40 activations into my “POTA phase” and every time I head out, I still start feelling sick, and think about calling it off. I push through it of course, because you have to get out and do these things—the alternative is retreating into my ever-shrinking comfort zone until I never do anything at all. Chief among my worries is always that someone will tell me I shouldn’t be there, or I’m breaking the law, or otherwise be aggressive. (Of course, this has never happened to me yet and probably never will.)

But if you’re anything like me, and fancy a park where you will almost certainly see no-one at all, GB-4508 Higher Hyde Heath is the place for you. With ample parking for almost three cars, and no signs at all on the road indicating that it’s there, this is one of Dorset’s best-kept secrets.

A pond on Higher Hyde Heath

From the car park, there is only one trail, though it diverges a little way along. The right fork dips down steeply into a wooded valley, around which there is a circular walk, while the left fork continues past the bird hide and eventually out onto the heath.

It’s the latter direction I headed, looking for open sky with good take-off for radio transmissions. I found a cleared patch of bracken to set up in next to a pond, being careful of course at this time of year to avoid stomping out into the heather and disturbing nesting nightjars.

A QTH with a View.

Being a brief detour on the way home, my focus was on exploring the site, so time on the radio was limited. However, the 20m band seemed to be in decent shape today, and just under 30 minutes on the air netted me 18 contacts across Europe.

Many thanks to my contacts during this brief activation. See you on the air next time!