Can someone confirm that winter bonus (GW) includes March 15th or does it finish Midnight of the 14th?
Also, does anyone know if you can park at the Big Pit Mining museum for Coity Mountain (GW/SW-012)
Pete
In reply to G4ISJ:
The GW ARM is online at Summits on the Air
I do like the new Firefox with its integrated PDF reader, anyway if you search for “bonus” you can find the following words:
Seasonal bonus: Yes
Bonus rationale: Winter period with highest probability of sub-zero temperatures
Min. height for bonus: 500m
Bonus period dates: 1 December to 15 March inclusive
Andy
MM0FMF
Yes, Friday 15th activations (500m+ in the UK) will attract the winter bonus.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to G4ISJ:
I have twice ascended Coity Mountain from the Big Pit car park. It is all open moorland, so no difficulty of access, and their car park is easily big enough that they wont mind an extra car. However it is not the most interesting of hill walks. I have read on the website that the ascent from the W is better.
I hope to have a point grabbing round of Cefn Yr Ystrad, Tor Y Foel and The Sugar Loaf on the 15th, so will be in the same area.
Richard
G0IBE
In reply to MM0FMF:
I do like the new Firefox with its integrated PDF reader,
It’s slightly OT but you raised it - I hate it. It has completely screwed up the PDF interface with my licensed PDF writer - which I did use often directly when working with PDF ARMs from the SOTA Website in processing updates. Now it’s a series of extra steps - Yuck!
Jim G0CQK
In reply to G0IBE:
In reply to G4ISJ:
I hope to have a point grabbing round of Cefn Yr Ystrad, Tor Y Foel
and The Sugar Loaf on the 15th, so will be in the same area.
Thanks to all for clarification.
Richard those are on my planning list for tomorrow (13th), however with all the white stuff around I may chicken out. I’m also free Friday which looks a warmer day but probably wet too!
Pete
In reply to G4ISJ:
This morning at 7.45 my car told me it -5C as I shovelled 15-18cms of snow out of the way. At 12:15 it told me it was +4.5C, a 9.5 degree rise in 3.5hrs. Huge amounts of slush everywhere now. You may find the roads much clearer but I guess it will be hard work on the legs on the hills as everything melts.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G0CQK:
it has completely screwed up the PDF interface with my licensed PDF writer -
Jim G0CQK
Just go to Firefox
Tools/Options/Applications and select Portable Document Format from the Content type and then select you preferred application (PDF Writer) from the “Action” pull down list.
5 second job!
HTH
Pete
In reply to G4ISJ:
Funny how the end of the WB period creeps up on you when the bonus is no longer particularly important (post MG). I hadn’t recognised the fact that we are on the cusp.
No doubt this heralds in the rainy season which means that it is time to get another round of activations planned. 
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to G4OIG:
In reply to G4ISJ:
Funny how the end of the WB period creeps up on you when the bonus is
no longer particularly important (post MG).
Summit to Summits, Gerald! It’s the way forward 
73 Mike
2E0YYY
In reply to 2E0YYY:
If you think I’m going to hang around in all that rain on a summit with no mobile phone coverage on the off-chance I’ll make an S2S contact, then you’ve got another thought coming Mike! I have enough trouble trying to keep the rig and key dry to consider such matters. I’ll reserve that for summer - if we get one. 
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to G4OIG:
It’s a chasing award anyway Gerald.
Andy
MM0FMF
In reply to G4ISJ:
I should have thought of that, Doh!
Thanks for that, Pete.
Jim G0CQK
In reply to MM0FMF:
It’s a chasing award anyway Gerald.
Well according what I’ve heard on the grapevine, I’m morphing into a chaser. It’s really just a malicious rumour put about by INKy.
73, Gerald G4OIG
In reply to G4OIG:
Well according what I’ve heard on the grapevine, I’m morphing into a
chaser. It’s really just a malicious rumour put about by INKy.73, Gerald G4OIG
Two chases of M0CGH/P in two days - I think it’s more than a rumour
Thanks for the contacts Gerald, it surprised me a little to hear your call coming through on 40 CW.
Well, bye bye winter bonus for now. (Hello summer!)
I really wanted to give the winter bonus period some stick this time around, but for whatever reason I didn’t manage to do quite as many activations as I would have liked. My aim was to get to 666 activator points by the end of today, but I fell way short at 623 points. I chose 666 purely because it’s 2/3 of the Mountain Goat award.
My road map at the moment is for 750 points by the end of 2013 and to hit the magic 1000 points in early 2015.
The past two days activations have been in the toughest weather of the bonus period for me. Yesterday the clag descended and then the hard snow started along with the stiff breeze on Ingleborough and today I had to endure 1m deep snow drifts, icy rain and strong wind on Buckden Pike. I remember the same period last year when I was sat in a tee shirt basking in the sunshine on St Sunday Crag!
Colin, M0CGH
(winter bonus please come back soon!)
In reply to M0CGH:
I think it’s more than a rumour
Yes, G4OIG (without the /P) called in to me when I was on Tarren y Gesail GW/NW-033 recently. IIRC, I so didn’t recognise the call that I had to ask for several repeats before I got it! Quite unexpected DX!
I really wanted to give the winter bonus period some stick this time around, but for whatever reason I didn’t
Well for other reasons I have had some extra time, and advice from my doctor to get some exercise. Therefore I have given the winter bonus plenty of stick. I haven’t analysed yet but I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be my best ever haul of winter bonus points in one season.
I chose 666 purely because it’s 2/3 of the Mountain Goat award.
No it isn’t. It is 333/500, and the fraction does not reduce any further than that young man. Dreadful (but not arrogant).
My road map at the moment is for 750 points by the end of 2013 and to hit the magic 1000 points in early 2015.
Er, no need to rush Colin. Just take your time…
I remember the same period last year when I was sat in a tee shirt basking in the sunshine on St Sunday Crag!
I remember just 3 weeks ago walking in Snowdonia in shirt sleeves! Winter had a sting in its tail this time, that’s for sure.
Tom M1EYP
In reply to M1EYP:
OK Tom! I guess 667 points would have been a little nearer but not exact. It was just an arbitrary figure in any case.
Yes, I noticed that you have been activating a lot recently, I hope you get fixed up soon. I guess every cloud has a silver lining.
I was really hoping to get 500 chaser points by today also and I missed that by just 2 points! Looks like I’m gonna have to do another activation for the sole purpose of an S2S.
Er, no need to rush Colin. Just take your time…
LOL! I’ve been doing SOTA since 2004, I think I’m taking plenty of time!
73, Colin