30th May 2011 - Summits on the Air - 'SOTA' - on Moelwyn Mawr (GW/NW-016) in North Wales.

Our first transmission as a 'SOTA' station from the top of Moelwyn Mawr in Gwynedd North Wales ! Whilst the rest of the UK was basking in sunshine, we chose one of the coldest places...! After 45 minutes our hands were freezing & the mist was obscuring the view, so we decided to be happy with our 7 contacts & make our way down.

The picture on the right is not completely accurate - the contacts were actually made with me huddled on one side of the triangulation point with a handheld 2 watt TRIO TR-2400 rig & Ann on another side holding the 3 element beam. We didn't have time to set up the camera for a picture at this point, & we didn't even have time to check properly which way our aerial was pointing ! - North-east we think...

If you are unfamiliar with 'SOTA', then this is an award scheme for radio amateurs and shortwave listeners that encourages portable operation in mountainous areas. SOTA has been carefully designed to make participation possible for everyone - this is not just for mountaineers ! There are awards for activators (those who ascend to the summits) and chasers who either operate from home, a local hilltop or are even activators on other summits. Further details are available on their website - the link is at the bottom of this page.