Following a SOTA contact between VK2IO and myself via short path on 20m recently we are planning to try for S2S contacts between Europe and Australia and invite everyone to join in. This is the plan for 25th April currently:
9H4RH/P will activate 9H/GO-001 from 05:30z on 20m and 17m
G0NMD will operate from a Welsh summit (tbd) as GW0ND/P from 06:00 again 20m and 17m
VK2IO will activate a summit (tbd)
initial mode will be CW but SSB will be tried
any other summit station is encouraged to join in and try for S2S contacts
the primary aim is to make S2S contacts between Europe and Australia. When those contacts have been made the activators will make regular SOTA contacts.
9H/GO-001 is fairly rare (I am the main activator as in summer I live close) so I will stay on the summit for at least a couple of hours making as many contacts as possible. I suspect other activators will do the same
any station who would like to activate a summit at that time and to join in will be most welcome
if there are several summits activated at the same time we will use frequencies close to each other - details will be announced
My planned trip this past weekend was postponed due to illness, and this would be the first opportunity have another go, my first attempt at dx, so I’ll add a maybe for vk3/vt-001 Mt Howitt, depending on weather. Camping just down from the summit so morning SP might also be an option.
Just the 817 at 5w, slowish CW. This could get ugly
I am set to join in this activity. I plan to be on Mt Banks in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, VK2/CT-032.
I will be SSB and digital/data if anyone wants to pick a data mode. PSK 31 is fine. If no one nominates one then I wont load the laptop onto the pack horse for the treck in.
I’ll be using an FT 857D so can run 100W if needed. I normally run around 25W.
Be looking for DX S2S but of course will work any and all comers.
Have a ‘local’ summit VK3/VC-024 - Mt Beckworth.
Close with great conditions on top.
QRP so 20M CW and SSB if conditions support.
Keep the CW spaces long and we will be fine.
Hi,
I’ve just pencilled in my calendar for SOTA on 25th. April. One question are we really talking Short path as mention of 0600 and 0700 UTC have been made and that is around the time I normally achieve Long Path contacts EU-VK. I thought Short Path would be closer to 1600 UTC?
My activation will ONLY be SSB, no CW. I’ve managed QRP SSB EU-VK S2S contacts on previous occasions.
Depending whether this is early morning or late afternoon here will define which summit I head to. Early morning will mean a close (lower points) DL summit. If it’s late afternoon, I’ll have the possibility to get further afield to a higher scoring summit. Possibly even OE rather than DL/DM. An OE summit would give me the chance to run my VK callsign (Prefixed by OE/) rather than the DD call. I wonder if I’m also allowed to use AX ???
Hi All,
The activity starts at around 0530z so we are targeting the long path from EU-VK. At this time, there is daylight in both EU and VK, though not for long in eastern VK. Sunset in Sydney is at 0721z. Some VK activators intend working after sunset, and those in western VK will start a bit later and operate to perhaps 0900z.
For any VKs who do want to try short path, Robin 9H4RH has offered to return to the summit later in his day. At around 1700z, this is in the wee small hours of Sunday morning in VK. Any VKs brave enough should let Robin know! I think the list is empty so far.
Yesterday, HF band conditions were pretty grim. Activating G/SP-004, I heard nothing from VK1. Did manage an s2s with Bob VK5FO. Hopefully, things will improve by Saturday.
Excellent idea! I will aim to be on Walton Hill G/CE-002 from 0530z - 0730z. using G6GGP/P. Only 5W, ssb mainly but will take a key in case of emergency. Desperation improves my CW skills immeasurably
Hi Mike,
Yesterday I found your sigs to be very good from 0615z, about 20 mins after I worked you. I was able to work S52CU an hour later as well.
The reason for no VK1 chasers was because they were all out for dinner. I even mentioned your activation in an email to Andrew VK1NAM but there wasn’t time for him to get on the radio.
Also, around Sydney and 150km north there’s been a 1 in 10 year storm so QRN levels were high and 200000 premises were without power (most still are). A lot of hams have lost antennas from the gale force winds.
I would put the lack of response down to bad timing, not propagation. You were armchair copy here in between the static crashes Incidentally, WX is improving now and it should be fine on Saturday. I’m hoping the propagation holds…
Many thanks for the call and info. As you ponted out the later calls were much stronger. Notable was Ron VK3AFW who was booming in, Alan VK7BO and Mike VK3XL. The path to North America was poor though, just three finding my log.
Nice idea! If our family plans allow the climb up the SOTA hill to be safely agreed, I’ll try it. At about 5:30UT, cw, 14.062MHz +/-, 5W, efhw vertical, most likely from the hill OK/VY-060.