Taking a rig and lifepo4 battery through airport security

Monday 2nd February 2015, and it was an early start, having booked a last minute (Like the previous Friday!) week away in Madeira, and the possibility of at least a couple of Sota Summits, having failed miserably 2 years since when, apparently, the baggage handlers decided to lay waste to my MFJ 971 travel tuner en route.. but never mind, new year, new opportunity!
Just in case, I decided to take my MXP-817 Amp as well as the 817nd, Tracer 8Ah Battery, no tuner this time, but my old linked dipole (10-12-15-17-20-40-60m), 4m pole from sotabeams, and with a couple of bungees, and a hastily cobbled together guying kit (just in case).
Backup ‘plan’, in case the Tracer battery didn’t make it past ‘security’…. Umm, AA Batteries in the 817nd..
Boots, socks, a floppy hat (not a SOTA one) and a couple of ‘seaflo’ lightweight collapsible hiking poles completed the ‘other stuff’ in the lightweight case.
In order to get through BHX ‘screening’ the Radio and Battery went in the hand luggage along with the ‘real’ camera, and tablet, loaded with a couple of DVDs worth of ‘Flight of the Conchords’ for in flight entertainment.
The queue(s) for the ‘scanners’ were already backed up to the main door, and about a 20 minute wait ensued. Once to the front, all my ‘junk’ took up 2 trays as I was upfront about what was in the bag, and they made me unpack it all… For once, I didn’t manage to set the alarm off walking through the gate, but my trays appeared to be causing quite a bit of consternation, staff were pointing at the screen, people behind, in the queue were ‘tutting’… Other more important staff were called across and stood pointing at the screen for about 3 minutes… the queue of passengers waiting to come though continually growing….
The first tray was pulled though and I was invited to explain what was in it.. Well, a battery, since that seemed to be the thing they were pointing at, mostly… Asked what it was for, i pointed to the radio “that radio”… He took the battery to one side, swabbed it, put the swab in his ‘testing equipment’ and scanned it once again, whilst staff stood and pointed at the image on screen…
That appeared to be OK – yay! So I could put it in my bag.
“What’s this then?” said the man inquistively pointing at the radio.. “That’s a Radio! That the battery will be used to power”
I was invited to take it out of it’s leather case, to be swabbed, and sent through the scanner again… (Still the queue of relatively unhappy passengers grew….)
Staff pointed at the image as it went through the scanner again.
“Is it a ‘Ham Radio’?” I was asked, by the guy who appeared to be rolling his eyes somewhat..
I explained that it was, I got asked where I was going, and on what flight, and they handed the radio to me.
“Do you have a camera as well?” He asked
“yes”
“Oh that’s fine, have a good trip!”
I thanked him politely for his attention to detail smile and hurried away from all of the held up passengers!.

It’s always wise to be aware of the latest regulations!

http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dgr/Documents/LithiumBattery_PassengerFlyer.jpg

Since my Tracer LifePO4 battery is labeled as 96WH (It’s an 8AH one) it is within the 100WH that is allowed in hand luggage.

 

SSTV from the International Space Station 19th July 2015

I noticed in the days before the weekend of the 18th/19th July that SSTV (Slow Scan TeleVision) images were to be transmitted from the amateur radio station in the ISS Russian Service Module to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Mission.
Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed to find that the majority of the ISS passes were due to be in the very early morning of the 19th. Far too early for me to be awake 😉

I thought I’d leave the FT897 on overnight, fed from the ‘white stick’ antenna on the eaves of the house, via a Signalink USB interface, with MMSSTV running on the laptop in the hope of capturing anything.

Overnight from Friday to Saturday, tuned to 145.800Mhz FM, didn’t appear to capture anything from any ISS pass, which was rather disappointing, but it may have been that the SSTV images weren’t being transmitted. I had a play about on 20M on Saturday to ensure that HF SSTV images could actually be decoded, and I managed to capture quite a few, mainly from Europe, one or two from the other side of the Atlantic as well.

Hopefully, I left it all running again over Saturday night / Sunday Morning, hoping to catch at least one of the passes and hopefully some images.

