The Cloud 2013 (1)

My own New Year Fun Day - Tuesday 1st January 2013 - began with a morning watching the first DVD from the BBC Olympics box set, a Christmas present from my wife Marianne. Next up was watching Macclesfield Town go 2-0 down with a man sent off before half-time - not fun. The second half was more fun as the ten men outplayed the eleven of Southport and battled back to a 2-2 draw.

Oh yes, then the bit that involves SOTA. It was off up to The Cloud for a UK activity contest night with a difference. It was mainly dry, but horribly windy on the summit, and it was difficult to operate. Turning the antenna was a chore, and the pole was taking a lot of strain in the wind. The bothy bag, when deployed during occasional periods of light rain, made an absolute racket when being battered around by the wind, and listening to signals even in the headphones was hard work.

Scene inside the bothy bag FT-817 and radio clock

I was ten minutes late starting in the 144MHz UK activity contest, because it took me so long to get the SB5 antenna up. A further delay hit after 19 contacts when the wind blew my pole and antenna over, pulling a guyed peg clean out of the ground. Spirits were low and I considered abandoning as I was straightening out the bent elements of the SB5. That's not like me though (although it has been known), and I got back on with things 15 minutes later. The band was rather busy with good activity. Several, including myself, had anticipated a low turnout with it being New Year's Day, but the entire two and a half hours was busy with radio traffic.

I finished with 68 QSOs, all on 2m SSB with 11 multipliers - IO81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, JO01, 02. I also worked ON5AEN in JO10, which was my ODX at 476km. However, at the time of writing, fellow SOTA activator Carolyn G6WRW was ahead of me, as was Brian 2W0HRO. I have never quite worked out where exactly Brian's site is in IO72XX, but it certainly works for him. Carolyn, I assume, was somewhere on Titterstone Clee Hill but not within the AZ or with SOTA-qualifying working conditions.

That was not the end of the activation though. I spent a little time enjoying my small flask of coffee, then set about taking down the SB5. In its place went the feedpoint of the 80m dipole, and back up went the pole. I followed the legs of the dipole by torchlight, and used a walking pole to raise each end. Although it was not raining, I could now make use of the warmer conditions from operating inside the bothy bag, as antenna rotation was not now a concern. I called CQ on 80m CW, and was soon picked up by a skimmer in Germany. However, there was no response from SOTA chasers, so I answered a CQ call from Dix DJ6CB and enjoyed a 15 minute CW ragchew with him.

FT-817 now on 3.5MHz Tom M1EYP, tired!

Persisting on CW, I got spotted by a skimmer in Ireland, and then did manage to get some replies to my CQ SOTA calls - two, to be precise, GM4WZG and PA0SKP. Moving up to SSB and self-spotting then brought in Vic GI4ONL and Damian M0BKV, and we had an enjoyable natter until midnight.

G8HXE	2m	SSB
M3OUA	2m	SSB
M3RNX	2m	SSB
G4VFL/P	2m	SSB
G6GVI	2m	SSB
G8ONK	2m	SSB
G1ORC/P	2m	SSB
G4HZG	2m	SSB
G0CER	2m	SSB
G8ZRE	2m	SSB
G4JZF	2m	SSB
G3UVR	2m	SSB
M0BWY	2m	SSB
G3TDH	2m	SSB
G4NDM	2m	SSB
G2ANC	2m	SSB
G4JLG	2m	SSB
G4EII	2m	SSB
G8MIA	2m	SSB
G7PAL	2m	SSB
G8DTF	2m	SSB
M0COP/P	2m	SSB
2E0UOG	2m	SSB
2E0BMO	2m	SSB
G8REQ	2m	SSB
M1EEV	2m	SSB
G0KTQ	2m	SSB
GW8ASD	2m	SSB
G3SMT	2m	SSB
GW4BVE	2m	SSB
G8XYJ/P	2m	SSB
M1DDD	2m	SSB
M0BRA	2m	SSB
G8LYB	2m	SSB
G0BWB	2m	SSB
M0LEX/P	2m	SSB
G4XPE	2m	SSB
G4BLH/P	2m	SSB
G4KZV	2m	SSB
G4VPD	2m	SSB
M0WYB	2m	SSB
G0TRB	2m	SSB
G0AFH	2m	SSB
G0ODQ	2m	SSB
M0BUL/P	2m	SSB
G6UW	2m	SSB
G8AXZ	2m	SSB
M0HGY	2m	SSB
G0WTD	2m	SSB
G4TUP	2m	SSB
M1MHZ	2m	SSB
G4WXX	2m	SSB
M0EMM	2m	SSB
M0ICK	2m	SSB
G4UVB	2m	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	2m	SSB
G4NTY	2m	SSB
G4WJS	2m	SSB
2W0JYN	2m	SSB
G7RAU	2m	SSB
G8OVZ/P	2m	SSB
G1MZD	2m	SSB
M0LNE	2m	SSB
ON5AEN	2m	SSB
M0SAT	2m	SSB
G4IRC	2m	SSB
G8CLY	2m	SSB
G6WRW/P	2m	SSB
DJ6CB	80m	CW
GM4WZG	80m	CW
PA0SKP	80m	CW
GI4ONL	80m	SSB
M0BKV	80m	SSB

And so 0000 UTC on Wednesday 2nd January 2013 brought an ascent-free second activation of 2013. Vic GI4ONL and Damian M0BKV were straight in for a new point for the new day on 80m SSB. A switch to 80m CW then brought in Roy G4SSH, Vic GI4ONL again, and Peter G4ISJ. No further callers, so I finished my coffee and began the pack-away. With everything loaded onto my rucksack on my back, I did the usual and made a speculative 2m FM call from the handie before descending. Paul GW0WTT was worked, but nearer to 1am than midnight, it seemed he was the only radio amateur still to go to bed.

After descending and driving home, I felt unusually alert, so I poured a glass of sparkling wine, cut a generous slab of Christmas cake, took my blood pressure tablets and painkillers, and settled down to my Skybox recording of that night's Match of the Day. New Year Fun Day? You bet!

GI4ONL	80m	SSB
M0BKV	80m	SSB
G4SSH	80m	CW
GI4ONL	80m	CW
G4ISJ	80m	CW
GW0WTT	2m	FM

I returned to Cloud summit on the evening of Tuesday 8th January 2013, for the 70cm UK Activity Contest. The 6 element SOTA Beam was assembled by the car and carried up by hand. 58 contacts were made, all on 70cm SSB:

M0ICK	70cm	SSB
G0KTQ	70cm	SSB
G3UVR	70cm	SSB
M3RNX	70cm	SSB
G8WPL	70cm	SSB
M5AFG	70cm	SSB
2E0BMO	70cm	SSB
M3OUA	70cm	SSB
2E0LKC	70cm	SSB
G4BLH/P	70cm	SSB
G6HFF	70cm	SSB
M0HGY	70cm	SSB
G3UBX	70cm	SSB
G2ANC	70cm	SSB
G1ORC/P	70cm	SSB
G3SMT	70cm	SSB
M0COP/P	70cm	SSB
G4APJ	70cm	SSB
GW8ASD	70cm	SSB
G6WRW/P	70cm	SSB
M6SRZ/P	70cm	SSB
M1EEV	70cm	SSB
G8LYB	70cm	SSB
G8ZRE	70cm	SSB
GW4BVE	70cm	SSB
G4HGI	70cm	SSB
GI4SNA	70cm	SSB
GW4EVX	70cm	SSB
G8OHM	70cm	SSB
M0GHZ	70cm	SSB
GD8EXI	70cm	SSB
G8EOP	70cm	SSB
G4JLG	70cm	SSB
M0GVG/P	70cm	SSB
G4NTY	70cm	SSB
2E0TXT/P	70cm	SSB
G4CLA	70cm	SSB
G8REQ	70cm	SSB
M0LEX/P	70cm	SSB
G8MIA	70cm	SSB
M0RKX/P	70cm	SSB
G8XYJ	70cm	SSB
G3YDY	70cm	SSB
G8HXE	70cm	SSB
GI6ATZ	70cm	SSB
G6GVI	70cm	SSB
G3CWI	70cm	SSB
G8YIG	70cm	SSB
M0NST	70cm	SSB
G0WTD	70cm	SSB
G3ZUD	70cm	SSB
G8DTF	70cm	SSB
2E0MDJ	70cm	SSB
G0LGS	70cm	SSB
G0CER	70cm	SSB
M3ROU	70cm	SSB
G1SWH	70cm	SSB
G8YMW/P	70cm	SSB

The next job on Tuesday 22nd January 2013 (after returning from Shining Tor G/SP-004) was to help Jimmy M0HGY set up a 6m "Hentenna" (borrowed from Roger M0GMG) in the garden ready for the UKAC that night. This we did, and tested it successfully. I then set off for The Cloud G/SP-015 to take part in the contest portable style. There was a lot of snow and ice down on the side roads, so went through Congleton to Mossley, and took the back route up to Cloudside to avoid any bad sections that my car might not manage.

What with the antenna work at home, and the longer route, I was 25 minutes late QRV in the contest. It wasn't a great contest either, with poor conditions, terrible QSB all night, and relatively low participation. I finished the night with 49 QSOs but only 8 multipliers.

I chatted to Jimmy M0HGY on 2m while I drove home. He told me that he had made 21 QSOs, by far his best from home ever on 6m. So the 'Hentenna' had done its job. I got in and there was a mug of tea waiting for me, and a rare bit of company for a late Tuesday night - cheers Jim!

