SOTA Activation of Pico Bejenado (EA8/LP-003) 10

10 thoughts on “SOTA Activation of Pico Bejenado (EA8/LP-003)”

1. Reply Phil Catterall G4OBK Jan 27,2015 06:44

   Enjoyed watching the film James and reading the report….you did right to make EB2CZF wait…the QSO from his end was seriously dodgy though, he plainly wasn’t hearing you and your comments were being relayed by someone else. I’m aware of this operator’s “style”, not good – he can make things difficult. A film like this really shows up the poor operating standards exhibited by a few out of the hundreds of very good ones. EB2CZF should watch the film and learn from it!
   73 and TNX
   Phil G4OBK

   • Reply James Stevens Jan 27,2015 15:44

     Hi Phil,

     Thanks for the comments. You’re right about EB2CZF, this wasn’t the only activation where I went back to him & he didn’t respond, I would also conclude (with hindsight) that he could not hear me, hence the incessant calling out of turn. But like you say this was just op out of hundreds of chasers during the activation, that’s not a bad ratio 😉 One OM1 op came close, calling out of turn, but after some stern words he behaved and remained well behaved on my other activations 🙂

     Cheers,
     James M0JCQ

2. Reply Phil Catterall G4OBK Jan 27,2015 17:32

   Hi Janes,

   I know the OM station you mean…as you found in EA8 you get to know the ones who make it hard work for all concerned.. they exist on CW also. I won’t name the OM on your blog as he isn’t as bad as “Echo Bravo Two James Echo Bravo Two Echo Bravo Two….”

   I’m totally against giving partial calls myself. In fact the writer of the logging software I use (Logger 32)is K4CY Bob Furzer. One condition of using the free software Bob provides is that you must not use partial callsigns when calling in pile ups!

   I’ll reply via e-mail about your queries later about the Tracer battery and the favourite five WB round. Busy this week getting ready for our SOTA Coach trip to Scotland next MOnday. Me, G3TQQ and 2E0NON. We’ll be doing HF and 2m FM.

   73 Phil

   • Reply James Stevens Jan 27,2015 18:35

     Hehe – I’m sure you do know the OM as well Phil! Prior to EA8 most of my activations had been on 40 & 60m where all chasers had been civilised & I’d only heard of this behaviour on the reflector.

     I agree on not just giving a partial call, it’s not helpful when others are giving their full call sign. As long as I can work out the other chasers full callsign, I will work these people first 😉

     Best of luck with the SOTA trip to Scotland, look forward to reading about it 🙂 Me & Michael (G0POT) have been using your reports of the favourite five circuit to plan our activation… 5 summits and 25 points is too much to turn down!

3. Reply Brian N2BTD Jan 27,2015 22:24

   Thanks for the new SOTA James. It was great working you from 5 different ones on 10m phone during your vacation in the Canary Islands. Love your blog & write up of the different activations. Your doing an incredible job. Keep up the great work !

   • Reply James Stevens Jan 28,2015 12:39

     Thanks Brian, we did manage a few QSO’s didn’t we 😉 Always nice to work some stateside stations and 10m is pretty good for that right now. I’ll send you over a QSL card once I’ve designed one!

     Cheers, James M0JCQ

4. Reply Dave Starkie G4AKC/EA8/P Feb 2,2015 20:29

   Hello James,

   Looks like you has a great time with the SOTA activations!

   We are now back in the UK after making a couple of hundred QRP QSO’s during our months stay in Los Gigantes the contacts were mainly into south and central America, it was unfortunate that I was on the side of a mountain that faced west and so made no EU contacts at all.

   It was good to have met you on 15m and look forward to speaking again very soon.

   73’s …

   Dave G4AKC

   • Reply James Stevens Feb 5,2015 15:48

     Hello Dave,

     Thanks for your comment and for our QSO, I did indeed have a great time in EA8 completing 13 activations in total. Sounds like you had a blast as well Dave, the mountain may have been a blessing in disguise, without EU QRM you could probably hear a lot more South/Central American stations 😉

     Hopefully the pictures here give you a taste of La Palma, I highly recommend you go, it’s totally different to the other islands in the chain 😉

     Cheers,
     James M0JCQ

5. Reply Garry Apr 19,2015 03:32

   Great SOTA activity! Enjoyed the write up. I work portable from the beach at times myself. nothing like being out in nature playing radio. 73 from south Texas USA and hope to work you later from one of my beach days. Garry KF5VDX

   • Reply James Stevens Apr 19,2015 20:33

     Thanks Gary, glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Totally agree with you, nature and radio is a great combination! 73 James M0JCQ