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