Activation report of Grange Fell – SS-249. – GM4WH

After a wet morning in Annan I arranged to have a walk out with my partners cousins husband which could possibly include Grange Fell after dinner. We drove to a point next to the wind turbines at Minsca which is just above Waterbeck. It took us about 1 hour to get to the summit of Grange fell. The route we took is quite boggy in places and the walk through the woods towards the summit had nettles which are about 3 foot high. Definitely not a walk to do with shorts on.

When we got to the summit trig point you are virtually surrounded with conifers about 10 to 12 feet high. Through a slight break in the trees you could see over to Criffel SS-130. I wondered if I would qualify the summit at all but after calling for quite a while I got a contact with Keith, G0EMM in Workington on 2m FM and also 2M SSB. A few minutes later Alan, G4LAA who lives near Carlisle gave me a call on 2m FM and we had a further contact on 70cms SSB with 58 to 59 reports both ways.

After a further period of calling on 2M i set up my 4M j-pole which was clipped to a roach pole. Alan who was with me stood on top of the trig point and held up the roach pole to give me a bit extra height! I gave out a call on 70.450 and Lee, M1AVV/M came back. He was on the A7 near Carlisle. Shortly after that I worked Peter, GM3VMB in Eaglesfield on 70.450 also so after over an hour of operating I got it qualified.

I noticed there were no spots so I was amazed I actually got it qualified.

73’s Geoff G(M)4WHA