Adam I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard you, it wasn’t a S2S, but a KX2 to KX2. I started recording a video of you calling but when the signal picked up I decided it was time to attempt a QSO.
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Thanks for the contacts Roy, you were stronger the second time with me! Yeah, these S2S are great fun!
73
Roger
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Off topic… went to see XL6 on Tuesday night. It’s the final one in the planned build run.
Take off, approx 19:15 local, runway 04 Broughton.
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For those of us of a certain age who had to rush home from school on a Friday afternoon for Thunderbirds, those Beluga planes could have featured. 
I remember nipping out of work to see the first one landing at Broughton.
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I saw it on the re-run in the 90s
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A big thanks to everyone I worked, had a great day - Fantastic location, a walk in via one the finest beaches in the UK and the most summit to summits I’ve ever had in a day. And I only I went hunting for two (Ben on GM/SI-098 and GM/SI-212), but I did stumble Andy on G/NP-027 while looking for a band!
Approach via sandwood Bay
I brought mono and verticals for 10m and 20m but didn’t have much success with 10m when I deployed it on GM/NS-115, only working stations to the south like Isreal and Brazil. 20m didn’t sound good on the end fed outside Europe.
Having not had transatlantic luck I went back to the end fed and tried a few different bands and quickly worked out thats 15m was the money band, hearing US stations. I was lucky to get transatlantic S2S’s with @KZ4DZ Joe on W4C/CM-005 and @K2CZH David on W3/PO-023. Just using a simple end fed with 10w.
Summit of Beinn Dearg GM/NS-154
Later in the day i worked @K2CPT Scott on W2/GA-139, my final summit to summit of the day while on GM/NS-121, a fine finish to the day on this remote peninsula of the UK.
Looking towards Creag Riabhach GM/NS-115 with An Grianan GM/NS-121 to the right
Not really a day with picking a summit for DX, but a good mountain day with some transatlantic DX !
| Time | Callsign | Summit | Summit | My Summit | My Summit | Freq | mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:06 | MW0JKS/P | GW/SW-003 | Fan Brycheiniog | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:13 | M0KXN/P | G/CE-002 | Walton Hill | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:24 | GW4TQE/P | GW/NW-060 | Mynydd-y-briw | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:34 | GM4OIG/P | GM/CS-107 | Drumcroy Hill | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:36 | G400E/P | G/TW-004 | Bishop Wilton Wold | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:43 | MM7RVC/P | GM/ES-059 | Kerloch | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:44 | M0JIA/P | G/SB-001 | The Cheviot | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:45 | GW6OVD/P | GW/MW-001 | Plynlimon-Pen Pumlumon Fawr | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 10:45 | 2W0IWM | GW/MW-001 | Plynlimon-Pen Pumlumon Fawr | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 11:12 | GW4VPX/P | G/SP-014 | Longridge Fell - Spire Hill | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 11:20 | G4YTD/P | G/LD-026 | Tarn Crag (Sleddale) | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 11:51 | GW4ZHI/P | GW/MW-011 | Foel Cwmcerwyn | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 11:59 | GM4BML/P | GM/SI-098 | Conachair | GM/NS-154 | Beinn Dearg | 7MHz | SSB |
| 13:09 | M0FMF/P | G/NP-027 | Dufton Pike | GM/NS-115 | Creag Riabhach | 7MHz | SSB |
| 13:11 | M3ZCB/P | G/SP-008 | Boulsworth Hill - Lad Law | GM/NS-115 | Creag Riabhach | 7MHz | SSB |
| 13:11 | M1MAJ/P | G/SP-008 | Boulsworth Hill - Lad Law | GM/NS-115 | Creag Riabhach | 7MHz | SSB |
| 13:21 | G400E/P | G/TW-004 | Bishop Wilton Wold | GM/NS-115 | Creag Riabhach | 7MHz | SSB |
| 14:03 | KZ4DZ | W4C/CM-005 | Black Balsam Knob | GM/NS-115 | Creag Riabhach | 21MHz | SSB |
| 14:03 | K2CZH | W3/PO-023 | Broad Mtn | GM/NS-115 | Creag Riabhach | 21MHz | SSB |
| 15:43 | GM4BML/P | GM/SI-212 | Bioda Mor | GM/NS-121 | An Grianan | 7MHz | SSB |
| 15:46 | G500E/P | G/TW-004 | Bishop Wilton Wold | GM/NS-121 | An Grianan | 7MHz | SSB |
| 15:46 | GM4OIG/P | GM/CS-107 | Drumcroy Hill | GM/NS-121 | An Grianan | 7MHz | SSB |
| 15:46 | K2CPT | W2/GA-139 | Potash Mountain | GM/NS-121 | An Grianan | 21MHz | SSB |
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Well that was fun. Martyn M1MAJ and I had a great time on Boulsworth Hill yesterday. The highlight was our first ever transatlantic S2S and Martyn managed a second before the qsb faded him out. I had 75 qsos which I think is only second best to my 2012 MG activation, with 22 S2S (21 different call signs). Martyn had 42 qsos with 23 S2S. Between us we qualified the hill on 70cms, 2m, 15m, 20m and 40m but Martyn could only get 3 on 60m.
