Ben Nevis & Carn Mor Dearg

30/31 July 2004

The weather wasn't quite as good as I was expecting. Instead I had clag most of the time so no nice photos (apart from one of the arete below). However, I managed to get a few Top Band qsos on Ben Nevis.

Carn Mor Dearg - GM/WS-003 - 1223m - 10 points
QSOs: 40m CW - 3, 2m FM - 1

This is normally a great place for a dramatic view of the north face of The Ben but unfortunately thick cloud was stubbornly hanging around the mountain. Got a view south towards the summits of my last trip, looking so different from this angle.

Arrived just before 1800bst and found a nice perch just south of the summit. 40m was strange with stations fading in and out fairly rapidly making it hard to find a clear frequency. However, a call on 7.028MHz with 1 watt quickly brought back G3OVL in Kings Lynn. No other G stations were heard but as usual the Netherlands were strong with good reports from PA0XAW & PA0FEN on 7.029MHz. Then worked Andy MM3USU on 2m FM but there were no more takers.

So then off around the Arete (see photo) and up the final slog to the summit of Ben Nevis.

Ben Nevis - GM/WS-001 - 1344m - 10 points
QSOs: 2m FM - 4, 160m CW - 7, 160m SSB - 1

First priority was to find a comfy bivi spot. That found I then set up my Mark II portable Top Band antenna, the main feature of which is a slinky (containing about 18m of wire) as a helical radiator, some more wire and a couple of radials. However, conditions sounded difficult so wandered up to 2m for a while where I worked GM4XQJ, MM3USU, MM0EMC & GM7PKT.

Back down on 160m at about 22:15 I heard John, G4YSS calling and we just about managed to complete a QSO on CW (1.836MHz) and then on SSB (1.846MHz). Hard work, only just made it but very satisfying to do a summit to summit for my first portable 160m QSO. Then after several attempts I was very pleased to work Pete, M0COP in Birmingham.

My main problem was S9+ noise with static crashes thrown in. Obviously using a vertical has its draw backs. Throughout the night I was able to faintly hear other CW stations calling but just too low down in the noise. My apologies to those stations - thanks for trying. Faintly in the background I heard "....keep trying....keep trying..." from G4YSS. Thanks for all the encouragment John!!

At midnight however things started to open up with good reports from Age PA0XAW, Bill G4EHT (Lichfield), Bob G3ITH (Dudley), Dave GW4GTE (Chester) and Bill GI3MMF (Belfast) on on 1.836 MHz CW. So although I had the 2m QSOs as a fall back it was good to get the qualifying number of contacts for Top Band.

I was very ready for sleep when I crawled into my sleeping bag at about 1ish. Again, emerging from the warmth was quite a battle in the morning but hearing the first voices from the summit hurried me on to disappear before the crowds arrived! Descent down the Pony Track to the Red Burn and then the bog trot to Torlundy.

I am already thinking about the Mark III antenna so expect another Top Band activation soon!

Comments

[Richard]

Keep up the good work. HF CW is the fun way to activate summits.

73

Richard

[Jon]

Thanks for the comment Richard, and thanks for that crucial fourth QSO the other day on WS-300!

I agree, having tried the alternatives, I have settled down very comfortably with HF CW.

73, Jon