G8DTF	6m	SSB
G0VOF	6m	SSB
G4APJ	6m	SSB
M0ICK	6m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	6m	SSB
M6SRZ	6m	SSB
G3UVR	6m	SSB
G8XYJ/P	6m	SSB
GW4BVE	6m	SSB
G8REQ	6m	SSB
GW8ASD	6m	SSB
GW4ZAR	6m	SSB
G0WTM	6m	SSB
2E0UOG	6m	SSB
G4HGI	6m	SSB
G6HFF	6m	SSB
M0HGY	6m	SSB
G0CER	6m	SSB
M3ZPJ	6m	SSB
G8HXE	6m	SSB
M0COP	6m	SSB
2E0BMO	6m	SSB
G7PUN	6m	SSB
G8BUN	6m	SSB
G8MIA	6m	SSB
M0BUL	6m	SSB
M0VAA	6m	SSB
G0CDA	6m	SSB
G4EHT	6m	SSB
2E0DTB	6m	SSB
GI4SNA	6m	SSB
G3CWI	6m	SSB
G4NTY	6m	SSB
G4VPD	6m	SSB
G7DWY	6m	SSB
G0WTD	6m	SSB
G4WJS	6m	SSB
M1EEV	6m	SSB
M3RNX	6m	SSB
G3SAO	6m	SSB
M0NST	6m	SSB
M0YHB/P	6m	SSB
M1ZRP	6m	SSB
M0WLF	6m	SSB
G2ANC	6m	SSB
G6MML	6m	SSB
G8DX	6m	SSB
2E0HRO	6m	SSB
G4OBK	6m	SSB

Wednesday 30th January 2012 and a desire to sneak in an activation before the forecast rain came in. It was bright, but very breezy as I ascended The Cloud G/SP-015 along the usual path. At the top, the wind was blasting across, carrying some significant gusts with it. The chances of setting up the Band Hopper IV linked dipole for 80-40-30-20 on the summit were slim I reckoned, so I dropped off a distance down the heathery southern slope. There was no chance of any shelter for the operator, but perhaps a chance of getting the antenna up.

Alas not. On four occasions, it seemed to be up and ready to go, then just as I was about to connect the HB1B transceiver, the whole thing came down. On the last time this happened, two sections of my pole snapped as well. So no HF, as I then admitted defeat and wound the new, and still yet to be used BHIV antenna in.

Well I do not walk up to the summit of The Cloud without doing some sort of activation. So sat next to the trig at such an angle as to minimise the gusts (it was still dreadful anyway!), I made a call on the VX7R. Just two contacts on 2m FM went into the logbook. Then there was a silence with no further callers. I eagerly accepted the opportunity to switch off and descend. A band of heavy rain had been approaching the hill all the time I was on it, but I was inside the car before the first drop fell.

M6RGF	2m	FM
M1DXQ	2m	FM

Brilliant to see Mickey 2E0YYY on Cloud summit on Saturday 9th Febraury 2013, and also brilliant to meet Graham Illing, a veteran of 1549 Marilyns - just 3 on St Kilda Islands, plus the two stacks not summited by him yet in GB Marilyn-land.

Liam contemplates the ascent At the NT boundary

Liam and I went for an amble up to Cloud summit to say hello to Mike 2E0YYY after a youth club meeting in Congleton. Sadly, we had missed Mickey's kite, which was now laying on heather. Another walker seemed to be kitted up for a longer route, and we got chatting. "So are you doing SOTA then?" he said, and hence a more detailed conversation ensued. This most excellent discussion, with Graham Illing of MARHOFN fame, lasted a further 20 minutes as we shared stories from our Marilyn-bagging past.

Tom just before the summit Graham Illing

I was all "starstuck" to meet such a front-runner in Marilyn bagging, and took a photo for my website. Mickey 2E0YYY came across to join the discussion when his activation took a natural break in proceedings. I unleashed my handheld to call on 70cm FM, but there were no replies. I checked with Mike if he was on 2m, but he said that he was now going to spend some time packing his HF aerials away, and invited me to operate 2m FM from his excellent station of the FT-857 into the 5/8 over 5/8 vertical on the fishing pole.

Mickey 2E0YYY Mickey's kite

Naturally, I accepted, and worked 16 QSOs in short order. Liam and I then descended from the summit, which was still shrouded in mist, to the parking spot. Switching the FT-8800 mobile radio on in the car, I heard Saskia M6POE in QSO. I had met 9 year old Saskia at the Nantwich rally, where Mike had told me that she was a fine operator. Listening to her for the first time, I had to agree, and I broke in for a quick chat. As did Mike after he descended from the summit.

Tom M1EYP Liam & Mickey

It was then onto the mobile phone part of the spectrum, as I organised meeting up with Sean M0GIA and Jimmy M0HGY for a beer or three to celebrate Sean's 47th birthday that day. We convened at the Park Tavern in Macclesfield and enjoyed an afternoon session on ales from the Bollington Brewing Company. The SOTA fun never ends, and you never know what it will bring next!

G4BLH	144MHz	FM
G0VOF	144MHz	FM
M6RGF	144MHz	FM
G3XQE	144MHz	FM
G4ZRP	144MHz	FM
M6BLV	144MHz	FM
M3CPY	144MHz	FM
G4WQZ/P	144MHz	FM
M0SYY/M	144MHz	FM
M0OTE/M	144MHz	FM
M6BVC	144MHz	FM
M0JZH	144MHz	FM
2E0SEY	144MHz	FM
G4KRF	144MHz	FM
M6RRM/P	144MHz	FM
G4ERQ	144MHz	FM

Tuesday 12th February 2013. Now this one was a shocker! I wandered happily up the hill to the summit. I was going to do 20m CW with the fantastic HB1B and the fabulous MM20 antenna. This was going to be awesome. I set up the antenna. I sat down to connect the radio - and stared with disbelief and acute embarrassment at the PL259 connector in my left hand. The HB1B has only a BNC socket! Of course, the FT-817 has both, so I had gotten complacent! I made two contacts on 2m FM on the handheld, then dismantled the 20m antenna and descended! I popped a BNC plug to SO239 adaptor into my coat pocket to prevent further such calamities...

M1FET/M	2m	FM
M3XIE	2m	FM

Well I did manage to climb out of the pit at 5.13am on Friday 15th February 2013, and I was on the road before 6am. Some early fun on The Cloud G/SP-015 was the intention, although I felt so tired when I reached the parking spot that I briefly considered going back hom or even having a snooze right there and then! But as usual, I threw on the coat and rucksack, and trudged up the hill. I managed to be on air two minutes ahead of my SOTAwatch Alert time of 0723, working Mark G0VOF on 3.518MHz CW at 0721 UTC. This was the first of seven QSOs on 80m CW, before I gave in and uncoupled the first set of links in the Band Hopper IV. Across the summit came the yellow-jacket-wearing Geordie who does two circuits over this hill every single morning, without fail.

In less than ten minutes, I was QRV again, and working mainly German stations. One of them - DL7RKK - called me many times during my activation, often on the same band he had already worked me on! 21 contacts were made on 40m CW before I undid more lnks to shorten the antenna once again. 10MHz proved to be in half-decent shape, nice and lively with a little bit of DX potential. It was a total of 31 QSOs on 30m CW, before the final pair of links were uncoupled creating a dipole for 20m. Normally 14MHz wins all, but not today. Just twenty stations were worked on 20m CW before that run ended, and I decided to repeat the entire cycle!

So, it was back to 80m CW for three more contacts, all with G/GW SOTA chasers. Now it was back on 40m which was really beginning to warm up, unlike the morning itself, where I was convinced that the air temperature had plummeted from the relatively balmy 3 degrees indicated when I started the walk some hours previous. While I was undoing the links to set for 40m, a couple were photographing each other at the trig point. I offered to take one of them both together, which seemed to please them, and I fielded the first set of questions of the day about my activity.

It was so cold that I now deployed the bothy bag to allow for marginally more comfortable conditions while operating. Steve MW0BBU/P was heard with a massive signal from Foel Cwmcerwyn GW/MW-011. He had a big pile-up on 7.0325MHz CW, but he pulled me out second call for a pleasing S2S. I then settled on 7.0313MHz to run. I was delighted when Dave G6DTN/P called me for a S2S from Stiperstones G/WB-003, on the way to making a further ten QSOs on 40m. Moving back onto 10MHz, I was only able to muster up five further QSOs, but as two of these were into the USA, I was more than satisfied. W1DQ in CT, and N4CC in FL were two of my best three DX of the day, although my best contacts, I would say, were the HF CW S2S QSOs, and I still had more of these to come. Back on 14MHz, I added AE4FZ in NC, but only two other contacts, confirming my perspective that the band was in poor shape compared to its norm.

The SOTAwatch Spots indicated that there were more currently ongoing activations, and mostly on 40m. So I changed the links on the BHIV accordingly, and promised myself that this would be the final change of the day. Eleven more QSOs were added to the log, including S2S with Peter DL4NV/P on Alte Mark DM/TH-658 and Mike G0HIO/P on High Vinnalls G/WB-012. A couple of 'gotaways' were Hajo DJ9MH/P on Hellberg DM/NW-161 and Jean-Marc ON4KJM/P on Bois de Hodinfosse ON/ON-013. So it will be the SWL log, rather than the chaser log for this pair. My final run was on 7.033MHz CW, a QRG just vacated by another activator. No less than four stations, who had all already worked me on 40m CW, all came back to me to work me. I wonder if they thought it was the other station still on frequency?

I was very cold and hungry, and eager to pack up, descent, get in the car with the heater cranked up, get home and have lunch. The journey home was accompanied by BBC Radio 5 Live reporting that Oscar Pistorius has released a statement strenuously denying the murder of his girlfriend. I suspect he hasn't got a leg to stand on.

The "final scores" for the activation were as follows:

80m CW: 10 QSOs, 4 DXCC [DL, G, GW, S5]
40m CW: 49 QSOs, 17 DXCC [DL, F, G, GM, GW, HB, I, LA, OE, OK, OM, ON, OZ, PA, S5, SM, SP]
30m CW: 35 QSOs, 15 DXCC [9A, DL, E7, F, G, HA, HB, I, OE, OK, OM, OZ, S5, SM, SP, UR, W]
20m CW: 23 QSOs, 14 DXCC [9A, DL, HA, I, IS0, OK, OM, OZ, PA, RA, SM, SP, W, YO]
Totals: 117 QSOs, 50 "slots", 25 DXCCs.

Many thanks to all stations who called into my activation. It was then off to see John Shuttleworth that night at the Buxton Opera House!

