The second summit on our long Saturday - 24th May 2008 - was Crowborough G/SE-007. From Botley Hill G/SE-005, the directions were executed perfectly by the JimNav as we followed the A21 southwards and then the A26 into Crowborough. En route we logged medium-wave broadcast station Gold 603.

       

We first parked in a side road off the A26 and walked into the compound with the covered reservoir. There, hiding behind a high hedge and a service building was the trig point. We returned to the other side of the road to try and suss out the true summit, but gave up as it appeared to be on private land/gardens behind some very posh houses. A few calls on 2m FM with the HH & RSS were unanswered, so we knew we had to find a suitable spot for an HF activation.

       

We got back in the car and drove down to the golf club, achieved with a left turning off the A26, and left again into the members car park at TQ507298. I first checked with a golfer preparing for his round that we were OK to park there for a short while - no problems - and then continued up the road looking for the footpath recommended by G3CWI.  This doubled back towards the town centre along the back fences of people's gardens. The clearing used by Richard was identified - but was it big enough to take the 80m dipole?  We thought we could just about string it up, the clearing being a similar size and shape to that on Tobernaveen Hill GI/AH-009, and indeed there was enough room - just.

       

Jimmy sent the spot, and Frank G3RMD and Alistair GW0VMZ were worked quickly. Then we struggled. We tried different frequencies, and sent more spots, but to no avail. GW0DSP was heard calling on two occasions, but our replies to him went unanswered. We still wanted to do another summit, and also wanted to be in Winchester by 6.30pm to get washed and changed, and watch Jimmy's cousin Ryan performing at a folk concert. Hence I went for 80 SSB only figuring that we would have to do SSB anyway for Jimmy, and that time would be saved by not doing CW. Wrong! I think if I had done CW first as usual, it would have built up more interest, and more chasers trying for the summit.  A local resident appeared on the scene wondering what we were up.  There wasn't a problem, he just wanted to satisfy himself that we weren't undesirables smoking out the local wildlife so that the golf club could advance its plans to build on this small piece of common land!  That was his theory anyway, I couldn't possibly comment...

It was not the best time of the day or year for 80m, but we knew we would struggle on SSB on the ever-crowded 40m band anyway. Jimmy and I managed to complete our quota of four contacts each by answering CQ calls from GB special event stations. We were away from the town of Crowborough by around 3pm local, and despite our remaining mileage and plans for the evening, decided to squeeze another activation in. So off to Leith Hill G/SE-002 it was!  Many thanks to the following stations, all worked on 80m SSB with 5 watts: