Jimmy's 5 year plan

Old Reflector
21

Day 3 - Tuesday 27th July 2010 (part 2)

Kit Hill G/DC-003

This hill was chosen to provide a suitable point from which to combine a SOTA activation with participation in the 6m UK activity contest. In the event, I’m not sure it was such a good site, but SWR was not exactly perfect on the delta loop either, so I will need to look at the antenna.

We parked in the summit car park on Kit Hill, leaving only a short walk and final ascent onto the chosen activating point. While much improved from Brown Willy G/DC-002 earlier, it was still a damp and gloomy night, so I set up the small tent I sometimes utilise for contest activations.

Everything was ready a good 35 minutes before the contest start time, but I wasn’t happy with the SWR on 6m. Fiddling around, I found that the best SWR reading was on 12m! A couple of stations were heard CQing on 24MHz, so I tried to answer them. They both called me in first time, and easy contacts were had with RA2FF (Kaliningrad) and AO5GL (Spain).

The next hour and a half was dismal as we tried, and failed to make a single contact in the contest on 6m. In the end I set trusty old 40m up in order that we get the SOTA activation even if not a contest entry. Jimmy got his quota of 4 on 40m SSB, before I added 1 x 40m SSB and 4 x 40m CW to my two earlier 12m CW contacts.

It wasn’t the evening we’d had in mind, but at least, I had still qualified the summit in LESS time (2 hours and 5 minutes) than it had taken me in 2004 (2 hours 28 minutes)!

Late nights back at the tent were becoming the norm and poor Craig didn’t know what had hit him - and I realised that Jimmy and Liam have unusually high stamina levels. Craig was taking to having a sleep on every car journey, and taking a nap on every summit as well!

Tom M1EYP

22

Day 4 - Wednesday 28th July 2010 - The other kind of waves!

This was the lovely sunny day just as forecast. And just as promised, it was beach, not summits. After the compulsory pasty breakfast, we went to Trevone Beach on the North Cornwall coast, just west of Padstow, and had a ball trying to swim in a sea more suited to surfers than swimmers. We had all taken a battering from the awesome waves by the time we had finished, and the main objective delivered in that Liam was delighted with his beach day.

In the evening we ate at the Colliford Tavern on the campsite where the food and service was absolutely superb. We also got to watch the telly all night in the bar, which resounded with Liam’s belly laughter when “An Audience With Freddie Starr” was broadcast on ITV3!

Tom M1EYP

23

Day 5 - Thursday 29th July 2010 - Dartmoor and Okehampton

High Willhays G/DC-001

Another decent day was forecast for the Thursday, which meant we could press ahead with intentions for me to bag my last activator unique in G/DC. Jimmy would have to wait another day for his, but that would come with its own moment of glory.

Cornish steak pasty breakfast was taken in a coffee shop in Okehampton, after which Jimmy directed me down through the Okehampton Camps permissive road on Dartmoor. We used up as much of the road as we could before parking, at about SX586917. Public vehicles were permitted a few hundred yards further (to about SX590912), but only ATVs would cope with the damage to the road at SX588914.

Nonetheless, this was still a welcome head start and a dramatic shortening of the route. Thank you to Geoff G4ELZ who had provided this tip in a phone call earlier.

Liam really motored on this walk, and we reached the summit in good time. Before that, it was interesting to curve around the much more distinctive (but non-Marilyn) summit of Yes Tor, complete with its MOD vertical and feeder!

Jimmy was QRV on 2m FM while I was still setting up, and making a comfortable run of 4 QSOs - the first time he had met his target of qualifying exclusively on 2m FM. One of these contacts was a S2S with Richard GW3CWI/P who was on Mynydd Dramau GW/SW-038, and I snatched the microphone from Jimmy to get that one for myself also.

The 40m dipole went up, but it was rubbish. The band was dead and only G0TDM and HB9BQU were able to force themselves through to me. Using the same antenna, I switched to 15m CW and placed a self-spot for 21.015MHz. This was much more productive with 13 QSOs in 12 minutes, and the completion of the DC region for me as an activator.

We descended and drove back into Okehampton, where we met Jeff G4ELZ who had kindly taken a bus ride over from Newtonabbott to meet us for a beer. Thus a pleasant afternoon rounded off a pleasant day. For the evening, we returned again to the excellent on-site Colliford Tavern for another feast of cullinary magnificence - and a couple of decent pints.

