The Cloud 2010 (3)

Activation reports and photos from May (International SOTA Weekend) to the first week of July 2010 can be found here.

With a nod to the great Frank Sidebottom (RIP) who was celebrated last night at Castlefield Arena and live on BBC Radio Manchester, today was Absolutely Fantastic. (Click on the image above to see Frank at his classic best).

Friday afternoons sees two hours of Radio on my teaching timetable, and for two academic years now I have been delivering an enrichment course incorporating the Foundation Licence course and exam. On the afternoon of Friday 9th July 2010, I hired a minibus to take 15 of us to Cloudside. The fifteen included 3 Foundation licensees from this year's course (Year 7), two from last year (now in Year 8), 8 children who have done the course but who are not yet licensed (two of whom are intending retaking next year) plus two staff members - myself and Deb, the attendance officer.

The girls completing the climb to the summit

The girls completing the climb to the summit

It was Absolutely Brilliant Actually. First of all, the weather, despite a fair degree of pessimism on the Met Office website, held up beautifully. (Last year, the weather was Absolutely Bobbins). Secondly, the children were wonderful. They were expressing wonderment from half way up the hill, feasting their eyes on the open countryside and the far-ranging views - maybe for the first time ever looking at some of their faces!

Qanita & Maryam

At the top, I set up the 2m SOTA Beam with Joshua and Paul, while the licensees together with Qanita, Rani, Aroosa, Maryam, Manisha and Luke all headed with Deb for the excellent vantage point of the large slabs towards the north-west end of the highest area. I was chuffed to see so many of the pupils enthusiastically collecting images on their mobile phones and DS's.

Lewis, Charlotte & Sir!

Once set up, I gathered this year's M6's around me while I demonstrated activating the summit and achieving four contacts. This was all on 2m FM. Edson M6EDZ took to the microphone and nervously but competently worked his four contacts, before Ali M6HUS also did so more confidently. Then it was the turn of my strongest of this year's cohort, Lauren M6LJS. She actually carried on beyond four contacts and worked six QSOs. In between, I grabbed some further contacts for myself, particularly the S2S opportunities with Richard G3CWI/P on Gun G/SP-013, Walt G3NYY/P on Seager Hill G/WB-022, Nick G0HIK/P on Kirkby Moor G/LD-049 and Rob G4RQJ/P on Mull Hill GD/GD-005.

SOTA activation party from Brownhills School

SOTA activation party from Brownhills School

The "old veterans" from last year - Charlotte M3YUR and Lewis M6LDP - then had a go on 2m SSB, and both qualified their activations. I was delighted with how well my licensed students did on their debut (or second) activations, and even more delighted that my non-licensed students really enjoyed the outing, and were kind enough to tell me so. But the greatest accolade must be a Big Fantastic ego-massaging thank you to my SOTA activating and chasing friends for making an effort to be there to work my students.

It was a great day. You know it was, it really was. Thank you! And thanks again to the following stations worked by members of the party (T = Tom M1EYP, A = Ali M6HUS, La = Lauren M6LJS, E = Edson M6EDZ, Le = Lewis M6LDP, C = Charlotte M3YUR):

With some spare time on Saturday 7th August 2010, I thought I would take a wander up The Cloud G/SP-015 and see how many contacts I could make. I set up the MM20 and FT-817, and was QRV with 5 watts just before 11am local, making 28 contacts on 20m CW, the highlight undoubtedly being Nelly HB0/HB9FBQ/P. It was also good to catch Aage LA1ENA/P and Kjell LA1KHA/P S2S on Vindfjell LA/VF-002.

Things then dried up rather, but I found that I could work on 17m acceptably using the MM20. It wasn't as good as the MM17 of course, but it worked, and with the help of a self-spot, I added 9 CW QSOs to the logbook. A return to 20m CW brought another 7 QSOs, before I unleashed the VX-7R handheld for 6 contacts on 2m FM.

I then rechecked the 20m system, with one more contact ahead of the 1200z start time for the CQ Europe contest. I had done my research on this one, and learned that the exchange was RST + 2-digit number for the first year of being licensed! For me, that was going to be 599 01 - or "5NNTA" as I got away with sending in most of the QSOs!

Playing S+P in the contest produced 48 QSOs, all on 20m CW and all Europe - apart from a JA station who was calling CQ - so I worked him! Just after 4pm local, the SLAB expired, so it was back to the handy and a further 11 on 2m FM there. A few CQ calls on 70cm FM were not answered. Guess Steve and Helen must have been busy! So a total of 110 QSOs for the activation - and a lot of logging to do...

HA7UG	20m	CW
DL8DXL	20m	CW
DL6KVA	20m	CW
HA1AG	20m	CW
EA7HHV	20m	CW
LA1ENA/P on Vindfjell VF-002	20m	CW
SP3GVX	20m	CW
LA1ENA/P on Vindfjell VF-002	20m	CW
F6CXJ	20m	CW
OK1CZ	20m	CW
S53EO	20m	CW
SM0AIG	20m	CW
S51ZG	20m	CW
OE8SPW	20m	CW
DL3HXX	20m	CW
F5PLC	20m	CW
DL2HWI	20m	CW
IZ8FAV	20m	CW
DL2DXA	20m	CW
OK1HCG	20m	CW
DL6ABB	20m	CW
HA6NN	20m	CW
9A2N	20m	CW
SM1IRS	20m	CW
HA5OZX	20m	CW
SP5LM	20m	CW
HB0/HB9FBQ/P	20m	CW
OE9MBI	20m	CW
G3WPF	17m	CW
DL1NKS	17m	CW
DL7BY	17m	CW
DJ5AV	17m	CW
OE6WIG	17m	CW
SM0AIG	17m	CW
DL8TG	17m	CW
SP3GVX	17m	CW
OZ7JZ	17m	CW
DJ5AV	20m	CW
DL1DVE	20m	CW
DK4WF	20m	CW
SM5IMO	20m	CW
SM5APS	20m	CW
M0GIA	20m	CW
SK5PZ	20m	CW
GB1SSB	2m	FM
MW3WZZ/A	2m	FM
MW0AYM/A	2m	FM
GW1OIB/A	2m	FM
M0GIA	2m	FM
M3EYP	2m	FM
HA2MN	20m	CW
YL8M	20m	CW
RN3T	20m	CW
YT4T	20m	CW
UX1UX	20m	CW
OH6M	20m	CW
UA3DA	20m	CW
S57UN	20m	CW
HG8C	20m	CW
UA3RY	20m	CW
RA3TT	20m	CW
UY0ZG	20m	CW
ES4RD	20m	CW
S52OP	20m	CW
LZ4RR	20m	CW
OH6MW	20m	CW
UW1M	20m	CW
RW4W	20m	CW
S58Q	20m	CW
RT3T	20m	CW
YL2BJ	20m	CW
RA1AR	20m	CW
RW1AC	20m	CW
S59AA	20m	CW
UA6LYN	20m	CW
RG6G	20m	CW
UW5U	20m	CW
JK6RIP/5	20m	CW
S52OT	20m	CW
HB9DAX	20m	CW
F6IFY	20m	CW
OM3BA	20m	CW
LZ9R	20m	CW
OE8IKQ	20m	CW
LY8A	20m	CW
LY3B	20m	CW
HA5OV	20m	CW
OK7SX	20m	CW
RZ4HZW	20m	CW
S53F	20m	CW
LY5G	20m	CW
YL2TB	20m	CW
EA2NN	20m	CW
OE3K	20m	CW
LY2T	20m	CW
9A2TN	20m	CW
YU1KX	20m	CW
S53MM	20m	CW
9A3VM	20m	CW
G3WPF	2m	FM
M0RJM	2m	FM
G4FPJ	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
M6NDG	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
G4LLG	2m	FM
M3OUA	2m	FM
G8JIT/M	2m	FM
G8UVC	2m	FM
G4BLH/M	2m	FM

Tuesday 10th August 2010 was 70cm activity contest. I was running a bit late, and my first QSO was at 8.09pm BST. This was soon compensated for by having serial number 038 in the logbook by 9pm. Then what a contrast. It was hard work to get more in after that, and I limped to finish with 050 by 10.30pm.

Strangely there wasn't any activity on 70cm FM to fill in the slow phases on SSB. The 50 QSOs were 49 on SSB, and one on CW.

