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After Shining Tor G/SP-004 on New Year's Day 2018, I drove down the A54 from just after the Cat & Fiddle, and then along the lanes through Wincle and Danebridge to get to Gun G/SP-013. It seemed that half the world was going for a New Year’s Day walk in the Danebridge area with a huge number of cars parked along the road and walkers kitting up everywhere. The Ship Inn at Wincle would be doing a roaring trade later one would have expected.
The walk to Gun summit was a bit soggy as usual, but still passable in nothing more than trainers. Again, I just had the VHF handie, but no difficulty in amassing six QSOs. Second summit of the year qualified. On the descent, I stopped for a nice chat with a lovely lady walking two dogs, one at heel on a tight leash - because he was terrified of people she told me, and one loose - with a tail wagging furiously and no interest in people! Finally over to The Cloud G/SP-015.
My plans were slightly disrupted when I saw the timetable of the school I was at - the school day finished at 3.55pm. I’ve only known one school finish after 3pm in the last ten years, and that was 3.20pm! Nonetheless, Gun G/SP-013 is only a very short detour off the A523 Leek-to-Macclesfield road, and then an easy flattish walk. Well it would be easy if it were not for the deep mud and puddles. Just two stations came back to my 2m FM handie CQ call, so a two-contact activation it was. The weather was far too hideous to be hanging around, plus I had the Tall Trees CG monthly dinner to get to. Tomorrow would be the 12th and last day of Christmas - but I’d already stopped reporting my Christmas activations in the Christmas 2017 thread, so maybe then would come the time to stop reporting my New Year 2018 activations in the New Year 2018 thread…
While driving to Gun G/SP-013, I called CQ on 2m FM from the mobile rig, the idea being to line one or more QSO partners up to guarantee the activation! Arthur G0OHY kept me company for the journey, and promised he would be listening for my call from the summit. However, when I did call after my customarily soggy walk-in, Arthur was nowhere to be found - and neither was anyone else. I started to worry about having to leave the summit with an empty logbook in order not to be late for work, but thankfully Steve MW0ISC called in for a contact. So just a single QSO activation!
I was beyond tired, and an activation was not what I fancied. However, I also did not fancy breaking my routine of doing (at least) one SOTA activation every day! So despite my recent work pattern of: Wednesday day - teaching Wednesday night - gig (bed at 0130) Thursday day - teaching (up at 0600, and an activation on the way…) Thursday night - gig (bed at 0200) Friday day - teaching (up at 0655) Friday 4pm - staff football match ('EYP on the scoresheet) …I did an activation of Gun on the way home! I’d been in QSO with M0RCC while driving up the hill to the parking spot, but he couldn’t hear me well enough to work once I was at the summit with my HT. I began to worry about the fault on my VX7 and wondered if it would cost me the activation - or at least force me to return to my car to collect some better gear (FT-817, HF antenna etc). Just then, a loud and clear call-in from Rob 2E0DDD in Werrington, so that saved the activation. Several further calls producing no further logs though - so just the one it had to be.
The drive from Shining Tor G/SP-004 to Gun G/SP-013 was truly awful. For most of the way, along the narrow winding country lanes through Bottom o’ the Oven, Forest Chapel, Wildboarclough and Wincle, I was stuck behind a Tucsan, which was doing 15mph on straight sections, and 6mph around bends. This, coupled with the late start plus my exhaustion through lack of sleep, gave the whole day a kind of “slow motion” feel to it. This concerned Jimmy as he was aspiring for more urgency in our MO for our upcoming SOTA trips. I assured him that today was not a normal day!
The radio set up was exactly the same - FT-817 + MFD = 2m FM for Jimmy M0HGY, though he did add SA4BLM on 20m SSB to his 18 VHF contacts. We both worked Simon G4TJC/P and Helen 2E0VMD/P on 2m FM for S2S with Winter Hill G/SP-010. An unspectacular yet sufficient stint on 20m CW did for me.
At the end of the activation, we swapped positions so that Jimmy could try a little HF, while I attempted some C4FM-Fusion. Finally, it was off to The Cloud G/SP-015.
A bit of time to kill between some maths tutoring work in Stoke-on-Trent, then some of the same in Holmes Chapel. I was “saving” The Cloud G/SP-015 for the evening’s 6m events, so it had to be Gun. I just carried the FT70D Fusion/analogue handheld in my pocket - no rucksack or anything. I was able to successfully get into SOTA-LINK via MB6AH gateway, and have a quick chat with a few SOTA chasers. I made four QSOs, two each on 2m FM and 2m C4FM. It was a lovely sunny afternoon and I could have lounged around for hours, but I had my next bit of work to get to in Holmes Chapel.