Tom M1EYP

24

Day 6 - Friday 30th July 2010 - The catch-up and a new camp

Christ Cross G/DC-005

This was to be that monumental day we had been working towards since October 2005. The day when Jimmy M3EYP would finally have activated the same (as of 30/7/2010) 235 summits as his father. This was the last one that remained of summits that had been activated by me - but not by him.

First job was to pack the tent down, as we would be moving camp today, and heading further east for a better base for attacking the G/SC hills.

Oh yes, and it was my 16th wedding anniversary. She Who Must Be Obeyed was already unimpressed that I had planned to be away on this date, so I did not dare mess it up any further. I knew Marianne was getting home from a night-shift at 10am on the Friday morning. I called her on her mobile at 10.15am and directed her to my shack. “See that blue folder?” (it was a binder of Short Wave Magazines BTW) I asked. “Yes” she replied. “Move it to one side” I said. I had hidden her card and present under there before setting off south. It seems the planning paid dividends and Marianne was happy. Now it was time to head to Christ Cross and make Jimmy happy.

I parked just off the side of the road at SS966050 and we entered the track opposite. This is just a short level walk to a building and some transmitters, and I decided to set up on some rough land just outside the compound. Jimmy and Craig went rummaging through the hedges to find the trig point that eluded us on our last visit 6 years ago. This time, it was found!

Kicking off on 40m SSB, Jimmy and I both made the S2S contact with Carolyn GW6WRW/P on Carn a’Gheoidh GM/CS-030. Jimmy then made four QSOs on 2m FM and one on 2m SSB for his final ‘catch-up’ activation, while I managed 8 contacts on 40m CW and one on 15m CW. 40m CW included a further S2S courtesy of MM/OK1HDU/P on Ward of Bressay GM/SI-188.

So there we go then. Mission accomplished. From hereon, every new unique would be for us both, and for the foreseeable future, Jimmy and I will have equal placings in the activator uniques table.

The next job was to find the next campsite, and we found a great one in the Periton area of Minehead. With the tent up and airbeds inflated, we had time to bag another activation. We opted for the very nearby Selworthy Beacon G/SC-005.

Tom M1EYP

25

Day 6 - Friday 30th July 2010 (part 2)

Selworthy Beacon G/SC-005

From the campsite in Minehead, we drove down into the town, onto Bleinheim Road and then onto the turning for North Hill. There are several parking area along this lovely lane which overlooks the Bristol Channel and weaves between the many wild ponies up on the edge of Exmoor. We parked in the start of the track at SS923478 and walked to the summit - about 400m along the track with only about 25m of ascent involved.

I really liked this spot, with nice paths, a cairn and a trig point, and commanding views of the sea and to South Wales. Jimmy, as ever, set up the 2m SOTA Beam, while I decided to go for 20m CW. I never really got going, and fumbled my way to just eleven contacts in 31 minutes. Jimmy had little difficulty in getting five calls on 2m FM.

Back at the car, I tuned into 102.1 Bay Radio, which was booming across from Swansea. It had been too long without my staple diet, so it was down to the Taj Mahal in Minehead for a curry fix. A leisurely meal was punctuated by exchanges of several calls and texts with my XYL Marianne on our anniversary; she was out at a friend’s 40th birthday party.

Yet again, it was another late night at the tent - and they were set to get later! I was now getting into the habit of taking the VX7 into the tent at bedtime so the four of us could doze off to the sounds of BBC Radio 2 or BBC Somerset, reminding me of when I was a boy and camping with my dad in the 1970s, and discovering The Grumbleweeds on Radio 2!

Tom M1EYP

26

Day 7 - Saturday 31st July 2010 - the SCs into Wiltshire, and lots of driving!

Beacon Batch G/SC-003

Fair play to Jimmy, he did warn me that many miles would need to be covered in the car on both the Saturday and Sunday. “Hit me with the worst one first” I instructed him. Saturday was a long long day!

We drove east from Minehead and took breakfast courtesy of a greasy spoon van in the Matalan car park in Bridgwater. And very nice it was too. And then many more miles of driving… Audio entertainment was courtesy of 107.4 Total Star from Somerset.

