(Dec) Radio Days ’11

Posted on January 23, 2012 by gm7something

Not a busy month due to the continuing bad weather. Here goes with the last ‘Radio Days’ for 2011.

SOTA..

No activations to report, the varied wind and rain that battered December had kinda blew any plans out of the water.

Chasing…

Adverse weather made this not a busy month except for the following.

First Saturday of the month, I managed to catch Iain WJZ who was on the Loch Earn area Ben Vorlich, the following week I heard and worked Craig HCF whilst I was on the Side Hills area near Kilmacolm on the Pap (see this blogpost) to be more exact, Craig was on Scald Law in the Pentlands. The following Sat, Iain WJZ activated a snowy Ben Lomond, I had spoken to Iain from the local golf course car park, a line of sight contact. Iain kindly sent me some photos of his day and you will see one on this blog post showing the snowy last ascent of the Ptarmigan Ridge to the summit. I’ve used the image in a previous blog post but cannot resist the opportunity to use it again…

Final approach to the summit of Lomond © Iain MM3WJZ

Finally for what has been a quiet month, I had nipped up to the local trig point to catch Neil 2MØNCM who was on Corse Hill and whilst I was chatting with Neil, Jack COX popped in from Tinto and I caught Jack for an extra 4 points.

The weather made the holiday season a quiet time..

HF…

Due to other things happening, I was not as active during the month as I would have liked. Conditions were variable from day-to-day and I seemed to miss the better conditions. JT65 and PSK was the main modes that I was using although I caught a DL2 station on Contestia whilst I was monitoring 30m data, a surprise and my first contact in that mode although for some reason I have a couple of eQSLs for the mode. Downloaded and am presently having more than a serious look at O_P_E_R_A, another data mode created in conjunction between a G station and the creator of ROS, a quick guide FAQ is here.

Contacts in Euroland, Asia and across the pond to North America. DXCC wise I finally managed to snaffle Andorra on 30m.

Other…

Still pounding the local byways and trying to catch the activations as I head out but unfortunately I’ve missed a couple as I have been on the wrong side of the hill, if I am out in the summer months, I have more than a few cracking high spots in which I can sit and wait providing the sun decides to pay us a visit. I live in hope….

Once again thanks to Iain MM3WJZ for the use of such an inspiring picture, it makes me want to treat myself to crampons, ice axe etc. The image is copyright of Iain.

Thanks per usual to Wikipedia and other sources for information.

Whilst I’m here..

I was out tramping the local cycle track and came across this ‘Loop Antenna’ and as it would have it, it was pointing N which covers 90% of the SOTA activators I work, I wonder if it would be able to tune in ?

Loop Antenna

(Aug) Radio Days 2011

Posted on September 12, 2011 by gm7something

SOTA…

No activations to report this month…

SOTA chasing had been excellent in August after the upward trend shown so far in 2011. Activity has been steady all summer long, first points this month were gained from Iain WJZ who activated Beinn Eich and Doune Hill, both in the Luss Hill area, mention is made of Roddy 2MØIOB who had activated Blackwood Hill in the Scottish Border area and gained the points necessary from the Beinn Eich summit to summit contact with Iain to gain his Shack Sloth award, nice one!! Later in the day Robin PKT put an appearance in from Stob a’Choire Odhair.

The following day, Neil 2MØNCM returned to the Glen Douglas area to activate Beinn Bhreac, I had a look at Google after Neil mentioned large fissures about the hillside, one for the future.

There was no midweek activations so it was on the following Saturday that Bob AWV called from The Fruin above Helensburgh, I contacted Bob with my wee 2w handie as the hill is line of sight from the home QTH, a cloudy day. Neil NCM popped up on the Sunday on what was an occasionally wet and windy day from Lomond side, Ben Vorlich was his hill for the day.

Luss and Arrochar hills

The following day Robin PKT was out on sister hills in the Ben Lawers area, Meall Corranaich was the first and was later followed by Meall a’Choire Leith, I managed to work him on the latter which was my first home contact to the hill as it sits slap behind Corranaich. He was out on most days this week and popped up on Beinn Challum, Ben Lui and Sgurr a’Mhaim ( in the shadows of Ben Nevis).

On the Saturday, I had gone out for a local hill walk taking in Corlic which I had timed to work Iain WJZ using only a handie and on my walk home, Roddy IOB had let me know that fellow Paisley club member Craig ANL was to activate Beinn Chaorach later that afternoon, I ended up working him from home.

On the last weekend of the month, it was Robin PKT who activated a double on the Sat doing both Beinn a’Bheithir tops, Sgurr Dhonuill and Sgurr Dhearg and finally for the month, Iain WJZ did the pair of Ben More and Stobinnean…

Ben More and Stobinnean

Another excellent month

for ‘chasing’ points !

HF..

I tended to spend too much time on JT65 this month, ignoring my usual modes of PSK and WSPR. Contacts being made across Europe as far as Japan and as westwards to the US. There is, as in WSPR an excellent spotting facility in this mode and pleasantly surprised to be ‘spotted’ in Indonesia, South Africa , Australia and in New Zealand on more than one occasion. Power varies between 5 and 15 watts.

If the bands are quiet then a test of three CQs using the JT65HF software will let you know the propagation situation, I occasionally used other bands in this mode, contacts being made on 40, 30, 20, 15 and 10m but spent most time on 20m. I’ll probably look further more at the mode but unless conditions improve dramatically, I’ll just move between WSPR and JT65.

