Using VBA to add active cell address to a range

Question

I'm trying to use this answer to apply my own sort of adding active cell address to a range so I can select the whole range later to a apply a conditional formatting. Below is my code but I'm not sure what is wrong. It came up with the error "Compile Error: Type Mismatch"

p/s: I have recorded my macro on this particular set of cells and then editted it.

Sub Macro1()

 Dim rng2 As Range

Range("B3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("D3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("F3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("H3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("J3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("L3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("N3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("P3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("R3").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("R7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("P7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("N7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("L7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("J7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("H7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("F7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("D7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("B7").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("B11").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("D11").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("F11").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)
Range("J11").Select
Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address)



Range(rng2).Select
End Sub

Answer 1

1. Your first Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address) should be Set rng2 = ActiveCell . You cannot union to a range object that is nothing and rng2 is nothing until it is set to something so it cannot be part of the union statement.
2. Each subsequent Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell.Address) should be Set rng2 = Union(rng2, ActiveCell) . You cannot union to a range object's string address; you must union to a range object.
3. rng2 is now a valid range object and does not require further definition. Range(rng2).Select is invalid; simply use rng2.Select .

For all intents and purposes, you could have just stated,

Range("B3, D3, F3, H3, J3, L3, N3, P3, R3, R7, P7, N7, L7, J7, H7, F7, D7, B7, B11, D11, F11, J11").Select

You mentioned in a comment that you cut off your code due to space restrictions. Consider the following loop.

dim i as long, rng2 as range

Set rng2 = Range("B3, D3, F3, H3, J3, L3, N3, P3, R3")

For i = 7 To 23 Step 4
    Set rng2 = Union(rng2, Intersect(rng2.EntireColumn, Rows(i)))
Next i

rng2.select
rng2.interior.color = vbred
Debug.Print rng2.Address(0, 0)
'B3,D3,F3,H3,J3,L3,N3,P3,R3,B7,D7,F7,H7,J7,L7,N7,P7,R7,B11,D11,F11,H11,J11,L11,N11,P11,R11,B15,D15,F15,H15,J15,L15,N15,P15,R15,B19,D19,F19,H19,J19,L19,N19,P19,R19,B23,D23,F23,H23,J23,L23,N23,P23,R23

The debug.print messages go to the VBE's Immediate window .