GM4ZFZ/P - Mountain Adventures with a Radio

Creag na Doire Duibhe

30 August 2004

GM/WS-277 - Creag na Doire Duibhe - 574m - NN615906 - 2 points
5 QSOs: 2m FM - 1, 40m CW - 2, 30m CW - 1, 20m CW - 1

This hill is best enjoyed as a horseshoe despite the undulating nature of the ridges. The corrie is boggy and anywhere near Loch Glas-choire doubly so. I found that out last time! A pleasant and easy outing though, starting as it does at over 300m ASL on the A889. Parking just up from Half Way House NN935910 and the return ridge deposits you on the road about 1km from the car. About an hour to the summit and an hour back along the longer northern ridge. The hill is positioned above the watershed and gives fine views both into Strathspey to the east and down Loch Laggan to the west.

I spent most of the time on the top listening to an aurora opening on 6m with a bunch of GI and LA stations coming through quite strongly on CW & SSB. Gripping stuff! The main purpose of this activation however was to test my new multi-band dipole which with a bit of fiddling is now resonant on 40/30/20/15/10/6 and even 2m (ish, with a hack using a bit of wire and a croc clip!). This with only two 'jumper points'on each leg. Next job is loading coils for 80 and top band in the footsteps of G4YSS.

After a natter with Eddie, GM4TGC down the road in Kincraig on 2m, EI7CC & G3ICO came back to my calls on 40m before I was trounced by QRM. A QSY to 7032 yielded nothing so up to 30m. There was strong data qrm on 10116 so called on 10120 and worked SP6TGI in Luban, Poland and then on 14062, YU1CA/QRP Beograd, Yugoslavia. Both getting 579 reports on 2.5 watts. Nearly worked a Russian, RK6 on 21028 but he faded out on his first over depite being 559 to start with. Nothing on 10m.

An enjoyable afternoon with only a spot of rain and a nice breeze to keep the midges away!

Bidein Bad na h-Iolaire

Bidein Bad na h-Iolaire - GM/WS-293 - 528m - NN115708 - 2 points
QSOs: 40 CW - 2, 30m CW - 1, 2m FM - 2, 6m SSB - 1, 40m SSB - 1

28th August 2004

This is a very pleasant hill with good views of Ben Nevis (right, photo from a previous failed activation attempt) and quite accessible from Glen Nevis. From the Youth Hostel gain the forest track that is the West Highland way and follow it to the stile at NN124705. Turn right and steeply up the hillside to where the fences join. Cross and strike out for the steep but fairly friendly summit slopes. About 1 hr 20mins. A mountain bike would significantly reduce this.

I was experiementing with antennas and their position on the hill and know I was operating sub-optimally most of the time so sorry to Mark, M0DEV and any others who were waiting. I was calling, honest! I managed to work GB4TFC (Town & Country Fair, Stomeleigh) on 40m CW & SSB again and had my first 6m qso with Robin, PKT using the 30m dipole (perfect match). Thanks also to MM3PDM on 2m. LX1KC & G3DUZ were also worked with some difficulty on HF CW. I think I also worked an SN6 but it was one of those super-short/super-fast contest QSOs and I couldn't say with total certainly it was me he worked!

Due to frequent heavy showers and strong winds I was also experiementing with the optimum operating position inside the bivibag!

Picture below shows this hill from the other side, taken a few days later on Ben na Gucaig. Ben Nevis is in the clouds on the right.

Druim na h-Earba

27th August 2004

Druim na h-Earba - GM/WS-339 - 288m - NN090713 - 1 point
QSOs: 40m CW - 2, 20m CW - 2, 40m SSB - 2

Known locally as Trig Point Hill and located just to the south of Fort William, this is one of the most easily accessed Marilyns in the area giving a great view up and down Loch Linnhe. From the picnic site (parking) at NN097722 take the gate opposite and cross the field to another gate. Then a path leads to the top past a couple of false summits. 25mins at a leisurely pace.

