Three on the
Welsh Borders
25/11/2016
G/WB-015 Callow Hill (1 point)
Callow Hill
was our first target of the day so an early start from home ensured we reached
the parking spot early but we were still 30minutes behind time when we arrived
on summit…oh dear.
My GPS track -1.49km
Sign in need of some TLC
Details of the Folly on top
Approaching the Folly
The Folly...not open today...cracking morning
This summit would be
an unique and a complete for me so I was hoping the bands were in good shape.
The intention was to activate this and meet up with David M0YDH and have a
joint activation of Heath Mynd G/WB-007 later in the day. I qualified the summit within minutes as 60m was
working well with contacts into Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland and Geert
making the trip from the Netherlands.
11:36z
|
EI3GYB
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Michael
|
11:37z
|
G0VWP
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Terry
|
11:37z
|
G0RQL
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Don
|
11:38z
|
G7BGA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Geoffrey
|
11:39z
|
G0FEX
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Ken
|
11:39z
|
G6TUH
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Mike
|
11:39z
|
G4IAR
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Dave
|
11:40z
|
G3RDQ
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
David
|
11:40z
|
GW6DGU
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Roy
|
11:40z
|
GW0PLP
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Don
|
11:41z
|
G0ELJ
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Dave
|
11:41z
|
G8VNW
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Nick
|
11:42z
|
GM0AXY
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Ken
|
11:42z
|
M0MDA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Mick
|
11:43z
|
G4WHA/A
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Geoff
|
11:43z
|
GI0OXG
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Joseph
|
11:44z
|
MM0GGI
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
John
|
11:45z
|
PA7ZEE
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Geert
|
11:46z
|
G0FVH
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
David
|
By the Trig on Callow Hill
On to 40m
and David M0YDH/p on G/WB-006 Caer Caradoc Hill was in the log with an s2s then
a steady flow of EU chasers with only Mike G6TUH, Terry G0VWP and Karl M3FEH
being heard and in the log from the UK.
11:52z
|
M0YDH/P
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
David s2s
|
11:56z
|
ON6ZQ
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Christophe
|
11:56z
|
SP9AMH
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Mariusz
|
11:57z
|
EA2CKX
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Pedro
|
11:58z
|
DJ5AV
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Michael
|
11:58z
|
HB9DHA
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Reinhard
|
11:59z
|
ON7MD
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Michel
|
11:59z
|
ON5SWA
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Francois
|
11:59z
|
IW3AGO
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Heinrich
|
12:00z
|
G6TUH
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Mike
|
12:01z
|
ON7AH
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Dirk
|
12:01z
|
DL1CR
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Christoph
|
12:01z
|
G0VWP
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Terry
|
12:02z
|
OK2PDT
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Jan
|
12:02z
|
HB9DQM
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Manuel
|
12:02z
|
SA4BLM
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Lars
|
12:02z
|
DJ6OK
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Oliver
|
12:03z
|
F5LMK
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Schmidt
|
12:04z
|
M3FEH
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Karl
|
12:05z
|
DL3HXX
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Lothar
|
12:06z
|
ON4VLM
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Leon
|
12:07z
|
OE3RGB
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Rainer
|
12:07z
|
DL1CST
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Claudia
|
A few calls
on 2m brought three responses and a few chats before a text from David saying
he was packing up…time to move….
12:11z
|
M0LXQ
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Mark
|
12:15z
|
M0CQE
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Paul..Oldham
|
12:18z
|
G6IQL/M
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Vince
|
G/WB-007 Heath Mynd (1 point)
We made good
time to the parking spot and decided to eat our lunch as David had not arrived.
I parked off the road on the mountain next to our intended route so that David
had enough room for his car.
My GPS track-1.64km
On our way
Not far to go
A text from David saying he would be late as he
was slightly lost due to diversions but to get going and start the activation
without him.
Activation underway..Corndon Hill in the distance-another SOTA
15:30z
|
G0RQL
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Don
|
15:30z
|
G6TUH
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Mike
|
15:31z
|
G0FEX
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Ken
|
15:36z
|
G4WSB
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Bill
|
15:36z
|
G4IAR
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Dave
|
15:37z
|
G0VWP
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Terry
|
15:37z
|
G0SGB
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Steve
|
15:51z
|
GW6DGU
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Roy
|
15:52z
|
GW0PLP
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Don
|
15:53z
|
G0WFH
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Chris
|
I had logged
8 chasers by the time a flustered YDH arrived in the Cairn so I soon got him
qualified by handing him the microphone.
