The Cloud 2013 (3)

Activation reports and photos from 1st January to 26th April 2013 can be seen here. Details for 27th April to 13th July 2013 are here.

Well my plan to reintroduce the OPP-817 NiMH battery pack to the FT-817 didn't work. Periodic checking of the 817 the previous night showed the voltage indicator creeping up gradually. But to my surprise, the green "full charge" indicator would keep coming on after about 30 minutes of charging (set as 8 cells / 300mA rate), even though when you turned the 817 on, it was far from fully charged. On one check, the voltage indication had dropped somewhat from the previous check!

With the voltage showing 9.6V - far from 'full' but enough to do a short activation - I quit charging and planned a test activation for the morning of Thursday 18th July 2013. I was on the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 just before midday in blazing heat. After setting up the SOTAbeams MFD high on the SOTA Pole, I turned on the FT-817. It immediately turned itself off again. And again when I retried. There was absolutely nothing in the OPP-817 battery pack. It would appear that a long period of not being used has killed this battery pack; it must be discharging itself as soon as it is taken off charge.

So I was then wondering what to use, that will meet the following criteria:

1) Must fit inside the FT-817 battery pack compartment, like an internal.
2) Must be able to be charged directly - I know that charging via the rear jack of this 817 does not work, even though it can be powered for 'now' use that way.

Ultimately, I settled on using rechargeable NiMH AA cells in the supplied battery tray, and obtained a couple of packs of the Duracell 2400mAH batteries.

So what did I do on summit?

Well, I had popped Jimmy's BNC-SMA adaptor into my pocket, "just in case", so I was able to connect my VX7R to the MFD antenna. My first seven contacts of the activation were all S2S! Baz 2V0YVX/P, Steve MV0VFR/P and Mickey 2V0YYY/P were all on Shining Tor G/SP-004. Neil 2W0TDX/P and Karen 2W0XYL/P were on Plynlimon GW/MW-001. Allan GW4VPX/P was on Pen y Garn GW/MW-004, while Steve MW0BBU/P was on Foel Cwmcerwyn GW/MW-011. Eleven more QSOs took the tally for the activation to 18, all on 2m FM. And then it was time to go home.

2V0YVX/P on Shining Tor SP-004	2m	FM
MV0VFR/P on Shining Tor SP-004	2m	FM
2V0YYY/P on Shining Tor SP-004	2m	FM
2W0TDX/P on Plynlimon MW-001	2m	FM
2W0XYL/P on Plynlimon MW-001	2m	FM
GW4VPX/P on Pen y Garn MW-004	2m	FM
MW0BBU/P on Foel Cwmcerwyn MW-011	2m	FM
G0KHR	2m	FM
G0SLR	2m	FM
MV0XOC	2m	FM
M1CNL	2m	FM
MW0IDX/M	2m	FM
G4ZRP	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
MW0ZXQ	2m	FM
M0SAQ/M	2m	FM
M0NVJ/M	2m	FM
MV6HEN/M	2m	FM

Sunday 28th July 2013 was the day after our return from the GD DXpedition. I excused myself early evening to go and do an activation. Nothing special to report, just a small run of 20m CW QSOs followed by a small run of 2m FM QSOs. But altogether a better experience than staying in and watching Sunday early evening television.

E73SD	20m	CW
UA1ASB	20m	CW
US3ER	20m	CW
EA2DT	20m	CW
VE2JCW	20m	CW
N1EU	20m	CW
G4APO	20m	CW
EA8BWY	20m	CW
LA8BCA	20m	CW
HB9BCB	20m	CW
2W0JYN	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
2E0XYL	2m	FM
G6ODU	2m	FM
M6EZZ	2m	FM
M6SLE	2m	FM
G6LUZ	2m	FM

Sunday 4th August 2013. Woke up early-ish. Still had a headache. Went for a walk up The Cloud. Arrived at parking spot and began walk up the track from Cloudside. Suddenly remembered that I had neither taken the flat SLAB into the shack from the previous day, nor brought a freshly charged SLAB out with me. Doh.

Dumped rucksack back in car and put logbook and VX7R in my coat pocket for a lightweight walk. Enjoyed the short walk. Called CQ SOTA on 2m FM from the summit and made nine pleasant contacts. Walked back down. Drove home. Picked up Jimmy and Liam and went swimming with them. And then for a curry. Discussed upcoming activation possibilities with Jimmy.

2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
G8JIT	2m	FM
G7OEP	2m	FM
G7KPO/P	2m	FM
2E0IDK/M	2m	FM
2E0JKR	2m	FM
G7ADF	2m	FM

Tuesday 6th August 2013 was 2m contest night, and so back up to Cloud summit. I had a little slack time, so first put the 12m antenna up, adding just three QSOs to my SOTA Challenge score. Onto 2m SSB then, and 21 multipliers was one of, if not my all-time best. 85 QSOs was far from my best. But that's what happens with greater activity levels, the mults go up and the overall number of QSOs comes down (because the queues are longer).

I was pleased to get IO65, IO71, IO95, JO03 - all quite rare at the present time. The only one I heard but didn't get was IO70. I wasn't sure if IO86 was on - it usually is for the 2m UKAC. I got both the French stations, but never heard anything from ON, PA or DL. It would have made a big difference to have had just one of these also in my log. Following breakdown, I called on the handie and worked a few on 2m FM. Total QSOs for the activation was 93.

OE8SPW	12m	CW
G4AZS	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
M6SRZ	2m	SSB
GW4ZAR/P	2m	SSB
G6HFF	2m	SSB
G3UVR	2m	SSB
2W0JYN	2m	SSB
M6NNX	2m	SSB
M1CNY/P	2m	SSB
G3SAO	2m	SSB
M3OUA	2m	SSB
M0HGY	2m	SSB
G2ANC	2m	SSB
G4HYG	2m	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	2m	SSB
G0BFJ/A	2m	SSB
M1DDD/P	2m	SSB
G8HXE/P	2m	SSB
M0SDA	2m	SSB
G7DWY	2m	SSB
G8GXP	2m	SSB
GD8EXI	2m	SSB
G4VPD	2m	SSB
F8BRK	2m	SSB
G0HFX/P	2m	SSB
F1VNR/P	2m	SSB
G6UW	2m	SSB
2W0HRO/P	2m	SSB
G8PNN/P	2m	SSB
G4JLG	2m	SSB
GI4SNA	2m	SSB
G6LKB/P	2m	SSB
G7RAU	2m	SSB
M0BUL/P	2m	SSB
2E0LMD	2m	SSB
MI0CRR/P	2m	SSB
GM6JNJ	2m	SSB
M0LEX/P	2m	SSB
G4FZN/P	2m	SSB
G3PYE/P	2m	SSB
G8KBH	2m	SSB
G6HEF/P	2m	SSB
GW4BVE	2m	SSB
G3ZUD	2m	SSB
G8LYB	2m	SSB
G8ZRE	2m	SSB
M1MHZ	2m	SSB
G0CER	2m	SSB
2E0LKC	2m	SSB
G4CLA	2m	SSB
G0KTQ	2m	SSB
M0VAA	2m	SSB
G8MIA	2m	SSB
G4APJ	2m	SSB
G4BLH/P	2m	SSB
GM4PPT	2m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	2m	SSB
MW0UPH	2m	SSB
G7FMF	2m	SSB
G8XYJ	2m	SSB
G0WTD	2m	SSB
M0CGL	2m	SSB
G4VFL/P	2m	SSB
G3TDH	2m	SSB
G6WRW/P	2m	SSB
M3RNX	2m	SSB
M0COP/P	2m	SSB
G4ERO	2m	SSB
G4NDM/P	2m	SSB
G3YDY/P	2m	SSB
M0BRA	2m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	2m	SSB
M0VFC	2m	SSB
G8REQ	2m	SSB
M0ICK/P	2m	SSB
2E0UOG	2m	SSB
G4HGI	2m	SSB
MW0VXX/P	2m	SSB
G0LGS/P	2m	SSB
G4ODA	2m	SSB
G0EHV/P	2m	SSB
M0NST	2m	SSB
G6XHF	2m	SSB
G3XNO	2m	SSB
G6MML	2m	SSB
G0XDI	2m	SSB
G8TMV	2m	SSB
G4BKF	2m	SSB
M6ANX	2m	FM
G4VSS/M	2m	FM
M1EQD/M	2m	FM
G7WFK	2m	FM

I was nice and early on the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 for my 70cm contest activation on the evening of Tuesday 13th August 2013. So I set up the 12m antenna for the purpose of adding a few more QSOs to the account. There was a bit of breeze, but not too bad, so I set up on the heathery mound along by the edge. This appears to be the absolute summit of the hill, slightly higher than the trig point/topograph area. Pleasingly, 12m was open and lively, and I made 22 QSOs - 15 on CW, 4 on SSB and 3 on PSK31. These included S2S with Klaus DF2GN/P on Hummelsberg DM/BW-228. By 7.40pm local BST, I dismantled the 12m groundplane and put up the 6-el 70cm beam (from the SB270 system) in its place.

SB270 antenna set as 6-el for 70cm Tom M1EYP

In the contest I worked 66 QSOs, 4 on CW and 62 on SSB. The four on CW would have been unworkable on SSB in the poor QSB conditions plaguing the session, so having the paddle to hand gave me some big km scores and extra multipliers that would have otherwise got away. Around 8.35pm BST, Richard G3CWI arrived having cycled from Macclesfield. He hung around for a while and took some photos, but the temperature was dropping and he was dressed for being warmed up by exercise, not hanging around on a cold windy summit. So off he went for his return ride, which he advised would take him 40 minutes.

After 10pm, a group of people arrived on summit. There were still hanging around after I had finished packing up at 10.45pm BST, and as I suspected, they were trying to catch glimpses of the Perseids meteor shower. I gave it a minute or so with the headlight turned off, but broken cloud and a watery night sky in between appeared to offer no prospect of seeing the fireballs whatsoever. So I left them to it and made my way home, satisfied with 88 QSOs in the logbook. Here is a link to a map of the contest QSOs:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2013/dP4FEutGIgVN7UMJJ9IPbA9oHburMXc

M6BLV	12m	CW
OM7OM	12m	CW
EA2DT	12m	CW
OK2LI	12m	CW
OE5CSP	12m	CW
DF2GN/P on Hummelsberg BW-228	12m	CW
RN6HDL	12m	CW
SP9CDA	12m	CW
DL1DVE	12m	CW
DL5AWI	12m	CW
OM1AX	12m	CW
OE5EEP	12m	CW
OE3CHC	12m	CW
EA4AOC	12m	CW
HA5TI	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
EA2DT	12m	SSB
OM7OM	12m	SSB
DF2GN/P on Hummelsberg BW-228	12m	SSB
DF2GN/P on Hummelsberg BW-228	12m	PSK31
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
G4RRM	12m	PSK31
G8BUN	70cm	SSB
G1HSG	70cm	SSB
M6NNX	70cm	SSB
G8EOP	70cm	SSB
2E0UOG	70cm	SSB
G4HYG	70cm	SSB
G3UVR	70cm	SSB
G6HFF	70cm	SSB
2W0JYN	70cm	SSB
G0NAJ	70cm	SSB
M6BLV	70cm	SSB
M0ICK/P	70cm	SSB
G0XDI	70cm	SSB
M0AFJ	70cm	SSB
M0PJA/P	70cm	SSB
M0GVG/P	70cm	SSB
G6UW	70cm	SSB
GW4BVE/P	70cm	SSB
M0HGY	70cm	SSB
G8OHM	70cm	SSB
G4NTY	70cm	SSB
G8REQ	70cm	SSB
M0BUL/P	70cm	SSB
2E0LMD	70cm	SSB
M1DDD/P	70cm	SSB
G4CZP/P	70cm	SSB
G3PYE/P	70cm	SSB
G4JLG	70cm	SSB
M0TAZ	70cm	SSB
G0LGS/P	70cm	SSB
M0LEX/P	70cm	SSB
G3TDH	70cm	SSB
G6WRW/P	70cm	SSB
M0UFC	70cm	SSB
G4HGI	70cm	SSB
G3WFK	70cm	SSB
M1CNY/P	70cm	SSB
M0TJU/P	70cm	SSB
GW4EVX	70cm	SSB
GW8ASD	70cm	SSB
GI4SNA	70cm	SSB
G8ONK	70cm	SSB
M0SDA	70cm	SSB
2E0LKC	70cm	SSB
G4AFJ	70cm	SSB
G4NDM/P	70cm	SSB
G0ODQ	70cm	SSB
GI6ATZ	70cm	SSB
GM4JR	70cm	SSB
M3OUA/A	70cm	SSB
GM4CXM	70cm	SSB
2W0HRO/P	70cm	SSB
M0WYB/P	70cm	SSB
G4APJ	70cm	SSB
M0SAT	70cm	SSB
F1VNR/P	70cm	SSB
G3YDY/P	70cm	SSB
G0WTD	70cm	SSB
G8DTF	70cm	SSB
G3SMT	70cm	SSB
G2ANC	70cm	SSB
M0NST	70cm	SSB
G4NBS	70cm	SSB
G7RAU	70cm	SSB
G4CFP	70cm	SSB
M0IBC	70cm	SSB

To bring things finally up-to-date, I nipped out early on the morning of Saturday 24th August 2013, just up the local lump The Cloud G/SP-015. It was very misty at the top, with visibility less than 20 feet at times. I know us walkers tend to dislike mist and yearn for the cloudbase to be well above the summits, but there is something I do quite like about a misty Saturday morning on The Cloud!

Upon setting up the 12m antenna, I realised I had left the phone in the car, so self-spotting was out. The strategy therefore had to be to work on 2m FM on the handheld until known chasers came along who could post spots! First to oblige were Pete 2E0LKC and Anne 2E0LMD, while later on Steve G6LUZ did the honours.

The lack of phone also meant lack of PSK31, as I elected not to undertake the 14 minute round trip to retrieve it from the car! 12m was pretty dead for the majority of summit time, with most contacts groundwave into the local area. 12m SSB brought in 6 QSOs, while CW added a further 6, including three Russians (one European, two Asiatic), who were the only stations from outside the UK worked. 2m FM dominated the logbook, even though it was only used to support the 12m operation by soliciting spots! 15 QSOs were made on VHF, including GW100RSGB from the Powys Festival at Berriew. A total of 27 contacts, with 12 more to the 12m Challenge tally.

G6WXI	2m	FM
G0BJK	2m	FM
M6KRV	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
G8MIA	2m	FM
G8JIT	2m	FM
M6BLV	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	CW
G8MIA	12m	CW
R7HF	12m	CW
G6LUZ	2m	FM
G7JMZ/M	2m	FM
G6TDJ/M	2m	FM
G1PUV/M	2m	FM
M3XIE	12m	SSB
M0VFR	12m	SSB
2E0YVX	12m	SSB
GW4OKT	12m	CW
R9BA	12m	CW
RU9CD	12m	CW
GW100RSGB	2m	FM
2E0NSR/M	2m	FM
G1NUS/M	2m	FM
G0DMV/M	2m	FM

The next effort for the 12m Challenge was The Cloud G/SP-015 on Tuesday 27th August 2013. Unwittingly, I got rather a lot of exercise. In fact the first two exercise drills were planned and known. First I went swimming with Liam and did a neat 50 lengths. Secondly, I ran Liam to his youth club in Congleton, from where I went straight up to The Cloud. It was 6m contest night, but arriving on summit around 6.30pm gave me chance to do some 12m first.

