Mynydd Machen SW-030

Mynydd Machen, GW/SW-030 - 362m ASL - ST 223 900 - OS Explorer 152 - 1 SOTA point

From Mynydd y Lan GW/SW-024, it was a very short drive south-east over the Sirhowy Valley. I approached the summit up the transmitter access road, which seemed to be popular with locals to drive their cars up! Although it was relatively early compared to some of my recent late night activations on this trip, I knew this one would be my final summit of the day. It was Tuesday night, and therefore 2m UK activity contest night, and I planned to overnight on the summit in my backpacking tent.

I pitched my tent and set up my 2m SOTA Beam (SB5). I had a bit of time to spare, so I wandered around the summit area taking photos and chatting to locals. A father and son had driven up here so that the dad could give his 13 year old son some off-road driving practice!

The choice of summit for contest night was a fairly good one, and a pleasing number of QSOs was made on both 2m FM and 2m SSB. Not at the same sort of rate as I would expect from The Cloud G/SP-015 back home, but perhaps more than I'd anticipated from an unfamiliar South Wales summit. Just one QSO was made on 17m FT8 to make sure I collected the Challenge Flavour multiplier, though I expected to get some more after some sleep. I was tired, so decided to get my head down and get some sleep.

Time	Callsign	Band	Mode
18:01	MW0UPH/M	144MHz	FM
18:03	G4WUH/M	144MHz	FM
18:04	GW4PAF	144MHz	FM
18:05	M0BAO/P	144MHz	FM
18:06	MW6WHL	144MHz	FM
18:07	G0LGS/P	144MHz	FM
18:08	G0JLF/P	144MHz	FM
18:09	GW4YNP	144MHz	FM
18:10	G1YOY/P	144MHz	FM
18:10	2W0WGR	144MHz	FM
18:12	2E0MDJ	144MHz	FM
18:13	2W0FLW	144MHz	FM
18:18	2E0WHQ/P	144MHz	FM
18:21	M5CBS/P	144MHz	FM
18:24	G4YOC	144MHz	FM
18:25	G4IZZ	144MHz	FM
18:26	G8JAY	144MHz	FM
18:29	M7LOZ	144MHz	FM
18:30	G0ORE	144MHz	FM
18:33	G4LDL/P	144MHz	FM
18:39	M1DDD/P	144MHz	FM
18:40	M5MAT/P	144MHz	FM
18:48	G0RMG	144MHz	FM
19:01	G4ASR	144MHz	SSB
19:02	G0HEL/P	144MHz	SSB
19:07	M0VXX/P	144MHz	SSB
19:09	G4ODA	144MHz	SSB
19:11	MW0UPH/M	144MHz	FM
19:13	2E0OUR/P	144MHz	SSB
19:16	M3JQV/P	144MHz	SSB
19:21	M0NVS/P	144MHz	SSB
19:23	G8DVK	144MHz	SSB
19:26	2E0VCC/P	144MHz	SSB
19:27	GJ7LJJ/P	144MHz	SSB
19:29	G0LTG	144MHz	SSB
19:30	M0GHZ/P	144MHz	SSB
19:31	G4LDL/P	144MHz	SSB
19:34	2E0WHQ/P	144MHz	SSB
19:35	F1BHL/P	144MHz	SSB
19:38	MW0OMB	144MHz	SSB
19:38	M0BAO/P	144MHz	SSB
19:39	F1CBC	144MHz	SSB
19:40	GJ8CEY	144MHz	SSB
19:41	F6BQG/P	144MHz	SSB
19:42	M0KJR	144MHz	SSB
19:43	G4GTH	144MHz	SSB
19:46	G1YBB/P	144MHz	SSB
19:47	M5MAT/P	144MHz	SSB
19:49	G1YOY/P	144MHz	SSB
19:51	G4CZP/P	144MHz	SSB
19:53	G0JLF/P	144MHz	SSB
19:56	M0BUL	144MHz	SSB
19:58	G0RMG	144MHz	SSB
19:59	G3WAG/P	144MHz	SSB
20:00	G1YFG/P	144MHz	SSB
20:04	G0JCC	144MHz	SSB
20:07	G4CLA	144MHz	SSB
20:10	M0KPW/P	144MHz	SSB
20:13	M1MHZ	144MHz	SSB
20:14	2E0OUT	144MHz	SSB
20:16	G8LNR	144MHz	SSB
20:17	G1DFL/P	144MHz	SSB
20:19	M0JSB/P	144MHz	SSB
20:20	G4IZZ	144MHz	SSB
20:21	M1CJE	144MHz	SSB
20:22	2E1EMK	144MHz	SSB
20:29	GW0RHC	144MHz	SSB
20:32	2E0NEY	144MHz	SSB
20:35	G8CMU	144MHz	SSB
20:39	GD8EXI	144MHz	SSB
20:40	M0SDL/P	144MHz	SSB
20:55	GW0GEI	144MHz	SSB
21:05	G3YYD	144MHz	SSB
21:10	G0LGS/P	144MHz	SSB
21:12	G0CER	144MHz	SSB
21:16	M0WGF	144MHz	SSB
21:18	G0UWS/P	144MHz	SSB
21:19	M0BB	144MHz	SSB
22:20	SQ7AYL	18MHz	FT8

SOTA road trip, Day 5 - Wednesday 5th August 2020

I was awake just after 6am local time after a surprisingly comfortable night's sleep in my backpacking tent on the summit! I turned the rig on to see if I could collect a few more 17m band QSOs before unpitching the tent and descending.

Boots on and ready to go for a new day! Morning on Garth Hill

Five FT8 contacts and one CW QSO were made, before I got everything packed away. A call on the 2m FM handheld brought in my friend Aled MW0UPH/M who was working in the nearby village of Crosskeys. The next summit would be the last one in the Principality of Wales for the time being - Wentwood GW/SW-033.