Lammerside Castle G-560 Activation 18/05/14

Lammerside Castle G-560 Activation 18th May 2014



Up early this morning and soon heading north up the M6 to the area of Kirkby Stephen in the Eden Valley. M6 was very quiet and was soon relaxing into the 65 mile drive from Blackpool with blue skies and the sun shining and soon turning off at Tebay, Junction 38. Found the A685 also very quiet and continued to the junction with the A683 where I turned right and then immediately left onto Wharton Lane, a single lane road which takes you under the main railway line and onwards to the end of the lane and Croop Farm.

On arrival at Croop Farm I parked on the grass verge about 100M from the farm.




Kit on and took the short track dowhhill to a gate which gave access to a field where Lammerside Castle is located. The lovely River Eden was bubbling away downhill to my right at approximately 100M or less.

On arrival at the castle found that the wind coming down the valley was very strong therefore set-up the inverted 'V' 20/40M multiple dipole on the eastern side of the castle where I would be shielded from the wind. Once set-up I took a number of photographs which can be seen on the photo galleries on the CASHOTA Forum, CASHOTA Northwest England Group Forum and the CQportable website.

Started on 40M SSB and worked the following stations:

MM0VEG/M John, Airdrie Nr Glasgow
GB0LYC Dereck, (Lydford Castle - Devon & Cornwall Repeater Group for Castles On The Air weekend 17/18th May)
GB0CRC (Castle Rising Castle - King's Lynn Amateur Radio Club for Castles On The Air weekend 17/18th May)
G0JMZ Peter, Skegness
G4JZF Graham, Willenhall
G6LD (Silent Key - G6LD & G4CDD are the call signs now used by the DENBY DALE AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY)
G7AFM Phil, Hereford
G0AJH John, Hornchurch
OT7G Nic, Begium
M0HEM John, Dagenham
GI1BZT Les, Magherafelt
G3RXT Gordon, Norwich
GB3RS Peter, RSGB Bletchley Park
G3FYQ Colin, Pontefract
G3UDI Bob, Cambridge
EI9GTB Brian, Drogheda, Louth
G4BLI/P Alan, Cornwall
G0FDU Ray, Dartford
G0BKU/A Shaun, Shepton Mallett
GX3VGG (BROMSGROVE & DISTRICT AMATEUR RADIO CLUB)
EI7T/P (Tipperary Amateur Radio Group)
EI6AL Dave, Dun Laoghhaire

Equipment used:

Yaesu FT-857
Sotabeams Band Hopper II, 20/40M Dipole
SOTA 7M Pole
12V 12AHr Gel Cell
40W output

A very enjoyable activation in great WX and I would like to thanks all stations worked, especially Bob G3UDI in Cambridge for the long interesting ragchew and the Special Events stations worked to include two CASHOTA castle activations.

I would also like to thank Dave M0DKR & Brian G4XSI for their company in slow moving traffic north of J34 on the M6 on 2M FM & GB3FC, the Blackpool 70cms Repeater and to Keith G1HIP/M and his good lady who passed on the news of the M6 accident and the sad consequences of such. So sad!

73's
Ian 2E0EDX
CASHOTA Northwest England Group