The band seemed pretty dead, but I was called by CT3FT for my first contact. Then I answered a CQ call from EA8/G7COD before settling on 24.945MHz SSB and working locals on groundwave. A PSK31 contact with Dave M3XIE meant I had added six QSOs to the 12m Challenge log. This was when I noticed my SLAB was flat. I had another freshly charged SLAB in the car, but I had omitted to put it in the rucksack. So now was the unplanned exercise as I legged it down to Cloudside and back up again with the fresh battery. I gambled on leaving the 12m groundplane set up on summit, although by the time I was back up there, I decided it was time to take it down and put the 6m delta loop up anyway. At least the pole and guying kit was already in situ.

The 6m event was busy and I made 76 QSOs (one in CW, all the rest SSB) over the next two and a half hours. 17 multiplier squares were worked. IO94 and JO03 were gotaways, and I never heard IO70 ot IO80. There was also an EI7 station calling CQ that I didn't manage to work. But overall, the results were satisfactory. A map of my contacts is here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2013/JwTKSH9zLmxPcYlxTjrz1z0ibPAVtmB

After finishing at 10.30pm BST, I still felt enthusiastic and energised (goodness knows why), so I continued calling on 50.190MHz SSB, now in SOTA activation style. I did get spotted, but four contacts were added to the log. Finally, after packing away, the customary call on 2m FM brought two more stations, one of whom was Russ M6RGF who I chatted to on the descent, and again mobile while driving down towards North Rode. Total of 88 QSOs for the activation. Thanks to all callers.

CT3FT	12m	CW
EA8/G7COD	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
G8ZRE	6m	SSB
M6NNX	6m	SSB
G6HFF	6m	SSB
G8JIT	6m	SSB
G3SMT	6m	SSB
G8GHO	6m	SSB
G4VFL/P	6m	SSB
M3RNX	6m	SSB
M0ICK/P	6m	SSB
M6SRZ	6m	SSB
M0VAA	6m	SSB
G3TDH	6m	SSB
G6LUZ	6m	SSB
G8REQ	6m	SSB
G4HBI	6m	SSB
G6WRW/P	6m	SSB
G4APJ	6m	SSB
G4NTY	6m	SSB
G4EID	6m	SSB
G3UFO	6m	SSB
G2ANC	6m	SSB
2E0UOG	6m	SSB
G8MKC/P	6m	SSB
G3PHO	6m	SSB
GI4SNA	6m	SSB
M0GVG/P	6m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	6m	SSB
G1HSG	6m	SSB
G4VPD	6m	SSB
G4BKF	6m	SSB
G0BWB	6m	SSB
G6UW	6m	SSB
G0BFJ/A	6m	SSB
2W0HRO/P	6m	SSB
M0COP/P	6m	SSB
G4ERO	6m	SSB
2E0LKC	6m	SSB
G4TUP	6m	SSB
M0NST	6m	SSB
M0HGY	6m	SSB
G4IDF	6m	SSB
GW8ASD	6m	SSB
2W0JYN	6m	SSB
G3UVR	6m	SSB
G3MEH	6m	SSB
GW4ZAR/P	6m	SSB
MM1MHZ/P	6m	SSB
G7FMF	6m	SSB
G7DWY	6m	SSB
G4HGI	6m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	6m	SSB
G1KAR/P	6m	SSB
G0JCQ	6m	SSB
G8TMV	6m	SSB
G4NDM/P	6m	SSB
G0HGH	6m	SSB
G0WTD	6m	SSB
G4AFJ	6m	SSB
M0MDY	6m	SSB
M1DDD	6m	SSB
MW0VXX/P	6m	SSB
GM4JR	6m	SSB
M0BUL	6m	SSB
G7RAU	6m	CW
G3VLG	6m	SSB
G0LGS/P	6m	SSB
GW4BVE	6m	SSB
GW8OVZ/P	6m	SSB
M1CNY/P	6m	SSB
G0CER	6m	SSB
G4SCY	6m	SSB
G0GQT	6m	SSB
G8MIA	6m	SSB
GM3SEK	6m	SSB
G3PYE/P	6m	SSB
M0SAT	6m	SSB
2E0HEF	6m	SSB
G0NED	6m	SSB
M6RGF	6m	SSB
M0TAV	6m	SSB
M3EHA	2m	FM
M6RGF	2m	FM

12m Challenge activation number goodness knows what. Sunday 1st September 2013, early doors. I picked up Richard G3CWI as arranged at 7am BST and drove down to Cloudside. We noticed it was cold for the walk up and even colder on summit where the wind was blowing enthusiastically and adding significant chill. Richard was using a new multiband antenna he was trialling, but started on 40m. Thus I knew I would have plenty of time while he worked up through the bands before he got to 12m.

Huddled by the topograph in order to utilise whatever meagre shelter it could provide, I opened on 12m CW. The band was empty, and a self-spot was necessary before even groundwave contacts could be attracted. Phil G4OBK was first in the log. Thereafter, the band gradually improved, and accordingly, so did the QSO rate. Once Manuel EA2DT had been worked with loud signals on both CW and SSB, I could see that 24MHz was starting to perform.

I finished, perhaps appropriately, with 24 QSOs on 24MHz. These were 15 on CW, 9 on SSB and one (yes, G6LUZ as usual) on PSK31. Working Steve on the data mode coincided with Richard letting me know that he has finished on 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m and 15m, and was ready to call on 12m. With that, I packed my stuff away and put out some calls on 2m FM with the VX7R instead. Four QSOs were added to the log.

As usual, Richard was moaning about being cold, but uncharacteristically, he was still QRV long after I had finished, and even more uncharacteristically had not deployed his bothy bag. So perhaps he wasn't all that cold! Back in the car, he mentioned the word "breakfast" which seemed like a great idea. We drove back to Macc and to Fred's Cafe on Moss Lane for the Jumbo Breakfast, a superb feast which kept me going until my curry this afternoon... The breakfast was impressive, but 'CWI seemed slightly less than impressed when I revealed that I didn't have any money on me. Many thanks to all callers.

G4OBK	12m	CW
G4APO	12m	CW
F5UKL	12m	CW
EA2DT	12m	CW
EA3GHZ	12m	CW
EA2DT	12m	SSB
IK5PWE	12m	SSB
HA3MN	12m	SSB
EA7HX	12m	SSB
OM1AX	12m	CW
S57AC	12m	CW
OM5DP	12m	CW
OM5MZ	12m	CW
YU1EL	12m	CW
I2ZBX	12m	CW
EA3AVV	12m	CW
SM1CXE	12m	CW
HA5AQ	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
OM3CHR	12m	SSB
EA2CKX	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M0VFR	2m	FM
G0OHY	2m	FM
G6LUZ	2m	FM
2E0CWB	2m	FM

The next effort in the SOTA 12m Challenge was Tuesday 3rd September 2013. This was 2m UKAC night of course, but I managed to be on summit just after 7pm local, so set of the 12m GP antenna first. My first contact was Rich N4EX on CW, and PY2CX was blasting in with his CQ calls on SSB, hence my self-spot comment that the band was open. But I finished with just six QSOs on 12m, two on CW and four on SSB.

A photo of the sunset over The Cloud that evening, taken by my firend Nick M1DDD from Merryton Low

I then took down the 12m GP and replaced it on the guyed pole with the SB5 beam. The 2m band was up during the evening, so my performance is probably mediocre in terms of results and scores. But I enjoyed myself making 91 QSOs (90 SSB and 1 CW) with more than usual into Scotland, more than usual to "darn sarf" and the participant on Guernsey that normally I do not get to work.

Having said that, I had a near miss with the EI station again, and while plenty of ON, PA and DL stations were heard, the only non-UK QSO was with the CW station in France. Pleasing squares to work (as they are quite rare for me) were IO70, IO75, IO95 and JO00, plus of course the GU6 station in IN89. Also nice, and unusual to work two stations in the Isle of Man. IO94 was probably the biggest "hole" in my log, but no sign of Phil G4OBK or Cris G4FZN. I think the final multiplier count was 21 - good for a normal UKAC night in the QRP section, but probably pretty average for last night's conditions.

A map of contest QSOs is here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2013/Cx1OWwM7beGkwlfkIW1nSlsxJqBMUhP

After packing away, I unleashed the VX7R, although admittedly this did require releasing it from it's "quick draw belt clip" - which isn't on my belt, but on my rucksack strap. Anyway, with 97 QSOs in the log, the target was at least three more! So five was more than satisfactory, and the bulk of the time was spent nattering with Neil 2E0TDX and Karen 2E0XYL about their planned expedition to the Langdale Pikes the following day. So at 11pm local, I descended with 102 QSOs in the logbook, and an enjoyable evening spent on the hill.

N4EX	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
2E0LKC	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
2E0LMD	12m	SSB
M0LKB/P	2m	SSB
G6LKB/P	2m	SSB
M0TXR/P	2m	SSB
M6SRZ	2m	SSB
M3RNX	2m	SSB
G6LUZ	2m	SSB
G8TMV	2m	SSB
2W0HRO/P	2m	SSB
G8PNN/P	2m	SSB
GW4BVE	2m	SSB
G4VPD	2m	SSB
GI4SNA	2m	SSB
M0NGE/P	2m	SSB
M0LEX/P	2m	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	2m	SSB
M1DDD/P	2m	SSB
G3UVR	2m	SSB
G4APJ	2m	SSB
G2ANC	2m	SSB
G4TUP	2m	SSB
G8MIA	2m	SSB
2E0UOG	2m	SSB
G1ONE/P	2m	SSB
G7DWY	2m	SSB
MM1MHZ/P	2m	SSB
2W0JYN	2m	SSB
G6HFF	2m	SSB
G0VVE	2m	SSB
2E0BMO	2m	SSB
G3PYE/P	2m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	2m	SSB
G1KAR/P	2m	SSB
G4JQN	2m	SSB
G0ODQ	2m	SSB
M0GVG/P	2m	SSB
G6UW	2m	SSB
G4HGI	2m	SSB
G3YDY	2m	SSB
F8IQS	2m	CW
G6WRW/P	2m	SSB
G7RAU	2m	SSB
2E0CHV/P	2m	SSB
M0SDA	2m	SSB
G1TST	2m	SSB
GU6EFB	2m	SSB
G4AFJ	2m	SSB
G8REQ	2m	SSB
M6NNX	2m	SSB
G3TDH	2m	SSB
G4NTY	2m	SSB
M0NST	2m	SSB
M0WYB	2m	SSB
G4IRC	2m	SSB
G4BLH/P	2m	SSB
M0MST/P	2m	SSB
G0XDI	2m	SSB
2E0NEY	2m	SSB
G0HFX/P	2m	SSB
M0VXX/P	2m	SSB
M0GHZ/P	2m	SSB
M0BRA	2m	SSB
G4CZP/P	2m	SSB
G0LGS/P	2m	SSB
G4LDL/P	2m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	2m	SSB
G4JLG	2m	SSB
M0LNE	2m	SSB
GD8EXI	2m	SSB
M0WAF	2m	SSB
G7FMF	2m	SSB
G4VWI	2m	SSB
G8CUL	2m	SSB
GM4JR	2m	SSB
M1CNY/P	2m	SSB
G8ZRE	2m	SSB
G4CFP	2m	SSB
GD1MIP	2m	SSB
G4PPT/M	2m	SSB
G0AXC	2m	SSB
2E0LKC	2m	SSB
MW0HCC	2m	SSB
G4IDF	2m	SSB
G6GVI	2m	SSB
G3MEH	2m	SSB
G4EPA	2m	SSB
M6PMZ	2m	SSB
F/M5AEF	2m	SSB
2E0CTW/P	2m	SSB
M0HGY	2m	SSB
G4WEY	2m	SSB
G0WTD	2m	SSB
G7RYN	2m	FM
M3EHA	2m	FM
2E0TDX	2m	FM
2E0XYL	2m	FM
M6TYN	2m	FM

Thursday 5th September 2013, and what better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Frank Sidebottom's iconic "5:9:88" album, than do a SOTA activation up The Cloud G/SP-015? Having a multiband antenna to play with gave me more flexibility, especially when it came to chasing thos S2S contacts, and I ended up with seven of them distributed across 2m FM, 40m CW, 40m SSB, 12m SSB, 12m CW and 30m CW. In total the activation yielded 48 QSOs, including 15 on 12m CW, 4 on 12m SSB, 2 on 12m PSK31, 2 on 15m CW, 4 on 18m CW, 7 on 20m CW, 7 on 30m CW, 2 on 40m CW, 1 on 40m SSB and 4 on 2m FM.

Frank Sidebottom - 5:9:88 Frank live in concert 5:9:88 vinyl record

I had earlier noted with interest Mike G6TUH's suggestions about just working on CW unless a S2S came up on a fone mode, and grabbing the microphone briefly just to make the contact, before reverting to CW operation. This idea appealed to me greatly and was indeed what I did on most bands!

So thanks for the S2S to:
Rob GW4RQJ/P on Corndon Hill GW/MW-013 - 2m FM. Thanks to Audrey who found my YHA card in the parking spot for View Edge G/WB-018!
Mickey 2E0YYY/P on Pen-y-ghent G/NP-010 - 2m FM. Careful you don't get a nosebleed Mickey!
Alain F6ENO/P on Croix de la Dent F/JU-095 - 40m CW.
Steve G1INK/P on Black Hill G/SP-002 - 12m SSB. Good to catch you on your lunch hour Steve.
Heinz HB9BCB/P on Widdersgrind HB/BE-116 - 12m CW.
David GW3RDQ/P on Mynydd Rhiw GW/NW-064 - 30m CW. Good ears!
Dave G4ASA/P on Pen-y-ghent G/NP-010 - 40m SSB

Cuba - CO8LY - was a nice contact on 12m CW, but then so was a natter with Karen 2E0XYL on 2m FM about her Langdale Pikes round the previous day.

S52CU	12m	CW
SM6DER	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
N4EX	15m	CW
GW4RQJ/P on Corndon Hill MW-013	2m	FM
DJ5AV	15m	CW
M3XIE	2m	FM
2E0YYY/P on Pen-y-ghent NP-010	2m	FM
EA4SG	17m	CW
OM7OM	17m	CW
K4DY	17m	CW
LZ1XX	17m	CW
K4DY	20m	CW
OE5FSL	20m	CW
HA5LV	20m	CW
OH1LU/P	20m	CW
SM5MEK	20m	CW
OK2TO	20m	CW
I2ZBX	20m	CW
DL7URB	30m	CW
DL3HXX	30m	CW
DL2KAS	30m	CW
DF5WA	30m	CW
DK7ZH	30m	CW
DL6AP/P	30m	CW
F6ENO/P on Croix de la Dent JU-095	40m	CW
G4SSH	40m	CW
G4ASA/P on Pen-y-ghent NP-010	40m	SSB
G1INK/P on Black Hill SP-002	12m	SSB
I2CZQ	12m	CW
DJ5AV	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
K4DY	12m	CW
OH1HE	12m	CW
HB9BCB/P on Widdersgrind BE-116	12m	CW
OK4IT/P	12m	CW
DL8DXL	12m	CW
HB9CIC	12m	CW
K3KO	12m	CW
M3XIE	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
GW3RDQ/P on Mynydd Rhiw NW-064	30m	CW
CO8LY	12m	CW
EA8ZS	12m	CW
2E0XYL	2m	FM

Very interesting on The Cloud G/SP-015 through the evening of Sunday 8th September 2013. It was painstakingly slow going at times, and plenty of patience was required, but the rewards were ultimately there. The 17 QSOs on 12m (13 on CW, 4 on SSB, 0 on PSK31) aren't going to make much of an impact in the 12m Challenge, but there was some good DX in amongst them. Six of the contacts were groundwave with G stations. But the other eleven featured five from the USA, including Texas, two from Columbia (HK), and one each from Cuba (CO), Uruguay (CX), Ecuador (HC) and Nicaragua (H7).

