G/WB-004 & G/WB-002

Another two before Frank arrives

G/WB-004 & G/WB-002

29/12/2015

G/WB-004 Titterstone Clee Hill

After failing to get to the top a week or so ago I was adamant that I would activate these remaining two before the 2015 winter bonus finished which meant I could come back and pick up another 10 points in 2016. With Val and Rhodri unable to make it today Matt G8XYJ had offered to keep me company on the first one but family commitments would mean he would have to miss the second. The weather forecast looked good although ’Storm Frank’ was looming ever closer. I picked Matt up from his home in Ludlow which is only a stone’s throw from Titterstone Clee Hill and we parked in the large car park at SO 5945 7757….12 minutes and we were on top :)

My GPS track

Our target

The car park below

Matt opted for 20m and I immediately called on 60m with Andy G8MIA picking me up with an offer of a spot....thanks Andy.

10:50z	G8MIA	5MHz	SSB	Andy
10:52z	GM7PBB	5MHz	SSB	John
10:53z	M0YDH	5MHz	SSB	David
10:53z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don
10:57z	G4AFI	5MHz	SSB	Andrew

Matt on 20m

Not many called in but it gave me chance to have a few brief chats then a quick link change….self-spot and I was away on 40m still running the FT817 on 5 watts.

11:04z	GI4ONL	7MHz	SSB	Victor
11:04z	M0MDA	7MHz	SSB	Mick
11:04z	PA7ZEE	7MHz	SSB	Geert
11:05z	G4WSB	7MHz	SSB	Bill
11:05z	G1BLJ	7MHz	SSB	Steve
11:06z	M6RUG	7MHz	SSB	Dave
11:06z	PA0B	7MHz	SSB	Rob
11:07z	PA1AT	7MHz	SSB	Gerry
11:07z	G4IAR	7MHz	SSB	Dave
11:08z	M0IML	7MHz	SSB	Barry
11:09z	M3FEH	7MHz	SSB	Karl
11:10z	MW0XOT/P	7MHz	SSB	John s2s
11:11z	PD9DB	7MHz	SSB	Mark
11:12z	G4TXF	7MHz	SSB
11:12z	G4TQE	7MHz	SSB	John
11:13z	2M0NCM	7MHz	SSB	Neil
11:13z	G8VNW	7MHz	SSB	Nick
11:14z	G4OBB	7MHz	SSB	Des
11:14z	G4OBK	7MHz	SSB	Phil
11:15z	PA2CVD	7MHz	SSB	Cor
11:16z	GW2HFR	7MHz	SSB	Jonathan
11:17z	2W0WOD	7MHz	SSB	William
11:18z	G0ELJ	7MHz	SSB	Dave
11:19z	G4GEW	7MHz	SSB	Peter
11:20z	G4AFI	7MHz	SSB	Andrew
11:21z	G0UYT	7MHz	SSB	John
11:22z	G6TUH	7MHz	SSB	Mike
11:23z	GW6OVD	7MHz	SSB	Mal

A nice run of chasers and I was glad that I had put on my headphones….thanks everybody. It was nice to get an s2s with John MW0XOT/p on GW/SW-017 Hirfynydd so thanks for that one John.  Towards the end of the pile-up I was aware that Matt was hovering and as usual he grabbed my camera and took a few pics of me …thanks Matt.

Out of the wind

10:45z	EA2IF	14MHz	SSB
10:47z	OE5HDN	14MHz	SSB
10:48z	EA2DT	14MHz	SSB
10:49z	EA1CVZ	14MHz	SSB
10:49z	SQ9PND	14MHz	SSB
10:50z	DJ5AV	14MHz	SSB
10:51z	SP8RHP	14MHz	SSB
10:52z	G1STQ/P	14MHz	SSB
10:53z	OK1SDE	14MHz	SSB
10:54z	SP9AMH	14MHz	SSB
10:55z	G7HEM	14MHz	SSB
10:56z	G0RQL	14MHz	SSB
10:57z	OE5AUL/P	14MHz	SSB
10:59z	OE5YYN/P	14MHz	SSB
11:00z	OM1AX	14MHz	SSB
11:01z	EA2CKX	14MHz	SSB
11:01z	OE7PHI	14MHz	SSB
11:02z	OE5JKL/P	14MHz	SSB
11:03z	OH1ERB	14MHz	SSB
11:04z	IZ3GME	14MHz	SSB

