GW/MW-001 - Plynlimon-Pen Pumlumon Fawr

GW/MW-001 - Plynlimon-Pen Pumlumon Fawr (6 points + 3 Winter bonus)

28/12/2018

A little bit wetter than expected.

Once again the weather turned a little nasty on us as we made our way up to the summit of Pumlumon Fawr.  I opted to take a different route today which meant Rhodri and I were walking up the route I usually take on the way down. This is a safe navigation route to the summit as there is a track nearly to the fence at SN784850...keep the fence on your left and follow it to the summit if it is really foggy.

Park at SN797840..still £5 to park

On our way

My usual route...this was to be our return route

I hadn’t realised how low the clouds were and coupled with a strong westerly wind of 25 to 35mph we both took a bit of a soaking on the way up although the weather proofs did their job and we were dry underneath.

Following the fence...there is another track  to the East which runs parallel  

Due to the SOTA ‘Gaulfest’ organised by Tom M1EYP there was a flurry of activity as I hit the summit so the first contacts were all on the FT270 with a flexible whip antenna…I didn’t have time to set up the dipole or even get the log from the rucksack….Rhodri recorded the contacts on his phone.

Chasing s2s with FT270 and Flexible whip antenna 

In between my contact with Gillian MW6OVW/p and John MW0XOT I hastily put up the 5m pole with the 2m dipole and HF loosely attached….in my haste to get the system up I forgot to cable tie the bottom half of the 2m dipole so that didn’t help.

In my haste to 'set up'...wires all over the place. Waterproof log book today.

The last three contacts were 5/9 each way with Helen and Simon, ‘mobile’ on their way down to Devon…thanks.

10:14z	G4AZS/P	144MHz	FM	Adrian s2s..G/WB-005..Long Mynd PB
10:24z	MW0HGY/P	144MHz	FM	Jimmy s2s..GW/MW-006..Pegwn Mawr
10:27z	M3TMX/P	144MHz	FM	Jordan s2s..G/WB-010..The Wrekin
10:32z	GW4TQE/P	144MHz	FM	John s2s..GW/NW-021..Rhobell Fawr
10:39z	MW6OVW/P	144MHz	FM	Gillian s2s..GW/SW-04..Black Mountain
10:45z	MW0XOT	144MHz	FM	John
10:46z	MW1EYP/P	144MHz	FM	Tom s2s..GW/MW-006..Pegwn Mawr
10:48z	GW4TQD	144MHz	FM	John
11:00z	MW0TMD/M	144MHz	FM	Helen
11:00z	GW4TJC/M	144MHz	FM	Simon

After the 2m contacts I took some time to erect the HF antenna as it was now blowing hard outside the shelter of the cairn. I had forgotten that the EE phone signal on this summit was a little iffy but Rhodri eventually hit a sweet spot by rotating my phone in different directions and I was up and running on 60m but not on my alerted frequency as that was occupied. 

Slight lean on the pole :)

Rhodri looking rather damp

Band conditions were not good but eventually I had 10 chasers in the log. It seemed that I was getting the worst of the weather as there were comments which included the words ‘Sunshine’ and ‘nice day’…….

11:20z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don
11:21z	G4WSB	5MHz	SSB	Bill
11:22z	G4IAR	5MHz	SSB	Dave
11:23z	G8ADD	5MHz	SSB	Brian
11:24z	GI0AZA	5MHz	SSB	Esther
11:25z	G8MIA	5MHz	SSB	Andy
11:26z	MM0GGI/P	5MHz	SSB	John
11:26z	M0NTC	5MHz	SSB	Gez
11:27z	M0JLA	5MHz	SSB	Rod
11:28z	G4YBU	5MHz	SSB	Tim
11:34z	MW0PLA/P	144MHz	FM	Paul s2s..GW/NW-012..Cadair Berwyn

I abandoned my visit to 80m as I was convinced the traps would break the antenna wire in the wind so apologies for not visiting the alerted frequency. Just as I was about to dismantle the system I heard Paul calling from Cadair Berwyn so I finished my activation with an s2s…thanks Paul. We were now getting cold and conditions were not improving so we beat a hasty retreat this time following my usual ascent route following the marker cairns in the mist…we were soon out of the wind but the rain kept falling.

Heading down and out of the wind

Route back to the car

My activation set-up

HF:- Elecraft KX2 (10 watts) and 4Ah LiPo

VHF:- Yaesu FT270 with flexi whip and dipole

Antenna - 3 band link dipole (60/40/20 (+15m extensions +80m loading coils)

Antenna support – 5m Fishing pole.

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX

GW/MW-004 – Pen y Garn

GW/MW-004 – Pen y Garn

21/12/2018

Last before Christmas

With so many activators having alerted on Sotawatch for Mid and South Wales I just couldn’t resist adding to that list and getting out and picking up some Summit to Summit points. It was a nice morning when I left home but I knew from my Mountain Weather Information Service App (Mountain Forecast Viewer) that it would be windy (30 to 40mph) and misty on the top of Pen y Garn today. The bonus was that there is a nice cairn on top which gives all round protection from the weather. If I could get the antenna up I’d be alright.

The weather was as forecast so the priority was to get some of the locals in the log on 2m to qualify the summit…mission accomplished with a bonus of catching Paul M0PLA/p on Black Mountain…thanks Paul….Viki and Rod weren’t far behind.

