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Our friend and BITX builder Colin M1BUU has opened up a new area for ham radio masochism: EXTREME MOUNTAIN-TOP RIG BUILDING. That's right my friends. You read that right. Colin has taken the solder smoke to new heights. Soon, these guys will be pouring scorn on those of us using "shack built" rigs. Congratulations Colin! Well done!
Colin's write up from http://reflector.sota.org.uk/t/colin-m1buu-mountain-goat/14559 :
The general story goes something like this -
I started with SOTA way back in 2004, aged 24. Just after I found SOTA, I also found love - Fiona and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in April. You know how the story goes..........
Winter time has generally been quiet in terms of family stuff, so it's generally this time of year when I activate, usually January to March.
You've heard of extreme ironing, right?
Being a prolific builder of radio kits, I thought I would do my own twist on Extreme Ironing - Extreme Solder Ironing!
Today was the day. I took a RockMite kit, a home made key kit and a home made vertical antenna kit up to the summit of Whernside G/NP-004. I assembled the kits using a gas powered soldering iron. Thankfully I took my little tent with me, the weather wasn't exactly tropical.
The kits went together well and the RockMite fired up first time without any debugging, although the building took much longer than I had reckoned.
I was late on air, but eventually Barry N1EU found me for my first contact. Shortly after followed SP9AMH, OH9XX and finally EU2MM to earn me my needed points. Mountain Goat was in the bag! The QSB was very evident today, QSO's were tough, except with OH9XX, who was ear blasting.
Firing up the FT817 (I intended to share my success with as many as possible!), I worked a handful more stations on CW and SSB, but my time was rapidly dwindling.
Finally, I'd like to say thanks for all the support given by numerous SOTA participants over the years, There's a number of great, inspirational people we've lost in that time and I think about lots of them all the time. Roger G4OWG was particularly on my mind today as I learned of the route I took today from one of his posts. I never met Roger in person, but he was a keen chaser and fairly local to me.
73, Colin
Edit - I forgot to put forward my thanks -
Thanks to Dennis G6YBC (Kanga Products) for sponsoring a RockMite ][ ver. 1 PCB
Also thanks to Pete G4ISJ for supplying the solder!
I started with SOTA way back in 2004, aged 24. Just after I found SOTA, I also found love - Fiona and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in April. You know how the story goes..........
Winter time has generally been quiet in terms of family stuff, so it's generally this time of year when I activate, usually January to March.
You've heard of extreme ironing, right?
Being a prolific builder of radio kits, I thought I would do my own twist on Extreme Ironing - Extreme Solder Ironing!
Today was the day. I took a RockMite kit, a home made key kit and a home made vertical antenna kit up to the summit of Whernside G/NP-004. I assembled the kits using a gas powered soldering iron. Thankfully I took my little tent with me, the weather wasn't exactly tropical.
The kits went together well and the RockMite fired up first time without any debugging, although the building took much longer than I had reckoned.
I was late on air, but eventually Barry N1EU found me for my first contact. Shortly after followed SP9AMH, OH9XX and finally EU2MM to earn me my needed points. Mountain Goat was in the bag! The QSB was very evident today, QSO's were tough, except with OH9XX, who was ear blasting.
Firing up the FT817 (I intended to share my success with as many as possible!), I worked a handful more stations on CW and SSB, but my time was rapidly dwindling.
Finally, I'd like to say thanks for all the support given by numerous SOTA participants over the years, There's a number of great, inspirational people we've lost in that time and I think about lots of them all the time. Roger G4OWG was particularly on my mind today as I learned of the route I took today from one of his posts. I never met Roger in person, but he was a keen chaser and fairly local to me.
73, Colin
Edit - I forgot to put forward my thanks -
Thanks to Dennis G6YBC (Kanga Products) for sponsoring a RockMite ][ ver. 1 PCB
Also thanks to Pete G4ISJ for supplying the solder!
Wow....that's extreme soldering!!!!
ReplyDeleteBravo Colin. That is amazing.
ReplyDeletePete N6QW
recording of Colin's signal heard at N1EU: https://soundcloud.com/user-602952912/m1buu-n1eu-qso
ReplyDelete