The walk was taken for constitutional purposes following an excellent spread of paella, curry and moreish puddings for a Tall Trees Contest Group end of summer meeting at the QTH of Terry G3RKF earlier that day. So it was nice that Terry, and the group secretary Brian G3UJE called into the activation. Conditions on 12m were fascinating, with periods of all-band silence at times, but then wall-to-wall DX at others. A GD station on SSB was fending off a large pile-up throughout, and the Brazilians were as strong as ever. While I did not manage to solicit any QSOs on PSK31, despite some lengthy periods of calling (and self-spots), I did watch a QSO between a Brazilian and an Argentinian on the screen of my Galaxy Siii Mini (running Droid PSK) with 100% copy.

My total operating time on summit was around 3.5 hours, so the QSO rate was dismal - and that's being polite! But with the South American DX, it still ended up being a mildly satisfying activation. Many thanks to the following stations:

G3CWI	12m	CW
G0UWK	12m	SSB
G3CWI	12m	SSB
CO8LY	12m	CW
CX5TR	12m	CW
N1EU	12m	CW
KW1C	12m	SSB
G3UJE	12m	SSB
HK1MW	12m	CW
G3RKF	12m	CW
H70ORO	12m	CW
AD5A	12m	CW
G4OBK	12m	CW
N5GW	12m	CW
AD4RE	12m	CW
HC2AO	12m	CW
HK1ANP	12m	CW

And yet another blast on the morning of Monday 9th September 2013. It was visually a very nice sunny morning with blue skies and no wind, but it was nonetheless rather chilly, and fleece and coat were needed. Again there were signs of life on 12m - the first QSO was into the Czech Republic. But the QSO rate was painfully slow, and just eight QSOs were made on 24MHz - 3 on CW, 4 on SSB and 1 on PSK31. Good signals were heard from Asia, but I failed in my bids to get back to A41LD (Oman) and HS0ZBG (Thailand). But I did manage 5B4AIF (Cyprus) on SSB and UN7AB (Kazakhstan) on CW.

But then I decided to call it a day. Calling on S20 was impossible due to the frequency being jammed. I think this was the accidental leaving in of a lockable PTT switch, as it was rebroadcasting the Victoria Derbyshire programme from BBC Radio 5 Live! At least Colin M0NVJ found me on 145.475MHz FM to give me a single VHF contact.

OK1DMZ	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	CW
5B4AIF	12m	SSB
UN7AB	12m	CW
M0NVJ	2m	FM

The evening of Tuesday 10th September 2013 was the 70cm UKAC. But I managed to be on summit of The Cloud G/SP-015, and set up for 12m by 1750 UTC. This gave me about an hour to achieve some 12m contacts for the Challenge. I managed 14 QSOs - 4 on CW, 6 on SSB and 4 on PSK31 - but thwn it was time to take the 12m groundplane antenna off the mast and slot on the 6 element SOTA Beam for 70cm instead.

In the 70cm contest, I made 59 QSOs - 57 on SSB and 2 on CW. Activity was reasonable but signals from the south were poor, and affected by rapid QSB. I heard G4OBK from IO94, but couldn't get through. Same frustration for F1VNR/P, and these were my main "gotaways". IO75, IO80 and JO00 were notable by their absence. By the end of the contest at 2130z, it was very cold, and really uncomfortable in the stiff breeze. Nonetheless, I put the 12m GP back up and attempted to add to the Challenge score. I failed to do this, but Mark G0VOF called in for a brief CW chat.

After breaking everything down, the customary call on the 2m FM handie attracted four more QSOs for the log, meaning a total of 77 for the evening. I spent the last 30 minutes inside the bothy bag, but it was still uncomfortably cold. Too cold for early September for my liking.

M6BLV	12m	CW
MW0RSS	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
M0HGY	12m	PSK31
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
G0VOF	12m	SSB
M0HGY	12m	SSB
M0CQE	12m	SSB
G0VOF	12m	CW
M0CQE	12m	CW
G6LKB/P	70cm	SSB
G4BLH/P	70cm	SSB
GW8ASD	70cm	SSB
G4VFL/P	70cm	SSB
G4APJ	70cm	SSB
M3RNX	70cm	SSB
G4TUP	70cm	SSB
G8HXE/P	70cm	SSB
G6WRW/P	70cm	SSB
G4HGI	70cm	SSB
G0VOF	70cm	SSB
M6NNX	70cm	SSB
G8MIA	70cm	SSB
G3UVR	70cm	SSB
G4CFP	70cm	SSB
G3SMT	70cm	SSB
M0HGY	70cm	SSB
G8ZRE	70cm	SSB
G4VPD	70cm	SSB
M0COP/P	70cm	SSB
2E0LMD	70cm	SSB
G4CZP/P	70cm	SSB
GI6ATZ	70cm	SSB
M0GVG/P	70cm	SSB
GD8EXI	70cm	SSB
M1PRO	70cm	SSB
G0LGS/P	70cm	SSB
M1DDD/P	70cm	SSB
GW4BVE/P	70cm	SSB
M0VXX/P	70cm	SSB
M0SDA	70cm	SSB
GI4SNA	70cm	SSB
M0BUL/P	70cm	SSB
G4ODA	70cm	SSB
2W0JYN	70cm	SSB
G4AFJ	70cm	SSB
2E0TXT/P	70cm	SSB
G4JLG	70cm	SSB
2E0UOG	70cm	SSB
G6UW	70cm	SSB
G0WTD	70cm	SSB
M6SRZ	70cm	SSB
G8DTF	70cm	SSB
G3PYE/P	70cm	SSB
G0ODQ	70cm	SSB
2W0HRO/P	70cm	SSB
2E0BMO	70cm	SSB
M0MDY	70cm	SSB
G0HGH	70cm	SSB
G3MEH	70cm	SSB
G1AEQ	70cm	SSB
G6GVI	70cm	SSB
2E0LKC	70cm	SSB
G4NTY	70cm	SSB
M0NST	70cm	SSB
M1MHZ	70cm	SSB
G7RAU	70cm	SSB
G0GQT	70cm	SSB
G7LRQ	70cm	SSB
GM4JR	70cm	SSB
G8EOP	70cm	SSB
2E0XYL	2m	FM
2E0RYP	2m	FM
M1CNL	2m	FM
GW7TKZ	2m	FM

After Gun G/SP-013 on Wednesday 11th September 2013, I drove across the valley to Cloudside for yet another wander up The Cloud G/SP-015. The weather was still dry although the clouds above looked increasingly menacing. At the summit, the wind was in just about the worst direction, affording no possibility of worthwhile shelter on any side of the topograph. Instead I sat on a grassy bank on the plateau edge, a few metres to the east of the trig point.

As I completed the set up, the rain started to fall and I hurriedly got inside the bothy bag. Conditions on 12m now appeared to be more lively, but still it never really got going. I managed 14 QSOs on 24MHz, 5 on CW, 5 on SSB and 4 on PSK31. Although there were hints of better propagation, the band never really fired up. I was pleased with the QSOs with N4EX, K4DY, SV0XCC/9 (Crete), 9A2AJ and RN4ABD. The latter was from Volgograd and worked on PSK31. But all the rest of the 12m contacts were with stations in the North West of England, although they were all most enjoyable of course!

All the time inside the bothy bag, the rain was getting heavier. I had to wait a while for it to ease off, at which point I set about breaking down. But as soon as I emerged, the rain got heavy again, and I got a soaking while taking down the antenna. I didn't care now, so called on 2m FM anyway. To my surprise, I had 9 stations to work through before I could descend. I then went to complete a couple of errands in town and pick up Liam from college at 5pm. Not a bad bit of gentle exercise, and some interesting radio. Many thanks to all callers.

SV0XCC/9	12m	CW
K4DY	12m	CW
9A2AJ	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
M3XIE	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
RN4ABD	12m	PSK31
SV0XCC/9	12m	SSB
2E0UOG	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	CW
M0OTE/M	2m	FM
G4BLH	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
M0GMG	2m	FM
M1CNL	2m	FM
M3XIE	2m	FM
G8RDO	2m	FM
M3CRV	2m	FM

So my activation report for Thursday 12th September 2013 on The Cloud G/SP-015 goes something like this: Picked up Richard G3CWI. Drove to Cloudside and ascended the usual staircase route to the summit. Set up antenna close to trig point, while Richard set up his further along by the rocks.

Called CQ CQ de M1EYP/P M1EYP/P k at agreed intervals on 20m CW - intially every ten minutes, then increased to every five minutes. This was to generate the RBN data to analyse later. In between these operating periods, I wanted to make some SOTA QSOs, so did a bit of S+P'ing on spotted SOTA activations. The results were Caroline M3ZCB/P and Martin M1MAJ/P on Great Mell Fell G/LD-035 and Stephan F/DD6DO/P on Pic de la Journalade F/PE-120. These were all on 20m SSB.

Cloud summit Tom M1EYP

Vlado OM1AX heard me making one of these QSOs and requested a QSO up three for another contact. One of my test 20m CQ calls was answered as well, for a quick QSO in CW. Towards the end of the testing, I used my handheld to call CQ SOTA, albeit still sat on the ground by the topograph! Nonetheless, I added three more QSOs on 2m FM to the log, even though stations were reporting that my signal was lower than usual! All became clear when it was revealed that the VX7R was only a foot above ground level!

I went home and churned out a few comparisons from the RBN data, but this threw up more questions than answers about the characteristics of the skimmers and software. Experiments continue, to attempt to shed some light on these questions.

OM3CAZ	20m	CW
M3ZCB/P on Great Mell Fell LD-035	20m	SSB
M1MAJ/P on Great Mell Fell LD-035	20m	SSB
F/DD6DO/P on Pic de la Journalade PE-120	20m	SSB
OM1AX	20m	SSB
M6RGF	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM

Friday 13th September 2013. Back up to The Cloud G/SP-013 to rack up some more 12m Challenge points. However, the band wasn't playing. Thank goodness therefore for groundwave. This yielded ten QSOs all with G stations - 5 on SSB, 3 on PSK31 and 2 on CW. The best of these were the S2S QSOs with Martyn M1MAJ/P and Caroline M3ZCB/P on White Hill G/SP-006.

Bothy bag drying out over the topograph Cloud summit

Moving onto 2m FM, just with the handie, added three more QSOs to the log. Martyn and Caroline were heard again on VHF, as were Viki M6BWA/P and Rod M0JLA/P on Skiddaw G/LD-004, but I couldn't break the pile-up for any of them. Oh well, more points for the SWL log I suppose! Some light rain had started, but inexplicably, I decided to drive across to Gun G/SP-013 for another activation!

M1MAJ/P on White Hill SP-006	12m	SSB
M3ZCB/P on White Hill SP-006	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	CW
G3RKF	12m	CW
M3XIE	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM

After a lengthy nine day break from activating, I got myself out on the morning of Sunday 22nd September 2013. It was a lovely warm sunny day, and so the parking area and road on Cloudside were very busy with people out for a jaunt up The Cloud G/SP-015. As expected, the summit was also very busy, and I inevitably fielded many enquiries! One family in particular stood around me transfixed for ten minutes as I worked IT9CLX on 12m SSB. Earlier I had heard the SOTA activation of EN7JHF on Kaya Bush UT/CR-050, but couldn't get through and make myself heard for a S2S contact.

Caterpillar inside the FT-817

I noticed a small green caterpillar on the screen of my FT-817. I went to flick it away, but soon realised that it was on the inside of the glass! It had somehow gotten between the glass panel and the LCD, and it crawled around in there for the next 45 minutes or so! The 12m band was also entertaining, allowing me to make 28 QSOs, with 9 on CW, 12 on SSB and 7 on PSK31. The highlights were 5B Cyprus on PSK31, LU Argentina on SSB and USA worked on all three modes. Also heard on the band were VU2 India, YB Indonesia and CX Uruguay, although I failed to get my call through to any of these DX stations.

After packing away, the customary parting call on 2m FM yielded a further four QSOs, before I drove home to watch Manchester City beat Manchester United 4-1 on Sky Sports 1. I really enjoyed the match, but my guest Richard G3CWI did not appear to enjoy it whatsoever. At least we could both agree that the bottles of Storm Brewery Bosley Cloud Ale were absolutely enjoyable. Many thanks to all stations worked:

M6BLV	12m	CW
UY3IC	12m	CW
UR0MM	12m	CW
UX2IQ	12m	CW
N1EU	12m	CW
UY3IR	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
UX1LW	12m	PSK31
IT9CLX	12m	SSB
G3CWI	12m	SSB
N4EX	12m	SSB
M0HGY	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
SV3JZT	12m	SSB
5B/SQ2MGM	12m	PSK31
UX1IK	12m	PSK31
W4/KL7GLL	12m	PSK31
N3WT	12m	CW
K1VMT	12m	CW
RV6LN	12m	CW
LU3EEM	12m	SSB
WV4X	12m	SSB
UT1IF	12m	SSB
G0SJS	2m	FM
M1CNL	2m	FM
G3CWI	2m	FM
2E0KBA/P	2m	FM

Tuesday 24th September 2013 - The Cloud G/SP-015

After dropping Liam off at his youth club in Congleton, I raced up to The Cloud G/SP-015 to try and get some 12m in ahead of the 6m UK activity contest. On summit upon my arrival was Mickey 2E0YYY/P, actually QRV on 12m at the time! However, Mike advised that he was about to pack up and go home, so I could proceed with erecting the 12m groundplane antenna. Now this time it was a G dominated groundwave period! Twelve QSOs were split exactly equally between the three modes of CW, SSB and PSK31, and only one station outside of G was worked - and that was Roger MW0IDX!

It was time to break down the 12m antenna and erect the 6m delta loop. Ten minutes before the contest, I was testing with some CQs on 50.095MHz CW. A reply came back from GU4CHY for an all-time new DXCC for the band! A most pleasing start to the evening, which went on to be a very good one. My first two QSOs in the contest were on CW, but thereafter it was SSB all the way. Superb inter G tropo conditions favoured us all evening, and so the multiplier count was off and running in the first hour. The headline of the evening for me was working four stations in the Channel Islands - three on Guernsey and one on Jersey. The overall DXCC count was 8 - and all contained within the British Isles - G, GW, GM, GD, GI, EI, GU and GJ.

Conditions along the north-south axis were generally favourable, with excellent signals heard from IN89, IO80, IO90, IO91, JO00 and JO01. With three Scottish stations being worked quite easily, and stations lying to the East and West coming in well, I was able to get through the entire evening without once altering the orientation of the antenna! I completed the contest with 99 QSOs and 20 squares, 19 of which were UK multipliers. These were IN89, IO64, IO65, IO72, IO74, IO75, IO80, IO81, IO82, IO83, IO84, IO85, IO90, IO91, IO92, IO93, JO00, JO01, JO02 and JO03. I missed a fair few as well. Apparently, IO70, IO71, IO73, IO86, IO87, IO94 and IO95 were all available! Still, I managed to work every square that I heard.

Thus I was able to post a competitive claimed score, which at the time of writing remains in first place in the low power section. I note that Carolyn G6WRW has yet to submit her entry though, so I'm certainly not counting my chickens! After packing away at the end of the contest period, a call on the 2m FM handie brought in five stations, taking the activation total to 117 QSOs. A very enjoyable evening indeed!