After a “fiery tuna” sandwich each in Subway, and a beard trim each (not at the same establishment), Liam and I made our way to the other side of town. He’d planned an afternoon socialising with his friends at Art Space. Again, I took the opportunity to bag a local SOTA activation while he was doing so. I went to Gun, and this time took the decision to carry just the handheld, but take a longer walk. This meant walking back down the road until diverting right across a farmer’s field, on a PROW. This linked to a narrow back road (cul-de-sac) that climbs the north shoulder of Gun Hill. A public footpath then leads off to the right and climbs gently to the trig point. This is a very pleasant short route, shown to me by Richard G3CWI a few years ago. On the first part of the walk, I accessed WIRES-X on G3CWI’s new Macclesfield node MB6SO - and changed the room to CQ-UK. This resulted in a chat with an op in Halifax. Later on the ascent, I was working into Fusion repeater GB3LH (Lichfield) and chatting to M1IQD and G6UYG. At the summit, I only logged one C4FM contact - this with Gary M0XGS who seemed to be getting me on all my Fusion activations at that time. After that, I didn’t have any luck with soliciting further C4FM contacts, nor with accessing SOTA-LINK. I did add four analogue 2m FM QSOs though. Then back to Macc, pick Liam up, drop off at home, visit a student for some maths private tutoring, back home, walk to the pub with Jimmy and Liam (Becks Blue for me)… Always keeping busy me…
The brief for the outing was “A nice walk in the sunshine, but not too long”. So I selected the circular route on Gun G/SP-013, as I had followed only days earlier. As we reached the parking spot, we noted the presence of a black Dacia Duster with an amateur radio aerial attached! I parked my own black Dacia Duster (with amateur radio aerial attached) and switched on the mobile rig to see who it was. It turned out to be Paul M0PWC, and Jimmy and I both worked him for the chaser point. Also QRV on 2m FM, with a huge signal, was Mike 2E0YYY, operating from Raw Head. This used to be in the SOTA scheme as G/SP-016 before a more accurate survey brought about its demotion, and was indeed a summit visited by the three of us, when the boys were 10 and 5 respectively (and indeed on several further occasions).
Jimmy M0HGY tried several times to call in to Mike but without success. Shortly afterwards, Paul M0PWC appeared beside the car having completed his activation and descended. I tried to call Mike’s HEMA activation myself using my 50w mobile rig, but was not heard, so I invited Paul to try on the same kit. Paul got through straight away, and then Jimmy did too. I remained unsuccessful though despite several further attempts. It was high time we actually did some walking! We kitted up and had a proper chat with Paul. The route, unintuitively, starts by walking downhill, back down the road just driven up. Not for long though, before entering a field to follow a short PROW along a fence. There are always cows grazing fairly close by in this field, but they never seem bothered by passing walkers. At the end of this section we heard, and worked G4TCU/P who was on Caer Caradoc G/WB-006.
After climbing over a broken stile, we turned right to walk up the very quiet road, until turning right to follow another public footpath, this time all the way to the trig point on Gun summit. This is a very pleasant little walk, albeit rather short - though not as short as the traditional route up Gun of course! Jimmy set up the MFD for 2m, while I deployed the 20m GP.
Jimmy made 15 QSOs - 12 on 2m FM and 3 on 2m C4FM. I made 18 QSOs - 14 on 20m CW, 1 on 2m C4FM and 3 on 2m FM. Time was marching on, so we packed away and descended, our thoughts turning to food and drink. Marianne, Jimmy and Liam had eaten at the Royal Oak, Rushton Spencer the week before and gave good reports, so we called in there. I was on the Becks Blue again while Jimmy traumatised me, sat opposite drinking good ale! We both had the scampi & chips “80s style” basket meals, which were really good, and decent value at £6.95. Liam had the chilli, and a couple of bottles of fruit juice. I then surprised Jimmy by turning left onto the Macclesfield - Leek road, ie towards Leek. A split-second decision prompted me to sneak in a quick ascent and activation of The Cloud G/SP-015 on the way home!
Following a tutoring session, I made my way directly to Rushton Spencer, and up to Gun. A group of friends from Macclesfield and Congleton had set up the “Telstar Technical Radio Group”, and they were having a social night of portable operating and antenna testing on Gun. As I arrived at the parking spot, Greg M0TXX, Andy M1BYH and Chris 2E0VWT were already on summit and setting up aerials. I walked up to meet them and quickly set up my 20m homemade groundplane, all while Greg and Chris were trying - and struggling to get any sort of satisfactory match on a commercial multiband antenna on a tripod. Greg had earlier expressed a wish to look at portable digimodes and digital voice, so I first worked on 20m JT65, and later demonstrated my Yaesu FT70D.
I wasn’t able to solicit a QSO on 2m, either be it analogue FM or Fusion, but we did witness a net on analogue FM all switch over to C4FM, and suddenly rocket in terms of signal strength and audio quality! The earlier JT65 session was pleasing, with stations worked in Russia, the USA and Malta. BTW, a scorcher it was not. Very chilly at 6 degrees. The other chaps kind of assumed it would be and were without coats! They made an attempt to work via AO92 as it passed, but this was unsuccessful. They did get some clear copy of stations working through the bird though. Afterwards, we convened at the Harrington Arms, Bosley - apple juice for me!
