Light at the End of the Tunnel?

[VK3AFW]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for trying. Interesting about ZL1BYZ popping up like that. 15 m is struggling to make 8,000 km and that in a 90 degree arc from here centred on North. An occasional short path opening into Eastern Eu is possible but more than that - I has me doubts.

I think the G-VK window on 20 m when it is there is now fairly short. Low angle antennas and a bit of power are becoming a necessity. It’s like scatter work on VHF. Every dB counts.

Anyway you always did like a challenge didn’t you?

10 MHz CW could be a possibility or is that too much of a challenge?

73
Ron
VK3AFW

[EA2IF]

I just want to let you know that the light at the end of the tunnel is shinning very strong tonight, with amazing great conditions between both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
I have worked a couple of W7 activators and some other NA SOTA activators from VE7 and W5 along with other Northamericans (VE3 & W1) working QRP and peaking a real S9 on my meter.

Have fun!

73,

Guru

[2E0YYY]

Early Wedneday morning 20m activation of G/SP-013.

First problem, I had managed to leave my reading glasses in the car, what a PITA

At 0602z, I self spotted and soon found out the band was not only going to be hard work but DX would be at a big premium. It took about 20 minutes to work, Peter SV8/PA0PMD, my first call of the morning and then a run of about 15 Europeans followed.

My begging for DX went unanswered for over an hour, I’d totally given up on working any untill Ernie VK3DET, finally threw me a lifeline at about 0710z. Ernie was any easy copy, before Paul VK5PAS called in about 20 minutes later. Paul signaled the end of the DX for the activation

A further half dozen or so Europeans were worked, before I pulled the plug at about 0740z

For the SOTA DXer, early morning, midweek activations, combined with lousy solar numbers can be a real challenge. Nevertheless, patience is often rewarded…

Just 24 calls logged. Thanks to all the chasers…

73 Mike
2E0YYY

[VK3AFW]

Hi Mike,
I hope you managed to pack up OK in that strong wind.

Interesting propagation this afternoon. Long path open but very selective. Some strong DL and I stations but mostly lots of quiet spaces on the band.

I listened out for you soon after your first spot. Nil. Zip. Nuttin. Par for the course I thought.
Then I saw Andrew DL/VK3ARR/P had spotted on CW. Surprisingly he was 559. Encouraged by the flash of light in the tunnel I went back to your frequency which you had wisely changed as the first two were being QRM’d. Yes, there you were but only occasional words. Andrew had by then moved to SSB and although harder copy than the CW we did complete. By then you were mostly readable with the signal literally improving by the minute. So in for a quick QSO. At 0700 hours you were up to 5x6 but Andrew was in the mud. Your signal then drifted down into the noise over the next 15 minutes.

I listened for other activators on 20 m but nothing.

73
Ron
VK3AFW

[2E0YYY]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for the call…

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such good signals from VK. Nice to have a chat with Ernie VK3DET, Paul VK5PAS and of course, yourself.

Having said this, the path to VK was somewhat fickle with two VK’s escaping me. IIRC, I was unable to pull out the suffix of one VK2 and one VK3.

The wind was very strong and the A-99 was almost horizontal at one time.

I’d also underestimated just how cold it would be, a schoolboy error from someone who has activated this summit over 100 times. Still, a very enjoyable morning.

73 Mike
2E0YYY

[VK3DET]

Hi Mike just after you spoke to me last qso Allan VK3ARH(ex(vk3hra) tried but you thought he was a VK2 but don’t think you got through don’t know if he has a gain antenna and maybe not more than 100W,He is located at Lal Lal which would be about 30km east of my qth.Shame he didnt get thru to you.SFI/A/K not to good atm hope to work you again soon.Was surprised to get you at 100w 2nd time.
Regards Ernie.
VK3DET.

[2E0YYY]

This morning was to be my third visit to G/SP-004 in five days. The first visit on Monday ended before even it started, with equipment failure. The second was on Tuesday evening with Rob G7LAS, when I accompanied him in the 2m UKAC, whereupon, we were nearly blown off the summit. The third visit was this morning, to see if I coulid work a summit to summit contact with Andrew VK1AD and Andrew VK1MBE.

When I pulled up at the parking spot, I took one look at the conditions and knew there wasn’t going to be an activation from Shining Tor. Rain, wind and low cloud also meant there was no phone or Internet either. It was a toss-up between abandoning the activation or heading for lower territory. In the end, I decided to lose 600 feet of elevation and make the approximate 12 mile journey back to G/SP-013 Gun. There was less wind and not much cloud on Gun, however, the constant rain was something of an inconvience.