Possibly more details and photos when on a proper computer rather than phone.
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Great to get you both on multiple bands yesterday!
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A good day weather-wise up on Mount Blair, GM/ES-035, one of the first windless days we’ve had this month, but the bands were pretty disappointing. 40m was all non-EU, with 2 S2S: MW0JKS/P and Andy M0FMF/P. Just 3 ssb S2S across the pond - WW4D on 15m, KC1SRI and K2CPT on 10m and only 2 US chasers, W1WRA and N4VEP both on 15m. Strange that I got OK reports from the summits but an almost complete lack of US chasers. My first QSO on 10m was a S2S with Gerald GM4OIG/P, 57 both ways - the only other chase I got on 10m was EA8AMT. Manuel, EA2DT, was itl twice, on 20 and 17 - on 20 he gave me a 33, probably the worst I’ve ever had from him. Of the 7 other chasers on 20m, EA2WX/P was a S2S.
After the S2S with K2CPT I called fruitlessly on 10m for another 20 minutes and then packed up.
Equipment: KX3, Sotabeams linked dipole for 40/20, moxons for 17/15/10.
Activation location
Looking North
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Hello.
For us it was a great transatlantic day. We only worked some local stations on VHF and everything else was on 10m SSB. We decided to use a 3 element Yagi from our summit. The strength of the signals on our receiver was surprising. All signs were around 7-9. We got 5 S2S, four of them with USA stations and almost everything else with stations from the American continent and surprisingly some European stations through Backscatter that were not received in focus. A very fun day.
73 to all
EA4IZ-EA4IS
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Awesome! I love having the opportunity to see what things sound like at the other end. Thanks for sharing. The more I experiment with different and bigger antennas, the more I realize how even relatively small changes can make a real difference in being able to make a contact or not.
Thanks for sharing the clip.
Adam
K6ARK
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Due to wx forecast I hesitated going. I thought about which nearby summit would have something like a cabin to provide some shelter from the rain. In the end I decided short term for a summit in the Black Forest dm/bw-851. I was very lucky wx was much better than expected and precipitation came down as light snow instead of nasty rain.
I only managed to make one dx s2s on 15m with joe kc1sri, but a lot local eu S2S. I left earlier than planned…. But tbh it was much colder than expected 
.
It was really nice. Only sometimes the wind blew some snow into it.
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This was just an hour activation for me, starting at 16:00 UTC. A lot of unanswered calling compared to my usual earlier in the day activations. 15m was the money band for the USA. Across the bands, I had a total of 24 QSO’s with 7 to the USA and 3 x S2S with @N1AIA, @VA2EO and @K6ARK and a bonus to @PY1NP on 10m.
I had a clear sunny activation, with a cool breeze. Still need a jacket and hat.
The view to the NE, showing on the LHS Mt Leinster (EI/IE-004) and on the RHS Blackstairs Mountain (EI/IE-006)
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What a difference several months can make. I operated from the same summit, W6CT-228, on 4/11/23.The tally was 8 EU S2S+1 AF S2S+1VE S2S+11 US S2S, 22 EU+1 SA+11 US QSOs. Returning on 7/1/24 I netted 1 EU S2S+2 EU+10 US QSOs. Yesterday, 20/4/24, was a bust. I couldn’t make a single QSO on 10 meters nor hear any EU activators on any band. I worked K6ARK for a local S2S and KF9D on 15. 30 meters supplied the other 7 Qs including S2S with Dale and Chris, AA7OY and N1CLC. After 90 minutes on the summit I bailed and found two new local summits to activate. I was feeding 5 watts to either a 17’ or 44’ doublet, both on the same pole with the 44 footer at the top of the mast.
