GW/SW-022 – Trichrug

Busy few hours...

GW/SW-022 – Trichrug

04/07/2015

Barry M0IML had alerted that he would be out on a summit as a tribute to our ‘SOTA friend’ Dave G4ASA who had sadly passed away at the beginning of the week.  I had met Dave at the Blackpool radio rally last year and he was always there when I was out with either an s2s or just a chaser contact and a friendly chat...he will be truly missed.

 
Trichrug - GPS track

It was wet and windy when I arrived at the parking spot at SN694226 which is approached via a drivable track starting at SN694218. 

Wet and windy - over the stile then follow the wall  to the summit

Knowing the weather was going to be ‘iffy’ for the first few hours I threw in a ‘tarp’ and on arrival at the summit I quickly set it up against the stone wall next to the trig (TP6585).  Trichrug is a summit where three stone walls meet so you can get protection whatever the conditions. I arrived early on summit so I gave a few calls on 2m and quickly qualified the summit and also obtained my first point for an APROC certificate (see my Blog list). Thanks everybody for the contacts and brief chats.

10:22z	GW6OVD	144MHz	FM	Mal
10:22z	GW6DGU	144MHz	FM	Roy
10:24z	MW0YCC	144MHz	FM	Alan IO82hf
10:26z	2W0XOT	144MHz	FM	John IO82hf 5/4 5/5
10:27z	2W0LLT	144MHz	FM	Lloyd

Barry had by now popped up on 60m and was immediately in the log. A few reflective moments in respect of Dave G4ASA and I let Barry finish his visit to the band saying that I would take over once he had finished. I only had to wait a few minutes and he handed me the frequency..thanks Barry.  It was a short visit and with a request from Don RQL for me to give him a call on 2m I gave a few ‘last calls’ and left the band.

10:36z	M0IML/P	5MHz	SSB	Barry s2s t2t TP6473
10:41z	G4WSB	5MHz	SSB	Bill
10:42z	G8MIA	5MHz	SSB	Andy
10:42z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don
10:43z	G8VNW	5MHz	SSB	Nick
10:45z	G4JZF	5MHz	SSB	Graham

Now that contact with Don brought another 2 contacts and a fairly long chat with my friend Peter GW4JQP from the Carmarthen Amateur radio Society.

10:47z	G0RQL	144MHz	FM	Don diff band
10:48z	M3BPZ/M	144MHz	FM	Neil
10:51z	GW4JQP	144MHz	FM	Peter

Trig and 'office' - weather improving

I had told Don that I would be going on to 40m shortly and I could see on Radio Rucksack Tools (RRT) that Barry was already on a frequency so I quickly got up and went to change the links. Pulling down one leg to undo the 60m link I suddenly felt that something was not quite right...I looked across only to find that the other leg had just gone ‘ping’ at the apex joint. The next few minutes were spent looking for my knife and then joining the wire again and reinforcing with some insulating tape...job done (my first breakage in at least 50 activations with this antenna).   

 An untidy 'office' under the 'tarp' today..cosy and dry :)

Barry was by now coming to the end of his visit to 40m and saying to Don that I should have been calling in by now.... I soon announced my arrival with an explanation.  I also asked Barry for a signal report with the linear on and off...no difference??  Once again I was handed the frequency and with a spot from Don I was away into a massive pile-up which included  s2s with Rod MW0JLA/P on GW/SW-020 (Craig Syfyrddin),  Martyn  G/SC-011 (Hardown Hill), David G3RDQ/P G/SE-001 (Walbury Hill), ...thanks everyone.

11:15z	G0RQL	7MHz	SSB	Don diff band
11:15z	M0IML/P	7MHz	SSB	Barry s2s diff band
11:16z	G0FEX	7MHz	SSB	Ken
11:17z	M0MDA	7MHz	SSB	Mick
11:18z	G0ELJ	7MHz	SSB	Dave
11:18z	M0IOD	7MHz	SSB	Ian
11:19z	M0JLA/P	7MHz	SSB	Rod s2s
11:20z	GM4YMM	7MHz	SSB	Christine
11:21z	GM0AXY	7MHz	SSB	Ken
11:21z	GM4WHA	7MHz	SSB	Geoff
11:21z	G6TUH	7MHz	SSB	Mike
11:22z	PA7ZEE	7MHz	SSB	Geert
11:23z	G4TQE	7MHz	SSB	John
11:23z	G4JZF	7MHz	SSB	Graham
11:23z	M3ZCB	7MHz	SSB	Caroline
11:23z	M1MAJ	7MHz	SSB	Martyn
11:25z	G4CQZ/P	7MHz	SSB	Martyn s2s
11:26z	PA0B	7MHz	SSB	Rob
11:26z	G3UKI	7MHz	SSB	Barry
11:27z	M0PER	7MHz	SSB	Alan
11:27z	G4ZRP	7MHz	SSB	Brian
11:28z	GM4COX	7MHz	SSB	Jack
11:30z	G3RDQ/P	7MHz	SSB	David s2s
11:32z	M3NHA	7MHz	SSB	Tony
11:33z	M6NHA	7MHz	SSB	Sara
11:34z	M0NVJ	7MHz	SSB	Colin
11:35z	2W0EPE	7MHz	SSB	Paul
11:37z	M3FEH	7MHz	SSB	Karl
11:38z	DK1WI	7MHz	SSB	Ed
11:38z	EA2CKX	7MHz	SSB	Pedro
11:41z	GW6DGU	7MHz	SSB	Roy
11:43z	2E0CQW/P	7MHz	SSB	David s2s
11:49z	G0TRB	7MHz	SSB	Roger
11:59z	MW0PJJ	7MHz	SSB	Phil
12:02z	G0VWP/P	7MHz	SSB	Terry s2s
12:05z	MI/EI7GEB/P	7MHz	SSB	David s2s

