SM0GNS	30m	CW	T
OE6MIG	30m	CW	T
SP3GVX	30m	CW	T
LA5SAA	30m	CW	T
HB9AGH	30m	CW	T
DJ5AV	30m	CW	T
G0SLR	2m	FM	J
G7SKR	2m	FM	J
SM6CMU	30m	CW	T
9A7W	30m	CW	T
G7OFR	2m	FM	J
RA3SS	30m	CW	T
HB9AAQ	30m	CW	T
SP2GUV	30m	CW	T
2W0LAE/P on Foel Fenlli NW-051	2m	FM	J
G0KKO	2m	FM	J
HA5AZC	30m	CW	T
M1DTJ	2m	FM	J
GW4EVX	2m	FM	J
DL9SXX	30m	CW	T
RA3SP	30m	CW	T
G0VOF	2m	FM	J
2E0EDX/P on Ingleborough NP-005	2m	FM	J
HA5MA	30m	CW	T
OE7PHI	30m	CW	T
M0GYZ	2m	FM	J
G3WPF	30m	CW	T
M3NVJ	2m	FM	J
DM9LSB	30m	CW	T

 

M3EYP and myself were both feeling somewhat fragile on the morning of Sunday 26th September 2010, following the excesses of his 18th birthday pubcrawl the night before. "What's the best way to cure a hangover dad?" he asked me, surprising me that three pints of Carling had even caused one. However, umpteen pints of bitter certainly had, so the two of us shot off up to Common Barn Farm, Rainow, for two huge platefuls of its superb full farmhouse breakfast.

After collecting the birthday cards Jimmy had left behind at the Nag's Head and watching a live Premiership match on Sky back at home, the email came from Richard G3CWI suggesting a trip out to try for S2S with North America.

For some reason, we both fancied a walk on Shining Tor G/SP-004 rather than the more usual Gun G/SP-013 or The Cloud G/SP-015. At the top, we set up the MM20 groundplane vertical for 20m, and used my 817 and Palm Paddle with Richard's amplifier to give us 40 watts or thereabouts.

Sean M0GIA joined us with son Daniel, and seemed to make a large number of QSOs on 2m FM. Richard did a run on 20m CW, including USA and Canada, and then I did likewise. Nice to work a variety of stations from Pickering to Pennsylvania, but alas no S2S. No spot for any US activation appeared before it was time for us to go home.  In my case, this was via the Weston Balti Raj to collect a traditional family Sunday dinner.

OK2E	20m	CW
OK1DXK	20m	CW
G3RMD	20m	CW
N4EX	20m	CW
VA2SG	20m	CW
HA2ERO	20m	CW
G3VXJ	20m	CW
G4OBK	20m	CW
Z35F	20m	CW
9A2UW	20m	CW
G3JUX	20m	CW
Z30A	20m	CW
OK1CZ	20m	CW
Z33A	20m	CW
F5PLC	20m	CW
EU1AG	20m	CW
SP6FXF	20m	CW
VE2JCW	20m	CW
UA3UAD	20m	CW
YT2EA	20m	CW
UA9CGL	20m	CW
YU7EA	20m	CW
GW0DSP	20m	CW
OM3JA	20m	CW
HB9APF	20m	CW

 

I had some time to spare today in between dropping and collecting Liam at his youth club. I thought I would find out what happens if you call "WFF" from a summit and see what all the fuss was about. First job was to look up the WFF reference for The Cloud G/SP-015. It didn't have one - and I couldn't see one for Staffordshire Moorlands for Gun G/SP-013. But Shining Tor G/SP-004 did, as part of the Peak District GFF-014, and as there was ample time available, I took the longer (and very pleasant) drive up to there from Congleton. Before leaving home, I also informed Charles M0OXO, the G WFF Manager, as recommended by the WFF website. I later found out that Gun is just inside the south-western boundary of the Peak National Park, so could qualify for WFF GFF-014 also.

I pulled in at the usual parking spot a little down the road from the Cat & Fiddle pub, and commenced the familiar walk to Shining Tor summit, which I enjoyed nonetheless. Upon arrival at summit, I noticed that I had packed the wrong SOTA pole - one without the top three thinner sections! These are necessary for the MM20 ("Magic Moggy" - vertical with groundplane) antenna, as the driven element extends from the lowest section of pole right to the top. I spent some time trying to work out a way around this.

