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Wednesday 1st January 2020 - New Year’s Day I commenced the Year 2020 by trying to do everything, not wasting a single minute - as usual! Despite only getting home abround 4am after my New Year's Eve gig over near Wrexham, I set my alarm for 9am. Why? Because I wanted to go and watch Macc play away at Port Vale in the New Year's Day derby fixture. And before that I wanted to meet my mates in the pub. And before that I wanted to do a SOTA activation! It seems I just want everything - and therefore sleep has to be carefully rationed!
It was a delightful morning as I climbed up to Cloud summit. Predictably, in such gorgeous weather on a New Year's Day morning, I was not the only one up there! I set up the SOTAbeams Bandhopper 4 aerial with all the links closed - I was only interested in working on 80m, as that (along with 160m) was the theme - or "Flavour" - for the first week of the 2020 SOTA Challenge. It went very well. No fewer than 19 QSOs were made on 3.5MHz, using a mix of CW, SSB and FT8. No fewer than six of those contacts were summit-to-summit, which was very pleasing. It seemed the activators were intent on embracing this challenge. I completed the activation with a couple of local 2m FM QSOs, then drove down to Burslem to meet my pals.
We enjoyed a couple of good real ales, a catch-up and a laugh in the Bull's Head in Burslem, before walking up the hill to Vale Park for the match. (I'd left my car parked close to the stadium earlier then walked down to the town centre pub). A really good game finished 2-2, after which I drove home for a rather spectacular roast dinner that Marianne had prepared.
Thursday 2nd January 2020 Back to The Cloud. Only the second day of the year, but already my first "pointless" repeat activation of a summit. It definitely would not be the last! Again I picked up a decent number of S2S contacts, the pick being Roger F5LKW/P on F/AM-578 - a contact made using 80m FT8. Just like the previous day, the QSOs were made on a combination of 80m FT8, 80m SSB, 80m CW and 2m FM.
Friday 3rd January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Back to The Cloud G/SP-015 yet again, but this time I had a crazy idea. I took two extra poles and guying kits with me, plus 40m of lightweight antenna wire. I was going to try clip two further quarter-wave lengths on the ends of the legs of my 80m dipole (Bandhopper 4) and attempt to create a full half-wave dipole for Top Band (160m).
Well, this took a LONG time to set up. The antenna was enormous and stretched over a huge proportion of the summit area. It would be totally inappropriate to attempt this arrangement at busy times on this popular summit, but fortunately, this particular Friday morning was fairly quiet. After getting the antenna in the air, much to-ing and fro-ing ensued as I tried to adjust the dipole legs for optimum SWR. Normally on a Cloud activation, the entire ascent, descent and summit time records no more than 2000 steps on my Fitbit tracker - but with all the walking around trying to optimise the 160m band antenna, over 8000 steps were recorded!
A very suboptimal - but just about usable - VSWR was achieved, and I managed to make two QSOs on Top Band. Thanks to Bill G4WSB and Terry G3RKF. Then followed two partnerships on 2m FM - Martyn M1MAJ/M & Caroline M3ZCB/M, and Pete 2E0LKC & Anne 2E0LMD.
Later in the day, I would meet up with my good mate Sean M0GIA for another attempt at Top Band using a different approach. That would be over on Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 4th January 2020 I braved the cold in order to take part in the 40m-80m AFS CW contest from The Cloud. I started on 40m to get what contacts I could on that band before the conditions faded. I then switched to 80m, which I knew would be the main band for the majority of the contest period. I switched out of contest mode a couple of times to bag 80m SSB S2S contacts, and then again at the end to put some locals in the log on VHF.
That evening, Jimmy, Liam and I had a walk into town for a "boys' night out". We enjoyed some real craft ales in the Chester Road Tavern and then MASH Guru, before continuing down to the Kandi Sri Lankan restaurant for a superb meal. Walking back home I was startled by the sudden appearance of a tall brightly illuminated cross standing above me - before I realised it was the church window!
Sunday 5th January 2020 - Kinder Scout G/SP-001, Shining Tor G/SP-004, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 After the first two activations, I arranged to meet Jimmy M0HGY and Liam at the Pack Horse, Broken Cross for dinner and a pint. As anticipated, those two were as disinterested in joining me for two further activations as they had been for the earlier! No problem - they went back home, and I went to The Cloud!
After my "proper" walks and "proper" activations earlier, I just did the handheld-in-pocket routine for my evening walks. Just two QSOs from Cloud summit before I drove over to Gun G/SP-013.
Monday 6th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 The Monday morning was taken up with antenna repairs. The SB6 (6m Moxon) was remade using the information for wire lengths available on the SOTAbeams website. The Bandhopper 4, which I had clumsily broken the previous day on Shining Tor G/SP-004! I was reasonably confident that the BH4 fix was successful and could be replied upon for an activation of Gun G/SP-013 the next day for the Flavours Challenge. However, I did want to check out the SB6 before that coming Thursday's 6m contest night. Well the good news was that the antenna repair was successful; the not so good news was that, even on FT8, there was no 6m DX knocking around, and all contacts were pretty local.
Tuesday 7th January 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 While it was breezy on Cloud summit, and I definitely needed the shelter of the topograph in order to operate, it was nothing like as windy as I anticipated. The forecast had predicted gusts of 50kmh, and rain from 9pm. As it was it didn’t rain at all, and I didn’t suffer a single mast fall! Many stations working me expressed both surprise and admiration for my being out SOTA-portable, but I’ve known it much much worse! 103 QSOs - 21 on 2m FM and 82 on 2m SSB. Best DX: PA5Y in JO21, 565km. Unfortunately not a sniff from GM - or GI/EI for that matter. Two in GD though - I think I got lucky.
Wednesday 8th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
Liam and I went into town to visit our new favourite place for lunch - Fatima's Kitchen in the Indoor Market. Absolutely delicious homemade flavoursome food. After that, I dropped Liam back home and drove myself down to the Cloudside parking spot. Free of mode-specific events or SOTA "Flavours" Challenge days (which are the first seven of each month), I was at liberty to SOTA howsoever I pleased. I decided to have a crack at 15m FT8 to see what happened.
I set up a quarterwave groundplane antenna for 21MHz and connected up my FT-817, Windows 10 tablet, and G4ZLP MiniProSC interface. The first QSO? Damian 2E0TXE in Congleton, a couple of miles away! I hoped to get out a little further than that, which I did, working mainly into mainland Europe, but one contacts was into Brazil courtesy of PU2WSQ. And then - of course - over to Gun G/SP-013.
Thursday 9th January 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 A very unmagical evening on the so-called "Magic Band". I switched off and started to pack up 15 minutes early at 2215z having not had a QSO for over 20 minutes. Before then, just 53 QSOs on 6m SSB, which is pretty dismal on a UK activity night. Only G, GD and GW worked. Only locator squares IO74, 81, 82, 83, 91, 92, 93, 94 worked. Very very poor.
And it was bitterly cold! I went on 2m FM with the handheld before descending. Got deliberately jammed by, I believe, a licensed amateur in the Warrington area, who dislikes a couple of the chasers that worked me - but who effectively disrupted my activating on the frequency by repeatedly playing recordings of the chasers in question. This in addition to the daily drunken monologues from M1DCG in Stoke-on-Trent on S20. It seems CB is alive and well - on the 2m amateur band round here. Anyone still jealous of the activity in IO83 square???
Friday 10th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
Friday had a decent forecast, and neither Marianne nor myself were working. We decided to go for a walk in the Manifold Valley, somewhere we had not explored before.
We climbed up to the village of Wetton looking for somewhere for lunch, but there wasn't really anything we fancied. So we continued the walk that looped down to the other "end" of the valley. Unfortunately, the cafe on the National Trust site there appeared to have closed for good.
We walked the main section of the Manifold Valley back to the car park, and started to discuss what we could do for lunch!
We ended up going to the Waterside Cafe at Tittersworth Reservoir for something to eat; it was conveniently sited on our route back home. As we drove into Macclesfield, Marianne spotted a "Supermoon" over our estate, so we needed to pull over for her to get some shots.
A little later I nipped back out again to do my usual pair of SOTA activations - The Cloud G/SP-015 and Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 11th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 A very silly SOTA experiment took place on this morning, which eventually turned into Richard G3CWI’s next “Radio Adventures” video. The idea was a "shootout" to determine what was best - CW or FT8. I thought it was very daft and already raised several concerns and objections about the planned (and significantly flawed) format to my friend. Nonetheless, something about a free breakfast was mentioned in dispatches, so reluctantly went along with it.
I operated on 30m FT8, while Richard did so on 30m CW, using exactly the same station set-up. The results can be seen by watching the video below. We then went for a late breakfast at The Society Rooms in Macclesfield, before I then went on to watch the Macclesfield town vs Oldham Athletic football match at the Moss Rose stadium.
Straight after the football, I drove down the Leek road (on which the football ground is actually located) for a snap activation of Gun G/SP-013 before returning home.
Sunday 12th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Sunday's was another outing that focused on the exercise rather than the radio. A quick drive down to Cloud. A quick ascent, quick activation, quick descent and quick drive over to Gun G/SP-013 to do the same! But there was a surprise waiting for me!
Monday 13th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was teaching in a school in Stoke-on-Trent North - just like the old days. So, just like the old days, I took a change of clothes with me and the intention to activate The Cloud G/SP-015, and possibly Gun G/SP-013 on the way home. As I parked on Cloudside, it was lashing down and blowing a gale. I baled out and went home for my tea. Problem was, I was still 6000 steps light of my daily target on my Fitbit step counter. So I needed to go out and do those two hills later that evening. Fortunately it would then be dry, but the winds would be horrendous in Storm Brendan, and I just hoped the chasers would be able to hear me above the noise!
My “gym” is motivational and picturesque. It is also free. Admittedly it doesn’t have central heating - or a roof… Anyway, 2m FM was alive and well - what a stunning night on the hills! It was a Monday night. No UKACs or FMACs. No SOTA or other activity events. No openings or lift conditions. No FT-817 and no MFD or SOTA Beam. And no daylight...
However … with just a handheld, and a rubber duck, 36 QSOs were recorded in just 46 minutes of operating time over the two hills. I was really trying to make this harder for myself, honest I was, by avoiding activity, good conditions, proper gear etc, but still it was getting easier and easier…!
Tuesday 14th January 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 From the XYL, I “received constructive advice” that I would be dropping-off and picking-up Liam that evening, as opposed to putting in a full stint in the 70cm FMAC and UKAC. As this evening coincided with the ongoing Storm Brendan, I couldn't say I was as disappointed as I might have normally expected to be. Toys remained in the pram at least. Nonetheless, I did hope to catch the tail end of the 70cm FMAC on my handheld from Cloud summit, then switch to 2m and try my luck again there. I wasn't anticipating a repeat of the night’s remarkable (even for IO82/83) performance - but the wonder of radio is that “you never know”…
And I didn’t get a repeat. No, it was even better!
G/SP-015 - 1934 to 2043z - 27 QSOs
70cm FM: 12 QSOs 2m FM: 12 QSOs 2m C4FM: 3 QSOs
S2S: Simon G7WKX/P on Billinge Hill G/SP-017 - 70cm FM
Loads of comments of surprise about the distances being reached with strong signal and excellent audio from my handheld with rubber duck. The Yaesu FT70D truly is an outstanding rig.
Wednesday 15th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Liam Read (Open Mic) Venue: Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield
Another day in which I didn't pick up any supply teaching work, but I did have a gig to look forward to that evening - working for my son Liam on his Open Mic show at a pub in Macclesfield. I managed to nip out in the afternoon and activate my local two summits with a 2m FM handheld.
Thursday 16th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 One outing, four activations - and all within a total time of 1 hour and 35 minutes! I'd had a busy day, with a full day's maths teaching at a school in Altrincham, followed by a maths private tutoring session. I meant to get out earlier, but kept finding other things to do. Eventually, I drove down to Cloudside, grabbed my handheld, pencil, logbook - and of course headtorch - and set off up to the summit. Four contacts were made very quickly, all, coincidentally, with Intermediate licence calls. Then I shot off to Gun G/SP-013 which I wanted to activate before midnight - and after midnight as well of course".
Friday 17th January 2020 - Gun G/SP-013, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Long Mountain-Beacon Ring GW/MW-026 So even though I had already ascended and activated The Cloud on this cross-midnight outing, I decided to do so again after the double activation of Gun G/SP-013. I drove back across the Dane Valley, and despite the now late hour, I was feeling fit and energetic, and the torchlit ascent was a breeze. Somewhat astonishingly, despite approaching 1am, a bumper eight stations called in, and were worked.
I was now, finally, ready to go home and go to bed, ahead of a mini-break down to Mid Wales with Liam the next day. The first summit to be activated on that excursion would be Long Mountain-Beacon Ring GW/MW-026.
Tuesday 21st January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Back home from the Mid Wales trip with Liam, and back to trying to combine daily activations of two of my local summits with my daily exercise regime. A nice surprise to catch Nick G4OOE/P and Dave G3TQQ/P on Whernside G/NP-004. Then over to Gun G/SP-013.
Wednesday 22nd January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was booked in for a teaching day at a school in Macclesfield. In one of my more audacious SOTA attempts, I decided to try and activate both The Cloud G/SP-015 and Gun G/SP-013, before returning home for a shower and change into a suit, and then walking from my home to the school - in time for 8.30am! Well, I only decided this after finding myself wide awake around 0430 UTC - but why not?
Just one QSO was made from The Cloud - the notorious Alan M1DCG from Bentilee, Stoke-on-Trent. I didn't hang about - I couldn't afford to if I was going to pull this off!
Thursday 23rd January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I didn't get any teaching work in despite sitting eagerly by the telephone with my egg-in-a-cup and coffee at 7am! I went out after lunch for a couple of local activations. A reasonably healthy seven contacts in eight minutes was bagged on The Cloud before moving over to Gun G/SP-013.
Friday 24th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 I got a supply teaching assignment in Chell, in the north part of Stoke-on-Trent. This was very close to the school in Tunstall where I had been Head of Maths for many years. A few messages were exchange with my old friends and colleagues during the day, and I got myself a slot in the Friday staff 5-a-side football down there - just like the old days! So after completing my day's teaching duties in the school I was at, I jumped in the car and drove down the hill to Brownhills for some footie. I scored a goal - so I was happy.
After joining a couple of old friends for a swift pint in Burslem, I thought I'd "complete" the nostalgia for the old days by activating The Cloud on the way home! The 2m FM band was quite busy, and 15 stations were worked in 21 minutes around 8pm.
Saturday 25th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 & Bardon Hill G/CE-004 Gig: Simon Faulkner Band Venue: Bistro Live! Milton Keynes
I had a gig come in to play Milton Keynes with the Simon Faulkner Band. I managed to book myself a bed for the night at a Theatre Digs provider I have stayed with before in MK, which provided some assurance. MK is a bit too far, and the Bistro Live gigs are a bit too much of a late finish, for me to feel happy about driving home afterwards. I decided I could bag three SOTA activations on the way down, and set the satnav for my gig venue so I could keep a vigilant eye on the ETA at all stages through the day.