I got IMs from Roberto, IW20BX, showing his KX2 tuned to my 12 meter CQ frequency. And Alfonso, EA4R, forwarded a photo of the yagi Cesar, EA4IS, and Guille, EA4IZ, had set up on EA4/TO-047.
Kudos to Adam for picking a good summit, hoofing it there, having a gain antenna ready to deploy and making lots of Qs. Nicely executed, OM!
And congratulations to many others who managed across-the-pond QSOs.
On summit #2, W6/SC-237, I worked 2 EU and 3 SA plus Don, NK6A, on 10 then faced the tick gauntlet on the way down. Ascending I brushed off more than 50 of the clingers. Yuck!
My last stop, W6/SC-229, netted 1 JA, 2 OC, 2 SA, several US including Lorene and Mike, W6LOR/K6STR S2S. So 10 meters, at least, had settled down some from the morning conditions. The fog/cloud cover burned off after noon. There was no view on summit #1.
With the SFI so high I was expectant of better conditions, despite the strong Solar disturbances.
That G3/K7 event certainly didn’t help.
Next time! 72, David N6AN
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Thanks fb contact 28 mhz CW SOTA today
All the best !
PY1NP - Nylson
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After a challenging day on Meall Ghaordaidh GM/CS-017 on Friday 19th April, I decided on an easier summit with a fairly short and easy ascent. As usual I had more kit on my back and more water and food for the longer than normal activation. Drumcroy Hill GM/CS-107 seemed to fit the bill quite nicely and indeed it proved to be almost ideal.
I was on the hill early, so I started on 40m SSB using my KX3 at 15 watts feeding the Slidewinder vertical. This was hardly the best antenna for the band, but it worked to some degree.After a session on 40m , I moved to 2m SSB where I had 3 QSOs, one of which was actually on CW.
Moving to the higher HF bands for the Trans-Atlantic S2S event at 12:30z , I found I couldn’t hear anyone across the ocean that had been spotted. However, using a combination of search and calling CQ, I made a reasonable number of S2S contacts interspersed with calls from chasers. A more detailed report will be published with the activation report for Meall Ghaordaidh. Meall Ghaordaidh GM/CS-017 and Drumcroy Hill GM/CS-107
The S2S log ended up as follows:
50 contacts including 3 W S2S, 1 VE S2S and 13 EU S2S. With 15m working I feel I went QRT too early at 15:55z, but with over 3 hours to get back to base, I probably made the right decision.
Many thanks to everyone that came on for the event. I enjoyed this one and I’m really looking forward to November.
73, Gerald G4OIG aka GM4OIG/P
Take off to the USA
The antenna set up
The kit
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I have just looked at the results that I have achieved for the Trans-Atlantic S2S since its inception in the autumn of 2016… strange to think it was that long ago! Prior to that first event I had not made any S2S contacts across the Atlantic despite having been activating for 10 years… only contacts with home-based chasers. Although we’ve been through a minimum in the solar cycle, every event has produced at least one Trans-Atlantic S2S for me. I wonder how others have faired.
(cancelled events down to Covid)
On the down-side, where are the home-based chsers… or aren’t they telling me something? 
73, Gerald
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- Chasing the trans-oceanic contacts?
- Holding back to give S2S contacts space?
- Not hearing you because:
- they are in your skip zone?
- solar activity is doing unhelpful things to the D layer?
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Some good thoughts there. It would be interesting to see how other EU activator’s fared this time around. I will have a look at a few logs to see who was actually worked. I was only chased by Bob AC1Z. I can explain the non-appearance of chasers like Mike NW7E in my log which was down to skip distance, but there should have been plenty of eastern States stations in there.
I called CQ for quite a while on 18MHz… maybe I should have been on 21MHz for better results. I got the feeling conditions were improving as I bailed out. Perhaps looking at who was worked at what time might confirm that. If so, does the timing of the event need adjusting by an hour or so? Not an easy thing to cater for in the November event when the light fades and the temperature drops in EU.
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