Success! here are the images captured, direct from the ISS to planet Earth 😉

Image from the ISS 3am BST 19th July 2015

Image from the ISS 3am BST 19th July 2015

Image from the ISS 04:39 BST 19th July 2015

Image from the ISS 04:39 BST 19th July 2015

Image from the ISS 06:12 BST July 19th 2015

Image from the ISS 06:12 BST July 19th 2015

Image from the ISS 07:52 BST 19th July 2015

Image from the ISS 07:52 BST 19th July 2015

And, finally, the only one I actually saw decoded live…  (this was a low pass, something like 16 degrees, so I was rather surprised to receive anything at all!)

Image from the ISS 09:25 BST 19th July 2015

Image from the ISS 09:25 BST 19th July 2015

It should be possible, of course, to decode such images by using a ‘cheap’ RTL based SDR, the signal strength noted during the final pass was equivalent to someone less than 10 miles away using a 2M handheld.

SOTA Wapley Hill (G/WB-016) 6th July 2013

Seeing how the day was nice and sunny, I decided to get out and do a SOTA activation. Looking at the summits page on sotawatch, I decided on Wapley Hill, G/WB-016, in Herefordshire, which looked rather interesting, being the site of an iron Age Hill Fort.

Journey time from home was around an hour, even though I missed the turning off the B4362, and ended up having to turn back, courtesy of a roundabout on the outskirts of Presteigne! Being careful not to miss the turning again, I was soon in the car park, ready to go.

A fairly simple path using forest tracks soon had me close to the fort itself. A permissive path next to a rustic seat gave a nice short cut to the entrance.

Route up Wapley Hill

Route up Wapley Hill

Rustic seat with permissive path to the right

Rustic seat with permissive path to the right

End of the permissive path, the entrance

End of the permissive path, the entrance

I stopped for a few moments to read the informative sign! (Click to read it!)

The informative board at the entrance

The informative board at the entrance

Looking around, once inside, I decided to set up on one of the mounds. In hindsight, which is a marvellous thing! this probably wasn’t a good move, as it appears that everyone (and his dog.. literally!) is intent on walking around on top of the mounds!  Still, I hope I didn’t cause too much trouble 🙂

Operating position, possibly not a good one!

Operating position, possibly not a good one!

Centre of the hill fort, probably better for HF

Centre of the hill fort, probably better for HF

I primarily worked on 2M FM, although dropped down to 40M to gain a S2S near the end of the activation.. Perhaps the operating position wasn’t ideal, but the middle of the hill fort would have shielded 2M signals a little, maybe next time I’ll use the middle of the fort which has room for quite large HF antennas!

The following were all logged in a fairly laid back hour and a half:

Time Call Band Mode Notes
12:59z MW0IML/P 144MHz FM Barry on GW/NW-011 59+
13:00z MW6GWR/P 144MHz FM Ricky on GW/NW-011 59
13:13z G4ERP 144MHz FM Richard in Cheltenham
13:15z 2V0MDJ 144MHz FM Matt in Cheltenham
13:18z G0LGS/P 144MHz FM Stewart in Birdlip
13:26z 2E0UPA 144MHz FM Jan on SULA lightship, Gloucester
13:31z M0JLA 144MHz FM Rod in Hereford
13:36z G8CMU 144MHz FM Mike in Ross on Wye
13:38z G4WTF 144MHz FM Ian in Hereford
13:43z 2E0TLG 144MHz FM Duncan
14:15z MM0YCJ/P 7MHz SSB Colwyn on GM/CS-088
14:25z M0TYM/P 144MHz FM Alistair on G/WB-023

All in all a very pleasant afternoon in the sun, even if one walker did think I was calling in air strikes from nearby Shobdon Airfield!

 

 

SOTA View Edge (G/WB-018) 25th June 2013

I had attempted to activate View Edge, G/WB-018, the week before, from the edge of the old quarry, on 2M only,and failed miserably to gain even a single contact!

This time, I packed my new Sainsonic MP-817 HF Amplifier as well, just in case I had similar problems..

View Edge is essentially a ‘drive on’ summit, so to comply with SOTA rules, it’s really necessary to operate from somewhere away from the car. After parking at the side of the road at the entrance to the old quarry, next to a gate which looked as if it hadn’t been opened in quite some time (I did try to leave enough room, just in case someone needed to open the gate of course!) I walked up the road towards the house on the right hand side, crossed the road and climbed over the stile.

Simple 'route' to my activation point

Simple ‘route’ to my activation point

I then followed the route of the footpath along the side of a field to the next stile where I bungied the fishing pole to a fence post, and attached the Norcal Doublet and the coaxial colinear.

