GW/MW-035 – Rhos Ymryson

 

GW/MW-035 – Rhos Ymryson

06/12/2020

In the sunshine with a cold breeze on my home summit

The access issue ...PROW runs over by the trees

This summit now has ‘an access issue’ which I’m sorting out. It’s not a major problem but a sign has appeared on a gate on the track which leads to the summit.  Although not a PROW this track has been used by countless activators over the years. The sign has been put in place by Welsh Water as the track leads to an underground reservoir on the summit.  My farmer friend who owns the land has told me to carry on and use the track along with other activators, however I’m looking at two alternative routes to the summit using the PROW that runs into the Activation Zone, one from the South and the other from the North. These routes will be uploaded to SOTA Mapping site as soon as I’ve done the walks with GPS. I walked back on part of the North access route and found the ground to be very muddy over the last 200m…

I started my activation on 2m with an s2s with Simon and Naomi…thanks both.  I spent the next 10 minutes erecting the HF antenna with a new 6m carbon fibre pole. This pole is ideal for the end-fed as it only supports the wire but not advisable for linked dipoles as they have been known to break.

I called on 145.500 and this brought a run of chasers with my good friend Mal GW6OVD putting up a spot for me…thanks Mal.

10:01	GW7WKX/P	144MHz	FM	Simon s2s..GW/NW-054 Penycloddiau
10:02	MW7NDC/P	144MHz	FM	Naomi s2s..GW/NW-054 Penycloddiau
10:18	MW3DLA	144MHz	FM	Aled
10:20	GW6DGU	144MHz	FM	Roy
10:21	MW0OFA	144MHz	FM	Frank
10:22	MW0VLO	144MHz	FM	Barry
10:24	GW6OVD	144MHz	FM	Mal
10:25	2W0LVE	144MHz	FM	Chris
10:28	GW4TQD	144MHz	FM	John
10:31	MW0VKD	144MHz	FM	Kevin
10:32	2W0LLJ	144MHz	FM	Jenny

 

Ready for 80m...good run on 2m

Only 2 chasers on 80m but thankful that I was getting out as I could hear chasers trying their best. It later transpired that I was being swamped but other QRO stations with one even calling CQ on my frequency despite protestations by the chasers. I even moved frequency but the same problem existed…the pleasures of QRP and Sunday morning operating on the band. Thanks to Barry and Jenny who made my log.

10:50	MW0VLO	3.5MHz	SSB	Barry
10:52	2W0LLJ	3.5MHz	SSB	Jenny

I quickly moved to 60m and was delighted to be getting regular chasers in my log once again.

10:57	MW0OFA	5MHz	SSB	Frank
10:58	G0FEX	5MHz	SSB	Ken
10:58	G4WSB	5MHz	SSB	Bill
10:59	M0JLA	5MHz	SSB	Rod
11:00	G4OOE	5MHz	SSB	Nick
11:01	G0FVH	5MHz	SSB	David
11:03	G4TJC	5MHz	SSB	Simon
11:04	G0TBI	5MHz	SSB	Stuart
11:05	G4OBK	5MHz	SSB	Phil

 

My set-up today

......on my own little mountain...lots of holes to hide from the wind

Two s2s presented themselves in quick succession so thank you Kaan and my good friend Emyr for the brief chats as well.

11:09	MW0UCL/P	144MHz	FM	Kaan s2s.. GW/SW-007 Fan Nedd
11:11	MW0VPS/P	144MHz	FM	Emyr s2s GW/SW-006 Fan Gyhirych

 

The two poles with unun about a meter off the ground at my operating position...RG174 to rig

80 loading coil...wire sloping down to gate.

...tied to a gate

40m proved to be a roller coaster of contacts with UK and European stations battling to get me in their logs as well as QSB. I was glad to have donned my headphones for the encounter…great fun.

11:15	HB9CYV	7MHz	SSB	Christian
11:16	GM7NZI	7MHz	SSB	Ray
11:16	EA2DT	7MHz	SSB	Manuel
11:17	MW7LCX/P	7MHz	SSB	Liam s2s ..GW/NW-043 Cyrn y Brain
11:18	G1PIE	7MHz	SSB	Mark
11:19	EA2CKX	7MHz	SSB	Pedro
11:19	ON4CB	7MHz	SSB	Kurt
11:19	2E0FEH	7MHz	SSB	Karl
11:20	G4IPB	7MHz	SSB	Paul
11:21	PA0B	7MHz	SSB	Rob
11:21	G7FHV	7MHz	SSB	Trevor
11:22	M0NOM/P	7MHz	SSB	Mark
11:23	G0RQL	7MHz	SSB	Don
11:24	G0GWY	7MHz	SSB	Geoffrey
11:24	M0DXT	7MHz	SSB	William
11:25	MW0OFA	7MHz	SSB	Frank
11:25	F8ETK	7MHz	SSB	Hainneville
11:26	M0TMD	7MHz	SSB	Helen
11:27	DJ1SD	7MHz	SSB	Joachim
11:28	2W0LVE	7MHz	SSB	Chris
11:29	EA5RC	7MHz	SSB	Ramon
11:29	IZ5GST	7MHz	SSB	Steve
11:30	G0FGI	7MHz	SSB	Tom
11:31	M0PTZ	7MHz	SSB	Paul
11:32	M0LZY	7MHz	SSB	Paul
11:33	LB4TH	7MHz	SSB	Kjetil s2s..LA/RL-044
11:34	ON5SWA	7MHz	SSB	Francois
11:34	G0HIO	7MHz	SSB	Mike
11:35	G4BYY	7MHz	SSB	Keith
11:36	M0XID	7MHz	SSB	Gary
11:36	G0LWU	7MHz	SSB	Andrew
11:37	2E0FWK	7MHz	SSB	Nicholas
11:38	ON3YB	7MHz	SSB	Lucas
11:38	G0ORO	7MHz	SSB	Dennis
11:40	OM1AX	7MHz	SSB	Vlado

My new carbon fibre pole

A quick cup of coffee and I was away on 20m with an s2s which I had seen on SOTA Spotter…thanks Sergiy. I tried other bands but my only success was a contact with Manuel EA8JK from the Canary Islands on 12m..5/9 sent and 5/3 received…thank you Manuel.

11:58	SO9TA/P	14MHz	SSB	Sergiy s2s SP/BZ-042 Koziarz
12:04	EA5K	14MHz	SSB	Miguel
12:05	OH3GZ	14MHz	SSB	Jukka
12:05	IK2LEY	14MHz	SSB	Fabio
12:05	S57ILF	14MHz	SSB	Franci
12:06	EA1DHB	14MHz	SSB	Ricardo
12:06	CT2IWW	14MHz	SSB	Paulo
12:07	F5LKW	14MHz	SSB	Roger
12:07	SP9NLI	14MHz	SSB	Andy
12:08	EA3BP	14MHz	SSB	Xavi
12:08	F5JKK	14MHz	SSB	Eric
12:10	EA2CP	14MHz	SSB	Carlos
12:11	EA7GV	14MHz	SSB	Jose
12:18	EA8JK	24MHz	SSB	Manuel

 

Some of my contacts during the activation

Nice view towards the Brecon Beacons...2 s2s from there today

My activation set-up

HF

Elecraft KX2 (8 watts) and 4Ah LiPo

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

HF Antenna support – 6m Carbon Fibre Fishing pole

VHF

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

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX