GN4FFF Activation of Carnmoney Hill LNR (POTA GB-5048): A Belfast Ridge, A Small Station, and a Signal Across the Atlantic
29/08/2025On 27 August 2025, the GM Flora and Fauna team carried radio into one of Northern Ireland’s most storied and accessible wild patches — Carnmoney Hill Local Nature Reserve, Parks on the Air reference GB-5048. From its wooded slopes and ridgeline paths looking out across Belfast Lough, we put the call sign GN4FFF on the air, logging contacts on the 30-metre band with nothing more than an old Icom IC-725, a mobile whip, and a few watts of patient signal.
It proved to be an activation that underlined what makes POTA and GMFF expeditions rewarding: a blend of landscape, history, wildlife, and the magic of radio reaching far beyond what the bare numbers suggest.
The Setting: Carnmoney Hill Local Nature Reserve
Carnmoney Hill rises immediately above Newtownabbey, on the northern edge of Belfast. It forms part of the Belfast Hills, a string of ridges that act as both backdrop and breathing space for the city. For thousands of local people, it is a place to walk, climb, and pause above the bustle, and it carries layers of natural and human story.
The name “Carnmoney” comes from the Irish Carn Monaidh, meaning “cairn of the bog,” a reminder of the prehistoric monuments that once dotted these slopes. On its southern face sits the ancient earthwork known as Dunanney Rath, thought to be over a thousand years old. Beneath the surface, archaeologists have found souterrains — underground passages once used for refuge or storage in unsettled times. Later centuries added lime kilns, quarries, and even tales of witches; each era leaving its mark on the hill.
Today, much of the eastern side is protected as a Local Nature Reserve, covering just over 21 hectares. It is managed to encourage wildlife, retain fragments of ancient woodland, and provide access for the community. The paths are varied: short loops at the lower edge for a quick stroll, longer woodland trails that take in ponds and wildflower patches, and a more demanding climb to the hilltop. From there, the views are remarkable — across Belfast city, the lough, and on clear days out toward the Mournes and Scotland.
For wildlife watchers, Carnmoney is a small mosaic of habitats. Bluebells and wild garlic brighten the woods in spring. Orchids and primroses mark the transitions to open grassland. Summer brings clouds of butterflies and the unmistakable scarlet-spotted wings of the five-spot burnet moth. Birds are ever-present: grasshopper warblers reeling from the scrub, sparrowhawks cutting through the canopy, and at dusk, the haunting calls of long-eared owls. It is the kind of place where you can walk for twenty minutes and cross three different habitats — exactly the sort of dynamic environment that GMFF aims to celebrate through radio.
Preparing the Station
For this activation, we made a deliberate decision to keep the station modest. Sensitive sites like Carnmoney demand a low-impact approach: easy to set up, quick to pack away, and respectful of other visitors. The equipment list was pared back to the essentials:
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Transceiver: Icom IC-725, an older but dependable HF rig.
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Output power: about 20 watts, enough for digital without stressing the finals.
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Antenna: a monoband 30-metre mobile whip, mounted on the vehicle.
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Mode: FT8 at 10.136 MHz.
By operating mobile, we avoided masts, wires, or anything that might obstruct the paths or risk damage to archaeological features. The 30-metre band was chosen for its balance: a WARC band free of contest traffic, excellent for medium to long-distance work, and especially effective with weak-signal modes like FT8.
Why FT8 and Why 30 Metres?
The late-August ionosphere can be unpredictable. Daytime skip on 30 m often reaches deep into Europe, while evening openings can extend across the Atlantic. FT8, with its narrow bandwidth and exceptional ability to decode faint traces, is tailor-made for squeezing results from low power and simple antennas. It allows activators to keep their signal footprint small yet still generate a steady log.
For us, the choice meant a calm session: no large aerials, no high power, no stress. Just the quiet waterfall of FT8 and the anticipation of where the next decoded callsign might appear.
On the Air as GN4FFF
Once the IC-725 was tuned and the whip settled, we called as GN4FFF from grid locator IO74AQ (Worked All Britain square J38). Reports came steadily, European stations first, followed by longer skips as the grey line advanced. Operating portable always sharpens awareness: the band is finite, the battery and time limited, so every QSO feels earned.
The highlight came with a trace from across the Atlantic. Stephen, KD7PCE, in Sierra Vista, Arizona (grid locator DM41VL), responded. At 20 watts into a whip, it was the contact of the day — a great-circle distance of 8,037 kilometres. That one QSO was worth the entire climb: a digital handshake between a Belfast hillside and the desert foothills of southern Arizona.
It is moments like this that encapsulate the appeal of POTA. The equipment may be small, but the reach is vast. From a nature reserve hemmed by housing estates, the signal leapt an ocean and a continent to find a single listening operator in the Sonoran desert.
Field Notes from Carnmoney Hill
Operating in a public reserve brings its own rhythm. Between CQ calls, the team took in the setting:
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Families and walkers using the lower loops, curious but respectful of the small setup.
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A buzzard circling on thermals above the lough.
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The shifting weather — light gusts and patches of sun, typical of late summer in Northern Ireland.
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The sense of being high above the city yet still woven into it, hearing both birdsong and the faint hum of traffic.
Unlike more remote summits or reserves, Carnmoney feels intimately tied to the urban fabric. That accessibility is exactly why it is valuable: a green ridge that connects people with heritage and biodiversity. And for radio, it offers a perch just far enough from the urban noise to let weak signals breathe.
Why Carnmoney Matters
From a conservation point of view, Carnmoney is a textbook example of how small reserves make a big difference. Over the past two decades, thousands of native trees have been planted to extend woodland cover. Ponds and scrapes have been created to attract amphibians and dragonflies. Path improvements have balanced access with habitat protection. The result is a site that supports a diverse range of plants and animals while remaining a welcoming local space.
For GMFF, choosing sites like Carnmoney is about more than ticking off a square. It is about drawing attention to the everyday wild places — the ones within reach of buses and housing estates, not just the grand national parks. Each activation shares their story with the radio community and, in turn, connects the site to the wider world.
Reflections on the Activation
This activation reminded us of three truths that sit at the heart of portable radio:
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Simplicity works. A 30-metre whip and an old IC-725 were more than enough.
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Nature and history enrich the logbook. Each contact is grounded by the place — its bluebells, its raths, its views over the lough.
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Distance is sweeter when it’s unexpected. Eight thousand kilometres on twenty watts is not routine; it is a gift of propagation, patience, and luck.
Above all, it reinforced the joy of blending two pursuits: walking in a living landscape and making radio part of its story.
Thanks and How to QSL
The activation of Carnmoney Hill LNR, POTA GB-5048 was made possible with the support of Unicom Radio as expedition sponsor. Every QSO logged is appreciated, and we welcome requests for confirmation:
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QSL: Please request the GN4FFF QSL card via Club Log OQRS.
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GMFF Website: www.gmff.uk — for news and upcoming activations.
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Support GMFF: Contributions help us keep the programme running: buymeacoffee.com/georgefun.
Conclusion
Carnmoney Hill may not be a remote wilderness or a high summit, but it embodies the spirit of both Parks on the Air and GM Flora & Fauna: making the connection between people, nature, and radio. Its layered history, lively wildlife, and vantage over Belfast make it an ideal backdrop for portable operation. And on 27 August 2025, from a hillside reserve with just twenty watts into a whip, GN4FFF reached across the Atlantic and wrote its place in the logbook.