View Edge activation

View Edge activation

View Edge Activation

View Edge Activation

With the ft817nd, HF Amplifier, and travel tuner balanced precariously on top of a fence post, the following contacts were made in just over an hour:

Time Call Band Mode Notes
13:30z G7JMZ/M 144MHz FM John in Halseowen
13:40z MW6BWA/P 144MHz FM Viki on GW/SW-004
13:44z MW0JLA/P 144MHz FM Rod on GW/SW-004
13:45z G8CMU 144MHz FM Mike in Ross on Wye
13:50z M3SLQ 144MHz FM Mick in Cannock
14:28z CT1BQH 14MHz SSB Carlos in Portugal
14:30z DL1DVE 14MHz SSB Thomas in Germany
14:32z DF5WA 14MHz SSB Berthold in Germany
14:34z HB9BYZ 14MHz SSB Peter in Switzerland
14:37z DL8DXL 14MHz SSB Fred in Germany

It seems to be quite a popular walk, as 2 groups passed through during this time, maybe next time I’ll not bungy the pole to the side of the stile……

Once packed up, it was a short walk back along the path, retracing the route back to the car,

SOTA Long Mynd Pole Bank (G/WB-005) 21st June 2013

Summer solstice 2013, and there was an unofficial SOTA Summer Solstice event, hopefully to grab a load of summit to summits!

I made my way up to Long Mynd Pole Bank, G/WB-005, not really fancying a long walk 🙂 I parked up at the small car park at Pole Cottage, and took the short walk along the road, bearing left along the Shropshire Way to the trig point.

Short walk to the trig point

Short walk to the trig point

Despite being ‘Mid Summers day’, it was rather chilly to say the least, my hands had turned blue by the end of the fairly short activation!

Only 2M was used, 5W from the ft817nd into my home brew coaxial colinear, the bottom metre or so lying on the ground as the fishing pole bent so much in the wind!

Long Mynd 'shack'

Long Mynd ‘shack’ in the gloom

Long Mynd 'shack'

Long Mynd ‘shack’ in the gloom

All contacts on 2M FM using 5W:

Time Call Band Mode Notes
20:10z G0IBE/P 144MHz FM s59+ r59 Richard on G/CE-001
20:12z 2E0XYL 144MHz FM Karen s55 r53
20:15z 2W0TDX/P 144MHz FM s59+ r 59 Neil on GW/SW-010
20:20z G6LUZ 144MHz FM s59+ r53 Steve in Crewe
20:20z M0NTC 144MHz FM s59+ r59+ Gez in Dudley
20:22z 2W0WDS/P 144MHz FM s41 r59 Wayne on GW/NW-075
20:23z G6ODU 144MHz FM s41 r51 Bob in Ormskirk
20:25z G8IYE 144MHz FM s59+ r59+ Jess, Clee Hill
20:26z G1ZAR/P 144MHz FM s59+ r59+ Stuart on G/CE-004
20:26z M0JLA 144MHz FM s59+ r55 Rod in Hereford
20:28z G7SET 144MHz FM s59+ r55 Andy in Redditch
20:38z G0FBO 144MHz FM s56 r58 Clive in Brownhills
20:41z M1EYP/P 144MHz FM Tom on G/SP-015
20:42z G8XYJ 144MHz FM s59+ r59 Matt in Ludlow

By now it was getting very cold and gloomy, I packed up, removing several small caterpillars from the equipment! and made my way back the short way to the car.

Oh, and 2 points!  Marvellous!

SOTA – The Wrekin (G/WB-010) 7th May 2013

Despite living less than 10 miles away from the Wrekin, G/WB-010, on the outskirts of Telford, for nearly 20 years, I’d never even been up it… not even without a backpack full of electronic junk radio equipment…

7th May 2013 put paid to that.

Taking the opportunity to park at the quite large car park at the intersection of Ercall Lane and Wellington Road, I checked I had all the equipment needed, put on the boots and made my way across the road to the bottom of the path.

It doesn’t look far, looking from the M54 as you drive past, but being rather unfit, it was quite a long way, zig zagging up to the ‘Halfway House’ cafe… ‘Halfway’? If only!

Route up the Wrekin

Route up the Wrekin

Once past it, its a little further until the path turns South West towards the summit.. Fantastic!

However, the top of the hill you can see from there is actually ‘Hell Gate’.. Once past there, you can see what looks like the summit… only, it’s not, it’s ‘Heavens Gate’

Once past there, you can actually see the summit.. yay! It was at this point I was nearly run over by a 4×4 carrying a paraglider up to the summit… Oh, for a lift!