G0VOF	80m	CW
S58MU	80m	CW
S51ZG	80m	CW
DL3HXX	80m	CW
G4OWG	80m	CW
M0LEP	80m	CW
MW0IML	80m	CW
DL2EF	40m	CW
DM2SWD	40m	CW
DL7RKK	40m	CW
DJ8WO	40m	CW
DL2JES	40m	CW
DL9MDW	40m	CW
GM4JYB	40m	CW
DJ5AV	40m	CW
OK1HCG	40m	CW
LA8BCA	40m	CW
S52CU	40m	CW
ON9CBQ	40m	CW
F8CZI	40m	CW
OE3CHC	40m	CW
DK7ZH	40m	CW
DL3HXX	40m	CW
F5SQA	40m	CW
PA0B	40m	CW
OK2BUT	40m	CW
I5FLN	40m	CW
F6DFZ	40m	CW
OK1DIG	30m	CW
DL2KUA	30m	CW
OE7PHI	30m	CW
DL7RKK	30m	CW
9A2QP	30m	CW
SM0BSB	30m	CW
DK3WL	30m	CW
OK4IT	30m	CW
F8AAB	30m	CW
HB9CUE	30m	CW
OK2MW	30m	CW
OK1DVM	30m	CW
HB9BYZ	30m	CW
OK2KR	30m	CW
G4OBK	30m	CW
DF5WA	30m	CW
E77O	30m	CW
OZ4RT	30m	CW
HA2NEP	30m	CW
OM73DX	30m	CW
S53ML	30m	CW
DK2ZO	30m	CW
S52CU	30m	CW
I2ZBX	30m	CW
IK3ELC	30m	CW
HB9BCB	30m	CW
DM5BB	30m	CW
DL0TE	30m	CW
DL8MBS	30m	CW
SP3DV	30m	CW
OK2HBY	20m	CW
YO6CFB	20m	CW
OK1US	20m	CW
OK2XRW	20m	CW
DL8UVG	20m	CW
HA1ST	20m	CW
PA3DUO	20m	CW
9A2DS	20m	CW
SP3AZO	20m	CW
OM5DP	20m	CW
SM5RV	20m	CW
UA3MIQ	20m	CW
IS0RDY	20m	CW
W4ZV	20m	CW
HA5LV	20m	CW
OZ4UN	20m	CW
IK1GPK	20m	CW
SP4NKQ	20m	CW
HA2RQ	20m	CW
OM3LO	20m	CW
G4SSH	80m	CW
G4FGJ	80m	CW
MW6GWR	80m	CW
MW0BBU/P on Foel Cwmcerwyn MW-011	40m	CW
HB9AGO	40m	CW
DL2HWI	40m	CW
ON4FI	40m	CW
G4WTF	40m	CW
GM0OAA	40m	CW
G4FGJ	40m	CW
G6DTN/P on Stiperstones WB-003	40m	CW
DL1FU	40m	CW
SP6NIJ	40m	CW
G4DDL	40m	CW
DL7VKD	40m	CW
G4WSX	40m	CW
F8EAI	40m	CW
G0HGH	40m	CW
DK1AX	40m	CW
OZ3FI	40m	CW
DF7OM	40m	CW
N4CC	30m	CW
DJ5AV	30m	CW
SP1DPA	30m	CW
W1DQ	30m	CW
HB9CKV	30m	CW
UU4JIM	20m	CW
AE4FZ	20m	CW
DL8UVG	20m	CW
G0HIO/P on High Vinnalls WB-012	40m	CW
OM1AX	40m	CW
DK7ZH	40m	CW
DL7URB	40m	CW
PA9CW	40m	CW
SM6DER	40m	CW
DL6AP/LH	40m	CW
DL1DVE	40m	CW
DL2KAS	40m	CW
DL4NV/P on Alte Mark TH-658	40m	CW

Tuesday 26th February 2013, and the evening of the 6m UKAC. The Cloud isn't the best contest site for this sort of thing, although it is quite good I suppose. A much better nearby site in order to be competitive is Merryton Low - but I just don't get the same kick or enjoyment from operating there as i do from a bona fide SOTA summit!

I was up on the summit very early, but this did mean that I had to endure the bitter cold and wind for that much longer! I set up the 6m Delta loop, and the 80m dipole above it on the same pole. In the strong winds this arrangement took some getting up in the air. So long in fact that I lost all my available time to do some 80m before the 8pm start for the 6m contest. Still, at least I started the contest on time, and could think about doing some 80m afterwards.

In the contest I made 59 contacts, 57 on 6m SSB and two on 6m CW. Switching to 80m CW after the end of the contest, I made eight QSOs, bringing th activation total to 67. CT7AEZ on 80m CW was a nice contact.

G4NTY	6m	SSB
G3TDH	6m	SSB
M0ICK	6m	SSB
G8REQ	6m	SSB
M1DDD	6m	SSB
G0CER	6m	SSB
G4APJ	6m	SSB
M6SRZ	6m	SSB
G0NED	6m	SSB
G3UVR	6m	SSB
G4HGI	6m	SSB
M3RNX	6m	SSB
G0WWH	6m	SSB
G6WRW/P	6m	SSB
GW4ZAR	6m	SSB
G8MIA	6m	SSB
G4ZRP	6m	SSB
2E0LKC	6m	SSB
M0HGY	6m	SSB
2E0LMD	6m	SSB
G0BFJ	6m	SSB
G2ANC	6m	SSB
2E0BMO	6m	SSB
M1EEV	6m	SSB
G4TVR	6m	SSB
2E0UOG	6m	SSB
G4TUP	6m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	6m	SSB
G8ZRE	6m	SSB
2E0ZDX/P	6m	SSB
M0BUL	6m	SSB
M0COP/P	6m	SSB
G3MEH	6m	SSB
M0GVG/P	6m	SSB
GW4BVE	6m	SSB
M0NST	6m	SSB
M0VXX/P	6m	SSB
GI4SNA	6m	SSB
G4OBK	6m	SSB
G0JCQ	6m	SSB
M1MHZ	6m	SSB
G3PYE/P	6m	SSB
G4VPD	6m	SSB
G4RQI	6m	SSB
G3RCW	6m	SSB
G4ERO	6m	SSB
G0HGH	6m	CW
G6UW	6m	SSB
2E0HRO	6m	SSB
M0CGL	6m	SSB
G8FMC	6m	SSB
G3VCA	6m	SSB
G7DWY	6m	SSB
G4WJS	6m	SSB
G7RAU	6m	CW
G3SMT	6m	SSB
M1ZRP	6m	SSB
M6KSB/P	6m	SSB
M0WLF	6m	SSB
GI4ONL	80m	CW
F5AGB	80m	CW
G4XRV	80m	CW
M0BKV	80m	CW
G3IGZ	80m	CW
DL2EF	80m	CW
OK1DX	80m	CW
CT7AEZ	80m	CW

On Monday 4th March 2013, I found myself with some time to spare, and as ever, exercise to do. On this occasion I spent rather more time exercising my fingers on the CW paddle than I did my lungs and muscles by walking! It was a pleasant sunny day, but with a cold breeze across the summit. Wanting plenty of space to set up the Band Hopper IV linked dipole for 80-40-30-20m, I continued past the summit and slightly downslope into the heather. Here I found a very sheltered spot at the foot of a steep six foot bank. I had never noticed it before.

After setting up the aerial, I made myself comfortable in my newly discovered shelter and got cracking with some radio. I was back out of my comfort very quickly, as with only two QSOs coming on 80m, an early change of links was necessary! 40m CW was a little better with 20 contacts being made, before 12 on 30m CW. 20m would be the champion of this activation, with 24 QSOs, including two S2S, and DX into the USA and Canada.

I didn't feel like cycling through the four bands again, so I packed up and did dome 2m FM from the handheld, while stood up nearer the trig point. Eight QSOs included S2S with Mickey 2E0YYY/P, and my son Jimmy M0HGY, and brought the activation total to 66 contacts.

GI4ONL	80m	CW
G4FGJ	80m	CW
MW0BBU	40m	CW
PA0HRM	40m	CW
G0TDM	40m	CW
G4SSH	40m	CW
DF8KY	40m	CW
G4WSX	40m	CW
DL2EF	40m	CW
DJ5AV	40m	CW
DF5WA	40m	CW
G0ANV	40m	CW
G4ZRP	40m	CW
G3CWI	40m	CW
MM0GYX	40m	CW
DL2KAS	40m	CW
G3XQE	40m	CW
PA0B	40m	CW
G4BLH	40m	CW
DL3HXX	40m	CW
GM0OAA	40m	CW
GW8OGI	40m	CW
S58MU	30m	CW
DL1DVE	30m	CW
LA8BCA	30m	CW
G3CWI	30m	CW
DL9MDI	30m	CW
OK1DVM	30m	CW
PA0WLB	30m	CW
G3VQO	30m	CW
G4WSX	30m	CW
OK4IT	30m	CW
DL1FU	30m	CW
OK1PL	30m	CW
OE7PHI	20m	CW
UA6HGY	20m	CW
G3CWI	20m	CW
OK1PR	20m	CW
OK1US	20m	CW
HB9FAI/P	20m	CW
DJ9MH	20m	CW
HA3FZ	20m	CW
HB9BCB	20m	CW
MW0IDX/P on Moel Siabod NW-010	20m	CW
HB9HVK/P on Schilthorn BE-048	20m	CW
N4EX	20m	CW
W4ZV	20m	CW
OM2JU	20m	CW
HB9FMD	20m	CW
AE4FZ	20m	CW
HB9DNB/P	20m	CW
F8CZI	20m	CW
F6EAZ	20m	CW
UX0ZP	20m	CW
VE1WT	20m	CW
DL8DXL	20m	CW
DL5SVB	20m	CW
EU1FY	20m	CW
2E0YYY/P on Gun SP-013	2m	FM
M3XIE	2m	FM
M6RGF	2m	FM
GW4EVX	2m	FM
2E0COZ/M	2m	FM
M0WBG	2m	FM
G3CWI	2m	FM
M0HGY	2m	FM

On Tuesday 5th March 2013, I fancied trying out my 15m groundplane antenna. But upon arrival at the summit, I first checked on my 2m handheld for possible S2S contacts - and there were three! After these, I worked another three on 2m FM before commencing on 15m CW. Here, a run of ten contacts also included a S2S, and three more followed when I returned to 2m, despite only using the handheld and rubber duck aerial. This time, there were 11 QSOs on 2m FM, followed by 13 on 15m CW. The final contact of the activation was on 15m SSB, and altogether there were 41 QSOs.

