Y Golfa GW/NW-061 Mini Report

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

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

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

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

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