Divis, GI/AH-004 - 478m ASL - J 280 754 - OSNI Discoverer 15 - 2 SOTA points       

This hill stands right behind Belfast as you sail into the city from the Irish Sea. The crossing from Birkenhead on Norfolk Line ferries was very smooth, and accompanied by a hearty evening meal, a comfortable bed and a full cooked breakfast. What a way to travel!

   

My last visit here in 2005 was just a few weeks prior to it being opened up to the public under the National Trust umbrella, so prior permission was required, and obtained. This time, Thursday 27th March 2008, it was a much simpler job of following Jimmy's faultless co-driver navigating, and parking up at the National Trust car park on Divis Road.

This gave a much easier approach than last time when we had to trudge through bleak boggy moors to get to the summit. We didn't even put our walking boots on for the 30 minute walk up the access track that serves the Divis/Black Mountain BBC transmitter site and the M.O.D. compound. We set up for 80m just in front of the compound, and enjoyed the views over the city and Belfast Lough.

   

At 0901 UTC, I called "QRL?" on 3.557MHz CW, to be immediately greeted by a "GM de G3CWI". So Richard got the first contact of the tour, and it was certainly one that kicked off an excellent, enjoyable and highly successful five days. After Roger G4OWG was worked at 0916 UTC, it appeared I had cleared the pile-up, and so it was time to test the all-important strategy we had been preparing. Could Jimmy make himself reliably heard on HF QRP without using morse? It seemed the answer was 80m SSB, and that's what I had been practising in the weeks and days leading up to the GI trip.

   

I sent "QSY 3.660 SSB", something that became commonplace at the end of my CW pile-ups. We tuned to 3.660, but found it to be in heavy use. However, 3.659MHz seemed viable, so I suggested to Jimmy that he call there repeatedly, and hopefully someone would find him. Within only a minute, he was found, G3CWI providing Jimmy with his first contact of the trip as well as mine. Richard advised that John GW4BVE/P and Pete MW0COP/P were activating GW/SW-007 on 3.667MHz, so we quickly QSYd there and got the S2S contacts.

   

Returning to 3.659MHz, Jimmy completed a further four QSOs, and myself another two. Graham G4JZF was heard calling, but QSB got in the way of a successful two-way exchange, so that one got away. The first activation in GI-land had gone like a dream, and we were soon enthusiastically walking down the long access track back to the car, and still confident of at least three activations on our opening day.

Back at the car, I took advantage of the high situation to do a spot of broadcast SWLing, compiling a reception report for Five FM 100.5, from the city of Newry. That appeared to be a new one since my last visit at New Year. We then drove out towards Antrim at the North East corner of Lough Neagh, and our next summit, Tobernaveen Hill GI/AH-009.  Many thanks to the following stations, all worked on 80m with 5 watts: