At over 11,600ft Mount Temple VE6/GS-001 is a big Rocky Mountain, big ascent and technical scrambling at altitude after 5.5hrs of ascent I set up an EFHW for 20m as an inverted L. This was a new setup for me as I normal use a 1/4 wave vertical with a dozen counterpoise radials. I ran the top section of the L in a vaguely N-S direction with a similarly aligned single counterpoise. However despite all my efforts, and 90minutes on summit no chasers… I did listen in to some nets on the East and West coast.
The weather conditions were perfect yesterday for this significant undertaken. It is only accessible for a few weeks a year and should not be attempted in bad weather. This is the second peak in two weeks that I have failed to get chasers, I am beginning to think that everybody is on vacation, but thanks to anybody out there who did tune in on my alert time.
In reply to VA6MCB:
Hi Walker…I saw your Alert and was home on vacation days so I was listening for you on both 20 and 40. Never heard a peep or saw any Spots. The band conditions have not been great the last couple of weeks…pretty squirrley!
Mike
In reply to VA6FUN:
Thanks for the effort Mike.
40m was mostly static, if my legs start working by the weekend and the projected thunderstorms move, I will try and drag myself up something a little lower in Kananaskis
73
Walker
In reply to VA6MCB:
However despite all my efforts, and 90minutes on summit no chasers…
Very frustrating when an activation attempt goes that way. Even though you’ve tested the kit back home, sometimes it seems the rig and antenna decide to behave in a completely different way when you’ve put them on top of a summit…
I hope your next activation’s more successful.
73, Rick M0LEP
In reply to VA6MCB:
It’s a real shame not having any chasers after such hard and challenging ascent. Pretty much frustrating.
I initially found very few chasers as well the other day, while activating a 1 pointer Summit close to my current holidays QTH in the NorthWest Coast of Spain, but when I had got 3 QSOs only and no takers were coming to me after several CQ calls, I raised a spot on Sotawatch and the chasers started to show up little by little.
I guess you probably didn’t have cell phone signal available in your area.
It’s true that in these summer days many operators are away on vacation or doing things outdoors, so less of them are QRV for chasing activators these days.
I wish you a better luck next time.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF (AM02IF these vacation days)
P.D. I also use a vertical with counterpouse radials in most of my activations, except for the three 1 pointer summits I have activated in the coast these days, where the Access was easy and I brought a magnetic loop antenna.
In reply to EA2IF:
Thanks Guru, I hope we get a chance for another QSO before winter. Cell phone spotting.is rarely an option out here, I guess I must re-commit to my CW studies.
73