North Berwick Law (GM/SS-280) is a fine SOTA peak! The peak is modest at 178 metres high, and the western car park is about 40 metres ASL. So, there is a 138-metre vertical distance to climb. Meet at the North Berwick Law car park; UK Nat Grid NT553843 on the west side of the Law. To get there take the B1347 heading south out of North Berwick. About 100 metres or so after you pass the Community Centre and High School on your right there is a sharp right-hand bend in the road with a narrow road going straight ahead (left) to the carpark. Public transport could be used to North Berwick train station with a walk of about 2km to the car park.  From there plenty of well-worn tracks lead to the summit from where there are good views all around over East Lothian and out to some of the islands in the Firth of Forth such as Bass Rock, Fidra, The Lamb, Craigleith and on a good day, out to the Isle of May.  Many thanks to Ken (GM0AXY) for this parking information who along with his wife Christine (GM4YMM) were the first people to radio from the summit.

It may be muddy. I suggest boots or stout shoes for walking up North Berwick Law, a warm and waterproof jacket and hat, portable and battery-operated radio kit, something to sit on – a camping mat or even a picnic chair is ideal but remember you must carry it both up and down the hill. Perhaps put everything in a rucksack and use walking poles if you have them, as they can also be used to secure an antenna wire.

We plan to spend a couple of hours on top. Everyone should bring a handie as there have been over one hundred 2 metre QSOs and a few on 70cms. The antenna folk might use for the 144MHz DF Fox Hunt event two weeks before would be portable and easily good enough.

If CPSARC members do not plan to climb North Berwick Law, it would be good if they were on-air that evening on 2m or 70cms so we can make plenty of local contacts.

On the SOTA website (https://summits.sota.org.uk/activity/GM/SS-280) there have been 67 occasions recorded when radio hams have broadcast from the top (6/5/2024), so it is a reliable radio summit. 

If anyone has any questions, please get in touch; colwyn.jones@hotmail.com

See you on 28^th May.

73

Colwyn (MM0YCJ)

Our regular club night will take place on 7 March from 7pm in the Thorntree Inn.

If the lounge is free we’ll be there, if not you can find us in the bar.

We ask for a donation of £2 per month to help with our admin costs, you can pay cash on the night or use the paypal link on the right to pay any amount (you can pay for the whole year if you want)

If anyone has items for the newsletter, can they send them to cpsarc@gmail.com as soon as possible.

We will be running one of our popular Radio Check Nights where Cambel MM0DXC and John MM0JXI will bring along their test equipment so club members can have their radios checked out.

We can test just about anything you can throw at us, giving you a record of output power, frequency stability, recieve sensitivity, spectrum purity and a raft of other parameters.

The venue is the Royal British Legion in Cockenzie from 7.30pm

Cost is £2 per member as normal

The January club night will take place on 7 February in the Thorntree Inn in Cockenzie from 7pm onwards

We’ll be in the lounge bar unless there’s a quiz night going on. If that’s the case we’ll be in the main bar.

We invite members to pay £2 per night to support the club’s expenses, you can pay cash on the night or use the paypal link on the website. You are also welcome to pay for the whole year at once (£24).

The January club night will take place on 10 January in the Thorntree Inn in Cockenzie from 7pm onwards

We’ll be in the lounge bar unless there’s a quiz night going on. If that’s the case we’ll be in the main bar.