Every activation would be handheld + rubber duck, 2m FM - otherwise there might actually not be time for three summits! First up on The Cloud, and very rapid six QSOs in just four minutes. A good start, and next up would be Gun G/SP-013.
Sunday 26th January 2020 - Wendover Woods G/CE-005, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 Gig: Liam Read Band Bandeoke Venue: Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield
The weather was still dismal - grim, grey, dark, wet and generally horrible - as I, unfathomably, walked up the steps to ascend The Cloud. Still, the fitness was continuing to improve, and the weight was still coming off. So I needed to persist with the regime!
Just three QSOs from this summit, and finally I could get off home for that hot shower and hot cup of tea before getting ready for that night's gig.
Monday 27th January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This was the day that Marianne and I would jet off to Berlin for a mini-break, which was Marianne's Christmas present from me. I like doing "presents" like this where I get to benefit just as much! Berlin was somewhere Maz had wanted to visit for a while, especially since her nephew and godson Ryan - himself a professional musician - was based out there.
Before that though, obviously, a couple of SOTA activations. Limited time, things to do and all that, so just took the handheld. Three contacts on 2m FM before heading over to Gun G/SP-013.
Friday 31st January 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Having landed at Manchester Airport on the Thursday night, I'd originally intended to activate my two local summits that night before going to bed, but in the event I was far too tired! But I did get out on Friday teatime to do them - but just on the 2m FM handheld again.
Monday 3rd February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This was quite a momentous day for me. Not SOTA-related, but in terms of a supply teaching assignment. I'd been asked by the agency to fill in, in the Maths department at Wellington School in Timperley, Altrincham. This was doubly interesting because (a) I actually worked here previously in my teaching career, from 1999 to 2001, and (b) the current Head of Maths is a lady called Gillian - who 25 years ago was an eleven year old student I used to teach! She was my form captain in my tutor group in Years 7 and 8, and I also taught her maths for those two years. And here were were, a quarter of a century later, and she was about to be my boss!
Anyway, it was a really successful day, which ended up leading into a really successful long-term placement. Gill and I got on just as excellently as colleagues as we did as student-teacher all those years ago! That evening, after enthusing about my working day during dinner with the family, I headed out to the hills for my daily exercise and daily activations.
Well anyone who claims that 2m is quiet clearly hasn't been up The Cloud with handheld on a Monday night! Eleven QSOs in thirteen minutes swiftly filled half a page of my logbook, before crossing over to Gun G/SP-013 to see what would happen there.
Tuesday 4th February 2020 Conditions and activity were great on this night. I made 129 QSOs on 2m between 1940 and 2230 UTC, while activating G/SP-015 with 5 watts, an FT-817 and a SOTA Beam. I was late on parade for the FMAC, otherwise the total would probably have been even more.
Wednesday 5th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Tom Read & Dan Toft (Open Mic) Venue: Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield
After another most enjoyable day in school, I didn't go out again until after the family evening meal. At that point I had a dilemma between doing my two summits, or going to support a friend who was hosting Open Mic that night. I couldn't stomach the thought of not doing any one of those activities - so I did all of them! Beginning with The Cloud, where I made four rapid contacts, before zipping across to Gun G/SP-013.
Thursday 6th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another day in the old routine of school maths teaching. Another evening where I got myself far too comfortable on the sofa and then shack chair, before eventually hauling myself out the door shortly after 8.30pm. But nonetheless, another day where I completed a pair of SOTA activations on local summits.
Friday 7th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 I enquired as to the existence of Friday staff football at the end of my first week (back) at Wellington. I learned that they usually did do Friday footie, but that it wouldn't be happening this week. My exercise would have to be derived solely from my SOTA-related walking!
Saturday 8th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 No gig came in for the Saturday, but that was fine. I was ready for a rest after my first fulll week's teaching in a good while! Again, I was sluggish out of the blocks in getting out to my hills for my exercise. Again though, the contacts came very quickly and easily. Seven QSOs in six minutes on Cloud summit before I made the very familiar short drive over to Gun G/SP-013.
Sunday 9th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It wasn't a pleasant evening - Storm Ciara was still making her presence felt. But I still needed my daily exercise, and my now-obsessive behaviour of activating my two local SOTA summits fulfilled.
As usual for an evening activation from this summit, contacts on VHF, even with just a 5w handheld and rubber duck, were very easy to come by. Seven QSOs in five minutes, then off to Gun G/SP-013.
Monday 10th February 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It was nearly 9pm before I got myself sorted and back out of the house. But I was determined to keep my daily run of activating The Cloud and Gun G/SP-013 going, even though I had earlier activated Shining Tor G/SP-004 on my way home from some work in New Mills. 2m FM, handheld, four QSOs in four minutes - then over to the other hill!
Tuesday 11th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was late getting up to Cloud summit and setting up for the 70cm contest night. I wasn't too worried, as 30 minutes or so would still probably be sufficient for me to get most of the available contacts in the FMAC. Great to get a S2S with Simon G7WKX/P on Shining Tor G/SP-004, and he advised me he was then going over to Gun G/SP-013 - as indeed was I! It was very cold, so after only one hour of the UKAC (SSB) contest, I decided to call it a night and go and do my other activation a bit earlier - and possibly bump into Simon G7WKX.
Wednesday 12th February 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 Gig: Tom Read, Dan Toft & Neil Marshall (Open Mic) Venue: Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield
After my token activation of Gun G/SP-013, I went over to the Cloud for a S2S sked on FT8. Unfortunately, the other station ran into difficulties and was not able to make the sked, but I made plenty of QSOs on 80m FT8 and 40m FT8 using the FT-817 and SOTAbeams Bandhopper 4 antenna. As usual, I called on VHF on the handie before descending, adding four further contacts.
That night, I went along to Open Mic to support my mate Dan Toft, and ended up getting up and doing a short spot myself, including a bit of singing!
Thursday 13th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This was a more typical evening "clear off after tea when the soap operas start" Cloud-then-Gun outing. Four contacts on 2m FM before adjourning to the opposite hill.
Friday 14th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Funktion & Co. Venue: Fatbird, Wigan
I decided to go out early on Valentine's Day morning. For whenever Marianne got up, I left her a small gift of nice looking truffles and a card. The contents of the box turned out to be a congealed lump of unspeakability - how romantic! Anyway, at least we had a lunch date to look forward to as well!
On The Cloud I made a good number of QSOs on 30m FT8, all into Europe. Four were added on 2m FM before I went over to Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 15th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Funktion & Co. Venue: Rising Sun, Hazel Grove
What a horrible day. Very wet indeed, but inexplicably, I still wanted to get two hills done before that night's gig! I wasn't hanging around playing with HF though! Two minutes, four QSOs on The Cloud, then straight over to Gun G/SP-013.
Sunday 16th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I kicked off my Sunday by taking a drive across to Nantwich for the MIDCARS "Radio Active" show / rally event. I bought a couple of adaptors, a bacon roll and a coffee - so as radio shows go, it was quite a cheap one for me! More important was bumping into lots of friends in the amateur radio hobby and having a good chat with them all. My friend of many years, Emily 2E1AEQ from Macclesfield, was the lucky winner of a Yaesu FT-65 handheld in the raffle.
On the way home, naturally I stopped by to do a couple of SOTA activations. Again, the weather was pretty grim, plus I was on dinner-making duty, so it was 2m FM handheld operating once again. Plenty of contacts nonetheless, and then over to Gun G/SP-013.
Monday 17th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Back to the other job of secondary maths teaching, and back at Wellington School in Timperley after the half-term break. I was really enjoying my work back at this school, after a short break of nineteen years, and being line-managed by someone I used to teach back in those days! I also enjoyed the busy 2m band when I went up The Cloud, logging fifteen QSOs in as many minutes before zipping over to Gun G/SP-013.
Tuesday 18th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 These activations were turning into sprints! Well the idea was to get out for the exercise and fresh air, but the motivation was the SOTA. Three minutes and six QSOs on The Cloud G/SP-015. And then guess what? Yep, straight over to Gun G/SP-013.
Wednesday 19th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another after-tea raid on my two local summits. With a VHF handheld. This has the potential to become boring for the reader, but thankfully not for the author / activator!
Thursday 20th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 These daily exercise raids were getting faster, both in terms of my brisk walking, and regarding the QSO rate. Five contacts in two minutes this time on The Cloud, before heading over to Gun G/SP-013.
Friday 21st February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 There was not to be any Friday football at Wellington, so I would have to get my exercise the usual way. mind you I was going to go and do that even if I had played football anyway! Still mucking about with QSO rates and very fast activations - three contacts inside one minute this time! And then over to Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 22nd February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Soultown USA ft. The Platters Venue: Princess Theatre, Hunstanton
It was to be more of the same on the Saturday. The weather was still unpleasantly cold and damp, plus I had a long drive to that night's gig in Norfolk. So a quick handheld activation of my two usual summits before getting a lot of miles in.
Sunday 23rd February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Liam Read Band Bandeoke Venue: Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield
I actually forced myself to put a little more effort into an activation, and set up the 30m groundplane. I operated on FT8 and made a selection of QSOs from around Europe, before finishing with a few on 2m FM. I was running a little late though, so it would have to be a quick one over on Gun G/SP-013 before that night's gig.
Monday 24th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 My handheld activation on this evening was dominated by members of the Macclesfield & District Radio Society, something that would prove to be the case on several more activations going forward - especially those taking place on a Monday evening. Furthermore, this gave me an idea for the following week's Digital Voice focus in the 2020 SOTA Challenge. The MDRS had access to a C4FM rig, but needed some assistance setting it up for simplex, so I arranged to call in and help out after first going up Gun G/SP-013.
Tuesday 25th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Now that I was running WSJT-Z - the "hacked" version of WSJT-X that adds extra filters, plus automatic logging and CQing - I wanted to see if I could set up a fully automated SOTA activation and qualification. Well, the answer is yes, I could. the result can be seen in this video. The footage does betray some interaction between my and the Windows 10 tablet, that being when i use the JT Sync app to measure the DTs of a cycle of incoming signals, and use the truncated mean to recalibrate the clock. Other than that, the tablet just cracked on and did it for me! Of course, it did need me to walk up the hill, set up the station and configure the software!
With everything I needed captured on film, I could now go across to Gun G/SP-013 and do a simple 2m FM handheld & rubber duck activation!
Wednesday 26th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This time I drove directly from the school in Timperley to the parking spot at Cloudside, without first calling in at home. This meant I was on Cloud, and with four QSOs in the logbook, and down again, all before 4.30pm. Straight over to Gun G/SP-013 to complete the daily exercise regime, and home for tea.
Thursday 27th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 My first priority after school was to go to Big Sainsbury's in Macclesfield to buy the shopping for the following day. It would be my mum's 75th birthday and Jimmy wanted us to host one of our paella nights for her. So I got all my ingredients and stored them away at home. Much later on, I ventured out for my exercise and activations, and again, despite the late hour, the bands were busy enough.
Friday 28th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Friday football was taking place at Wellington, but I had to miss it due to my commitment to host my mum's birthday party. I got straight home from work and did the initial preparation. Jimmy M0HGY then took over chopping vegetables and the like. At this point I took the opportunity to nip out and do my two summits. These would be very fast activations out of necessity, so definitely handheld only. Seven contacts in four minutes from The Cloud before heading over to Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 29th February 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 For the year's "leap day", I made a rare (these days) return to the 20m band to try some FT8. Despite the early start, I didn't manage any VK or ZL, and not much DX generally. Two calls from JA chasers were very welcome therefore. I did a bit of CW, but never really settled into a rhythm with it, and the same with 2m FM. I went over to Gun G/SP-013 in order to ensure it was another two-activation-day.
Sunday 1st March 2020 - Brown Clee Hill G/WB-002, Titterstone Clee Hill G/WB-004, View Edge G/WB-018, Long Mynd-Pole Bank G/WB-005, Stiperstones G/WB-003, Corndon Hill GW/MW-013, Mynydd-y-briw GW/NW-060, Gyrn Moelfre GW/NW-049, Hope Mountain GW/NW-062, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It was a slow and stop-start drive across from Hope Mountain GW/NW-062 back to Cheshire. I was very tired after my long multi-summit day, and needed a few stops for naps and snacks! When I took a nap, I set an alarm on my iPhone in order to ensure that I was awake and back driving again in time to be able to make my final two summits before midnight!
I parked on Cloudside just after 10.45pm, self-spotted, and got cracking with my ascent. For the first time in the day, there was no pressure on me to achieve a digital voice contact, or to reach four QSOs for qualification of the activation. As it was, I got the four FM contacts, with a couple of them also working me on C4FM. I just about had enough time to get over to Gun G/SP-013 for activation number 11 in the day.
Monday 2nd March 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 I sensed an opportunity to collect a good many unique callsigns in my Digital Voice log on this evening. The Stockport and Oldham radio club nets were scheduled to be using C4FM mode, plus the Macclesfield club were having a C4FM activity night. I took the FT-70D and MFD to Cloud summit. I remember the SMA to BNC adaptor. I forgot the guying kit! Fortunately it was a calm and still evening, and I was able to tie the SOTA Pole to a waymarker post using the string on an antenna bag, using a rock to prevent the base of the pole from slipping away.
My strategy worked a treat. 54 contacts were made - 16 on 2m FM (analogue) and 38 on 2m C4FM. Great to get a couple of S2S contacts on the digital voice mode too.
Tuesday 3rd March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 2m contest night on The Cloud brought a healthy 103 contacts. Not so healthy was the bitter cold and sudden slowing of activity as the time approached 10pm local. I decided that I didn't fancy braving the cold for a further 30 minutes, packed up and went over to Gun G/SP-013 for a rapid bonus activation instead.
Wednesday 4th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 The idea behind my outing on this evening was to coincide with the 70cm C4FM simplex net organised by the North West Fusion Group in Lnacashire/Cumbria. As it turned out, perhaps the distance was too ambitious, for that connection never happened. Nonetheless, a selection of QSOs were made - four on 70cm C4FM, and three on 2m FM. Then over to Gun G/SP-013 to complete my daily exercise (and another SOTA activation).
Thursday 5th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was pretty late getting out of the house again. This was becoming a rather bad habit! Nonetheless, not one, not two, but three SOTA activations would take place before I returned home and went to bed! Plenty of contacts on 2m FM on the first of those, before the highly familiar drive over the valley to Gun G/SP-013.
Friday 6th March 2020 - Gun G/SP-013, Winter Hill G/SP-010, Billinge Hill G/SP-017 & The Cloud G/SP-015 Somewhat crazily, upon setting off home from Billinge Hill G/SP-017 at around 7.15pm, I decided to activate The Cloud "on the way"! I needed to sort tea out, so as I parked up on Cloudside, I coordinated with Jimmy, Liam and our local Indian takeaway in order to grab a quick pint then pick up dinner. A speedy nip up The Cloud, five QSOs on the handie, then met Jimmy at the pub. Collected the curry and home for a late tea. A rather packed and unusual day!
