Summits in Northamptonshire

Does anybody know of any summits in Northamptonshire/Warwickshire as I am visiting relatives soon and do no know if any exist? I will be in the Daventry area of the county?

Matt 2E0XTL

http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/EWRegions/MarilynRegions.php?qu=Ma&gp=M39

and perhaps these:

http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/EWRegions/MarilynRegions.php?qu=Ma&gp=M38A

and these:

http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/EWRegions/MarilynRegions.php?qu=Ma&gp=M38B

…depending on exactly where you will be based.

Have fun!

Tom M1EYP

In reply to M1EYP:

Many Thanks, Tom

The Hill-bagging website is very useful!!

Will try and get on Arbury Hill near Staverton!! Not strictly a summit for SOTA but will try and advertise on the website if allowed!!

Matt 2E0XTL

You might be better putting it on the forum at
http://www.summitsbase.org.uk
…which lists other (non-SOTA) hills for radio amateurs.

Tom M1EYP

In reply to 2E0XTL:

Matt,

Be warned, Arbury Hill is private land and the land owner is not at all friendly. If you want an easily accessible spot to make some contacts from, I would suggest that you go to Honey Hill near Cold Ashby (SP639769 - park on the grass verge on the bend by the radio station) or Newnham Hill near Daventry (SP584604 - park in lay-by and go through into field alongside - stay on footpath to avoid any issues as it is a private field.

The nearest SOTA summits are CE-004 and CE-005 which are both around 50 miles by road.

73, Gerald
Northampton

In reply to G4OIG:

Thanks for all the suggestions but I ended going up Borough Hill in Daventry today!! The former site of the BBC Transmitting station!! Now home to dog walkers and a 220 Mhz mast for DAB run buy Arqiva (Yet despite its weird spelling it is pronounced with a ‘U’) Many thanks for all the suggestions!!

Matt 73 2E0XTL

In reply to 2E0XTL:

Hi Matt,

Okay on Borough Hill. It used to be a no-go area in the BBC days, so I never have regarded it as a suitable site for operating from. Must try it one day.

It’s a real shame that we don’t have right to roam in England, as Arbury Hill is a decent site. It would also provide what I like when I’m out - privacy. I’m always conscious of the need for solitude when activating alone. Many of the GM/SS summits are brilliant for lone activations - no access issues and little chance of being disturbed. Bliss!

73, Gerald

In reply to G4OIG:

It would also provide what I like when
I’m out - privacy. I’m always conscious of the need for solitude when
activating alone. Many of the GM/SS summits are brilliant for lone
activations - no access issues and little chance of being disturbed.
Bliss!

Yes, tell me about it, Gerald! On the Stiperstones yesterday afternoon, it seemed every man, woman and their crapping dogs + screaming kids were having a day out! There were at least 20 cars in the NT car park and the rocks on the summit were like an adventure playground. What a difference a glimmer of sunshine makes. When I was last there in December 2009 the hill was shrouded in mist and I had the whole place to myself.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to G3NYY:

Borough Hill proved an interesting activation, however operating on a Tuesday afternoon means that alot of people are at work! I’m sure on a Saturday it would be a far better site. Be alert that on 4m FM around 70.475 you get alot of QRM from the DAB mast! (I’m sure that 30 years ago it would have been worse with 7 switch stations and over 25 arrays all sending out 250Kw of HF!!)

Watch out the car park this year can be slippy and many people were getting stuck!

In reply to G3NYY:

When I
was last there in December 2009 the hill was shrouded in mist and I
had the whole place to myself.

You want to watch out for that, Walt. According to:

http://www.mythstories.com/edricA.html

“It’s said when mist hangs around the Devil’s Chair (one of the crags) Satan and a coven of witches are meeting and bad deeds are afoot.”

Perhaps the General Rules need updating, something along the lines of:

“The activator assumes sole responsibility for all curses, hexes, burnings and damnations, howsoever accrued.”

73,

Dave MW0MYA

In reply to M0MYA:

Tee hee!

“Hubble bubble, toil and trouble!”

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

In reply to G3NYY:

…and I thought it was static rain that caused me to go QRT after just 6 QSOs!!!

On Stiperstones I had the lofty height of the summit outcrop all to myself, but visibility was down to 20m and it was cold and damp. I much prefer that to Joe Public invading the summit, but better Joe Public in his shell suit and trainers with his unruly children plus his semi-domesticated animal entourage than a group of yobs with mal-intent. Fortunately those so minded are rarely found on summits as they seem to lack the physical prowess to make the ascent. In my opinion, sitting in a car by the side of the road operating portable with an antenna on a pole is a far more risky pursuit than sitting on a summit.

73, Gerald

In reply to 2E0XTL:

Thanks for the warning Matt. Think I’ll nip over with the Quattro and churn up the surface a bit more! Perhaps not, I’d only have to have the mud washed out again - it was bad enough after the last time I slid off the road into a ditch in the Lake District!

73 and hope to catch you for a QSO when you are over this way,

Gerald

In reply to G4OIG:

but better Joe
Public in his shell suit and trainers with his unruly children plus
his semi-domesticated animal entourage than a group of yobs with
mal-intent. Fortunately those so minded are rarely found on summits as
they seem to lack the physical prowess to make the ascent.

This is true, but my principal objection to the “better populated” summits is the amount of dog fouling left behind by the visitors! I have found CE-001, WB-021 and WB-003 particularly unpleasant in this respect. I don’t know why people can’t clean up after their animals.
:frowning:

73,
Walt (G3NYY)