Upcoming 2m Activity - Wednesday 25th September

[GM5ALX]

Seems there was some confusion on the start time…the WhatsApp chat had 10am BST as the start time but somehow that got translated into 1100z on here and I didn’t notice…even when posting my own alert So that’s why we missed out on more S2S opportunities! Sorry about that.

Was a chilly start, with -1.5 degC in Braemar as I drove through. Taking the route on sotamaps

I cycled along the estate track until the actual ascent starts - probably saves about 20-30 minutes walking each way, as I thought Fraser and Chris would have a quicker walk back on their summit. I need to buy an actual mountain bike as this and Mount Keen the other week have felt like I was going to shake the bike, and me, to pieces. The bike made a helpful support when crossing the ford before turning up the hill.

Quite boggy on the way up until the final steep ascent onto the long plateau.

The first cairn is only 6m below the actual summit but still around 2km away. At this point I called in with Fraser and Chris on the HT, and they were a similar 1.5km away from their summit.

Lots of good views and, as already said, lovely weather!

Some good QSOs on 2m FM and SSB, not quite what Fraser managed but his summit was higher and so he was in the way!

After calling for a long time on sideband I was impatient on FM and kept jumping around when I saw activity on the waterfall, either following Fraser like an annoying puppy, or jumping onto the calling frequency when it was free. Probably should’ve just stayed still!

I made use of the flat plateau and large activation zone to start heading back but still ready with the HT for Alan, MM0VPM. SotaGoat app kept me in check and that saved a bit of time coming back. My worries of being slow down were unnecessary as I ended up being at the Bothy for a full round of cakes before the others arrived…and I couldn’t let them feel guilty for eating in front of me.

@G4IPB

GM 5 ALX Heard on 2m FM on Blencathra but I think you disappeared t to SSB

Thanks for the report, probably it was me jumping about on the band, would’ve been good to get a QSO as I’ve not managed a 2m contact with England yet.

[G8CPZ]

@GM5ALX

the WhatsApp chat had 10am BST as the start time but somehow that got translated into 1100z

So the alerts should have 0900utc not 1100utc. No wonder I missed the show by being QRV at 12 noon bst.

@GM5ALX

I’ve not managed a 2m contact with England yet

As Simon was 5/2 to 5/3 with me (some slow QSB), if the rest of you had similar antennas and power, we probably could have worked each other via troposcatter. I could hear Don G0RQL clearly 375km away in Devon and I think he was operating from home. I think troposcatter is often confused with tropoducting. Although TD (when it’s working over the radio path you want) can get you longer distances (and often sounds like the guy’s next door), TS works 24/7 every day if you can get a low enough angle to the horizon (usually no problem on summits).

[GM5ALX]

Yep…oops Next time…!

[MM0EFI]

@GM5ALX

some confusion on the start time…

Yes, on reflection that’s entirely my fault. Couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery. Great to see everyone out on hills mid-week trying 2m SSB and FM. There would have been more summit to summits if I’d been able to sync BST/UTC/Barbados time and WhatsApp time.

I hereby resign from everything.

[GM5ALX]

Absolutely all your fault…but I still managed to type in my alert for 1100z even though I knew that couldn’t be right as we were scheduled for cakes at 1300 BST!

[MM7VXJ]

Hi Folks, thanks for the QSO’s today, it was great to catch you all.

My goal was to summit Schiehallion GM/CS-005 and get as many S2S’s with the gaggle of SOTA stations active midweek. I would highly recommend this Monroe to anyone as it’s has a very straightforward and well maintained path before eventually transitioning to a boulder field later on.

The summit itself is an elongated rocky outcrop going west - east with brilliant views, especially to the NW over Loch Rannoch and NE towards the Cairngorm’s.

I managed to summit a little early and so jumped on 2m FM and caught Alan @MM0VPM and then Frazer @MM0EFI, Chris @2M0RVZ and Alex @GM5ALX in quick succession for three S2S’s, activating the summit. Soon followed by Jack @GM4COX booming in shortly before another S2S into the Lake district with Paul @G4IPB.

The weather was brilliant - sunny with distant cloud before three typhoons (of the aeronautical variety) rolled in low over the Loch during a S2S with Archie GM4KNU. Always a bizarre experience to look down on jets flying bellow.

I managed a number of other contacts on 2m before switching to 2M SSB (a first for me) with some guidance from Archie GM4KNU and Clark MM7CEH. After which I ate my lunch and descended.

I have to admit after moving to Scotland I really rate the local group on VHF, it’s a good bunch and I appreciate all the contacts and guidance. Especially Ken @GM0AXY , Steve @MM0XPZ and Peter GM0VEK who constantly spot me as well as Jack GM4COX who is always correcting guiding my pronunciation of the summit names, as spelling them phonetically in my logbook doesn’t seem to be helping!