Jimmy advised me to park in a lay-by by the entrance to Ellick House at ST489580. From here we walked south before bearing half-right at a big junction of paths. Now we were heading diagonally up the hill, and then along the gentle broad ridge to the trig point.

Liam, as usual, set himself up to play Nintendo DS at the trig point (the USB charger I bought for the car was inspired - I need to get another - how did I ever cope without them?). Craig, as usual, set himself down for a sleep on the summit.

Jimmy went for it again on 2m FM and was untroubled in cruising to seven QSOs. I decided to have a little change and went for 30m CW, resulting in a relaxed, if unspectacular 11 contacts.

More exciting was the descent. As usual, as we started to pack away, Liam commenced his descent. “Don’t forget to turn left” I called after him. I was next to leave the summit, with Jimmy and Craig behind me. But I made it all the way down to the car with no sign of Liam! We all returned to the big path junction, and Jimmy and I turned on our handhelds on an agreed working QRG of 145.575MHz FM. I sent Jimmy and Craig back up the summit path, while I went up the path to the left - where I suspected Liam would be coming down if he had missed the first left turn. Indeed this was the case, so we were all reunited after only 2 or 3 minutes, and a big sigh of relief.

Back in the car, we were now heading for Long Knoll G/SC-007.

Tom M1EYP

27

In reply to M1EYP:
Well done Jimmy on catching your dad up, I listened a couple of times for you Tom on 20m and 30m but sadly lots of noise here. Sean M0GIA

28

Day 7 - Saturday 31st July 2010 (part 2)

Long Knoll G/SC-007

From Beacon Batch G/SC-003, I was now directed by Jimmy in a generally south-eastwards direction and through the village of Maiden Bradley. As we drove, we listened in to 105.6 Midwest Radio, which seemed to be in parallel with 97.4 and I assumed was a new identity for the old Vale FM from Shaftesbury. Another station heard was 87.7 New Wine FM from Shepton Mallet, but it wasn’t really my cup of tea.

Up the hill on the other side of the village, and we looked out for the start of the path up through Rag Wood. This was quite overgrown to begin with and clearly not used for anything other than pedestrian access, so I took the opportunity to reverse my car into the start of the track by the side of the road.

This hill is a real gem. After the initial gentle ascent up the partly overgrown path, there was a steep grassy pull. Liam, to my astonishment, really got motoring on this section, so much so that I shot a video of him doing it, otherwise the XYL would never have believed me! I even phoned her up to tell her what was in progress before my eyes!

After the ridge levelled out, Liam shot off ahead, overtaking Jimmy and Craig, as I racked my brains to think what he had for breakfast that morning! After a slight dip in the ridge, there was a small ascent up to the summit and trig point, and we began to get set up as usual, Jimmy on 2m FM and me on 30m CW.

Jimmy managed six on 2m FM, including S2S with Eleri MW3NYR/P on Great Rhos GW/MW-002, and ‘DX’ contact with Nick M1DDD/P near Buxton! Over on 30m CW, I managed ten QSOs, but with one agonising ‘getaway’. Norby HB0/LX1NO/P was a superb signal from Ochsenkopf HB0/LI-005, but no way could I break his pile-up. I worked a few more on my own QRG, then went back to check Norby’s frequency. Result! He had finished working down his pile-up and was calling CQ with no-one responding. I sent my call and ‘SOTA’ a few times, but Norby obviously couldn’t hear me. A pity, as he was a solid 599 with me.

We packed up and set off back down the ridge in glorious sunshine. Craig found a set of car keys on a small brick structure just before dropping steeply off the end of the ridge, but we reasoned that all we could do was leave them there as there was no clues or contact information attached.

It was getting on for 5pm by the time we were back in the car, but the unanimous decision was to press on to Win Green G/SC-008.

Tom M1EYP

29

Day 7 - Saturday 31st July 2010 (part 3)

Win Green G/SC-008

Now Win Green was one of the four SC summits that we had already bagged a couple of years ago. But it is such a short walk from the obvious car park that we agreed we might as well activate it again, rather than drive past it - which we would have done on the route.

Having parked in the National Trust car park, we ambled across towards the trig point and small wood on summit. A group of cows were wandering about very close by, so careful consideration of where to site the antenna was necessary, especially as I wanted to use 80m.

