Y Golfa GW/NW-061 Mini Report

Old Reflector
1

If there`s one thing I’ve learned after more than 200 SOTA activations… always, ALWAYS follow your instinct.

Todays activation did not get off to a good start. About 250m from the trig point, I suddenly realised not only had I left the mobile in the car, but the 2m dipole too. As I had decided to leave the colinear behind, it meant a joureny back to the car. I dumped the rucksack next to the last tee, muttered quite a few Anglo Saxon expletives and legged it back to the car.

Trust me, I was not a happy bunny. On arriving back at the car, I picked up the colinear and phone, then put the colinear back an picked up the dipole. This was not a smart move.

On arriving at the trig, I set up the dipole for 2m vertical. Then I attached it to the fishing pole, getting it about 5 metres clear of the ground and put out a cq. This summit is supposed to be a good VHF site, something which I`ve always had my reservations about. In fact, Y Golfa, is a very un-good VHF summit, something which I should know from previous activations working with the colinear. However, for some silly reason, I chose to ignore my own advice today and the 2m band proved to be diabolicaly hard work. A couple of bright spots were Mike G4BLH and Frank G3RMD.

2m SSB was little better, so it was off to HF. The pile-up on 20m kept me busy for some time. Then a QSY for a S2S with M0KCB/P Darius up on G/SP-005 Pendle Hill, on the 17m band, which must be something a rarity.

Also nice to work a S2S with Paul GM4MD/P up on GM/SS-273 on the 80m band.

Ah well, you can’t win `em all, although 9 Stateside chasers eased the 2m pain somewhat.

A mixed bag of 101 contacts for the day.

Thanks to all the chasers.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

2

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Mike

Totally agree with your analysis of 2m on this summit. I activated this jointly with Dei (M0YDH) a good few months ago now and I tried in vain to qualify on 2m FM and SSB. 30min or so later and Dei was still in a huge pile-up on 40m. I relieved him to qualify and several stations were still calling when we had to pack up for time reasons. Stick with HF on this summit.

73
Alastair, M0TYM

3

In reply to 2E0YYY:

Mike,

You did better than I did today! I am surprised at your choice, but you win some, you lose some:-()

The pole blew down twice before I had even connected up the feeder so that put an end to HF from Brown Clee. Corndon was good exercise, as usual (especially as I was still carrying the 817 and the ATU) and not a tweet on 70cm. At least the wind had gone down by the time we got to Beacon Hill and I managed to get the pole up with the good 70cm aerial and this brought in a good half dozen; we even got back to the car just before dark this time.

On Y Golfa last year Vicki activated it swiftly on 2m and I failed on HF with only three contacts on 40m, also on a Tuesday.

Sorry we missed s2s; Tom on Gun was the only one for us. Thanks, Tom.

73,
Rod

4

In reply to M0JLA:

Hi Rod,

I saw Viki`s spotted on 145.425, G/WB-002. I QSY’d to her frequency and heard zilch! This would have been a breeze with the colinear. Sorry to hear about your problems. Hopefully catch you on the next one.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

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In reply to 2E0YYY:

Hi Mike

Many thanks for the 80m S2S today, much appreciated and very good to work you for the first time. Hope to catch you again soon :slight_smile:

73 de Paul G4MD