Finishing off my pile-up with an s2s with David 2E0CQW/P on G/SB-009 (Ros Hill) I called in to have chat with Rod MW0JLA/p who  had just finished his 40m activation saying that he was waiting for an EI/p station to pop up.  A text from Phil MW0PJJ asking if I had finished resulted in a QSY back onto Rod’s frequency and Phil was in the log. I then noticed on RRT  that Terry G0VWP/p was on G/NP-002 (Mickle Fell)...he was soon in the log followed by David MI/EI7GEB/p on GI/MM-004 who was taken aback when both Rod and I hit him with our s2s calls on his first CQ...great stuff...thanks for all the s2s....time for coffee and a sandwich then the WAB net to give them the Trig and square. As I was having a cuppa I looked down and noticed that the linear was not connected as in my haste to perform the running repairs I had forgotten to hook it up...another ‘Doh’ moment!

Towy valley-towards Llandeilo/Carmarthen

Switched linear on....It was quiet on 7.160Mhz when I called out but I soon had a response from Harry G3NGX and suddenly the net came alive and a good run of WAB chasers were in the log including Tristan MW3VJN with a good signal from Newcastle Emlyn...thanks everyone.

12:08z	G3NGX	7MHz	SSB	Harry
12:11z	G0FVH/P	7MHz	SSB	David
12:11z	G7AFM	7MHz	SSB	Phil
12:11z	G4EST	7MHz	SSB	Charlie
12:11z	DL7UCW	7MHz	SSB	Ben
12:12z	G0GWK	7MHz	SSB	John
12:13z	MM3PDM/M	7MHz	SSB	Peter
12:16z	MW3VJN	7MHz	SSB	Tristan
12:16z	G0GWY	7MHz	SSB	Geoff
12:17z	F5DMY	7MHz	SSB	Gerard
12:17z	G4EOB	7MHz	SSB	Joe

I then moved on to 10m as I had set up my home brew dipole above the Band Hopper 3. Switching the linear to the appropriate band setting I notified my presence on RRT and hoped for the best on a very quiet band. No exotic DX but it was nice to hear some familiar call-signs responding to my ‘CQ SOTA’.

12:53z	OK1SDE	28MHz	SSB	Borek
12:53z	EA2DT	28MHz	SSB	Manuel
12:55z	DD0VE	28MHz	SSB	Ralf
12:57z	DG0JMB	28MHz	SSB	Joerg
13:01z	IK4DRY	28MHz	SSB	Stefano
13:02z	OE5REO	28MHz	SSB	Martin

15m seemed busy so I added my little extensions to 40m and gave a few calls after notifying on RRT. Not many chasers but welcomed nevertheless with some good signal reports each way from the USA and Canada (5/5 to 5/7) and ending with I think my first QSO with Ed DD5LP...thanks everyone.

13:38z	VE2JCW	21MHz	SSB	Jean
13:40z	N4EX	21MHz	SSB	Richard
13:42z	DL2DXA	21MHz	SSB	Bernd
13:42z	OK1AHJ	21MHz	SSB	Jaroslav
13:43z	W1MBB	21MHz	SSB	Matthew
13:44z	KF4BI	21MHz	SSB	Keith
13:45z	DD5LP/P	21MHz	SSB	Ed

The linear and LiPo..must tidy up the wiring :)

I was hoping to catch Rod on his next summit but it was not to be so I ended my activation with a nice chat with my friend Aled  MW3DLA in Newchurch, Don RQL in Holsworthy and an s2s to Rick M0LEP/p on G/SE-003 (Black Down) ..thanks Rick.

14:25z	MW3DLA	144MHz	FM	Aled
14:44z	M0LEP/P	5MHz	SSB	Rick s2s
14:48z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don.. again :)

 Thanks everyone both chaser and activator alike and to those who spotted me....looking forward to the next one which seems will have to be up in North Wales.

73 de Allan GW4VPX