I erected the dipole round the back of the wood where there is a convenient bench. Liam plonked himself down on here to play DS while we played radio. I made eight QSOs on 80m, 5 on CW and 3 on SSB. Jimmy had completely failed on 2m FM on this occasion, and had to settle for 5 QSOs on 80m SSB.

We returned to the car and resolved to eat as immediately as we could. It was after 8pm, so even though we were a long way from the campsite, our evening meal needed to be the priority. We were entertained in the car by Coast 106 from Southampton, but food was only around the corner. Soon we were sitting sat down in a very popular - and busy Indian restaurant in Shaftesbury - and being placed right next to a hen party on a very adjacent table! That made for a convivial atmosphere to accompany a decent meal.

We got back on the road, tired, but sobered by the prospect of the long drive from Shaftesbury back to Minehead. With careful deployment of Red Bull one third of the way into the journey, and then a coffee from a drive-thru McDonalds two thirds in, we made it back to camp safe and sound, albeit with a rather late bedtime of 1.15am. Jimmy put in his earplugs as usual, but insomnia was not an option.

Tom M1EYP

30

Day 8 - Sunday 1st August 2010 - Somerset and Dorset SCs

Staple Hill G/SC-004

We tried Minehead itself for breakfast on the Sunday morning, but found that the Oggy Oggy pasty shop was not ready for us. Instead, we adjourned to the cafe next door for a cooked English breakfast to set us off for the day. That sorted, it was time for another long day on the road, but the last we would need to do.

After breakfast, we took the A358 from Minehead to Taunton, from where we drove into the Black Down Hills. Jimmy navigated me to a parking spot at roadside on a minor lane at ST229163. From here, we walked back down the lane and over the road onto the bridleway.

We followed this bridleway as per the OS 1:25000 sheet, but it was a poor route through another gorse labyrinth. With the hindsight of our return route, we would recommend activators take the right fork at ST231165 which gives good tracks right through to very near the summit.

The summit trig point itself is not on a path or track, but set back about 30 yards in forest. Jimmy and Craig had found it by the time Liam and I got into the area, so they were able to talk us into it. I opted for a 5MHz SSB activation to give my new but so far underused NoV some involvement. Conditions were not great, but I made four contacts, all inter-UK.

Fortunately, within minutes, Jimmy had made his four on 2m FM, saving us the inconvenience of erecting another HF aerial in the woods. We packed away, retreated, and established the considerably better ascent route than the one we had taken!

We now faced the short car journey to Lewesdon Hill G/SC-009.

Tom M1EYP

31

Day 8 - Sunday 1st August 2010 (part 2)

Lewesdon Hill G/SC-009

From Staple Hill G/SC-004, Jimmy shouted the directions as we progressed south-eastwards through the country lanes. We located Stoke Knapp Farm at ST444015 as recommended and sought to ask permission to park. However, the place seemed to be deserted - and in fact in a state of ruin. I pulled into the single roadside space in front of the crumbling house and commenced the walk into the track opposite, which was called Lewesdon Hill Lane.

The ground to our left began to loom up steeply as we passed the first National Trust sign for Lewesdon Hill. Jimmy insisted we press on forward until he directed the left turn for the final summit push. Although it had looked steep, this was more of a graded contouring path, and the summit was attained without difficulty. The summit plateau was a funny sort of pear shape, with the highest point right at the thin end.

Jimmy used that point to set up for 2m, while I went along into the thicker part of the plateau to set for 5MHz. I made 8 QSOs on 5MHz, 6 on SSB and 2 on CW, all inter-G. Jimmy hadn’t made a single QSO on 2m FM in that time, but his first was soon to come. After 2 contacts we was struggling again, but I encouraged him to be bold and invite himself into an existing net. This was a regular Sunday afternoon Royal Navy net, and the OMs on frequency were most welcoming. Jimmy was soon up to six contacts, although the 6th happened to be his dad who was nearly back at the car!

It was during this QSO that I realised, with horror, that the all important photo-shoot had not taken place. Over the radio, I urged Jimmy to get Craig to get some shots before they left the summit - at least they had the camera up there with them!

Soon we were reunited at the car. It seems the farm wasn’t abandoned after all, as someone was now driving a JCB around the yard. We got in the car and aimed for our final summit of the day, Hardown Hill G/SC-011.

