GW/SW-041 - Black Mountain (6 points)
23/04/2021
Cold breeze but the
sun was shining
My target for the day from the parking spot at SO239372
More cars in the parking area now
Twmpa or Lord Herford's Knob with Pen y Fan in the far distance
I altered my Alert to try and get Carolyn in my log with an
s2s. I could hear her calling ‘CQ SOTA’ from Sugar Loaf as I left the trigpoint
at Hay Bluff. A quick call to her to let
her know I was on my way to the summit brought back the reply that she would
hang around on the frequency until I entered the activation zone…thanks
Carolyn.
Hay Bluff trigpoint with Pen y fan just visible in the haze
I’d forgotten that in the past the phone signal would be
iffy if you were sitting down and it was only when trying to send a spot that I
remembered. I think the last time Val had spotted me whilst standing up…anyway
I was soon away on 2m when the spot eventually left my phone.
|
09:54
|
GW6WRW/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Carolyn s2s Sugar
Loaf GW/SW-011
|
|
10:15
|
G7SAI
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Ellis
|
|
10:16
|
G4WTF
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Ian
|
|
10:18
|
2W0BTR/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Geoff s2s beacon Hill
GW/MW-009
|
|
10:20
|
M5RJC
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Rick
|
|
10:22
|
G3RMD
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Frank
|
|
10:25
|
G1NCS
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Adrian
|
Once again the bands were not in the best of shape and I’d
left the linear at home in favour of carrying an extra large flask for coffee
and a couple of bread rolls to eat while I waited for friends to reach their
summits….I seem to be on that s2s roll again.
Good run on 60m with 80m not really delivering but happy to
get regular chasers in the log..thank you.
|
10:45
|
MW0OFA
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Frank
|
|
10:46
|
G0RQL
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Don
|
|
10:47
|
G4OBK
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Phil
|
|
10:48
|
G4WSB
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Bill
|
|
10:49
|
G4IPB
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Paul
|
|
10:50
|
G0VWP
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
Terry
|
|
10:51
|
GI4OSF
|
5MHz
|
SSB
|
John
|
|
10:58
|
G0FEX
|
3.5MHz
|
SSB
|
Ken
|
|
11:00
|
MW0VLO
|
3.5MHz
|
SSB
|
Barry
|
|
11:01
|
2W0LLJ
|
3.5MHz
|
SSB
|
Jenny
|
I set up on the Welsh side of the Offa's Dyke Path
I’d heard some activity on 2m and without even a spot I called
G1VQN as he was /p but not SOTA. I suggested a QSY frequency which suddenly
became my ‘hotspot’ of s2s and regular chasers/activators…that was great fun
and enjoyable…thanks everyone.
|
11:09
|
G1VQN/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Karl
|
|
11:12
|
G4HQB
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Philip
|
|
11:14
|
M6BWA/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Viki s2s G/CE-003
Bredon Hill
|
|
11:15
|
2W0TDX/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Neil s2s Tal y Fan
GW/NW-040
|
|
11:16
|
2W0XYL/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Karen s2s Tal y Fan
GW/NW-040
|
|
11:17
|
M0JLA/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Rod s2s Bredon Hill
G/CE-003
|
|
11:18
|
G0DUQ
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Rob
|
|
11:19
|
2E0GZN/M
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
David
|
|
11:20
|
MW0OFA
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Frank
|
|
11:21
|
M6BWA/P
|
433MHz
|
FM
|
Viki S2s diff band
|
Time to move on as my frequency fell silent on 2m so a move
to 40m was in order but not before a cup of coffee. My phone had manged to connect
to a network and Mal GW6OVD had sent a ‘What’s App’ message so I tried to send
one back to him asking him to spot me on 40m…it worked then I lost signal….short
pileup on 40m but regular chasers and Rod throwing in an s2s on a different
band.
|
11:54
|
F4WBN
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Christian
|
|
11:55
|
EA2DT
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Manuel
|
|
11:56
|
PA0B
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Rob
|
|
11:56
|
M0JLA/P
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Rod s2s diff band
|
|
11:57
|
EA1DHB
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Ricardo
|
|
11:58
|
DL3HXX
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Lothar
|
|
11:59
|
HB9DHA
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Ray
|
|
12:01
|
EA1DHB
|
7MHz
|
SSB
|
Ricardo agn
|
My set up once again
For 20m I chose a frequency then I got up and walked around,
eventually getting a spot up on Sotawatch followed by a super quick return to my
seating position and ‘CQ SOTA’. It worked and a nice run of chasers made my log
including one s2s and a lovely contact Stateside with Edward NX4TT and confirmed later on the SOTA Database…thanks
everyone.
|
12:10
|
S57ILF
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Franci
|
|
12:12
|
EU2MM
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Vladimir
|
|
12:12
|
SM5LNE
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Jan
|
|
12:13
|
ON7TWA/M
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Geert
|
|
12:14
|
SA4BLM
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Lars
|
|
12:15
|
OH3GZ
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Jukka
|
|
12:16
|
DL1CR/P
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Christoph s2s
DM/NS-127
|
|
12:19
|
NX4TT
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Edward Rockledge
USA
|
|
12:20
|
UW8SM
|
14MHz
|
SSB
|
Adrij
|
Another cup of coffee and as I scanned 2m I heard Malc MW0NLG
on Trum y Ddysgl and during the QSO we were called by Colin GW1KGW/p on Snowdon
so bonus s2s in the log…thank you both. I’d
seen that Tony MW5OTA/p was due on Mynydd Troed so I waited a few more minutes
and he was soon in the log and a nice final entry for an enjoyable activation….just
like the old days.
|
12:32
|
MW0NLG
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Malc s2s GW/NW-024
Trum y Ddysgl
|
|
12:38
|
GW1KGW/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Colin s2s Snowdon
GW/NW-001
|
|
12:44
|
MW5OTA/P
|
144MHz
|
FM
|
Tony s2s GW/SW-009
Mynydd Troed
|
Some of my contacts for the day..no plot of the Stateside contact
My activation set-up
HF:- Elecraft KX2 (8
watts) and 4.2Ah LiFe
HF Antenna – End-Fed - 49:1
Unun with loading coil for 80m
HF Antenna support – 6m Sotabeams
Carbon Fibre Fishing pole
******
VHF/4m Antenna
support – 4m Life’s a
Breeze Glass Fibre Fishing pole
(VHF) Yaesu FT2 2m-FM
(5watts) into a ‘Slim G
Thanks everyone for
the contacts
73 Allan GW4VPX
. 
