to go as near to the summit as cars can get!! How about arranging a ‘SOTA by Public Transport’ Day (or Week) - but NOT on a Sunday (my 2-carriage train home looked more like a tube train when it arrived with people standing everywhere and we at Church Stretton added a bike to the chaos!)
73 Viki M6BWA
Thanks Helen. Congrats on the new callsign and your perseverance in finding a combination that could get through to me, much appreciated as i would have been devastated if I hadn’t got enough contacts after the fight against the wind (and taking the wrong turning and ascending the wrong summit… just don’t ask!)
73 Viki M6BWA
