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 🙁