 Matt's Log

Using the FT817 (2.5 watts) and his MX-50M linear Matt had quite a good run on 20m including quite a few s2s so he was very happy with his activation…

My next summit in the distance

G/WB-002 Brown Clee Hill

I took Matt home as he had family commitments and then made my way to my next and final summit of the day. It is possible to do a number of these G/WB summits in a day if you are reasonably quick with your activations…not for me today. I parked at SO 5849 8697 next to the Telephone Kiosk which is now a Library, made my way up to the wooden gate a little further up the road and followed the narrow track towards summit (28 minutes  - 1.45km). 

My GPS track

Turn left here and through the wooden gate for the summit

Track to the summit

Communications tower in sight

Busy summit

The wind was strong and you could feel and see that storm ‘Frank’ was on the way. It was busy on top so I opted to bungee the pole to a convenient post with a nice ‘bomb hole’ to hide in….very cosy. 

My office..in the hole

A quick call to Matt on 2m and as we spoke he put up a spot for me on 60m. Headphones on and with a good run of regular chasers I soon qualified the summit including an s2s with Martin M0JZT/p on Walton Hill G/CE-002…thanks Martin. 

13:29z	G8XYJ	144MHz	FM	Matt
13:31z	G8XYJ	5MHz	SSB	Matt
13:32z	G7BGA	5MHz	SSB	Geoffrey
13:33z	LA5WNA	5MHz	SSB	Odd Harald
13:33z	G8VNW	5MHz	SSB	Nick
13:34z	M0TVU	5MHz	SSB	Paul
13:35z	GM4WHA	5MHz	SSB	Geoff
13:36z	M0JZT/P	5MHz	SSB	Martin s2s
13:37z	M0MDA	5MHz	SSB	Mick
13:38z	GW2HFR	5MHz	SSB	Jonathan
13:39z	G6RRL	5MHz	SSB	Dave
13:40z	G6TUH	5MHz	SSB	Mike
13:41z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don
13:42z	GI4ONL	5MHz	SSB	Victor
13:42z	G4FGJ	5MHz	SSB	Gordon
13:43z	G0LGS	5MHz	SSB	Stuart
13:47z	MW6XTE/P	144MHz	FM	Eddie s2s
13:53z	G6TUH	7MHz	SSB	Mike
13:54z	ON4EM	7MHz	SSB	Manuel
13:54z	ON6ZQ	7MHz	SSB	Christophe
13:55z	M0IML	7MHz	SSB	Barry
13:56z	DL2HWI	7MHz	SSB	Dietmar
13:57z	M0IBC	7MHz	SSB	David
13:58z	SP8RHP	7MHz	SSB	Robert

As I got up to change the links I heard EddieMW6XTE/p calling from GW/MW-013 Cordon Hill on 2m...he was soon in the log  and sounded as if he was really enjoying his activation…thanks Eddie.  Now I had left the linear in the car and really and truly I could have done with it for 40m as the chasers could not really hear me due to the QRM although I was hearing them really well....ah well.  It was a brief visit to the band and mindful of the fact that I had a long journey home I pulled the plug and headed down hill to the car for a nice cup of coffee.

Looking South West and the boggy approach

This passed over me on the way down.. a Rutan designed by Burt Rutan?

Update:- the above plane identified as the Rutan Long-EZ G-OMJT 
flying out from St.Athans, South Wales.
Thanks to Roy GW6DGU and Phil from Rhoose. 
 

Thanks for all the contacts and for reading the blog.  Do have a…

73 Allan GW4VPX