G3RMD	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G0VOF	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
G0VOF	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
MW0IDX	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	SSB
GU4CHY	6m	CW
G0VOF	6m	CW
G3KAF	6m	CW
GI4SNA	6m	SSB
G4ZRP	6m	SSB
G3PHO	6m	SSB
2E0UOG	6m	SSB
G8JIT	6m	SSB
G7RAU	6m	SSB
M0WLF	6m	SSB
G8ZRE	6m	SSB
G6WRW/P	6m	SSB
2E0LKC	6m	SSB
G0BWB	6m	SSB
G6UW	6m	SSB
2W0HRO/P	6m	SSB
M0SDA	6m	SSB
G4AFJ	6m	SSB
GM4JR	6m	SSB
M0VXX/P	6m	SSB
G4APJ	6m	SSB
G6LUZ	6m	SSB
G3RIK	6m	SSB
2E0BMO	6m	SSB
G0WTM	6m	SSB
G4IDF	6m	SSB
G4NTY	6m	SSB
G8MKC/P	6m	SSB
M1SLH	6m	SSB
M1MHZ	6m	SSB
GW4ZAR/P	6m	SSB
M0GVG/P	6m	SSB
G3PYE/P	6m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	6m	SSB
G4JQN	6m	SSB
G4NDM/P	6m	SSB
G1KAR/P	6m	SSB
M1DDD/P	6m	SSB
G8TMV	6m	SSB
G4VFL/P	6m	SSB
G7DWY	6m	SSB
G3PIA	6m	SSB
M6SRZ	6m	SSB
G4BWP	6m	SSB
G0JCQ	6m	SSB
M0SAT	6m	SSB
G7LRQ	6m	SSB
G1AEQ	6m	SSB
M3OUA	6m	SSB
G3ZUD	6m	SSB
G4BKF	6m	SSB
GW8ASD	6m	SSB
2E0VPX	6m	SSB
M0BOL	6m	SSB
M3SWK	6m	SSB
G3UFO	6m	SSB
M6NNX	6m	SSB
M3RNX	6m	SSB
G3VLG	6m	SSB
GU3USR/P	6m	SSB
M0BUL	6m	SSB
G0BRC	6m	SSB
G4RQI	6m	SSB
G0CER	6m	SSB
G3UVR	6m	SSB
2W0JYN	6m	SSB
G8BUN	6m	SSB
M0RKX/P	6m	SSB
G4TSW	6m	SSB
G4TUP	6m	SSB
G3YOA	6m	SSB
G0BFJ/A	6m	SSB
G4VPD	6m	SSB
G8FMC	6m	SSB
M0CGL	6m	SSB
G1TST	6m	SSB
G3VCA	6m	SSB
M0CES/P	6m	SSB
G4ERO	6m	SSB
GD8EXI	6m	SSB
M0HGY	6m	SSB
M1ZRP	6m	SSB
G4CFP	6m	SSB
G4YHF	6m	SSB
G4AGE	6m	SSB
M6KSB	6m	SSB
G6GVI	6m	SSB
EI9JU	6m	SSB
G8LZE	6m	SSB
GU4CHY	6m	SSB
GU6EFB	6m	SSB
G0WTD	6m	SSB
GJ3RAX	6m	SSB
2E0LMD	6m	SSB
M0WYB	6m	SSB
GM3SEK	6m	SSB
G3XZG	6m	SSB
GM4NFC	6m	SSB
G3JDT	6m	SSB
G4FPJ	6m	SSB
2W0JYN	2m	FM
MW6SHJ	2m	FM
M6RGF	2m	FM
M6JTO	2m	FM
G4FPJ	2m	FM

After another meeting at work regarding my return to duties, it was to the doctors for blood pressure check, blood samples and a flu jab on Friday 27th September 2013. I wasn't anticipating a flu jab, but the practice nurse advised me I was in a vulnerable group and thrust a leaflet into my hand. I scanned the leaflet up and down, but told the nurse that I didn't seem to belong to any of the listed vulnerable groups. She placed her finger next to "Serious neurological disease"... ...and I consented to the flu jab!

After a few more errands, it was a beautiful sunny late Friday afternoon. Surely it had to be The Cloud G/SP-015 for a session on 12m. The parking area on Cloudside was surprisingly quiet, but the summit was busy as usual. I set up the 12m GP and was about to spot myself when I noticed the reflector thread "12m is WIDE open". This sounded promising. I switched on the FT-817, and the range between 24.890MHz and 28.990MHz was rammed with activity. This sounded very promising!

I self-spotted on 24.897MHz CW. Two minutes later, there were four US stations in the logbook. Yes, it was promising alright. Interesting DX came from SV8 Greek Islands and CU Azores, as well as several states and call areas across the USA. The final tally was 55 QSOs on 12m, comprising 42 on CW, 5 on PSK31 and 8 on SSB. Two contacts were made on 2m FM just before descending.

K4DY	12m	CW
W4MPS	12m	CW
K9EZ	12m	CW
KG3W	12m	CW
G4OBK	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
US3IP	12m	CW
UR5ITU	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
UX5MZ	12m	CW
RZ3WH	12m	CW
RA3ID/3	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
SV3AQR	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
UA6AVA	12m	PSK31
RN5AA	12m	PSK31
UT1ME	12m	PSK31
UR4MLS	12m	PSK31
W5UN	12m	CW
US2LX	12m	CW
RA3AOS	12m	CW
N6KZ	12m	CW
RG5A	12m	CW
UT8MM	12m	CW
F5AQH/P	12m	CW
UA3PII	12m	CW
K8TE	12m	CW
SV8/OK1MBZ/P	12m	CW
LZ1ND	12m	CW
RY3D	12m	CW
RX6AM	12m	CW
W6ENZ	12m	CW
YO9IE	12m	CW
W7USA	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
US8UA	12m	CW
W7RV	12m	CW
UR5MM	12m	CW
N7AMA	12m	CW
NE4TN	12m	CW
RA6LO	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
UT1LG	12m	CW
W0HT	12m	CW
N9SW	12m	CW
K8GT	12m	CW
GW4OKT	12m	CW
G3RTU	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
SV2OXS	12m	SSB
WH6LE	12m	SSB
CU7CG	12m	SSB
IK5ZWU	12m	SSB
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM

While the cat's away, the mice will play... Saturday 28th September 2013, and Marianne and Liam cleared off to Blackpool for the day. That gave me freedom to make some decisions! First was a trip to the supermarket to buy three tins of Baxters Royal Game soup for Sunday's activation. This would be Jimmy's 21st birthday activation, so he requested his favourite soup. When I got to the soup aisle in Macclesfield Big Sainsburys, I was like a child in a sweet shop. So many new and exciting flavours. Some serious stocking up resulted, and in fact it would now be Won Ton soup for Sunday!

Next to Chester Road Chippy, as with Marianne motoring up the motorway, lunch was my responsibility. After watching Tottenham versus Chelsea on the new BT Sport 1 HD channel, it was across town to the Moss Rose to watch some real live football. The day remained pleasant with Macclesfield beating Welling by 2 goals to 1.

And so by 5pm I was in activation mode, and driving down the A523 Leek road en route to The Cloud G/SP-015, hoping for more fun on 12m. After a quick ascent I set up the 12m groundplane in troublesome gusty wind. On the first of many antenna collapses, I lost the cable tie, so I had to cobble together an alternative using the antenna bag! This did the job of keeping the structure of the antenna, albeit rarely for long before it collapsed again! I resolved to be taking more care to find a more sheltered spot the following day! Thank goodness for the activation zone rule.

The radio was good fun. Thirteen QSOs were made on 12m, twelve on CW and one on SSB. Of these, one was in the same county as me (John M6BLV in Ellesmere Port), three into Ukraine, and nine stateside. The last two of these were very exciting contacts, for they were both DX S2S. Eric KU6J was worked on his activation on Mount Ingalls W6/CN-005, and then six minutes later, I exchanged with Dan NA6MG on Owens Peak W6/SS-318. Both stations were weak to moderate signal strength with me, and patchy in QSB. I didn't expect either to hear me, but both came back first call!

After packing away, four QSOs were made on 2m FM on the handie. Usual suspects Pete M1CNL, Pete 2E0LKC and Anne 2E0LMD were worked before I got a surprise call from Iain M3WJZ/P, who was out bivvying on Fairfield G/LD-007 for a third S2S of the activation.

Another enjoyable and stimulating activation.

UT2QQ	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
KG3W	12m	CW
UR7VA	12m	CW
ND0C	12m	CW
UT7VR	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
AD5A	12m	CW
KC3RT	12m	CW
WA9AQN	12m	CW
KU6J on Mount Ingalls W6/CN-005	12m	CW
NA6MG on Owens Peak W6/SS-318	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	SSB
M1CNL	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
M3WJZ/P on Fairfield G/LD-007	2m	FM

On Tuesday 1st October 2013, my original intention had been to arrive on The Cloud G/SP-015 in time to do around 45 minutes on 12m ahead of the 2m contest. In the end, I had just too much to do, and only managed to complete my 2m set-up with three minutes to spare before the UKAC start at 8pm UKT. There was lots of activity and lots of squares available in this contest. In the two-and-a-half hours I made 98 QSOs into 20 multiplier squares, these being IO64, IO70, IO74, IO81, IO82, IO83, IO84, IO85, IO86, IO87, IO90, IO91, IO92, IO93, IO94, IO95, JO00, JO01, JO02 and JO03. The IO87 contact was I think a first ever into that square (on VHF) from anywhere down here. IO72 and IO80 escaped me, but I was pleased with the multiplier count. Also worked were stations in France (IN99), Netherlands (JO21) and Belgium (JO10).

No other activators were worked - it seems I'm the only one bonkers enough to combine UKACs with SOTA - but it was nice to work a few known chasers in the contest. After ending the event on 98 QSOs, I just had to try for two more, which I got on 2m FM with the VX7R for the nice round ton. The weather was tricky with strong wind blowing across the summit throughout. This caused several collapses of my SOTA Pole which was annoying, but such is life when you insist on participating SOTA style! Pleased with my evening's work, I treated myself to a nightcap and supper at the Harrington Arms, Gawsworth.

G6WRW/P	2m	SSB
2E0BMO	2m	SSB
G0CER	2m	SSB
G3SAO	2m	SSB
M6AIF	2m	SSB
G4APJ	2m	SSB
M6SRZ	2m	SSB
M6PLF	2m	SSB
G4EID	2m	SSB
G3UVR	2m	SSB
M3RNX	2m	SSB
M6NNX	2m	SSB
GW4ZAR/P	2m	SSB
G4WUA	2m	SSB
2E0LMD	2m	SSB
M3OUA	2m	SSB
M0VAA	2m	SSB
M0HGY	2m	SSB
2E0UOG	2m	SSB
G6XHF	2m	SSB
G4LDL/P	2m	SSB
G8MCA	2m	SSB
G4NDM/P	2m	SSB
G8PNN/P	2m	SSB
F8BRK	2m	SSB
M1PRO/P	2m	SSB
M0LNE	2m	SSB
2E0FFG	2m	SSB
GD8EXI	2m	SSB
M0NGE/P	2m	SSB
G8XYJ/P	2m	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	2m	SSB
M5AFG	2m	SSB
G4ZRP	2m	SSB
G0HIS	2m	SSB
G4NTY	2m	SSB
M6RGF	2m	SSB
G0RQL	2m	SSB
M0NST	2m	SSB
G4BRK	2m	SSB
G7RAU	2m	SSB
M0GHZ/P	2m	SSB
G0BBL/P	2m	SSB
M0VXX/P	2m	SSB
M0TXR/P	2m	SSB
G4LBH	2m	SSB
G1KAR/P	2m	SSB
G4FZN/P	2m	SSB
GW4BVE	2m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	2m	SSB
G4AFJ	2m	SSB
G0ODQ	2m	SSB
G6UW	2m	SSB
G0GQT	2m	SSB
GI4SNA	2m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	2m	SSB
G8DTF	2m	SSB
2W0JYN	2m	SSB
G4BLH/P	2m	SSB
M0BRA	2m	SSB
M0LEX/P	2m	SSB
G0WTD	2m	SSB
M0COP	2m	SSB
G4FPJ	2m	SSB
2E0XYL	2m	SSB
PA0WMX	2m	SSB
M6ZRT/P	2m	SSB
G4CFP	2m	SSB
G1AEQ	2m	SSB
M1MHZ	2m	SSB
G0BRC	2m	SSB
G8MIA	2m	SSB
G8ZRE	2m	SSB
G8BYB	2m	SSB
G3PYE/P	2m	SSB
G4TUP	2m	SSB
GM4AFF	2m	SSB
GM8FFX	2m	SSB
M0CGL	2m	SSB
2E0LKC	2m	SSB
G0BFJ/A	2m	SSB
M0IBC	2m	SSB
G3XNO	2m	SSB
G7DWY	2m	SSB
G4JLG	2m	SSB
G4VFL/P	2m	SSB
ON5AEN	2m	SSB
M0RKX/P	2m	SSB
G8LZE	2m	SSB
G4XPE	2m	SSB
G6GVI	2m	SSB
G0AJJ	2m	SSB
2E0GLE	2m	SSB
G8MKC/P	2m	SSB
GW8ASD	2m	SSB
G3POM	2m	SSB
M0GMG	2m	SSB
M0BWY	2m	SSB
G7RYN	2m	FM
2E0GRS	2m	FM

It seemed that groundwave dominated again on Thursday 3rd October 2013, but not exclusively. I had some slack time between dropping Liam off at college, and picking Liam up from college, so used The Cloud G/SP-015 and Gun G/SP-013 to fill my day.

15 QSOs on 12m included 6 on CW, 6 on SSB and 3 on PSK31. They were all G/GW apart from SM5MEK near the end, and PY2SP near the beginning. I was just about to mentally accept that the band was dead when to my complete surprise back came the Brazilian station to my CQ call! I was rather chuffed! The wind was a bit of a nuisance, but my pole held up well.

It was great to speak to Geoff G6MZX again, and I also enjoyed a bit of a natter with Steve G6LUZ, Dave M3XIE, John M6BLV and Bob G6ODU. But just after midday local, the band went quiet and I took a drive over to Gun G/SP-013.

G3RMD	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
PY2SP	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G6MZX	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
2E0LMD	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
G3OKA	12m	CW
GW0DSP	12m	CW
SM5MEK	12m	CW

Back at home after Gun G/SP-013, I learned that Liam was after the limited edition McDonalds Bacon Swiss burger. Not really my cup of tea, but a good excuse to bribe him into doing some college assignment work, and to get him out of the house and down to Congleton! He knew what was going on as soon as I suggested he bring his Nintendo 3DS with him, but he didn't mind!

So after our late American lunch, we drove up to Cloudside and set off on the very familiar ascent. Liam happily sat by the trig point for two hours playing on his console and spending the Playcoins awarded for the footsteps counted by the pedometer it contains. I set up on the grassy area just east of the trig point which affords a fairly comfortable sitting position near to the edge with a commanding view over the Dane Valley.

24MHz was rocking, and I was soon into a good run on CW. I was frequently answered by stations in the Mid West USA. Though perhaps the most interesting contact was with CT9 (Madeira) - again a station that called back to my CQ call. My final totals on 12m were 20 on CW, 5 on SSB and 5 on PSK31. 14 of these contacts were into North America, including one on PSK31. After packing away the main station, and with Liam hovering and eager to descend, I made a call on the 2m FM handie, resulting in six further QSOs, taking the activation total to 36 - exactly the same number as recorded on Gun G/SP-013 that morning. Many thanks to all chasers that called in.