10:00z	GW0PLP	144MHz	FM	Don
10:20z	GW6DGU	144MHz	FM	Roy
10:26z	M0PLA/P	144MHz	FM	Paul s2s..GW/SW-041..Black Mountain
10:30z	GW4TQD	144MHz	FM	John
10:32z	GW4UEP	144MHz	FM	Ken
10:37z	MW0JLA/P	144MHz	FM	Rod s2s..GW/MW-009..Beacon Hill
10:39z	MW6BWA/P	144MHz	FM	Viki s2s..GW/MW-009..Beacon Hill
10:41z	MW6BWA/P	433MHz	FM	Viki s2s..diff band

Wet, Windy and Misty

The mast was only partially erected as it had been difficult to raise it to it’s full extent due to the wind so about 5m was up in the air holding both the HF and my 2m/70cms dipole. I sent a spot via SOTA Spotter and I soon had a steady flow of chasers on 5.395Mhz.  I changed to 5.363Mhz later to make sure that some of the EU chasers could get me on 60m. This proved worthwhile as Sake called in and Juerg for an s2s...thanks everyone.

10:50z	G4OBK	5MHz	SSB	Phil
10:52z	GI0AZA	5MHz	SSB	Esther
10:53z	G0FEX	5MHz	SSB	Ken
10:54z	G4OOE	5MHz	SSB	Nick
10:55z	GW0PLP	5MHz	SSB	Don
10:56z	G4TJC	5MHz	SSB	Simon
10:57z	G4IAR	5MHz	SSB	Dave
10:58z	M0TMD	5MHz	SSB	Helen
10:59z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don
10:59z	G8MIA	5MHz	SSB	Andy
10:59z	G4WSB	5MHz	SSB	Bill
10:59z	GI0AZB	5MHz	SSB	Ian
11:01z	G3TQQ	5MHz	SSB	Dave
11:02z	G4IPB	5MHz	SSB	Paul
11:04z	M1MAJ	5MHz	SSB	Martyn
11:06z	MI1AIB	5MHz	SSB	Paul
11:06z	GI4ONL	5MHz	SSB	Victor
11:07z	G0ELJ	5MHz	SSB	Dave
11:08z	G6NHW/P	5MHz	SSB	Pete
11:09z	G0GWY	5MHz	SSB	Geoffrey
11:09z	G6LKB	5MHz	SSB	David
11:13z	MW0JLA/P	5MHz	SSB	Rod s2s..diff band
11:16z	PA0SKP	5MHz	SSB	Sake on 5.363Mhz
11:18z	HB9BIN/P	5MHz	SSB	Juerg s2s..HB/LU-029..5.363Mhz

There was chatter on 2m just as I finished on 60m and very soon John MW0XOT/p was in my log …thanks John. It was time for a coffee and at least one of my two sandwiches…my feast was interrupted by Richard and Andrew on Waun Fach…thank you both for the s2s…I contemplated that it must have been cold on Waun Fach?

11:20z	MW0XOT/P	144MHz	FM	John s2s..GW/SW-011..Sugar Loaf
11:35z	2W0XRD/P	144MHz	FM	Richard s2s..GW/SW-002..Waun fach
11:36z	MW1CJE/P	144MHz	FM	Andrew s2s..GW/SW-002..Waun fach

Messy Office :)

Found this stuffed into the stones...John West fish container...now in our rubbish bin.

I made the decision to have another coffee and finish my second sandwich before venturing on to 80m. The attachment of the loading coils certainly made the whole antenna system move even more violently in the wind so it was a case of fingers crossed that nothing broke….it all held together nicely with another run of chasers and returnees picking up another band.

Out to add the loading coils...couldn't resist a selfie despite the weather

11:48z	G4WSB	3.5MHz	SSB	Bill
11:50z	G0RQL	3.5MHz	SSB	Don
11:50z	G4KRN	3.5MHz	SSB	Alan
11:52z	M3FEH	3.5MHz	SSB	Karl
11:53z	MW6IUT	3.5MHz	SSB	Bryan
11:54z	G4TJC	3.5MHz	SSB	Simon
11:55z	DG1NPM	3.5MHz	SSB	Nobbi
11:56z	M0TMD	3.5MHz	SSB	Helen
11:57z	G1SWX	3.5MHz	SSB	Chris
11:57z	G4PDF	3.5MHz	SSB	Bob
11:58z	GM4WHA	3.5MHz	SSB	Geoff
11:59z	MM0XPZ	3.5MHz	SSB	SW
12:00z	G3RMD	3.5MHz	SSB	Frank
12:08z	M1EYP	144MHz	FM	Tom s2s..G/SP-015..The Cloud
12:09z	GW4HQB/P	144MHz	FM	Philip s2s..GW/MW-006..Pegwn Mawr

I pulled the plug on HF as I was once again getting cold…I’d been on summit for more than 2 hours. I heard Tom calling from The Cloud so quickly answered his call which eventually brought Philip to the log from Pegwn Mawr.  It was a good SOTA day in Mid and South Wales today.

My activation set-up

HF:- Elecraft KX2 (10 watts) and 4Ah LiPo

VHF:- Yaesu FT270 for 2m and Yaesu FT2 for 70cms

Antenna - 3 band link dipole (60/40/20 (+15m extensions +80m loading coils)

Antenna support – 5m Fishing pole.

Thanks everyone for the contacts, for reading the blog 
and have a Happy Christmas

73 Allan GW4VPX