G4APJ	70cm	SSB
2E0DHT	70cm	SSB
M3EYP	70cm	SSB
G6HFF	70cm	SSB
M0TJU	70cm	SSB
GW4EVX	70cm	SSB
M0ICK/P	70cm	SSB
G2ANC	70cm	SSB
2E0MWB/P	70cm	SSB
G4HGI	70cm	SSB
2E0TXT/P	70cm	SSB
M1ZRP	70cm	SSB
G4CLA	70cm	SSB
M3RNX	70cm	SSB
G6GVI	70cm	SSB
2E0UOG	70cm	SSB
M0COP/P	70cm	SSB
M0EMM	70cm	SSB
G3TDH	70cm	SSB
M3ZPJ	70cm	SSB
G0WTM	70cm	SSB
G0WTD	70cm	SSB
G1LAT/P	70cm	SSB
G8DTF	70cm	SSB
G8ZRE	70cm	SSB
M0GMG/P	70cm	SSB
G4HSS	70cm	SSB
M5HFJ	70cm	SSB
G8ONK	70cm	SSB
G8OHM	70cm	SSB
G8APB	70cm	SSB
G8VHI	70cm	SSB
GD8EXI	70cm	SSB
G7HOA/P	70cm	SSB
G7ROM	70cm	SSB
2E0BMO	70cm	SSB
G4DEZ	70cm	SSB
G3VCA	70cm	SSB
G1SWH	70cm	SSB
G6LLX/P	70cm	SSB
G3SPJ	70cm	SSB
M0LTT/P	70cm	SSB
G0LGS/P	70cm	SSB
G0CER	70cm	SSB
G4NTY	70cm	SSB
GI6ATZ	70cm	SSB
G4ODA	70cm	SSB
M0AFJ	70cm	SSB
G0XDI/P	70cm	SSB
G3PYE	70cm	SSB

Of course, in order to set activation no. 1000 up for the coming Sunday, it was necessary to tick the box for activation 999, what with having done only 998 activations so far... Jimmy was back at 6th form on Thursday 2nd September 2010, to commence the final year of his A level studies. Marianne was out shopping ready for Liam to go back to school on the Friday, but left me with instructions to "get Liam out for some exercise".

Her wish, my command.

Or should that be ... her command, my compliance?

Hmmm, get Liam out for some exercise? ... activation 999? ... surely there was some way to kill two birds with one stone? You don't need a wild imagination to suggest that The Cloud G/SP-015 might do the trick. I haven't got one either, so that's exactly where we went. But not the normal way.

I parked on the A54 Congleton to Buxton road, quite near to Bosley crossroads. But, perhaps surprisingly, that is still a fair way off Bosley Cloud. We walked a short distance back down the main road from the lay-by and joined the canal in the upper half of the Bosley lock flight. (There's lots of things named after Bosley. An excellent beer, a telecommuications tower, a village, a tug-of-war team, a wood treatment works, a member of The Macc Lads and a former neighbour's dog spring to mind).

Liam and I walked down the canal as we counted down the rest of the locks and made much faster progress than the many narrowboaters who were out on this glorious hot sunny afternoon. No rucksacks or anything, we just wore sunhats and I had a carrier bag with fruit juice and chocolate in it.

Shortly after the canal swung around to the west, we exited at bridge 57, thence following the bridleway down to Bosley Wood Treatment. From here, we walked up to the crossroads between Red Lane, Peover Lane and Tunstall Road. We used the shade provided by the trees to allow our heads some air by removing our sunhats. At the crossroads, we climbed the stile into the National Trust land, and commenced the steep haul up the 'nose' of The Cloud. This is a much lower starting point then Cloudside parking area, and the steepness is soon felt in the calf muscles. Height is gained rapidly though, and we were soon on level ground, swinging round to the East of the summit before the final mini-scramble up onto the top.

Unsurprisingly, there were many people already on the hill, and others that passed over while we were there. It was such a lovely day. I had put faith into the weather by (a) not checking any forecast, and (b) walking in shirt sleeves without bringing any extra layers or waterproofs. This worked out well, as the weather and temperature did not budge at all.

The only radio gear I brought was the VX7 handheld, a notepad and a pencil, which were all in the lower outer pockets of my walking trousers. Liam and I sat at the trig point, the base of which makes rather comfortable seating, and first enjoyed a Capri Sun juice before I started calling CQ. On 2m FM, using only handheld and rubber duck, I made 8 QSOs, several of which were pleasant extended ragchews. Views from the summit were nice in the sunny weather, but not brilliant with the haze limiting visibility to about 15 miles.