Shelter from the strong wind was found just below the summit and after a chat to Adrian, MM0DHY/M on the local 2m repeater (GB3HI), I worked G4AJA (Swindon) on 40m CW. However, conditions were pretty flat and I had to hunt around for the following QSOs: OE/IK3GHZ/QRP (Villach, Austria) & DF9YK (Mainz) on 20m CW, GB4TCF (Stoneleigh) & G3WCQ (Coventry) on 40m SSB and a chat with M3GXQ (nr Cambridge) on 40m CW to finish.

Used long wire on the walking poles throughout. I can't make up my mind whether I prefer end fed long wire or centre fed multiband dipole. One practical advantage of the dipole is that you are located at the pole making it easy to operate with a pole mounted 2m antenna without having to change operating position.

Creag Ghuanach & Beinn na Lap

6/7 August 2004

A less pressurised trip this one allowing me to relax and enjoy this remote area whilst experimenting and having my first 80m SOTA contacts.

Creag Ghuanach - GM/WS-262 - 618m - 2 points
QSOs: 80m SSB - 3, 20m CW - 1

As I approached the hill from Corrour Station I eyed up a rightward slanting grassy gully on the west face which turns out to be ok if you don't mind shoulder high bracken and a brutally unremitting steep slog to the top. Other aspects of the hill offer more laid back options!

This summit has got to be one of my favourite places. It is complex, rocky, grassy, scenic (with little lochan) and gives spectacular views in all directions. I would highly recommend sojourning here for a while.

So I didn't mind one bit the fact that it took me 2.5hrs to activate this one. 40m didn't budge an inch so 80m came to the rescue with GM0CME (near Fraserburgh) and 2E0TSW (nr Cambridge) both amazed I was only using 2watts into a 1/4 wave slung over my walking poles. Then a bit later GI3KDR gave me a good report into Belfast. All on 3.706MHz SSB. 20m CW yielded a 569 from Mauro, IZ0EUS (south of Rome) giving me my fourth QSO.

The photo is taken on the summit of Creag Ghuanach and shows Sgurr Innse and Cruach Innse which I activated earlier in the year.

Beinn Na Lap - GM/WS-091 - 937m - 6 points
QSOs: 80m CW - 4, 160m CW - 1, 40m CW - 3

My plan for this trip was to enjoy a more laid back schedule so I refused to rush over to Beinn na Lap and posted that I would be late onto the reflector. So at a leisurely pace I eventually reached the summit for about 2130.

Thanks to EI7CC, G4RQJ & GM0AXY who called in on 3.560MHz CW and gave me 559 and better reports meaning I was getting out ok, again using 20m of wire propped up clothesline style with my walking poles and fed against a 20m counterpoise. Then a more marginal QSO was had with SM6PWQ lower in the band. 10 mins of calling on SSB didn't raise anyone though. To finish off I worked OZ/DL6CKN/P on Top Band CW. I did bring some kit for 160m but being late I just tuned the same bit of wire with the ATU and it seemed to work ok giving me a 579 report into Denmark!

So in conclusion both 80m and 160m seem to work well as SOTA operating bands. All with the same bit of wire I've been using all this time as an end-fed 40m dipole!

A clear day dawned and I was very glad to have plenty of time before I needed to be down for the train; lying there in the early morning sun was bliss. DL6XAT, EI7CC, GM0VMV/P (on GM/SS-167) were worked from the sleeping bag on 40m CW at around 0730, the band being in a much better mood than the previous day!

Below is the view down to a very peaceful looking Loch Ossian.

After wandering down the hill and finding a nice sunbathing spot near Corrour Station I was able watch Robin, GM7PKT slogging up the self same hill, mainly identified by the sunlight glinting off the beam attached to his rucsac. I was able to let him know his progress up the hill on 2m FM before working him on the summit and then catching the train home.

The photo below shows the remoteness of Corrour Station, here dwarfed by Leum Ullieum (click on photo for larger version).

Here is the view out across Loch Ossian towards Ben Alder.