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