Friday 11 January 2019

GW/SW-007 – Fan Nedd

GW/SW-007 – Fan Nedd

11/01/2019

Another before the snow!

Well Derek Brockway our Weatherman mentioned the word snow last night and said that we would have some towards the end of the month. Well, that was a good excuse to head for the Breacon Beacons again before it arrived :)  Not only that John MW0XOT had posted on Facebook that he was going to be on Pen y Fan GW/SW-001 so there would be 8 Summit to Summit points flying around. John had decided to use the bus service from his home near Llandrindod Wells to Storey Arms so I reckoned on Fan Nedd as the best summit for me with more or less line of sight to his summit and I could ensure that I was ready and waiting for him without a long walk in.
My GPS track to the Trigpoint
Misty and damp start
Low cloud hugging the tops
Heading for the Trigpoint...somewhere?

I was early on summit so as soon as I was set up I sent a spot and started on 2m. I soon qualified the summit with 3 South Wales chasers and Don from across the Bristol Channel. 

10:24z
GW7MMG
144MHz
FM
Philip nr Swansea
10:25z
G0RQL
144MHz
FM
Don, Holsworthy
10:27z
2W0FLW
144MHz
FM
Derek nr Swansea
10:28z
MW6IUT
144MHz
FM
Bryan nr Neath

Still damp and misty

KX2 ready for 60m

Surprisingly, there were no more takers although this summit tends to be shielded by the others around it and my dipole was quite low today.  So listening on 2m I spotted for 60m with Don once again being first in the log…well I had told him the frequency on 2m. Another great orderly pile-up followed with calls from all over the UK but within 10 minutes it all came to an end so a couple of ‘CQ SOTA’ calls and Jack was calling me from Scotland…we had a nice chat but QSB was upsetting the conversation at times…thanks Jack. With no more callers I contemplated having a warm drink but my thoughts were interrupted by a 5/9 CQ call from John on Pen y Fan…quick QSY and we both logged our s2s…thanks John.

10:33z
G0RQL
5MHz
SSB
Don, Holsworthy
10:34z
G4WSB
5MHz
SSB
Bill, Wiltshire
10:35z
M0TMD
5MHz
SSB
Helen, Glossop
10:36z
G4AFI
5MHz
SSB
Andrew, Hants
10:37z
G0FEX
5MHz
SSB
Ken, Leicester
10:37z
GM6ZAK
5MHz
SSB
Andrew, Fife
10:38z
G0VWP
5MHz
SSB
Terry, North Yorks
10:38z
M0JLA
5MHz
SSB
Rod, Hereford City
10:38z
G3RMD
5MHz
SSB
Frank, Cheltenham
10:39z
GI0AZA
5MHz
SSB
Esther, Dungiven, NI
10:40z
G4OBK
5MHz
SSB
Phil, Pickering
10:41z
G0TDM
5MHz
SSB
John, Penrith
10:41z
GB9WAB
5MHz
SSB
Dave
10:42z
G0GWY
5MHz
SSB
Geoffrey, Scunthorpe
10:42z
M0NTC
5MHz
SSB
Gez, Dudley
10:42z
G8MIA
5MHz
SSB
Andy, Rugeley
10:42z
MW0ISC
5MHz
SSB
Steve, Pantymwyn
10:43z
G8ADD
5MHz
SSB
Brian, Birmingham
10:46z
GM4COX/P
5MHz
SSB
Jack s2s..GM/SS-231..Deahd Choimhead
10:51z
MW0XOT/P
144MHz
FM
John s2s..GW/SW-001..Pen y Fan

The office
I got up and inserted the 80m loading coils then poured myself a cup of coffee. Spot up and Don was there waiting followed by Karl with lovely audio since his ability to use a little more power. They were quickly followed by Esther with a 5/9....she was very pleased as she was only using 20 watts.

11:01z
G0RQL
3.5MHz
SSB
Don, Holsworthy
11:03z
2E0FEH
3.5MHz
SSB
Karl, Saltash
11:04z
GI0AZA
3.5MHz
SSB
Esther, Dungiven, NI
11:05z
G0VWP
3.5MHz
SSB
Terry, North Yorks
11:06z
M0TVU
3.5MHz
SSB
Paul, Graet Barr nr Birmingham
11:07z
GW0PLP
3.5MHz
SSB
Don nr Aberporth
11:08z
EI7GEB
3.5MHz
SSB
David, Co Meath
11:44z
G0ELJ
3.5MHz
SSB
Dave, Norfolk
12:00z
GW4AZS/P
144MHz
FM
Adrian s2s,,GW/MW-002..Great Rhos

Weather improving...operating just below the Trig

I had told John MW0XOT/p that I would meet up with him back at Storey Arms and time was running out as he had to catch a bus. I had not heard from Adrian who had been due on Great Rhos at 11:00. I packed up but giving a few calls on 145.500 now and again on the hand held as I put everything away in the rucksack…nothing heard. As I headed back from the Trigpoint towards the cairn I kept calling and had given up any hope of getting another s2s when suddenly as I was about to step over the edge and down Adrian replied…thanks Adrian.

Substantial landslides on the side of the mountain above the road to my parking spot

The car park at Storey Arms was a good 25 minutes from my parking spot for Fan Nedd.  As I was arriving a TrawsCymru bus was pulling away from the bus shelter…missed him I thought so over to the nice lady in the Burger van for something to drink.  Some ten minutes had passed and I looked again at the Bus shelter and there was someone waiting there so off I went and said ‘Hello’ followed by ‘Sorry, I thought you were someone else’ The reply was ‘Allan is that you?’ John has only gone and grown a beard since he retired….we had a good laugh and a long chat as it is many years since we did that tiring activation up near Nant y Moch reservoir …great fun.

Storey Arms bus stop XOT and VPX

My activation set-up

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

VHF:- Yaesu FT270 and dipole

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

Antenna support – 5m Fishing pole with end supports

Thanks everyone for the contacts
73 Allan GW4VPX

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