Tom Read - click to email meBDXC ISWL WAB SOTA RSGB IOTA - see my radio page for more detailsLiam & Jimmy

Carn Hill 2008

 

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This would be my third visit to this hill, which was my first ever GI SOTA back in 2003. It would be Jimmy's second visit, but first as a licensed amateur and therefore it was, as every summit on this holiday, an activator unique for him.  After our activation of Big Collin GI/AH-008 on Thursday 27th March 2008, we decided we could squeeze a fourth activation in for the day.

We paused briefly in Ballyclare to buy some additional OS 1:50,000 maps we needed, and then continued into the minor lanes between Ballyclare, Newtownards and Carrickfergus. We found the concrete driveway up to the farm at the bottom of Carn Hill, and drove up it. There is nowhere to park on the road, so we have always parked, with permission, in the farmyard, or parking area for the residence up there.

A man from the house came out to see who we were and what we were doing. I got out of the car and said "We wondered if it would be OK to walk up to the summit", pointing at the hill behind me. "Oh aye, no problem" came the reply in deep Ulster brogue. "Where should I leave my car?" I asked, hoping that he would invite me to use his drive or the farmyard, and not send me back out onto the roads to find something. "Drive it up the road to the transmitter, and leave it outside the compound" he instructed. That would reduce a short easy ascent to a very short very easy ascent, but who were we to argue?

Jimmy sending the spot    Tom on Carn Hill

Jimmy in actual fact still ended up doing most of that section on foot, as he walked between successive gates opening them for me to drive through. We did park outside the transmitter compound (which is not on the summit!) as instructed, then set off on foot for the summit. From this point we had a short walk of about 300m, with around 40m of ascent, to the trig point.

Jimmy MI3EYP/P    Tom MI1EYP/P

It was nearly 6 o'clock, with about an hour's daylight remaining, but the descent was short and easy, so we decided to set up 80m for the fourth time in the day. A long run of 19 QSOs on 3.557MHz CW was followed by Jimmy making just 4 on 3.660MHz SSB, hindered somewhat by worsening conditions and heavy QRM. But we had both made it, the first day was complete, we were one summit ahead of schedule and the 80m CW/SSB strategy couldn't have worked out any better. I wondered if we could maintain the pace? I started to get ideas of adding more summits to the schedule if we could, but kept such thoughts to myself for the time being.

80m antenna    Jimmy MI3EYP/P

We arrived at Jimmy's Grandad's (also called Jimmy) house in Larne, Co. Antrim, after 8pm, with a Chinese take-away.  The day was rounded off with me slipping out for a couple of pints and a drop of Black Bush with my brother-in-law Campbell, who was also stopping at the house with his son!   Our first day of our Northern Ireland SOTA trip was a successful day which couldn't have gone any better.  Many thanks to the following stations, all worked on 80m with 5 watts:

G4OWG Rawdon Roger CW T
G4CPA Crosshills Geoff CW T
DL1FU Biedenkopf Fred CW T
EI7CC Dun Laoghaire Pete CW T
G3OHC Selby Graham CW T
DJ5AV Heiligenberg Mike CW T
G3WPF Wilmslow Reg CW T
GW0DSP Connahs Quay Mike CW T
G0AZS Aylesbury Marc CW T
LX1NO Strassen Norby CW T
HB9AGH Zurich Ambrosi CW T
G0NES Hollywood Don CW T
HB9CSA Zurich Fritz CW T
EI2CL Dublin Michael CW T
DL6KVA Rostock Axel CW T
G0HIO Burton-on-Trent Mike CW T
G4RQJ Walney Island Rob CW T
HB9CGA Embrach Ulrich CW T
G3TJE Highbridge Peter CW T
GW7AAV Connahs Quay Steve SSB J
2E0PXW Ellesmere Port Barry SSB J
G3CWI Macclesfield Richard SSB J
G3OHC Selby Graham SSB J