VK JA ZL - EU UK S2S 20 Oct 2018 (part 2)

[EA2BD]

(Continuation of the previous thread:

VK JA ZL - EU UK S2S 20 Oct 2018

Hi all I have liaised with Mike 2E0YYY and Ed DD5LP on options for the next VK JA ZL - EU S2S QSO Party. We have settled on Saturday 20 October 2018 timing 06:30 UTC to 08:30 UTC. VK east coast sunset is at 08:22 UTC with last light at 08:50 UTC. Please make a note in your diary. 73 Andrew VK1AD

Hello,

my report is similar to many others.
I was trying to hear any activator outside Europe jumping to spots from VK, ZL and JA without success.

I logged one DX thanks to the call of VK3ARH in my log on 20m CW.
Very glad to have logged Allen with a stable signal coming through. I received 419 from him and that made my day.

I also logged S2S LZ1WF/P, LZ1CM/P, LZ2AF/P, SV2RUJ/P, EA2WX/P, LA3NGA/P, SQ9MDF/P & SV8/HB9FIH/P.
In total 30 qso this morning.

I used my KX3 at 15 watts and an EFHW for 30/20m almost vertical

Better luck next time, we knew conditions were poor today, but anyway, it’s always fun to try.

73 de Ignacio

[G4OOE]

Hi all

I enjoyed the morning on G/TW-004 with plenty of s2s contacts and my longest distance dx contact with UA9CK in Karpinsk, Russia. Thanks to Mike, Ed and all for organising the event.
I look forward to the next one.

73
Nick

[IK2LEY]

Change of destination at the last moment: the road was blocked for a rally car race. Checking on the Sota Map I found a relatively close summit, but I lost more than an hour. No VK or ZL but 31 s2s that made me happy anyway!

Ft-817 with GP for 20 mt. and linked EFHW

[DD5LP]

Hi Nick, I searched for you a couple of times when you were spotted but couldn’t hear a thing - your signals were obviously flying right over the top of me!

73 Ed.

[DD5LP]

I’m very pleased to see the reports, where despite only fixed or (as in my case) no VK or ZL contacts at all, activators were happy to make S2S contacts within the region.

For those in Europe - don’t forget we have the Trans-Atlantic S2S party coming up on November 3rd - for us in UK/Europe at least this one wont mean getting up at “crikey does that hour exist” O’clock rather target an afternoon activation.
Details and discussion here: (please add your comments / intention to the linked reflector thread not this one):

Trans-Atlantic S2S QSO Party - 3 November 2018

Hi all, I have been in contact with Barry N1EU and Ed DD5LP with respect to options for the next NA - EU S2S QSO Party. We have settled on Saturday 3 November 2018 between 14:00 UTC to 17:00 UTC. This will be the core activity period for the event, with those that wish starting an hour or so earlier and / or finishing later. This date has been arranged to take advantage of the dates when we change from summer time to winter time in both the USA and Europe. It is a few weeks earlier than in pre…

73 Ed.

P.S. on the VK-EU S2S event activation yesterday, my blog is now completed and if anyone is interested can be read here:
DD5LP/P – October 20th 2018 – DL/AM-001 Peissenberg – EU-VK S2S event or “Mixing SOTA with JOTA”. | DD5LP / G8GLM / VK2JI blog

[M1EYP]

My own activation on Detling Hill G/SE-013 (Kent - North Downs) was good fun, on a lovely day in hot sunshine - shirt sleeve order for most of it. The operating position was comfortable too, making use of a picnic bench 30 yards or so across the grass from the car park!

61 QSOs - all 5w from the FT-817 + homemade 20m GP

29 DXCCs: 9A, E7, EA, EA9, ER, EU, F, HA, HB, I, JA, LY, LZ, OE, OK, OH, RA, S5, SM, SP, SV, SV5, TF, UA2, UA9, VE, W, YO, YU.

DX: Just one (like many others it seems!) - JA2ATE.

4 S2S: IK2LEY/P on I/LO-220, SV1RVZ/P on SV/PL-022, HA2PP/P on HA/KD-047, EA1AER/P on EA1/LE-105.

[DK9JC]

Also no VL/ZL in the log. Worked 22 (4 S2S) in 2 hours from DM/RP-411. Best DX was A41NN im Oman.