Tom M1EYP

32

Day 8 - Sunday 1st August 2010 (part 3)

Hardown Hill G/SC-011

From Lewesdon Hill G/SC-009, we drove down through Bridport and out on the A35. Car radio entertainment this time was the Hit 40 UK programme over 96.0 Wessex FM. We first tried heading around to the north of the hill to follow the path suggested by Richard G4ERP. However, it was found to be so overgrown and nettle ridden as to be effectively blocked, so we drove around to the village of Morcombelake which sits part way up the south flank of the hill to find an alternative.

Parking was almost non-existent on these tight and steep lanes, but I managed to tuck the car in at the junction at SY402941. This coincided with the start of a PROW on a good track which ascended and curved around onto the summit, and it was a very short walk.

The summit was devoid of any marker feature, and was merely a sea of thick gorse. Jimmy set up his SOTA Beam at the side of the track across the summit, while I erected the 30m dipole in a wide gateway.

This was a good activation for me, with 17 QSOs on 30m CW. I then checked with Jimmy who had made the grand total of zilch on 2m FM. But he wanted to carry on flogging his dead horse! I took down 30m and erected 40m for the likelihood that Jimmy would need to fall back on 7MHz SSB to qualify. However, with the stubborn Jimmy still refusing to budge from his flawed VHF campaign, I helped myself to 40m CW and made a further 7 QSOs.

Now at last Jimmy admitted defeat and sheepishly asked to go on 40m SSB. He made 5 QSOs on HF, before at last getting one on VHF - to his dad who was now back at the car in Morcombelake with Liam!

Hitting the road around 9pm, the pressure was on to secure an evening meal for the four of us yet again. A rather nice Chinese meal was enjoyed in the town of Chard, after which I felt the benefit of today’s mileage being less then the previous day’s, and getting back to the campsite at the relatively civilised hour of 11pm!

Tom M1EYP

33

Day 9 - Monday 2nd August 2010 - Back on the beach, and a summers evening SOTA

It was time again to acknowledge Liam’s participation in the expedition and give way to more ‘traditional’ activities like beach and arcades! A hot sunny day in Minehead gave us this opportunity, and I goaded Marianne by text as I sunned myself on the beach. She was suffering yet another wet gloomy day up in Macclesfield!

There were moments of stress though. My brakes has started to scrape the night before, and at least the Minehead beach day coincided usefully with an attempt to find a garage to fit new pads and discs on the Monday morning. A chap called Kenny Case at C&C Motors in Minehead was brilliant and got my car sorted out for a very reasonable price.

The other stressful situation (and all dads of teenage sons out there will empathise here) was when Jimmy came from 5-2 down to me to draw level at 6-6 at air hockey. The adrenaline was pumping like never before now. He had never beaten me, and I couldn’t bear the thought that it might be about to happen. I played with skill, focus and aggression for the final and deciding puck, eventually smashing home an unstoppable winner beyond my despairing 17 year old son. I leapt into the air, pumping my fist and yelling “yes” at great volume, before noticing the disdainful stares of the parents of the young kiddies in the arcade. One day, in the future, they will understand.

Anyway, with a successful day of sunbathing, sea swimming and arcading completed, and a roadworthy car collected and paid for by 4pm, it was time for an ice cream - and a walk up the nearby Periton Hill G/SC-006.

Tom M1EYP

34

Day 9 - Monday 2nd August 2010 (part 2)

Periton Hill G/SC-006

Here was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the second of the four summits that are very close to Minehead. Again, I simply told Jimmy what summit I wanted to do, and he reeled off the directions allowing me to drive with the relaxation of having the best SatNav on the market - but also one that researches parking spots and ascent options!

We parked in the car park at the end of the public road at SS963446. Here we followed the bridleway along good tracks across Hopcott Common and onto the Macmillan Way West, another good track along the north edge of the long summit ridge. This is all comfortably within the AZ and commands super views over the Bristol Channel, especially on a fine late afternoon like this. We continued along to the trig point at 295m ASL for photos. Jimmy and Craig then went in search of the true summit at 297m - difficult, because it’s all pretty flat and there isn’t any form of marker or cairn for the summit.

Liam and I didn’t bother, preferring to retreat along the Macmillan Way West path until the best spot for activating - ie that gave the widest view of the Bristol Channel that wasn’t impeded by trees or bushes. Liam soon resumed his Nintendo DS campaign while I set up for 30m CW. This was a good activation of 30 QSOs, and I hoped I wouldn’t have to set 40m up for Jimmy as a back up.

