GW/SW-009 & GW/SW-015 again

The classic double again!

GW/SW-009 & GW/SW-015

4/03/2017

After calling off this joint-activation a week ago due to the various storms that were passing through Tasos M6VAR could wait no longer and said he was going to make the trip from London to South Wales whatever the conditions.  MWIS http://www.mwis.org.uk/  had forecast a window of opportunity for Saturday morning so I decided to opt for Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse with the cars parked in the ‘bwlch’ between the two...I felt  a little like a SOTA Elmer today.  As I waited for Tasos to arrive I called Lee down in Llangorse but was pleasantly surprised to hear Bill GW4WSB/p booming in from Drygarn Fawr GW/MW-003..he was very soon in my chaser log..thanks Bill, pity it wasn’t an s2s :(   Tasos soon arrived after I finished with Bill having spent the night in a small tent near Abergavenny…brrrr.  We were soon on our way with the sun shining although it would be different on top.  

Tasos setting the pace

Tasos focused on the steps up to Troed

Mynydd Troed trig pic before setting up

The wind soon hit us on the way up and I told Tasos that we would use 2m to start with as the wind may not enable us to erect the HF antenna.  On arrival we did manage to erect the pole but with a couple of sections still in the main tube.

Setting up on Mynydd Troed

We managed to qualify quite quickly on 2m with Lee MW6LPU/p down near the lake being first in the log.  I then heard and called John MW0XRT/p calling from Foel Fenlli  GW/NW-051 but to no avail..apparently he was only using a handheld..even Mike 2E0YYY at his club station didn’t hear my calls. To make things worse during the time we had been trying for the s2s with John we had missed James MW0JCQ/p on Mynydd  Llangorse ..our next summit  !!!  Apparently he had taken the long route to the summit so our paths never crossed and had not alerted so we were not aware that he was in the area.

10:52z	MW6LPU/P	144MHz	FM	Lee by Llangorse Lake
10:58z	MW0ZVK	144MHz	FM	Barry
11:00z	2E0PPF	144MHz	FM	Steve in Chard Somerset
11:06z	M0JLA	144MHz	FM	Rod in Hereford City
11:09z	2E0MDJ	144MHz	FM	Matt in Cheltenham

It had now turned really cold and it was spitting with rain. I plugged in the FT817 to be greeted with a loud ticking noise across the bands. The vswr was high on 80m and a change to 60m produced the same results.  I assumed that this was down to static electricity as the rain had a hint of hail in it so we pulled the plug…been there before…sorry chasers.  Even though we got a right soaking on the way down Tasos didn’t mind as he had qualified his first 4 pointer plus gaining his first ever 3 points for winter bonus.

 Heading back down from Troed (pic by Tasos)

A cup of coffee back at the car then we were soon on our way up to Mynydd Llangorse to a sheltered spot within the Activation Zone overlooking Cwm Sorgwm  below.  

Heading for Mynydd Llangorse

More storm clouds hiding the Brecon Beacons and heading our way

Hasty selfie on Mynydd Llangorse..must smile next time

Dark skies (pic by Tasos)

We soon qualified the summit with Lee,  John from North of Cardigan, my friend Rod from Hereford City and two of the Cheltenham gang namely Matt and Stuart in our logs....thank you all.  I had hoped that we might have heard from James who according to Lee was on his way up to our previous summit by the long route but even though I called on 2m and scanned the ridge across the valley there was no sign of him….he did eventually arrive about  16:00 but I was nearly home by then….ah well , no s2s for me today. 

Heading down (pic by Tasos)

A busy parking spot at the 'bwlch'

With 12 activation  points in the bag Tasos had decided that he was going to head back to London as the forecast for Sunday was not good and he did not fancy another night in the tent. We made our way back down to the cars, chatting briefly with Lee about the day.

13:32z	MW6LPU	144MHz	FM	Lee in Llangorse
13:37z	GW4TQD	144MHz	FM	John ..North of Cardigan
13:44z	M0JLA	144MHz	FM	Rod in Hereford City
13:46z	2E0MDJ	144MHz	FM	Matt in Cheltenham
13:47z	G0LGS	144MHz	FM	Stuart in Cheltenham

Yes, Tasos IS coming back to South Wales in the not too distant future as the SOTA bug has definitely bitten :)  I see another joint-activation on the horizon. Thanks for an enjoyable day Tasos.

Our activation set up:-  (VHF) Yaesu FT270 (5watts) into a ‘cable tie’ dipole.. Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX & Tasos M6VAR