Activation report G/NP-023 & 031

Old Reflector
1

I had big ideas of doing 4 or 5 summits yesterday, in reality I only did 2. A 3rd was possible had the wx not gone downhill.

G/NP-023 Aye Gill Pike (2)
I parked near a cattle grid in Dent Dale in thick pea soup (not lobster) fog. I wasnt looking forward to a damp foggy activation so left the 2m beam & camera in the car. With the most direct route programmed into the compass I went straight up the hill, negotiating a couple of walls under the cover of the fog. Within 50m of the summit I emerged out of the fog in to brilliant sunshine & a good view of the surrounding higher fells. The valleys were full of inversion layer type fog with just peaks over 500m poking through. The HF dipole was erected & I was operating by 0752 GMT. Only 80m/40m were used, I didnt bother with 60m as most regulars were in the log & she slab had died.
46 contacts, 10 on 80m ssb & 36 on 40m ssb.
s2s with G4BVE Seat Sandal, DF2GN Hundsruecken, DL3SBA Auf dem Huppen.

G/NP-031 Birks Fell (4) - The new one!
After a drive that seemed longer than it actually was, I parked up in Litton near the Queens Arms, checked the opening times (12 - 3 pm for lunch). I started walking up the well signed bridleway. After about 300m I should have carried straight on as I wanted to activate near the trig point, however I turned left & went straight up. This involved an extra 2km walking over rough terrain & passing the true summit. The trig is 3m lower than the summit but more photogenic. I set up between the trig & the wall and operated HF followed by 2m. The sunny morning had turned into a cloudy but mild (13C) afternoon with hardly any wind. Relatively few walkers were seen, but those that did pass all seemed interested in my activity. During the 2m session, all of a sudden the wind whipped up to gale force and the temperature plummeted. With a failing battery I packed up & descended via the flagged path down the way I should have come up. With the change in wx I decided to go home, joining the traffic queues round Skipton.
61 contacts from this one on 6 bands:- 80m - 16, 60m - 4, 40m - 22, 20m - 3, 2m - 15, 70cms - 1.
ps - found a rubber duck near the trig. Couple of pics on flikr.
Thanks to all chasers & spotters - Steve G1INK.

2

In reply to G1INK:

A 3rd was possible had the wx not gone downhill…
I parked near a cattle grid in Dent Dale in thick pea soup (not lobster) fog.

So speaketh the hardened activator! Worse than fog?

Interesting report Steve. Seems like I ought to lengthen my dipole for 80m if things are that good down there.

73, Gerald

3

In reply to G1INK:
Thanks for report and contacts Steve.
Pity weather was not so good - Looking forward to going back to Birks for three winter points :-)_
Not my rubber duck - I didn’t go to trig just walked past it :slight_smile:

Roger G4OWG

4

In reply to G4OIG:

“Seems like I ought to lengthen my dipole for 80m if things are that good down there.”

I`m a newcomer on 80m Gerald, but from what I can gather, the band will become even better over the winter months. Its been a welcome addition as 5Mhz has been dire lately. I was pleased with 40m yesterday making an agregate total of 58 contacts on the 2 summits. The extra muscle of the 857 certainly helps.
73

5

In reply to G1INK:

The extra muscle of the 857 certainly helps.

Absolutely! I must get an amplifier sorted out for 40m. The 817 is okay on CW, but can be a waste of time on SSB.

73, Gerald

6

In reply to G1INK:
G/NP-023 Aye Gill Pike (2)
I parked near a cattle grid in Dent Dale in thick pea soup (not lobster) fog.

So looks like everyone is trying the soup,
must try some my self next time out, oh as well as a Mc(D) breakfast.

sorry was not around this weekend Steve, but well done on the activation :wink:
Steve m0sgb

7

In reply to G1INK:

ps - found a rubber duck near the trig. Couple of pics on flikr.
Thanks to all chasers & spotters - Steve G1INK.

Obviously not mine then :wink:

Mike

8

ps - found a rubber duck near the trig.

Mine is yellow, squeaks and is sat on the side of the bath, so not mine either.

Couple of pics on flikr.

…but not of the rubber duck. There has not been that many activators up there so maybe we can work out who it belongs to. What make/band? Yaseu? Icom? Kenwood? 2m? 70cm? 23cm?