Getting WSJT-X working on FT8 was rather more tricky than having it processing JT65. It was fortunate that Chris 2E0VWT decided to join me for the activation, as he is an avid FT8 operator. It was further fortunate that Mark 2E0YCL spotted and recognised Chris’s van at the parking spot and decided to wander up to the summit to say hello. Mark is also very knowledgable about FT8, and computer/device settings. The main issue was that of time syncing, and getting my Windows 10 Acer tablet to be accurate. We tried all manner of things, but the tablet remained 2 seconds fast - fine for JT65, but no good for FT8. The solution in the end was to download the Meinberg program and install it on the tablet, plus of course getting it all configured correctly. I was lucky to have these two 2E0’s in attendance. Chris was able to use his phone as a WiFi hotspot via which my tablet could connect to the internet, while Mark steadily unpicked and interpreted the configuration procedures. By the time we had it all working, the tablet was nearly out of charge! I just about squeezed in a single 20m FT8 QSO with a Greek station, at which point Chris and Mark descended back to their vehicles by moonlight! I remained on summit and went to 20m CW, working a handful of stations including one from the USA and two Brazilians. Overall, a promising day. I’d successfully operated from SOTA summits using WSJT-X on my new set-up, with QSOs completed in both JT65 and FT8. One potential problem did emerge though. The Windows 10 tablet has a micro USB socket that is used both for power/recharging, and for data in and out. So when I have it connected up and operating with the ZLP MiniProSC and FT-817, I have no means of connecting a power supply to the tablet.
Tuesday 5th June 2018 was a most welcome day off from an otherwise hectic gig schedule - but not a day off from a hectic SOTA schedule. First port of call was Gun G/SP-013. I arrived at the parking spot and noticed Mike 2E0YYY’s car there. I turned on the radio, hoping for a cheeky chaser contact. Steve M0VFR/P was operating, and I worked him.
I made the short walk up to the summit where I met Baz 2E0YVX at the trig point. She was not activating today - but was hanging on to a Staffordshire Bull terrier that was not-at-all pleased to see me! Steve M0VFR and Mickey 2E0YYY were busy on 2m FM down by the hawthorn tree and looked like they didn’t want to be disturbed, so I went to the other end of the band and called on C4FM on the handheld. Gary M0XGS was soon in the log, and I made my way downhill, and then over to The Cloud G/SP-015.
The plan was thus: Take Liam’s memory stick to Canalside Radio to drop in a couple more of his “Late Night Liam” shows (102.8MHz or online, every Monday evening from around 10.15pm local). Activate The Cloud G/SP-015. Work from home (bit of bass practice, and checking tracks and arrangements for the following day’s gig). After 1., I couldn’t resist popping into the adjacent Waterside Cafe (Bollington) and having another crack at their sublime prawn risotto. While I was there, I took the opportunity of reading this week’s Macclesfield Express. Well, it’s better than buying a copy now the price has gone up to over a pound! The route from Bollington back to Macc took me down the Silk Road - which is the A523 - which made me think “Why don’t I do Gun as well while I’m at it?” So now the plan was to do 20m FT8 on Gun and maybe 2m FM handheld-style on Cloud. As I parked at Gun, I checked my phone and G3CWI warned me about poor wx heading my way. Looking north, I could see a bank of rain on the Cheshire Plain, advancing very slowly. In contrast, my plans changed very quickly. I walked up Gun just with the handheld and logbook & pencil. It was still warm, but getting very windy. Anyway, I made four QSOs, two each on 2m FM and 2m C4FM. The same two stations worked on both modes actually, so it wouldn’t have been a qualification even if there were any points on offer. I was back at the car just as the first drops of rain began to hit the windscreen. So back home, kept meaning to get on with some work, and devising intentions to go out on 20m FT8 on The Cloud that night, looking for NA and SA DX.
You could tell we’d had a dry spell. The path all the way to the summit, which is normally one third damp, one third boggy and one third waterlogged - was absolutely bone dry in its entirety. Of perhaps more concern was the view from the summit, from where it was clear to see that the level of Tittesworth Reservoir, just the other side of Merebrook, was very low. I set up in Mickey YYY’s spot by the hawthorn tree, and the magic worked. Well, ten QSOs on 20m FT8 from around Europe was actually pretty similar to The Cloud G/SP-015 earlier on. But while I was calling CQ, I was called by two different stations in Oman - A41ZZ and A41KB - so that was a nice surprise. By this time, the DX was appearing on the screen, and I tried to respond to CQ calls from Hong Kong, Canada, Mauritius and Brazil, but without success. As usual though, time had beaten me just when it was looking interesting to see what I could eke out by hanging round for a few hours. Another time.
