G/LD-034 - Hard Knott

G/LD-034 - Hard Knott

30/04/2018

A warm welcome in LD

You can always be assured of a warm welcome on 2m when activating in the Lake District. This year was no exception especially as I’d brought a new toy with me.  I was going to try out the Yaesu FT2D which has C4FM Fusion built in…digital voice.

We parked at NY231014..1.06km to the summit..used Phil G4OBK’s GPS track from SOTA Mapping.

Spot height .393..walked back towards the cairns then headed North

Hard Knott had been on my ‘to do’ list for some time and the plan was to get Barry M0IML/p Summit to Summit on Stoney Cove Pike on his way to High Street. It never quite worked out as I could hear Barry but he couldn’t hear me..it later transpired that somehow he had knocked the squelch level control and it was at maximum….ah well. 

Trying to get Barry on Stoney Cove Pike

However, the next part of the plan worked and I eventually got him S2S on High Street albeit on 60m.

09:50z	M0RML	144MHz	FM	Rory
09:55z	2E0MIX	144MHz	FM	Derek
10:22z	2E0MIX	144MHz	DV	Derek
10:27z	G1OHH	144MHz	DV	Sue
10:32z	G6LKB	144MHz	FM	David
10:34z	G4RQJ	144MHz	FM	Rob
10:35z	MW1FGQ	144MHz	FM	John
10:37z	G4VFL	144MHz	FM	Andrew s2s
10:53z	M0YHB/P	144MHz	FM	Helen s2s

The digital voice worked well and both Derek and Sue made my log…..these were to be the first of many DV contacts with them during the week.  As usual 2m FM brought in quite a few contacts including S2S with Andrew on G/LD-045 Dent and Helen on G/LD-032 Whitfell.  I also had a quick chat with Carolyn also on Whitfell on 80m.

11:16z	G0FEX	3.5MHz	SSB	Ken
11:17z	G4WSB	3.5MHz	SSB	Bill
11:19z	G0VWP	3.5MHz	SSB	Terry
11:20z	G4WHA/A	3.5MHz	SSB	Geoff
11:23z	G6WRW/P	3.5MHz	SSB	Carolyn s2s

2m FM through dipole

I had a brief run of chasers on 60m before finally catching up with Barry on High Street G/LD-011. I let him know that Val and I would be moving off shortly to make sure we arrived at our next summit to get him from Stoney Cove Pike G/LD-018.

11:29z	G4WSB	5MHz	SSB	Bill
11:30z	G0VWP	5MHz	SSB	Terry
11:31z	GM3JIJ	5MHz	SSB	John Stornoway
11:32z	G4OBK	5MHz	SSB	Phil
11:33z	G0RQL	5MHz	SSB	Don
11:37z	M0IML/P	5MHz	SSB	Barry s2s

Highlight of the day was hearing and getting Rod and Viki in the log for an s2s from GM/SI-172 North Lee on North Uist…thanks both.

11:55z	MM0JLA/P	7MHz	SSB	Rod s2s
11:56z	MM6BWA/P	7MHz	SSB	Viki s2s

Towards Cockley Beck

Towards G/LD-001 Scafell Pike

It was time to go to Holme Fell G/LD-051 although we did have a final look for the Geocache which Val had been unable to find…did not find…so back again I suppose next year?

My Activation set up

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

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

(VHF)  Yaesu FT2D (5watts) into a ‘cable tie’ dipole or RH770 telescopic whip antenna

Antenna support - 7m Fishing pole.

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX