Hello All,
I will spend my vacations in EI / GI. I will travel with my wife, in my motor home. Arriving June 17, staying likely for #5- 6 weeks.
I am looking for do/don’t, easy summits recommendations, don’t miss things, sources of reliable maps, etc.
Of course, I plan to do some activations, (not too many, my wife wouldn’t appreciate daily sota…).
For Sota, I plan HF CW. I may be equipped also with a 2m/70 cm hand held, and possibly aprs.
Thanks in advance for your advices.
73 de Pierre F5MOG
Sorry, my arrival date is May 17, staying for 5-6 weeks.
73 de Pierre F5MOG
Hi Pierre, if you are speaking about EI/GI border, so then on EI side it could perhaps be Carlingford with its SOTA trio : Clermont Carn EI/IE-021 (drive up, TX mast on top), Slieve Foye EI/IE-015 (easy 1h 15min hike, lovely views), Slievenaglogh EI/IE-056 2 pointer. Those three can be done in a day. Also Cornasaus EI/IE-054 2 pointer is not very far and is almost drive up.
On GI side nothing can beat the Mournes, excellent views all over, but hikes could be time consuming.
If you get down to Wicklow that is all mine 
Plenty of options there ! Eg. Sugar Loaves duo (EI/IE-022, EI/IE-052) could be an easy double activation.
73 de EI4JY, Alex
Maybe we have an S2S over groundwave… like in the Vosges… we are on the road from 9.5 to 23.5 in EI/IS and EI/IW
73 Armin
Wise words! If ye are going to do The Great Sugar Loaf (my fave), it is absolutely unacceptable to leave out its little sister The Little Sugar Loaf. You’d be escorted out of Ireland in shame!
I was in Kerry this weekend, trail running not activating. Can highly recommend a SOTA on Eagles Hill, the highest point on the Kerry Way. Spectacular views at sunset.
In fact, all of the Kerry Way is mind bogglingly stunning and should be on any SOTA, hiking, trail running or just generally any travel or radio enthusiasts bucket list.
I did a bit of radio this morning on the KX2 and finally made my first QRP contacts and first contacts using the KX2. Got out to Russia, Portugal, Italy, UK and down to Cork for a POTA going on there.
Not carrying an HT and trying to make QSO’s on the world’s two favourite bands, 2m and 70cm is a deportable offence. Bring that HT!!
Welcome to EI and GI when you venture over here. Hoping for good weather for you!
73
Thank you Alex EI4JY for the few refrences near the EI/GI border.I plan to tour EI/GI, So, sure I will go to Wicklow.
EI3JH, thanks, Kerry is on my todo list. Sugar loaf (s), I will try not to be ashamed !
Armin, the window is short for ground waves, but may be feasible.
73 to all de Pierre F5MOG
They are national treasures! The pride of Wicklow! Only thing worse would be if you don’t try to call CQ SOTA on 2m and 70cm. You would be given a police escort out of Ireland. 
2m FM is generally well supported by SOTA chasers. I regularly get chases into GI and EI from GW/NW and G/LD.
On higher summits near the Irish Sea coast you are very likely to pick up 2m FM chasers in GW and even in G in the NW of England.
Given recent unpredictable HF conditions you may find 2m FM saves the day to qualify a summit.
Can vouch for this with a couple of examples I’ve made QSO’s from Ben of Howth in to Cardigan Bay and also an S2S in Snowdonia from the same spot. All I used was a 7m pole from Wimo and dangled a Slim G from that, connected to the mighty Yaesu FT-65 on the World’s favourite bands, 2m and 70cm. Microwave folks (of the 23cm variety, not the Hinari Sunrise variety) will love Howth for that stuff. Maybe even try an IOTA off of Ireland’s Eye just off the coast of Howth?
Also the aul Pain de Sucre in Wicklow, and it’s sibling Le Petit Pain de Sucre are fine summits for a cheeky QSO in to Wicklow, Dublin City, North County Dublin, Wales and maybe beyond.
Do note though if residing in North County Dublin, you will need a visa and correct paperwork before crossing the border in to South County Dublin. 
Hello,
Thamk you for the info. It seems that 2m/70 cm is a real option. So I will take my handheld FM. Since my SOTA activity is only CW/HF, this may open my first SOTA phone qso ´s ! I will have to quickly build a portable Slim Jim, to gain efficiency, vs the hand held rubber antenna.
