GW/MW-035 Rhos Ymryson

GW/MW-035 Rhos Ymryson

23/04/2017

Quick activation

Gerald and Sue were on their way back from Tenby and heading for Mold hoping to activate a few summits on their way home.  A text from Gerald the previous night asking if I’d like to join him on this one saw me getting up early on the summit and setting up before Gerald arrived at the car park....I only live about 20 minutes away. Gerald soon joined me and with my half wave dipole for 80m and 40Watts with the FT857 (22Ah LiPo) we quickly qualified the summit.  With no more chasers Gerald spent some time on 2m FM and SSB.

10:27z	G0RQL	3.5MHz	SSB	Don
10:34z	EI9GLB	3.5MHz	SSB	Jim
10:35z	G3RMD	3.5MHz	SSB	Frank
10:36z	G3RDQ	3.5MHz	SSB	David
10:36z	G0VWP	3.5MHz	SSB	Terry
10:37z	MM0XPZ	3.5MHz	SSB	Steve
10:42z	MW0XOT	3.5MHz	SSB	John
10:48z	GW4TJC/P	144MHz	FM	Simon s2s
10:58z	GW4TJC/P	70MHz	FM	Simon s2s diff band
11:12z	GW7HEM/P	144MHz	FM	Mike s2s
11:16z	M0JLA/P	3.5MHz	SSB	Rod s2s

My Log

MW0WML/p

We had a nice run of high point s2s including a 4m contact with Simon on Moel Siabod  using my Wouxun KG-699E handheld.  I think this contact has convinced me to construct a more efficient antenna which I can strap to the fishing pole. Thanks also to Mike and Rod for those valuable points. As Gerald was heading to another summit and I had work to do we made our way down and we each went our separate ways having talked about another joint-activation next weekend…looking forward to it already.

Our activation set up:-  (HF and VHF) FT857(40watts, 4m as above.  Antenna 80m dipole for HF and Multi Functional Dipole for VHF  Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX & Gerald MW0WML

GW/MW-014 & GW/MW-039

GW/MW-014 & GW/MW-039

Garreg Lwyd & Cefn Cenarth

17/04/2017

Easter Monday on the hills

Garreg Lwyd

An invite from Gerald a few days ago saw me join him and Sue on a couple of Mid-Wales summits which were unique to both of us.

Our GPS track...park at SN928738..don't block the gates

On our way

Summit in the distance

09:58z	MW0XOT	144MHz	FM	John, Llandrindod Wells
09:59z	M0CQE	144MHz	FM	Paul, Oldham
10:02z	GW0PLP	144MHz	FM	Don, Aberporth
10:08z	GW0ABT	144MHz	FM	TR, Brecon
10:16z	EI3GYB	5MHz	SSB	Michael, County Mayo
10:20z	G4IAR	5MHz	SSB	Dave
10:21z	GW0PLP	5MHz	SSB	Don, Aberporth
10:40z	2W0IWM/P	144MHz	FM	Ian s2s
10:41z	GW6OVD/P	144MHz	FM	Mal s2s
10:44z	GW7RKC/P	144MHz	FM	Andy s2s
10:45z	MW0PJJ/P	144MHz	FM	Phil s2s
10:54z	G8XYJ/P	144MHz	FM	Matt s2s

Not many contacts initially on 2m but Paul in Oldham managed to make the trip and being one of the furthest contacts.  I hooked the KX2 up for 60m but the visit didn’t produce many responses.  So the HF bands were not in great shape again but with the FT 857 plugged in and 80m coils attached Gerald had a few nice contacts when he called into the WAB net. This was his first time on 80m from a summit so he was really pleased.  

Gerald happy on 80m :)

Great run of s2s at the end from the usual gang from the Aberdare & District Amateur Radio Society and our friend Matt  managed to hear us before we packed up to head to our next summit…thanks everyone.

Arriving back at the cars.....Don't block thes gates

Cefn Cenarth

My GPS track...Park at SN964759..Nature reserve car park

On our way

The sun was shining as we made our way up to this one.  I knew that Phil and Andy were already on air so a quick text to say we were heading up meant that we might have an s2s with them on their second summit of the day also. As we arrived we could hear them calling CQ SOTA so I quickly attached the ‘cable tie’ dipole to the fishing pole and we were soon calling them for an s2s.  It came as quite a shock when Mal came back to us saying that he and Ian were on the same summit!  They had all decided to meet up and have a joint activation…Gerald and I had qualified the summit in minutes…thanks guys.  

Nice run of s2s

What happened next was reminiscent of many years ago when I used to gather a load of s2s points within a short period of time when Barry MW0IML, Karen 2E0XYL, Ricky MW6GWR, Mickey  2E0YYY,  Mal GW6OVD, Dave G4ASA and others would arrive on summits at the same time. This time it was Rod and Viki that popped up from a very wet High Vinnals to add to the excitement…thank you both.  