After considering ways of taping the base of my pole to near the top of a wooden footpath sign, or attempting to balance it atop a drystone wall with (effectively) a very low guying point, a mental reality check hit me in the nick of time! The vertical element would just have to hang slackly and loosely down the pole and allow the wind to blow it around. I got rid of some of the excess slack by fixing a very low guying point on the pole. The three groundplane radials are the guys, but the whole system remained upstanding on the summit for the two and a half hours I was there.

SWR was fine, and DL6KVA came straight back to my first call on 14.012MHz CW, with 599 reports both ways. Then it was another SOTA chaser, HA7UG. I had alerted for 14.013MHz, so I guess these two must have been checking for me - many thanks. I was calling CQ CQ SOTA es WFF, M1EYP/P, SOTA G/SP-004 es WFF GFF-014. By the third contact, six minutes into the operation, I had a gigantic pile-up, so big and unruly that it slowed my QSO rate right down!

I like stations to call just once - I can work down a pile-up so much quicker that way. But many on frequency were not prepared to call once or even twice. Some were sending their call seven or eight times before dropping key to find out if they've been called in. Furthermore, some of the worst culprits also seemed to have really bad, dirty tones, so that their dahs and dits could not be separated from each other!

While it is always tempting to allow a bad operator to the front of the queue just to get them off the frequency, I am too stubborn for that, so some stations were kept waiting a long time, despite the disruptive effect they were having on my frequency. As the afternoon wore on, the general operating from the WFF chasers improved, and so it seems it was wise to be stubborn!

I was also astonished, and a little disappointed at the amount of times I responded with a clear partial - like "SP?", "SP8?" - and some other station with a call that could in no way be confused with the partial I requested persisted in repeating his callsign. Again, I refused to budge - even though in some cases it was taking 3 minutes to complete a rubber stamp QSO through the QRM - and eventually I was rewarded with more considerate operating on my QRG.

I had started on 14.012MHz CW, but skipped from there to 14.058MHz, and occasionally onto 14.065MHz and 14.059MHz. Without me sending any self-spots, I tended to be found by SOTA chasers who spotted me, as well as the WFF pack - so many thanks to the SOTA chasers for that. I note I did get spotted four times on the DX Cluster as well. I don't know if WFF has its own spotting/alerting facility, but I seemed to get thoroughly pounced upon by WFF enthusiasts!

Two radio amateurs spoke to me as they walked across the summit. One even said "Is this one SP-013?". I corrected him, and he went on to bemoan the fact that Shutlingsloe isn't a Marilyn. By 1.30pm, I was very cold, in fact I was shivering, and realising that I had to quickly get warmer or get off the hill. Cue the introduction of the bothy bag, which I perhaps should have been using already. I soon got warmed up in this, and importantly so as the afternoon started to turn very cold indeed.

As I packed away at my pre-determined time of 2.30pm (I had to dismantle, descend and drive back to Congleton to collect Liam for 4pm), it was dreadfully cold. A large group of students were comparing notes on the summit. They were backpacking - training for an expedition in Nepal in fact, and still four hours walk from evening camp. It was desperately cold and I didn't envy them one bit!

I failed to get properly warmed up on the descent and was pleased to reach the car and its heater! Briefly, I pulled in at the Cat & Fiddle car park, thinking of a quick pint, hot mulled wine and bag of pork scratchings, but ultimately decided that I didn't want to exit the car again so soon! So I was early for collecting Liam in Congleton, and home well before 5pm, in time to hear the final score of Bradford City 0, Macclesfield Town 1 coming through on Canalside Community Radio 102.8, as I was putting the clean laundry away!

On summit, I made 80 QSOs, all on 20m CW, and into 25 DXCCs, the pick of which were USA, Canada and Israel. Many thanks to all the SOTA chasers that worked and/or spotted me. Later in my email inbox was a message with QSO data - but from a station that I hadn't worked. It was right in the thick of the big pile-up though, so I assume one of those situations where the caller doesn't really hear you going back with his callsign, and assumes it is him you are responding to!