Eventually, I made it to the top! and wandered across to the trig. However, being rather busy this day, I decided to set up the stuff just to the North of it, slightly off the top, still within the activation zone.

iew of the transmitter masts on the WrekinV

View from the ‘shack’

Looking down on a police helicopter

Looking down on a police helicopter!

 

Not a huge amount of calls with the 5W from the 817nd, dipole for 2M and the norcal doublet via a portable tuner for HF, but the following made it into the log:

Time Call Band Mode Notes
11:20z G7RHF/M 144MHz FM Al in much Wenlock
11:25z M0IBC 144MHz FM Dave in Rowley Regis
11:26z G6LUZ 144MHz FM Steve in Audlem
11:34z G6ODU 144MHz FM Bob in Ormskirk
11:36z M6RGF 144MHz FM Russ in Cheshire
11:36z G0ALC 144MHz FM Joe in Walsall Wood
11:39z G3NPJ 144MHz FM Alan on the Wirral
11:41z M6IPD 144MHz FM Paul in Stourbrige
12:10z M1NTO 144MHz FM Hugh in TYLDESLEY
12:39z EA2CKX 14MHz SSB Pedro in Spain
12:41z SM6DER 14MHz SSB Sten in Gothenberg Sweden
12:44z OK1DVM 14MHz SSB MIROSLAV in Prague
12:47z EA3HP 14MHz SSB Daniel in Catalunya
12:50z OE5HDN 14MHz SSB Henry in Linz Austria
12:52z OE1KLA 14MHz SSB Karl in Vienna
13:12z G6TUH 14MHz SSB Mike SE England
13:14z GI4ONL 14MHz SSB Victor N. Ireland

There was a couple of people on 60m, but I wasn’t able to tune the 44′ doublet to get a reasonable SWR.

Once the calls had dried up, I packed it all up and made my way back down to the car, considerably easier than coming up!  Quite a way for a single point! None the less, an enjoyable time.

SOTA- Brown Clee Hill (G/WB-002) 15th February 2013

Encouraged by the Trans Atlantic QSOs the previous day on Callow Hill, I set out to activate Brown Clee Hill again, one of the 2 SOTA Summits I can see from my house 🙂

After parking next to the phone box / library as normal, I kitted up and walked up the bridleway, being somewhat surprised to find 2-3 foot snowdrifts at the top!

Successfully circumventing these, and finding the bog at the top pleasantly frozen over 🙂 I eventually made it to the top.

view from the activation point

View from the activation point towards Titterstone Clee Hill

I quickly setup the 44′ Norcal Doublet on the fishing pole and plugged it into the 817ND. Then…   I couldn’t find the cable to connect the rig to the 7AH SLAB.. Quickly remembering it was still lying on the hall floor back at home 🙁  GAH!!

It seemed that the internal batteries were fully charged in the rig, so I thought I’d give it a go, at 2.5W SSB, HF only, not wishing to take it all apart again, go home, return, and repeat the procedure!

I struggled to add a spot to sotawatch, adding ‘quick activation only 2.5W’ to it!

The rig managed to last an hour and a quarter (probably longer, but 2.5W wasn’t getting heard to most places) and 21 QSOs, including 2 Trans Atlantic ones again 🙂  One of whom called later, wanting to confirm that I was, in fact, running 2.5W!

Many thanks to all the chasers:

12:39z EA1LQ 14MHz SSB Ernesto Spain
12:39z N4EX 14MHz SSB Richard NC USA
12:40z OK2BUT 14MHz SSB Jan Czech Republic
12:41z OM1AX 14MHz SSB Vlado Bratislava
12:42z G6WRW 14MHz SSB Carolyn Kidderminster
12:43z OE7PHI 14MHz SSB Holger Austria
12:44z W4ZV 14MHz SSB Bill NC USA
12:59z G6WRW 7MHz SSB Carolyn Kidderminster
13:00z G4AFI 7MHz SSB Andrew Hants
13:00z G4ZRP 7MHz SSB Brian NW England
13:01z G4WSB 7MHz SSB Bill Swindon
13:01z G4UXH 7MHz SSB Colin Cumbria
13:03z M0MDA 7MHz SSB Mick Leeds
13:04z F5UBH 7MHz SSB Christophe France
13:05z PA0B 7MHz SSB Rob Netherlands
13:07z MW0IML 7MHz SSB Barry Wales
13:08z G0RQL 7MHz SSB Don Devon
13:11z ON4KCY 7MHz SSB Yves belgium
13:22z G1PIE 7MHz SSB Mark Preston
13:50z G0TRB 7MHz SSB Roger Staffordshire
13:55z MM0GPL 7MHz SSB Chris Scotland

Struggling to get any more contacts, it was time to pack it all away, and negotiate the snow drifts back down to the comfort of the car!

Masts on Brown Clee

Masts and the toposcope on Brown Clee Hill

SOTA – Callow Hill (G/WB-015) 14th February 2013

Callow Hill was the first SOTA Summit I activated in 2012, being VHF only with a handie, it was time to revisit the hill, with my FT817ND, coaxial colinear for 2M and a 44′ Norcal Doublet for HF.

Parking in the normal parking spot, it took a short while to stagger up the hill, eventually doubling back towards the tower on the peak

Flounders Folly

Flounders Folly on top of Callow Hill

In just over an hour, 31 QSOs were in the log using the 817ND and 5W, the majority on HF, including my first 2 QSOs into the USA from a SOTA summit.

14:30z HA5LV 14MHz SSB Viktor Budapest
14:32z N4EX 14MHz SSB Richard NC USA
14:33z M0IBC 14MHz SSB David Rowley Regis
14:34z OE7HPI 14MHz SSB Holger Austria
14:34z GW4VPX 7MHz SSB Alan W Wales
14:35z W4ZV 14MHz SSB William NC USA
14:36z OM1AX 14MHz SSB Vlado Bratislava
14:37z OM5DP 14MHz SSB Martin Slovakia
14:37z OK1SDE 14MHz SSB Borek Czech Republic
14:40z OK2BUT 14MHz SSB Jan Czech republic
14:41z DL1DVE 14MHz SSB Thomas Grossroehrsdorf Germany
14:43z OE7WGT 14MHz SSB Karl Austria
14:49z EA2CKX 14MHz SSB Pedro Spain
14:59z G7RHF 144MHz FM Al Clee Hill
15:13z M0MDA 7MHz SSB Mick Leeds
15:15z G6TUH 7MHz SSB Mike East Sussex
15:16z M3XIE 7MHz SSB David Staffordshire
15:17z ON4KCY 7MHz SSB Yves Belgium
15:18z PA2NJC 7MHz SSB Nick Netherlands
15:18z GI4ONL 7MHz SSB Victor Bushmills NI
15:19z G4ZRP 7MHz SSB Brian
15:20z G8ADD 7MHz SSB Brian Birmingham
15:21z G4WSB 7MHz SSB Bill Swindon
15:22z G4AFI 7MHz SSB Andrew Hants
15:23z G4UXH 7MHz SSB Colin Cumbria
15:26z G0BFJ 7MHz SSB Brian Huddersfield
15:27z EA1DFP 7MHz SSB Quique Spain
15:28z G6ODU 7MHz SSB Robert Ormskirk
15:30z G0RQL 7MHz SSB Don Devon
15:32z DL2KAS 7MHz SSB Hans Germany
15:34z GW4VPX 7MHz SSB Allan wales

Then it was time to pack up, and descend back to the car.. A process hindered somewhat by managing to tangle the wires of the doublet in some hawthorn bushes 🙁

SOTA – Titterstone Clee Hill (G/WB-004) 11th January 2013

11th January 2013 and it was time for a rather chilly activation on Titterstone Clee Hill. So with the 817ND, homebrew coaxial colinear and rather heavy 7Ah SLAB it was the short, if somewhat strenuous (well, for me, anyway!)  stumble up from the car park to the top of the hill.
Finding a rather convenient post midway between the trig point and the ATC buildings, still within the activation zone, to bungee the fishing pole to.. I was quickly set up, ready to go.

