Hi all,
there is a great chance I am going down under to VK land for three months. Are there any SOTA operators willing to share advice and optionally their contact details to have a chat at Sydney area?
I am completely unaware of the conditions in VK as I have never been in this part of the world. What are your suggestions for possible activations? Which are the easy to get summits?
Marek, OK1BIL
Hi Marek,
Ther are a few SOTA activators in teh Sydney area. There are a few summits with in 2-3 hour dirve in VK2. I’d be happy to meet up and take you out to a few. I am sure others would as well.
When are you planning on being here and where are you likley to be staying?
Compton
VK2HRX
Ryde,
Sydney, Australia
Hi Compton,
I expect to stay someplace at Paramatta, but it is not set yet. If all goes well I should be in Australia by 1st of February. I am very pleased by your offer! I would only be limited to weekends as this is a business trip for a company project - for sure way more than 40 hours a week, hi!
Marek, OK1BIL
Hi Marek,
Until two years ago, I lived North of Sydney in Australia. There are a few very easy to get to summits - not directly in the Sydney area, rather in the Illawarra, Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley areas. One on the Central Coast “Mount Elliot VK2/HU-093” even has a car park, toilets and free electric bar-b-ques on it! This was about 20 minutes drive from where I used to live and the first summit I ever activated.
I document every summit that I activate, so take a look at my website http://vk2ji.com or http://dd5lp.com (both web addresses go to the same site) and take a look at the oldest entries in the blog.
Here’s a direct link ( VK2 – SOTA in VK2 – Live 00:00 1st. September 2013 VK2/HU-093 Mt Elliot activation. | DD5LP / G8GLM / VK2JI blog )
If you are going to be there for three months, I suggest you join the SOTA_Australia Yahoogroup as that will keep you well informed of everything happening in SOTA in Australia. There is also a VK2 SOTA group that I set up, but you don’t need to join that as it’s hardly ever used - all use the main group.
As you will be there in February and in the Sydney area, you might also want to attend the “CCARC Fieldday at Wyong Racecourse” see http://www.fieldday.org.au on February 28th. It is still the largest “hamfest” in the Southern Hemisphere and it happens to be run by the Central Coast Amateur Radio Club (of which I am still a member). The last few years SOTA have had an exhibitors stand there, If there is one there again this year, this is a great opportunity to meet other SOTA activators and chasers. (Andrew VK2UH - can you confirm/correct please?).
73 Ed DD5LP / VK2JI
Hi Ed and Marek,
Andrew VK1AD and I plan to attend again this year, but have not planned an exhibition table.
That might seem odd but the last few years exhibitions have not noticeably increased the activator population at all and I think the same can be said for chasers. I don’t know why. The main attraction on the SOTA table were the LiFePO4 batteries we had displayed powering the FT817.
However the event is a good opportunity for SOTA operators to catch up for a chat and we will have a discussion about that on the SOTA_Australia mailing group.
Marek, if you do get a chance to attend the Wyong field day (hamfest) please look out for me, I will be wearing my VK1DA cap… and if not found, ask the announcer to put out a call for me to meet you. If you don’t have personal transport, the wyong event is held at the racecourse, and is only a few minutes walk from the train station with direct connections to the Sydney network.
Do join the sota_australia mailing group on yahoo. Paul VK3IH is the list owner.
In the meantime I think Compton’s offer is a very good one, he knows where the summits are and has the right kind of car to get you at least most of the way there.
73
Andrew
vk1da/vk2uh
Hi Andrew, Hi Marek,
Good that you caught the train point - I meant to cover that as well. It should be just one train from Parramatta to Wyong if I remember correctly. By the way there is normally a free shuttle bus between the racecourse and the station, but the racecourse is literally 5 minutes walk away from the station.
Perhaps you could simply arrange a SOTA meet-up in one of the refreshments areas and have Fred (VK2FSP) - in the office put out an announcement on advance?
I hope you enjoy your 3 months in Australia Marek.
73 Ed.
Hi Compton, Ed, Andrew,
I really appreciate all the input from you! I will have a car organized, so either I would go with a car or take a train if thats any easier for me. The rally sounds really nice, I enjoy these kind of events a lot. And attending a largest event in southern hemisphere and then couple months later the largest one in Europe - yay!
Marek
You will certainly see a difference - attendance at the Wyong Field Day is usually somewhere between 1100 and 1400, mostly depending upon the weather. 17,000 plus attend Friedrichshafen.
73 Ed.