Regarding the WFF thing - I might call it again sometime - but it can actually reduce the amount of QSOs you get with some of the alligators and poor operators that chase WFF on your QRG. Will I pre-announce a future WFF activation? Maybe. Will I follow the requests on the WFF website to submit a full log, photos, proof, video etc within three months? Not a chance!  Thanks to all the following stations worked on 20m CW:

DL6KVA	20m	CW
HA7UG	20m	CW
UT7FO	20m	CW
UY6IM	20m	CW
LZ1HA	20m	CW
VE3EXY	20m	CW
4X4JU	20m	CW
HA3OU	20m	CW
N3GJ	20m	CW
SM1CXE	20m	CW
DK4RM	20m	CW
IK1GPG	20m	CW
DF6EX	20m	CW
SP8AJK	20m	CW
OK1APV	20m	CW
UX1IM	20m	CW
I5FLN	20m	CW
SP2AOB	20m	CW
9A3NM	20m	CW
DL2JIM	20m	CW
SP5IMK	20m	CW
UA3YDH	20m	CW
SM5CNQ	20m	CW
9A1DX	20m	CW
R2PA	20m	CW
UA1OJL	20m	CW
DL1EBR	20m	CW
RV1CT	20m	CW
EA1DR	20m	CW
DL1EKO	20m	CW
RA6YJ	20m	CW
E77O	20m	CW
UV5QQ	20m	CW
HA8IB	20m	CW
RV3LO	20m	CW
UR3IFD	20m	CW
9A3SM	20m	CW
EW4DX	20m	CW
LY3BY	20m	CW
DF7GK	20m	CW
HA6OB	20m	CW
YL2CA	20m	CW
UX2MF	20m	CW
DF1YQ	20m	CW
DL2RNS	20m	CW
LZ1CY	20m	CW
DL1DVE	20m	CW
UT0MP	20m	CW
SP2SWI	20m	CW
OH2BLD	20m	CW
4Z5AV	20m	CW
RL3WX	20m	CW
HA1AG	20m	CW
DF5WA	20m	CW
UA6EED	20m	CW
R7AA	20m	CW
RA3DUO	20m	CW
4Z5PT	20m	CW
YT2RX	20m	CW
UT2GW	20m	CW
YO3JW	20m	CW
IZ0HTW	20m	CW
OE6WIG	20m	CW
YL2TQ	20m	CW
SM7HVQ	20m	CW
9A4OE	20m	CW
UY0IF	20m	CW
SP5KCR	20m	CW
S51XT	20m	CW
UX7MA	20m	CW
EU6DA	20m	CW
OE5WLL	20m	CW
G3WPF	20m	CW
SJ5E	20m	CW
OH9VL	20m	CW
DJ5AV	20m	CW
G4SSH	20m	CW
OE5EEP	20m	CW
IT9IFI	20m	CW
IK5ZWU	20m	CW

 

A club Christmas SOTA outing seems to have become a fixture in the calendar of the Macclesfield & District Radio Society. Last year, we convened on a cold and wet The Cloud G/SP-015 and made contact with the chaps on Holtankollen LA/TM-049.

Our new chairman Greg 2E0RXX announced that this year's trip would be to Shining Tor G/SP-004 on Bank Holiday Monday 27th December 2010. A big turnout was indicated, made up of SOTA obsessives Jimmy M3EYP and myself, those who do a handful each year like Roger M0GMG and Greg 2E0RXX, plus a host of newly licensed, newly upgraded and just plain new members. These included Simon M0TGT and daughter Lucy, Arthur M0GWF, Gary M6OKK, Tim (passed Foundation but yet to receive callsign) and non-member guest Mark 2E0CCK.

Unfortunately Greg had to pull out last minute, and when we awoke to snow, I think most of us suspected we would have to do likewise. Checks on the Cat Cam revealed the road to be passable with care - but what would it be like two or four hours later?