Saturday 7th March 2020 - Moel Gyw GW/NW-053, Foel Fenlli GW/NW-051, Moel Famau GW/NW-044, Penycloddiau GW/NW-054, Mynydd y Cwm GW/NW-076, Great Orme GW/NW-070, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It was getting towards the end of two consecutive very long days with very early starts - and much energy and exercise expounded! I found myself needing a few stops, naps and snacks on the journey back across Cheshire. As such it was nearly 11pm by the time I was parking on Cloudside. I was actually cutting it fine now to get both the final two scheduled activations in on the current calendar day! There was a healthy run of eight contacts in seven minutes on The Cloud, three of them digital voice. I got down to the car - I could just about squeeze in an activation of Gun G/SP-013.
Sunday 8th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Liam Read Band Bandeoke Venue: Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield
Gun G/SP-013 had already been done in the early hours, just after midnight UTC at the tail end of the previous day's activating spree. I nipped up The Cloud simply for a breath of fresh air and to keep the sequence of "daily doubles" of my two local summits going. That night we had the Bandeoke gig, performed by the Liam Read Band - but without Liam Read. That meant I was promoted to front man - a role that I am not convinced I was ever cut out for. But a good laugh in any case!
This would be the last gig before the incremental introduction of restrictions that culminated in the lockdown due to the global coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
Monday 9th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Unlike the previous Monday, I did not focus on C4FM, sticking with the more usual 2m FM analogue. But like the previous Monday, my log was dominated by members - and club calls - from the Macclesfield & District Amateur Radio Society. I got them all worked, plus a couple of others, then made my way to Gun G/SP-013.
Tuesday 10th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It was 70cm contest night, but continuing a worrying trend, I again failed to stick it out for the full duration. A decent number of QSOs were made in the FM hour (55 minutes) and then a respectable number in the first hour of the SSB UKAC. But activity levels were dropping off alarmingly by 9pm - as was the air temperature. But not the wind, which was intensifying. Using my remaining time to drive over to Gun G/SP-013 for an extra handheld activation seemed much more attractive to sitting on Cloud summit for another hour-and-a-half!
Wednesday 11th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another evening run out to activate my two local summits, with no agenda other than to record an activation and get some exercise. Just two QSOs from the 2m FM handie on The Cloud.
Thursday 12th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I had high hopes for the 6m contest night on The Cloud, but things went very wrong. The weather was awful with gale force winds and driving rain - most unpleasant. As I was nearing completion of setting up the antenna - the SB6 Moxon from SOTAbeams - my guying ring broke under excess strain. I held up the antenna at half height myself while making a couple of 6m SSB contacts, so that I could at least submit a contest entry, but then admitted a crushing defeat and packed up.
A couple of 2m FM contacts were added with the handheld just prior to descent, then I used my unexpected additional time window to nip over an activate Gun G/SP-013 - again!
Friday 13th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 There was no Friday staff football taking place at the school I was working at, so at the end of the day, I jumped in my car and drove straight down to The Cloud. A swift activation on the handheld netting three 2m FM contacts. And then, of course, over to Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 14th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 In what was becoming a bad habit, I'd again gone most of the day without getting any exercise or fresh air. So again, it was not until after the evening meal that I hauled myself off the sofa, into my car, and ultimately up the hills. Two summit activations with the 2m FM handheld ensued.
Sunday 15th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Social distancing was now advised, but full lockdown was still over a week away. I varied my route up and down The Cloud in order to avoid likely meetings with other walkers on a Sunday morning. Initially, I had the hill to myself, and all was well.
This social distancing thing don’t work! If I harboured hopes of being alone, then it was a disaster. Not only did half of Cheshire and most of Stoke-on-Trent also decide to self-isolate on The Cloud along with the cast of 101 Dalmations, but just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, Richard G3CWI turned up to film one of his “Radio Adventures with Richard” videos.
Isolation? I’d have been safer and more separated from fellow humans at the football match yesterday - which got cancelled. It was pure purgatory. All the passers-by were interested in amateur radio and wanted to know more. Some of them even wanted to talk about topographical prominence. This was going from bad to worse. Fortunately my 2m FM log included S2S with Caroline MW3ZCB/P and Martyn MW1MAJ/P on Gyrn Moelfre GW/NW-049, while my 15m FT8 log featured EA8, 2 x PY and a ZS. So that cheered me up a little bit before I headed over to Gun G/SP-013.
Monday 16th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I didn't go straight home from work, but all the way down to Cloudside for some late afternoon SOTA. Nine minutes - nine stations in the log - and then over to Gun G/SP-013.
Tuesday 17th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I set off in the car from work in Timperley, intending an extended drive home via both Cloud and Gun G/SP-013, same as the previous day. After a quick Cloud activation with three QSOs on 2m FM, I received a message from home to collect some groceries and get back for dinner - so I quickly complied, changing my plan to visit Gun later that evening instead.
Wednesday 18th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 The decision was made to drive straight home from work, and to go out walking later after tea. I eventually left the house and set off around 8.45pm. Seven contacts were worked on 2m FM using the handheld, starting with a surprise S2S - Simon G7WKX/P on Winter Hill G/SP-010. As per my predictable and obsessive routine - and to edge my tracker steps up towards the target 10K, I then went over to activate Gun G/SP-013.
Thursday 19th March 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 So after heading over from Gun G/SP-013, I was in the unusual situation of comtemplating driving straight home after an activation of The Cloud - just like the old days! Things seemed strangely quiet initially on summit, with just Daniel M0OTE/M coming back to the call. However, within the next ten minutes, four more stations were worked, including three very regular SOTA chasers.
Friday 20th March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It was yet another day where work, dinner, family stuff etc got in the way. Suddenly, it was after 9pm in the evening, and I still hadn't done any SOTA. But I couldn't face the prospect of not doing at least two activations - though a few days later I would be forced to face up to that reality. Just regular chasers Pete and Ethan worked from the summit, before switching over to Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 21st March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 & Shining Tor G/SP-004 I had been doing far too many "2m FM handheld only" SOTA activations, and I was really keen to set a proper aerial up and play some proper radio. Not that some people consider the FT8 WSJT-X datamode all that proper of course, but I do - so that's all that counts! I opted for my favourite HF band - 30m - but even with FT8 mode, the band wasn't throwing up anything of interest. Several SOTA chasers were worked though, and that is always a pleasure. Unleashing the handheld before descending, three QSOs were added on 70cm FM, followed by six on 2m FM. And then over to Gun G/SP-013 - which I thought would be my final SOTA of the day - but that would prove not to be the case.
Sunday 22nd March 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This was Mothering Sunday, and we had afternoon tea booked at the Waterview Cafe at Tittesworth. The new social distancing restrictions meant a late change to arrangements, where we were offered the alternative of being served the tea outside on the picnic benches. As the weather forecast was good, we agreed.
Marianne suggested that me and Jimmy travel separately, so we set off earlier, in order to grab a couple of summit activations. Jimmy M0HGY had not yet activated these two local hills in 2020, and was keen to make a start on such a lovely day. First up was The Cloud, and again I opted for the ledge below the cliffs in order to best keep out of the way. The summit was pretty busy, and social distancing was a new concept that many were still struggling with!
I worked on 80m and 40m, CW and SSB. Jimmy worked on 2m FM, but did get the S2S with Simon GW4TJC/P who was activating Trum y Ddysgl GW/NW-024. I also worked Simon, but on 80m SSB. I ventured onto VHF towards the end of my own activation, making QSOs on 70cm FM and 2m FM. Soon it was time to get off the hill, especially if we were to get time to activate Gun G/SP-013 before meeting Marianne and Liam for afternoon tea.
Monday 23rd March 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 The pattern of me activating my local hills coincidentally with a meeting of the Macclesfield & District Amateur Radio Society continued! A large proportion of my 18 QSOs on 2m FM came from club members. I shifted over to Gun G/SP-013 rapidly, hoping that their meeting would still be in progress.
Wednesday 13th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 The Cloud G/SP-015 was not lonely. There was a steady flow of walkers on there throughout the day, but social distancing was easily maintained, usually looking more like 10m than 2m. I set up in the middle of a large expanse of heather on the northern shoulder of the hill, several metres distant from all surrounding paths. The view was great, the weather was lovely and the fresh air was delicious.
Radio wise, I took the trusty FT-817, microphone, paddle and tablet, plus the Bandhopper 4 linked dipole and SB5 2m beam. There was practically no wind, so I erected these both on the single SOTA Pole, guyed just with the linked dipole. I made 111 contacts in the activation, and used 19 different band-mode combinations: 80m FT8 - 2 QSOs 80m CW - 1 QSO 80m SSB - 1 QSO 40m FT8 - 7 QSOs 40m CW - 21 QSOs (S2S DM/RP-322) 40m SSB - 3 QSOs 30m FT8 - 1 QSO 30m FT4 - 4 QSOs 30m CW - 6 QSOs 20m FT4 - 1 QSO 20m FT8 - 4 QSOs 20m CW - 3 QSOs 20m SSB - 1 QSO 2m FT8 - 3 QSOs 2m FT4 - 1 QSO 2m CW - 1 QSO 2m SSB - 6 QSOs 2m FM - 42 QSOs (S2S G/WB-017 x 2) 70cm FM - 3 QSOs (S2S G/WB-017) It was good to be back! As tradition dictates, I then drove over to Gun G/SP-013 for a quick VHF activation before heading home.
Thursday 14th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I thought The Cloud G/SP-015 might be lonely if I planned an activation for 2100 UTC - 10pm local. It wasn’t. I squeezed into the one remaining space at the Cloudside parking area, and counted eleven other people on the hill. While setting up, a young couple approached me asking if they were going to be in my way. I’m not sure what they were up to, but by the attire I’d guess at bouldering. “Just so long as you do the two metres social distancing from me, do what you like” was my reply. They then disappeared to the ledge below the cliffs.
Before heading out, Liam and I joined in a well-supported clap for the NHS on our street, and followed up by performing a couple of tunes, including the "National Anthem of Macclesfield" - Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Anyway, the activation was a bit rubbish, especially compared to the previous day’s bonanza. 11 QSOs: 30m FT8: 2 30m FT4: 7 30m CW: 1 2m FM: 1 And then, as usual, over to Gun G/SP-013.
Friday 15th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This evening’s totals: 12 other people on The Cloud, 2 other people on Gun. Plenty of space for standing aside and letting people pass. Plenty of respect shown by all parties, so rapid evasive action was never required (unlike a typical trip to the supermarket). Set off from home at 8.15pm BST. Returned home 100 minutes later at 9.55pm. In between, I activated the two summits with four 2m FM QSOs on each. Great to get Steve 2W0JYN and Steph MW6SHJ in both activation logs - they are very supportive and regular chasers in my log. In contrast, I’d not heard anything of Pete 2E0LKC and Anne 2E0LMD since the end of Lockdown; I would have expected them to appear in my logs for every activation - I hoped that they were OK.
Saturday 16th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 & Shining Tor G/SP-004 Earlier I’d done The Cloud G/SP-015, making 32 QSOs: 40m CW: 11 40m SSB: 2 40m FT8: 9 2m FM: 6 15m FT8: 3 15m CW: 1 …and then Gun G/SP-013
Sunday 17th May 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 On the way home after Gun G/SP-013, I called in on The Cloud G/SP-015. This was pretty busy, and several times I needed to climb off the railed path to avoid others (unless they motioned to go it first). Everyone very pleasant and polite again, but I chose to descend to the woods and use the PROW around the back of the farm for my return - and encountered nobody at all. Mental note made. 2m FM handheld - 8 QSOs
Monday 18th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 A little jaunt up my two local hills after tea on a Monday evening. A remarkable 31 QSOs made in a total of 15 minutes operating time across the two summits. Anyone still saying VHF is dead?
Tuesday 19th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Just out for a bit of exercise between dinnertime and bedtime! Quite a few chasers on the air, plus a convenient coincidence with the Stockport Radio Society regular net. Followed by a trip over to Gun G/SP-013.
Wednesday 20th May 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 After the 30m activation of Shining Tor G/SP-004, and the 6m Sporadic E session on Gun G/SP-013, I was running short of time, so just took the 2m FM handheld up to Cloud summit. Four QSOs were made, on an usually quiet 2m band. I remembered my “mental note” from the other day and ascended around the back of the farm and through the woods - meeting no-one at all. It seemed to take an age to get my first contact on 2m FM on the summit - I suspect everyone was busy on 6m and 10m! I did make 4 QSOs in the end though, including Tom M0TKG who told me enthusiastically about his Shining Tor activation that morning. I remarked “Yes, I know - I found my sunglasses in the heather next to you!”. He hadn’t realised it was me! I then had a great contact with John G8OBR/P who was near Stoodley Pike on the Pennine Way. John told me that I was his first QSO back on AR after a 43 year absence! Wow! By this time, the Facebook Messenger on my phone had morphed into a shopping list from my XYL Marianne. The local Tesco Metro to my home QTH had a socially distanced queue outside that looked like it was going to take the thick end of an hour to see any progress. Stuff that - I don’t do queues. So I took my chance and went to Big Sainsburys. You need eyes in the back of your head in there, and the experience of a misspent youth on the funfair dodgems. But I made it home with the specified items, and enjoyed a BBQ, several beers, and a family game of Scrabble in the garden. Super day!
Thursday 21st May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I decided therefore to check out the condition of my 10m groundplane. When I emptied the labelled antenna bag, it had a 6m groundplane in it. At least I did an activation on that, and found it was “good-to-go” as a quick and easy option for the Magic Band with wide coverage enabling operation on 50MHz CW, SSB & FT8/FT4 and 51MHz FM. Over to Gun next, as I usually do after Cloud.
Saturday 23rd May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was up early and fancied a bit of early SOTA. I succumbed to my 30m addiction and forgot about my 12m-10m agenda. 18 QSOs, all EU, on 30m FT8 on The Cloud and then 1 QSO on 2m FM on Gun. I was back home after two activations at the early hour of 0930 BST. I decided to go and do one of my “from the front door” / "Lockdown" walks, and get some photos for the section of my website I am building for them. This was an approximately 14km route through two contrasting sections of Danes Moss and several farms on the south and west of Macclesfield. Being ten minutes walk from rural Cheshire countryside has proved to be a godsend during lockdown.
After getting back home, we had a chicken biryani and onion pakora from our corner shop. A young couple have recently taken it over and the lady occasionally offers meals cooked to order, made “Apna” - homestyle. After tea, I dedicated the evening to antenna building. I used my favourite antenna wire - the green extra-strong military spec stuff from SOTAbeams. I went for 4 radials and RG58 feeder.
I set it up in the front garden and soon worked an LA station on 10m CW with 5 watts from the 817. I then chatted with a Richard G3CWI across town on both bands SSB. So the antenna worked, and was good for use on the two bands.
