After being an Amateur since May 1991 I finally had my 1st SOTA Activation. With the assistance of Martin VA3SIE I was able to attempt and complete the activation of SOTA Summit VE2/OU/14 which is Mount Morissette QC.
The above is a cut and paste from the APRS.fi website
Martin picked me up in Ottawa just after 10am EDST and we headed north out of Ottawa en route to our destination…
The drive took us about 2 hours…
We arrived at the summit and we then proceeded to install both stations. I was using my Yaesu FT817 along with my Par end fed QRP Multi ban der (covers 10 to 40m) and I also put up my homebrewed 6m dipole just in case… I was glad I did as I made one 6m ssb contacts but more on that later. Martin was using his new KX3 (thats 2 of them I have seen in the last couple of days and I am still impressed with them…) along with an 88 foot doublet…
After installing both stations we got on the air at 1700 UTC and the fun started…. My contacts for the day were…
14.342.5 usb—– KB1RJC—Herman in ???
14.342.5 usb—– KB1RJD—Merle in ???
^^^Husband and wife team travelling together^^^
14.342.5—–N4EX—Rich in North Carolina
14.342.5 usb—–WA2USA— Dennis in Indiana
14.342.5 usb—–NS7P—Phil in Oregon
14.342.5usb—–W7CNL—Jack in Idaho
14.342.5usb—–AJ5C— Bob in Arkansas
14.342.5usb—–WI2W—Steve in New Jersey
50.128usb—–W4IMD—Peter in Georgia (EM84)
The weather person had threatened us with some “Sound and Light” and although we did see a little of it we managed to get about 2 hours of operating in before being chased off the mountain. I made 9 contacts and I’m not sure how many Martin made but I know the KX3 made some SSB and CW contacts but outside of my one contact on 6m it seems that 20m was the band of the day. I had listened on 40m, 17m and 15m and heard a few stations but no one answered my CQs there. Today it seems 20m was the moneymaker for sure…
We drove back to Ottawa in a couple of pretty fierce downpours but the rain stopped before we arrived back at my home QTH. Just after I got in the front door it started up again so I was lucky at home as well as at the summit…
A big thanks to Martin for taking me up there (and bringing me back) and a very special thanks to the 9 amateurs listed above who helped me have a successful SOTA activation on my first try…
73bob
Tags: amateur radio, Blue Sea Lake, Elecraft KX3, FT817, Mount Morisette QC, SOTA, Summits on the Air, VE2SOTA
June 9, 2012 at 6:44 pm |
Don’t forget to submit your log, Bob.
June 10, 2012 at 6:35 pm |
Hi Bob,
Nice video, kudos Martin.
It looks like you where in the groove making SOTA contacts and generally having a grand old time out of doors up on the hill.
Good show!
cheers, Graham ve3gtc
June 11, 2012 at 11:48 am |
Hi Graham…. It was a great time… A great operating location and the bands were cooperating… Next time the WX might come on board as well…
73bob
October 10, 2012 at 12:21 pm |
[...] CISA DXPeditions as well as on several FYBO (Freeze your B***s off) and Winter Field Day events. Recently we activated Mt Morrisette in a SOTA Activation in mid June this year and we also were up on Mt Ste Marie in early [...]