Dale Head with Richard 2E0XGO on Sat 5th April 2025

Dale Head LD-020/LDW-063 Sat 5th Apr 2025.

As Saturday 5th April was LD weekend I asked Richard 2E0XGO if he would like to do Dale Head LD-020/LDW-063 and he very kindly said yes.

We arranged to meet at a parking place about ½ mile from the summit of Honister pass on the Borrowdale side. Advantage was it was free!

We set off walking at 9.30 am local and arrived at the summit at 11:00 am local. Total distance was 1.7 miles from car to summit. Weather was excellent, in fact more or less perfect walking/activating weather.

On the way to the top we worked M5OTA/P who was on Scafell Pike LD-001/LDW-001.

Both Richard and myself set up our aerials about 30 yards apart. I was using a 2m J-POLE aerial attached to a roach pole. There is a very handy metal fence post at the top and I cable tied a metal ground spike to it and slipped the roach pole on top. It was probably up about 20 feet. I used a Yaesu FT-8800 with a 20 amp lithium polymer battery so I could run 50 watts. The 8800 has dual receive which was useful because I could monitor S20 on 1 side and transmit on another frequency on the other side. I also had an Alinco DG-J7 23 cm handheld which I used to make a summit to summit with GOJKS/P who was on Helvellyn on 23 cms.

In total I made 44 contacts and 21 summit to summits. I managed to achieve 90 chaser points to. Our best DX was GM/CS-065 Ben Vrackie which is near Pitlochry.

Contacts made were as follows:-

09:45 M5OTA/P 144MHz FM LD-001
10:02 G0EVV/P 144MHz FM LD-011
10:03 M0TKF/P 144MHz FM LD-011
10:07 G4IPB/P 144MHz FM LD-007
10:09 M0JKS/P 144MHz FM LD-003
10:19 G0TDM 144MHz FM
10:21 G6LKB 144MHz FM
10:23 G8CPZ/P 144MHz FM LD-050
10:25 2E0LDF 144MHz FM
10:40 M0WML/P 144MHz FM LD-053
10:41 G4VPX/P 144MHz FM LD-053
10:45 M0JKS/P 1240MHz FM LD-003
10:46 G0HIK/P 144MHz FM
10:52 M1BUU/P 144MHz FM LD-013
10:53 M7GTU/P 144MHz FM LD-013
10:57 G7SAT/P 144MHz FM LD-024
10:59 G6PJZ/P 144MHz FM LD-024
11:00 2E0DIJ/P 144MHz FM SP-010
11:04 G1FVA/P 144MHz FM LD-011
11:08 M0OUD/P 144MHz FM
11:10 GM1VLA 144MHz FM
11:15 G4VFL 144MHz FM
11:17 M7SKY 144MHz FM
11:23 GW0TPS/M 144MHz FM
11:26 M0YDH/P 144MHz FM ON BLEABERRY HILL LDW-132
11:38 M0PJE/P 144MHz FM LD-004
11:51 2E0MIX 144MHz FM
11:57 G6AEK 144MHz FM
12:01 G7WKX/M 144MHz FM HONISTER CAR PARK
12:07 G4IPB/P 144MHz FM LD-022
12:18 M0LLC/P 144MHz FM LD-054
12:19 M7RLO/P 144MHz FM LD-054
12:22 MM0CMV/P 144MHz FM GM/CS-065
12:28 G3TNN/P 144MHz FM BOTA BLACKPOOL
12:44 M0YDH/P 144MHz FM HIGH SEATLDW-130
12:50 G1FVA/P 144MHz FM MARDALE ILL BELL
13:05 G1GBD 144MHz FM
13:10 G0EVV/P 144MHz FM LD-018
13:15 M0TKF/P 144MHz FM LD-018
13:20 M0YDH/P 144MHz FM HIGH TOVE LDW-167
13:26 G7KSE/P 144MHz FM LD-045
13:49 GW4TQE/P 144MHz FM GW/NW-075
14:02 G5TUE/P 144MHz FM LD-046
14:21 M0YDH/P 144MHz FM ARMBOTH FELL LDW-182

We operated for about 4 hours in near perfect conditions although I was still wearing a winter coat and a wooley hat! It is surprising how cool you get when sitting about on a summit for a few hours.

Many thanks to Richard for the company and also to all chasers. I have to say it was a bit manic at times!!


On way up to Dale Head.

G4WHA/P aerial setup.

G4WHA/P radios.

Looking over to Catbells, Maiden Moor and High Spy.

My 23cms handheld.

Summit of Dale Head.

Richards station.

GPX track to Dale Head.

73’s Geoff

GM4WHA

3 Likes

It really was a grand day out Geoff .
The weather was particularly kind and very little wind on the top for us on Dale Head .
You’ve summed up the day nicely with some nice shots with great views and clear blue sky in all directions . I do have some short video clips of us working Lois and Lee on Watch hill and a couple of others which I’ll try and post somewhere , mean while here’s a couple of pictures I got .
Hope you enjoyed the evening meet up too .
Richard …

1 Like

Hi Richard,

The photo of your station did not get uploaded but have done it now.

Yes it was an excellent day. Mind you looking at me you would think it was the middle of winter! Other people in shorts and t-shirt!!

It is not often you get blue skies like we had that day!

This is the path from Dale Head to Ben Vrakie.

Thanks again.

73’s Geoff

GM4WHA