# Coniston Loop in the Mist
**URL:** https://discourse.wota.xyz/t/coniston-loop-in-the-mist/550
**Category:** Activation Reports
**Created:** [18 January 2025 20:32 UTC](https://discourse.wota.xyz/t/coniston-loop-in-the-mist/550 "2025-01-18T20:32:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@M5TEA](https://discourse.wota.xyz/u/M5TEA)
#### Post date: [18 January 2025 20:32 UTC](https://discourse.wota.xyz/t/coniston-loop-in-the-mist/550/1 "2025-01-18T20:32:51Z")
Took a wrong turn this morning up Walna Scar Road following a teacher and some teenagers, turned too quick and ended up at a no-entry gate. Not sure what happend to the kids!
I decided to follow the fence (on the left) around the Burlington Slate compound and picked up a path that ended at the other side. I realised when I got to the gate I wasn’t going to end up on Dow Crag but The Old Man first, so flipped the order of the activation.
Although it was a bit punishing towards the end, I only saw the teenagers, probably going the wrong way, and a couple of people coming down - compared to the usual highway, so that was good!
## Coniston Old Man
| **WOTA ID:** LDW-030 | **Height:** 803 m (2634 ft) |
| --- | --- |
| **SOTA ID:** G/LD-013 | **Grid ref:** SD272978 |
| **HuMP ID:** n/a | **QTH Locator:** IO84KI |
| **Book:** [The Southern Fells](https://www.wota.org.uk/mm_southern_fells) | **Lat:** 54.370355 **Long:** -3.120712 |
I was in the mist on the way up, that turned freezing with Rime Ice on the foliage.
On the _Old Man_ I setup the FT-817 and HF SOTABeams Band Hopper IV quad-band dipole and the VHF Spectrum Communications Slim-J on the SOTABeams Tactical Mast. I just about managed to fit the HF antenna between the main path and a smaller path. Took a bit to find a frequency on 20m and worked most of the regular chasers and a couple of S2S. No chance of finding a frequency on 40m with a contest on! There seemed to be a lift on 2m with some really good contacts from all three summits, although some folk did notice my signal going up and down as the pole bent and the Slim-J was blown 45 degrees!
| TIME | CALLSIGN | BAND | MODE | RST | RSR | OPERATOR | SIG | REF |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 12:56 | [EA3EVL](https://qrz.com/db/EA3EVL) | 20m | SSB | 55 | 55 | PABLO | | |
| 12:56 | [EA2DT](https://qrz.com/db/EA2DT) | 20m | SSB | 55 | 44 | Manuel | | |
| 12:57 | [DL2DXA](https://qrz.com/db/DL2DXA) | 20m | SSB | 59 | 57 | Bernd | | |
| 12:57 | [F6FTB](https://qrz.com/db/F6FTB) | 20m | SSB | 59 | 57 | CHRISTIAN | | |
| 12:57 | [EA1DHB](https://qrz.com/db/EA1DHB) | 20m | SSB | 59 | 55 | Ricardo | | |
| 12:58 | [S52AU](https://qrz.com/db/S52AU) | 20m | SSB | 51 | 55 | Borut | | |
| 12:58 | [SQ9CWO](https://qrz.com/db/SQ9CWO) | 20m | SSB | 59 | 57 | Jan | | |
| 12:59 | [CT2IWW](https://qrz.com/db/CT2IWW) | 20m | SSB | 55 | 55 | Paulo | | |
| 12:59 | [EA3ARP](https://qrz.com/db/EA3ARP) | 20m | SSB | 53 | 54 | Joan | | |
| 13:01 | [DL/HB9EVF/P](https://qrz.com/db/HB9EVF) | 20m | SSB | 55 | 55 | Thomas | SOTA | [DM/BW-193](https://summits.sota.org.uk/summit/DM/BW-193) |
| 13:01 | [DL/HB9HXJ/P](https://qrz.com/db/HB9HXJ) | 20m | SSB | 55 | 55 | Tabea | SOTA | [DM/BW-193](https://summits.sota.org.uk/summit/DM/BW-193) |
| 13:02 | [SQ9MDF](https://qrz.com/db/SQ9MDF) | 20m | SSB | 59 | 55 | Leszek | | |
| 13:02 | [DL/PA3FYG/P](https://qrz.com/db/DL/PA3FYG) | 20m | SSB | 57 | 53 | Hans | SOTA | [DM/RP-180](https://summits.sota.org.uk/summit/DM/RP-180) |
| 13:04 | [DG6CA/P](https://qrz.com/db/DG6CA) | 20m | SSB | 53 | 53 | ARMIN | | |
| 13:06 | [G8CPZ](https://qrz.com/db/G8CPZ) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Andy | | |
| 13:08 | [2E0MIX](https://qrz.com/db/2E0MIX) | 2m | FM | 59 | 57 | Derek | | |
| 13:09 | [M6KWB](https://qrz.com/db/M6KWB) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Kelly | | |
| 13:11 | [G6AEK](https://qrz.com/db/G6AEK) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | David | | |
| 13:12 | [G4WAM](https://qrz.com/db/G4WAM) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Mike | | |
| 13:13 | [GW4TJC/P](https://qrz.com/db/GW4TJC) | 2m | FM | 51 | 52 | Simon | SOTA | [GW/NW-014](https://summits.sota.org.uk/summit/GW/NW-014) |
| 13:14 | [GW1SGG](https://qrz.com/db/GW1SGG) | 2m | FM | 55 | 57 | MERVYN | | |
| 13:15 | [M6KWB](https://qrz.com/db/M6KWB) | 2m | FM | 51 | 51 | Kelly | | |
| 13:16 | [2E0FNM](https://qrz.com/db/2E0FNM) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Matt | | |
| 13:16 | [G4CPA](https://qrz.com/db/G4CPA) | 2m | FM | 55 | 55 | Geoff | | |
| 13:17 | [G0HIK](https://qrz.com/db/G0HIK) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Nick | | |
| 13:18 | [MW3YNK](https://qrz.com/db/MW3YNK) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Gerry | | |
Longest DX on 2m FM was with [GW4TJC/P](https://qrz.com/db/GW4TJC/P) on SOTA [GW/NW-014](https://www.sotadata.org.uk/en/summit/GW/NW-014) at 167 km.
First views were had on the way down to Goat’s Hawse.
## Dow Crag
| **WOTA ID:** LDW-047 | **Height:** 778 m (2552 ft) |
| --- | --- |
| **SOTA ID:** n/a | **Grid ref:** SD262977 |
| **HuMP ID:** G/HLD-016 | **QTH Locator:** IO84KI |
| **Book:** [The Southern Fells](https://www.wota.org.uk/mm_southern_fells) | **Lat:** 54.369313 **Long:** -3.136078 |
Dow Crag was great, I stopped just before the summit as I was completely out of the wind so took the opportunity after the activation to have some lunch. I’m always terrible at taking food - I never bring sandwiches for example - but I’ve found that tinned mackerel (that I eat _a lot_ of to help with the arthritis) is great - full of calories.
Whilst appreciating that there was a bit of a lift on for VHF I was really happy to get so many folk in the log for a WOTA, especially as I was mostly sitting with the FT1XD and RH-770 antenna.
| TIME | CALLSIGN | BAND | MODE | RST | RSR | OPERATOR | SIG | REF |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 14:07 | [G6AEK](https://qrz.com/db/G6AEK) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | David | | |
| 14:08 | [G4MYU](https://qrz.com/db/G4MYU) | 2m | FM | 59 | 56 | Art | | |
| 14:10 | M7HNS | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | John | | |
| 14:11 | [M0ALA](https://qrz.com/db/M0ALA) | 2m | FM | 55 | 55 | Andrew | | |
| 14:12 | [2E0MIX](https://qrz.com/db/2E0MIX) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Derek | | |
| 14:13 | [M0RSF](https://qrz.com/db/M0RSF) | 2m | FM | 59 | 55 | Chris | | |
| 14:14 | [M6KWB](https://qrz.com/db/M6KWB) | 2m | FM | 57 | 59 | Kelly | | |
| 14:16 | [G4WAM](https://qrz.com/db/G4WAM) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Mike | | |
| 14:17 | [GM4WHA](https://qrz.com/db/GM4WHA) | 2m | FM | 55 | 33 | GEOFF | | |
| 14:18 | [G1CLT](https://qrz.com/db/G1CLT) | 2m | FM | 57 | 52 | Ray | | |
| 14:19 | [GM8ORE](https://qrz.com/db/GM8ORE) | 2m | FM | 55 | 56 | RUSSELL | | |
Longest 2m DX was Russell [GM8ORE](https://qrz.com/db/GM8ORE) at 157 km.
## Walna Scar
| **WOTA ID:** LDO-001 | **Height:** 621 m (2037 ft) |
| --- | --- |
| **SOTA ID:** n/a | **Grid ref:** SD257963 |
| **HuMP ID:** n/a | **QTH Locator:** IO84KI |
| **Book:** [The Outlying Fells](https://www.wota.org.uk/mm_outlying_fells) | **Lat:** 54.356659 **Long:** -3.143424 |
As you reach the cross-roads after Brown Pike you have to ascend another 50m or so to reach the summit of Walna Scar. Again some excellent contacts from this summit, belying it’s lower point.
| TIME | CALLSIGN | BAND | MODE | RST | RSR | OPERATOR | SIG | REF |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 15:05 | [G7CDA](https://qrz.com/db/G7CDA) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Douggie | | |
| 15:05 | M7HNS | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | | | |
| 15:06 | [M3LNN](https://qrz.com/db/M3LNN) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Jack | | |
| 15:07 | [G1OHH](https://qrz.com/db/G1OHH) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Sue | | |
| 15:09 | [M6KWB](https://qrz.com/db/M6KWB) | 2m | FM | 59 | 59 | Kelly | | |
| 15:10 | [M0RSF](https://qrz.com/db/M0RSF) | 2m | FM | 59 | 54 | Chris | | |
| 15:10 | [M6NSV](https://qrz.com/db/M6NSV) | 2m | FM | 59 | 54 | Neil | | |
Very impressive contact with [M6NSV](https://qrz.com/db/M6NSV) from this lower summit at 194 km using the FT1XD and RH-770 antenna. He told me his location was elevated but he was only using a Diamond X50!
There were glimpses of the fells now with some gaps in the mist, with one walker proclaiming ‘finally the inversion they promised us!’ - unfortunately the MWIS forecast of 70% chance of cloud-free summits didn’t include any of mine today! As soon as I started descending back down Walna Scar Road the views disappeared again.
Some very atmospheric views of Harter Fell before the descent - it has always been a very photogenic summit for me!
## APRS Tracking
My LoRA APRS tracker was picked up very early by @G8CPZ Andy’s new iGate and I also hit several other local iGates including G0HIK and M5TUE - comprehensive coverage, although mine being low down and in a couple of valleys along didn’t seem to catch me.
---
### Author:  [@M8XGO](https://discourse.wota.xyz/u/M8XGO)
#### Post date: [19 January 2025 20:05 UTC](https://discourse.wota.xyz/t/coniston-loop-in-the-mist/550/2 "2025-01-19T20:05:20Z")
Looks like you had a great day out there Mark!
Was fishing on Bassenthwaite lake yesterday and the breeze was surprisingly cool , I expect it was particularly so on the tops ?
Some good contacts on VHF as well with Andy and Chris down in West Yorkshire and GM8 “Old Rusty Equipment” at Stranraer . Some nice pictures as well.
Managed to get the abandoned Fellbarrow/Low Fell trip in today after the roads were too bad to access last week .
Cheers.
Richard
2E0XGO
---
### Author:  [@2e0ldf](https://discourse.wota.xyz/u/2e0ldf)
#### Post date: [21 January 2025 18:53 UTC](https://discourse.wota.xyz/t/coniston-loop-in-the-mist/550/3 "2025-01-21T18:53:37Z")
I can’t always get those fells from home there are to many higher one’s in the way Great Gable-Grasmoor. But it’s great to see you are finding more time to get out, look forward to a s2s this year
Not sure about your choice of lunch ?
Reg