UR5EOX	12m	CW
UU4JIM	12m	CW
N5XL	12m	CW
SV1NJA	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
G4APO	12m	CW
US3IP	12m	CW
G3WPF	12m	CW
W5ZR	12m	CW
VE2JCW	12m	CW
WB3BEL	12m	CW
W7RV	12m	CW
W0BV	12m	CW
UY6IB	12m	CW
KW7D	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
SV3AQR	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
N2MGT	12m	PSK31
CR6PLA	12m	PSK31
EB5DZC	12m	PSK31
N9KW	12m	CW
CT9/DL6MLA	12m	CW
WB2FQL	12m	CW
WA3KVN	12m	CW
AD5A	12m	CW
CO8LY	12m	SSB
M6RGF	2m	FM
M3YFL	2m	FM
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2E0LMD	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
MW6SHJ	2m	FM

I was atop The Cloud G/SP-015 nice and early ahead of the 70cm UKAC on the evening of Tuesday 8th October 2013. Cue setting up the 12m groundplane, which, as usual I had to explain to some passers-by, as well as how the ionosphere refracted signals to enable them to get around the Earth. I had a very enjoyable blast on 12m. Operating for 54 minutes, I made 31 QSOs as follows:

CW: 19
SSB: 8
PSK31: 4

DXCCs worked as follows:

England: 10
Wales: 1
USA: 20

Conditions were very good indeed, as the crunching signal from Tom N2YTF/M indicated. I was almost tempted to ignore the contest and carry on playing on 24MHz, but common sense got the better of me and I swapped the SB6 antenna onto the pole at 7.45pm BST.

The 70cm contest didn't measure up to the bonanzas experienced on 6m and 2m in the last two weeks. Activity was lower, no lift conditions were experienced, and QSB was a constant menace throughout the period. I ended with 71 QSOs, all 70cm SSB, into 14 multiplier squares. No 'DX' from outside of the UK was worked. I did change the aerials over again after 10.30pm BST and have another go on 12m, but the band was completely dead. It was getting pretty cold, so I wasn't too disappointed to be packing up and going home with another 102 contacts in the logbook.

M6BLV	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
N6KZ	12m	CW
N9KW	12m	CW
K4YA	12m	CW
N7AMA	12m	CW
W4VQ	12m	CW
W7USA	12m	CW
K9QVB/9	12m	CW
G0NMD	12m	CW
W6DXO	12m	CW
NF9V	12m	CW
ND0C	12m	CW
K0THN	12m	CW
N4ERM	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	CW
M3XIE	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G0VOF	12m	SSB
N7UN	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
N2YTF/M	12m	SSB
N6KZ	12m	SSB
KG3W	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
G0VOF	12m	PSK31
KF7F	12m	PSK31
M6BLV	12m	PSK31
K8IU	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
MW0IDX	12m	CW
G2ANC	70cm	SSB
2W0JYN	70cm	SSB
G8MKC/P	70cm	SSB
G3UVR	70cm	SSB
G6WRW/P	70cm	SSB
M0WBG	70cm	SSB
G0LGS/P	70cm	SSB
2E0LKC	70cm	SSB
GW8ASD	70cm	SSB
G4APJ	70cm	SSB
G3SMT	70cm	SSB
G8AXZ/P	70cm	SSB
M6NNX	70cm	SSB
G6GVI	70cm	SSB
M0LNE	70cm	SSB
2E0TXT/P	70cm	SSB
G4JLG	70cm	SSB
G0WTD	70cm	SSB
G8MIA	70cm	SSB
M0LEX	70cm	SSB
G8OHM	70cm	SSB
M0SDA	70cm	SSB
M1DDD/P	70cm	SSB
G3TDH	70cm	SSB
M0XII/P	70cm	SSB
G6LKB/P	70cm	SSB
M0COP/P	70cm	SSB
GD8EXI	70cm	SSB
M0VXX/P	70cm	SSB
GI6ATZ	70cm	SSB
G0ODQ	70cm	SSB
G1HLT	70cm	SSB
G4FZN/P	70cm	SSB
2E0BMO	70cm	SSB
2E0LMD	70cm	SSB
G4CLA	70cm	SSB
M0GVG/P	70cm	SSB
G8XYJ/P	70cm	SSB
G0GQT	70cm	SSB
G8ZRE	70cm	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	70cm	SSB
GI4SNA	70cm	SSB
GW4BVE/P	70cm	SSB
G8REQ	70cm	SSB
G4NTY	70cm	SSB
M0GHZ	70cm	SSB
G4CZP/P	70cm	SSB
G4AFJ	70cm	SSB
M0IBC	70cm	SSB
G4CFP	70cm	SSB
G4HGI	70cm	SSB
M3RNX	70cm	SSB
G0EHV/P	70cm	SSB
G0VOF	70cm	SSB
G6UW	70cm	SSB
M0HGY	70cm	SSB
G7DWY	70cm	SSB
G8HXE/P	70cm	SSB
GM4JR	70cm	SSB
G4NDM/P	70cm	SSB
G4NBS	70cm	SSB
G8MCA	70cm	SSB
G8OVZ/P	70cm	SSB
G8BYB	70cm	SSB
G6HFF	70cm	SSB
2E0HRO	70cm	SSB
G0KTQ	70cm	SSB
G3MEH	70cm	SSB
M0WYB	70cm	SSB
M1AIX	70cm	SSB
M0NST	70cm	SSB

My next contribution to the Challenge was an activation of The Cloud G/SP-015 on Thursday 17th October 2013. A total of 25 QSOs were split as 21 CW, 3 SSB amd 1 PSK31. And that's about it really.

M6BLV	12m	CW
UU4JIM	12m	CW
LZ1YY	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
CT7AGZ	12m	CW
RW3YA	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
W6UB	12m	CW
RZ3EV	12m	CW
S52CU	12m	CW
DL1DVE	12m	CW
OE6WIG	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
M6BLV	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
UT8ZL	12m	CW
RW3ZA	12m	CW
UY0CA	12m	CW
HB9AAQ	12m	CW
LZ1IC	12m	CW
OH9XX	12m	CW
N4ST	12m	CW
KC2WA	12m	CW
UW7CN	12m	CW

It was 6m activity contest night on Tuesday 22nd October 2013. Various factors meant that I could not be on summit nice and early to squeeze in some 12m Challenge QSOs. But then some of these various factors actually meant that I could be there at all, which had looked incredibly unlikely just two hours earlier. So I was only QRV about ten minutes before 1900z, and my test call brought in Carolyn G6WRW/P and we enjoyed a good natter until 8pm. At that point, we exchanged contest information and got on with the main event.

Well conditions were absolutely bobbins. I heard lots of squares and stations that couldn't hear me at all. The QSO total of 64 was well down on the 99 from the previous month, and the multiplier total of 10 was almost embarrassing. A couple of patches of squally light rain had me huddled in the bothy bag, which itself was being flapped around in the wind. Not the most enjoyable contest activation! Winter was trying to make its presence felt.

G6WRW/P	6m	SSB
2E0BMO	6m	SSB
G0VOF	6m	SSB
GW4OKT	6m	SSB
G3UFO	6m	SSB
2W0JYN	6m	SSB
G8REQ	6m	SSB
G3UVR	6m	SSB
G4CFP	6m	SSB
G4TUP	6m	SSB
G4APJ	6m	SSB
M3RNX	6m	SSB
G7ROM/P	6m	SSB
G3RKF	6m	SSB
GW8ASD	6m	SSB
G3XNO	6m	SSB
M0VAA	6m	SSB
G3ZII	6m	SSB
G3KAF	6m	CW
G4TSW	6m	SSB
M1ZRP	6m	SSB
G0BFJ/A	6m	SSB
G0FAU	6m	SSB
G4NTY	6m	SSB
G7FMF	6m	SSB
GI4SNA	6m	SSB
G8ZRE	6m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	6m	SSB
M0VXX/P	6m	SSB
M0WLF	6m	SSB
M0SDA	6m	SSB
G4BKF	6m	SSB
G0CER	6m	SSB
2E0TXT/P	6m	SSB
GW4ZAR/P	6m	SSB
G3UJE	6m	SSB
G6HFF	6m	SSB
M6AIF	6m	SSB
M0HGY	6m	SSB
M3OUA	6m	SSB
G8WUY	6m	SSB
2E0LKC	6m	SSB
GM4JR	6m	SSB
G0WTD	6m	SSB
M1MHZ	6m	SSB
G0BWB	6m	SSB
G4VPD	6m	SSB
M0COP/P	6m	SSB
G3PYE/P	6m	SSB
G3TDH	6m	SSB
G4HGI	6m	SSB
M0GVG/P	6m	SSB
G3ZVW	6m	CW
M0NST	6m	SSB
G6GVI	6m	SSB
G8MIA	6m	SSB
G4IDF	6m	SSB
2E0HRO	6m	SSB
G4YHF	6m	SSB
G0KTQ	6m	SSB
M1AIX	6m	SSB
G0GZI	6m	SSB
G4JQN	6m	SSB
GM3SEK	6m	CW

Thursday 24th October 2013 and I found myself in a good mood. This had not been the modal state over the recent days! My employer was still quibbling over whether it was an industrial injury or not and withholding pay, but I decided to just forget about all that business. My car was finally fixed and it was a beautiful day. Liam and I selected some picnic items for lunch and drove down to The Cloud G/SP-015. At the top, we sat and enjoyed the sunshine and blue sky for a while. The picnic was scoffed while sitting at the trig point. Plenty of others were on the summit at this time.

After setting up the 12m groundplane antenna, the SOTAwatch Spots showed that Steve G1INK/P was QRV on Kinder Scout G/SP-001 on 24.985MHz SSB. As such, contact number one was a S2S. Then I went onto 12m CW and got cracking. A total of 54 QSOs were made, with 13 on SSB, 2 on PSK31 and 39 on CW. North America dominated proceedings with 20 of the 54 contacts. Later on there appeared to be a short-lived spell of Sporadic E with strong signals into Eastern Europe.

It started to get a bit nippy as 5.30pm (local) approached, so attentions diverted to the possibility of a pint with Richard G3CWI in Macclesfield.

G1INK/P on Kinder Scout G/SP-001	12m	SSB
KA1R	12m	CW
OM7OM	12m	CW
HA7UL/P on Iharos HA/KM-029	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
K4SV	12m	CW
RX9WN	12m	CW
W4MPS	12m	CW
DJ5AV	12m	CW
K4YA	12m	CW
OH3KRH	12m	CW
KG3W	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
KK1W	12m	CW
OM0CS	12m	CW
OM8VL	12m	CW
K5DEZ	12m	CW
LZ3HW/2	12m	CW
W9FHA	12m	CW
YO2BBX	12m	CW
ON9XX	12m	CW
UT3WW	12m	CW
VE1WT	12m	CW
K9EZ	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
RK3ER	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
WX4ET	12m	SSB
2E0LKC	12m	SSB
2E0LMD	12m	SSB
EA7SS	12m	SSB
SV2OXS	12m	SSB
ER1ZZ	12m	SSB
N6KZ	12m	SSB
EA7PY	12m	SSB
SV2OXW	12m	SSB
K0NO	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
RZ3DZ	12m	PSK31
Z30U	12m	CW
YT6M	12m	CW
UT4ZX	12m	CW
UU4JIM	12m	CW
NE4TN	12m	CW
M6BLV	12m	CW
W7USA	12m	CW
UR5FBL	12m	CW
G0NMD	12m	CW
N7AMA	12m	CW
RA3ZP	12m	CW
UT7TA	12m	CW
EB7CIN	12m	CW
NA6MG	12m	CW
EB7CIN	12m	SSB

I had a bit of a time window to play with on Wednesday 30th October 2013, so went to play 12m Challenge on The Cloud G/SP-015. Most of that time window was spent explaining - and spelling out my 'QTH' of T-H-E separation C-L-O-U-D to a US SSB station who seemed unable to deal with the concept of a SOTA reference!

The day kicked off with dropping Liam at Macclesfield College for the start of his second half-term on the IT course, after which I dropped in at the new SOTAbeams premises in downtown Macclesfield for a brew and chat with Richard G3CWI. A Spearings meat & potato pie (otherwise known as a "Macclesfield Breakfast") and a read of the Macclesfield Express was next on the agenda. My mum wasn't in the newspaper this week (unless I didn't look hard enough) but predictably my brother was. He has been playing in the orchestra with Gloria Estefan for her gigs at the Royal Albert Hall last week, and Basel, Switzerland on the Tuesday evening, and the local music journo had picked up on it!

So off to The Cloud G/SP-015, and a possible target of 65 QSOs to overtake Steve G1INK in the G-filtered activator table for the SOTA 12m Challenge. Alas, it wasn't to be, with activity drying up and conditions taking a sharp dive after just 41 QSOs. These were 26 on CW, 4 on PSK31 and 11 on SSB. Of note, were 14 QSOs into North America, a couple into Iceland, a Croatian special call of 9A282TN, and of course the S2S with Mickey 2E0YYY/P over on Gun G/SP-013. I called it a day around 4pm, and made my way back to Macclesfield to collect Liam from college. Many thanks to all stations who called in.

OM7OM

12m

CW

K4YA

12m

CW

2E0YYY/P on Gun G/SP-013

12m

SSB

N7UN

12m

CW

KG3W

12m

CW

AE4FZ

12m

CW

EB7CIN

12m

CW

HB9AAQ

12m

CW

N4EX

12m

CW

VE1WT

12m

CW

G6LUZ

12m

SSB

M3XIE

12m

SSB

WX4ET

12m

SSB

M6BLV

12m

SSB

OM7OM

12m

SSB

G6ODU

12m

SSB

OM7OM

12m

PSK31

G6LUZ

12m

PSK31

RA4FAU

12m

PSK31

M6BLV

12m

PSK31

9A282TN

12m

CW

RW3ZA

12m

CW

UX7VA

12m

CW

NE4TN

12m

CW

UA1MU

12m

CW

LZ1IQ

12m

CW

M6BLV

12m

CW

W4DOW

12m

CW

W7RV

12m

CW

LZ4GL

12m

CW

RZ3DCJ

12m

CW

W0WP

12m

CW

K2TQC

12m

CW

TF3JB

12m

SSB

TF3JB

12m

CW

N8NA

12m

CW

DJ5AV

12m

CW

G0JHC

12m

CW

W8ERN

12m

SSB

UY5HF

12m

SSB

US6IKF

12m

SSB

My multipliers total in the SOTA 12m Challenge was looking quite healthy. Furthermore, with firm plans to add to this over the Autumn and Christmas seasons, as well as a batch of straightforward "localish" ones to add in 2014, the multiplier count should remain competitive. However, I decided that I really needed to be making the effort to get the QSO numbers up closer to those achieved by Steve G1INK. I had intended to address this with a teatime activation of The Cloud G/SP-015 on Saturday 2nd November 2013. After watching Macclesfield Town beat Wrexham 3-2 in an excellent game at the Moss Rose, I drove down to Cloudside. Throughout this drive, the weather got worse, culminating in downpour intensity rain and gale force winds at the parking spot. I did something I rarely do - and decided not to bother! Instead I drove back to Macclesfield and went out for a curry with Jimmy M0HGY as an alternative method of avoiding the X Factor.

But the morning of Sunday 3rd November 2013 broke and it looked like a very nice day. I knew that the winds would still be gusting and that some heavy showers were due to pass over, but I really fancied an activation. So it was back down to The Cloud G/SP-015 and a brisk walk up to the summit. It was indeed cold and windy, and I could also see a shower making its way towards me from the other end of the Cheshire Plain. I set up with the 12m elevated groundplane antenna at the edge of the summit plateau, with the feeder running back to my operating position, which was the most sheltered - North East facing side of the topograph.