Sunday 24th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Up early again, and eager to test out my newly built 10m-12m antenna. Felt too lazy to head to Shining Tor, so went to The Cloud! It was pretty windy, so I set up beneath the cliffs on the ledge. The antenna worked adequately on both bands.
12m FT8: 10 QSOs 10m FT8: 7 QSOs 10m FT4: 3 QSOs 10m CW: 2 QSOs (S2S F/AM-778) 10m SSB: 2 QSOs 10m FM: 2 QSOs 2m FM: 13 QSOs (S2S G/SP-007) Over to Gun next.
Monday 25th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 A late night double activation raid on Cloud and Gun. Just one QSO made on the VHF handheld from Cloud - at two midnights to midnight! That was local time though, so I still had an hour or so to squeeze in an activation of the other summit before the end of the current UTC day.
Tuesday 26th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I fancied seeing what I could get on 20m later into the evening. I set up my 20m groundplane antenna, which used to be my first choice aerial for many years, but now rarely used. Only six QSOs were recorded - one on CW, four on FT4 and one on FT8 - but that did include a USA station, and one from Brazil - so they were pleasing. Six contacts were also made on the 2m FM handheld.
Wednesday 27th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another trip out originally intended for road-testing the newly built 12m-10m vertical with groundplane antenna. After just three QSOs in over half-an-hour, the outing started to look more like my typical double summit handheld raid. One of those HF QSOs was a 12m FT8 contact into Argentina though, so well worth setting the gear up nonetheless. I didn't take the gear up Gun G/SP-013 next though.
Thursday 28th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Gig: Liam Read & Tom Read Venue: NHS Clap, our street! I'd only left enough time to do low-effort handheld-only activating once again. Still, it all counts! Two QSOs on 2m FM and then over to Gun G/SP-013. Photos and videos on that page!
Friday 29th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was pretty late getting out on the Friday night. Just about as late as it is possible to be while still squeezing two summit activations in! 2m FM handheld operation on both summits!
Saturday 30th May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I had hoped to do some HF during Saturday evening on The Cloud, but the weather was dispiriting to say the least. So yet another handheld raid before heading over to Gun G/SP-013.
Sunday 31st May 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 A final test run of the 12m-10m vertical-with-groundplane antenna before the 12m-10m-6m 'Flavour' of the SOTA 2020 Challenge, due to commence the following day. Plenty of contacts on CW and FT8, but no DX. Enough to be satisfied that the antenna was in good shape though. Towards the end of the activation, Marianne phoned to announce "barbecue" and dictate a shopping list. With this, the plans for Gun G/SP-013 were immediately downgraded to 2m FM handheld only!
Tuesday 2nd June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 After the long day and exertions of Monday, I stayed local on Tuesday. Of course, that afforded me more opportunity to lounge around and play radio, building up the number of different unique QSO partners I'd had on the Challenge bands and modes. I took both antennas up Cloud summit with me, and therefore was able to operate on all three bands. 6m wasn't as lively as the previous day, but still got me a couple of QSOs into Sweden and one into Germany. 12m and 10m were more interesting, although FT8 was far more productive than legacy modes. I did venture across to Gun G/SP-013 afterwards, but didn't go chasing the challenge on there, opting instead to compile a checklog for the 2m FM activity contest.
Wednesday 3rd June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 For my next activating session on the 2020 Challenge Flavour bands of 12m and 10m, I decided upon a dawn DX visit to The Cloud. As it turned out, the bands never really got going, and just five FT8 contacts were extracted from the ether. A couple were added on 2m FM.
The main purpose of this early morning visit was actually to reset the body clock. I wanted to be up very early the next morning, so needed to force myself to be in bed and going to sleep by 10pm that night at the latest! So in that respect, the objective was achieved. Next over to Gun G/SP-013 before heading back home.
Thursday 4th June 2020 - Hail Storm Hill G/SP-009, Freeholds Top G/SP-011, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 After getting home from Freeholds Top G/SP-011 in early afternoon, it wasn't long before I got itchy feet again! I sensed an opportunity to sample some Es on 10m and took a drive out to The Cloud. I wasn't disappointed with a decent number of FT8 contacts, but also one on CW and three on SSB, including S2S with Rod M0JLA/P on High Vinnalls G/WB-012. It was good to also work Viki M6BWA/P on the same summit, before I took the drive over to Gun G/SP-013 to complete a four-summit-day.
Sunday 7th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 For the final day of the 12m-10m-6m 2020 SOTA Challenge June Flavour, I headed out early-ish to The Cloud. I set up my 12m-10m groundplane antenna, and enjoyed another good number of contacts. CW and FT8 dominated but SSB and even FM got in on the act as well.
To my complete and utter surprise, a chap recognised me and said hello. The gentleman in question was none other than the current Port Vale FC manager John Askey. John is arguably Macclesfield Town's greatest ever and longest serving player, who later became our league title-winning manager. I first watched him play for Macclesfield when I was 15 years old, and he was still in our first team over 20 years, 600+ appearances, 150+ goals and countless league titles and cup wins later! His final contribution at MTFC was as the manager of the club when we won the 2017-18 National League title by ten clear points on the smallest budget of any team in the division.
He is a true legend, and a hero of mine. But he is also an extremely nice bloke. We chatted for ages about Port Vale and Macclesfield Town - naturally - but John also asked after my sons and was interested to know how my maths teaching and gigging had progressed. He has to be one of the nicest people in professional football. No doubt, this was the icing on the cake of a very good activation! Nothing could top that - but I went over to Gun G/SP-013 anyway - but, on this occasion, much later in the day after having gone home in the meantime.
Saturday 13th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Following the bulging logbooks of the 12m-10m-6m Challenge flavour week, a few days off from activating, before a much more serene reappearance on the hills, featuring just two VHF QSOs each on Cloud & Gun.
Sunday 14th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 A rare one summit day for me on the Sunday; I simply ran out of time to do the double! All contacts on FT4/FT8 on the 30m band, and some nice NA and AS DX netted in the log.
Monday 15th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 As my activation went on so late (past 1am local) and into the new UTC date, so I recorded a new activation. This one was only four contacts, but it was DX all the way, with US Virgin Islands, Wisconsin (US), Gerogia (US) and Kazakhstan. Finally home to bed. Much later in the day (kind of more like "tomorrow") I also activated Gun G/SP-013.
Sunday 21st June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Despite the fact that portable entries were still not allowed in the RSGB VHF contests, I fancied a bit of fresh air. As such, I would only be able to submit a checklog rather than a proper entry, but could still compile a valid SOTA activation and have fun on 6m while the band was open - and busy. Refreshingly, a lot of the contest activity was on CW, so that preferred mode accounted for the majority of my log. The Sporadic E was working well to Italy and the Balkans.
Monday 22nd June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Having focused on CW and SSB on 6m the previous day, I decided to prioritise 6m FT8 for this activation. Plenty of contacts were made, and I even had a reply on FT4 towards the end. A few local chasers were worked on 2m FM before I went across to Gun G/SP-013.
Wednesday 24th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It was a baking hot day; the hottest of the year so far at 30 degrees. I didn't even feel like putting socks and boots on, never mind a rucksack full of radio gear! In any case, with the start of the 70cm flavour in the SOTA 2020 Challenge exactly one week away, I decided it would be good to give 433MHz FM a bit of an airing. That meant an easy, lazy, handheld-only activation! One of the stations, John G3XEV/M explained that he was at the trig point on Titterstone Clee Hill G/WB-004, operating on a handheld. "But I'm not doing SOTA" he insisted. I explained to him that he was - and logged the S2S QSO! I enjoyed a couple of long ragchews with Ian G4UKV and Tom M0TKG either side of the S2S QSO, then went over to Gun G/SP-013.
Friday 26th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 An early morning get-up for my two local summits. I set up my homemade 30m groundplane antenna on the 10m pole. No DX was found on the band, but plenty of contacts were made on FT8 and CW, including a S2S. After a couple of QSOs on 2m FM, including another S2S, I went over to Gun G/SP-013.
Saturday 27th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was wide awake before 4am on this Saturday morning! My thoughts immediately turned to greyline DXing on 30m using my groundplane vertical.
In the car I had a choice of CDs, both of which had me on bass! One was the just-released Silver Years album from Joe Longthorne, recorded just before his passing. The other was a recently received CD version of Arthur Wakefield's "For All The Good People" album. I was just 18 years old when I played on this album way back in 1989!
I was QRV on Cloud summit before 0430 UTC, and soon making FT8 contacts. There wasn't too much joy to be had with DX, but nonetheless, QSOs with N7IVV (Virginia) and HC1HC (Ecuador) were pleasing. Switching to CW brought in five S2S QSOs before I made the familiar switch over to Gun G/SP-013.
Sunday 28th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was much later than intended leaving the house for my daily activations & exercise, so I only really could justify time for quick handheld activations. Still more than enough activity though! Then over to Gun G/SP-013.
Monday 29th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 In contrast, this time I was awake and out early enough to "play radio". However, the weather was somewhat rubbish as I parked up on Cloudside, and all motivation evaporated. I just walked up with the handheld in my pocket therefore! And then over to Gun G/SP-013!
Tuesday 30th June 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 My friend and fellow Tall Trees Contest Group member Terry G3RKF gave me a tip-off that K2GT was an easy catch from Hawaii most mornings on 14.080MHz FT4. I'd actually never worked that DXCC before, so the alarm was set for another early morning outing.
I set up on Cloud summit and was up-and-running on 20m FT4 from just after 8am local. I started making contacts, while keeping an eye on the band activity window for K2GT. Amazingly, K2GT appeared - when he answered one of my CQ calls! That turned out to be a very easy piece of DX to work, and an ATNO to cross off the list.
Switching the CW and SSB modes, and no less than nine summit-to-summit QSOs were made before I went across to Gun G/SP-013.
Wednesday 1st July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I was going to set up the 817 and 6-el beam for the first activation of the SOTA 2020 Challenge flavour on 70cm, but it was only at the parking spot that I recalled that my mast guying kit was in smithereens and needed urgent attention. I didn’t have anything in the car that would allow me to cobble together an alternative, so I just went up with the handheld. As such, eleven QSOs on 70cm FM was not too bad a return. There would be more later from Gun G/SP-013 - but for now I had to return home to deliver two scheduled Zoom maths tutorials.
Thursday 2nd July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Rod M0JLA and Viki M6BWA seemed to be going well in the 70cm flavour. It seemed every time I turned a radio on, they were on a new summit, including plenty I missed them on too! On The Cloud G/SP-015, I broke my feeder cable when switching the polarisation of the antenna early in the activation! I managed to cobble a fix by clipping the coax core to the element with the separated croc clip. I abandoned thoughts of CW, FT8 and SSB as I didn’t want to risk the flimsy fix by swapping polarisation again. On G/SP-013, I just took the handheld, thus reversing the previous day's pattern.
Saturday 4th July 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I'd done a long activation earlier on Shining Tor G/SP-004 for the 70cm SOTA activity day. It was still an unpleasantly wet day, so on this second outing, I just took the VHF/UHF handheld up both summits.
Sunday 5th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 More fun on 70cm. I re-repaired my feeder, adding sellotape to the process. The result was much more successful. Infinitely more successful in fact. I also reverted to “old technology” for a guying system. Not as high tech, but probably better suited to my M.O.
70cm FM: 4 QSOs 70cm SSB: 30 QSOs No less than 4 S2S on 70cm SSB - probably more than the number of 70cm SSB S2S one might expect in a year - in a single activation! The S2S were: Stuart G1ZAR/P on Shining Tor G/SP-004 - 70cm FM Adrian G4AZS/P on Long Mynd-Pole Bank G/WB-005 - 70cm SSB Stuart G1ZAR/P on Shining Tor G/SP-004 - 70cm SSB John GX0OOO/P on Great Whernside G/NP-008 - 70cm SSB John G4YSS/P on Great Whernside G/NP-008 - 70cm SSB Somewhat unusually and unexpectedly, I didn’t hear or get S2S with Viki M6BWA/P who was out activating again today. Next, over to Gun G/SP-013.
Monday 6th July 2020 - The Wrekin G/WB-010, Shining Tor G/SP-004, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Immediately after getting back to Macclesfield from Shining Tor G/SP-004, I skipped my evening meal in order to go straight back out again, this time to The Cloud G/SP-015. Now alone, I felt more comfortable setting up the FT-817 with the 6-el beam repaired that morning, and the coax feeder, also repaired that morning. I was happy to report that both repairs were good. It was now a beautiful sunny evening, and the activation was enjoyable. I made 34 QSOs, all on 70cm FM - a pleasing return for just over an hour’s operating. Finally I went over to Gun G/SP-013 for the 4th activation of the day.
Tuesday 7th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 On Tuesday 7th July 2020, the RSGB Contest Committee once again allowed competitive participation from /P stations. During lockdown, my RSGB contesting had been restricted to being from the home QTH only - although itchy feet and a yearning for the hills saw me start to abandon the shack and take part from the hills anyway, even though this meant I could only enter a checklog. All day at work and after returning home, the rain came down. The Met Office forecast gave heavy rain in the area around The Cloud G/SP-015 (I tend to check for The Roaches and Biddulph Grange Gardens as Bosley Cloud itself isn’t a forecast location on Met Office). right through to 0300 BST on the Wednesday morning. Right up to 5pm, I was resigning myself to not going out. The two small pieces of hope were that there was very little wind forecast - which meant that it could be possible to survive the night in the bothy bag (which soon becomes ineffective if strong winds are constantly pushing the fabric against you and your equipment) - and looking out of the window!
Nearly two decades of SOTA has significantly improved my “weather watching” skills, and I can get a fairly accurate feel of how the next few hours weather will develop using the advanced technique of looking out of the window. And this suggested to me that there would be much less rain to suffer on Cloud summit between 1800 and 2130z than the above indicated! I decided to go for it, so quickly prepared dinner for Jimmy M0HGY, Liam and myself - Marianne was at work. Sausage, egg, beans and chips - lovely! I arrived at the summit in very light drizzle, but crucially no wind at all. This proved essential, as the ground on three sides of the topograph had a big puddle. Just one spot afforded the opportunity to place my mat on the ground, not in a muddy puddle, but still use the topograph as a back-rest / shelter. I spent the first two hours inside the bothy bag, sheltering myself and my equipment from the drizzle, but after that, it remained dry and much more in-keeping with my looking-out-of-the-kitchen-window forecast than the online Met Office prediction. Activity was good with lots of portables similarly escaping the cabin fever, though conditions were variable. Some directions enjoyed good signals, but long deep QSB was a menace throughout, and nothing was worked outside the UK, apart from one contact into EI. Anyway, here’s the results: 139 contacts. 2m FM: 39 2m SSB: 96 70cm FM: 2 70cm SSB: 2 17 QRAs: IO63, 64, 73, 74, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, JO00. 6 DXCCs: EI, G, GD, GI, GM, GW. I drove over to Gun G/SP-013 afterwards for a quick handheld activation, and made 3 QSOs on 70cm FM from the summit.