After a relaxing 45 minute stay on summit, Liam and I set off on our descent, taking the standard path down to Cloudside, and then down the road to the crossroads. For the first time, I found the point at which Red Lane becomes Cloudside! At the crossroads, we went straight on and walked down the long road to the A54. Here, we got back onto the canal which also met the A54 at this point, and walked the towpath all the way back to Bosley Locks and the car.

I reckon it was about 10km and a decent afternoon's walk. And always enjoyable to get a bit of quality time with Liam. Moreover, that was activation #999 out of the way, meaning that the coming Sunday on Gun G/SP-013 would indeed indeed be Activation 1000. Thanks to the stations worked on this one:

M3OUA	2m	FM
2E0LKC/M	2m	FM
G6ODU	2m	FM
G6TET	2m	FM
M0KDB	2m	FM
M5AFE	2m	FM
M0MTV/M	2m	FM
2E0BKW	2m	FM

My next activation, number 1001, took place on Tuesday 7th September 2010 on The Cloud G/SP-015. This time it was an evening operation in the RSGB 2m UK Activity Contest and Club Championship. It just goes to show you how much some of this stuff gets under your skin, when such an event was consciously preferred to live coverage of an England Euro 2012 football qualifier!

While setting up on summit, a passing runner asked me some questions that were markedly more informed than the usual fayre. "Are you licensed yourself then?" I enquired. He told me his M3 callsign, and mentioned he was the son of Chris G8APB, a leading VHF contester just down the ridge on Biddulph Moor. I told him I would no doubt be working his father later in the evening.

The contest was very lively with 67 QSOs (64 on 2m SSB, 3 on 2m FM, one SSB contact completed only by sending the report in CW) made in the 2.5 hour window, but there were very many more stations than that on the band. There was some DX about as well, but I didn't make contact with PA, ON, DL or GU. As usual, it was G, GW, GI, GD and GM for me, and a rather disappointing 12 multiplier squares, with even IO70, IO75, IO80, IO90, JO00 and JO02 notably absent from my log.

I dropped into the Harrington Arms for a pint on the way home, but found the place to be uncharacteristically unfriendly. But I will assume that was a most unusual one-off for the time being!

M3OUA	2m	SSB	T
M0KDB	2m	SSB	T
G6ODU	2m	SSB	T
G4UXH	2m	SSB	T
G0MRL	2m	SSB	T
M3RNX	2m	SSB	T
G0WTD	2m	SSB	T
2E0BMO	2m	SSB	T
G4APJ	2m	SSB	T
GW8ASD	2m	SSB	T
G4MVU	2m	SSB	T
G8DTF	2m	SSB	T
GW7AAV	2m	SSB	T
G2ANC	2m	SSB	T
G0JCQ	2m	SSB	T
G0HVQ	2m	SSB	T
M0EMM	2m	SSB	T
M0GMG/P	2m	SSB	T
G0LGS/P	2m	SSB	T
G0CER	2m	SSB	T
M0ICK	2m	SSB	T
G3TTC/P	2m	SSB	T
M3EYP	2m	SSB	T
GM4PPT	2m	SSB	T
G4JQN	2m	SSB	T
M0BRA	2m	SSB	T
G1SWH	2m	SSB	T
M0COP/P	2m	SSB	T
G4HGI	2m	SSB	T
G1HSG/P	2m	SSB	T
G8VHI	2m	SSB	T
G7HOA/P	2m	SSB	T
M0MCV	2m	SSB	T
G4VPD	2m	SSB	T
G3SPJ	2m	SSB	T
G0XDI/P	2m	SSB	T
G8CUL	2m	SSB	T
G1EVR	2m	SSB	T
M0LTT/P	2m	SSB	T
G3TDH	2m	SSB	T
G1SMI	2m	SSB	T
2E0UOG	2m	SSB	T
2E0VXX/P	2m	SSB	T
G8ZRE	2m	SSB	T
G0TPH	2m	SSB	T
2E0TXT/P	2m	SSB	T
G8APB	2m	SSB	T
M1NTO/P	2m	SSB	T
GI4SNA	2m	SSB	T
G4DEZ	2m	SSB	T
G3VCA	2m	SSB	T
M0YJT	2m	SSB	T
G3ORY	2m	SSB	T
M1MHZ	2m	SSB	T
M0GHZ	2m	SSB	T
G4DZL	2m	SSB	T
2E0PHJ	2m	SSB	T
2E0MAS	2m	FM	T
M6VXI/M	2m	FM	T
M1CNL	2m	FM	T
G0MJW	2m	SSB	T
M0DXR	2m	SSB	T
G8DD	2m	SSB	T
M0AFJ	2m	SSB	T
GD8EXI	2m	SSB	T
M0NUT/P	2m	SSB	T
G7ROM	2m	SSB	T

On Sunday 12th September 2010, I accompanied Richard G3CWI to the summit. He was trying out his new 17m groundplane vertical antenna, while I intended to test my recently repaired 6m delta loop. Problem was, in 45 minutes of trying, I failed to untangle it! Untangling went on to continue for some time at home the next week, before trying a better winding/storage solution for it using some kite winders.

