Sunday 29 November 2020

GW/MW-021 - Crugiau Merched

GW/MW-021 - Crugiau Merched

26/11/2020

Bands are opening up…..

Cracking day.  Short trip in the car and I was at the parking spot for Crugiau Merched  GW/MW-021  SN728464. 1.6km to summit, the initial part being a steep zig zag behind the chapel. 

My GPS track

It was a misty morning but when I reached high ground I was in glorious sunshine. 

Parked in the narrow lay-by and followed the small road behind the white lines down to the chapel

The mountain shrouded in mist behind the chapel
On the climb looking back down at the chapel

Above the mist and a glorious day
Summit Trig and cairn

The activation started so nicely with friends making my log and short chats with each one.

10:22

GW6DGU

144MHz

FM

Roy

10:25

MW0OFA

144MHz

FM

Frank

10:26

G4TQD

144MHz

FM

John

10:29

M6BWA/P

144MHz

FM

Viki s2s..G/WB-012..High Vinnalls

VHF - Slim G on the 4m pole 

Matt sent me a message to say he was on summit and waiting for me on 80m …he was soon in the log…thanks Matt. It then went downhill as I hit a button on the KX2 and engaged the notch filter something that I hadn’t used in a long time and Rod was calling on 80m!  It took me 30 minutes to sort out the problem and had to resort to the KX2 manual which I have on my phone.  Luckily Rod moved to 60m and he was soon in the log but telling me that I was very quiet. In my twiddling with the controls I’d knocked back the mic gain so after the comment by Rod I was back in business and I soon had a spot up via SOTA Spotter.

10:32

G8XYJ/P

3.5MHz

SSB

Matt s2s..G/WB-014.. Burrow

11:02

M0JLA/P

5MHz

SSB

Rod s2s..G/WB-012..High Vinnalls

11:08

G4AFI

5MHz

SSB

Andrew

11:09

G0RQL

5MHz

SSB

Don

11:09

G0FEX

5MHz

SSB

Ken

11:10

G8ADD

5MHz

SSB

Brian

11:12

M0LEP

5MHz

SSB

Rick

11:12

G4OBK

5MHz

SSB

Phil

11:13

G4WSB

5MHz

SSB

Bill

11:14

MW0OFA

5MHz

SSB

Frank

11:15

G4IAR

5MHz

SSB

Dave

 

KX2 back to normal...must read the manual...

I had another good run on 40m with a surprise s2s with David G0EVV/p on one of his summit to summit Search and Pounce days…thanks David.

11:29

G0FEX

7MHz

SSB

Ken

11:29

G0RQL

7MHz

SSB

Don

11:30

2E0FEH

7MHz

SSB

Karl

11:31

G4OOE

7MHz

SSB

Nick

11:32

G4IAR

7MHz

SSB

Dave

11:34

EA2DT

7MHz

SSB

Manuel

11:34

MW0VLO

7MHz

SSB

Barry

11:34

GM6ZAK

7MHz

SSB

Andrew

11:35

G0EVV/P

7MHz

SSB

David s2s..G/SB-008..Long Cragg

11:36

2E0AGB

7MHz

SSB

Allen

11:37

MW0OFA

7MHz

SSB

Frank

11:37

GW6OVD

7MHz

SSB

Mal

11:38

G3RDQ

7MHz

SSB

David

11:39

2W0LLJ

7MHz

SSB

Jenny

End-fed sloping back down to my operating position today

I have found with the end-fed that I’m able to flow easily from one band to the other and after another spot I was up and running on 20m although not many made my log. The bands were not working all that well as some chasers reported sudden deep QSB affecting all signals.

11:45

F5JKK

14MHz

SSB

Eric

11:47

DJ2AY

14MHz

SSB

Robert

11:47

EA5K

14MHz

SSB

Miguel

11:47

SP9BIJ/P

14MHz

SSB

Marco s2s..SP/BZ-042..Koziarz

11:47

OH3GZ

14MHz

SSB

Jukka

11:50

MW0OFA

14MHz

SSB

Frank

I gave a few ‘final calls’ and decided to have a cup of coffee and a ham roll. It was an interrupted break as I heard a good friend Eric GW3KCQ calling from Lampeter on his 'new'  FT200. So a nice chat followed then fellow Carmarthen ARS members called so another chat ensued.  Finally, MW7KVJ/p had driven to the viewing point above Hirwaun (not far from Craig y Llyn GW/SW-010)  to chase me so another brief chat. After a pleasurable 30 minutes I eventually finished my lunch.

View from my office

11:55

GW3KCQ

144MHz

FM

Eric

12:06

2W0LLJ

144MHz

FM

Jenny

12:07

MW0VLO

144MHz

FM

Barry

12:25

MW7KVJ/P

144MHz

FM

Kevin

I decided that a quick visit to 15m was in order and I was rewarded with a few nice DX contacts especially John-Paul from the Carolinas. There was another Stateside caller but that one got away. A spot on 12m was fruitless.

12:45

SV2RUJ

21MHz

FM

Stavros

12:46

SV2NCH

21MHz

FM

George

12:47

AB4PP

21MHz

FM

John-Paul..USA

12:55

EA7GV

21MHz

FM

Jose

12:56

IU8HPD

21MHz

FM

Andrea

 

Some of my contacts today

Tried a different descent today so a different view of the summit as I made my way down    

My activation set-up

HF:- Elecraft KX2 (8 watts) and 4Ah LiPo

Antenna – End –fed 80m – 10m (Bantenna Pocket rocket with 80m loading coil)

(VHF) Yaesu FT270 & Yaesu FT2 (5watts) into a ‘Slim G’…4m pole

Antenna support – 5m Fishing pole..HF

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX