Saturday 11th September
I left home at around 0700 and picked up Dave G3TQQ from Pickering at around 0730. On our journey near Kirkbymoorside I spotted the flashing lights of a car in my rear-view mirror. I instantly slowed down thinking something untoward had happened. Then I recognised the number plate, it was Phil G4OBK on his way to his portable location near Sutton Bank! We had a good journey across the Dales to our car park by the quarry arriving at 1015. We had both done this one previously a few times so we knew our way to the indistinct summit. There were a few spots of rain so we set up our FT-857D, large golfing battery and a 5, 7, 14 MHz dipole and a 145 MHz dipole with 5m mast under our golfing umbrellas. We had a fantastic start with our first 3 contacts with Dave M0JKS/P on Helvellyn, Shane G6WBS/P on Scafell Pike and Colin M1BUU/P on St Sunday Crag. Our 4th contact was with Phil G4OBK/P who we had seen on the road earlier! I went on to make 45 contacts including 22 x s2s. Our last contact was at 1556 local time.
Dave and I had originally planned on just activating on Saturday but by chance we both secured passes from our respective station managers so we decided that if we could get affordable digs we would stay overnight. Unfortunately, at this late stage we couldn’t find anywhere suitable in the Windermere area so we were unable to attend the evening bash. However, we did find a suitable hostelry in Barrow-in-Furness.
Sunday 12th September
After a great breakfast we drove to Whicham church car park and headed up to Black Combe. I really struggled ascending this one and found it much harder than on previous occasions. We had taken up an FT-817 with amp and FT-65 & FT-70 with amp. Our phones weren’t playing so we couldn’t self spot and we couldn’t follow other spots. Several phone reboots didn’t change anything so we stayed on 145-fm for the entire activation. I made 22 contacts including 11 x s2s. We closed down at 1426 local time as we had a longish journey back to Pickering and Scarborough via a meal stop in Ripon!
Dave G3TQQ/P on G/LD-046 Lambrigg Fell
The Howgills (Wainwright’s sleeping elephants) from Lambrigg Fell
Dave G3TQQ/P on G/LD-030 Black Combe
Coastal view from G/LD-030 Black Combe summit including Sellafield
Dave G3TQQ/P on G/LD-030 Black Combe summit shelter and TP
Thank you to everyone that worked us and to Mark M0NOM for organising this event.
73
Nick G4OOE