YDH arrives
I had already primed some of our regular chasers to ‘stand-by’ for when
he arrived so thank you everybody…you know who you are…
Time to move but not before....
M0YDH gets the Geocache :)
We had noticed that the
sun was dropping down over the horizon and it was getting dark when David
announced that we had a slight problem…Whist parking, he dropped the car into a
ditch so would need to be extracted from it and could I help? We got down off
the summit in the dark…surveyed the situation with a torch and then with tow
rope attached and ‘diff lock’ engaged he was soon back on the road…never a dull
moment when M0YDH is around :)…an adventurous day I think.
We bade farewell to
David then Val and I headed for Ludlow where we had booked into an hotel for
the night and hoping to meet up with
Matt G8XYJ. It transpired he had a party so we agreed to meet up the next time when
we were in the area…plenty more one point unique summits to tick off close to
Ludlow.
26/11/2016
G/WB-018 View Edge (1 point )
The next day
we headed for View Edge. A rather uninspiring one pointer but nevertheless a
good summit if you want to start activating,
indeed most of the summits in G/WB are excellent as an introduction to
SOTA.
Park on grass verge walk NE then left over a stile then use PROW (follow blue line)
The actual summit is on private land but the Activation Zone is very large. I set up a few hundred meters in
from the road using bungees to strap the pole to the stile. I had an excellent
run of chasers on 60m and I think one of the best I’ve had in quite a while.
10:32z
|
G0RQL
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Don
|
10:33z
|
G0VWP
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Terry
|
10:33z
|
EI9GLB
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Jim
|
10:33z
|
G6TUH
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Mike
|
10:34z
|
G4IAR
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Dave
|
10:35z
|
G3WGE
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Keith
|
10:36z
|
G0NKZ
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Kenn
|
10:36z
|
GI0AZA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Esther
|
10:37z
|
GM4WHA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Geoff
|
10:37z
|
MK0BKV
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Damian
|
10:38z
|
M1MAJ
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Martyn
|
10:39z
|
M0JLA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Rod
|
10:39z
|
G4WSB
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Bill
|
10:39z
|
M0MDA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Mick
|
10:40z
|
G8ADD
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Brian
|
10:41z
|
G7AFM
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Phil
|
10:42z
|
G0FVH
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
David
|
10:43z
|
G4ILI
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Grant
|
10:43z
|
G3ZIY
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Richard
|
10:45z
|
G3XKT
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Tony
|
10:46z
|
G0TDM
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
John
|
10:46z
|
G7BGA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Geoffrey
|
10:47z
|
G3XFA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Rob
|
10:47z
|
G0GWY
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Geoff
|
10:48z
|
G0FEX
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Ken
|
10:49z
|
M0IOK
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
David
|
10:50z
|
G3RMD
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Frank
|
10:51z
|
G8VNW
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Nick
|
10:52z
|
PA0B
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Rob
|
10:53z
|
GM4COX
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Jack
|
Bungee pole to the stile
Despite an
s2s with Juerg 40m was not working all that well with some sort of QRM and very
soon the chasers dried up and I quickly pulled the plug and went to talk to
some walkers who had shown an interest in what I was doing.
11:03z
|
HB9BIN/P
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Juerg s2s
|
11:05z
|
LA8BCA
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Terje
|
11:05z
|
EA2CKX
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Pedro
|
11:05z
|
PA1BR
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Pascal
|
11:06z
|
F4FWO
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
PERRIER Sylvain
|
11:07z
|
MM3PDM/M
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Peter
|
11:08z
|
EA2DT
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Manuel
|
11:09z
|
EB2JU
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Jos? Luis
|
11:09z
|
DD5LP
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Ed
|
11:10z
|
OK2PDT
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Jan
|
11:10z
|
G0VWP
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Terry
|
We were soon
homeward bound after three successful activations and an enjoyable few days
away from home. Three completes as well and Winter Bonus is looming :)
My activation set up:- (HF) Yaesu
FT817 (5 watts) (4Ah LiPo) using 12V 4 Ah LiPO 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
73 Allan GW4VPX
