CQ de G4ISJ: SOTA - Divis

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

SOTA - Divis - GI/AH-004

Divis - 478m, 2 points

Association: Northern Ireland Region: Antrim Hills
Latitude: 54 36 38 N, Longitude: 6 1 10 W
Grid Reference: J 280754, QTH Locator: IO64XO

After a few days of very strong winds, rain and snow, finally the forecast was for a bright day with winds abating during the morning.
With only limited time available, I set off for nearby Divis.

Arriving at the NT carpark the car was rocked and buffeted by the strong wind and the summit was enshrouded in cloud. Barely visible were the bottom of the Black Mountain, BBC masts.

Summit somewhere in the clouds.

Undeterred, I booted up and started my way towards the summit trail. I wasn't long before I was in amongst the clouds and being almost blown off my feet by the gale force winds.

Trig point at summit.

At the summit I opted to set up on the eastern side of the radio station in order to get some shelter from the wind. The noise of the wind whistling in the mast and fence made it difficult to hear!

QRV

Temperature rising!

A short battle with the pole in the wind soon had me QRV on 40 metres.

The pack must have been waiting in the wings, because one CQ had a wall of stations immediately pouncing.

A nice run on 40m pulled in many of the usual suspects together with a S2S in the bag with Heinz, HB9BCB/p, on HB/BE-157.

QSYing to 20 metres coincided with the lifting of the cloud, and the revelation of beautiful blue skies! The wind still howled.

First contact on 20m was with regular activator Roger, F5LKW/p for a S2S on F/AM-662.

As usual he had the video running and provided a few seconds of my QSO from his end.

Jan, OK2PDT/p, on OK/VY-031 also called in for a final S2S, and I wound up proceedings with hopping across the pond to net Robert AC1Z in New Hampshire.

A gust of wind detached the antenna, and obviously signalled that time was getting on and I needed to depart.