I didn’t - he made two contacts into South Wales and two into the West Country, and another hill, another point and another new unique could be crossed off the list. We were now very much in sight of the finishing line for our main targets. Only two more new summits remained, and we still had two nights of paid for camping ahead of us.

We drove back down to Minehead and went for a simple meal in the Mambo bar on the front. In my case it was scampi, chips and peas, with a pint of export Heineken. Not posh or sophisticated, but sufficiently tasty and filling.

It turned out to be an early night on the campsite, with all four of us in our sleeping bags well before 10pm. I knew this would mean an early get-up for me, so I prewarned Jimmy that I might nip out and do a repeat activation in the morning if I did.

Tom M1EYP

35

Day 10 - Tuesday 3rd August 2010 - playing radio, and finishing the SCs

Selworthy Beacon G/SC-005

This very easy walk from a lofty parking position, and wonderful sea views rather appealed to me. As expected I was wide awake just after 5am, yet knew that Liam, Jimmy and Craig would all be fast asleep until around 9am. Time to put the plan into action.

Indeed, a couple of days earlier, Jimmy had remarked about Selworthy Beacon: “That could be like The Cloud for anyone that lives here”. Absolutely! And I guess I was about to make it my ‘The Cloud’ while I was here with a non-scoring ‘just for the enjoyment of doing it’ early morning activation.

I made my way up the long Selworthy Beacon road from Minehead town centre and parked in the same position at the start of the track to the summit. I was determined to give 20m CW another go, so set up the Magic Moggy vertical with groundplane. My worries that this would be a bit of a 20m CW damp squib like the other night were obliterated when my first CQ call was answered by YO2BBX giving me 599. That’s more like it!

I then spent a most enjoyable hour and a half running on 14.014MHz CW and working 52 QSOs. 17 DXCCs worked were YO, I, SP, G, DL, SM, S5, RA, EA, OK, OE, UR, OH, 9A, HA, UA9 and F. I drove back down into Minehead and celebrated with a full breakfast pasty from the Oggy shop, before returning to the campsite to find Jimmy, Liam and Craig still tucked up in their sleeping bags at 9am. Liam and Craig were asleep. Jimmy was marginally awake, but admitted that he hadn’t realised that I had been out!

Tom M1EYP

36

Day 10 - Tuesday 3rd August 2010 (part 2)

Wills Neck G/SC-002

Once the boys were up and dressed, it was out of the tent and back down to the Oggy shop in Minehead for tea, coffee and pasties. Liam snagged the last Beef Madras pasty meaning I would have to wait a further day to sample that flavour.

From Minehead, Jimmy directed me along the A39 to Nether Stowey, and then south on minor roads to a large car park at ST163359. Here we met Peter G3TJE who Jimmy had arranged to join us for a joint activation.

This was an easy and short climb out of the woods around good paths up to the summit. In fact the paths had been so generally good and benign in the G/SC region that Liam and I had ignored our boots and done most of the walking in trainers for a few days now.

The routine at the trig point and cairn was becoming predictable. Liam would find somewhere to sit and play his games console. Jimmy would insist on setting up for 2m FM when HF SSB would be far more logical. Craig would find somewhere to go back to sleep!

Peter and I compared notes on the likely positions and angles of our dipole wires in order to best set up, and he set for 5MHz while I reverted to 40m. My first QSO was on SSB, a S2S with Walter PA/ON7PX/P on Observant (Sint Pietersberg) PA/PA-003. Thereafter, I reverted to 40m CW making 19 QSOs on there, and one on 15m CW, a total of 21 contacts altogether.

Peter G3TJE made a small number of contacts on 5MHz, but it was a zero-pointer for him having already activated the summit earlier in the year. Jimmy M3EYP was finding the going easier on 2m FM on the summits that could aim at Bristol and South Wales, and he had no difficulty in getting to six contacts.

After the quick amble downhill, we adjourned to the Carew Arms in Crowcombe at Peter’s recommendation, and enjoyed a couple of pints of Exmoor Ale and natter in there.

Our only other plan for the day was that evening’s 2m activity contest, for which we would use Dunkery Beacon G/SC-001 as our site. There was plenty of time to kill, but we drove up onto Exmoor anyway in search of a hearty late lunch/early dinner.