73’s
Jace, MM7VXJ

[MM0EFI]

@GM5ALX

his summit was higher and so he was in the way

I’m not taking the blame for that!

[GM5ALX]

Great to get you on Schiehallion! We were all lined up and ready…must be the fastest 100% S2S qualification. I do enjoy VHF only outings.

Looks like it was a lovely day with you too.

[M0JSB]

Looks like a successful day of VHF activating. I’m loving all of the fabulous photos! Stunning!

[G4IPB]

I was quite surprised to find myself on the summit before my alerted time. Set up with. J pole up the mast for 2m FM, and almost immediately heard GM5ALX at about 55 walking into the AZ in a QSO. Lots of relatively local QSO’s but had 2 GM S2S contacts with MM0VXJ on GM/CS-005 Schiehallion which was a bit noisy but workable (235 Km for 5w of Feeble Mode…) and GN4KNU on Tinto GM/SS-064 who was really booming in. I’m not sure of the propagation mode to Schiehallion but I was quite impressed, and I think under better circumstances I could have worked a few more. Briefly heard Andy G8CPZ but he disappeared back to SSB before I could call him. It is quite unusual to prove Andy FMF wrong for once (it isn’t line of sight but I did manage a QSO) but I must admit it would have been much easier with a beam and SSB, but I have become a bit of a wimp and the weight of the FT817ND and the battery and my 2m homemade self disassembling beam put me off…

Thanks again to all the chasers. Finally a quick reception report for Jack GM4COX who was 55 on the summit - even if he couldn’t hear me!

73. Paul

(Woody who was amazingly quiet on the summit (Brown, White and Mud) , and Jet (Black) who busied himself trying to get between me and the logbook, when he wasn’t polishing off my ham sandwich!

Derwentwater from the summit

[MM7VXJ]

I did wonder what time zone I was in when I got to my summit 15 minutes early to hear you guys were packing it up!

[MM0EFI]

@MM7VXJ

did wonder what time zone I was in

That was Alex’ fault. He’s an hour early for everything, including lunch. Thankfully he had a second lunch when Chris and I arrived.

[MM7VXJ]

It was brilliant working you in the lakes Paul. I could probably try harder on my end with something more directional, for the long distance QSO’s. More to learn!

[M0RSF]

2025 2m SSB challenge?

[GM5ALX]

Seeing the photos with the dogs, I did hear you but it was a bit muffled at first but I clearly heard dogs barking. We’d just had our QSOs with Alan and then it was about the same time as Jace called Alan or we were trying to get Jace…or something like that, but I distinctly remember hearing the dogs! (Or at least I heard someone with dogs!)

Just had my HT and RH770 at that point!

@MM0EFI

That was Alex’ fault. He’s an hour early for everything, including lunch. Thankfully he had a second lunch when Chris and I arrived.

I’m not seeing a problem here?

[M0YUK]

Awesome job guys - I got something I’m working on over the next few months but will definitely be interested in doing some 2m SSB in GW land next year

[GM5ALX]

@MM0EFI’s Lora igate managed to hear my tracker for a ping on the plateau as well:

He must’ve had it pointing this way

[G4OIG]

Well it seems you all had an absolute blast while I was engaged on wheelchair pushing duty. I was hoping at the very least to get up a high spot near Alnwick that I have used before to do some chasing. I worked Barry GM4TOE from there with ease, so hoped to get a signal into some of you.

Well done all… I’m not jealous (honest).

73, Gerald

[MM0EFI]

@GM5ALX

He must’ve had it pointing this way

At least mine still works

[MM0VPM]

Hi,
As I had my head in the weather forecasts, I never noticed this topic till I had alerted for Ben Avon GM/ES-006 .

It was showing signs of winter approaching on the summit.

Thanks for all the S2S - meant I was able to toddle over the Beinn a Bhuird GM/ES-004 in the afternoon too.

Another 4 QSOs , some with Fraser’s lunch companions meant a successful day.
It was also a very long one…
The start was not auspicious, with the bike front tyre not holding air - turned out to be a rip at the valve so it the spare tube was used up at the outset. A kind chap in the carpark offered the use of his track pump for inflating it - worked a lot better than my wee hand pump.

I heard others on summits and chasing but wasn’t able to work them. Jack @GM4COX was 59 for example but couldn’ t hear me - he suggested CW, but that doesn’t work on a Wouxon handy!

Here’s a couple of photos…

GM/ES-006 summit torr - cool…

GM/ES-006 from GM/ES-004

On descent from GM/ES-004 - Loch Dubh and cliffs and puffy white clouds - fortunately no rain fell.

Feet got wet crossing the river - cycle down was a lot quicker that cycle up !
Started out at 08:08 (BST) back to the car 18:08 (BST)

A good day out!

Alan