Wednesday 8th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Just a regulation walk up and down with the handheld, and then over to Gun.
Thursday 9th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 A rare 40m SSB activation on The Cloud. Just for a change really, but pleasing to get a pair of S2S QSOs into Norway. Later on I operated from Gun G/SP-013 for the 6m contest.
Friday 10th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Fancying another go on an oft-neglected (by me) 40m band, I took that dipole and forgot all about a possible S2S sked on 20m FT8 into Taiwan! Nonetheless, a fun hour-and-a-bit making QSOs on FT4, FT8 and CW. And then across to Gun.
Saturday 11th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 & Shining Tor G/SP-004 I decided at the last moment to head out in the morning and participate in this European SOTA Activity Day. It was fantastic. I activated two summits, making a total of 79 QSOs, including 17 S2S. The Cloud G/SP-015: 20m FT4 - 12 QSOs 20m SSB - 19 QSOs 20m CW - 31 QSOs 20m FT8 - 11 QSOs 2m FM - 4 QSOs Gun G/SP-013: 2m FM - 2 QSOs S2S: EA5ITW/P on EA5/AT-008 IZ1GDB/6 on I/MC-123 OE/OM1ALT/P on OE/NO-180 EA2DNO/P on EA1/BU-075 EC2AG on EA1/BU-079 F/HB9EVF/P on FL/VO-017 5B4APL on 5B/CY-014 OK/DL2DXA/P on OK/US-027 MW0WBG/P on GW/NW-044 SQ8JMZ/P on SP/BZ-074 SM4GIB/P on SM/DA-047 SV2RUJ/P on SV/TL-004 F/HB9GUX/P on FL/VO-172 9A6ZE/P on 9A/PH-008 LZ1GJ/P on LZ/CB-021 M0VCM/P on G/NP-004 GW4TJC/P on GW/NW-053 I came home just after lunchtime - just as the SOTA activity was really warming up! Looking at the spots since then, goodness knows how many S2S could have been snagged on an extended activation! So it was a very successful European SOTA Activity Day, thanks to the organisers. What? This wasn’t the European SOTA Activity Day??? Ah, so this was just a normal SOTA day. 19th September promised to be truly spectacular!
Tuesday 14th July 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 UHF is alive and well. 91 QSOs on 70cm from The Cloud G/SP-015 during the night - 71 on SSB, 1 on CW and 19 on FM. The really pleasing thing was that as well as me, four other SOTA activations were in progress on 70cm. These were Stuart G1ZAR/P on Kinder Scout G/SP-001, Carl GW0TQM/P on Cyrn-y-Brain GW/NW-043, Tony M5OTA/P on Worcestershire Beacon G/WB-009 and Chris M0KPW/P on Kirkby Moor G/LD-049. Five SOTAs on a 70cm activity evening - possibly a record? Additionally, Andrew G4VFL/P was activating HEMA G/HLD-031 - Hesk Fell. I was still not allowed to log that as a chase unfortunately!
Wednesday 15th July 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 VHF this morning wasn’t as healthy. I struggled to make a single 2m FM QSO on Gun G/SP-013, and then just two on The Cloud G/SP-015! Maybe UHF is the way forward…
Thursday 16th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 A late night VHF handheld outing on the Thursday evening saw me visit my two regular summits and make three contacts - all provided by one station - Barry 2E0PXW!
Friday 17th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another practice outing on 18MHz. All working, nothing remarkable.
Saturday 18th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 & Shining Tor G/SP-004 Hitting the Big 50 Some amateurs still think that 50 is a valid report. One of my most favouritest things in the hobby is correcting them on air about this, and pointing out that it is covered in the Foundation syllabus… 50 to most people is the age to be feared. The age at which one becomes “middle-aged” or even, arguably “old”. Not me. I feel exactly the same as I did through my 20s, 30s and 40s. About 18 years old, with the maturity of a 13 year old. “50 is the new 30” - so expect much more frivolities in the hills from me to come yet. (And I fully acknowledge that a huge number of active activators on here are much older than me - in fact they are all an inspiration!) Marianne had already given me a pass-out to go out SOTAing early on my birthday. The night before, she denied me permission, as usual, to watch Match of the Day on the Big Telly. So I said I would go out for a late walk instead, to which she also agreed. I figured there wasn’t a great deal of logic in going home in-between the two! Earlier in the day, I headed out for my typical round of Cloud and Gun. Early that morning, I built a new 17m quarterwave vertical with groundplane antenna. My old one was still working, but looked like it could disintegrate at any moment! With plans for many activations in the Challenge flavour in the first week of August, I decided it would be wise to make up a new one, using the excellent SOTAbeams products like the top insulator, guying collar and military spec strong green wire. My intention was to road-test the new antenna on these Saturday afternoon activations, but the weather was incompatible with that aim. Unpleasant and incessant fine drizzle influenced me to do handheld-only activations. The new antenna would have to wait. The Cloud G/SP-015 - 7 QSOs, all 2m FM I was actually quite keen to do a proper smash-and-grab - even a one-and-run - in the increasing rain! But calls kept coming - well up to seven anyway! Things were quieter over on Gun G/SP-013!
Sunday 19th July 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
The previous evening, Barry 2E0PXW expressed an interest in joining me on The Cloud. By the end of my Gun activation, he was already parked up on Red Lane, with Justin M7JRB. I met them there after driving over, and we ascended together. The Cloud was busy on a lovely weekend day, and it was a mistake to ascend the famous stairs and usual railed path to the summit. It was necessary to step over into the heather several times in order to preserve social distancing from others descending. Not difficult, and not that much of a problem - but it made me think I should have gone to the top of the track and around the back of the farm!
There weren’t many spots on the summit that we could have to ourselves either, but one of them was the actual highest point - Richard G3CWI’s preferred operating spot, and close to that of Jimmy M0HGY. Barry, Justin and I took it in turns to have a spell of calling and operating. After a couple of cycles, we’d all comfortably qualified. We did descend around the back of the farm, and encountered no other walkers.
The Cloud G/SP-015 - 8 QSOs, all 2m FM - 2 S2S S2S: G/SP-012 (x2)
Now it was time to go home. I got to open lots of excellent presents, most of which were along a “liquid consumption” theme - ale, cream liqueur, posh coffee for my machine, and more beer. My annual birthday “cake” from my mum, this year, was in the form of a large homemade pork pie - my favourite! My mum provided candles for it nonetheless! Marianne then took me out to dinner - our first restaurant date-night since before lockdown. Frenjabi in Macclesfield is a new restaurant, and we were both blown away with the incredible food, excellent service and ambience. Highly recommended. We then walked up to the Swan With Two Necks pub and live music venue for a pint.
Back home for birthday cake, a final beer (Frank Sidebottom Timperley Rhubarb Ale - part of some super presents from Jimmy M0HGY) and a game of Scrabble. At 9.30pm, and having been advised that - birthday-or-no-birthday - I would NOT be watching Match of the Day on the Big Telly,
I went to bed. I think I was fast asleep within two minutes, so there’s not a chance I would have survived to the end of Match of the Day anyway! A wonderful SOTA-filled 50th birthday. Many thanks for all the birthday wishes passed over the air by chasers.
Monday 20th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 The day was almost over before I managed to haul myself out of the shack chair and out into the car. It was too late to consider anything other than a pair of 2m FM handheld activations.
Tuesday 21st July 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 I'd just placed my first SOTABEAMS order in the post-CWI era the previous week - to get all the ingredients to build my new 17m antenna for the August flavour. What I particularly like about the products is that they (to use a topical phrase) “level up” access to antenna building, to those of us lacking the higher levels of practical skill.
I gave the newly-built antenna its second run-out on The Cloud G/SP-015.
Wednesday 22nd July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I'd watched the video of GW8JLY’s talk the other day. Very useful. This morning I decided to have a trial run. At 3 weeks ahead of the Perseids peak, I reckoned that 6m might be a better bet than 2m. There were a few bits and pieces still to learn and settings to adjust. However the guys active on ON4KST were really friendly, helpful and patient. I made four inter-G QSOs on 6m MSK144, but I very much doubt any meteors were troubled to assist with those! Via KST, DK2EA agreed to try for a QSO - and it was successful. It was clearly a MS contact too, with two sudden deluges of repeated messages from DK2EA! I was very pleased with success on my first ever MS outing. I went onto 6m FT8 and then 2m FM to add a few more contacts. Then over to Gun, and another couple of 2m FM QSOs.
Thursday 23rd July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another rapid Cloud-Gun double activation with the 2m FM handheld!
Friday 24th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I remade the choke-balun on my newly-built 17m groundplane antenna, in order to make it tidier and more compact.
I took the antenna for an early morning outing on The Cloud, making QSOs on FT8, FT4 and CW modes.
Saturday 25th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 2m multimode No sorry, not a rig - but an activation! I didn’t expect to net any of the long distance 2m FM S2S action, and I didn’t - although Pegwn Mawr GW/MW-006 was not too shabby from The Cloud G/SP-015. Total: 51 QSOs 2m FT8: 11 2m MSK144: 0 2m SSB: 9 2m CW: 1 2m FM: 21 2m C4FM: 9 S2S: MW0PLA/P on Pegwn Mawr GW/MW-006, 2E0FTU/P & G5ZX/P on Cross Fell G/NP-001. Best DX was Don G0RQL. No sign of Brian G8ADD. Now where have I heard that before? But wait - no! - the final 2m contact of the activation was Damian M0BKV - which at 320km knocked Don off his perch! Well done also to Barry 2E0PXW who worked me on four of the modes. Am I allowed to say “VHF is alive and well”, or does it not count because it was a Saturday in July or something? I then popped over to Gun G/SP-013 with the handheld, for a “Four-and-run”, including S2S with Liam MW7LCX/P on Penycloddiau GW/NW-054.
Sunday 26th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Up early for an early morning activation on my favourite HF band - 30m. I was hoping for exotic DX, but it was not to be. Nonetheless, a healthy logbook filled with FT8, FT4 and CW QSOs.
Monday 27th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I fancied taking part in this RSGB FT4 contest on 80m. It was a bit of a flaff as it was necessary to replace the version of WSJT on my Windows tablet in order that (counter-intuitively) NA VHF contest mode was available. Irritatingly, it would be necessary to reverse this software change afterwards so that I could resume using the WSJT-Z version again!
Tuesday 28th July 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 For some inexplicable reason, after my mammoth walk over Shutlingsloe and Shining Tor G/SP-004 earlier on, I was compelled to go out again in the evening to activate The Cloud G/SP-015 and Gun G/SP-013!
Wednesday 29th July 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another band I'd neglected for some time was 20m. Ahead of a planned activating trip to Wales the next week, I decided to dig out my 20m groundplane. Various modes were used - FT8, FT4, SSB and CW - filling the logbook rapidly.
SOTA road trip, Day 8 - Saturday 8th August 2020 Having not made it home from my road trip on the Friday night due to needing to sleep in my car, I decided to round things off on the Saturday morning by activating my two local SOTA summits as I completed my homeward journey. Gun G/SP-013 first, and then The Cloud G/SP-015.
Tuesday 11th August 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 & Shining Tor G/SP-004 The plan was to overnight on Shining Tor G/SP-004 that night for the 70cm contests and then a late night and early morning attempt to make meteor scatter QSOs in the midst of the Perseids meteor shower. I had some spare time in the morning of that day so nipped out to activate my usual two local summits with the VHF handheld.
Wednesday 12th August 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 After driving across the valley from Gun G/SP-013, this was my third and final activation of the day. Like with the previous summit, I walked up with the handheld, and this time made four QSOs.
Thursday 13th August 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 This was the night of our rearranged wedding anniversary. Our original booking at Fischers @ Baslow Hall had been reschedued as a result of a bad leak in out kitchen on the day of our anniversary in July. Before setting out for the occasion, I nipped out in the morning for a couple of smash-and-grab activations of my local summits.
Saturday 22nd August 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I'd gone through most of the day on the Saturday without getting out for an activation. I eventually hauled myself out of the house just after 10pm and drove down to The Cloud - and then Gun.
Monday 24th August 2020 A teatime jaunt up The Cloud with the WSJT-X set-up and 20m GP antenna. Five QSOs on FT4 then just one on CW. Three FM QSOs on the 2m handheld before descending.
Wednesday 26th August 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This was another of those days when I arrived on the parking spot for The Cloud, and at that moment abandoned any good intentions of using HF bands and a variety of modes, and decided to be lazy and just walk up with the handheld!
Thursday 27th August 2020 And yet another of those days...
Friday 28th August 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I recently found the 40m dipole. I lost it a couple of years ago. Looked for it everywhere. Even started asking around my friends in case I’d lent it to someone who hadn’t bothered to return it, you know the type. I certainly do - I’m one of them - after all, I borrowed this antenna from Richard G3CWI in about 2005 and still haven’t given it back. I think he thinks it’s mine now. So do I. So for the past couple of years, whenever I’ve wanted to activate on 40m, I’ve used the Bandhopper 4 linked dipoled, and ended up diluting the activation with incursions of 20m, 30m and 80m. This morning on The Cloud G/SP-015, I decided to celebrate the return of the “lost sheep” with a properly dedicated single band 40m activation. Good fun it was too. The rain threatened several times but apart from once, never managed to get started properly. On that one occasion that it did, I deployed my new bothy bag and sat in the warmth, dry and comfort. Until I noticed that my backside was wet. It seemed that gravity had decided to join in with the rain, which had trickled along the ground underneath the edges of my bothy bag, and largely undetected by me. By the time I noticed anything, I was sat in the middle of a half-inch deep puddle… Time for a sharp exit. But prior to that, 55 QSOs: 40m CW: 23 QSOs 40m FT4: 6 QSOs 40m FT8: 14 QSOs 40m SSB: 7 QSOs 2m FM: 5 QSOs
4 S2S: OK2PDT/P on OK/OL-062, HB9DBM/P on HB/AG-012, S52AU/P on S5/KS-012, SQ6GIT/P on SP/BZ-020
4 SWL: HB9BPH/P on HB/ZH-012, EA5HUS/P on EA5/VL-015, OE25PGM/P on OE/ST-546, CT7/EA4DOS/P on CT/MN-012 Interestingly, there was a lot of “012” in the references this morning! Made me half-wish I was on Easington Fell or Cadair Berwyn! I then transferred over to Gun G/SP-013 and waded up to the summit.
Saturday 29th August 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Another one where I got to the parking spot and decided just to go quickly and and down with the hand-portable.
Monday 31st August 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 On this Bank Holiday Monday morning, I quite fancied seeing what was happening on 15m, using the FT8 mode. There wasn't really any DX knocking around, and I certainly didn't ensnare any myself, but EU activity was good. Interestingly, lots of the German stations worked had "DO" prefixes.