Tom M1EYP

37

Day 10 - Tuesday 3rd August 2010 (part 3)

Dunkery Beacon G/SC-001

Peter G3TJE had recommended we try the “Rest And Be Thankful” Inn at Wheddon Cross on Exmoor for a meal before the activation of Dunkery Beacon, but they were not serving food until 6.30pm. We then drove a few miles East to Ralegh’s Cross, and enjoyed an excellent meal there. It was a case of not rushing, as we had ample time before the 8pm contest. Hence as we reached the parking spot for G/SC-001 at SS904420, right opposite the track to the summit, there was no need to get out of the car and into the rain!

A decent evening had been forecast, and we had the time to let the shower pass. I had a chat with Richard G3CWI on the 'phone, updating as to his progress in the GW/SW and GW/MW regions, and enjoyed the wonderful view out over the Bristol Channel, getting Jimmy to help me identify Steep Holm and Flat Holm islands - although the shape of them kind of gives it away which is which!

At around 6.25pm, the weather had cleared, and we set off up the track to the summit. An enormous memorial cairn marked the summit, and an extensive photo-shoot was our first activity. My heavier-than-usual pack contained the tent to afford extra shelter for the longer activity, and Liam was soon huddled into the back of that and playing his Nintendo DS game.

Jimmy M3EYP was getting restless, so he made a few contacts with some of the contest warmer-uppers to guarantee his activation point ahead of 8pm. He went on to make nine QSOs, all 2m SSB.

I made 41 contacts, also all on 2m SSB, during the evening, working Maidenhead locator squares IO70, IO74, IO80, IO81, IO82, IO83, IO91, IO92, IO93, JO00, JO01, JO02 and JO03. I did hear Stephany G1LAT/P calling from IO84, but she couldn’t hear me! There was also a French station in an IN square, but the QSO was not completed.

After our torchlit descent, we drove back to Wheddon Cross for a late drink and snack at the Rest And Be Thankful Inn, before returning for our last night of camping at Minehead. Again, we drifted off to the sounds of BBC Radio 2 on the VX7-R (hanging on a loop above our heads and set to a 30 minute APO), ahead of Jimmy’s ambitious plans for the journey home day.

Tom M1EYP

38

Day 11 - Wednesday 4th August 2010 - Going home in style!

Dundry Down G/SC-010

“Don’t want to do any repeats Dad, just uniques” has been Jimmy’s warcry throughout much of 2010. Imagine therefore my surprise when he suggested we do Win Green G/SC-008 a few days earlier. “And we might as well do Dundry Down as we set off for home”. Fine by me, I like doing lots of activations!

Over the next few days of the holiday, the exit strategy from the South West developed. Initially we were going to follow SC-010 with View Edge G/WB-018 and Long Mynd-Pole Bank G/WB-005 (spot the theme here…?) but Jimmy decided that a better line back to East Cheshire would take in Cleeve Hill G/CE-001, Bredon Hill G/CE-002 and Walton Hill G/CE-002!

So, that was the plan then, and despite a slow start to the morning due to the previous late night, and the requirement to unpitch the tent and repack the car, the plan remained unaltered. Although with Jimmy feeling tired, looking forward to getting home and unimpressed with the drizzly morning in progress, he did suggest a reduction of the plan!

First job once mobile was our third consecutive visit to the Oggy shop in Minehead for our final Cornish Pasty breakfast and a big pot of tea. By the time we were approaching Dundry Down G/SC-010 near Bristol - a deceptive long drive from Minehead - it was well past 1pm in the afternoon. Was this really going to be the first summit of a four summit day?

We got to the car park at ST556668 and made our way up the access track for the transmitters. Engineers were on site working on the transmitter compound, and I had a natter with one of them before setting up. Jimmy took Craig up to see the trig point, while Liam had remained in the car reading his Nintendo magazine.

I set up for 40m and enjoyed a run of 16 CW contacts. Over on 2m FM, Jimmy had made just one QSO, with 2E0ZST. Even Peter G3TJE couldn’t hear him, so M3EYP came over to use 40m SSB. There he got his other three QSOs, including S2S with DL/PA1AT/P on DM/BW-019.