I decided to go for a closer look at the moorland fire see on The Roaches from The Cloud G/SP-015 - courtesy of activating Gun. The summit of Gun is an excellent vantage point for a view of The Roaches, and of course the roads to that area were cordoned off anyway. I was on summit for nearly an hour, and the fire raged throughout.
On 2m FM, with the FT70D, I made three QSOs, including an excellent chat and catch-up with Tony 2E0UOG. My headtorch ran out of charge, so I had to descend in murky darkness!
After Shining Tor G/SP-004, where I had began the day, and Three Shires Head, I was heading for - or intending to head for - Lud’s Church, a deep rock chasm close to The Roaches - somewhere else on my doorstep I’d never been. I followed the signs out of the former YHA grounds then got to a left-or-right T-junction - with no sign. I consulted my OS map carefully, and went left. Fail. This took me onto increasingly vague paths on a steep wooded section. The slope of the hill seemed to be facing the wrong way to what I had anticipated. I couldn’t work out what had happened. The more I continued, the worse the route got. I should have turned back. Stupidly, I didn’t. Next thing I had attracted a huge swarm of flies. I needed to escape them - and quickly. Well quickly was not an option bushwhacking through thick ferns that were as tall as me. I could see that the top of the wooded section was close by above, but I would have to force my way through these ferns to get there. (And yes Jimmy M0HGY, it was considerably worse than Gamallt GW/NW-065). I was nearly at the top, but for a high barbed wire fence. Off came the coat and fleece to provide some cushioning, and over I was with only two cuts. I now had no idea where I was, so I picked up a sort of path and exited the field. I found a road and followed this, which took me into the scout camp at Gradbach. I’d been here many years earlier when Liam was at a cub camp there. I hoped to find some staff to talk to, but none were about. I had noticed an adult leading a group of children out of the camp on a lower path a few minutes earlier. I decided to avail myself of the washroom at the scout camp to wash my hands - especially my right hand which had got cut on the barbed wire fence - then went for a look on the information boards. It seemed like the path I had seen the group leave the camp on, was the path to Lud’s Church, so I followed in their footsteps. Before long I was at the same T-junction I was at two hours earlier!
This time, there were other walkers there. “Which way is Lud’s Church?” I asked. “That way” they replied, pointing right. I had gone left before. Doh! Just 20 metres later, there was a signpost for Lud’s Church, pointing along a good path. Doh! This feature was slightly off route for me, but I was determined to see it, especially after the trauma of the previous two hours. I didn’t explore all of it, but would return soon enough for a proper look around. From here, I was shortly onto the last part of a favourite ridge of mine, from The Roaches down to Danebridge. Shortly after the Hanging Stone though, I turned off south towards Swythamley. Swythamley Hall and Swythamley Park is all very very private, and the signs tell you very clearly at every gate that it is very very private, and that there are no public footpaths within it! Somewhat frustratingly, you have to walk around three sides of its perimeter to Swythamley Chapel - a beautiful little church - but also marked as very very private. I followed the public footpaths down to Turner’s Pool and then beyond up to Old Hag. Another navigation error here caused me to notice unfamiliar and unexpected terrain - but this time, learning from earlier, I took decisive action to retreat and regroup. I was soon back on the right course.
Soon enough I was back on familiar territory, and the approach up Gun G/SP-013 from the back road. As I passed by the wood on my right, I could see a couple of very large masts on the summit ahead of me. As I got closer, I could see that whoever the activator was, was having trouble with what looked like either a linked or trapped dipole antenna, which was collapsing. The other antenna was the unmistakable “Mighty Antron”, so I knew it must be Mickey 2E0YYY. Mike came up to the trig point to say hello when I arrived, and I told him I’d actually walked here from Shining Tor. I decided to grab a quick activation on the handheld while Mike was sorting out his antennas, out of respect for his more substantial activation and the fact he was there first. Three minutes operating was sufficient to get four QSOs in the logbook. Pete 2E0LKC asked me to pass his regards onto Mike, which I duly did just as I left the summit. I now had a plan for food. The fairly recently reopened Royal Oak at Rushton Spencer is excellent for food, as well as real ale. I figured I could be down there from Gun in little more than an hour, so got into my stride. This was mainly road walking, and a bit boring and tedious, though there was a public footpath to cut the corner right at the end. I asked in the pub if they had a Samsung charger to get some life back into my phone - but they were all iPhone people there! They did top my bladder up though, and allowed me to call Marianne and leave a message using their landline. The food was superb. I started with the creamy garlic mushrooms, followed by the steak & Guinness pie with twice-cooked chips and mixed veg. All this washed down by two pints of real ale, one of which was from the local Wincle microbrewery. I rested for a good hour and a half at the Royal Oak, but then eventually, and somewhat reluctantly got to my feet for the next leg of the day’s epic hike - up to The Cloud G/SP-015.
