On Feb 28th Malen VE6VID and myself activated Stoney NW3 VE6/JF-087.
This activation was grueling, breaking trail in sometimes snow over a foot deep with large deadfall surrounding us in every direction. The further up we got the more the wind picked up and the worse the deadfall got slowing us down more and more.
Once we finally got to the top the wind decided It was going to make my activation a bit more exciting by blowing a bunch of snow out of the tree tops on to myself and my gear.
I did get through it and activated as well as Malen but it was an adventure, that I was glad ended successfully.
And of course I recorded the whole thing!!! So CLICK THE LINK and come with us as we endure the task that is Stoney NW3.
Welcome to the Snowy Key Club. It’s an issue that has often plagued my winter activations and I use a straight key, so in theory a quick blow across the contacts and it should be sorted… but it often isn’t. I tried a cover on my key, but that just made it more difficult to clear the contacts when the snow did get in. At least all I get is a constant key-down, though clearing is does often create utter jibberish, so I tend to unplug before sorting it. Then of courser those waiting on frequency all call in thinking I’ve skipped off and they’ve missed a contact.
That climb certainly was not one to do on your own. As I watched you go up the scramble all I could think about was (and this goes through my mind when I’m faced with it in reality)… “what about getting down this?” Always best to have an activation partner under such circumstances.
Well done on the activation. Maybe work you if you can get out in the Trans-Atlantic S2S event on 20th April. Certainly it’s always a pleasure to work across the pond.
That thought went through my mind as well! But getting down was not to terrible. I will definitely be trying to get out on the 20th to a summit, I might see if I can borrow malens 705 for that day and get on 10m, I would love to log a bunch of uk and europe stations !
Good to see some real mountain men in their natural surroundings! Great views. I use a High Mound Manipulator double paddle and had no probs with “key down” after I blue tacked an upside-down “component drawer” over the contacts. David G0EVV