Upon switching on the FT-817, I found the 12m band to be very busy. I kicked off calling on 24.904MHz CW, and stations from across Europe were soon calling in. And then, for the fifth contact, I could hardly believe my ears. The station replying was VK2DAG. I have worked VKs from The Cloud before, but it has been me calling them in the Commonwealth Contest. This was the first time a VK station had ever replied to my CQ call.

Suitably motivated, I went on to work down the pile-up on CW, before switching to SSB. This was also lively, but I couldn't get through the pile-up for EN7JHF for a S2S with UT/CR-021. Instead, that went into the SWL log and I returned for another session on CW. Interesting calls came in from TK (Corsica), UN (Kazakhstan) and a S2S with HA3HK/P on HA/KD-019. But best of all was being called and worked by Ian VK5CZ, an active SOTA participant down under.

By 1115 UTC, the wind had really picked up. A family were finding it too strong for kite flying. I was finding I was just too cold! It was time to pack up and go home. The cold discouraged me from doing any PSK31, so that mode was absent yet again. But I made a total of 55 QSOs, 41 on CW and 14 on SSB. Enormous fun.

LZ1NG	12m	CW
DJ5AV	12m	CW
RA1WF	12m	CW
US2LX	12m	CW
VK2DAG	12m	CW
UN7GBJ	12m	CW
OH1HE	12m	CW
RN1CW	12m	CW
YO5BRZ	12m	CW
UA3P	12m	CW
OH3MF	12m	CW
EC7JA	12m	CW
RA6YJ	12m	CW
UX5UW	12m	CW
G3PHO	12m	CW
OM7OM	12m	CW
US7IVW	12m	CW
HA3LV	12m	SSB
OH9XX	12m	SSB
OH6JYH	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G4OBK	12m	CW
G6ODU	12m	SSB
SP9VFG	12m	SSB
OM7OM	12m	SSB
LZ1GU	12m	SSB
HA0HH	12m	CW
RM9RZ	12m	CW
OM5CL	12m	CW
G4EHT	12m	CW
DL3HXX	12m	CW
UA4PAY	12m	CW
UX4LL	12m	CW
TK4LS	12m	CW
S52CU	12m	CW
HA6IAY	12m	CW
OE6GND	12m	CW
GW8OGI	12m	CW
VK5CZ	12m	CW
UA9AC	12m	CW
M6MPC	12m	CW
HA3HK/P on Badacsony HA/KD-019	12m	CW
EB7CIN	12m	CW
SP9AMH	12m	CW
DL6AP	12m	CW
G3WPF	12m	CW
S53OQ	12m	CW
G4FPA	12m	CW
OH9XX	12m	CW
IZ0TKC	12m	CW
S57S	12m	SSB
EA3EVL	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
EA3HPX	12m	SSB
IZ0TZI	12m	CW

My next visit to the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 was the evening of Tuesday 5th November 2013 for the RSGB 2m UKAC. Now I normally have been doing some 12m Challenge QSOs in the 45 minutes or so before the evening contests, but on this occasion various factors conspired against such an indulgence.

So just the 2m contest it was then, with 87 QSOs made into 17 mutliplier squares. One contact in CW and all the rest SSB. Best DX was Belgium. I thought I had put up a decent score with this, but I have been soundly beaten by our SOTA friend and colleague Carolyn G6WRW on this occasion.

The evening on the summit was interesting with two youths setting off some rather good fireworks from further along the summit, about 100 yards from my operating position. It certainly brightened up the night sky a few times even if some of the noise was a bit disruptive for my ears!

GW4ZAR	2m	SSB
M3RNX	2m	SSB
M5MUF	2m	SSB
M6NNX	2m	SSB
G4HZG/P	2m	SSB
G8REQ	2m	SSB
G4DQB/M	2m	SSB
M3OUA	2m	SSB
M6PLF	2m	SSB
G6UW	2m	SSB
G4FZN/P	2m	SSB
G1SWH	2m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	2m	SSB
GM4JR	2m	SSB
GM4PPT	2m	SSB
GI6ATZ	2m	SSB
M1MHZ	2m	SSB
G2ANC	2m	SSB
G6HFF	2m	SSB
G4APJ	2m	SSB
G0BFJ/A	2m	SSB
G8ZRE	2m	SSB
M0VXX/P	2m	SSB
2E0LMD	2m	SSB
G7DWY	2m	SSB
M0SDA	2m	SSB
G4LKD	2m	SSB
M0RSD	2m	SSB
GI4SNA	2m	SSB
G8PNN/P	2m	SSB
G3UVR	2m	SSB
M0COP/P	2m	SSB
G0ODQ	2m	SSB
GW4BVE	2m	SSB
GD8EXI	2m	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	2m	SSB
M0LEX/P	2m	SSB
M6KSB	2m	SSB
G3SAO	2m	SSB
G7KSE/P	2m	SSB
G4JLG	2m	SSB
G8RBW	2m	SSB
GW8ASD	2m	SSB
G3TDH	2m	SSB
G4NTY	2m	SSB
M0HGY	2m	SSB
M0VAA	2m	SSB
G7FMF	2m	SSB
G0BRC	2m	SSB
G8MIA	2m	SSB
G4VFL/P	2m	SSB
G0HIS	2m	SSB
M0NST	2m	SSB
G3JKX	2m	SSB
2E0XJP	2m	SSB
G4VPD	2m	SSB
M0BRA	2m	SSB
M0HLB	2m	SSB
M0SAT	2m	SSB
2W0JYN	2m	SSB
M0BUL/P	2m	SSB
G8OFA	2m	SSB
M0WYB	2m	SSB
G3ZUD	2m	SSB
GM4CXM	2m	CW
G8DTF	2m	SSB
G7ROM	2m	SSB
F8BRK	2m	SSB
G7RAU	2m	SSB
G4TSW	2m	SSB
G8CUL	2m	SSB
G6WRW/P	2m	SSB
2E0BMO	2m	SSB
M0RKX/P	2m	SSB
M1EQD/M	2m	SSB
2E0LKC	2m	SSB
G0NMY	2m	SSB
M0XII	2m	SSB
G4JED	2m	SSB
G0EHV/P	2m	SSB
G0HGH	2m	SSB
ON5AEN	2m	SSB
G6MML	2m	SSB
G8MCA	2m	SSB
G6GVI	2m	SSB
G3RCW	2m	SSB
G4XPE	2m	SSB

So, back to 12m Challenge efforts then, and Thursday 7th November 2013 saw me and Liam take a late afternoon stroll up to the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015. Signals to and from North America were good, and accounted for 25 of my 32 contacts. Malta 9H was an interesting if not particularly exotic or unusual one.

NA6MG was heard activating W6/CT-244, but I failed the S2S QSO despite several attempts to call in. The mode split of my 32 QSOs on 12m was 28 on CW and 4 on SSB.

N7UN	12m	CW
KF4MH	12m	CW
K9EZ	12m	CW
UA3PY	12m	CW
WG8Y	12m	CW
RZ3EV	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
N7AMA	12m	CW
WA6TLA	12m	CW
US7QQ	12m	CW
W7RV	12m	CW
9H1AL	12m	CW
K4JEZ	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
NE4TN	12m	CW
RA6HU	12m	CW
KE5AKL	12m	CW
K4PIC	12m	CW
K0KP	12m	CW
AD5A	12m	CW
K3TN	12m	CW
G3WPF	12m	CW
K4MIJ	12m	CW
K6EL on Mount Davidson W6/NC-423	12m	CW
KI8AF	12m	CW
WA2FBN	12m	CW
W8MHW	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
WX4ET	12m	SSB
N7AMA	12m	SSB
WT5ZZ	12m	SSB
K2TQC	12m	CW

On Saturday 9th November 2013, I was wide awake at 5am, after going to bed early at 9.30pm the previous night. Top tip - if you want an early night AND go straight to sleep, simply play 5-a-side football at the age of 43 a few hours beforehand! I reached the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 by headtorch, on a cold crisp November morning. And after setting up I was very cross with myself, for I had neither alerted, nor remembered to bring my mobile phone out with me! It was therefore incredibly good fortune that the first reply to me 12m CW calls was Reg G3WPF up the road in Styal. I was able to explain to Reg that I had forgotten my phone and request he post a spot for me, which he did - thanks Reg!

Having said that, I don't think many of the eleven stations worked were known SOTA chasers who would have picked up on the spot. One or two perhaps. The over rate was painfully slow, and by 8am I decided that the early get-up had not been worthwhile. With my one SSB and ten CW contacts in the logbook, I sloped off home and went back to bed - and went straight to sleep again!

G3WPF	12m	CW
UY2ZZ	12m	CW
US4IQ	12m	CW
UY3IC	12m	CW
UR5IFM	12m	CW
M0PNN	12m	CW
UR7VA	12m	CW
UA4FDL	12m	CW
LZ1MDU	12m	CW
UR5GAJ	12m	CW
UR3IF	12m	SSB

On Sunday 10th November 2013, I was under the impression that I was going for a walk in the Macclesfield Forest with my XYL Marianne. After the splendid homemade shepherds pie, I was well and truly energised and motivated for this, but Marianne had had a change of heart, and announced she was, instead, going to spend the afternoon watching some rubbish on the telly. This kind of ruled out my personal possible 'Plan B' of watching footy on Sky Sports, so guess what - I decided to go and do another 12m Challenge activation.

I was late getting QRV on the summit compared to my alert time, as it seemed everyone from the parking area to the summit wanted a chat! When I did eventually get going, around 37 minutes late, I had decided, unusually, to kick-off on SSB, something that seemed to throw a couple of the regulars like Steve G6LUZ and Mark G0VOF. The total number of 12m QSOs for this activation was 34, with 12 on SSB, 2 on PSK31 and 20 on CW. The questions from the passing punters continued with similar instensity on summit. As such, the QSO rate could never be high, as I believe that these opportunities should always be taken to promote and educate about the hobby.

The DXCC split for this activation was:
G: 12
GI: 1
W: 17
VE: 2
LU: 1
PY: 1

G0VOF	12m	SSB
M0HGY	12m	SSB
N7UN	12m	SSB
G3CWI	12m	SSB
VE2JCW	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
W4DOW	12m	SSB
2E0LKC	12m	SSB
2E0LMD	12m	SSB
N4EX	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M0HGY	12m	PSK31
KG3W	12m	CW
G3CWI	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	CW
WG8Y	12m	CW
N5XL	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
GI4ONL	12m	CW
W0MNA	12m	CW
W0ERI	12m	CW
VE1WT	12m	CW
N7IV	12m	CW
LU1YT	12m	CW
AA9IK	12m	CW
AD5A	12m	CW
WG8Y	12m	CW
WH6LE/P on Cedar Rock Mountain W4C/CM-081	12m	CW
W4JKC	12m	CW
N8NA	12m	CW
PY4FL	12m	CW

Wednesday 13th November 2013 presented an opportunity for a late afternoon activation for the Challenge. A rare Wednesday without after-hours staff meetings meant that I could get an early flyer and snag an activation on the way home from work. There was definitely something right with either my fitness, motivation, mood, or maybe two or all three of the above, for I ascended to the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 in double-quick time. In similarly short order, I got the 12m groundplane antenna erected, and I was good to go by 4.30pm.

I heard Klaus DF2GN/P activating Lemberg DM/BW-038 on 24.972MHz SSB, but Klaus couldn't hear me. Still, that was ten points and a new unique into the SOTA SWL log (coming soon to a Database near here) and I dropped down to the CW portion of the band. First up was Rich N4EX, as he often is. That headed around 50 minutes of operating on 12m, with 21 QSOs made. This was made up of 13 on CW, 6 on SSB and 2 on PSK31. By the time I decided to pack away, I had been operating by the light of my Petzl headtorch for some time. The nights are certainly closing in.

Three contacts on 2m FM with the VX7R completed the activation, and I could go home to enter the log and move back ahead in the G SOTA 12m Challenge Activator table. For now, at least!

N4EX	12m	CW
WG8Y	12m	CW
DJ5AV	12m	CW
K0NO	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
K0LAF	12m	CW
N5XL	12m	CW
W7RV	12m	CW
W2DXE	12m	CW
NE4TN	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
GI4ONL	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
WH6LE	12m	SSB
VE1WT	12m	SSB
M1CNL	12m	SSB
K9EZ	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
WA2USA	12m	PSK31
WA2FBN	12m	SSB
2E0LKC	2m	FM
2W0JYN	2m	FM
M6RGF	2m	FM

I had a clear window of opportunity on Thursday 14th November 2013, between dropping Liam off at college at 9am, and picking him up at 2.45pm - and I intended braving the bitter cold and toughing it out on the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 for as much of that time as possible.

Well, that would be all that time then, save for the drive/walk/set-up time before and after. All told, I managed to be QRV from 0959 to 1355 UTC, so nearly four hours. It was very cold and windy when I first arrived on summit, and I didn't fancy putting up the SOTA Pole and 12m GP antenna in the face of the wind. Nor did I fancy sitting in it. So I dropped back down the six or so steps just on the lip of the summit and hunkered down in a grassy depression which afforded good shelter for me, and reasonable shelter for the antenna.

A total of 78 QSOs were made on 12m, which included 6 on PSK31, 21 on SSB and 51 on CW. DX heard, but not worked despite several attempts, included US Virgin Islands KP2 and Hong Kong VR2. But nothing could wipe the smile off my face with two VK stations responding to my CQ calls and going in the log. Funnily enough, it was the same two that I worked from this summit eleven days earlier. Many thanks to Ian VK5CZ and Matt VK2DAG!

Also worked, DX-wise, was numerous QSOs into Asiatic Russia UA9, Kazakhstan UN, Azerbaijan 4K and, after 1124 UTC, fourteen contacts into North America. A particularly interesting contact was with RW1AI/MM. Now there was plenty of logging to get the Database up-to-date once more!

EW8BR	12m	CW
YU1YV	12m	CW
UT2LA	12m	CW
RA3DUO	12m	CW
YO2AQO	12m	CW
SV1DOJ	12m	CW
UR7QU	12m	CW
UX7VA	12m	CW
SV1QED	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
SV2OXS	12m	SSB
EA7ITL	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
YT1ZP	12m	PSK31
UA9UDX	12m	PSK31
UA3EKK	12m	PSK31
UR5ZEP	12m	PSK31
4K9W	12m	CW
UA9FMZ	12m	CW
RA9AKI	12m	CW
VK5CZ	12m	CW
UN5C	12m	CW
US5FZ	12m	CW
RZ6CQ	12m	CW
K2TO	12m	CW
GI4ONL	12m	CW
UT8UD	12m	CW
DL3JPN	12m	CW
LZ1DO	12m	CW
UA3QDJ	12m	CW
OE6WIG	12m	CW
EW7TA	12m	CW
W1DQ	12m	CW
EA2PI	12m	CW
VK2DAG	12m	CW
R9HAF	12m	CW
US5XD	12m	CW
UA5D	12m	CW
RW1AI/MM	12m	CW
IK7MIY	12m	CW
LZ1GU	12m	SSB
OH9AR	12m	SSB
N4EX	12m	SSB
M5HFJ	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	SSB
N7UN	12m	SSB
2E0LKC	12m	SSB
2E0LMD	12m	SSB
UT1AN	12m	SSB
M1CNL	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
M3XIE	12m	PSK31
K3RA	12m	CW
IT9BUA	12m	CW
OH4MDY	12m	CW
Z30U	12m	CW
KF4MH	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
SQ8LUV	12m	CW
OM7OM	12m	CW
OH7QK	12m	CW
N4VN	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
KB2XX	12m	CW
UU4JO	12m	CW
WG8Y	12m	CW
UT0EX	12m	CW
US7ISA	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
YO2BBX	12m	CW
SP9BRP	12m	CW
YU9FLD	12m	CW
K3RA	12m	SSB
UU4JO	12m	SSB
OM7OM	12m	SSB
EA7PY	12m	SSB
WX4ET	12m	SSB
VE1WT	12m	SSB

The next visit to this summit for the 12m Challenge was on the morning of Thursday 19th November 2013. 29 QSOs were made, with CW, SSB and PSK31 modes all used.