73 de Pierre F5MOG
We’re flying to Cork tomorrow and have rented a holiday home in Bantry for a week… then on the 16th, we’re off to Westport for a week…
On the way there, I definitely want to activate EI/IW-082… (to complete 
)
Otherwise, I haven’t planned much yet… EI/IW-005 (…is there actually a good place to park on the west side?) is still on my wish list… and maybe I’ll do a little private field day on the Marconi grounds as an honorary event.
Probably some POTA will be added…
It all depends a bit on my YL’s hiking enthusiasm…
73 Armin
Hi Pierre, just to be aware - don’t expect many EI contacts on 2m/70cm simplex, if any On the East Coast our across the sea neighbours helps greatly to fill a log indeed. Further West getting anyone on VHF simplex is getting more difficult.
Another thing to note, I am not familliar with travelling in motor homes, but how big is your motor home? Roads here a quite narrow and parking slots are sometimes small or could have height restrictions. Eg. you may not squeeze in to the Sugar Loaf car park (pictured). Just in case have a look at Google maps street view where available when choosing your summits.
73 de EI4JY, Alex
Tis a thing of beauty. The summit of the people! 
I remember a couple were over last year from Switzerland, doing a hape of summits. They did it properly and called CQ SOTA on 2m (no 70cm though, borderline unforgivable but saved from disgrace by the 2m QSO’s).
I was able to chase them on a couple of summits using a Tidradio H8, a ‘Bingfu’ 2m mag and a cake tin on my windowsill, and I was about 527,658 light years away from them and well out of LoS.
Hi Pierre, It’s hard to recommend any particular summits without some idea of an itinerary. They’re all great ! As the sugar loaf has been already mentioned, I’d avoid it at weekends. It’s pretty busy and there’s not a lot of room on top. Once you go west of the Dublin / Wicklow mountains, sadly you’re wasting your time on 2m. I don’t bring a HT anymore. As regards maps, eastwest mapping is the best for the major ranges. As well as paper versions, you can also get a download for the hiiker app on android. Its pretty handy and saves fiddling with paper in the wind and rain
Colm.
I tried to do Clermont Carn last year but my little Renault that I had would not go up the road It was super rough, No way you get a camper up there. Unless things have changed.
John VK6NU/EI8KU
GI/CA-001 is a good one in that area.
No changes there John, I’ve activated it couple of month ago. Still the same very narrow service road. While okay for regular vehicles during normal weather it likely be a no go in poor condx. Pierre really need to tell us what vehicle he is going to drive, is that a big camper or more like a service crew van. On the picture is that Clermon Cairn service road, to give an idea of what a driver will face.
Don’t give up on 2m and 70cm though while here! It’s because everyone complains those bands are dead that nobody uses them. Does my head in.
I called in to a repeater about 40km away today and was supposedly blocked LoS by a summit in the way. Still got in to the repeater and made 2 contacts, 59+ clear as a bell, on the mighty 70cm band, both within minutes of each other. One of the contacts was round the back side (to my location) of the nation’s sweetheart, the Great Sugar Loaf, oddly enough!
Enjoy your visit here folks and keep those UHF and VHF bands roasting hot! 73.
Ah Ian, repeaters are some different breed! Plenty of activity there. Suprisingly, very few are monitoring the calling channels on 2/70 simplex here. I recall fairly haunting experience some time back. I was shouting 145.500 CQ sitting on top of the Fairy Castle, overlooking the whole city of Dublin and environs - you guess, not a single EI answer! It looks like things are changing a bit though. My best recent experience was on Croghan Kinsella, where while beaming East I’ve got a surprise EI call from Loughrea, some 150 km away on a backwards beam of my Yagi So definitely worth trying!
I tried that today too. No contacts alas. Though to my utter shame and disgrace I only called on 2m, not 70cm. I don’t deserve my licence I know. Apologies. I do seem to have more luck on 70cm too.
Picked up an Eton Elite Executive recently to add to my portable SWL stockpile. Had that with me today too as it has Air mode. Went to turn it on for a bit of Air and SSB while enjoying the sea air and the batteries were dead!
I’m using SWL a lot recently to listen to CW and try to improve my copy so I can make my first QSO.
Best of luck with that ! We could try a local CW QSO one day. I have an indoor antenna only, but hope it should be ok’ish ground wave to Dublin.