I had hoped to do an interesting and relaxed activation on 20m FT8 after an uncharacteristically lengthy spell (for me) of five days without doing any SOTA. However, a schedule of taxi runs for Liam in both the morning and the evening, plus a private tutoring session to deliver in the afternoon, plus a football match to attend in the evening, meant that I was restricted to VHF handheld operating. My morning walk was up Gun, and it was a pleasant surprise when Greg M0NZO came straight back to me on 144.6125MHz C4FM (Fusion). That turned out to be my one and only C4FM QSO of the day! Turning to analogue FM, I worked John MW0XOT/P for a S2S to Plynlimon GW/MW-001. I took the opportunity to ask John about my continuing ban from the SOTA “Free Expression” Facebook group, as he is one of the admins there. He kindly promised to look into it for me. The activation concluded with two further 2m FM QSOs.
So after The Cloud G/SP-015, it was over to Gun it was for a fourth activation of the day. Again, I travelled light with just the handheld in my pocket. VHF activity was great - in 13 minutes operating at the summit, I made ten QSOs - 6 on 2m FM and 4 on 2m C4FM. And went home again, finally ready for some sleep!
After The Cloud G/SP-015, I drove straight across the valley to Gun and walked up to the summit, this time intending to do 20m FT8. I called on the handheld before setting up though, in order to make sure I had an activation recorded for the current UTC day. Three contacts were made, two on 2m C4FM, one on 2m analogue FM.
I was set up and QRV on 20m FT8 before midnight UTC, but didn’t manage to record any QSOs - so it was a good job I had done so on the handheld as a priority. 20m FT8 was very busy with wall-to-wall activity, mostly from the USA, but plenty of nice DX about - A4, HK, YN, YV, HI etc. I managed just two QSOs on 20m FT8 - one with WC4D in EM77 - and one with SOTA chaser John M0JDK in IO92! Back at the car, it was now past 2am local. I put out a call on S20 from my 50w mobile rig, to see if anyone was about, and whether it would be worth me going up The Cloud G/SP-015 again. Steven 2W0JYN responded in the affirmative.
After dealing with annoying inconveniences like sleep, medication and breakfast, I decided to set out early for a run of three private maths tutoring sessions in the East Cheshire area. The early start was to facilitate two more SOTA activations! On the summit of Gun, just one station - Lyndon G0DUI in Stoke-on-Trent - was worked.
After Shining Tor G/SP-004, I drove across the country lanes through Macc Forest, Wildboarclough, Wincle, Danebridge and Swythamley, and up onto the side of Gun Moor. The footpath to the summit was again nicely dry, as it has been, rather unusually, for a good number of weeks now. There was hardly any radio activity going on though - I just worked Greg M0NZO on 2m FM, and then again on 2m C4FM (Fusion). I must admit, I didn’t try very hard or hang around on summit very long - I was really just out for the walk. That evening I would visit The Cloud G/SP-015 for a 70cm contest activity evening.
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: The Old Regent Ballroom, Stanford-le-Hope
After The Cloud G/SP-015, I drove over to Gun and made the short easy walk up to the trig point. First to respond was Greg M0NZO (of course), followed by Tony G4ERQ. It looked like a second consecutive two-QSO activation - but then it became three - sort of - when I worked Greg M0NZO again, but this time on C4FM (Fusion) mode. Now it was time to hit the road properly and make my way to the flatlands of the south. Wendover Woods G/CE-005 would be my third and final summit activation on my journey south.
Sunday 16th September 2018 - Wendover Woods G/CE-005, Gun G/SP-013, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Winter Hill G/SP-010
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Viva Blackpool After my late night & early morning activations of Wendover Woods G/CE-005, I found dark quiet laybys to take some naps. Next thing I knew, I was awake, alert, refreshed, and driving along the A50 towards Stoke-on-Trent as the sun rose behind me. I followed the increasingly familiar roads through Leek and up to Gun G/SP-013. You might have thought I’d just wandered up to the summit with the handheld at this point. I might have thought that too - it would seem logical. However, I set up for HF, hoping for some DX. And DX I got, though not the VK/ZL/JA I was hoping for. Oman A41ZZ was a welcome first caller to my 20m FT8 CQ, and was followed by four European stations. I’d stayed longer than anticipated on Gun, and was starting to eat into my sleep time, before I would have to hit the road once again. So when I went over to The Cloud G/SP-015, this time I did just walk up with the HT.