I relaxed and watched the last hour's play in the test match before warming the soup and completing preparations. Jimmy and I arrived at the Cat & Fiddle in heavy snow, after a tricky drive up including two long sections where the road was white, and a couple of bends that were down to one lane due to snow drifting over the road. We were first up there, but Roger M0GMG arrived virtually immediately. One by one, the rest of the gang arrived and pulled into the lay-by, and we commenced the group ascent in still heavy snow.

Despite the snow, the walking conditions were quite acceptable, and we didn't have the obstacle of deep unconsolidated snow to deal with. Hence progress to the summit of Shining Tor was in a similar time to normal. Strong icy wind and horizontal snow greeted us at the summit, so I adjourned to the adjacent field. This spot was about 8m vertically lower than the summit, but had a tall wall backing right into the wind direction. I was surprised that no-one else joined me there - but most were doing 2m FM handheld-style and remained in the trigpoint area.

       

Just before I had finished setting up for 20m, Jimmy appeared, announced that he had got his four contacts (not that he needed them) and was going to leave 2m for the rest of the guys to use. He asked for my car keys and said he was going to the Cat & Fiddle! I worked Richard G3CWI on 2m FM, as he advised me that one of our local radio stations - Canalside Radio 102.8 - wanted to get me on the 'phone for a live link-up! I told Richard to give them my mobile number, but warned that coverage seemed patchy.

I settled into my sheltered spot and got stuck into 20m CW. 33 QSOs were made with SOTA and WFF hunters, the best DX being EA8 Canary Islands. My final tally was augmented by five 2m FM QSOs - the first one with G3CWI, then four more with the handheld by the trigpoint after packing away. One caller had been listening to Canalside Radio and informed me that the presenter on-air was still trying to get in contact with me. I telephoned the studio, but the presenter Brian Moores said that the wind noise on the 'phone was too extreme to put on air, even with me crouching in a sheltered spot behind the wall.

So that wasn't to be, but I was happy to be able to forget about the phone, and put my big padded gloves on. By this time, all the rest of the party had long departed the summit, and I descended to the Cat & Fiddle alone. But when I got there (to find Jimmy guzzling his second pint of bitter), Simon M0TGT kindly insisted on buying me a pint. I got the 817 out of the rucksack to give it a wipe and an airing, and those of us still in the pub enjoyed a chat about the expedition.

Jimmy and I warmed up further with a hot mulled wine, before returning to the car to share the as-yet-unopened flask of mulligatawny soup. The journey back down the A537 was less eventful than the outward trip with much less lying snow on the road. Indeed, the road had seemed to remain busy throughout the morning every time we glanced at it from wherever we were.  A very enjoyable activation in the snow. Many thanks to all the chasers that worked us, and to our friends in the MDRS who made it such an enjoyable event.

2E0TDX	2m	FM	J
2E0XYL	2m	FM	J
2W0XTL/P on Moel y Gamelin NW-042	2m	FM	J
GW4EVX	2m	FM	J
G3CWI	2m	FM	T
HA7UG	20m	CW	T
OK2BMA	20m	CW	T
I3VAD	20m	CW	T
EA1DFP	20m	CW	T
I0KHY	20m	CW	T
9A4OE	20m	CW	T
OE1PEW	20m	CW	T
HA5CW	20m	CW	T
UX5VK	20m	CW	T
S51ZG	20m	CW	T
G4SSH	20m	CW	T
RA4WA	20m	CW	T
9A6DR	20m	CW	T
9A3NM	20m	CW	T
YU7CQ	20m	CW	T
EA8BGO	20m	CW	T
9A1DX	20m	CW	T
EA1KP	20m	CW	T
OH2BLD	20m	CW	T
RN3QN	20m	CW	T
G3CWI	20m	CW	T
YT2RX	20m	CW	T
IZ8LGP	20m	CW	T
9A4W	20m	CW	T
R9AB	20m	CW	T
YL2CA	20m	CW	T
I5FLN	20m	CW	T
G3WPF	20m	CW	T
RZ3AFK	20m	CW	T
LZ1PJ	20m	CW	T
RA1OD	20m	CW	T
YL2CZ	20m	CW	T
DL6KR	20m	CW	T
GW4OKT	2m	FM	T
M6JEP	2m	FM	T
2E0MAS	2m	FM	T
G0CSX	2m	FM	T