Tuesday 1st September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015, Gun G/SP-013 & Shining Tor G/SP-004 Although this wasn't a work day, I set my alarm for 5am local (0400 UTC) as I was keen to get out and rack up some QSOs on datamodes for the next Flavour of the 2020 SOTA Challenge. I was QRV before 6.30am local and soon making lots of contacts on 20m, alternating between FT8 and FT4 modes on WSJT-X. A couple of friends were added on 2m FM before I nipped over to Gun G/SP-013.
Wednesday 2nd September 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004, Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015 After Gun G/SP-013, I was feeling tired after my overnight backpacking trip the previous night. As I reached the Cloudside parking spot, I was only interested in a quick walk up and down Cloud with the VHF handheld.
Friday 4th September 2020 After my second day working at the school in Glossop, I drove home via my 'other' local summit. I'd done Gun G/SP-013 the previous day. It was still a SOTA Challenge day, with the Flavour being datamodes. My choice was 30m FT8, and I made 21 QSOs.
Saturday 5th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I'd decided to focus on building the "unique QSO partners" tally rather than the number of summits activated, for this datamode week of the SOTA 2020 Challenge. I was up early on the Saturday morning, and made my way to The Cloud with my large 30m groundplane antenna. I made a large number of QSOs on 30m FT8, with a few added on FT4. After switching to CW, I collected a large number of S2S QSOs, and a couple more came on 2m FM before I descended. I made a total of 1010 QSOs on this activation! I didn't go directly over to Gun G/SP-013 as I might normally do, but saved that for a Saturday evening visit in which I could deploy a recharge Windows tablet and enjoy another full activation using FT8.
Sunday 6th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 My 'pot luck' choice for my Sunday morning visit to The Cloud, as 15m. This proved to be quite a good option, generating 42 datamode contacts for my log. A single contacts was also made on the 2m FM handheld to a local station. All 15m FT8 contacts were into Europe, but on 15m FT4, Oman was worked. Like the previous day, I then went home to recharge the tablet before heading back out for Gun G/SP-013 in the evening.
Monday 7th September 2020 After work in Glossop, I took the "long route" home via Bosley Cloud. I decided to give 17m a spin, and this proved for an entertaining couple of hours. Only 20 QSOs were made, all on FT8, but there was a fair bit of interest from outside of Europe. Canary Islands (3), St Lucia, Brazil (2), Lebanon, USA and Turkey were all in the log. This was a very satisfactory way to end the Datamodes Flavour week in the 2020 SOTA Challenge.
I was hunkered down in the bothy bag (because the weather was unpleasant) when I heard a voice calling me from outside. It was Stuart G1ZAR who was visiting The Cloud for a 2m FT8 activation.
Tuesday 8th September 2020 No activation on the way home form work on this day, for it was 70cm contest night. So the plan needed to be to get home early so that I could head straight out after tea. A total of 80 QSOs were made on 70cm FM and 70cm SSB.
Wednesday 9th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I couldn't decide between Cloud and Gun for my on-the-way-home-from-work-in-Glossop SOTA activation - so ended up doing both of them - just with a 2m handheld.
Thursday 10th September 2020 6m contest night, so off to The Cloud with the SB6 Moxon and FT-817 rig. 67 QSOs made, all 6m SSB.
Sunday 13th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Somewhat unusually for a weekend, I did not conduct and SOTA activations on the Saturday, and on Sunday I took just the handheld and didn't bother with HF. Nonetheless, it was a fun activation of 12 contacts including two S2S.
Monday 14th September 2020 I escaped Coronation Street by heading out to The Cloud for a 20m activation. Not many contacts, but my CW QSOs included a summit-to-summit contact into Virginia, USA, and with WSJT-X I contacted the Caribbean island of St Lucia. Several other USA contacts were made on CW and FT4 as well.
Tuesday 15th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 In preparation for the DV Challenge Flavour coming up at the start of October, I decided to make a start on "warming up" the activity and interest on C4FM. I also wanted to try out the GM (Group Monitor) feature on my Yaesu FT70D handheld. As it turned out, the GM feature meant that David G7WDT and I knew each other was there before either of us transmitted any audio. When you have the GM channel set to 00, it is open to all channels and doesn’t filter any out. Three other stations worked on 2m C4FM, plus one on analogue.
Wednesday 16th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Just a quick drive out for a couple of walks to get my steps in for the day, and to record a couple of activations. Karen 2E0XYL and Neil 2E0TDX worked on both summits, on 2m FM.
Thursday 17th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 Same as the previous day with almost the same result. Richard G3CWI and Kieran M6AIF worked from The Cloud, but it was Karen 2E0XYL and Neil 2E0TDX again fron Gun.
Sunday 20th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 It was quite late for me to be out on a school night! Nonetheless, I fancied seeing what I could pull in on my 30m groundplane at dusk, perhaps hoping for some North American stations. As it was, I got as far as Madeira!
Monday 21st September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I managed to haul myself out of the house for a daily double activation of Cloud and Gun, with the intention of doing this for all five working days of the week. As it turned out, this was the only day of the week that I did. An uncharacteristic four activation-free days would therefore follow!
Saturday 26th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 I'd gone five days since going out activating, which was far too long. I decided to bring that absence to a shuddering halt with a substantial activation on the Saturday morning, after the end of a tough working week. 58 QSOs were recorded, using 30m FT8, 30m CW and 2m FM. Then over to Gun G/SP-013 before returning home.
Monday 28th September 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013 This was another of those outings where the prime motive was to top up the day's step count, and increase my SOTA activation count by two!
Tuesday 29th September 2020 This was the occasional RSGB Machine Generated Mode (MGM) VHF contest. There weren't any S2S as it turned out, and only one that I recognised as an active SOTA chaser - thanks Stewart G0LGS. Not a bad night though with 39 QSOs:
6m FT8 - 13 QSOs 6m FT4 - 2 QSOs 2m FT8 - 24 QSOs
DXCCs: G, GM, GI, EI
Friday 2nd October 2020 Another good evening on VHF and Fusion.
2m FM: 8 QSOs 2m C4FM: 20 QSOs
Tuesday 6th October 2020
It was 2m contest evening, but not a particularly nice evening. I got three C4FM QSOs in for the SOTA Flavours Challenge before the FMAC got underway at 7pm. I did the full 55 minutes of the FMAC, and then the first hour of the UKAC (SSB). At that point, I was tired, cold, hungry, and motivation to stick it out for another second, let alone another 90 minutes, completely evaporated. I packed up and went home for some supper and an early night.
Wednesday 7th October 2020
I sat out in the cold and rain on The Cloud G/SP-015 for an hour or so for the last night of the DV flavour. I made seven C4FM QSOs, and six on analogue FM. Of those 7 DV contacts, 5 or 6 were with stations I had already worked in the 2020 Challenge, so wouldn’t progress my score, though it was still a pleasure to chat - especially to old SOTA friend Keith G0OXV who I have really enjoyed catching up with over the past few days. One or two brand new calls on C4FM - so very pleased with those.
Thursday 8th October 2020
Unlike two days earlier, I did manage to stick things out until the end of the contest. A little more than that in fact, for momentarily after 2130z, I finally found my Tall Trees Contest Group colleague Dave GW4ZAR. I worked him for the SOTA log, but it was a few seconds too later to consider entering in the contest log, sadly. A very modest 50 QSOs in the 6m UK activity contest.
Sunday 11th October 2020
I'd been meaning to get out during most of the day, but only eventually hauled myself off the shack chair as time was approaching 8pm in the evening. I drove down to Cloudside and ascended to the summit with my handheld. A rather pleasing, and indeed surprising 24 QSOs were made in a spell of 54 minutes. I really wasn't anticipating so much activity!
Tuesday 13th October 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
The 70cm contest evening start well enough with 14 QSOs in the first 25 minutes of the FMAC. However, things went extremely quiet after then and not another contact was made in the FM event. The weather was not comfortable to be sat out on summit for another two-and-a-half hours, so instead I packed up and went over to Gun G/SP-013 for a second SOTA activation in the evening.
Saturday 17th October 2020
I was up nice and early on the Saturday morning, and of out to The Cloud for a rare 80m activation. Quite a few contacts were made on FT8 and CW, but nothing on SSB. What I didn't realise was that this would be my last activation for a couple of weeks!
After returning home, Marianne, Liam and I started getting ready to go out for an afternoon walk. We drove out to Wincle Brewery where we had a beer plus pork scratchings and a chocolate brownie. Following this, we walked onto the Dane Valley Way footpath and up to Lud's Church. We continued up to Roach End, and then down the ridge to Hangingstone Farm and back to Danebridge. Full details and photos of this route are available here.
Marianne wasn't feeling great and reported possible Covid symptoms. On the Sunday morning, she went for a test, and the result came through positive. Within days, Jimmy and Liam tested positve, and then so did I, and ended up in bed for nearly a fortnight suffering with labyrinthitis - vertigo and nausea. My self-isolation period came to an end on Saturday 31st October, and so my next SOTA outing would be on Sunday 1st November 2020.
Sunday 1st November 2020
After a fortnight out of action due to contracting Covid-19, I was released from isolation on the first day of November. This was handy because it was the first day of the 160m-80m (LF) flavour of the SOTA 2020 Challenge! I wasn't going to waste time bothering to try and get QRV on topband this time, but try and make as many QSOs as possible on 80m. Using a mix of SSB, CW and FT8 enabled a healthy log of 33 QSOs.
Monday 2nd November 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
I headed out to The Cloud for an evening activation on 80m for the Challenge. It was pretty late though - after 9pm is rather late to be leaving the house when the plan is to set up a halfwave dipole for 80m! Eight contacts were made, all on FT8.
Tuesday 3rd November 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
It was the Tuesday night 2m contests, FM 1900-1955 and SSB 2000-2230. I didn't expect to stick out the the full period of the main UKAC unless conditions and activity were really good, as it was going to be a bitterly cold night. I headed out with the intention of prioritising the FMAC as I was well placed in the 2020 series of that and there was no guarantee that /P will be allowed in the December (final) session (due to the G lockdown). The weather was horrendous at home in Macclesfield at teatime, but forecast to be dry later.
It was very cold but I surprised myself by sticking it out for the full 3.5 hours. 124 QSOs made on 2m on the activation.
Saturday 7th November 2020
A good day on The Cloud G/SP-015 today. Like Gerald G4OIG I fielded lots of enquiries from interested passing walkers - who I’m happy to report seemed even more interested after learning what I was up to. One passer-by was Robin M7AQX who was ascending from Timbersbrook with his XYL for a 2m FM handheld activation. I set myself up in the middle of a vast expanse of heather just north-west of the main rock outcrop on the hill. This allowed me to site myself - and my aerials - all well away from the several paths on the hill.
I took the 20m GP for the main event - the Trans-Atlantic S2S QSO Party - and the Bandhopper 4 linked dipole, set for 80m for the last day of the November Flavours Challenge week. I set up the radials of the 20m first to guy the SOTA Pole, which meant this would be in situ ready for when I wanted to switch antennas. First up though, was the 80m dipole.
Here’s the summary of what I worked:
107 QSOs: 80m FT8: 11 80m SSB: 10 80m CW: 4 20m SSB: 18 20m CW: 45 20m PSK31: 1 20m FT4: 10 20m FT8: 2 2m FM: 6
27 S2S: IW3AGO/P - I/AA-215 - 20m SSB M1BUU/P - G/NP-009 - 20m CW IV3GVY/P - I/FV-130 - 20m SSB CT7/K9PM/P - CT/AL-002 - 20m CW VE2DDZ - VE2/ML-005 - 20m CW E70AA/P - E7/BO-049 - 20m CW OK2MUF/P - OK/MO-039 - 20m CW YU1CA/P - YU/ZS-048 - 20m CW M7HUD/P - G/SP-007 - 2m FM S56KVJ/P - S5/PK-037 - 20m SSB HB9DST/P - HB/AG-012 - 20m CW M0OAT/P - G/NP-007 - 20m CW AC1Z - W1/NL-066 - 20m CW EA2GM/P - EA1/AT-208 - 20m SSB YO6PIB/P - YO/MC-160 - 20m SSB OE5JFE/P - OE/OO-075 - 20m SSB LZ1WF/P - LZ/RO-144 - 20m CW 2E0NRL/P - G/SP-004 - 2m FM HB9EKO/P - HB/ZH-020 - 20m CW EA2IF/P - EA2/NV-151 - 20m CW VE2DDZ - VE2/ML-002 - 20m FT8 MW7LCX/P - GW/NW-076 - 2m FM KR7RK - W7A/CS-006 - 20m CW VA2EO - VE2/QC-005 - 20m CW N1AIA - W1/AM-300 - 20m CW KG6CIH/P - W1/MV-003 - 20m CW K2JB - W4C/US-001 - 20m CW
12 SWL: N1ZF - W1/MR-001 - 20m CW OE5EEP/P - OE/OO-346 - 20m CW G6PJZ/P - G/TW-001 - 20m CW NE2P - W4C/EM-022 - 20m CW LZ1GJ/P - LZ/RO-144 - 20m CW K7EEX - W4V/RA-003 - 20m SSB KF7NP - W7A/MN-143 - 20m SSB AA7OY - W7A/CO-133 - 20m CW K6ARK - W6/CT-157 - 20m CW KX0R - W0C/SR-052 - 20m CW WA7JTM - W7A/MN-154 - 20m CW G8CXK/P - G/CE-004 - 20m CW
NA QSOs: 19 NA S2S QSOs: 8
Great fun! Thanks to all.
Sunday 8th November 2020
Is it a legacy mode or is it a Datamode? PSK and RTTY could reasonably claim to be both. Since my old Android phone (which ran the neat little DroidPSK app) bit the dust, I’d not done any activating on these modes. I installed Fldigi on my Windows 10 tablet but found that the TX would stick on once launched, effectively making the system unusable. As I was using exactly the same set-up on WSJT modes with no problem whatsoever, this proved a confusing conundrum. I never did solve it.
However, I did overcome it. My Windows tablet bit the dust the previous week, so I had a shiny “new” (Amazon refurb) one. And the previous day, I found that PSK via Fldigi worked absolutely fine on it with my usual aerials and interface. So for the morning’s daily exercise and outdoor recreation, I was thinking of trying some activating on 17m PSK and RTTY. I thought I could then move onto FT8 and JT65. And then maybe some CW and SSB. And then possibly some 2m FM. JS8call and SSTV also possible. All 17m.
Anyway, so much for good intentions. 17m was a stupid choice of band. There was (of course) FT8 activity on the band, but no PSK, RTTY, JT65 or JS8Call - not even when I made some calls. Plus of course there isn’t an SSTV frequency on 17m - highlighting a slight issue with my M.O. of researching this stuff on my phone when I am already on summit! After making a total of four contacts on 17m FT8 and CW, I self-spotted for 2m FM “in ten minutes”. I packed up my HF stuff - and then completely forgot to do 2m!