Titterstone Clee Trig Point

Titterstone Clee Trig Point

Activated between the Trig point and the ATC buildings

ATC Buildings

ATC Buildings

A purely VHF activation, saw the following in the log book:

13:35z G4SXH/P 144MHz FM Laurence in Wiltshire
13:45z G4JQX/M 144MHz FM Charlie, mobile Stoke Hill, Salisbury Plain
13:55z 2E0XYL 144MHz FM Karen on the Wirral
13:56z G6ODU 144MHz FM Bob in Ormskirk (?)
14:00z G0IBE 144MHz FM Richard on Worcestershire Beacon (G-WB/009)
14:10z M0JZH/M 144MHz FM John on the A442 in telford
14:15z G7RHF/M 144MHz FM Al in Corvedale
14:15z M0WYB 144MHz FM Russ near Bath
14:17z G0PPM/M 144MHz FM Ken, mobile near Banbury
14:20z G4ISJ 144MHz FM Peter in Cheltenham
14:25z G3SMT 144MHz FM Peter in Oswestry
14:30z M1BKL 144MHz FM Paul in Whitchurch (Shrops)
14:35z M0TVU 144MHz FM Paul in N. Birmingham
14:40z M0KZB 144MHz FM Eric in Shrewsbury
14:45z 2E0ZVR 144MHz FM Barry near Pershore
14:47z G4VSJ 144MHz FM Ken in Lutterworth
14:50z G0NAJ 144MHz FM John in Dukinfield
14:50z M1MST 144MHz FM Clive in Ludlow
14:55z M0JLA 144MHz FM Rod in Hereford
15:00z G7HVF/M 144MHz FM Stuart mobile around Gornal Wood
15:05z G3RMD/M 144MHz FM Frank in Cheltenham
15:06z M3XIE 144MHz FM David in Soke-on-Trent
15:10z M6CNG 144MHz FM Gaz in Daventry

Being rather cold by now, and the contacts having dried up, I packed up and staggered back down to the car.. Only about 15-20 minutes, thankfully 🙂

View towards Brown Clee Hill

View towards Brown Clee Hill – Sheep running away!

 

SOTA High Vinnalls (G/WB-012) October 7th 2012

 

I had wanted to get out and play radio earlier this sunny Sunday, but as usual, other stuff got in the way 🙁

So it wasn’t until after lunchtime (Not that I’d had any food!) I had the opportunity to do the short drive to High Vinnalls, just outside of Ludlow.

Following others’ hints, I parked at SO47431 which as others have pointed out, does have a 2.1M height restriction, but being in my car, that didn’t bother me!

The car park was quite busy, since it was a nice afternoon. I packed my stuff and started along the path out of the top of the car park and along the slowly rising unmetalled road.

About 3-400 yards along, the road splits into two

Just before the road splits in two.

If I had realised it at the time, there is a small short cut which veers off to the left.. I could have saved about a minute, and 50 yards of walking!

It can be seen directly ahead in this photo

What the heck, it was a nice day!

Just after you bear left at the junction, there is a path, to the right, that leads up the side of the hill. This is the way I went.

The path up the side of the hill

Now.. I realised it had been raining earlier in the week, but didn’t realise just how much!
There was a deep gully running down one side of the path, obviously from all the rain that had traveled down that way, and on the more level parts, it was incredibly muddy!

 

 

After about 500m slipping and sliding up the side of the hill, you manage to climb from around 270M ASL to 340M ASL and you end up at a junction with a wider track.

You double back on yourself at the top of the climb

 

You emerge from the trees at the top of the path on the right in this picture, and just about double back on yourself up the wider track, which leads up to the summit which is about another 250 yards ahead.

 

 

 

 

Wooden structure on top of the hill

 

Right on top of the hill there’s this wooden structure which resembles something out of an America forest fire disaster movie from the 1950s 😉

(I really should get out more!)

Nice part is there are numerous wooden fence posts to tie poles too, and a nice seat with a view westwards. This is where I played radio.

 

Quite an enjoyable time, with a fair number of curious onlookers to keep amused!

Many thanks to the following for the contacts:

 

12:40z M0TYM 144MHz FM Alistair in Penn
12:45z M6HMA 144MHz FM in Penn
12:50z M0MTJ/M 144MHz FM Mike in Perton
13:14z G4WUH/M 144MHz FM Ian in Newent
13:15z G4TXF 144MHz FM Colin in Pershore
13:40z M0JZH/P 144MHz FM John on GW/NW-012
13:44z G8XYJ 144MHz FM Matt in Ludlow
13:45z M6WMP/M 144MHz FM Mick on Clee Hill
13:55z M6FOA 144MHz FM Mick in Warwickshire

I was going to do a little HF, but having missed lunch I was getting hungry!

All in all, a very enjoyable walk, if a little muddy on the way up!

Apologies about the rubbish pics… I left the real camera in the car – Doh!