SOTA Activation Report: W4G/NG-007 - Double Spring Knob and W4G/NG-013 Round Top

Trip of 2012.12.30

Commentary (Double Spring Knob):

Chilly (for Georgia) activation with some weather surprises. This would be a ‘piece of cake’ activation in the fall, or in a dry patch of winter weather.

It was 26 degrees when I left the car and 33 when I returned. As I hiked up from the trailhead, things turned from no snow, to a light dusting, to about 6 inches. The big surprise was that a recent ice storm left trees and underbrush coated with a thick layer of ice.

Hiking the AT was easy. (I am grateful to the volunteers who maintain it.) I expected I’d find a side trail to the summit from the high point of the AT. No such luck. The final quarter mile was a bushwhack through ice encrusted underbrush and a thicket of young trees in the understory.

Most of my QSOs were at 5 watts, but a few may have been at 10. I used 8 lithium AA cells, and the KX3 will let me set 10 watts of transmit power, but the first time I speak a little too loud, the voltage dips, and it reduces power to 5. I’m going to log the first QSO at 10 watts and the rest at 5.

I couldn’t have made it to the summit without my GPS. I couldn’t have made it back to the trail without my GPS. I don’t like having my life depend upon electronica. (In my defense, my iPhone also has a GPS, so I did have a Plan B.) Gotta carry a sturdy compass on future trips. The battery meter fell from full-bars down to 1 really fast. (To be expected with Lithium batteries which had been used on prior summits.) Glad I carried spare GPS batteries!

As the temperature rose and the sun hit the trees, they started dropping ice and snow. I was worried I’d lose my rig or my log to a direct hit, so I didn’t stay long enough to get all callers. The fact that I was perched on a sloped rock to get out of the snow, and was slowly sliding off toward a drift added to my enthusiasm to get off the summit.

I’d been asked to activate on 40 meters too, and I agreed to try, time permitting. Circumstances did not permit, and I apologize to chasers who couldn’t reach me on 20. I hadn’t planned on the ice storm remnants.

Summit - I operated from 34.87812, -83.65638, which was well inside the activation zone, but not at the exact apex. GPS measured altitude at 4242. Based on Lat/Lon, I was within the 4250 contour line. SOTAdata calls the peak at 4301 feet (1311 meters). Either way, it was well within the 75 ft activation zone. I prefer to operate from the apex, but there were several times during the bushwhack when I said, “I’m not going to summit,” so I’m relieved that the GPS evidence shows that I made it.

Contacts:

  • 9 QSO at 5 or 10 watts on 20 meters. 14.339-ssb.
  • W0MNA
  • AC0A
  • VE2JCW
  • N1EU
  • K0LAF
  • NS7P
  • KB1RJD AND KB1RJC
  • N4EX

Thank you chasers! Given the slog through the ice, I am exceptionally grateful that you were there when I called CQ.

Airtime: 11:30 AM Eastern on 30 December, 2012

Radio: Elecraft KX3.

Antennas:

  • Icy, dense brush created antenna challenges. I recommend carrying a mast and using bungee cords or velcro to bind it to a tree.
  • EARCHI 20m matchbox with an EFHW. Messily hung with a combination of short mast and zigzag through trees.

I was running late. I’d planned to use a slingshot to launch my antenna. The trees and brush were thick enough to make that difficult. I’d also switched from using a fishing weight to a large steel nut, and I kept hitting the uprights of the slingshot! I didn’t expect to be able to self-spot, so as my alert time came and went I was getting desperate to get SOMETHING in the air for an antenna.

I grabbed a 15’ carbon fiber fishing pole that I carried ‘just in case’, zip tied the antenna near the tip, zip tied the base of the pole to a small branch, and pulled the wire as far from the pole as I could. Since I use an EFHW, I had 18’ of extra wire which I zigzagged through nearby branches as best I could.

Despite my ad hoc antenna, I received multiple 59 signal reports, with one operator telling me I was the strongest activator signal he’d ever received. I would have expected some attenuation from the carbon fiber pole. I pulled the wire as far from the pole as possible. Call it a “semi-sloper” configuration. Maybe I got some gain in his direction from the zigzag…

Commentary (Round Top):

Hiking the AT was easy. (I am grateful to the volunteers who maintain it.) I expected I’d find a side trail to the summit from the high point of the AT. No such luck. The final quarter mile was a bushwhack through ice encrusted underbrush and a thicket of young trees in the understory.

My QSOs were at 5 watts. I used 8 lithium AA cells, but since I used them on another peak earlier in the day, voltage had dropped too low for 10 watts.

I couldn’t have made it to the summit without my GPS.

As the temperature rose and the sun hit the trees, they started dropping ice and snow. I was worried I’d lose my rig or my log to a direct hit, so as soon as chasers stopped responding, I got off the summit. (I like to continue calling for a few minutes. Often there is a second wave of chasers, who just need a few more minutes to get the rig fired up after a spot.)

Plus, it was getting late, and I wanted to make it back to paved roads before dark. On the way in, I dodged a beer bottle on Wildcat Road and I wanted to stop and collect it on the way back – not run over it!

Summit - I operated from the absolute apex for this one.

I did this summit immediately after activating Double Spring Knob, so my hike for this one begins at Addis Gap. (I did not hike back to my car on the road.)

Contacts:

  • 6 QSO at 5 watts on 40 meters and 8 on 20 meters. 7.1908-ssb and 14.3221-ssb. It was tough to find a free frequency.
  • 40 meters
    • KC3RT
    • WA2USA
    • N0TU
    • W4ZV
    • W6UB
    • K4QS
  • 20 meters
    • VA6FUN
    • N1EU
    • W0MNA
    • AC0A
    • VE2JCW
    • NS7P
    • W7CNL
    • WT5RZ

Thank you chasers! Given the slog through the ice, I am exceptionally grateful that you were there when I called CQ.

Airtime: 2:57 PM Eastern on 30 December, 2012

Radio: Elecraft KX3.

Antennas:

  • I was able to successfully slingshot a heavy monofilament fishing line into a tree; I used that to hoist up my 33 ft wire.
  • EARCHI 20m matchbox with an EFHW. Hung vertically (mostly).