Tuesday 18th September 2018 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Dad’s Taxis was in for a heavy schedule. First was a most unwelcome 6.20am alarm as Jimmy M0HGY needed an early lift into work. Mind you, this facilitated a most welcome posh breakfast in Alderley Edge en route, so that was fine. Next was to drop Liam at the hospital for his regular volunteering with early-stage dementia patients. In the window between that and picking him back up, I reckoned I could shoehorn in a couple of activations! On The Cloud G/SP-015, and with the FT70D, I made five QSOs - three on 2m FM, and two on 2m C4FM. It was almost a carbon-copy activation over on Gun G/SP-013, where it was three on 2m FM and one on 2m C4FM, with all four stations being ones I had also worked earlier on The Cloud! I just then needed to go and pick Liam up - again - from a curry night with his mates, then I was thinking about popping up Shining Tor G/SP-004. Notice the past tense. I was soon not thinking of that; but thinking of going to bed.
Wednesday 19th September 2018 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 I hadn't done any SOTA activating during the main part of the daytime. I was about to go out the previous night for a late one on Shining Tor G/SP-004 - but the torrential rain at the time made me unthink it pretty swiftly. But by late afternoon, I was prepared to get in the ring with Ali. I promised to pop up on 2m FM from a couple of summits around teatime, but also promised that anyone who advised me on-air about the wind noise ran the risk of negative chaser points! Like the more famous Ali, this one’s powers were significantly lessened at the tail-end of its career. That’s not to say it hadn’t been destructive earlier on - two fatalities in Ireland were a tragic outcome of that. Little to report from my activations, which were much more about the exercise than the radio. Nonetheless, two QSOs made on Gun G/SP-013, both 2m FM, and then four on The Cloud G/SP-015 (3 on 2m FM, one on 2m C4FM), and 4000 steps clocked up on my Fitbit watch. I would be back on the road, back on tour the next morning.
Monday 24th September 2018 - Winter Hill G/SP-010, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 After a good sleep following a late night, Marianne “advised” me that it would be a good idea to take Liam out for lunch. So I did. We had a “reggae reggae” meatball vienna and a lemon bun each in Macclesfield, then went for a walk up Gun G/SP-013. Greg M0NZO provided the only contact, on 2m FM. The band was incredibly quiet. I had intended bagging The Cloud G/SP-015 as well, but time had beaten me. I had three students booked in for private maths tuition, one in Macclesfield, one in Holmes Chapel and one in Sandbach. I grabbed my Cloud activation on the way home from the final student in Sandbach.
No gig today, but I spent the morning make some changes to the arrangement for the Overture played at the start of each concert. I got the charts emailed off to the musical director, then found I had around three hours spare to play with - just enough for two local activations! Firstly to Gun G/SP-013, and the first contact was a 2m FM S2S to Viki M6BWA/P on Shobdon G/WB-017 - a fairly rare one, and a decent distance with just a handheld on my side. We then repeated the S2S, but this time on 70cm FM. I went on to make four more QSOs on 2m FM, and a couple on 2m C4FM. Next, over to The Cloud G/SP-015.
Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Floral Pavillion, Wallasey Back to the more normal (these days) routine of a gig day. But this time, not one that took me to far flung corners of the UK, nor even anywhere near any unactivated (in 2018, by me) SOTA summits. Therefore, it was my rather familiar circuit taking in Gun Moor and Bosley Cloud. On Gun G/SP-013, it was six QSOs, all 2m FM, with the handheld. One S2S with Phil G4HQB/P on Hergest Ridge G/WB-008 - not a bad contact with the HT that. On The Cloud G/SP-015 it was six QSOs, five on 2m FM and one on 2m C4FM. OK, time to go to work. More SOTA tomorrow. Probably.
Gig: Biscuit Brothers Venue: Ballers Sports Bar, Preston I was aiming to do both Gun and Cloud again, but in the end just did Gun. This time I deployed the 20m GP and did some FT8, bagging the bumper haul of one QSO. I was thinking about also doing JT65, PSK31, PSK63 and RTTY - but then I unthought it and added a single QSO on 2m FM. Then went home. That night’s gig was a so-called “Bandeoke” - like a karaoke, but with a live band. So I had no idea what we were going to be playing!
No gig - day off. I would be back on the road the next day. I really fancied the exercise more than anything today, so the radio took a low priority. Low rarely gets as far down as zero though with me, and it didn’t on this day. The handheld was carried - and used - on all three hills. No takers at all on 2m C4FM (Fusion), but 4, 5 and 4 analogue FM contacts respectively on each summit. Thanks to Anne 2E0LMD, Pete 2E0LKC and Greg M0NZO who all managed to work me on all three hills. Anyway, without the messing around with things like rucksacks, drinks, soup, 817s, SOTA Poles, maps, antennas etc etc, it took me exactly four hours from leaving the house to returning back home, and activating the three local SOTAs in between. It could easily be done faster - I stopped for several natters with other walkers, and wasted some time trying in vain to work on digital voice. Also, interestingly, the three hills clocked up slightly over my daily target of 10,000 steps, according to my Fitbit watch. Home, and steak for tea. Get in!