UT2QQ	12m	CW
G4OBK	12m	CW
EW6DX	12m	CW
RN3ZBB	12m	CW
RA3SX	12m	CW
UR4MF	12m	CW
UR5THM	12m	CW
LZ3LD	12m	CW
RW1AI/MM	12m	CW
R100MFF	12m	CW
2E0UOG	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
UA3LMR	12m	PSK31
G6ODU	12m	SSB
M0VFR	12m	SSB
YO9APK	12m	SSB
OM7OM	12m	SSB
DL1DVE	12m	SSB
DJ5AV	12m	SSB
OE6GND	12m	SSB
OM1AX	12m	SSB
M6SLE	12m	SSB
OM1AX	12m	CW
OM7OM	12m	CW
HB9AGH	12m	CW
RK1PWA	12m	CW
IT9CKA	12m	CW
HB9CIC	12m	CW
S52CU	12m	CW

Crystal clear blue skies and bright sunshine improved the mood on the chilly afternoon of Thursday 21st November 2013. So much so that when I collected Liam from college, it was already in my mind to head to The Cloud G/SP-015 with him before heading home. We both showed good energy in a quick march to the summit, but we were then greeted by a spot of rain. It was the south-west side of the topograph that was sheltered from the prevailing north-easterly wind, so we huddle down there and covered ourselves in the bothy bag.

12m was typically reliable to North America at this late afternoon time, and 18 of the 21 QSOs made were to the US or Canada. Of the other three, two were contacts to local(ish) G stations, while the other was a big highlight - my first ever QSO with ZS - South Africa. I have heard ZS stations many times calling on SSB on 12m this year, but never been able to make myself heard when calling back to them. So I was doubly delighted when one came back to my CQ SOTA call in CW! So that was one glaring omission on my all-time list of DXCCs worked finally crossed off. The most embarrassing remaining "holes" in my DXCCs worked are probably China and New Zealand!

In fading light at 4.30pm, we called it a day, packed up, descended and drove home. Another nice bit of exercise and a nifty 21 additional points in the 12m Challenge. And an all-time new DXCC - bonus!

W7RV	12m	CW
N7AMA	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
VE1WT	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
K4DY	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	CW
KB7HH	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
NE4TN	12m	CW
W0MNA	12m	CW
W0ERI	12m	CW
W6UB	12m	CW
KG3W	12m	CW
W7RV	12m	SSB
G3WPF	12m	CW
ZS1TTZ	12m	CW
W7USA	12m	CW
W3KC	12m	CW
WG8Y	12m	CW

No sooner had I returned home from my morning activation of Gun G/SP-013 on Saturday 23rd November, and my XYL Marianne announced that she was about to go to the cinema with Liam. That struck me as a clear opportunity to do another SOTA activation in the afternoon, and an opportunity to work into North America. After a brief chat with the lady who owns the cottage on Cloudside, I made my familiar ascent to the summit on this very cold afternoon. Despite the plunging temperatures, lots of people were out and about across Cloud summit as is usual for a weekend afternoon.

The final part of my setting up revealed a problem - my paddles weren't working! Well they were actually, as I was able to program up the change of SOTA reference in the Palm Code Cube by using them. It was just that they weren't producing dits and dahs - just a tone on the dah paddle. A check of the FT-817's menu settings confirmed there was no issue there (something that was doubly confirmed later at home by connecting to the shack FT-897), so the culprit was assumed to be the patch lead between the Code Cube and the FT-817.

One option in this situation was to configure the menu settings to allow the Mic-Key - ie using the Up/Down buttons on the FT-817 fist mike as dit and dah paddles. I did this once on Rombalds Moor G/NP-028 but didn't really like it. So instead, I decided just to use the dah paddle as a straight key! This confused several US chasers, as I was still able to send my programmed CQ call and SOTA reference from the memory keyer, but was then suddenly operating on a straight key at around half that speed! I think a few stations decided not to work me as they thought that a pirate was playing games! But no, it was me! The final tally was 27 QSOs on 12m, with 18 on CW, 7 on SSB and 2 or PSK31. Many thanks to all callers.

KO1U	12m	CW
N7AMA	12m	CW
W7RV	12m	CW
AD4RE	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
GI4ONL	12m	CW
KB7HH	12m	CW
W4IHI	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
VE2JFM	12m	CW
KG3W	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
AE4FZ	12m	SSB
G4OBK	12m	CW
KI4SVM	12m	SSB
SV1QED	12m	SSB
KO1U	12m	SSB
K3FWG	12m	SSB
M0HGY	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
W7RV	12m	PSK31
G4TJC	12m	CW
W4JKC	12m	CW
KF4MH	12m	CW
K8PX	12m	CW
KB2XX	12m	CW

Saturday afternoon, 30th November 2013. I decided to nip up The Cloud G/SP-015 and work a few North Americans for some more 12m Challenge points. And that is more or less what I did. 12 of my 17 contacts were from the USA or Canada, while another was from Brazil. Definitely worth going out for.

N4EX	12m	CW
VE2JCW	12m	CW
AJ5C	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
AA4AI	12m	CW
WA2FBN	12m	CW
ND0C	12m	CW
N0TU	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	CW
KG3W	12m	CW
VE1WT	12m	CW
M0PNN	12m	CW
G4TJC	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	SSB
M0HGY	12m	SSB
KO1U	12m	SSB
PY4FL	12m	CW

For the record, I did the 144MHz RSGB UKAC from the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 on the evening of Tuesday 3rd December 2013. Fortunately the evening was reasonably mild and dry, although I was still rather cold by the end. A total of 95 QSOs were made, all on 2m SSB. Sadly, and perhaps carelessly, plenty of active multiplier squares were missed. I managed 17 squares, but failed to work the stations in IO64, IO86, IO87, IO90, IO95 and JO00. Jimmy M0HGY got Dave G7RAU from the IOW - IO90 using the WiMO Big Wheel on the roof at home, so that one was a particularly bad miss for me.

In any case, I doubt there was ever a chance I could be competitive on this particular session. My chief competitor Carolyn G6WRW/P found she was in one end of the duct and worked plenty of DX to the continent, amassing a huge score. Unfortunately, said duct never came anywhere near the UKAC hotbed of IO83! It was interesting to hear the perceptions of several other portable stations, with remarks like "Oh yes, I'm out portable, same as you". Hmmm, I suspect I didn't have the heater on quite as high...

A map of my contest QSOs: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/kml_files/2013/WhDlxEhzJcpNnohTASmSmK3KxNjRFiA

G3UVR	2m	SSB
M6NNX	2m	SSB
G4APJ	2m	SSB
M0HGY	2m	SSB
G8MIA	2m	SSB
G8ZRE	2m	SSB
M0VAA	2m	SSB
2W0JYN	2m	SSB
G0CER	2m	SSB
M0SDA	2m	SSB
M0VXX/P	2m	SSB
G4AFJ	2m	SSB
M0GVG/P	2m	SSB
GI6ATZ	2m	SSB
G4FZN/P	2m	SSB
G0BFJ/A	2m	SSB
M0LEX/P	2m	SSB
M0XII/P	2m	SSB
M0BUL/P	2m	SSB
MM0GPZ/P	2m	SSB
G4TSW	2m	SSB
F8BRK	2m	SSB
G4ODA	2m	SSB
G3YDY	2m	SSB
M1DDD/P	2m	SSB
M0SAT	2m	SSB
G4LDL/P	2m	SSB
G0GQT	2m	SSB
G0ODQ	2m	SSB
M6SRZ/P	2m	SSB
GW8ASD	2m	SSB
M5AML	2m	SSB
G3VDB	2m	SSB
G3YYD	2m	SSB
G8OHM	2m	SSB
M0ZAI	2m	SSB
M0RKX/P	2m	SSB
G4BRK	2m	SSB
G4GFI	2m	SSB
G7APD	2m	SSB
G0HVQ	2m	SSB
G2ANC	2m	SSB
M0COP/P	2m	SSB
GD8EXI	2m	SSB
G0WTD	2m	SSB
G8CUL	2m	SSB
GW4BVE	2m	SSB
G3VCA	2m	SSB
2E0BMO	2m	SSB
G8REQ	2m	SSB
G8HXE	2m	SSB
G4RQI	2m	SSB
G4XPE	2m	SSB
G3ZII	2m	SSB
G0BWB	2m	SSB
G4JLG	2m	SSB
G1SWH	2m	SSB
G0AJJ	2m	SSB
G3ZVW	2m	SSB
GW0IRW	2m	SSB
M0BRA	2m	SSB
G3TDH	2m	SSB
G0HGH	2m	SSB
G4NDM/P	2m	SSB
GM4JR	2m	SSB
2E0VPX	2m	SSB
GW4EVX	2m	SSB
M0VDC	2m	SSB
G3SMT	2m	SSB
G4DPF	2m	SSB
G0BRC	2m	SSB
G8LZE	2m	SSB
G7DWY	2m	SSB
M1MHZ	2m	SSB
G1MZD	2m	SSB
G3XKT	2m	SSB
G4DQB/M	2m	SSB
G4VFL/P	2m	SSB
G0KTQ	2m	SSB
GM4CXM	2m	SSB
G7KSE/P	2m	SSB
G8AXZ/P	2m	SSB
G3SAO	2m	SSB
G0BBL/P	2m	SSB
G0RQL	2m	SSB
G6WRW/P	2m	SSB
G7FMF	2m	SSB
G4YUP/P	2m	SSB
G4FPJ	2m	SSB
G0XDI	2m	SSB
M0LNE	2m	SSB
G5MW/P	2m	SSB
ON5AEN	2m	SSB
G4ZTR	2m	SSB
G0EHV/P	2m	SSB

As a result of a rather stressful day at work on Friday, I "got it all out of my system" in higher-than-average-intensity staff football match. As a result of being shattered from said football match, I was in bed and asleep by 9pm. As a result of going to bed early, I woke up at 5am on Saturday 7th December 2013. As a result of being up early, I went to do a greyline 12m activation of The Cloud G/SP-015. The whole ascent and set-up was in darkness, as was the first hour or so of operating. It was bitterly cold with no real shelter from the wind (westerly is always the worst wind direction for activating on The Cloud), so I was soon inside the bothy bag.

The activation was a bit bobbins with a paltry eleven QSOs made, all on CW. I SWLd SV3IEG/P on SV/AT-033 on 20m SSB, but only had the 12m antenna with me. Heard, but not worked on 12m CW was XV2RZ (Vietnam). I had a few goes at getting through, but didn't manage it. There was also a HZ1 station (Saudi Arabia), HS0ZGQ (Thailand) and BY8AC (China) on 12m CW, but my 5 watts wasn't making the return trip!

As it was, each of my 12m CW contacts were with either Russia, Ukraine or Kazakhstan, so my SOTA log did not reflect the riches on offer. Over on SSB, more juicy stuff was heard in the form of A41OO (Oman), OD5ZZ (Lebanon) and VU2RBI (India) but the propagation was similarly "one way" ;)

I had planned to do a long activation until around lunchtime and bag a bunch of 12m Challenge QSOs, but at 9am I decided I was cold and bored, and went to pick myself up a cooked breakfast vienna instead...

R4CA	12m	CW
UR6IDX	12m	CW
R7AX	12m	CW
UU6JJ	12m	CW
RX3PY	12m	CW
UA3AC	12m	CW
RA1QX	12m	CW
R9OX	12m	CW
UR7VA	12m	CW
UN8FM	12m	CW
UA3RFA	12m	CW

Due to one thing and another, I was not getting the opportunities for before-work or after-work activations like in the past. However, I felt I needed to stretch my legs on the afternoon of Thursday 12th December 2013, so got a flyer after the end of afternoon classes and made for The Cloud G/SP-015. I completed the ascent in the last dregs of daylight around 4.15pm, but decided to switch on the headtorch for the setting up. It was another 12m Challenge activation, but the time between finishing work for the day and propagation becoming unfavourable on that band was getting very short.

Just nine QSOs were made, all on CW. Of these, 8 were US stations, Victor GI4ONL being the only other caller. After a switch to SSB, and despite a self-spot, I couldn't raise anybody else. Rich N4EX called in with a watery 44 signal, but he couldn't hear me going back to him. A total contrast to the crunching signal he had put my way on CW just 15 minutes earlier. And then I went home.

KO1U	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
N6KZ	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
K9EZ	12m	CW
GI4ONL	12m	CW
NC4H	12m	CW
WA2FBN	12m	CW

Saturdays had developed a rather predictable pattern at EYP Towers. That is, my college student youngest son Liam, my accounts office and licensed eldest son Jimmy M0HGY, and my delightful XYL Marianne - all just stayed in bed until dinnertime. And many would agree that is a fine way to start any weekend. It is not for me though, so as soon as I was up and about, I was getting ready to go out and play SOTA. Without any advance planning as such, it was an "automatic pilot" run out to The Cloud G/SP-015.

I couldn't help noticing how windy it was at the Cloudside parking spot. As feared, it was considerably worse on the summit, but I figured I could get the antenna up and make it stay up. That was without reckoning with a much used SOTA Pole and a known weak join section. Well I was up and down like a jack-in-a-box re-erecting the aerial, often between each successive contact! It serves me right, as it was a known issue as I say. Before going out again, I resolved to replace the sections concerned with stronger ones salvaged from poles past. I had quite a selection of good pole sections, so it was time to remake the current one!

In between all the nonsense, I did manage to make 33 QSOs on 12m, 16 on SSB and 18 on CW. DXCCs worked were 9A, CT, EA, ER, EU, G, I, LY, OH, OK, OM, RA, SM, SP, SV, UA9, VK, W, YL, YO and YU. Of particular note was a QSO with Francesco IZ7WKI/P, running 500mW from his FT-817. An interesting callsign was RT110RAEM from Russia, while it was, as always, satisfying to have VK2DAG becoming a "regular chaser" in my log!

Tom M1EYP Macclesfield Town v Salisbury City

The QSO rate was desperately slow with all the collapses, and at 1215z I'd had enough. Moreover it was dinnertime, so I went home via the chippy and treated the family to that finest of English Saturday luncheons. And thence off to the Moss Rose to watch Macclesfield Town beat Salisbury City 1-0. It remained all go as was then preparing to go out on a gig - at The Wharf in Macclesfield. More details here: http://www.yellowpadband.co.uk

YL2ON	12m	SSB
UA3RBM	12m	SSB
OM7OM	12m	SSB
SM3AF	12m	SSB
CT1DRB	12m	SSB
EW6AG	12m	SSB
OK2HI	12m	SSB
SP5AHR	12m	SSB
OM7OM	12m	SSB
G4OBK	12m	CW
SQ9KCX	12m	SSB
RY9C	12m	SSB
IZ7WKI/P	12m	SSB
YO2MSB	12m	SSB
SV2OXW	12m	SSB
EA3EVL	12m	SSB
LY1CG	12m	CW
9A4MF	12m	CW
OH1HE	12m	CW
OH2NOS	12m	CW
RT110RAEM	12m	SSB
M3HJH	12m	SSB
OH9XX	12m	SSB
OH3TT	12m	CW
YU2U	12m	CW
SM0GNS	12m	CW
R3GO	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
N7UN	12m	SSB
VK2DAG	12m	SSB
N4EX	12m	SSB
ER1MM	12m	SSB
N4EX	12m	CW

Back to The Cloud G/SP-015 on Sunday 22nd December 2013. The Treacle Market in Macclesfield had a particularly festive feel to it in the early afternoon. I'm not sure whether my lunch choice of meat paella would qualify as "festive" but the accompanying hot mulled wine certainly did! After walking home from town, I was just getting into my stride, so decided to squeeze in a late afternoon activation.