The one good aspect of the outing was that, for the first time ever in over 1400 activations of this hill, I did the route along the ridgeline from the Bridestones to the south. I returned via the woods and Gosberryhole Lane (track) to complete a satisfying circuit. This route starts at the junction of Dial Lane and Gosberryhole Lane, where there is space to park at the roadside. Route details are below:
Turn left onto the public right of way which starts on a driveway but soon turns left into a field. Shortly you will pass the Bridestones, a chambered cairn from the neolithic period.
Bear right to continue along the public footpath as it gently rises to join the ridgeline towards Bosley Cloud.
As you reach the back corner of the residence up there (Avona), the route bears slightly left and then right to climb a refurbished path up to Cloud summit.
From the trig point, turn sharp left to follow a wide path down into the woods. This continues through a squeeze stile as it remains with the Gritstone Trail.
Look out for a ramp path to your left, dropping down to the main track - Gosberryhole Lane. This "lane" is not driveable by a normal vehicle for most of its length, and can be very muddy in places. Follow this all the way back to Dial Lane to complete the route.
Back at home, me and Jimmy M0HGY made homemade Scotch eggs for tea…
Monday 9th November 2020
The main focus of this activation was my first attempt at operating SSTV. I thought I'd pulled off a fantastic result on my debut with a contact with VE2JCW in Canada, but we didn't quite complete the QSO. These images show how close we got!
A handful of QSOs was made on other modes and a couple on 2m, but my first SSTV contact would have to wait.
Tuesday 10th November 2020
I'd had an enjoyable day working as a supply teacher at Macclesfield Academy. The subject focus for the day was P.E., so I didn't even need to go to work in my suit! That meant I also didn't need to get changed after work in order to go straight onto a SOTA activation!
Just one QSO on 20m SSTV - G4VRT. I would have stayed longer but when I tried to turn on my headtorch - it wouldn’t. That’s when I remembered its battery pack was still in the car connected to the charging lead. Darkness was coming rapidly so I didn’t make any further calls!
It was the 70cm FMAC and UKAC later that night - but due to a disappointingly over-the-top rule change by the RSGBCC, I wouldn’t be QRV from a SOTA summit. The Committee has decided because most portables operate from vehicles and not open air (as in open air recreation), that all portables won’t be allowed from England during Lockdown 2. So I’d be outside the home QTH tonight giving IO83wg and no SOTA reference.
Wednesday 11th November 2020
I returned to The Cloud to try SSTV again. I worked the same station again - G4VRT! I also made one contact on 20m SSB and one on 2m FM.
Thursday 12th November 2020
No work today, but I didn't manage to get around to getting out on a hill until after "hometime" anyway! Quick ascent with the handheld, and one contact made.
Friday 13th November 2020
A day's teaching work at Ormiston Horizon Academy in Chell, Stoke-on-Trent meant that I was in prime location to grab an activation of The Cloud G/SP-015 on the way home. Despite again taking the "lazy" approach of ascending with only a VHF/UHF handheld, I had a satisfying activation with 8 contacts on 2m FM.
Saturday 14th November 2020
This activation of The Cloud G/SP-015 was intended to allow me to try out several different modes on 20m, including some new ones. There were both resulting successes and failures. I was awake at 0530, and QRV on the hill a couple of hours later.
20m FT8 - 1 QSO 20m SSTV - 0 QSOs 20m RTTY - 0 QSOs 20m SSB - 2 QSOs 20m JS8 - 0 QSOs 20m CW - 19 QSOs 20m PSK31 - 2 QSOs 2m FM - 2 QSOs
SSTV was confusing me a bit. All the activity was on 14.230MHz with several stations sending images at once at times. It could be almost impossible to get in and make a successful transmission of your own! But yet, as far as I could tell, nobody seemed to QSY to another QRG, and every time I tried that (supported by a self-spot), no-one has replied to me.
RTTY was attempted with Fldigi. I didn’t get round to transmitting because I never managed to decode any transmissions already on air. There were lots of them because of the WAE RTTY contest too. I had the 817 set to DIG mode, with that set as RTTY. But I also tried it with the rig set on USB. In Fldigi, I was set to RTTY 50 baud, but I did check out the other rates too. N o combination produced anything intelligible, so something else must not be set right. But I couldn’t solve this issue.
PSK31 via Fldigi worked perfectly, and it was particularly pleasing to be called by SOTA chaser S57X. The next brand new mode to be tried - unsuccessfully - was JS8. I probably should have done more “reading up” on the operating protocols for this as I found it hard to tell what was going on! At one point I was called by a Swedish station, but it disappeared after I attempted to reply.
One of my SSB QSOs was S2S to EA6KB on Majorca, EA6/MA-050. CW was by far the most productive mode, and the clear highlight of the entire activation was being called and worked by JP3DGT/3 for a S2S to JA/HG-243. I was delighted to receive a QSL card for this contact a few days later via direct mail.
Sunday 15th November 2020
An early evening activation on the 17m band. I used only FT8 mode and made nine QSOs, including one into the USA.
Monday 16th November 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
I'd had a fantastic first day teaching maths at Westwood College in Leek. The way in which I was welcomed by the staff - and especially by the students - was inspirational. I was in the best of moods therefore as I ascended the stairway to The Cloud on my way home from work.
Five QSOs were made on 2m FM with the handheld.
Tuesday 17th November 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
Another fantastic day at Westwood. I could tell I was going to be very happy working there. Just one station responded to my CQ SOTA calls on 2m FM from the summit.
Wednesday 18th November 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
After work, I went home via The Cloud and set up my 20m GP on the summit. Just two QSOs were made on 20m FT8.
Thursday 19th November 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
My commute home from work in Leek, via Bosley Cloud. A quick walk to the summit with my handheld, and seven QSOs made on 2m FM.
Friday 20th November 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
Five stations worked from the summit on my way home from work in Leek.
Saturday 21st November 2020
I was awake at 0300 UTC, so thought I might as well bag a pre-dawn activation of The Cloud G/SP-015.
I couldn’t decided whether to go for 40m, 30m or 20m but finally opted for the latter as I parked up on Cloudside.
I operated from 0500 to 0720z and made just five QSOs! One on 20m FT8, one on 20m CW and three on 20m FT4. The first three were pretty satisfying though - PT2OP (Brazil) on FT8, A65IN (United Arab Emirates) on FT4, then T6AA (Afghanistan) on CW - my first ever contact with Afghanistan.
Ultimately I got fed up of the cold temperature, packed up and rushed down to the warmth of my car.
Monday 23rd November 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
As I parked up on Cloudside on my way home from work in Leek, it was not a particularly nice afternoon. I opted therefore for a quick walk up and down with the handheld. Just a single contact made, with M1DYU in Billinge.
Tuesday 24th November 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
I set up for 20m SSTV on the summit. This proved a waste of time and I didn't manage a single contact. I wasn't making much progress on 20m SSTV in all honesty. All stations were crammed onto 14.230MHz and it was proving difficult to get heard (seen) on there. Yet QSYing to a nearby clear frequency has yielded zero, even when both self-spotted on SOTAwatch and posted to the 14.230 SSTV Facebook group. Brian G8ADD had mentioned in the past that SOTA in a way might lend itself to SSTV with the possibility of transmitting a just-taken photo of/at the summit the activator was on. This was exactly what I’d been trying to do.
Anyway, Pete 2E0LKC and Anne 2E0LMD, two of my all-time most regular chasers, were there on 2m FM, so the activation happened, even without any action on 20m SSTV.
Wednesday 25th November 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
Back to just the 2m FM handheld being carried up to the summit after my 20m SSTV fail of the previous day. A bumper crop of eight contacts made, with three quarters of them being active SOTA chasers.
Thursday 26th November 2020 I was working 4 day weeks at the school in Leek, and Thursday this week was my day off. A full day out walking with Marianne and Liam was planned for later in the day, but I had a few hours early on to indulge in a little SOTA.
It was a very pleasant early morning on The Cloud. I set up my 40m dipole antenna and made many QSOs on three different modes - CW, SSB and FT8. This included a couple of "summit-to-summit" contacts; one into Switzerland, and one to a summit activator in Germany.
Before leaving the summit, I contacted Viki M6BWA/P on 2m FM, and also on 70cm FM. She was activating High Vinnalls G/WB-012 near Ludlow.
I also got a call on 2m FM from G0AKU, and that was my final contact of the activation. Later on in the day, Marianne, Liam and I went for an excellent circular walk. This took us on the Bollin Valley, Middlewood Way, Macclesfield Canal, Kerridge, White Nancy and over to Tegg's Nose, before returning via Blakelow and Macclesfield South Park to home. More details here.
Friday 27th November 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
Another quick "low-effort" activation to break up the journey home from work. Four QSOs on 2m FM, all SOTA regulars.
Saturday 28th November 2020 I was up very early on the Saturday morning, so off in search of DX from Cloud summit. I decided to take advantage of the CQWW CW major international contest and see what, if any, opportunties it threw up on 15m. The first contact of the activation was very promising - South Africa - but after that, Europe dominated the logbook, although the healthy number of QSOs was pleasing.
There was a little more DX to be had. Brazil was worked, plus a couple of QSOs into Madeira Island.
Sunday 29th November 2020 On the Sunday morning, I carried the 10m-12m groundplane antenna to the summit, anticipating good activity on 10m CW in the CQWW weekend contest. As it was, just five QSOs were made on 10m CW, but there was plenty more to be had on 10m FT8, plus 12m - CW, SSB & FT8. A run of seven 2m FM QSOs finished off the activation, and the first of these was a summit-to-summit contact with M7TKL/P on Hail Storm Hill G/SP-009.
Monday 30th November 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
On the way home from work in Leek, and yet another "lazy" activation with just the VHF handheld! Five QSOs, all with regular SOTA chasers.
Tuesday 1st December 2020 Tuesday was this week’s day off. I was loving these 4 day weeks! But this did mean a bit of a hit for my SOTA Challenge aspirations as the weather forecast was good and Liam was up for a long hike. Marianne was invited too but she rejected us, preferring instead to go on a different route with her friend Wee Wah. I was up at 0500 and went to The Cloud G/SP-015 with the 10m-12m GP antenna. I was set up by 0600, but had to be patient. Even on FT8, the 12m band was pretty dead until around 0800, and even then pickings were sparse, and pretty much restricted to G and RA. 13 contacts were made before it was time to return home and meet Liam for the day’s main walk. The note-to-self was that my original idea to activate Gun on the way to work on 12m in the Challenge this week - was a waste of time. I would stick to 2m FM for my outward commute activation, and try to rack up Challenge credit from The Cloud on the way home at dusk.
The walk with Liam was an approximately 13 mile circuit from Fools Nook, taking in Sutton Reservoir, Croker Hill, Sutton Common (site of the famous Bosley telecommunications tower), Wincle Minn, then dropping through the farm to pick up Bosley Reservoir then the Macc Canal back to the start point. It was a fantastic walk - until just after Wincle Minn! The drop through the farm was not signed very well and had a couple of muddy slippery sections. It was only a few minutes to get past though, and will be kept in the route as it’s still the most viable line at this section. The path around the east of Bosley Reservoir looked appealing - on the OS mapping, but turned out to be a mudbath, as did the farm that followed it. This section of the route would definitely be changed! More details here.
That night it was the 2m FMAC and UKAC, and I hoped, the last ones that have the /P ban (no such luck, as portable participation was banned again early in 2021 with the third national lockdown). Restricted to IO83wg, I was pipped at the post by G4ILI for the overall 2020 FMAC series win.
Wednesday 2nd December 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
It hadn't been my day. On summit, I realised I'd left tablet in car by mistake. So no FT8. My Code Cube keyer was playing up. So no CW. I hoped somebody would disabuse me of my perception that SSB is a waste of time therefore!
Five contacts made on 12m SSB in the end. All locals who were cajoled to QSY after being worked on 2m FM! I was now rather concerned that the 12m band, and indeed the 10m band, are not only yet to open when I’m on my way to work, but already closed when I’m on my way home! Well, except for the ubiquitous FT8 that is. Easily audible “plagues of locusts” on both 24.915 and 28.074 - note-to-self - don’t leave the tablet in the car - FT8 is the way to go!
Thursday 3rd December 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
My original plan had been to do 12m on The Cloud on the way home from work every evening this week. But after finding the band effectively 'closed' the previous day at this time, and the weather getting even colder, I lost motivation and just took the handheld. One single 2m FM contact made.
Friday 4th December 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
The word was that there may be a change in the Government Covid guidelines, meaning that grassroots sport could resume - and the next Friday we could have staff football. But not quite yet, so this was the usual "activate Cloud on the way home from work" routine. Just two stations worked on 2m FM.
Sunday 6th December 2020 Contacts on 12m FT8 came much more easily and quickly on The Cloud than they did on the Herefordshire summits the previous day. Must be that “IO83 effect” thing! The highlight was Bob VP8LP, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. I was hoping to also add a few callsigns from 10m FM nets that are sometimes heard in the North West on Sundays, but nothing was heard. Indeed, there was absolutely nothing heard on any part of the 10m band apart from beacons. A few days earlier, the drone on the 10m FT8 frequency had been bigger and louder than that on 24.915MHz.
I planned for one final Flavour activation around 5pm on the followind day (Monday). I was hoping to get stateside on 12m, with FT8, CW and SSB available.
Monday 7th December 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
I went up The Cloud on the way home from work for a 'final fling' in the December Challenge Flavour. The 12m band was dying out as I started! A handful of weak sigs were received from EA, LU, PY, CO and W. However, just one QSO was made on FT8 by me - a CT station. I managed to complete that, and then the band seemed to deteriorate sharply. The only signals heard during the activationwere FT8; nothing in the CW and SSB portions of the band, and nothing at all on 10m.
Tuesday 8th December 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
It was a bitterly cold night, and i was both tired and hungry. I already knew in my heart of hearts when setting out that I would probably just do the FMAC and then bail before the UKAC - and that's exactly what happened! Nonetheless, 19 QSOs on 70cm FM is more than respectable for a SOTA activation, if not competitive for a contest!
Wednesday 9th December 2020 - Gun G/SP-013 & The Cloud G/SP-015
Two quick QSOs on the way home from work, via a quick walk up The Cloud. Thank you Steven and Steph.
Thursday 10th December 2020 It was Day Off time again! We did have a family walk planned, but it was decreed that it was too cold, and Marianne and Liam went off in the car to Teggs Nose Tearoom instead, leaving me at home to get on with some work. Yes, a somewhat ironic use of a "day off" - to get on with work in a different job!
Before all that, I went for an early activation of The Cloud G/SP-015. Amongst the new residents of Avona, the farmhouse and land halfway up The Cloud, are four alpacas.
In the absence of Challenge Flavour requirements, urges to chase DX or VHF contesting duties, I decided to roll back the years and go on 40m, just like the old days when I'd do exactly that on my way to work in Stoke-on-Trent every morning. It was good fun.
40m CW: 24 QSOs 40m FT8: 18 QSOs 40m SSB: 5 QSOs 2m FM: 5 QSOs
Total: 52 QSOs
S2S: HB9CYX/P on HB/BE-104 - 40m SSB; M0KPW/P on G/LD-049 - 2m FM.