As usual, the Antron was bungeed into the hawthorn tree. I took a listen along the 20m band, finding activity very quiet, however, there were tremendous static crashes one after the other. My self spot and CQ at 0600z went unanswered for about 15 minutes. Then I noticed a spot for Andrew VK1AD up on VK1/AC-040, Mt Ainslie. Andrew was weak but workable, with the QSB doing its best to spoil the contact. Nevertheless, signal reports were exchanged and we agreed to have another try later.

I worked a couple of Europeans, before Rick VK4RF popped up with a nice signal, It’s good to see Rick chasing the Activators because VK4 is usually not easy to find from a summit. Alex RV9UCN called in from the depths of Asiatic Russia. Steve VK4KUS who is not a SOTA chaser, but a WWFF chaser, was next with a lovely signal, giving us the opportunity for nice rag chew. Raif 4O3RR from Montenegro was next, then a couple more Ukraine stations were worked before Andrew VK1AD came back to my CQ, only this time with an easy copy. Once we finished our chat, Andrew VK1MBE called from VK1/AC-043, Mt Stromlo, for my second s2s of the morning, once again Andrew was an easy copy. Thanks Guys…

By now, I was pretty much soaked and so, I pulled the plug.

The 20m band conditions were much tougher than I anticipated with just 13 contacts logged. The log book finished up not far short of papier mâché, nevertheless, a nice mornings radio,

Thanks to all the callers.

Mike
2E0YYY

[VK1AD]

Terrific S2S Mike and nice to have the 20m band open for a clear 5 minute chat. I worked a range of SOTA/WWFF chasers across Europe and Russia. Familiar callsigns included Sylvia OE5YYN, Jan OK2PDT, Don G0RQL and Phil G4OBK. Also worked ZL and JA SOTA chasers, ZLs were particularly strong.

Hope to work another G S2S soon.

Cheers,

Andrew VK1AD

[OE5YYN]

My first VK contact ! Thank you Andrew!

73, Sylvia

[VK3AFW]

Hi Mike,

You might find this link of interest.

http://www.bandconditions.com/UK.htm

Unfortunately only the Northern Hemisphere is covered.

73
Ron

[2E0YYY]

Two words can describe my activation of G/SP-017 Billinge hill this morning “hard work.” Make that three words…Cold, hard work. I’d arranged a s2s sked with Andrew VK1AD and to be honest, on seeing the solar numbers, I had given up any hope of making the contact before I’d even started.

Quite frankly, the 20m band was garbage first thing and I should have spent an extra hour in bed.

At about 0700z I self spotted and it took the best part of an hour to find just eight EU contacts. Then at about 0800z, John ZL1BYZ popped up out of absolutley nowhere, to give me my first bit of DX of the morning. John was followed by Dov 4Z4DX. Then at 0815, I heard Andrew calling in for a s2s. Andrew was weak but workable, and I suspect we were both more than a little surprised to make the contact. That was it for the DX, although I hung about on the summit for another nine contacts. Despite the sunshine, my thermometer was still showing 0 degrees at 0845 and so I called it a day…

There wasn’t too much wind at the summit and this allowed me to get the Antron-99 up onto 20 feet or about 6 metres of poles. Any lower and I may well have struggled to find VK/ZL.

33 contacts logged,

Thanks to all the callers.

Mike
2E0YYY

[G4OIG]

An excellent effort Mike - just rewards for a job well done. The band was certainly sluggish this morning. I only copied some of the EU guys you worked. The contact rate seemed to improve after you had been spotted on the DX Cluster. I noted a couple of requests for the summit reference from calls that I didn’t recognise, so maybe some new recruits are in the pipeline.

73, Gerald G4OIG

[DD5LP]

Listened for both Andrew and yourself when first spotted - nothing! zilch! The band was horrible. Glad to hear it improved later.

73 Ed DD5LP.

[VK1AD]

Hi Mike,

Tough conditions on 20m yesterday. I waited 90 minutes before 20m opened for my first European Dx QSO with Herbert OE9HRV at 08:10 UTC. Suddenly the band opened for a short 30 minute long path window leading up VK1 sunset at 08:40.

