Tuesday 29 September 2009

LA/TM-042 Lovisenbergkollen

Today it was time to activate Lovisenbergkollen near Kragerø. I parked my car at the camping and walked to the summit. I had forgot my logbook back home so I took a sheet of paper from the visitors book at the summit.

I worked Kjell LA1KHA/P on Holtankollen LA/TM049 summit to summit.



14MHz: 4 QSOs
7MHz: 7 QSOs
3.5MHz: 1 QSO
144MHz: 1 QSO
DXCCs: HA, S5, DL, G, ON, GW, LA

Thursday 24 September 2009

LA/TM-039 Slettefjell

Last night when I planned todays trip to Slettefjell I decided to try the road to Gavlsjå through Årmotdalen (Årmot valley). When I was looking at the map I noticed the Pay and Display gate but didn't notice the closed gate further up the road. That made the walking distance about 2km longer each way.

The wx was nice and sunny but it was very windy at the summit. I erected the 88 feet doublet and worked 16 stations on 20m, 40m, 80m and 2m before heading back home.

On my way down I also worked LA7VH over the Lifjell 70cm repeater. According to the GPS track the distance covered was about 14km.

14MHz: 5 QSOs
7MHz: 9 QSOs
3.5MHz: 1 QSO
144MHz: 1 QSO
DXCCs: HB, DL, HA, G, OE, F, LA

Roadfee: 30 nok


Photo: A beaver had decided to make things a bit difficult for me...

Tuesday 22 September 2009

LA/TM-049 Holtankollen

Tonight XYL and I needed some fresh air and a short walk and decided to activate Holtankollen. I worked five local stations on 145.550MHz before heading back home.

144MHz: 5 QSOs
DXCCs: LA

Monday 21 September 2009

LA/VF-006 Grasåsen

Aage LA1ENA discovered what looked like an easier path to Grasåsen yesterday and I decided to try this today. I parked my car by the gate at N59° 17.934' E009° 50.356' and went on by bike cycle. At N59° 16.940' E009° 50.501' I turned left and rode to the end of the road. From there I walked the tractor track to the right 50m after the hunting tower. I followed this track until I was only 70m from the trig point.

On my way back home I worked LA1KHA on LA/TM-049 from the car.

Highlight of the day was all the Norwegian chasers!

Thanks to ON3WAB and LA1ENA for the spots on sotawatch.

Warning:
I would not visit this summit when it's big game hunting season. I passed 3 hunting towers and scared at least on moose near the trig point. Hunting season in Vestfold is from October 5th until October 31th.

14MHz: 7 QSOs
7MHz: 6 QSOs
3.5MHz: 3 QSOs
DXCCs: LA, DL, HA, S5, HB, ON, G, OE

Saturday 19 September 2009

LA/TM-063 Heiebok

The wx was very nice when XYL and I started the climb to Heiebok. At the summit I erected the 88 feet doublet antenna while XYL was picking cranberries. I knew Halvard LA1DNA was on his way to LA/TM-006 so I decided to try some calls on 3.660MHz. I worked LA1ENA and LA2CP before QSYing to 7MHz where I worked 7 stations only interrupted by a call on 2m from Halvard LA1DNA to let me know he was still 500 meters of elevation bellow the summit.

I unpacked my Optimus TERRA WEEKEND Cookset and cooked us a hot cup of pea soup.

After the lunch I QSYed back to 3.660MHz and worked LA1ENA (again..), LA8BCA, LA5BI and LA1DNA/P summit to summit at LA/TM-006.

Highlights of the day were both the s2s qso with Halvard and all the QSOs with Norwegian stations on 80m.

Thanks to LA1ENA and G4OBK for the spots on sotawatch

3.5MHz: 6 QSOs
7MHz: 7 QSOs
144MHz: 1 QSO
DXCCs: LA, DL, G, F, PA

Road fee: The sign was not readable but we paid 20 nok after talking to a guy living next to the gate. I'm not sure this was the correct amount.

Blogentry is backdated

Friday 18 September 2009

LA/TM-049 Holtankollen

Aage LA1ENA, Halvard LA1DNA, Kjell LA1KHA and I LA1TPA did a joint activation to test our gear before going to UK next month and to check whether it is possible to activate 4 stations at once on the summit.



Everyone picked their favourite band:

LA1DNA 80m ssb
LA1ENA 40m cw
LA1KHA 30m cw
LA1TPA 20m ssb

I couldn't manage to get any contacts on 20m, even with a spot on sotawatch, so I worked some stations on 40m ssb while Aage struggled to erect his antenna. Halvard did not have any luck with his 80m dipole as the swr was very high. We concluded that the problem was due to a faulty solder joint on the braid of his coax feeder.

Photo:
From left to right: Kjell LA1KHA, Mads LA1TPA, Aage LA1ENA and Halvard LA1DNA

144MHz 3 QSOs
14MHz 0 QSOs
7MHz 7 QSOs
DXCCs: LA, G, DL, GW

Blogentry is backdated

Tuesday 15 September 2009

LA/TM-011 Fjerdingen

The WX was lovely today and I decided to activate Fjerdingen, the highest point i Porsgrunn. This is the place where our local radio club was founded August 18th 1946.

14MHz: 2 QSOs
7MHz: 10 QSOs
3.5MHz: 2 QSOs
144MHz: 1 QSO
DXCCs: LA, ON, OE, DL, S5, G, HB, F

Summit to summit: F/DD6DO/P on F/PE-289

Saturday 12 September 2009

LA/TM-057 Eirefjell

I had arranged to meet up with Aage LA1ENA and Kjell LA1KHA to do a joint activation of Eirefjell. Due to a locked gate we chose to use bikes for the first 3 kms. I got out of bed early in the morning to fix the tyre of my bike cycle before driving the two hours to Høydalsmo. When I arrived I found out that the tyre was flat again so I urged to Åmot to buy a new one.

At the summit the wind was rather heavy.

Highlight of the day was working Terje LA8BCA for the first time,

14MHz: 8 QSOs
3.5MHz: 1 QSO
18MHz: 1 QSO
DXCCs: F, OE, HB, HA, S5, LA, DL

Summit to summit: HA4BF/P on HA/EM-036

Blog entry is backdated

Tuesday 8 September 2009

LA/TM-014 Vehuskjerringa

It was very windy at Vehuskjerringa today but I managed to find shelter behind a large rock. I had to put on a hat and gloves for the first time this autumn.

Thanks to PA1AT for the spot on sotawatch and to DF1YQ for the spot on the DX Cluster!

14MHz: 18 QSOs
7MHz: 6 QSOs
3.5MHz: 1 QSO
DXCCs: HB, DL, ON, OE, PA, HA, G, GW, LA

Summit to summit: DL5KD/P on DM/RP-171