Friday 11th December 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
On this morning, I revisited a stunt of many years past - to activate both The Cloud G/SP-015 and Gun G/SP-013 on the way to work*.
[*Note - this was trivial if work was a gig somewhere in the North of England, but is more of a challenge to pull off if working a full day as a maths teacher!]
Anyway, the IO83 effect did not let me down. Both summits activated with a handheld and rubber duck on 2m FM:
G/SP-015: 3 QSOs, 0632-0637z G/SP-013: 5 QSOs, 0727-0732z
Saturday 12th December 2020 A rare Saturday night outing at this time in the absence of either a gig, or Match of the Day!
Monday 14th December 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
Me and my big mouth. I spoke too soon. On the way to work in the morning:
G/SP-015: 1 QSO G/SP-013: 2 QSOs
There was quite a big net on in the Midlands but either they couldn’t hear my 2m FM handheld or they weren’t leaving big enough gaps between overs for me to get in. Either way, the IO83 effect is no more. IO82 is where it’s at.
Wednesday 16th December 2020 - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
A slight improvement this morning. Still just the early-rising Peter 2E0LKC (my all-time top chaser) worked from The Cloud G/SP-015, but then a bumper crop of three QSOs on the Grumpy Old Man’s 7am net from Gun G/SP-013. Neither effort would qualify an activation of course, but that hadn’t been the object of the game on these hills for nearly a year…
Thursday 17th December 2020 First day of the Christmas holidays from work. Nonetheless, still in the habit of getting up early, so went out for an early SOTA activation. Unpleasant weather at the parking spot diminished all thoughts of an extended HF operation, and I just nipped to the summit with the handheld, working four of the regulars on the "Grumpy Old Men's Net".
Friday 18th December 2020 This time the weather was more encouraging for my early morning outing, and I took my big 30m quarterwave groundplane antenna and 10m Travelmast to the summit. Daftly, I left the CW paddle in the car - which was not an optimal move for operating on 30m! Fortunately, I did have the tablet, interface and cables, so I could still do FT8. This part of the activation concluded with three consecutive JA contacts, so that was very satisfying.
Saturday 19th December 2020 On my Cloud G/SP-015 activation on this Saturday evening, in the space of 14 minutes, amongst others, I worked three licensed SOTA chaser couples!
Anne 2E0LMD & Pete 2E0LKC Neil 2E0TDX & Karen 2E0XYL Steph MW6SHJ & Steven 2W0JYN
I felt it was worthy of note!
Sunday 20th December 2020 It was relatively late for me to be heading out for a SOTA activation on this Sunday morning. With other stuff I needed to be getting back home and getting on with, I just did a swift 2m FM handheld activation.
Tuesday 22nd December 2020 It was great to see Neil 2E0TDX and Karen 2E0XYL on The Cloud. Marianne, Liam and I did a longer circuit from the Bridestones to the south - but this turned out to be an unwise choice the day after 24 hours of heavy rain in the area! Especially with an XYL that really dislikes mud!
What compounded it was that the emus and alpacas at the farm at the top of the steps were all hiding, and Rambo the wallaby seemed subdued and wasn’t hopping around as usual.
We perched ourselves upon a socially distanced boulder and shared the picnic, and I operated on 2m FM with the handheld. I was pleased to get the “full set” of the three SOTA chaser couples - 2E0LMD & 2E0LKC, 2W0JYN & MW6SHJ, and of course the just-descended 2E0XYL & 2E0TDX.
Wednesday 23rd December 2020 Keeping my run of consecutive daily activations going. Another one with just a VHF handheld - but more than enough for a run of seven QSOs. It was my 526th activation of 2020, which I suppose was a landmark of sorts…! It was a late December afternoon walk up The Cloud G/SP-015 with a VHF handheld. Seven QSOs made on 2m FM. I was hoping to use HF and more interesting modes like CW and FT8, but 60mph gusts at the parking spot soon amended my aspirations for the activation! Activation #527 was planned to take place on Christmas Eve. The weather forecast indicated that the wind would still be an issue, but at only 50% of the previous day’s intensity. Fingers were crossed!
Thursday 24th December 2020 - Christmas Eve Activation #527 consisted of just one 2m FM QSO, with 2E0SAE in Oldham. The Cloud summit was busy, but the 2m band was not. Served me right for not getting out earlier and doing HF as planned! Activation #528 would therefore be Christmas Day, and this time I was determined get up early and to deploy HF!
Later that day, Jimmy M0HGY and I got to work making a batch of "Christmas Scotch eggs". A few lucky family and friends received a delivery - but most of them were scoffed at the home QTH!
Friday 25th December 2020 - Christmas Day - The Cloud G/SP-015 & Gun G/SP-013
I was up with my alarm at 5am and soon enjoying a breakfast of coffee and one of the homemade Scotch eggs that me and M0HGY made on Christmas Eve. The car needed a considerable ice scraping before setting off. It was a very cold icy morning with all the muddy ground thankfully frozen hard.
The first hour or so of activating was by torchlight in darkness but after sunrise it was a stunningly clear morning. I judged that I would need 80m and 40m and so took the SOTAbeams Bandhopper 4 linked dipole.
The Cloud G/SP-015, 0649-1049z: 77 QSOs
80m FT8: 14 QSOs 80m CW: 8 QSOs 80m SSB: 1 QSO 40m CW: 23 QSOs 40m SSB: 6 QSOs 40m FT4: 18 QSOs 2m FM: 7 QSOs
5 S2S:
PB2T/P on PA/PA-006 - 40m CW PB2T/P on PA/PA-006 - 40m SSB M0BKQ/P on G/NP-010 - 2m FM LB8CG/P on LA/BU-129 - 40m SSB MW7LCX/P on GW/NW-054 - 2m FM
I then took advantage of the now Christmas Day-only travel restriction easing to bob over the authority border to Gun G/SP-013. Just a single 2m FM QSO from this activation! Merry Christmas! ...and that takes me to 528 activations so far in the year 2020. Despite enforced periods of inaction due to lockdown, back problems and getting ill with Covid!
Saturday 26th December 2020 - Boxing Day Onto activation #530 in 2020, for which I returned to The Cloud G/SP-015. This time I opted for 30m, alternating between CW and FT8. The Boxing Day activation wasn’t as productive as the Christmas Day one, but still worthwhile and enjoyable.
32 QSOs:
30m CW: 22 QSOs 30m FT8: 8 QSOs 2m FM: 2 QSOs
S2S: 4
F5LKW/P on F/CR-229, 30m CW OM/SP9MA/P on OM/ZA-061, 30m CW HB9CEV/P on HB/ZG-001, 30m CW HA2VR/P on HA/EM-002, 30m CW
SWL:
EA2BD/P on EA2/NV-032
I called Ignacio a few times, but didn’t manage to get through. My good friend Roger F5LKW/P made a video of our summit-to-summit contact though.
Having done activations on 80m, 40m and 30m now in this Christmas week, and with a “proper” 2m activation planned in for Tuesday evening, I was now going to try and work through the HF bands for my other activations in the remainder of 2020. 60m would be the next morning’s focus, a band I’d not been on in a long time. I neede to check up on what the up-to-date bandplan was for 5MHz!
Sunday 27th December 2020 I activated on 60m for the first time in a very long time today. It’s never been a band I’ve particularly enjoyed for some reason, and long gone are the days when it was the prominent HF band for UK SOTA activators.
Anyway, I may now have significantly more interest in this band. There seemed to be much more CW activity on 5MHz than I recalled, plus the FT8 frequency was busy. Conversely, SSB was very disappointing and yielded just a single contact despite lots of calling and self-spotting.
It was cold and breezy on Cloud summit, so I set up on the north-eastern ledge, using the small cave as shelter. It was soon apparent that I had put the wrong pole onto my rucksack for it folded in half during set-up! I managed to improvise a solution to get the 60m dipole in the air.
24 QSOs:
60m CW: 4 QSOs 60m FT8: 6 QSOs 60m SSB: 1 QSO 2m FM: 13 QSOs
S2S: M7BIA/P on G/SP-004, 2m FM
The 2m tally was boosted by another “full set” of the three SOTA chaser couples!
Monday 28th December 2020 I planned the Monday morning activation to be 12m, 10m and 2m. I wanted to start out on 12m/10m looking for any early openings, then switch to 2m around 0715 to see if I could receive the SSTV image from the International Space Station at 0757. After that I could check for FT8 activity on 2m before returning to 10m and 12m, where there had been good DX openings around 0900 in recent days.
However, I had no option but to cancel. I was amazed to emerge from my QTH to heavy snow falling and plenty on the ground. I drove out anyway, though it was seriously dicey in places with seemingly none of the main roads having been salted, and obviously not the minor ones. I tried two approaches to Cloudside, but both foiled when my car could no longer make progress on a section of uphill slippery road. After that, I lost heart to try a third route, and came home.
So I brought the 817 into the shack, connected it to my PC onto which I’d just installed MMSSTV, and see if I could RX anything from the ISS. Kettle boiled, coffee time, and then success!
After getting back home, I got ready to go out for a Christmas country walk with Marianne, plus Richard G3CWI and Wee Wah.
Marianne led the route around Whirley and Henbury, which was very pleasant, and enjoyed by all.
So I only got out for an actual SOTA activation in the early evening. Set up on a snowy Cloud summit, I worked on 20m FT4, plus 2m C4FM and analogue FM. Plenty of QSOs made.
Tuesday 29th December 2020 - Shining Tor G/SP-004 & The Cloud G/SP-015
Activation #534 of 2020 was a night operation on The Cloud G/SP-015. The intention was to use both 2m and 6m, with both antennas (SB5 beam & SB6 Moxon) assembled prior to 8pm, ready for a speedy changeover from one to the other when required. After a tricky ascent to the summit on hard, compacted, smooth and slippery ice, I realised I’d failed to pack the boom extension for the 2m 5-element beam! Instead, I used what I had to cobble together a 3-el beam. This comprised the director and reflector from the 5-el beam, and the two shorter pieces that make up the driven element.
The issue now was that I had no proper insulation between each side of the driven element. In a moment of ridiculously over-optimistic madness, I balanced these two rods so that they were only marginally inserted into the holes on the boom, but not touching each other inside the boom. I had to arrange the feeder cable so that it applied some strain on the elements, just to stop them falling out of the boom! To my complete and utter astonishment, this all worked!
2m FT8: 18 QSOs - EI, G, GI 6m FT8: 12 QSOs - 9A, G, GM, HA
It was a spectacular night on The Cloud. The summit was coated in a crisp layer of snow, which was reflecting the bright moonlight from a full moon. The earlier fog moved off the summit and sank into the surrounding valleys, creating an inversion effect. Under the bright moonlight, this offered a rather unique and mysterious visual spectacle. Oh but it was so cold! I was quite pleased with myself, and in fact somewhat surprised, that I stuck it out for the full 2.5 hours of the contest!
Wednesday 30th December 2020 I was really enjoying my Christmas week SOTA activations. The weather had been very cold, but the snow coverings have made that kind of enjoyable in itself, and crucially, there had been very little wind. Cold is bearable in the absence of wind and rain (and static)!
I set myself a personal target to achieve something by New Year’s Eve, and I was still on target. On the morning of the penultimate day of the year, I headed out to The Cloud G/SP-015 for activation #535. It had been a very cold night under a clear sky, so the ice on the roads needed careful attention.
There was “unfinished business” with my 12m-10m groundplane antenna, which had to be dismantled after just two QSOs on Shining Tor G/SP-004 due to snow static. So that antenna went up first, and many more contacts were made, albeit mostly groundwave with G stations. I then deployed my 15m GP which was the original plan for today. Only FT8 was worked on 15m. 12m had FT8 and SSB contacts, while on 10m I used FT8, SSB and FM. CW was the big casualty with zero QSOs on any band.
26 QSOs:
15m FT8: 8 QSOs 12m FT8: 1 QSO 12m SSB: 3 QSOs 10m FT8: 5 QSOs 10m SSB: 2 QSOs 10m FM: 2 QSOs 2m FM: 3 QSOs 70cm FM: 2 QSOs
Thursday 31st December 2020 - New Year's Eve I was hoping for a Spectrum in 1982. I got a ZX81. That was my dad’s “sense of humour”. But fast forward from age 12 to age 50, and for Christmas week 2020, I set myself a little challenge of activating on every* band across the spectrum - well those that I do anyway*. *I missed out 160m because my first /P attempts earlier in the year were unwieldy and not very good. Maybe in 2021 I’ll sort out some loading coils for my BH4. *I don’t have 4m, or 23cm and up. Summary: 25 December 2020: The Cloud G/SP-015 - 80m, 40m, 2m 25 December 2020: Gun G/SP-013 - 2m 26 December 2020: The Cloud G/SP-015 - 30m, 2m 27 December 2020: The Cloud G/SP-015 - 60m, 2m 28 December 2020: The Cloud G/SP-015 - 20m, 2m 29 December 2020: Shining Tor G/SP-004 - 2m, 12m 29 December 2020: The Cloud G/SP-015 - 2m, 6m 30 December 2020: The Cloud G/SP-015 - 15m, 12m, 10m, 2m, 70cm 31 December 2020: The Cloud G/SP-015 - 2m, 17m
QSOs:
80m FT8: 14 80m CW: 8 80m SSB: 1 60m CW: 4 60m FT8: 6 60m SSB: 1 40m CW: 23 40m SSB: 6 40m FT4: 18 30m CW: 23 30m FT8: 8 20m FT4: 15 17m CW: 2 17m FT8: 10 15m FT8: 8 12m FT8: 3 12m SSB: 3 10m FT8: 5 10m SSB: 2 10m FM: 2 6m FT8: 12 2m FM: 39 2m C4FM: 2 2m FT8: 18 70cm FM: 2
Totals:
80m: 23 60m: 11 40m: 47 30m: 31 20m: 15 17m: 12 15m: 8 12m: 6 10m: 9 6m: 12 2m: 59 70cm: 2
HF: 162 VHF/UHF: 73
CW: 60 SSB: 13 FM: 43 FT8: 94 FT4: 33 C4FM: 2
Many thanks to everyone that worked me over the Christmas week. I really enjoyed it. The final, New Year's Eve activation brought my total to 536 SOTA activations in the year 2020. That’s the most I’ve done in a year to date, but it could have been more without a back injury, contracting Covid-19, and of course the first lockdown. I visited 117 unique summits during 2020 - so they haven’t all been on The Cloud G/SP-015 - although they probably would be for the foreseeable future!
Regions activated in during the year:
G/CE (all summits activated in 2020) G/DC G/LD G/NP G/SC G/SP (all summits activated in 2020) G/TW G/WB (all summits activated in 2020) GW/NW GW/MW GW/SW
That’s 3405 activations done since I started SOTA over 18 years ago. I was bored of them now though, so decided to wait until next year before I did activation number 3406. Happy New Year to everyone in SOTA!
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