Nonetheless, it was a pleasant walk on a bright sunny if rather windy afternoon. After conceding defeat to the tangle, I wandered up to the trig point and switched on my VX7. Immediately I heard a call from M0ZZA/P on Titterstone Clee Hill G/WB-004, so a S2S partly redressed the emptiness of the activation thus far. A call on S20 brought regular chaser Colin M3NVJ and that was me lot.

Still, it was a valid activation which scored me exactly the same as my recent 110 and 150 QSO activations. Many thanks to:

M0ZZA/P on Titterstone Clee Hill WB-004	2m	FM
M3NVJ	2m	FM

I returned to The Cloud G/SP-015 on the evening of Tuesday 14th September 2010 for activation #1003 combined with the 70cm activity contest. Although several periods of the night were calm and dry, others had gales and heavy rain. Fortunately, I was inside my bothy bag for these, keeping warm and dry at the expense of full ability to rotate my beam!

The end result was 43 QSOs on 70cm SSB. Nothing was worked, despite several tries, on FM, while a CW contact with G0DJA could not be completed due to QSB. The same happened with Bryn G4DEZ, so the regular multiplier from JO03 was missing.

So around ten contacts down on what I might hope for, about five multipliers down on the norm and no DX - not even GM or EI in the log. But you know what? I enjoyed my evening's hilltop portable amateur radio, and that is what it is all about.

Thanks to all stations that worked me, and apologies for the lack of an alert, which I think I forgot to do.

2E0DHT	70cm	SSB
2E0UOG	70cm	SSB
M3RNX	70cm	SSB
G0WTM	70cm	SSB
G0WTD	70cm	SSB
G4HGI	70cm	SSB
M0OBW	70cm	SSB
G8ZRE	70cm	SSB
G6HFF	70cm	SSB
GW8ASD	70cm	SSB
M0ICK	70cm	SSB
2E0TXT/P	70cm	SSB
G3SPJ	70cm	SSB
2E0XOJ	70cm	SSB
G6GVI	70cm	SSB
G0CER	70cm	SSB
M0COP/P	70cm	SSB
G4CLA	70cm	SSB
G8VHI	70cm	SSB
GW0HUS	70cm	SSB
M0GMG/P	70cm	SSB
GD8EXI	70cm	SSB
G8OHM	70cm	SSB
G1SWH	70cm	SSB
2E0BMO	70cm	SSB
G8DTF	70cm	SSB
G3TDH	70cm	SSB
G2ANC	70cm	SSB
M1NTO/M	70cm	SSB
GI6ATZ	70cm	SSB
G3XAN	70cm	SSB
G0OWP	70cm	SSB
G0LGS/P	70cm	SSB
M0GHZ	70cm	SSB
2E0MWB/P	70cm	SSB
M0YJT	70cm	SSB
G0PKT	70cm	SSB
M3ZPJ	70cm	SSB
G0MRL	70cm	SSB
M1CNY	70cm	SSB
G8ONK	70cm	SSB
G4MVU	70cm	SSB
G0XDI/P	70cm	SSB

Nine SOTA activators around one table in a curry house - is this a record?

The action on Thursday 21st October 2010 began for me watching the SOTAwatch Spots at morning break time. I wondered if Mads, Aage, Kjell and Halvard would make it up Shining Tor G/SP-004, as Dave M0DFA had just posted a cancellation for the same summit, citing poor weather. However, the LA team were soon spotted, and after a bit of a struggle I managed to work Aage M/LA1ENA/P on 2m SSB from my classroom, signing as M1EYP/A.

