5th December 2005
GM/CS-104 - Beinn a'Bhacaidh - 555m - NH 431119 - 2 points
7 QSOs: 80m CW - 1, 40m CW - 6
There are several things I will do differently the next time I activate this fine hill:
1) I'll probably try and walk in from the north rather than from Loch Tarff avoiding much bog and deep heather
2) I'll choose a clear day rather than clag so to get nice views of Loch Ness
3) I'll take a 1:25,000 map not a 1:50,000 which in the clag proved useless on this complex multi-knolled summit.
4) I'll try and take my gloves rather than my wife's and hopefully send half decent CW as a result.
After doing away with several impostors I eventually ended up on the true summit in thick clag at about 1500. This summit is perfect for a long wire antenna and I had only just got one set up between the summit and a nearby knoll when I heard G3CWI calling me on 80m. I immediately started to reply and then realised you need to tune the ATU with a long wire! So after working Richard and then tuning up properly on 40m the following stations were worked amid heavy QRM and with very squashed fingers: HB9AFI, G3VQO, EI7CC, DL1AUU, DL4FDM & MW0IDX.
After picking the wrong way off the summit I stumbled back to the car in the dark, in much bog and in next to no visibility contemplating my seeming lack of hillcraft and eventually blamed a heavy week in London, a long drive home and general lack of sleep, rest and time off! Made a commitment to escape to the hills a little more often this month and chase down G3CWI's CW score!
Hi, Jon, Thanks for your descriptions. Wonderful! I am no keen SOTA op but had up to The Ben and worked from the lift station on 2m, was on Snowdon and Kinder Scout this year. Being up to those peaks one should never underestimate clouds, temps and strong winds - always have some pair of gloves with you. Though all visits were in summer I wished I had some polar dogs and a fur cup with me. Good luck! 72! DL2BQD
Posted by: Dieter DL2BQD | Thursday, December 15, 2005 at 01:28 PM