Outlook..

As this is usually written at the start of the next month, Sept in this case, plans were afoot to activate a SI munro but due to weather and other circumstances, this had been shelved until later, hopefully in early October…I did try to up my fitness level doing regular local walks late in the month and early Sept but suffered an ankle sprain whilst on my way to Corlic, unfortunately I had just under two-mile to hobble to a pick up point, sod this healthy exercise stuff. Oh well.

Beinn Dòmhnaich’…a return

Posted on March 28, 2011 by gm7something

We left my house and headed towards the usual route to Loch Lomondside where we took the road to Arrochar at Tarbet, Loch Long was quickly left as we headed up the famous A82 ‘Rest and Be Thankful‘ road until the Lochgoilhead turn off.

Activation of Ben Donich UHF Fun Day 27th March 2011

Ben Donich, a ‘Corbett‘ located due south of its more famous neighbours across Glen Croe, the Arrochar Alps of Ime, Narnain, Luibnean and ‘The Cobbler’ (Ben Arthur). The hill name literally translates to ‘Brown Hill’ but other theories lead to a possible link with St. Donan, a disciple connected with St. Columba or the opposite ‘Dona‘ which could translate as ‘Evil’. Intriguing !

The route steadily climbs up the North Ridge which starts at the junction of Glen Croe and Allt Glinne Mhor. You park in a Forestry Commission car park about 600m from the junction of the B828 Lochgoilhead and the top of the ‘Rest and Be Thankful’, the trek starts along a forest track when you meet the signpost which points you to head steeply up towards a gate where the hill walk starts ‘properly’, a relentless climb upwards towards the summit in which there is an odd level break from the almost non stop climb. One hour in to the ascent, we stopped for a welcome ‘scran’ break, watered and refreshed we headed onwards, a few false summits later you reach the ‘Scramble’ which is self-explanatory, you now descend down a rock ‘wall’ of 15 to 20 feet in height, the hand holds are excellent although care would need taken when rock is wet.

Yer Man on the Scramble

Once again after you get through what is in geological terms called a ‘ Rock Slope Failure’ plus you must also avoid the ‘fissures’ next to the path, you now steadily climb to the summit plateau topped by a trig point.

The weather had not been what the Met Office had forecasted for the area, there was a strong breeze racing up Allt Glinne Mhor as we set out and as we headed up, the weather steadily deteriorated to a ‘smirry‘ wet cloudy day and we had spoken with a lone walker who had headed on up past us and was now on her descent informed us the wind was strong and it was cold on the top. Mmmm.

We kept on until we eventually reached the plateau and trig point. We took shelter behind rocks to keep the chilling wind at bay, we had arrived earlier than our proposed ‘alert’ so it was time for a quick scran break before getting active on the radios. Visibility was poor.

I set up the 5 element beam first and called out on 70cm FM ( as it was a UHF Fun Day), I quickly had a reply from Steve UAU in Greenock followed by a call from Eric FSZ in the south Ayrshire area. Next was a welcome STS (summit to summit) contact with fellow blogger Graeme on Sgiath a’Chaise, I also made the contact on 2m with Graeme. I called but no more takers so it was time to try my other band of choice, 4m FM, I instantly made the trip into Paisley to Robert IZC and after a quick QSO it was time to take a break.

After a short break it was back on to 4m where I next contacted Alan, XXP in Larkhall, a good contact as Alan was only using his handie with its ‘Rubber Duck’ from his house.

Lastly I made contact on 70cm FM with blog regular, Robin PKT who was on the summit of Meall Ghaordaidh. I spent the rest of the time having a look round the summit area and marvelling at the fantastic views as with the cold air the clarity was excellent. I could see to the SW, Arran, Bute, the Cumbraes, the Paps of Jura, the hills of Islay, Ben More on Mull and coming round clockwise, Ben Cruachan, Ben Starav, Stob an Eas, Beinn Bhuidhe, Beinn Oss, the Arrochar Alps, Ben Vorlich, Ben More ( Crainlarich), Ben Lomond and too many more to mention….a panorama of snow-capped peaks in a 270 degree vista. This makes the journey more worthwhile. It was getting past mid afternoon when we broke down our stations and packed everything away, we headed back down and as we left the activation zone, Jack COX called out on 2m FM so first, Roddy then myself made the contact as we descended, the ‘scramble’ was negotiated and it was a steady walk down the path which surprising was dry although the weather had been reasonably dry the week running up to this activation. We reached the gate and a quick walk down the track where we had parked Roddy’s Land Rover, a last look at Donich and the Brack from our drive down the’ Rest and Be Thankful’, an hour later we were back in Inverclyde.

Once again, an enjoyable dual activation with Roddy, he once again slowed down to my pace whilst ascending and laughed at my rotten jokes. Thanks !

This hill has more to offer than just a slog up a well-worn path, the views from the summit are breathtaking plus ‘the scramble’ adds a bit of spice and avoiding the deep fissures which run along the path on occasions, it is advisable to avoid this hill in the snow for this reason. Sadly as recent as 2005, a walker lost his life by falling into one of the aforementioned crevasses on their descent (input from Neil 2MØNCM).

I will be back.

Photos of ‘Yer man on the Scramble’ and ‘Donich Ascent’ © Roddy 2MØIOB

A massive thanks to Wikipedia once again for all the linking material.

Information Overload

Ben Donich

My previous Ben Donich blog Post <HERE>

Picasa set <HERE>

GPX file of ascent <HERE>