Even though it was getting on for 3pm, we pressed on with Plan A and followed the M5, A417, A436 and minor roads to Whittington on the East of Cheltenham, and an activation of Cleeve Hill G/CE-001.

Tom M1EYP

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Day 11 - Wednesday 4th August 2010 (part 2)

Cleeve Hill G/CE-001

From Whittington, east of Cheltenham, we followed the minor road around until the right turning for the long cul-de-sac road up to the transmitters and car park on Cleeve Hill. This turning is signpost as ‘Cleeve Common’. Beware, on the other side of the hill are road signs for ‘Cleeve Hill’ village on the other side of the hill, but it is a much longer walk from there.

Liam remained in the car again, which was fine as I would have a view of it from the summit of the hill. The car park is in fact easily within the activation zone at barely 3m below the summit height. But Jimmy and I are purists and like to take the walk to the trig point, however short and unnecssary it is.

Assuming that Jimmy would not need HF backup from this location, I set up for 30m CW, and worked 8 stations. However, it turned out that Jimmy was struggling with the pager QRM from the nearby transmitters, and had only worked Richard G4ERP - who kindly invited us round after the activation. Jimmy took over on the 817 and 40m antenna, and had already worked an EA station responding to the CQ call before I had put the spot on! Three more quickly followed, including Frank G3RMD who announced his intention to meet us at the summit car park.

Sure enough, even before Jimmy and I had made it back to the car, there was Frank striding onto Cleeve Common. It was great to meet one of SOTA’s leading activators, and Jimmy and I had an enjoyable chat with Frank for ten minutes or so. Frank kindly invited us down to his QTH for sandwiches, which was very tempting, but as late as it was - nearly 6pm in the evening - we still wanted to complete the mission and do two further activations on the way home.

It was a difficult one though - sandwiches at Frank G3RMD’s in Cheltenham, followed by tea at Richard G4ERP’s in Bishop’s Cleeve - if anything has ever come close to forcing me to cancel two activations, then this was it! As discussed with Frank though, SOTA activating is dangerously addictive, and when you’ve got an idea in your head… You know the rest.

Visitations from SOTA’s well-known characters did not end there though, for on the way downhill from Cleeve, we were flagged down by a biker. This was Stewart G0LGS who, like Frank, had decided to intercept us close to his home QTH. Another three-way natter between the amateurs in attendance and a photocall was in order before hitting the road north for Bredon Hill G/CE-003.

Tom M1EYP

40

Day 11 - Wednesday 4th August 2010 (part 3)

Bredon Hill G/CE-003

After Cleeve Hill G/CE-001, we headed out through the 1980s suburbia that is Eastern Cheltenham, and North up the A435 and A46. With time cracking on, I realised I needed to feed us all, but knew that time to sit in somewhere, or even wait for an order, was not available. At the same time, I needed to fill up with diesel, and I noticed that the garage were selling Pot Noodles - and that they had a tea/coffee machine - that could produce hot water - and there was a cup of white plastic forks. Bingo! Four hot Pot Noodles it was then!

After a short journey, we turned into the minor lanes towards Kemerton and up the long cul-de-sac to SO954384. Fortunately, one of the three parking spots was available, so we grabbed that after a tiring (2n+1) point turn in the small turning space at the end of the road.

And off we walked by the side of the field and into the woods for another ‘dart’ to grab another easy activation. In all honesty I had forgotten what distance was involved with this one. I remember it as easy - which it is, with barely 120m of very graded ascent involved - but had forgotten how long it was. Not that it is long at just over 2km, but for some reason I had remembered it as about a quarter of that!

A nice sunset was in progress over the steeper western escarpment of the hill. Time really was getting on as we approached 8.30pm, and still with ambitions to do one more summit afterwards! We elected for a handheld/rubber-duck only activation, but this was more than sufficient for Jimmy to collect 4 QSOs on 2m FM and set off back down the hill with Liam and Craig. I remained on summit for a further 12 minutes, making 7 contacts, including stalwarts like Frank G3RMD, Stewart G0LGS and Richard G4ERP, with whom the rag chew was so compelling that it was difficult to say 73 and crack on with contacts 2, 3 and 4!

I pursued the three lads back down the descent route, and surprisingly caught them about halfway down. “Are we still doing Walton Hill even though it’s so late?” asked Jimmy. You bet we were.

Tom M1EYP