GW/MW-004 – Pen y Garn

 

GW/MW-004 – Pen y Garn

1/04/2021

Very windy conditions today

I parked at SN785752 (plenty of room for several cars) then once kitted up I went to look at the option of taking the track from SN783752 but that gate was chained. I decided to walk up the road and follow the PROW from SN790752 which was a good option. There is another option of walking a little further along the road to SN791753 and use the track that Phil G4OBK used a few years ago.

My GPS track

Summit lost in the mist

There is always a breeze on a mountain but I hadn’t bargained for such strong winds and vicious gusts today.  Anyway, it was a successful activation and I easily qualified the summit on 2m in 6 minutes so thank you everybody.

Hadn't expected it to be quite so windy - 4m antenna

It was good to meet up once again with chasers that I hadn’t heard from in a while and surprise contacts like the one from Matt G8XYJ using the Wooferton Transmitting Station callsign…I just knew the voice but couldn’t make a connection…good fun…thanks Matt.

We have some keen ‘new’ chasers appearing and it was nice to get Richard MW0RHX in my log first and later Ben 2W0BML who also let my friend Aled MW0UPH know that I was around…thanks everyone. 

Nice to hear Bill MW0BYS getting back on the air with tales of antennas that had been destroyed in the gales.  Icing on the cake today was a call from fellow ‘Mountain Goat’ Karen 2E0XYL up on the Wirral…difficult but we made the contact…thanks Karen.

 

09:25	MW0RHX	144MHz	FM	Richard
09:28	MW0VKD	144MHz	FM	Kevin
09:30	M0WOF	144MHz	FM	Matt, Woofferton Transmitting Station
09:31	MW0OFA	144MHz	FM	Frank
09:33	GW4XXF	144MHz	FM	Bruce
09:34	2W0LVE	144MHz	FM	Chris
09:35	GW0PLP	144MHz	FM	Don
09:39	2E0XYL	144MHz	FM	Karen
09:40	2W0BML	144MHz	FM	Ben
09:46	MW0UPH	144MHz	FM	Aled
09:49	MW0BYS	144MHz	FM	Bill
09:52	M0OVW	144MHz	FM	Gillian at Woofferton Tx St.
09:57	GW4OUU	144MHz	FM	David
09:58	2W0LLJ	144MHz	FM	Jenny
09:58	GW0JAI	144MHz	FM	Glyn
09:59	MW0VLO	144MHz	FM	Barry
10:01	MW0XOT	144MHz	FM	John
10:02	GW4TQD	144MHz	FM	John
10:04	M0GQW	144MHz	FM	Edward
10:07	GW4ZHI	144MHz	FM	Bryn

Trying to smile!

Usually a nice view from here

4m was not a success today and I think it was due to the strong wind at times pushing my antenna over to 45 degrees. The three that did make my log were 5/9 signals with similar reports on my replies.

10:22	GW4ZHI	70MHz	FM	Bryn
10:23	MW0OFA	70MHz	FM	Frank
10:30	MW0VLO	70MHz	FM	Barry

I gave up on HF as I had trouble standing outside the cairn trying to set up the antenna so apologies to all who were waiting for me to appear…I did send a spot announcing my QRT. All being well I hope to be here at the end of the year to pick up my Winter Bonus points.

Best part of the day..not quite as the radio was also fun

Ready to leave

Back at the car for another warm drink...summit in the distance

My activation set-up

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

HF Antenna – End-Fed 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 FT270 2m-FM (5watts) into a ‘Slim G

4m-fm  rig:-  Wouxon KG-UV8G (7.5 watts) 

Thanks everyone for the contacts

73 Allan GW4VPX