Having booked a 7 night walking holiday at the HF Holidays location at Selworthy, Devon I realised it was just down the road from the famous Dunkery beacon IO81FD which I had worked many times from Cleeve Common IO81XW. It was decided to take some narrowband microwave equipment to see how the site really was.
I parked at the layby previously used by Noel G8GTZ on the North side of the Beacon. First QSO was on 24 GHz SSB with G4UVZ IO80KX near Taunton.
G8CUB/P had been persuaded to go to Cleeve Common IO81XW and was a huge signal on 24 GHz NBFM, He was loud enough to work on 47GHz SSB for my best ever DX on the band at 136km. No signals were hear either way on 76 GHz.
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| The takeoff over the Bristol Channel |
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| 24GHz towards IO81XW from the layby |
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| 47GHz (a dish was needed for the QSO) Meanwhile G4LDR, G8GKQ and G8GTZ had gone to Bullbarrow Hill, IO80UU (96km) I worked G8GKQ and G8GTZ on 24 GHz NB and DATV and G4LDR/P on 24 Ghz SSB and 47GHz CW |
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| The setup to G4LDR/P on 47GHz CW I also tried working G8IKP/P IO80RQ near Hardy monument and M0GHZ/P at Cold Ashton IO81KP (obstructed path the plots later showed) but no success was to be had After packing away the gear I did walk to the Top of Dunkery Beacon to see if it was worth the extra effort of going man portable. I was not convinced!  The summit of Dunkery Beacon  The takeoff towards IO81XW from the summit |