MW0IML/P on Snowdon NW-001	2m	FM
2E0YYY/P on Shining Tor SP-004	2m	FM
MW6GWR/P on Moel y Gamelin NW-042	2m	FM
G6LUZ	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
M1CNL	2m	FM
IS0ESG	15m	CW
UA6GX	15m	CW
MW6GWR/P on Moel y Gamelin NW-042	15m	CW
IT9XUA	15m	CW
N4EX	15m	CW
N1EU	15m	CW
RA4AAJ	15m	CW
UR7UP	15m	CW
G4ZRP	15m	CW
UR4IOR	15m	CW
G4UXH/P on Red Screes LD-017	2m	FM
G8JSM/P on Billinge Hill SP-017	2m	FM
M3YFL/M	2m	FM
GW1FOA/P on Cadair Berwyn NW-012	2m	FM
M0JVW/M	2m	FM
M3VUO	2m	FM
2E0TXT	2m	FM
M6RGF	2m	FM
M3XIE	2m	FM
M6SRZ	2m	FM
2E0UHL	2m	FM
HA3FZ	15m	CW
W4ZV	15m	CW
UR5TLN	15m	CW
G3OKA	15m	CW
S51R	15m	CW
RV3YR	15m	CW
UT1DI	15m	CW
OK2TRN	15m	CW
K1BV	15m	CW
OH2BFG	15m	CW
S51NF	15m	CW
UU9JFT	15m	CW
S51ZG	15m	CW
UA3ZDC	15m	SSB

By Thursday 7th March 2013, I was in the mood for collecting DXCCs not yet worked (on CW) in the current calendar year on specific bands. Today it was the turn of 18MHz, so I carried the 17m groundplane antenna up with me on a cold and damp day. The band was in decent shape, and I made 48 contacts on it - 12 SSB and 36 CW. After packing away, the usual pre-descent jaunt on 2m brought a further five QSOs.

S52CU	17m	CW
UA1OIW	17m	CW
W4ZV	17m	CW
N4EX	17m	CW
K5DNA	17m	CW
KQ2RP	17m	CW
M3XIE	17m	SSB
G6ODU	17m	SSB
G4ZRP	17m	SSB
M5JAO	17m	SSB
S58MU	17m	SSB
N7UN	17m	CW
KG3W	17m	CW
S52ON	17m	CW
OK1AMM	17m	CW
EA4ESP	17m	CW
EA5YI	17m	CW
SN150AW	17m	CW
UA3GVV	17m	CW
IK8TEO	17m	CW
US7QV	17m	CW
W9UX	17m	CW
VE1RGB	17m	CW
UA4UBW	17m	CW
S51ZG	17m	CW
I3VAD	17m	CW
UA1CCA	17m	CW
UX4UM	17m	CW
WB0GOB	17m	CW
HA5CCU	17m	CW
DJ5AV	17m	CW
RD3AV	17m	CW
EU3NA	17m	CW
SP4NKQ	17m	CW
OE6WIG	17m	CW
GW4OKT	17m	CW
UY3IC	17m	CW
UT7LW	17m	CW
OK1APY	17m	CW
ES3ROG	17m	CW
UN5C	17m	CW
GW4OKT	17m	SSB
IZ5WSR	17m	SSB
EA3GIN	17m	SSB
SV2NCH	17m	SSB
EA4ESP	17m	SSB
KK1W	17m	SSB
WK3N	17m	SSB
M1CNL	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
M3YFL	2m	FM
2E0ZSU	2m	FM
M0XOC/M	2m	FM

After my epic 2m FM activation on Shining Tor G/SP-004 on Friday 8th March 2013, I decided to continue onto The Cloud. However, the wind was now so fierce as to make erecting the MFD atop the SOTA Pole almost unviable. Stubbornly, I pressed on with "Plan A" and got the thing up, but kept a very nervous eye on it throughout the 13 contacts made!

M3XIE	2m	FM
G6LUZ	2m	FM
G4ZRP	2m	FM
2E0XYL	2m	FM
G6ODU	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
GW4MVA	2m	FM
G3XQE	2m	FM
M0IBC	2m	FM
M3UGN	2m	FM
M0LGL/M	2m	FM
2E0BTX	2m	FM
GW1YQM	2m	FM

On Tuesday 12th March 2013, I saw a return to VHF UKAC contesting action. The conditions were absolutely rubbish and the wind and bitter cold did not help whatsoever! After a distinctly mediocre evening, I had made 54 QSOs, all on 70cm SSB. I then went straight home ahead of the early get-up for a SOTA trip to Shropshire the next day.

G2ANC	70cm	SSB
G6OES	70cm	SSB
M6KSB	70cm	SSB
G3TDH	70cm	SSB
G4NTY	70cm	SSB
G8IYE	70cm	SSB
2E0TXT/P	70cm	SSB
G6WRW/P	70cm	SSB
G3UVR	70cm	SSB
M6SRZ	70cm	SSB
G4APJ	70cm	SSB
2E0BMO	70cm	SSB
M1EEV	70cm	SSB
G6HFF	70cm	SSB
G3SMT	70cm	SSB
M3RNX	70cm	SSB
G4JLG	70cm	SSB
G8OHM	70cm	SSB
M0BUL/P	70cm	SSB
GD8EXI	70cm	SSB
G0VVE	70cm	SSB
G4HGI	70cm	SSB
M0COP/P	70cm	SSB
GW4BVE/P	70cm	SSB
G4CLA	70cm	SSB
M1DDD	70cm	SSB
G6LKB/P	70cm	SSB
2E0LKC	70cm	SSB
M0NST	70cm	SSB
2E0LMD	70cm	SSB
G0KTQ	70cm	SSB
G8REQ	70cm	SSB
G4BLH/P	70cm	SSB
M3ROU	70cm	SSB
M0HGY	70cm	SSB
G6CBX/P	70cm	SSB
M1MHZ	70cm	SSB
M0SDA	70cm	SSB
G4TUP	70cm	SSB
G3WGU	70cm	SSB
G0UWK	70cm	SSB
2E0UOG	70cm	SSB
G8MIA	70cm	SSB
GW8ASD	70cm	SSB
GI4SNA	70cm	SSB
GM0LIR/P	70cm	SSB
G3PYE/P	70cm	SSB
G6GVI	70cm	SSB
GW0IRW/P	70cm	SSB
2E0HRO	70cm	SSB
G8DOH	70cm	SSB
GI6ATZ	70cm	SSB
G8ZRE	70cm	SSB
G0XDI	70cm	SSB

I had decided to do an early activation on Saturday 16th March 2013. In particular, I was attracted by the alert of EO5JFF on a Ukrainian SOTA summit. That influenced by choice of alerted band and mode, and so 20m CW with the groundplane antenna and YouKits HB1B transceiver it was. Unfortunately, I slept in by a couple of hours, but decided to do the activation on the originally intended band and mode anyway, despite resigning myself to having missed the activation from Ukraine.

Running on 14.040MHz CW, I initially made seven QSOs. Then a station sent me a message, in CW, that EO5JFF was QRV on a frequency 1.7kHz up from mine. I moved up to this QRG and managed to make the S2S contact on the second call. Feeling very pleased with myself, I then made a further 13 contacts on 20m CW, before moving to 2m FM and making 12 more.

EA7AM	20m	CW
OK1DPU	20m	CW
S58MU	20m	CW
OK1HCG	20m	CW
I3VAD	20m	CW
HA7UG	20m	CW
OM5DP	20m	CW
EO5JFF on Selbukhra CR-030	20m	CW
OM3CFF	20m	CW
OH6KSX	20m	CW
SM3GQP	20m	CW
DL1DVE	20m	CW
GW4OKT	20m	CW
OE7PHI	20m	CW
S51ZG	20m	CW
M0VAA	20m	CW
RV1CT	20m	CW
UR7ET	20m	CW
UA3ZMQ	20m	CW
SP2DX	20m	CW
LA9RFA	20m	CW
9A2DS	20m	CW
M6RGF	2m	FM
G0WGL	2m	FM
M6BLV	2m	FM
2E0JKR	2m	FM
G6ODU	2m	FM
G7KPO	2m	FM
M3XIE	2m	FM
M0AFF	2m	FM
G3VBA	2m	FM
G0SLR	2m	FM
G0OHY	2m	FM
G1JPV/P	2m	FM

Keeping the daily walking regime going was important to me, so I made for the summit of The Cloud yet again on Sunday 17th March 2013. It was cold again, but quite nice and sunny, and with zero wind. Therefore, I set up my 12m groundplane antenna right on the cliff edge so I could sit and enjoy a great view while activating. 24MHz appeared to be in decent shape and I made 23 QSOs on the band - 21 on CW and 2 on SSB. Working with the 2m FM handy from the same spot brought an extra 12 contacts into the logbook, making a total of 35 QSOs for the activation.

UR5LBM	12m	CW
UT2LA	12m	CW
RN6AJ	12m	CW
UT3UY	12m	CW
G0WWH	12m	CW
RW4PP	12m	CW
LZ2DJA	12m	CW
LZ3QR	12m	CW
G4ZRP	12m	CW
UA3BV	12m	CW
LZ1AEY	12m	CW
EW6EW	12m	CW
UX8ML	12m	CW
UR7EZ	12m	CW
RD3ACR	12m	CW
UA3UAC	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M5HFJ	12m	SSB
HA8MT	12m	CW
HA8AT	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	CW
UA1TAL	12m	CW
G6LUZ	2m	FM
M1MAJ/M	2m	FM
M3ZCB/M	2m	FM
M0TUB	2m	FM
G0WGL	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
G0SLR	2m	FM
M1EYO/M	2m	FM
G6ODU	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
G4ONG	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM

Well Monday 18th March 2013 will surely go down as an historic day in SOTA. Why? Only five* spots, all day [*in compact view, 12 in normal view including 8 spots of one activation]. Whatever happened to those days when there would be such excitement at getting to 110 spots before afternoon tea that an MT member would start a thread titled with that now iconic number? And that thread would not only exceed that iconic number in terms of how many posts were in it, but also in reflection of the number of different subtopics within it?