Gig: Motown Gold Venue: Larkfields, Pudsey, Leeds Gun was visited first, late on the Saturday morning. Just three QSOs were made, all on 2m FM. The first one was MX0YHA located at Mount St Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire - not a bad contact. In spite of my usual comments the VHF is alive and well, it did seem quiet though! Things would pick up over on The Cloud G/SP-015.
No gig - night off! A mid-morning amble up to the trig point on Gun. A few minutes operating on 2m FM on the HT. Three QSOs. That evening, it was activity night, meaning an activation of The Cloud.
Thursday 11th October 2018 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
Gig: Biscuit Brothers Venue: Ballers Sports Bar, Preston
Selections from my immediately local summits are set to increasingly become the choice on gig days anywhere in the North West. This is due to me completing the G/SP SOTA region as an activator in 2018, so anything would have to be a pointless repeat! After my big walk with the XYL the previous day, and gig with my son the previous night, I’d had quite a lazy morning, and it was gone 2pm before I ventured out at all. First up was Gun, still pleasantly dry and firm underfoot - though I wondered how long that would last now? Try as I might, I could only rustle up a single contact - John M0JDK. Mind you, I was only using the handheld! Moving across to The Cloud, and things had picked up somewhat.
Saturday 13th October 2018 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
I hung around and waited in until gone 5pm, on the chance that a Saturday night gig might come in. It didn’t. So eventually I jumped in the motor with the HT and logbook and made my way to the Staffordshire Moorlands. For the first time in ages, there was running water on the path up Gun G/SP-013. Nowhere near as bad as it can get, and it was easy to keep one’s feet on dry ground, but nonetheless an indication of normal service being resumed after an unusually long dry spell. Four contacts were made on 2m FM using the handheld. I then actioned the increasingly frequent switch over to The Cloud G/SP-015, and the incredibly familiar ascent. 2m FM was nice and busy on the handheld, and I was treated to no less the nine QSOs when I was on that summit. I kept trying to go QRT and descend, but the calls kept coming! I was keen to get back though, for an arranged pub outing with Jimmy and Liam, and a curry take-away to mark a rare gigless Saturday evening.
Sunday 14th October 2018 - Gun G/SP-013, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Winter Hill G/SP-010 Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Viva Blackpool It were reet chuckin it down outside. But at lunchtime, a decision needed to be made if I was going to get my SOTA fix in before going to work in Blackpool. Despite the inclement weather, the decision was made to activate. Upon arrival at the gate to commence the walk up Gun, I could see that it had at last, after many months of uncharacteristic dryness, reverted to type. The path was replaced by a fast flowing river and I was going to need to remember the technique of hopping up there in trainers without getting wet socks.
At the summit, five QSOs were made, four on 2m FM and one on 2m C4FM. Time was against me so I didn’t hang around - not that anyone would want to in that rain anyway! I descended and drove over to The Cloud G/SP-015.
Monday 15th October 2018 - Winter Hill G/SP-010, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 After a bit of sleep, the rest of the Monday morning and into early afternoon was consumed with filing my self-assessment tax return. With that out of the way, I headed for Gun which was still a bit soggy, but free of the cascading torrents of water pouring down the path! It was a bit of a damp squib at the summit - just Greg M0NZO coming back to the CQ call - another single QSO activation - I didn’t really want to be making too much of a habit of these! A bit later on, and into early evening, I ascended The Cloud G/SP-015.
Work: supply maths teaching at a secondary school Venue: somewhere in South Stockport
Back to some Totally on-Topic Tolstoy-esque Turgid Tales from Tom: I descended from The Cloud G/SP-015 and drove over to Gun. Underfoot was almost copmpletely dry again this time, with only the very occasional soggy bit. I enjoyed the walk again - there’s something kinda lovely about night walking in October - I’ve always loved it! 2m FM was used again on the Yaesu FT70D handheld, and again four QSOs resulted - 2E0SHK, 2E0LKC, 2E0LMD and M0MTJ. I arrived back in Macclesfield to collect Liam bang on 2130 BST - exactly two hours after dropping him off!
Friday 19th October 2018 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Brookside Theatre, Romford After The Cloud G/SP-015, it was over to Gun G/SP-013 where first I enjoyed a cup of coffee with Richard G3CWI in his motorhome at the parking spot. He was up there conducting his site comparison test as documented on the SOTA reflector and elsewhere: https://www.sotabeams.co.uk/blog/comparing-a-suburban-site-with-a-hilltop-location-on-20m-using-wsprlite/ This time I did just do a quick handheld-only activation, making two QSOs - one of whom was Richard in his motorhome! I was going to bag a pointless activation of Wendover Woods G/CE-005 further on in the “commute”, but as time pressed on and Friday afternoon traffic became denser towards London, I decided it would be wise to skip that out. It wouldn’t be my last “miss” of Wendover Woods on this trip! The gig at the Brookside Theatre was a very enjoyable one, the first of two sell-outs there, with a fantastic audience. As we were stopping over locally in-between the two shows, needless to say the boys in the band went out for a pint or three after the gig! I would spend the "gap" day on Detling Hill G/SE-013 on the Saturday.