Source: cqgma.net/ (by Mario, DL4MFM)

Edit:

[G4MD]

Well that didn’t quite go to plan… Apologies to anyone waiting for me on the LF bands. After striking out on 20m Oceanic DX, prompted by the misty conditions that hinted at a decent inversion going on, I gave 2m SSB a try instead, and was rewarded with four continental DX contacts - best being F0FYP on the French/Swiss border in JN37, at 862km. Not bad for 4 Watts into a 3 ele beam Lots else about, heard a couple of DLs but they couldn’t hear me

Other highlights a contact with Karl M3FEH down in Cornwall, a nice chat with Stuart G0LGS over his breakfast kippers, a catch up with Dave G4IAR and a ragchew with Ace of Chase Don G0RQL.

Then the world woke up and bedlam ensued so Gerald (who had been having fun mopping up the continental S2Ss) and I repaired to my QTH for breakfast

Not the expected DX, but I had a great time and I’m really looking forward to the trans-Atlantic event in a couple of weeks’ time.

73 de Paul (G6GGP this time!)

[OE5YYN]

@IK2LEY

No VK or ZL but 31 s2s that made me happy anyway!

31 S2S - this might be a new record!

Congratulations!
73, Sylvia OE5YYN

[2E0YYY]

G/SP-004 Shining Tor.
I was QRV on 40m ssb a couple of minutes earlier than Fridays activation. When I took a look at the spots, I was somewhat surprised to find most of the Activators where working 20m. Nevertheless, after completing so many early activation recently, I was pretty much convinced that it would be wise to stick to what I thought was the money band…40m.

A spot was sent, a nice pile-up followed and I was kept really busy with a mixture of JOTA, s2s calls, SOTA Chasers and Uncle Tom Cobley and all. It was time to swap antennas and head for the 20m band.

Taking a look along the frequency, there was a shed load of space and I knew this wasn’t going to be good news. I then found a QRG and put out a CQ. The going was slow… 20m was in poor shape, however, I did work 4 summit to summits but more importantly, a call from Ernie VK3DET entered my log.

The temptation to go back onto 40m was irresistible, even though I was short of time. Another 20 contacts were made, before going QRT.

107 contacts logged… Couldn’t be asked to count the DXCCs. Thanks to all the Chasers for a very enjoyable morning.

95 on 40m ssb.
12 on 20m ssb.

16 summit to summits worked.
Seemingly an endangered species into G, just one VK contact logged, highlighting the poor DX conditions.

Again, mercifully, no FT8 required.

2E0YYY

[VK2AOH]

Many VK activators, myself included, were knocked out by a large weather front. Spoke yesterday to the property owners where my summit was located, they reported a large thunderstorm and drenching rain for the weekend.

Glad I did not go there and the rest of the region was similarly drenched.

73’s Wal VK2WP

[2E0YYY]

Not 100% sure but I seem to remember one of the North American Activators working about 50 s2s contacts during one of the North America EU events…

73
Mike

[IK2LEY]

Thanks Mike, 50 it will be my goal for the next activations
Hope to catch you again in S2S
73
Fabio

[M1EYP]

My PB was 37 S2S in the 2016 EU-NA S2S event. 50 would indeed be a fantastic target!

[EA2BD]

@OE5YYN

31 S2S - this might be a new record!

Hello,
if I’m not wrong, Jürg, HB9BIN/P did a very long activation last Saturday and bagged a bit more than 50 S2S… A huge achievement!
He also logged ZL1BYZ S2S. Congratulations!

73 de Ignacio

[DD5LP]

@EA2BD

He also logged ZL1BYZ S2S. Congratulations!

REALLY ?

That’s great news that someone managed an S2S to VK/ZL I bet both Joerg and John are extreemly “chuffed”!

Ed.

[OE5YYN]

@EA2BD

bagged a bit more than 50 S2S… A huge achievement!
He also logged ZL1BYZ S2S. Congratulations!

and Jürg was on the summit from 5:15 to 14:36 - that’s more than 9 hours
Well, I’m impressed!!

73, Sylvia

[IK2LEY]

Standing ovation for HB9BIN: well done Juerg!

[DD5LP]

And congratulations to the battery supply as well - crikey 9 hours what did he have with him, something the size of a truck battery?

Well done Juerg.

73 Ed.

[VK2AOH]

The weather was a wipeout last weekend, however making a return to these hard to get to summits next weekend.
Alerts put up on SOTAWATCH.

Not to sure about times or dates for Nullo Mt and Mt Touwoucan as have a long walk out on Monday back to Nullo Mtn.

Lets see what happens, 73’s Wal VK2WP