Hi I’m fairly new to all this, hoping to join in and get a first transatlantic QSO. Currently only got a QRP rig and a linked dipole for 20m, 30m and 40m that I’m going to lug up Lochnagar GM/ES-008 with a small laptop for digimodes. We’re in tier 2 lockdown in this part of Scotland so access to the hills seems ok but taking it cautiously. Wx looking to be great and sunny.
I see most sota activators use CW, I’m still early days in learning it myself so I’m thinking to give a shot with using Fldigi to send and decode. Any major issues with this or would it be better to just try sending some of my horror code and keep a QSO to rst’s and 73s? Would be a first CW QSO too!
Most QSOs are ‘RST and 73’ as you say. The SOTA CW chaser fraternity seems to be extremely well mannered on the whole and very tolerant of beginners.
If you can manage without a CW reader then you should go for it. I’d suggest that relying on a CW reader on a hill during a SOTA pile up is likely to be a little stressful.
Don’t worry about CW speed, chasers will adapt to gain your points, if they won’t slow down, then they don’t get the points - simple!
welcome on the SOTA reflector!
If you feel uncomfortable with sending code, you could store some bits of information, like CQ SOTA, your call sign and your reference in the transceiver’s memory. So you can relax a bit while the radio does the work.
I would suggest to start chasing other activators before “running”. The resulting pile up might be overwhelming. A code reader can most likely cope with the situation as a chaser once it is your turn (and the others stand by). It helps reducing stress and later you can switch it off
I found it helps having a piece of paper ready with a sample QSO for both, chasing and activating. It can guide you through the first QSOs.
YES that’s an SFI at NINETY FOUR! It’s a long time since we’ve seen that.
Have fun today, those going out to summits, be careful but enjoy the possible good conditions - with luck 17m should open up between EU-NA around midday UTC and during the afternoon if you want to avoid the weekend contest stations.
Yes, the conditions for me this time were definitely better than last year:
In total I did 4 SSB contacts to NA, including 2 S2S:
13:53 WD8KDB (20m)
14:26 AC1Z/P S2S: W1/NL-006 (20m)
15:14 KF7NP/P S2S: W7A/MN-143 (17m)
16:16 KR7Q (20m)
Activation was done with 5W SSB and my backup antenna, which is a home-made EFHW, inverted-L sloping down direction NW. Since I forgot my main EFHW antenna, it was a kind of compromise, but it was still a lot of fun.
Good conDX, although I had to use my backup summit: Since the parking lot of HB/ZH-004 was full when I wanted to get there, the access road was blocked 5km from the summit or so. Normally, the restaurant at the top of the hill is not so crowded on a saturday afternoon, so I wanted to hog a pick-nick table for the activation as usual. Thanks to Corona, a lot of people just foll up the local hideouts. Since I did not feel like carrying all my gear up the access road with a high probability of no place to set up, I had to activate my plan B HB/ZH-020, which is nearby summit in the forest.
I used my FT-891 running 40-80" into a 20M GP on a 8m fibre glas pole. With an ATU I used it for 17m as well. Power was 40-80W.
NA S2S:
1 VE2 (VE2DDZ on VE/ML-005)
4 W1 N1ZF on W1/MR-001, AC1Z on W1/NL-002, N1AIA on W1/AM-300, KG6CIH/p on W1/MV-003)
1 W7A (KR7RK on W7A/CS-006)
And another 8 S2S in EU.
When it got dark, I could hear W6 activators but depleted my battery in the pileup without getting through. Here I would have preferred my plan A place with a slope towards the west/northwest rather than trees all around which apparently were stealing my W6 S2S .
Anyway a big fun activation with lights at the end of the sunspot-tunnel.
A bit of a mixed bag.
No S2S to the US although for some seconds I could hear K7EEX calling Tom @M1EYP
I guess I had to leave too early to get back home to my QTH. We have a “from 20:00 stay at home” policy in OE at the moment.
But QSOs with WD8KDB and my first NA westcoast SSB QSO to Oregon with NW7E with 53 report received.
9 QSO in EU are a nice addition on top
Setup: 817nd with MX-P50 PA outputting about 20-35 Watt in vertical up-outer.
A fun adventure together with Daniel @OE5HDX who brought selfmade pastries to provide energy for us. He did his first QSO on 20 m with a French contest station. Congrats
Next time I will spot him and we can do some pile up training.
I could hear GM0GAV working N1ZF in 17m and plenty of US/VE stations on 17m. Sadly nobody could hear me on 17m. Lots of EU contacts on 20m. Herbert OE9HRV was a monster signal from his summit and Eric F5JKK was the loudest chaser on 20m. Also heard GM4JXM on 20m but he couldn’t hear me. Boo! Worse, I forgot the camera and handy for giving away points on 2m. Worse still, I forgot the BNC coupler so I had the PA and all the cables but no way of connecting it to the antenna Also the road to the summit was closed but luckily the diversion around the road works was clear.
Fairly constant fog and about 4C with the wind strengthening during my time on the hill.
Another enjoyable event with some great S2S contacts. I will write a proper report in due course.
Many thanks to my XYL for releasing me from caring duty and allowing me to take part. Also to the MT for not having a knee-jerk reaction to the lockdown in England as some other organisations have done. Everyone I met on the hill was very friendly and social distancing was observed 100%. Several people enquired as to what I was doing and wished me well. My mental health status has improved significantly today!
I can report 4 QSOs with North American Stations on 20m and 17m, but no S2Ss, all in CW with a KX2, 8W and invV dipole.
I must have discovered a ionospheric duct into North Carolina, because all four were from NC!
20m had lot of QRM from a contest, 17m was the band for me. No QSOs on the higher bands. I have tried 15m and 10m with no success.
The conditions improved towards the end of operation. I had to QRT at 14.15UTC to be back at the car in last day-light. Wished to stay longer, but November is what it is. From the spots I have seen that most US activators were on-air when I was already on my way down
.
Also the road to the summit was closed but luckily the diversion around the road works was clear.