By the time I was QRV, the light was already fading, and I soon switched on the headtorch to enable me to see the log clearly. The band was open to North America as expected, but these conditions disappeared very sharply at 5pm. There were some unusually strong inter-G/GI/GM stuff though, which was novel.

A total of 20 QSOs was made on 12m:

CW: 13
SSB: 6
PSK31: 1

When I brought up DroidPSK on my Galaxy Siii Mini smartphone, I found that the app had been updated. The layout was slightly better, and the previously entered frequency and RST received and sent remained in the fields as defaults for the next log - an excellent improvement. I also noted that the app now had PSK63 as an option - which opened up the possibility of me heading to the hills for the 80m Data club contests in 2014, enabling Jimmy to simultaneously participate from the home shack.

A total of 6 DXCCs was worked:

CU: 1
G: 4
GI: 1
GM: 1
RA: 1
VE: 1
W: 11

It was very cold as well. -3 degrees Celcius. Brrr.

G0VOF	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
KO1U	12m	CW
VE2JCW	12m	CW
N3VA	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
W0MNA	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
GI4ONL	12m	CW
W0ERI	12m	CW
GM3YTS	12m	CW
KN5O	12m	CW
R4FZ	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	SSB
KO1U	12m	SSB
M1CNL	12m	SSB
N4EX	12m	SSB
G0VOF	12m	PSK31
N8II	12m	SSB
CU7MD	12m	SSB

Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24th December 2013, and back up to the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015, yet again. This was a case of sneaking out once the rest of the family had settled down in front of the television for the afternoon. Nothing much to report, but another 14 QSOs on the 12m band.

K2VV	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
VE2JCW	12m	CW
K4DY	12m	CW
G3CWI	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
K0LAF	12m	CW
OE6WIG	12m	CW
KC0CF	12m	CW
G0NMD	12m	CW
G4XEE	12m	CW
MW0IDX	12m	CW
G6ODU	12m	SSB

Christmas Day SOTA activations have proved surprisingly popular and numerous over the years, and 2013 was no exception. I set off at 6.35am on 25th December 2013 and was on the summit of The Cloud G/SP-015 by 7.10am. It was fun to be walking along the ascent route, under a clear starlight sky, in my big red coat, slightly greying beard and with a big sack over my back - most seasonal!

As anticipated, there were no takers at all on 12m CW, well before local sunrise. I flicked on the 2m handheld in order to at least get the activation "up and running", and found Mickey 2E0YYY/P calling CQ SOTA from Gun G/SP-013 on S20! I called in, we QSYd to 145.475MHz FM, and he gave me his SOTA reference and a 59+ report. But at no time did he wish me a Merry Christmas, a point I was keen to emphasize in my next over! I then got a call on 12m CW from Pete G4RRM in Crewe, so that was HF started in the logbook. Things went quiet again, so I had another look on 2m FM, and found Pete working Mickey. I tail-ended this to get Pete again on the new band.

Some dribbles of daylight began to appear over The Roaches, and with it came CQ calls from EN100ZKM from Ukraine. After working this, I set up on my own QRG and added three more calls, one each from UR, G and GW. Over on SSB, a further three came from UR, G and SV. Pete G4RRM had indicated an interest in working the summit on PSK31, so I went there next. I was pleasantly surprised when four further stations (a G, a GW and two URs) came through for PSK31 QSOs afterwards.

A return to CW produced four more with two URs, one LZ and a nice surprise from EA8. It was pretty slow going though, and mode-hopping was the order of the morning. Back up to 12m SSB, and special call RQ110RAEM from Tomsk, Western Siberia was worked, as well as chaser John G1STQ and Bob G6ODU, plus a station in Greece (SV). I had seen Mickey 2E0YYY/P spotted on 14.333MHz SSB on his Gun G/SP-013 activation, and tried a cheeky reply despite only having the 12m antenna. Mickey heard me loud and clear, but I kept the QSO brief as my SWR was a little on the high side as one would expect! Back on 12m SSB, further S2S came from Mickey 2E0YYY/P (again) on Gun G/SP-013, and the highlight of the activation - Alister M0BKQ/P who had overnighted on Scafell Pike G/LD-001 - amazing!

"You're never alone on The Cloud" is the old saying, and Christmas Day 2013 was no exception. At least three other walkers were up there with me before sunrise, and many more followed, including several young families, which was lovely to see. "Has he been?" was my repeated question to any youngsters, who all beamed with delight as they confirmed that he had!

It was a very cold and breezy morning, although not as brutal as the previous day. There was a hard frost down though, and I was glad that I had elected to take a small flask of coffee with me. This was enjoyed during longer periods of auto CQ calling (Palm Cube + Mini Palm Paddle in beacon mode), and just after I packed everything away. The final contact of the activation was made on 2m FM on the handheld with the rucksack packed and on my back. It was Myke G6DDQ/P on Sharp Haw G/NP-029 for a fifth Christams Day S2S. A very fine activation, and I eagerly returned home to see if Mr S. Claus had paid me a visit.

Indeed he had, and what a nice chap he is. He brought me a wonderful panoramic picture of Cloud summit on a wooden mount, apparently randomly discovered by Marianne in a shop in Macclesfield. To help me enjoy looking at this (and later on give me eyesight issues when trying to look at it), I also got a 15 year bottle of Laphroaig Islay single malt. (My XYL clearly knows me too well). So a wonderful start to Christmas Day here, could it possibly get any better? You bet it could, Marianne was making the dinner. Anyone that has eaten "Grub a la Maz" will confirm that this was likely to be the undisputed highlight of the day. Merry Christmas everyone!

2E0YYY/P on Gun G/SP-013	2m	FM
G4RRM	12m	CW
G4RRM	2m	FM
EN100ZKM	12m	CW
UU4JIM	12m	CW
G4AYO	12m	CW
GW4OKT	12m	CW
UT7IV	12m	SSB
G4RRM	12m	SSB
SV3ICL	12m	SSB
G4RRM	12m	PSK31
G7JWR	12m	PSK31
GW4CQZ	12m	PSK31
UY9IF	12m	PSK31
UX5IQ	12m	PSK31
LZ1IC	12m	CW
UR7QJ	12m	CW
EA8AQV	12m	CW
UT8MZ	12m	CW
RQ110RAEM	12m	SSB
2E0YYY/P on Gun G/SP-013	2m	SSB
G1STQ	12m	SSB
M0BKQ/P on Scafell Pike G/LD-001	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
SV2CNE	12m	SSB
2E0YYY/P on Gun G/SP-013	12m	SSB
G6DDQ/P on Sharp Haw G/NP-029	2m	FM

Weather was even better on Cloud on Boxing Day, Thursday 26th December 2013. A glorious sunny day with very little cloud and not much wind. Chilly enough after 3 hours but generally good. I had a similar experience to Rob G0PEB it seems. S2S with him and the MW/HB, but I couldn't get through Andy MM0FMF's mega pile-up. I think Andy came looking for me on my spotted QRG at one point, but the RBN picked him up and his mega pile-up then landed on my frequency!

Anyway, 39 more qsos in the Challenge pot and always a delight to be answered by VK. My 39 QSOs on 24MHz were distributed as follows:

CW: 27
SSB: 8
PSK31: 4

DL: 1
EA: 5
G: 5
GW: 3
HB: 3
I: 4
OH: 1
RA: 2
SV: 1
UR: 5
VK: 1
W: 8

S2S with Rob GW0PEB/P on Moel y Gest GW/NW-067 & Dominik MW/HB9CZF/P on Mynydd Carn-y-cefn GW/SW-014.

OH9XX	12m	CW
IK8ARF	12m	CW
EB7CIN	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	CW
EA7SS	12m	CW
RZ4FB	12m	CW
HB9CLT	12m	CW
US8UX	12m	CW
RK110RAEM	12m	CW
I1LGR	12m	CW
VK5CZ	12m	CW
G0VOF	12m	SSB
2E0LKC	12m	SSB
2E0LMD	12m	SSB
UR3IF	12m	SSB
SV2OXW	12m	SSB
DJ5AV	12m	PSK31
G0VOF	12m	PSK31
UT5CO	12m	PSK31
GW4CQZ	12m	PSK31
GW0PEB/P on Moel-y-gest GW/NW-067	12m	CW
EA2LU	12m	CW
EA2DT	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
UU4JIM	12m	CW
EA2BD	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
UX5TQ	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
MW/HB9CZF/P on Mynydd Carn-y-cefn GW/SW-014	12m	CW
K4YT	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
HB9BCB	12m	CW
K4DY	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	SSB
HB9MKV	12m	SSB
W8BI	12m	SSB
IK5ZWU	12m	CW
I7PXW	12m	CW

Nothing was planned in advance for Saturday 28th December 2013, but I awoke at 6am and thought "Why not?". I wasn't in any rush to sit around waiting for sunrise though, so enjoyed a couple of mugs of tea while catching up on my emails before heading out. I was setting up on The Cloud G/SP-015 during a fantastic sunrise over The Roaches. It was a stunner of a morning with sunshine, crystal clear blue skies and therefore magnificent views in all directions. The only downer was the very cold temperature, which meant my hands had to keep retreating inside the padded gloves for some respite!

The activation comprised 37 QSOs, all on 12m. There were 21 on CW, 12 on SSB and 4 on PSK31. Despite several attempts at calling in, I couldn't get EN7JHF on UT/CR-002 to hear me. However, I did manage S2S contacts with OK/SQ9SHR/P on OK/MO-057, Mickey 2E0YYY/P on Stiperstones G/WB-003 and OK1DVM/P on OK/KR-045. But the undisputed highlight of the activation was a 12m PSK31 QSO with VK2DAG. I was absolutely thrilled with this, easily my all-time ODX on data! The DroidPSK app on my smartphone was recently auto-updated, and the results are very pleasing. It was a pretty major upgrade, and the benefits I have so far noticed include the following:

1) I can send much longer overs before reaching the text character limit.
2) The previously used frequency and reports remain as defaults in those fields for the next contact - a real time-saver.
3) The previously noted/reported slight frequency shift problem appears to have been eradicated. This was where me and a chaser would have to keep edging our slider up to the other's signal each over!
4) It is now possible to press the "Add to log" button, to submit a completed contact, during an outgoing transmission.
5) PSK63 is now supported in this app as well.

All in all, this makes using this app much slicker and better; I must email Wolfgang with some feedback and thanks. Many thanks to all the chasers that called in.

4K9W	12m	CW
RY110RAEM	12m	CW
UR5MIJ	12m	CW
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
M0JVW	12m	SSB
UA3EMB	12m	SSB
MW0ZXQ	12m	SSB
UU4JIM	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
VK2DAG	12m	PSK31
OE5FSL	12m	PSK31
DJ7LWD	12m	PSK31
UT5SI	12m	CW
RZ3EV	12m	CW
OM1AX	12m	CW
OK/SQ9SHR/P on Cieslar OK/MO-057	12m	SSB
2E0YYY/P on Stiperstones G/WB-003	12m	SSB
DL2DXA	12m	CW
I2ZZU	12m	CW
OM1AX	12m	SSB
UA3YHG	12m	SSB
SV2OXS	12m	SSB
UA5D	12m	SSB
UX5UO	12m	CW
I2ZBX	12m	CW
SP9EML	12m	CW
HA2NEP	12m	CW
RA4AAJ	12m	CW
EA8OM	12m	CW
EC8CQ	12m	CW
OH9XX	12m	CW
DJ5AV	12m	CW
SP6BCC	12m	CW
LZ1XM	12m	CW
DL8TG	12m	CW
OK1DVM/P on Veliš OK/KR-045	12m	CW

After a morning on Shining Tor G/SP-004, the second activation of Sunday 29th December 2013 was back to Ye Olde Faithefulle - The Cloud G/SP-015. It was now a beautiful afternoon with wall-to-wall crystal clear blue skies and bright sunshine - absolutely gorgeous. As a consequence, parking was at a premium and roadside was all that was available. As expected therefore, the summit was cloaked with large crowds, so my chosen sheltered spot and backrest by the topograph was not appropriate.

Instead, I set up on another of my favoured positions, right on the cliff edge above Red Lane. This meant accepting a bit of cold breeze on my back during the activation, but on the plus side it also meant the most wonderful view throughout. Even setting up "out of the way" didn't get me out of the way. The summit was ridiculously busy, and accordingly I was inundated with questions about what I was up to. Several of these came from young children, and they were really interested. So much so in one case, that one threw a bit of a strop when his daddy said it was time to go. "But I want to watch this" he insisted - to no avail.

The activation was good fun with plenty of contacts. Thankfully I had remembered to swap in a freshly charged SLAB! I managed all three modes on 12m (CW, SSB, PSK31), plus FM on 2m. S2S came from Steve G1INK/P on Shining Tor G/SP-004 and Gerald MW0WML/P on Glyder Fawr GW/NW-003.

The total number of QSOs was 41, of which 30 were into North America:
12m CW: 26
12m SSB: 12
12m PSK: 2
2m FM: 1

Around 1610 UTC, I noticed that Steve G1INK/P had gone QRT, and that his QRG of 24.977MHz SSB was clear. I thought about have a final fling on there, and possibly pick up any of Steve's contacts that were still on that frequency. It nearly worked! Both W7USA and KO1U came back, but signals were suddenly well down and neither contact was completed. Suddenly, the previously packed band was empty, it had clocked off for the night and it was time to go home. Coincidentally, suddenly, the previously packed summit was empty, it had clocked off for the night and it was time to go home. Many thanks for the calls.

G0VOF	12m	CW
N7UN	12m	CW
N4EX	12m	CW
W6UB	12m	CW
WH6LE	12m	CW
VE3EK	12m	CW
W4DOW	12m	CW
KB1RJC	12m	SSB
KB1RJD	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	SSB
N4EX	12m	SSB
G6ODU	12m	SSB
G1INK/P on Shining Tor G/SP-004	12m	SSB
AE4FZ	12m	SSB
M0HGY	12m	SSB
G6LUZ	12m	PSK31
M0HGY	12m	PSK31
N9CK	12m	CW
WA3C	12m	CW
W0MNA	12m	CW
W0ERI	12m	CW
K8IU	12m	CW
N4NO	12m	CW
M0TXX/M	12m	SSB
2E1CJF	12m	SSB
VE2JCW	12m	SSB
MW0WML/P on Glyder Fawr GW/NW-003	2m	FM
CT3MD	12m	SSB
W2GS	12m	CW
VE2JCW	12m	CW
WA6TLA	12m	CW
W7RV	12m	CW
WX8C	12m	CW
NE4TN	12m	CW
KG3W	12m	CW
W2UDT	12m	CW
AD4RT	12m	CW
W4IHI	12m	CW
ND0C	12m	CW
WB2MKX	12m	CW
W8DX	12m	CW