GW/NW-018 Moel Llyfnant

A few minor problems today

GW/NW-018  Moel Llyfnant

30/07/2015

Another fine day forecast and Val and I made the trip up to North Wales to ‘tick off’ another NW summit. Now I had sussed out the route up to Moel Llyfnant and after confirmation from Barry M0IML  that my intended route was viable we parked the car at SH8058 3848 (entrance to Nant Ddu – leave room for agricultural vehicles) and  set off on what was to be a very pleasant walk to the summit.   

 Leave plenty of room for agricultural vehicles...only room for one car I should think

Follow the winding track towards the forestry..Moel Llyfnant distant centre

My GPS track..now uploaded to SOTA mapping project

Turn left here

Approaching the forestry section

Arenig Fawr to the left on the way up..been there, done that

An unsurfaced road leads all the way to the derelict farm house of Amnodd-bwll  then turns sharp right to take you a considerable distance up to the summit. Where it ends you need to take to the moorland and make a steep direct ascent to the summit cairn.

Amnodd-bwll (derelict)

 It was cold on top but the sun kept peeping out through the broken cloud so it was quite pleasant having set up behind some large rocks out of the wind.   

Approaching the summit 

Snowdon range in the distance

Plenty of room for HF up on top although surprisingly we did have a few visitors. I kicked off with a visit to 60m, without being able to spot myself....no sign of a signal on my phone. Thankfully Phil G3YPQ picked up my call even though I had knocked the dial off-frequency. Phil spotted me after a frequency correction and I was away...thanks Phil.

11:36z	G3YPQ	5MHz	SSB	Phil IO70sf
11:39z	G3TXL	5MHz	SSB	Angus
11:41z	GW6OVD	5MHz	SSB	Mal
11:43z	G8MIA	5MHz	SSB	Andy
11:45z	GM3TAY/P	5MHz	SSB	Alan- Isle of Jura
11:46z	M0MDA	5MHz	SSB	Mick
11:47z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don

GW4VPX/p busy

Now looking at the read-out on my FT817 I could see I was running on the internal batteries and not on the LiPo....I unplugged the LiPo and re-inserted the plug back into the 817..no joy.. I was still running on internal batteries and more than likely there was a fault with the connecting lead. Now I had intended to use the linear today so there was another lead in the rucksack..rummage..connect and I was up and running off the battery that was supposed to run the linear.

12:01z	F1REI/P	7MHz	SSB	Frederic s2s
12:14z	EA2CKX	7MHz	SSB	Pedro
12:15z	DL2EF	7MHz	SSB	Franz Josef
12:15z	EB2CZF	7MHz	SSB	Jose
12:17z	DK5X	7MHz	SSB	Contest Station, Germany
12:18z	PA3CDN	7MHz	SSB
12:18z	DJ5AV	7MHz	SSB	Michael

Whilst trying to solve my problems an s2s opportunity arose so a quick call and Frederic F1REI/p on  F/MC-026 (Mont Chamaroux)  was in the log....bingo...thanks Frederick.  I managed to get the phone working by switching it off and then on again.....I seem to recollect that something had not loaded earlier.  A quick change of links as Hans DL/PA3FYG/p on DM/BW-064 (Heersberg- 10 points) was calling....with this one in the log I was more than delighted...thanks Hans.  Before going back on to 40m I decided to plug the 817 (running on internal batteries) directly into the linear and run the linear off  it’s usual battery... it worked with good signal reports.

12:24z	DL/PA3FYG/P	14MHz	SSB	Hans s2s
12:38z	M0IML/M	7MHz	SSB	Barry
12:39z	PC2B	7MHz	SSB	Bert
12:44z	DL6KR	7MHz	SSB	Martin
12:45z	ON2OY	7MHz	SSB	Erik
12:46z	DL5EF	7MHz	SSB	Fabian
12:49z	HB9RDD	7MHz	SSB	Christian
12:50z	OZ2HPI	7MHz	SSB
12:51z	F4BCG	7MHz	SSB

 Wind picking up..Arenig Fawr behind

With my phone now working I sent a text to Mike G6TUH to tell him that I was going back on to 60m to give him a chance of a contact. So with only  3watts at his disposal (non resonant antenna)  for 60m he came booming in for  a 5/7 followed by another run of UK chasers.

12:56z	G6TUH	5MHz	SSB	Mike
13:00z	G4OBK	5MHz	SSB	Phil
13:01z	G8TMV	5MHz	SSB	Colin
13:02z	G7BGA	5MHz	SSB	Geoffrey
13:02z	G0TDM	5MHz	SSB	John
13:04z	GW4CQZ	5MHz	SSB	Martyn

I had been monitoring 2m and quickly jumped at the chance of another s2s....Mike G4BLH/p was on G/SP-014 Longridge Fell...thanks Mike.  Just two more contacts and it was time to go as the sun had disappeared and it was a little colder.

13:24z	G4BLH/P	144MHz	FM	Mike s2s
13:26z	MW3WSC	144MHz	FM	Wil
13:27z	GW4XXF	144MHz	FM	Bruce

 Brightning  up on our way down

When I got home I investigated the lead and found that a soldered joint had probably work hardened due to constant coiling and movement over some 50 activations. I’ve repaired it now and made up another one as a backup. It pays to keep the internal batteries of your FT817 charged up even if you work off an external supply on a summit...belt and braces.

Thanks everyone for the contacts and the s2s

73 Allan GW4VPX