Driving to work this morning & the car stereo was full of Dutch/Belgian/German stations, so I decided a visit to G/SP-004 was a good idea. Unfortunately, by the time I`d done my jobs & got up there, the tropo lift had almost finished. Struggling to control the beam in the wind, I managed 15 on 70cms & 8 on 2m.
Best contacts were GM4LER in Lerwick on 70cms FM at 767km
and SM6DVG on 2m SSB at 1009km
S2S with Helvelyn, Snowdon & Yoke LDW085
There was (apparently) some Tropo activity on Saturday Night (nothing heard here in Cheltenham) and from 1900 (GMT) on Sunday with some very strong signals from OZ/DL/ON/PA etc, which was still on-going before I had to go to the office this morning.
Gerald on G/LD-047 was good signal on 2m and also workable on 70cm at 0700 (GMT).
If this high pressure hangs around we may get some more tonight and perhaps even during the 70cm UKAC on Tuesday.
Stewart G0LGS
In reply to G1INK:
Thanks for the qso on 70cms Steve,I also managed LD-003 on 70.
Tropo still going here with beacons from GM,LA and OY to the north plus radar qrm.
73 Mike…
In reply to G1INK:
Not tropo - but 10m is wide open to the States & Caribbean area. Is this multi hop Es or is F2 prop finally returning?
In reply to G1INK:
There didn’t seem much from The Stob SS-048 on 2m. We could hear PI7CIS at S8 but no DX apart from a weak ON5 who couldn’t hear me or Brian.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to MM0FMF:
ON, PA and DL strong on two from here right now. Not a sausage from WB-009 this afternoon! 
73
Brian G8ADD
Anyone that has been around on 2m and 70cms a few years knows that tropo conditions usually tend to fade during the day and peak in the evening / night, continuing on occasion to the morning. This was the case yesterday morning when I was on Loughrigg Fell G/LD-047 around 0700z when I worked Marcel PD5MVH in JO22 followed by Pascal F6EAS in IN98 on 2m SSB. Pascal’s signal was so strong that he actually got the signal strength reading on the 857 to read S9++. I was really pleased that both Marcel and Pascal operated in a similar vein to chasers and I was not subject to an inquisition as to why I was up on a hill so early in the morning, what brand of coax I was using or any other extraneous questioning. Indeed, Marcel actually had listened to me and knew exactly where I was located and what I was doing - it is great not having to explain!
On 70cms I worked G0RQL, G0LGS, G3RMD and G6ODU all on SSB. Unfortunately we were on a tight schedule with Helvellyn G/LD-003 to follow, so I was not able to hang around and play radio. When we activated Helvellyn around 1200z, conditions had dropped significantly, but I was still able to work down to Mike G0BPU in Ipswich on 70cms.
Overall the lift in conditions added a little spice to the activations, but when up on a summit I still prefer to speak to the chasers that support us on a regular basis. In my opinion it is they who should get the accolade.
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to G4OIG:
Overall the lift in conditions added a little spice to the
activations, but when up on a summit I still prefer to speak to the
chasers that support us on a regular basis. In my opinion it is they
who should get the accolade.73, Gerald G4OIG
True, Gerald, but wouldn’t it be great to work some of our continental HF SOTA friends on 2 metres or above? Trouble is, its all to easy to find yourself above the inversion and find nothing on the band but locals working good DX!
Lots of DX again today, especially into Germany.
73
Brian G8ADD
In reply to G8ADD:
Hi Brian,
Good to work You yesterday, condx came up later into Denmark from where I was on Long Mynd.
Going great guns this morning, Shame work is piling up!!!
Cheers,
Nik M5DND
In reply to M5DND:
Good Conditions this Morning prior to going to work! Oh well only another 43 years to go till state pension age and I might be able to retire to monitor the bands all day!!
On a more serious note, its excellent to see VHF activators getting rewarded with DX for a change, however working the regulars is still the priority!
Matt 2E0XTL
In reply to 2E0XTL:
only
another 43 years to go till state pension age and I might be able to
retire to monitor the bands all day!!
Ooops, you wont get a state pension, there will be no such thing when you and I retire.
QRZ me and have a look at my web site
Andrew
M0LKB
That reminds me, anyone activated G/SE-008 or G/SE-012 recently?
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
That reminds me, any activated G/SE-008 or G/SE-012 recently?
Ah, so the Isle of Wight is synonymous with retirement eh? Maybe make those my last two summits before I retire from SOTA - as if!
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to M1EYP:
Tropo on the cloud this afternoon pretty pathetic. 21 contacts on 2m around G/GW/GI/ON/F/DL nothing out of the ordinary. Didn`t bother trying 70cms as the band seemed dead through the 2m beam. Wx beautful blue sunny sky, 10 - 11C but warm enough to sit in tee shirt as there was no wind.
Hi Steve,
You’re too modest. Might not be astounding, but certainly better than pathetic. Anyway, 70cm will spring to life in about an hour or so, mainly on SSB, with the RSGB activity contest. SP-015 is all yours tonight if fancy a second visit today, as I’m staying home still rather ill.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to 2E0XTL:
Ah, The beauty of working from home !! but dx’ing doesnt pay the bills!!!
To all, enjoy the condx whilst they last… !!!
Cheers,
Nik
In reply to G1INK:
On sunday 10/10/2010 I activated DM/HE-003. Großer Feldberg/Taunus.
The usual equipment: Yaesu FT-857 and HB9CV-antenna for 2m.
Surprise, surprise: SK6DK and OZ6TY in the log.
144MHz SSb.
Watch my video, the QSO with Kjell, SK6DK on: DO1DJJ/p at SOTA DM/HE-003 - YouTube
73 and good dx de
DO1DJJ, Joerg
In reply to G1INK:
I was on a local hilltop last night and spent 10 minutes listening to 3 US stations on 145.235. Very weak but copyable, presumably a repeater output.
The tropo the last few evenings has been great but wow, still can’t quite believe it.
Will be on the hills again this evening!
Ioan 2W0NNN
In reply to MW3YTN:
I was on a local hilltop last night and spent 10 minutes listening to
3 US stations on 145.235. Very weak but copyable, presumably a
repeater output.
Not tropo just an Internet linked repeater IRLP and nothing special. The day you hear the US direct on 2 metres is the day you are stood on the other side of the pond.
In reply to MW3YTN:
Hi Loan
You were probably been listening to a UK Echolink node, in my bit of the midlands there are quite a few.
Carolyn