When I checked again at lunchtime, and the guys were on Gun G/SP-013, I tuned in but could not hear any signals. But this did confirm that it was worth me heading home via The Cloud G/SP-015, as that would be about the time they would get there as well. In actual fact, I got to Cloudside first. The only other car parked there was clearly not a hire car that had transported four radio amateurs, so I hung around. A few minutes later, Aage LA1ENA, Halvard LA1DNA, Kjell LA1KHA and Mads LA1TPA all arrived and we soon started walking up to the summit.

Mads LA1TPA & Halvard LA1DNA Kjell LA1KHA & Aage LA1ENA

Kjell set up for 30m CW, Halvard for 20m PSK31, while Aage and Mads were sharing a 2m SSB set-up. I dawdled around for a while after spotting that my 20m groundplane vertical (MM20 - Magic Moggy) was broken, and beyond any realistic hilltop repair. However, Aage kindly offered me his 40m dipole, which I accepted. I felt a bit cheeky, what with having a car full of HF aerials down at Cloudside. Why oh why did I bring up the only one that was broken?

I made nine quick contacts on 40m CW, but was simply enjoying the experience of The Cloud being mass-activated by international visitors. Of course, their visit did little for the campaign for Holtankollen LA/TM-049 to be SOTA's most activated summit! Everyone had qualified the summit, and was packing away, except Halvard LA1DNA who had not enjoyed any success on 20m PSK31. On the VX7-R handheld, I fired up some interest on 2m FM, and Halvard came up to the topograph to work his four on his own 2m hand-portable. After descent, the LA lads followed me as I drove across the country lanes for the most direct route back to their hotel in Macclesfield.

Kjell with his vertical HF antenna Mads & SOTA Beam Kjell M/LA1KHA/P

After a quick shower and change at home, it was back out again to that legendary SOTA eaterie, the Weston Balti Raj. I understand Kjell was keen to sample traditional British cuisine, and you can't get much more British than a curry can you?

I had booked a table for 14, and the roll call was Richard G3CWI with XYL Wee Wah and daughter Mai-Ling, Greg 2E0RXX with XYL Louise and son Liam M3ZRY, the LA team of Mads LA1TPA, Kjell LA1KHA, Aage LA1ENA and Halvard LA1DNA, plus myself M1EYP with XYL Marianne and sons Jimmy M3EYP and Liam. It was quite a SOTA gathering with nine licensed activators and two Association Managers present!

The excellent food went down well, accompanied by the equally excellent Bangla Beer. It was a most enjoyable occasion, which Greg 2E0RXX and myself continued in the Rising Sun pub with the LA team, the bar being adjacent to their hotel accommodation. I hope our Norwegian visitors continued to have a good holiday; it is always good to jointly activate and spend time with them when they are here. Thanks to the following stations worked in my earlier activation:

G3VXJ	40m	CW
G3RMD	40m	CW
F5JKK	40m	CW
G4ZIB	40m	CW
G3CWI	40m	CW
DL7WDX	40m	CW
Z35F	40m	CW
LA1EBA	40m	CW
Z33A	40m	CW
G4TOZ	2m	FM

Well would you believe it? I have hardly been up ol' Bosley Cloud since August, and suddenly we're heading, very quickly towards Christmas. After the excesses of the staff football team Xmas do the previous evening, a fix of exercise and fresh winter air was in order on Tuesday 21st December 2010. After taxiing Jimmy and his mates Craig and Edward, the latter of whom has just passed his Foundation and will be joining us for SOTA outings shortly, to the bowling alley, I diverted south.

The road up to Cloudside was very icy but passable. The steps and path up to the summit were largely free of snow and ice, although the top had a compacted and frozen white surface. I set up for 40m and sat by the topograph, using it to shelter from the breeze. The still air temperature was subzero, albeit not by much, but windchill would still be unwelcome.

The ground was frozen solid and would not take a peg. I had to test and prod around until I hit a thicker bit of ice that would take the peg! Setting up did not take too long though, and I was soon QRV on 7.032MHz CW. 25 stations were worked in a 27 minute operating session. I had started packing up when the mobile rang. It was Jimmy stating that they were ready to be picked up from the ten-pin bowling centre, so the timing worked well.

