Monday 26 October 2015

Mynydd Uchaf GW/SW-031



Easy one pointer

Mynydd Uchaf   GW/SW-031

23/10/2015

With Barry M(W)0IML/p up from Kent and activating a number of South Wales summits I decided to activate one of the one pointers that are still on my list for 2015 and also making sure that we would get an s2s. Mynydd Uchaf is one of the easier SOTA summits in South Wales with less than 1K of walking  and also if the weather is unkind there is an old concrete shed on the summit to hide in :)

My GPS track
Walk 100m down the road then right on to the moorland

The track to the summit

 First in the log was Barry on Craig y Llyn GW/SW-010 with an s2s
11:47z
MW0IML/P
144MHz
FM
Barry s2s + TP2534
I quickly spotted myself on 60m and was immediately answered by Mick LB6BG from Norway then a run of regular chasers ending with Barry informing me that I had probably missed Rod M0JLA/p who along with Viki M6BWA were activating up in the Lake District..ah well.
11:49z
LB6BG
5MHz
SSB
Mick
11:54z
M0YDH
5MHz
SSB
David
11:55z
G8ADD
5MHz
SSB
Brian
11:57z
G0RQL
5MHz
SSB
Don IO70uv
11:59z
G0VWP
5MHz
SSB
Terry
11:59z
G0TDM
5MHz
SSB
John
11:59z
MW0IML/P
5MHz
SSB
Barry s2s diff band

The shack
Busy on HF 
I had intended to set up the linear for 60m but I was so intent on getting Rod that I did not bother. So with 40m next on the agenda I quickly plugged everything together and with a self-spot via RRT I was away with G6TUH reporting that I was 5/9++ into East Sussex.  A good run of contacts including SOTA regular Pedro in Spain. Various chasers were asking what the weather was like on my summit and I usually replied that Val and I were quite snug and dry  in the shed... Val pointed upwards and it was then I realised that the shed does not have a roof.... anyway it’s a good wind break :)

12:07z
G6TUH
7MHz
SSB
Mike JO00bx
12:08z
G0ELJ
7MHz
SSB
Dave
12:09z
G4WHA/A
7MHz
SSB
Geoff
12:09z
G0VWP
7MHz
SSB
Terry
12:10z
M6KVJ
7MHz
SSB
David
12:10z
M0MDA
7MHz
SSB
Mick
12:10z
G0TDM
7MHz
SSB
John
12:10z
G4TQE
7MHz
SSB
John
12:12z
2E0YYY
7MHz
SSB
Mike
12:13z
MW0IML/P
7MHz
SSB
Barry s2s diff band
12:15z
EA2CKX
7MHz
SSB
Pedro
12:17z
M0XVF
7MHz
SSB
Jeremy
12:19z
M0NTC
7MHz
SSB
Gez
12:20z
F4FWO
7MHz
SSB
Perrier
12:21z
DL2EF
7MHz
SSB
Franz Josef

Towards Mynydd Betws..another easy SOTA summit

A quick break for coffee and a sandwich and with the links set,  a self-spot and I was into a big pile-up on 20m including an s2s with Franz...thanks Franz.  It was evident that 20m was working well as I had 2 Stateside contacts,  one from  George N1GB and another from Rich N4EX. I had been given the ‘heads up’ for a couple of other s2s possibilities but just couldn’t hear them due to QRM..you win some and you loose some :(

12:27z
ON9CBQ/P
14MHz
SSB
Franz s2s
12:31z
SP9AMH
14MHz
SSB
Mariusz
12:32z
OM6TC
14MHz
SSB
Jozef
12:33z
N1GB
14MHz
SSB
George USA
12:33z
OK1KM
14MHz
SSB
Karel
12:33z
IZ1UJM
14MHz
SSB
Fabrizio
12:34z
EA2DT
14MHz
SSB
Manuel
12:35z
EB2JU
14MHz
SSB
Jose
12:35z
HA5LV
14MHz
SSB
Viktor
12:36z
DD5LP
14MHz
SSB
Ed
12:36z
OK1SDE
14MHz
SSB
Borek
12:36z
DJ5AV
14MHz
SSB
Michael
12:36z
IZ8XME
14MHz
SSB
Gregorio
12:37z
OE8SPW
14MHz
SSB
Paul
12:38z
N4EX
14MHz
SSB
Richard USA
12:38z
SV1RHL
14MHz
SSB
Sotiris
12:39z
HG7WAV
14MHz
SSB
Viktor
12:39z
SM6DER
14MHz
SSB
Sten
12:40z
I3ZSX
14MHz
SSB
Silvio
12:41z
OE7FMH
14MHz
SSB
Franz
With a few ‘last calls’ I decided to try my 80m extensions. These are clipped on to the 20m croc clips link  giving me a nice 1Meg of band to play around with without the need for an ATU. With a self-spot, and the linear once again ‘on’ I was greeted by Ken G0FEX with 5/9 5/8 reports...thanks Ken.  Now Karl M3FEH called me with a very strong signal but seemed to be ‘off’ frequency which was a pity...thanks for trying Karl.  Despite numerous calls although the band seemed to be working nobody else came back to me apart from Peter G3XJS who felt obliged to answer my pleas for a signal report  5/7 5/6. Thank you Peter for taking the time to let me experiment a little with the linear on and off (4/4 off).  I then listened around  but no other stations were heard.
13:00z
G0FEX
3.5MHz
SSB
Ken
13:09z
G3XJS
3.5MHz
SSB
Peter

 80 m extension (right) coming off 20m link on 3 band linked dipole

Red croc clip is 80m extension looped through a split ring as strain relief

It was getting a little chilly so time to pack up and get moving again. We set the GPS and went in search of one of the Geocaches that’s hidden about 500m to the East of the summit.  We found it, filled in the log then worked our way back to the car for a nice cup of coffee:).... a very pleasant day despite the cold wind.

My activation set up:-  (HF) Yaesu FT817 (5 watts) (4Ah LiPo),  UK-MX 50M linear (for 817) and 12V 9.2 Ah Lithium Ion battery,  3 band link dipole (60/40/20 (+15m+80m extensions),  (VHF) Yaesu FT270 (5watts) into a ‘cable tie’ dipole.. Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.
Thanks everyone for the contacts and spots.
73 Allan GW4VPX

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