Well friends, those were the heady, vibrant and successful days of SOTA. As Steely Dan would tell us, "Those days are gone now, over a long time ago". For if we carry on with this trend, we will be lucky to break through the zero barrier tomorrow. I tried to bolster the activity as best I could, but the ionosphere could never quite make up its mind whether it felt like playing or not. After another trip to the doctors, I went for a walk up The Cloud G/SP-015. It was a lovely day. By the time I had ascended and set up the 15m groundplane vertical, I was hot. Off with my jacket. A few CQ calls n, and I was still hot. Off with my fleece. Shirt sleeve operation in March - great! Midges in March - boo!

There didn't seem to be a great response to my initial CQ calls, and the skimmers certainly weren't hearing me, evidenced by the lack of RBN auto-spots appearing on SOTAwatch. I self spotted using Spotlite, and in came Brian G4ZRP for a contact. I was then over the moon as Geoff G6MZX called in - possibly for the first time as a SOTA CW chaser? I called Geoff back several times with a report, but that was the last I heard of him. I don't know what happened Geoff, but you just disappeared! Maybe next time?

Next in was Richard G3CWI who asked me if I was going to be on 2m later. I confirmed I was, before working UA6HGY. Igor, who interestingly has the same suffix as my son Jimmy M0HGY, seems to becoming a regular caller to my SOTA activations, although doesn't seem to have a chaser entry in the Database yet. Next I heard a DX station calling. It was CE6/F6DXE on holiday in Chile, and I managed to get him on the second call. He wasn't operating 'rubber stamp' and we had a very pleasant CW chat. Next, at last, was a European SOTA chaser - OE6WIG. The frequency had been empty of chasers from mainland Europe so far, and it was strange! (Only a couple more followed as well!).

Next up were two stations from Kyrgyzstan - EX2F and EX8MLE (and nearly followed by a third - EX8AS - but not worked). So the more DX type activity was there even if the bands were quiet in Europe. A further batch of Europeans too the tally on 15m CW to 13 QSOs. Several (self-spotted) calls on 21.230MHz SSB produced a zero response, and plugging the microphone in was, yet again, a complete waste of valuable time and not inconsiderable effort. The other alerted band/mode combo was 2m FM, but I packed all my HF station and aerial away first. With the rucksack safely on my back, I called CQ SOTA on S20 and ended up making three contacts. So it was 16 for the activation, and I drove round to G3CWI's QTH for a welcome cup of tea.

G4ZRP	15m	CW
G3CWI	15m	CW
UA6HGY	15m	CW
CE6/F6DXE	15m	CW
OE6WIG	15m	CW
EX2F	15m	CW
EX8MLE	15m	CW
RW3DOX	15m	CW
EM70LL	15m	CW
S52CU	15m	CW
RX3PY	15m	CW
UA3RAX	15m	CW
OH3TE	15m	CW
G3CWI	2m	FM
G6ODU	2m	FM
G6CHD	2m	FM

Driving back to Macclesfield after an activation of Gun G/SP-013 on Tuesday 19th March 2013, I found myself in conversation with Russ M6RGF/M, who was dropping some gear off at an amateur friend's QTH in Macclesfield. It did not take long to talk Russ into his debut SOTA activation - which would be on The Cloud G/SP-015 (of course). So after Liam got home from school and got changed, we drove out and met Russ at Lyme Green. From there, Russ followed me up to Bosley lights, right onto the A54, and then left onto minor roads, culminating in Red Lane and Cloudside.

Liam strode off ahead, while Russ and myself wandered up at a more relaxed pace suitable for nattering. Once near the top, Russ began to enthuse about the summit and the views. I set up the SOTAbeams MFD near the top of a SOTA Pole, which was guyed upright. Also, the top of the pole was supporting the apex of a 30m dipole.

I gave Russ the FT-817, SLAB and MFD to undertake a 2m FM debut activation. Meanwhile, I got the HB1B out again and did a 30m CW operation. Russ made 7 contacts on 2m FM, while I made 12 on 30m CW. We would have both made more, but we both called it a day when our frequencies fell silent for the first time, as it was ever so cold. I don't think Russ was feeling the cold though, as he was absolutely buzzing after a successful first SOTA activation. I hope it will be the first of many!

OK1DVM	30m	CW
DL8UVG	30m	CW
F5PLC	30m	CW
S58MU	30m	CW
DJ5AV	30m	CW
DL6AP	30m	CW
DL7BQ	30m	CW
OK1MLP	30m	CW
HB9BCB	30m	CW
DF5WA	30m	CW
OE7PHI	30m	CW
DL1FU	30m	CW

And another one: Wednesday 20th March 2013 - The Cloud G/SP-015.

Drove to Cloudside, via diversion (road works on lower road near A54). Walked up the hill. 25 contacts on 20m CW (HB1B & groundplane), 2 contacts on 2m FM (VX7R & RD). Descended to car. Drove to Harrington Arms pub, Gawsworth. Met G3CWI for a pint of Robinson's seasonal 'Hoptimus' ale.

DJ5AV	20m	CW
OH6KSX	20m	CW
OH3GZ	20m	CW
HB9BYZ	20m	CW
N4EX	20m	CW
HA5LV	20m	CW
W4ZV	20m	CW
HB9BQU	20m	CW
UU4JIM	20m	CW
OK1IT	20m	CW
S51ZG	20m	CW
OM5NJ	20m	CW
LA8LGA	20m	CW
EA8WH	20m	CW
OE7PHI	20m	CW
VE1WT	20m	CW
IK1ZML	20m	CW
DL8UVG	20m	CW
OK1JRU	20m	CW
OH3T	20m	CW
HB9DAX	20m	CW
IZ0PTY	20m	CW
OK5JM	20m	CW
F8FKK	20m	CW
IZ3GHP	20m	CW
G6LUZ	2m	FM
M0PAI	2m	FM

And then (Friday 22nd March 2013) the snow came. And so did the wind. In all honesty, not a huge amount of snow fell. But the gale force winds were blasting whatever it could out of fields, through gates and sculpting huge white 'sleepng policemen' in the roads. A few of these had to be negotiated in the country lanes around North Road once the police roadblock had forced me off the A523 Macc-Leek road. Apparently, Bosley crossroads (A523/A54 junction) was blocked with drifted snow, and the problem was recreating itself as fast as the fleet of yellow vehicles could clear it!

I suspected I might not be able to drive right up to the normal parking spot of Cloudside on Red Lane, but I was wrong. Half a mile to the west of the A523, the roads were almost completely clear, except for two small patches of ice on the higher part of Red Lane. It was incredibly windy though. Not too cold, although I'm sure the windchill factor would have been significant given the wind speed. I followed the usual staircase route up The Cloud G/SP-015, almost deafened by the sound of the angry easterly wind crashing into the wooded area to my right.

It was the same experience once out into the open on the National Trust land. The amplification factor of a few score trees getting in the way of the gale was gone, but only replaced by the increasingly loud howling of the wind as the path got higher and more exposed. By the most exposed bit, a few metres just before the summit where a steep drop lurks to the side of the path, the wind was really pushing my body around, and even had me running involuntarily at one point. Care was needed.

My planning was good. In the car earlier, I was in a group QSO on the Stoke-on-Trent repeater, GB3VT, output 145.725MHz. I requested all the guys to meet me on S20 at 1325z, and also asked known chaser Dave M3XIE to spot me as being QRV by that time. I simply put my logbook, pencil and VX7 into my coat pockets and ascended without a rucksack or poles. My first CQ SOTA call was met with a barrage of stations, so several had obviously responded to the repeater request, or seen Dave's spot (thanks Dave). In the next six minutes, seven stations were worked, all on 2m FM, and I then made for a sharp exit.

This time, I found myself experiencing zero velocity as the force of my body going forward was met with equal and opposite from the wind blasting into my chest, head on. This was right by that exposed part of the path as well. Again, care was taken as I worked my way past that part and back down to the woods, and then the car. The weather was so bad today that only a complete nutter would go out activating - and I wanted to be the one. Seems I was the only one as well!

G6LUZ	2m	FM
2E0BKW	2m	FM
M3XIE	2m	FM
G3CWI	2m	FM
M0KLT	2m	FM
M0ACA	2m	FM
M3YFL	2m	FM

Tuesday 26th March 2013, and winter still well and truly in business. It should have course have ceased at midnight on 15th March, but appears to be operating outwith the rules of Summits on the Air. Therefore it was really very cold as I ascended The Cloud G/SP-015, although this was in daylight for a change. As well as the cold temperature, it was pretty windy, with gusts, at the summit. So it was going to feel even colder than it was, and it was already cold enough without any help from the south-easterlies. I was running a little early, so I set up the 30m dipole over the top of the 6m delta loop, both on the same SOTA Pole. It took a while to adjust the tensions in the dipole legs and backguy so that the antennas looked like it might stay up for a while - and work. It also took some time and guile to find places that were not frozen rock hard, to take a peg.

Just after 7.20pm, I was ready to operate, and I called CQ on 10.116MHz CW, while hoping to be heard and auto-spotted by the RBNgate. After just one QSO, I moved down to 10.114MHz to avoid QRM and QRN. Nine stations were worked, most of them unfamiliar to me, but when calls like OK1DVM and W4ZV came through, I knew I was on the spots. After W4ZV, a further 15 minutes of CQ calling brought nothing more at all, so I switched off the HB1B and reconnected my headphones and paddle to the FT-817. At 2000 UTC I called 'CQ contest' and was immediately answered by Mark G0VOF. I remained running on 50.185MHz SSB for the first half hour, reaching serial number 033, but only four multipliers. Then it was time to go hunting.

While I found my targets easily enough, working them was a different matter. QRN and QSB were disabling factors all evening, as well as "one-way propagation". That is, where I was hearing stations loud and clear, calling them, and they clearly were not hearing me. Within that first hour, my fingers started to numb up with the cold, so I pulled out the bothy bag and got inside. I was to remain in there for the rest of the event, having made a conscious decision not to get out to reorient the antenna at any stage. So it was left facing NW-SE, and this no doubt had a negative impact on my multiplier count.

By the end I had worked 53 QSOs, but only into 8 multipliers - IO64, 81, 82, 83, 91, 92, 93 and JO02. Also heard were IO75, 84, JO01 and JO03, and I would have probably needed all four of those to be competitive in this session. At the time of writing I lie 2nd in the AL (low power) section, but with known competitive stations still to submit their entry. I telephoned Jimmy M0HGY who I knew would have just finished the contest as well, and asked that he spot me on 10.116MHz CW. This he did, but I failed to get any answers to my CQ calls. My patience lasted no more than 10 minutes, and I decided to start the packaway routine.

Lifting up the bothy bag revealed that it was snowing heavily all around me. The next ten minutes were most unpleasant, for it was very windy, and bitterly cold, plus I had two aerials to wind up and put away! After reaching the car, I took great care dropping down the lanes to the A54, as quite a bit of snow had now landed on top of compacted snow and ice that was already there. To make matters worse, on BBC Radio 5 now at this time on a Tuesday is "Bump Club", a programme charting the pregnancies and experiences of several women. I normally prefer to listen to BBC Radio 2, and Mark Radcliffe's "Music Club", but I was waiting to hear the score and report of England's match away in Montenegro. After getting home, I went straight into the shack to enter my contest log. The shack heater was turned up, and my two fleeces remained on!

S51MF	30m	CW
DF3MC	30m	CW
HA8ZB	30m	CW
RA6GW	30m	CW
EA4MZ	30m	CW
OK1DVM	30m	CW
OK1LV	30m	CW
RU6MO	30m	CW
W4ZV	30m	CW
G0VOF	6m	SSB
G8REQ	6m	SSB
M3RNX	6m	SSB
GW8ASD	6m	SSB
GW4ZAR	6m	SSB
G2ANC	6m	SSB
G3UVR	6m	SSB
G4APJ	6m	SSB
G8HXE	6m	SSB
G4TUP	6m	SSB
M6SRZ	6m	SSB
2E0UOG	6m	SSB
2E0BMO	6m	SSB
G3RKF	6m	SSB
M3OUA	6m	SSB
M1DDD	6m	SSB
G6LUZ	6m	SSB
G8MIA	6m	SSB
G0FWU	6m	SSB
G4IOQ	6m	SSB
G6HFF	6m	SSB
G4NTY	6m	SSB
G1EVR	6m	SSB
G0WTM	6m	SSB
G8ZRE	6m	SSB
M0HGY	6m	SSB
G3SMT	6m	SSB
G8PZT	6m	SSB
2E0HRO	6m	SSB
G6WRW/P	6m	SSB
G4GIQ	6m	SSB
M3ZPJ	6m	SSB
G0CER	6m	SSB
G6TGO	6m	SSB
M0WLF	6m	SSB
G3PYE/P	6m	SSB
G0BWB	6m	SSB
G4WJS	6m	SSB
G4ERO	6m	SSB
G7DWY	6m	SSB
M0YHB/P	6m	SSB
GI4SNA	6m	SSB
G3TDH	6m	SSB
G4IDF	6m	SSB
G4VFL/P	6m	SSB
M1ZRP	6m	SSB
G3VCA	6m	SSB
GW4BVE	6m	SSB
M6RGF	6m	SSB
2E0XJP	6m	SSB
G7RIS	6m	SSB
M0COP	6m	SSB
M0RKX/P	6m	SSB

The bitter winter continues into April. We continue to be battered by the icy Siberian winds, but at least southern Spain and North Africa are copping for out April showers. Every cloud... So it was dry, clear, but very very cold on the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 on the evening of Monday 1st April 2013. For the first time ever, I elected to go SOTA-style with the RSGB 80m Club Contests, and this session was CW.

Problem was it was just so windy, and the icy bite of this on top of the already bitterly cold temperatures was testing to say the least. My mast collapsed three times in the difficult conditions, and the wind reached such a level that the bothy shelter couldn't be used as I couldn't even hear the audio in my headphones abve the racket it was making! So 43 QSOs on 80m CW in a thoroughly disappointing evening. Work to be done there. Thanks to all who worked me in the contest, but that were also collecting the SOTA chaser point.

G3XTT	80m	CW
G0GFQ	80m	CW
G4ABX	80m	CW
G4RGK	80m	CW
G3TDH	80m	CW
ON4FI	80m	CW
DJ5AV	80m	CW
G4ISJ	80m	CW
G4EDG	80m	CW
G3VDB	80m	CW
G4GBP	80m	CW
DF4PD	80m	CW
GM0OAA	80m	CW
G3SET	80m	CW
GM7WCO	80m	CW
PA2GRU	80m	CW
GW4BLE	80m	CW
G4GSX	80m	CW
G4ENA	80m	CW
G3LDI	80m	CW
M0PCB	80m	CW
G0CLP	80m	CW
G3IZD	80m	CW
G3RTE	80m	CW
GM4ZUK	80m	CW
G0PDA	80m	CW
G0TPH	80m	CW
G3OLB	80m	CW
G3WGN	80m	CW
GW3KDB	80m	CW
G3TKF	80m	CW
GW0ETF	80m	CW
G4ASR	80m	CW
G4FKA	80m	CW
G0TZZ	80m	CW
G4OTU	80m	CW
G0LZL	80m	CW
G4ELZ	80m	CW
G3TXF	80m	CW
M0IMW	80m	CW
GM3POI	80m	CW
G4MEM	80m	CW
G3WVG	80m	CW

Well I had the beam pointing down-country for over half the night, including the first half-hour, but no call from Brian G8ADD. Still never mind, I intended be up there again the next Tuesday freezing myself solid in the 432MHz event. On Tuesday 2nd April 2013, it was the 2m UKAC. I was a bit late out of the house, but at least that meant it was Jamie Cullem's Jazz show on BBC Radio 2 all the way to Cloudside. I took some time at the parking spot to check and double check I had all the correct radio kit, then set off on the familiar ascent. There was certainly a cold wind across the summit, but not as bad as the previous evening. I set up the SOTAbeams SB5 from SOTAbeams (other SOTAbeams SB5s are not available - not even from SOTAbeams) and hunkered down by the topograph. All in the nick of time - it was 1857z - 3 minutes before the contest start time!

Things started well enough with a rapid run of QSOs from (mainly) IO83 square, but the pole was increasingly unstable. The wind was picking up and really shoving the SOTA Pole around, so that I had to keep repositioning the base to keep it upright. The inevitable came with the first mast collapse of the evening - sadly not the last. But this was far from the worst of the problems. Suddenly my FT817 was displaying very high VSWR - with blocks right the way across the screen. I traced the issue to the crocodile clips at the antenna end of the feeder, which were noted to have some rusty sections. I gave these a good scrape with my keys and reconnected - problem solved - but only in the short term, for like the mast collapses, this would also be a recurrent problem through the night.

So these niggles cost me a significant amount of operating time, and enthusiasm within the 2.5 hour event. Nonetheless, I managed 66 QSOs into 12 multiplier squares. Quite good for a SOTA activation, but quite rubbish for a VHF contest. A map of my QSOs can be seen here: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2013/ouI40Om5ge1RoqTNiRmJ855G0kRwQas The drive home was good as it always is, accompanied by Mark Radcliffe's excellent "Music Club" show on BBC Radio 2.

G4NTY	2m	SSB
G3TDH	2m	SSB
M3RNX	2m	SSB
G6LUZ	2m	SSB
M3CPY	2m	SSB
M6RGF	2m	SSB
G4BKF	2m	SSB
2E0CTW/P	2m	SSB
G7RHF	2m	SSB
G4PWD	2m	SSB
M6KSB	2m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	2m	SSB
G4APJ	2m	SSB
M3OUA	2m	SSB
2E0ZDX/P	2m	SSB
2E0LKC	2m	SSB
2E0NSR	2m	SSB
G2ANC	2m	SSB
GW4EVX	2m	SSB
M0AFF	2m	SSB
G7LPZ	2m	SSB
M6SRZ	2m	SSB
M0HGY	2m	SSB
GW8ASD	2m	SSB
G8REQ	2m	SSB
G0KTQ	2m	SSB
G4BLH/P	2m	SSB
G4IDF	2m	SSB
G8MIA	2m	SSB
M1DDD/P	2m	SSB
F1VNR/P	2m	SSB
G3MEH	2m	SSB
G6WRW/P	2m	SSB
M0EMM	2m	SSB
G4VPD	2m	SSB
GI4SNA	2m	SSB
M0LEX/P	2m	SSB
M0WYB	2m	SSB
M1ZRP	2m	SSB
G6MML	2m	SSB
2E0UOG	2m	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	2m	SSB
G3UVR	2m	SSB
G0BBL/P	2m	SSB
M0BUL/P	2m	SSB
G6LKB/P	2m	SSB
M0RSD	2m	SSB
G8ONK	2m	SSB
G4PGJ	2m	SSB
G7PAL	2m	SSB
G4FZN/P	2m	SSB
G0CER	2m	SSB
G0BWB	2m	SSB
G8ZRE	2m	SSB
2W0JYN/A	2m	SSB
G8HXE/P	2m	SSB
2E0MDJ/P	2m	SSB
G8UGL	2m	SSB
G0XDI	2m	SSB
G4WJS	2m	SSB
M6PXY	2m	SSB
M0RKX/P	2m	SSB
G6UW	2m	SSB
GW4BVE	2m	SSB
G8OVZ/P	2m	SSB
G0ODQ	2m	SSB

And, as promised, I was up there again the following week, Tuesday 9th April 2013 was the 4th 432MHz UKAC of the year, and up The Cloud G/SP-015 I went. It was very windy at the top, so I continued on to some shelter afforded by the rocks around to the North West facing end of the summit plateau. This wouldn't be so good for the South East, but perfect for the North West. It was bitterly cold, and at one point I gave up and put my thick padded gloves on. But then, to my surprise, I found I could both operated the radio, and write my log with both hands in thick gloves - bonus!

Even in this sheltered position, I suffered four mast collapses during the evening. Exposed to the full force of the wind and gusts at the summit point would have been totally unsustainable. Anyway, in the end I got 52 QSOs, into 10 multiplier squares. That resulted in a 6th position finish. A map of my QSOs is here: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2013/logqq5mOyoZpMF1XNCfIMkZGVBCXNLC

G3CKR/P	70cm	SSB
G8HXE/P	70cm	SSB
G8REQ	70cm	SSB
G0VOF	70cm	SSB
M0HGY	70cm	SSB
2E0HRO	70cm	SSB
G3UVR	70cm	SSB
2E0BMO	70cm	SSB
GW4BVE/P	70cm	SSB
G8ZRE	70cm	SSB
2E0MDJ/P	70cm	SSB
2W0JYN	70cm	SSB
G6HFF	70cm	SSB
M6SRZ	70cm	SSB
G6TGO	70cm	SSB
G6WRW/P	70cm	SSB
G1SWH	70cm	SSB
G8MIA	70cm	SSB
M0LEX/P	70cm	SSB
G8XYJ	70cm	SSB
GI4SNA	70cm	SSB
G4BLH/P	70cm	SSB
G8ONK	70cm	SSB
M3OUA	70cm	SSB
G4CLA	70cm	SSB
M0VXX/P	70cm	SSB
G6LKB/P	70cm	SSB
M1AIX	70cm	SSB
G3SMT	70cm	SSB
M0NST	70cm	SSB
2E0UOG	70cm	SSB
G8OHM	70cm	SSB
G3UKV	70cm	SSB
GD8EXI	70cm	SSB
2E0LKC	70cm	SSB
G4JLG	70cm	SSB
G0UWK	70cm	SSB
G4TUP	70cm	SSB
GW4EVX	70cm	SSB
GW8ASD	70cm	SSB
M0COP/P	70cm	SSB
G0WTD	70cm	SSB
G0KTQ	70cm	SSB
M0RKX/P	70cm	SSB
G4NTY	70cm	SSB
G0LGS/P	70cm	SSB
G0ODQ	70cm	SSB
M1DDD/P	70cm	SSB
G8DOH	70cm	SSB
M0YHB/P	70cm	SSB
M0EMM	70cm	SSB
G3PYE/P	70cm	SSB

Well I returned to The Cloud G/SP-015, yet again, on Wednesday 10th April 2013, this time for the 80m Club Contest SSB. I took the HBIV linked dipole rather than the single band 80m dipole. This was because the former has the facility at the ends of the legs to fold them back and clip them back up the wire, thus increasing the resonant frequency. I did this at about 20cm back on each leg. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the FT-817's SWR meter display showed no blocks at all all the way from 3.600 to 3.775 without further adjustment. Now I know of course that doesn't mean that SWR was uniformly perfect across the frequency range, but no blocks on the 817 screen has always proved to be a reliable indicator that your aerial is about the right size!

The 80m band was rammed with contest stations in the event frequency ranges of 3.600 to 3.650 and 3.700 to 3.775MHz, and the hope of me securing a running frequency was nil. I probably need to be on summit calling and working SOTA for an hour in advnace of these sessions to have any chance of holding a frequency, but even then, with 5 watts QRP I might be struggling even so! If I can afford the time, then that is what I'll try in the future.

So S+P all the way it had to be, and a measly 37 QSOs in the bag after the end of the 90 minute session. I then found the usual after-contest chat net for my contest group (Tall Trees CG) and had a natter with Brian G3UJE, Jim G3KAF, Jim G3VDB, Jimmy M0HGY and Simon M0TGT. As the group dispersed, I asked Jimmy to spot me on the 3.645MHz QRG for the benefit of any SOTA chasers still up and about, as I hadn't come across any during the contest period, although I did hear Brian G4ZRP S+P'ing. Anyway, I worked a further six stations in SOTA mode to take the activation total to 43. It was bitterly cold again up there and so packing away was not much fun. Enjoyable overall though.

G3MKS	80m	SSB
G3UJE	80m	SSB
G4ASR	80m	SSB
G3BJ	80m	SSB
G0LZL	80m	SSB
GW4BVE	80m	SSB
G3TXF	80m	SSB
G4CLA	80m	SSB
G3TBK	80m	SSB
G3ORY	80m	SSB
G3NPF	80m	SSB
G3TKF	80m	SSB
G3KAF	80m	SSB
G0AAA	80m	SSB
G3YHV	80m	SSB
G4FAL	80m	SSB
G4FNL	80m	SSB
M0DHO	80m	SSB
GW4BLE	80m	SSB
GM3POI	80m	SSB
G3XSV	80m	SSB
G4BZP	80m	SSB
G4DAA	80m	SSB
G4WBV	80m	SSB
G0DWV	80m	SSB
G7RAU	80m	SSB
G0BWB	80m	SSB
G4DOQ	80m	SSB
G3VCA	80m	SSB
G4WUG	80m	SSB
G3VPW	80m	SSB
G4FKA	80m	SSB
M0WLF	80m	SSB
G4EKT	80m	SSB
G3KNU	80m	SSB
G3VDB	80m	SSB
G0CLP	80m	SSB
M0TGT	80m	SSB
M0HGY	80m	SSB
M6KVJ	80m	SSB
M0MDA	80m	SSB
MW0IDX	80m	SSB
EA2DT	80m	SSB

I couldn't resist any longer. Friday 19th April 2013, and the gales had dropped, at last. So nipped into town to look for the last piece in the jigsaw - a Bluetooth keyboard - and off to the Gun G/SP-013. I set up the MM20 - vertical 20m antenna with groundplane, then connected up my FT-817 with SLAB, Wolphi-link interface and Samsung Galaxy S3 - with DroidPSK installed. Over a cup of tea that morning at G3CWI's QTH, he assured me it wouldn't work, which probably contributed to my determination to stick it out until it did! Immediately, I was seeing the signals on the waterfall, and I could decode them easily enough. But getting myself heard was a different matter. I tried calling CQ SOTA, I tried answering the other CQ calls in the subband. But nothing.

It was only after nearly 1 hour and 45 minutes of operating (and refining and tailoring macros) that OK1KM called me in after I had answered his CQ call. Result - the concept worked, and I just had to improve and refine my operating, as well as do more homework as to the bandplans and the best places to work QRP. I did not get any QSOs at all by calling 'CQ SOTA', although I nearly did when EB3JT replied. But nothing further was copied from this station, and therefore it is N.I.L. Time was marching on. After dismantling, I called on 2m FM from the handie while stood at the trig point, and Steven 2W0JYN became the second and final contact in the log.

It could well have been my worst ever SOTA activation in terms of QSO rate, but I rather enjoyed lounging around in the sunshine, developing some new skills for portable operating. On the way home I met Richard G3CWI in the Harrington Arms, Gawsworth, for a couple of ales. Richard had cycled from Macclesfield on his new red road bike. More PSK31 SOTA to follow soon.

OK1KM	20m	PSK31
2W0JYN	2m	FM

Tom M1EYP Wolphi-Link adaptor and 60kHz clock

Well today was an improvement, of sorts. Saturday 20th April 2013 was perfect activating weather - sunny and dry, but with enough breeze blowing to keep the bugs, flies and midges at bay. All the Cloudside parking spots were taken, unsurprisingly, when I arrived. However, one just pulled out as I was aboout to take a roadside spot further down Red Lane. The summit was very busy, and it remained like that all afternoon. I set up well away from the summit under some rocks, but lots of people made the extra trip to come and have a look at what I was doing. This time I set up the SOTAbeams BHIV 4 band linked dipole, to give some extra flexibility.

Bluetooth keyboard DroidPSK running on Samsung Galaxy Siii

Starting on 20m PSK31, there were lots of signals, all decoded easily by DroidPSK on my Galaxy S3, but nobody heard me, either my CQ calls or my S+P'ing. Connecting up the first set of links and moving to 30m, I managed a couple of marginal contacts, strewn with errors from my side as I still try to find a slick operating rhythm for PSK with this set-up. Better results were found on 40m, where I worked a massive four stations in just 20 minutes, easily my best ever mini-spell in my portable datamodes career so far. But then 80m, and a return to 20m both added nothing to the logbook. So PSK31 SOTA activation #2 brought 6 QSOs.

FT-817 on 20m PSK31 Rite in the Rain logbook

On the way home I had a nice chat with Mark G0VOF via the GB3VT (Stoke-on-Trent) 2m repeater, and he confirmed that he did receive my signal, briefly, on 20m PSK31, which was useful to know. This interesting experiment is to be continued.

F4FRQ	30m	PSK31
EA1DFP	30m	PSK31
DL2EF	40m	PSK31
G4APO	40m	PSK31
M0JLA	40m	PSK31
HB9AAQ	40m	PSK31

It used to be Tuesday night is SOTA night. And then it turned into Tuesday night is Contest night. For me it is usually both, and so it was on Tuesday 23rd April 2013. I was on the summit before even 7pm, so I set up the 6m delta loop ready for the 50MHz UKAC, then set up a groundplane antenna to cover three bands (30m, 20m, 17m) on HF. I kicked off on 20m and made ten QSOs in 10 minutes before the contest. The USA and Canada were both worked in this spell, as was Macclesfield.

Conditions on 6m were strange again, with all signals generally lower and lots of QSB kicking around. I ended up with 66 contacts into 12 multiplier squares. Heard, but frustratingly not worked were an EI station in IO65, a couple of Cornish stations in I070, plus stations in IO94, JO01 and JO03. Here is a map of my contest QSOs:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2013/AYPlPrdiAgtP1e7xUOQO5JXHub5HqJF

After the 10.30pm local contest end time, I reverted to the HF groundplane antenna. I made three contacts on 30m CW, three on 17m CW and four on 20m CW. Finally, after packing away, I called on the VX7R and added five on 2m FM. A total of 91 QSOs on a pleasant spring evening, with some long overdue semi-comfortable weather. Even so, it was very cold by the time I was packing away just after midnight local.

US0UX	20m	CW
OH3NAQ	20m	CW
AE4FZ	20m	CW
OH6KSX	20m	CW
G3CWI	20m	CW
OM3LL	20m	CW
VE1WT	20m	CW
W4ZV	20m	CW
S57LC	20m	CW
UU4JDD	20m	CW
2E0TXT/P	6m	SSB
2E0PLA	6m	SSB
2E0BMO	6m	SSB
G0FWU	6m	SSB
M0VAA	6m	SSB
G3UDA	6m	SSB
M3RNX	6m	SSB
G8MKC/P	6m	SSB
M0GVG/P on Shining Tor SP-004	6m	SSB
2E0ZDX/P	6m	SSB
G2ANC	6m	SSB
G4NDM/P	6m	SSB
M1DDD/P	6m	SSB
M0EMM	6m	SSB
MW0UPH/P	6m	SSB
G8REQ	6m	SSB
M0VXX/P	6m	SSB
G3UVR	6m	SSB
G4ONG	6m	SSB
G0CER	6m	SSB
G4ZRP	6m	SSB
GI4SNA	6m	SSB
G7FMF	6m	SSB
G4WJS	6m	SSB
G6TGO	6m	SSB
G0WTM	6m	SSB
G3SMT	6m	SSB
GW8ASD	6m	SSB
M3OUA	6m	SSB
G6HFF	6m	SSB
GW4EVX	6m	SSB
G3RCW	6m	SSB
G8ZRE	6m	SSB
G8MIA	6m	SSB
M0COP/P	6m	SSB
G6LUZ	6m	SSB
G3KAF	6m	SSB
2E0LKC	6m	SSB
G7DWY	6m	SSB
M1MHZ	6m	SSB
G3NGD	6m	SSB
G4NTY	6m	SSB
2W0JYN	6m	SSB
GW4ZAR/P	6m	SSB
G4TSW	6m	SSB
GM4JR	6m	SSB
M0HGY	6m	SSB
2E0UOG	6m	SSB
G3MEH	6m	SSB
2W0HRO/P	6m	SSB
G3PYE/P	6m	SSB
M0RKX/P	6m	SSB
GM3SEK	6m	SSB
M6SRZ	6m	SSB
G0WTD	6m	SSB
M6RGF	6m	SSB
G0KTQ	6m	SSB
G6WRW/P	6m	SSB
G3ZII	6m	SSB
2E0XJP	6m	SSB
G3XNO	6m	SSB
G4AFJ	6m	SSB
G0XDI	6m	SSB
G7RAU	6m	SSB
M0WLF	6m	SSB
G3VCA	6m	SSB
OK1PL	30m	CW
I3VAD	30m	CW
OK2BOB	30m	CW
G4OBK	17m	CW
K2TQC	17m	CW
VE2JCW	17m	CW
IT9ASD	20m	CW
LZ2UG	20m	CW
VE2JCW	20m	CW
M6MPC	20m	CW
G7RYN	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
2E0SXR	2m	FM
MW3HRE	2m	FM
M6RGF	2m	FM

I have been doing too much thinking. Thinking about maths and antennas, and what unexpected results you might get when combining them. For instance, I knew that my 40m dipole works very nicely on 15m, and that my 30m dipole sort of works on 10m. Then I was thinking about off-centre fed dipoles when I realised that my SOTAbeams Band Hopper IV (linked dipole for 80/40/30/20) could also be several different OCFDs with asymmetrical configuration of the links.

So I thought about the measurements of each part of the BHIV, and looked at the dimensions that might be achieved with these asymmetrical arrangements, combined with the ability of antennas to also work on thrice the intended frequency. I came up with the following "extra" bands that might be possible with a BHIV when closing the links as follows:

80/20: 17m
80/30: 60m
40/30: 12m
40/20: 10m
40/40: 15m
30/30: 10m

The last two are simply what I knew already from my single band 40m and 30m dipoles. The next step was to start reading up about OCFDs and their behaviour. This was what reminded me that while I love and enjoy mathematics, I do not love nor enjoy physics. While I was losing the will to live, I realised that instead I could simply go up a SOTA summit and try each arrangement and see what happened, rather than try to understand fully the dark world of OFCDs.

So, that was the main mission of my activation of The Cloud G/SP-015 on Thursday 25th April 2013. I kicked off with the 80-20 arrangement, and it appeared the theory had worked with a decent match/low SWR on 17m. I worked UU4JIM with a 599 report going out and a 559 coming back. So far so good. The FT-817 still needs modding for 5MHz, so I didn't test the 80-30 theory, so it was onto 40-20 for 10m and the 40-30 for 12m. Neither worked, not even close.

So to 40-40, ie the normal arrangement for a 40m dipole, and so this should enable 15m. Except that it didn't, much to my surprise. The SWR was high across the band. I double checked on 40m and the SWR was flat according to the FT-817's SWR meter display, and I worked three QSOs including Klaus DF2GN/P S2S on Gespaltener Fels DM/BW-147. This was strange, and as of yet I am unable to understand why. The same happened with 30-30 - it worked on 30m, but not at all on 10m. Before packing this aerial away, I tried some PSK31 on 40m and 80m, but could not get any replies.

Now I set up the 3 band groundplane vertical and began on 20m. Just five stations were worked, and I msut admit I had been wondering earlier if conditions were well down! This for 20m was perhaps an indication that indeed they were. Again, PSK31 on 20m amounted to nothing. Moving to 17m, just one QSO was made on CW - but it was a good one, Bill W4ZV over in North Carolina. Nothing was heard around the PSK frequencies.

I finished the activation using 30m on the vertical GP antenna. Two stations were worked on CW before I dedicated the last half hour to PSK31. I was more confident, as there was now more space in which to operate, frequency wise, and some big signals on the waterfall were being easily decoded by DroidPSK on my smartphone. A Portuguese station was repeatedly calling CQ, but clearly not receiving my replies. My own self-spotted CQs were not answered. Then a problem appeared where my FT-817 would stick on transmit after my macros had stopped and my phone was not in transmit mode. I failed to resolve this issue on the hill, and it was time to come home anyway, so that was that. An interesting day of experiments, but unfortunately not too many positive results to come away with. QSO rate was a stunning 12 in 2.5 hours...

UU4JIM	17m	CW
DF2GN/P on Gespaltener Fels BW-147	40m	CW
DK7ZH	40m	CW
DL3HXX	40m	CW
G3OKA	20m	CW
F8AAB	20m	CW
HB9FAI/P	20m	CW
DJ5AV	20m	CW
OK1AWH	20m	CW
W4ZV	17m	CW
I2CZQ	30m	CW
DL8UVG	30m	CW

The comments above were very helpful, and I made a set of notes in my logbook ahead of my activation of The Cloud G/SP-015 on Friday 26th April 2013. In between an appointment at the doctors, and a call at the chemist, I ascended my favourite hill. It was bright sunny and dry, but windy and chilly. I found a little spot enclosed by 2 feet high rocks on three sides and bedded down in there. It wasn't completely sheltered, but it was the best I could realistically hope for. After erecting the 40m dipole, I consulted my logbook and made the noted changes to the FT-817 menu settings. One of these was to disable any installed filters. I wasn't sure of the relevance of this until I connected my smartphone and opened the DroidPSK app. Now I could see PSK signals all the way across a range of 2000Hz, whereas before, they would just appear within a smaller range in the middle! DOH! I have made this dumb mistake at the home station as well - embarrassing!

Everything was almost ready to go - except that I could not get the radio to transmit no matter what I told DroidPSK to tell the radio to do. Another DOH! moment as I realised that the slider was not visible and needed to be dragged into the centre of the screen. Then I was up and running. I then made 8 QSOs on PSK31, four each on 40m and 15m. The thing holding me back now is not the station set-up or settings, but using the DroidPSK logging software and macros. I will spend some time customizing these macros to my operating style, and that should speed things up further.

Finally, I put the data stuff away and decided to do something I don't do too often - and call on HF SSB. 40m SSB produced just two QSOs, while 15m SSB returned nothing at all - maybe this is why I don't do SSB too often! Mind you, 15m CW also produced a zero return in terms of QSOs. 40m CW didn't fail though; it rarely does. After a S2S with Petr OK1FFU/P on Velký Špicák OK/US-002, I moved up 1 kilocycle and quickly worked 13 chasers. I was getting rather cold now, so I packed up. But I fancied a bit more as I walked back to the trig point, so I unclipped the VX7 and called on 2m FM. To my surprise, no fewer than ten stations answered the call, including S2S with Richard GW0IBE/P on Arenig Fawr GW/NW-011. A total of 34 QSOs for the activation, but particularly pleasing that 8 of them were on PSK31.

G6LUZ	40m	PSK31
G6TUH	40m	PSK31
PA4EA	40m	PSK31
DO1EWT	15m	PSK31
DJ0GD	15m	PSK31
G6LUZ	15m	PSK31
SV1BHF	15m	PSK31
PA0SKP	40m	PSK31
EA2CKX	40m	SSB
DL2EF	40m	SSB
OK1FFU/P on Velký Špicák US-002	40m	CW
OH3T	40m	CW
DL2EF	40m	CW
PA0LCE	40m	CW
DL3HXX	40m	CW
GM0OAA	40m	CW
PA0B	40m	CW
G4FGJ	40m	CW
PA0HRM	40m	CW
MW0BBU	40m	CW
OK2QA	40m	CW
DL7CO	40m	CW
DL2HWI	40m	CW
ON4FI	40m	CW
GW0IBE/P on Arenig Fawr NW-011	2m	FM
M3XIE	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0NSR/M	2m	FM
2E1AEQ/M	2m	FM
G0DMV/M	2m	FM
M6RGF/M	2m	FM
G6TDJ/M	2m	FM
G0WGL	2m	FM