Gig: Motown Gold Venue: Forever Green, Mansfield Just 8 QSOs on this one - three on 2m FM, testing a possible new SOTABEAMS product, and five on 20m FT8. No new DXCCs added on FT8. It was going to take me a bit longer than a week to clock up 100! No mention of Gun during the night’s wedding gig!
Saturday 27th October 2018 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Furious Styles Venue: The Firepit, Rawtenstall
The obvious summit to tag in with a gig in Rossendale, Lancashire, would be Hail Storm Hill G/SP-009, with a couple of its most frequented approach routes originating in the Rossendale Valley. I’d already done that one, and its neighbour Freeholds Top G/SP-011 though in 2018 - so i just did my local pair during the afternoon before setting off. On The Cloud G/SP-015, I made three contacts, two on 2m C4FM, one on 2m analogue FM. On Gun G/SP-013, I also made three contacts, all 2m FM, including S2S with Jordan on Y Garn GW/NW-004 - his last of three on a day on the Glyders.
The 2nd and 3rd night of the production of The Sound of Music followed, but the SOTA activations did not. I found myself too busy writing band arrangements and bass transcriptions, and doing the production work on Liam’s weekly radio show. Both days I’d intended doing a local activation, but both days, by the time I was clear of tasks, it had already gone dark. Thursday 22nd November 2018 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 Gig: The Sound of Music Venue: Brookdale Theatre, Bramhall, Stockport I was determined not to allow a third consecutive day of lethargy, so despite the to-do list lengthening once again, I chose to ignore it and get out of the house. Liam joined me for some fresh air, and to pop into the studios at Canalside Radio in Bollington. Thankfully, there were no puddles, bogs or streams on the footpath up to Gun summit, and our feet remained dry. Five QSOs were made on 2m FM with the Yaesu FT70D handheld. Forty minutes later, we were on Cloud summit. Again, five QSOs were made, all 2m FM.
Saturday 24th November 2018 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: The Sound of Music Venue: Brookdale Theatre, Bramhall, Stockport The Friday was another gig day where I failed to find time for any SOTA. Saturday would be challenging too, as I had two shows - a matinee and an evening performance - so I got myself up and out! It was very quiet on The Cloud with just two stations - 2E0IXM and 2E0LKC - answering my CQ SOTA calls on 2m FM. Over on Gun, it was a total contrast. with seven stations going into the log, actually sounding like a pile-up at one point!
Off-topic alert - I didn’t have a gig No, I was dropping Liam off in town at 7.30pm, and picking him up again at 9.30pm. I couldn’t be mithered going home for an hour and a bit in between - and chose to do two SOTA activations instead. It was a crisp, cold and clear night, and good fun to be walking on the hills under moonlight and starlight. On both hills I made five 2m FM QSOs. On both hills, four of them were 2E0LMD, 2E0LKC, 2W0JYN & MW0XAD. After picking Liam up, it was straight home to tune in to his weekly show on local FM radio.
I would be back on the road the next morning - off down to the Smoke, and then back up the road to Hull, Mexborough and Bury. All activations expected to be pointless…
No gig - day off!
I would normally have held off activating The Cloud G/SP-015 until evening, and use it as my site for the FM and SSB 2m contests. However, I had other family (taxiing) commitments that wouldn’t really accommodate full participation - plus it was cold, and I wasn’t in the mood! I went up Gun about 2.30pm, and the water was starting to make an appearance on the lower sections of the path. It had been unusually and pleasingly dry for an extended period.
Just three QSOs were made on the 2m FM handheld at the trig point. There was a reasonable inversion in place with low cloud filling the valleys, and giving the spectacle of peaks like The Roaches, Merryton Low, Shutlingslow, The Cloud and Mow Cop poking through the white blanket. As I got back to the car, I made the decision to do Cloud as well, there and then, rather than save it for the FMAC and UKAC later that evening. Somehow, I had left my headtorch at home, so I needed to get a move on with only 20 minutes of daylight remaining.
Tuesday 11th December 2018 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Joe Longthorne Venue: Bellavista Restaurant, Milnrow Billy Whizz today! Two summits activated within the hour, 42 minutes apart. Total of 7 minutes operating - 3 minutes and 4 minutes respectively - on 2m FM. Total of 11 QSOs (5 & 6 respectively). The journey to work near Rochdale was a total contrast. 3.5 hours to drive 41 mlies. Awful.
Sunday 30th December 2018 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Matt Philips Venue: Mytton Fold Golf Club, Langho, Blackburn Despite the damp weather, there was no surface water anywhere on the path up to Gun G/SP-013. The summit was shrouded in mist though, which was a little cold and damp. Just two QSOs were made on the 2m FM handheld; I’d really just gone for the walk for this one.
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