Following the QSO with Herbert, I completed the S2S with yourself then in order: Warren ZL2AJ/m, Luk ON4BB, Danny ON4VT, Luigi IK1QFN, SP3CME and Rafa EA8ARI Canary Islands.

Earlier in the session I completed DX ZL QSOs with: John ZL1BYZ, Wynne ZL2ATH and Ken ZL4KD. Long haul (3200 km) VK6 QSOs included Mike VK6MB, Phil VK6ADF, John VK6NU, Anthony VK6MAC/m, Hans VK6XN and Tim VK6EI. A nice collection of six VK6 chasers.

Thanks Mike for the S2S QSO between Isaacs Ridge VK1/AC-041 and Billinge Hill G/SP-017.

2nd operator is Harry

73, Andrew VK1AD

[2E0YYY]

@G4OIG

An excellent effort Mike - just rewards for a job well done. The band was certainly sluggish this morning. I only copied some of the EU guys you worked. The contact rate seemed to improve after you had been spotted on the DX Cluster. I noted a couple of requests for the summit reference from calls that I didn’t recognise, so maybe some new recruits are in the pipeline.

73, Gerald G4OIG

Hi Gerald,

The path between VK/ZL and the UK can be a frustraing one. From a summit, I’ve often heard the Europeans working VK early in the morning, although I could not hear the VK’s. Usually it’s just a mattter of time before the the band opens to G, but not always. Looking at Andrew VK1ADs report, I was the only G station he worked. Normally Phil OBK or Don RQL, can pull the VK’s out with their beams, however, this dosen’t appear to have been the case yesterday. Ernie VK3DET is normally a good bet for me, not yesterday though.

The ZL contact on a poor 20m band was a surpise, but that’s the facination of radio, I guess.
You’re right about the couple of stations asking for SOTA references, they must have picked me up from the cluster, having been spotted as a SOTA activator.

73
Mike

[2E0YYY]

@DD5LP

Listened for both Andrew and yourself when first spotted - nothing! zilch! The band was horrible. Glad to hear it improved later.

73 Ed DD5LP.

Thanks for trying, Ed. One thing that did surprise me was the amount of traffic on 15m yesterday morning. I’d sent a spot to say I was QRT and then had a quick listen. I was tempted to try a CQ, but in the end the call of a full English breakfast had more appeal

73 Mike

[2E0YYY]

@VK1AD

Hi Mike,

Tough conditions on 20m yesterday. I waited 90 minutes before 20m opened for my first European Dx QSO with Herbert OE9HRV at 08:10 UTC. Suddenly the band opened for a short 30 minute long path window leading up VK1 sunset at 08:40.

73, Andrew VK1AD

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the S2S. I’m pleased to see you managed to get some EU DX into your log.

73 Mike

[G3NYY]

The “Reach Beyond Australia” broadcasting station was well over S9 here today at 1300 UTC on 9645 kHz. This station is located at Kununurra, in the far north of Western Australia, about 400 km south-west of Darwin.

This indicates that there would be good propagation to VK6 and VK8 on the 10 MHz band at this time of day. The Kununurra station is on 9645 kHz every day from 1300 until 1400 UTC, so it is a good “beacon” to check the conditions.

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

[2E0YYY]

With lovely WX this afternoon, I decided to take a trip up to G/SP-013 to take a look at the 20m band and try to work some DX. Althogh 20m threw up a few surprises, it wasn’t as good for DX as I was expecting, althogh Europe presented few problems.

My second call was from Pat KI4SVM and then a long run of Europeans followed before Bob
WP2E called in from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. SOTA chaser, Bill W1OW made my log, then VE2JFM Jean-François called in from Canada…thanks Jean-Francois.

Right out of the blue, Gerard VK2IO called in at 1320! Many thanks Gerard, your call took me by total surprise at that time of the day…

At about 1330, I paid the 15m band a visit, which rather surprisingly turned out to be hard work, producing just four contacts the best of them Gary K4MF from Florida. After this, two hiking parties arrived on the summit one after another and I spent the next half hour fielding questions. By now. it was getting cold so I chucked the towel in.

Thanks to all the callers this afternoon.

66 contacts logged,
Mike
2E0YYY

[DD5LP]

WOW! that’s quite a selection of DX stations Mike! Lets hope conditions are as good (or better) next Saturday - and thanks to Gerard for proving that Short Path VK-EU is also possible for insomniacs down under at the same time as the EU-NA event.

Ed.