Gerald in QSO

It didn’t finish there as Rob GW7LAS/p was calling ‘CQ Contest’ from Holyhead Mountain giving us another s2s and of course we had a brief chat with Rob also as he wasn’t having much success with contacts in the contest..thanks Rob.

13:34z	MW0PJJ/P	144MHz	FM	Phil s2s
13:34z	GW6OVD/P	144MHz	FM	Mal s2s
13:35z	GW7RKC/P	144MHz	FM	Andy s2s
13:36z	2W0IWM/P	144MHz	FM	Ian s2s
13:37z	M0JLA/P	144MHz	FM	Rod s2s
13:39z	M6BWA/P	144MHz	FM	Viki s2s
13:41z	M6BWA/P	433MHz	FM	Viki s2s diff band
13:44z	GW7LAS/P	144MHz	FM	Rob s2s
13:48z	G4ENZ	144MHz	FM	Martin
14:03z	MW0JCQ/P	144MHz	FM	James s2s

We were just about to pack away as 2m was quiet when I looked at RRT and saw that James JCQ  was up on Carnedd Llywelyn…would we have a good path to Snowdonia…no problem.  James was soon in the log…thanks James.  

Looking North towards Snowdonia

As Gerald and Sue had to get back to Wrexham early our last summit of the day had to be scrubbed although Gerald did pop back a few days after to activate it :) Nice couple of easy to activate summits.

Our activation set up:-  (HF) Elecraft KX2 (10 watts) and FT857(30watts+).  Antenna 3 band link dipole (60/40/20 (+15m extensions +80m loading coils),  (VHF) Yaesu FT270 (5watts) into a ‘cable tie’ dipole.  Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX & Gerald MW0WML

G/LD-049 Kirkby Moor

G/LD-049 Kirkby Moor 

12/04/2017

A damp and foggy start

It had promised showers and wind on the higher peaks so we decided to activate another easy unique.  It would also be the last one of our brief visit to the Lake District. The rain and high wind was correctly forecast but nevertheless we kitted up and headed up through the Wind farm to the summit. It would be ‘bothy bag’ time for the activation.

My GPS track...park at SD260829

Wet and windy...on our way

Summit cairn

Ready for the activation...KX2 deep down in the dry bag

First in the log once more was Dave LKB with 5/9 signals both ways.  Dave told me that he had activated this summit more than a 100 times.  I had a nice run of chasers with brief conversations with most of them but it all went quiet after 15 minutes.

Bothy bag deployed

I sent a spot for 60m but was disappointed with only Don RQL and  Michael EI3GYB making the log….skip seemed to be quite long on 60m.

11:16z	G6LKB	144MHz	FM	David
11:21z	M6VMS/P	144MHz	FM	Mark
11:23z	G1OHH	144MHz	FM	Sue
11:25z	M3ULV	144MHz	FM	Marjorie
11:26z	M3RDZ	144MHz	FM	Roy
11:29z	M6MPU	144MHz	FM	John
11:31z	M0TWB	144MHz	FM	Tony
11:33z	G4RQJ	144MHz	FM	Rob
11:44z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don
11:45z	EI3GYB	5MHz	SSB	Michael
12:06z	EI9GLB	3.5MHz	SSB	Jim
12:08z	G0VWP	3.5MHz	SSB	Terry
12:22z	M6HLR/P	144MHz	FM	Lauren s2s
12:23z	G0PEK/P	144MHz	FM	Kevin s2s
12:32z	MM0FMF/P	5MHz	SSB	Andy s2s

I got up an attached the loading coils for 80m hoping for better results.  Jim GLB came booming in and my hopes were high for a good run of chasers…Terry VWP and I struggled but made the required exchange.  I could hear Karl M3FEH calling me but he just couldn’t hear me when I replied.  So after numerous calls I called it a day on 80m….little did I realise that there was a problem and that the internal ATU on the KX2 had hidden it.

Weather improves

We had a quick cup of coffee as it was quite comfortable in the bothy bag and both the rain and the wind had eased up…the sun was trying to get through.  I noticed that Andy FMF was due up on his summit so I got up to remove the loading coils and then I saw the 80m problem….one of the coils was only attached by one croc clip…I had missed the problem by pressing the ATU button  on the KX2 at some point in time? ….need to design a more secure fixing for the coils.

Anyway,  I finished the activation with three s2s. Lauren and Kevin were on Low Fell G/LD-042 and Andy was on GM/SS-021 Berneraid…thanks everybody.

Back to the car...room for one car...don't block the track

It's a really nice day now!

Old man of Coniston G/LD-013...our target next time we visit LD

Back to 2, Cambridge Villas, Ambleside ..our base for the last 3 days

My activation set up:-  (HF) Elecraft KX2 (4Ah LiPo), ,  3 band link dipole (60/40/20 (+15m extensions +80m loading coils),  (VHF) Yaesu FT270 (5watts) into a ‘cable tie’ dipole.. Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX