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How did this happen? I don’t know where to start.
Thursday 21st September 2017 was the second day of a two day break away in the Yorkshire Dales for Marianne and I. Somehow, and I just cannot fathom how it happened, but Marianne and I walked together to the summit of Sharp Haw G/NP-029, in thick fog and pretty heavy persistent rain, over some very boggy ground. And I did an activation at the top.
I only rustled up a single contact on 2m FM with the handie - but that still went down as a major victory in these most unlikely of circumstances. We got back home and were still speaking. Marianne said she’d enjoyed the break away. What on earth is going on? Nurse…?
On Wednesday 6th December 2017, I set off in good time for my gig in York. Sharp Haw G/NP-029 and Rombalds Moor G/NP-028 had both been activated by me already in 2017 - but both failed in terms of getting the 4 contacts. It seemed I was going to suffer the same fate when I was trying to set up on Sharp Haw. My 20m GP antenna had broken - again - and I didn’t have the necessary small screwdriver with me to fix it - again! I therefore set about setting up the 40m dipole which (fortunately) I had also carried to the summit.
However, while setting this up, a section of my pole broke in half. I was still able to get the aerial up, but at barely over half the intended height. I managed to get two QSOs - ON4FI and IK2LEY on 40m CW - but I was then struggling. Then a stroke of luck - I called CQ on 2m FM with the handheld - and got Phil G4OOE and Dave G3TQQ - who were kitting up at the parking spot for Sharp Haw! Phew! Obviously, we passed each other on my descent / their ascent, and Nick kindly let me borrow his screwdriver so I could quickly repair my 20m antenna. I really need to stick one of those into the pack!
En route to my next summit, I heard Nick calling on S20, so pulled into the Craven Heifer car park to chase them both. I just about had time for a quick attempt at Rombalds Moor G/NP-028, so off there next.
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