A nice outing. Quite a few people wandered across the summit while I was there, but nobody wanted to stop and chat, enquire as to what I was up to or such. I'm never quite sure whether it is a good thing or a bad thing not to be asked! Thanks for all the calls on 40m CW:

F5SQA	40m	CW
F5JKK	40m	CW
GM0OAA	40m	CW
G0TDM	40m	CW
ON5QRP	40m	CW
PA0WDG	40m	CW
DL2EF	40m	CW
DL1DVE	40m	CW
G3WPF	40m	CW
DL6KR	40m	CW
DL1FU	40m	CW
IK3DRO	40m	CW
GM0AXY	40m	CW
DL8TG	40m	CW
G3VQO	40m	CW
IK3GER	40m	CW
DF3OL	40m	CW
G4WSX	40m	CW
ON4CCN	40m	CW
ON5AW	40m	CW
LY2FN	40m	CW
DF5WA	40m	CW
HA3OK	40m	CW
I5FLN	40m	CW
F8FKK	40m	CW

My task list for Thursday 23rd December 2010 was basically to drop Liam off in Congleton at 10am, and retrieve him at 3pm. Plus deliver my Nanna's Christmas present and pick up a prescription, but I figured I could do those easily on the way home.

So, a nice little window of opportunity to do a local activation. The back roads up to Cloudside were treacherously icy, so care was taken. I usually ascend The Cloud in trainers, but I changed into my big boots this time. It was very cold, so I donned a second fleece under my coat, and wore my padded gloves for the ascent.

The summit was lovely. Cold crisp air under clear blue sky. The hill was clothed in white and the views were excellent. The very gradual faded change from white to green as my eyes scanned westwards from the Peak District was wuite something. All of Macclesfield and East Cheshire was white, but the landscape was much more green beyond Sandbach and Holmes Chapel.

It was very cold though! I set up the MM20 vertical and huddled behind the topograph to begin some CW. I was initially found on 14.022MHz CW by SOTA chasers, and I was spotted. However, not much later, a US station came up underneath me on QRG, attracting much more attention.

Some American tourists walked over the summit and commenced a long interview about my activity. It was actually quite pleasant to see such interest in what I was doing, and I enjoyed the chat. They insisted I have one of their mince pies, curiously the second Christmas in succession where I have been donated one during an activation of G/SP-015! After they moved off, I got inside the bothy bag, which did a great job of resisting the biting cold, and thus extending my activation time.

I QSY'd to 14.012MHz, then 14.021MHz and 14.023MHz, but I was never found again by SOTA regulars. I did hear HB9BIN and DJ5AV calling in, but when I called them back I must have faded so they couldn't hear me, perhaps as a result of the early QRM on the initial frequency. Unfortunately, I had left my phone at home, so didn't have facility to self-spot. I made 34 contacts on 20m CW, including two from across the pond. DXCCs were OE, UR, HA, EA, RA, YU, S5, E7, SM, SP, I, OK, YL, W, LZ and EW.

I still had time to spare, but it was just too cold. I packed away and put a call out on the 2m FM handheld. Three stations were worked - including G and GW which took the activation DXCC count to 18 - and Steve kindly spotted me. However, the weather beat me, and instead of waiting a sensible amount of time for the spot to take hold, I scarpered! When the frequency went quiet, the cold was really hurting my hands, so I donned the gloves and descended. I could have done another 45 minutes on summit with the logistics, but a warm car was the only place I now wanted to be. Halfway down the hill I could feel my fingers again, and the car soon warmed up when I got to it. I used the spare time to obtain a spot of lunch and a pint in Congleton, before collecting Liam at 3pm as required. Many thanks to all callers:

OE6WIG	20m	CW
UR3LPM	20m	CW
HA7UL	20m	CW
HA6OD	20m	CW
EA1EYG	20m	CW
RX6AKA	20m	CW
YU7SOL	20m	CW
S57WO	20m	CW
E77O	20m	CW
SM5APS	20m	CW
SK5PZ	20m	CW
SQ7NSP	20m	CW
UR0MZ	20m	CW
HA6VH	20m	CW
EA2BD	20m	CW
UA1OLM	20m	CW
I0KHY	20m	CW
OK1FAB	20m	CW
YL2CA	20m	CW
OE3HTC	20m	CW
UR5WCA	20m	CW
SP2BK	20m	CW
RW4WN	20m	CW
RA3BZ	20m	CW
UT5ZY	20m	CW
YT40EC	20m	CW
RU4HD	20m	CW
K2SHZ	20m	CW
LZ1YW	20m	CW
UX7VA	20m	CW
YU7LS	20m	CW
HA6NW	20m	CW
EW4DX	20m	CW
K1PUG	20m	CW
2E0LKC	2m	FM
GW7AAV	2m	FM
M6TCB	2m	FM