VK SOTA to Europe Saturday 7 March

[DD5LP]

Man o Man that was a long thread - with opinions bouncing one way and the other.

The main thing that came out of it (I think) is that the rule text may need reviewing.

I accept the MT members interpretation of the rules (and they should know the intent of the rule), What I suggested is not allowed currently under SOTA - Sorry John, Sorry Chris.

In my PERSONAL OPINION - I think that any legal operation should be allowed to be scored in SOTA, including operation under supervsion. I find that simply more “friendly”. Again - disclaimer - this is only MY OPINION and not what the rules say.

73 Ed.

[M1MAJ]

@M0LEP

The matter was discussed a while ago

So it was! And I see that I contributed at some length. I’d forgotten. No point in going over it again, in that case.

I think there was in the end a consensus that the rules needed clarification. That was 3 years ago. One might have hoped for at least a footnote by now.

[DD5LP]

@M0HGY

Hi Ed,

This is not exactly true. Although as part of your licence you can operate under supervision of another callsign, you cannot use this as way to claim SOTA points. So for example if a foundation licence holder operated under supervision of a full licence holder and used the callsign of the full licence, SOTA contacts would go to the full licence holder, not the foundation licence holder. Claiming SOTA contacts by operating under supervision of another operator is NOT allowed.

Jimmy M0HGY

Hi Jimmy - as per my earlier reply - accepted, this is the way that the rules are written, no points to the supervised operator. To split a hair however - if a station was operated by a different operator, I would NOT expect those points to be allowed for the owner of the callsign, rather simply lost as the SOTA scoring is what the operator did not the station.

[VK6NU]

Hi Ed

It wasn’t planned that Chris would do 20 anyway so was never going to be an issue this trip. I’m planning some CW on the MTR2 to see if we can make some QRP CW contacts. Should still be on 20 SSB also running 40 watts.

73

John VK6NU

[DD5LP]

Hi John (and others),
I had hoped to get out to a local summit here tomorrow morning to pick up some Long Path S2S contacts into VK. The weather has improved, no more snow at the moment but my cold has got worse, so I wont be risking the early morning (around freezing point) temperatures.

I will try to chase from home but would have preferred to get out on a summit.

73 Ed DD5LP.

[G6TUH]

Hello,
This weekend there is the ARRL International Phone DX Contest starts 0000 UTC Saturday; ends 2359 UTC Sunday which may cause some problems for SOTA QRP operations.
Good luck all.
Mike

[2E0FEH]

@G6TUH

Hello,This weekend there is the ARRL International Phone DX Contest starts 0000 UTC Saturday; ends 2359 UTC Sunday which may cause some problems for SOTA QRP operations.Good luck all.Mike

Oh dear, thanks for the info.

Must get me self a rig with 17 and 12m on it.
Mind you even with contest’s a raging some weekends still manage to chase a few Sotas and make a few contacts.

But end of day if I hear the VK Sotas will give it a go with me feeble 10w and the G5. If you don;t call you will not find out if the trip can be made or not. One day I may have a nice surprise despite the flux going down big time of late.

Roll on tomorrow

Karl

[GW2HFR]

Shouldn’t cause too much of an issue on Saturday morning.

As long as Vladimir Putin and Co don’t get too excited … With their -10 dbc/Hz transmit phase noise

[VK1AD]

@2E0FEH

Oh dear, thanks for the info.

Must get me self a rig with 17 and 12m on it.Mind you even with contest’s a raging some weekends still manage to chase a few Sotas and make a few contacts.

But end of day if I hear the VK Sotas will give it a go with me feeble 10w and the G5. If you don;t call you will not find out if the trip can be made or not. One day I may have a nice surprise despite the flux going down big time of late.

Roll on tomorrow

Karl

Hi Karl and others

If you can, please call for VKs, we may be low in the noise. Had that problem last November when the G stations called CQ SOTA, I returned the call and was trampled on by other European stations.
Mickey’s YYY operating style works well calling VK and ZL.

73, Andrew VK1NAM

[GM8OEG]

@G6TUH

This weekend there is the ARRL International Phone DX Contest starts 0000 UTC Saturday; ends 2359 UTC Sunday which may cause some problems for SOTA QRP operations.

Damn. I wonder if there’s any hope they’ll stay below 14300 as “agreed”. How is the VK propagation looking for 18mhz?

[GW2HFR]

Then you will have the futile Marine net to contend with, which sit just above .300 and require a +/- 5 KHz margin so their poor receivers don’t get desensitised by the rest of 20M !

Best strategy is to get there as early as possible and sit on a frequency. It may be worth going right down the bottom end. Its all tactical. I suggest using the Spot system to feedback information from both VK ZL and Europe as per usual.

[M0LEP]

@GM8OEG

How is the VK propagation looking for 18mhz?

For what it’s worth, VOACAP suggests the VK6 to UK dawn long-path might be best on 17 metres, and might even work on 15. The VK2 to UK path, not so much…

However, 17 is only available to Advanced licence holders in VK.

@G2HFR

Marine net to contend with

The VK SOTA SSB folk have generally set up above 14.310, which is usually well clear of that. Of course, with a big contest on, many other folk will probably move up, too…

I was going to say that as it’s an SSB contest, CW is the way to go, but then I noticed there’s an SKCC Sprintathon over the weekend, and one or two other CW things, too…

73, Rick M0LEP

[MM0FMF]

@2E0FEH

Must get me self a rig with 17 and 12m on it.

17m is well worth having Karl. If you can’t do Morse and there is a big contest on 20m then you have some wiggle room to escape the contest QRM. Of course everyone else escaping 20m will be on 17m and it’s only a small band but it’s better than nothing.

12m can hugely entertaining when open as we found out in our challenge. It will open less often as we start the solar cycle decline.

[2E0FEH]

@GM8OEG

Damn. I wonder if there’s any hope they’ll stay below 14300 as “agreed”. How is the VK propagation looking for 18mhz?

Just browsing around the contest rules.
Not catch the bit on 14300 limit or not.

But did note main stations operating and people chasing will be W and VE calls. Should be interesting if we get any Sotas with starting W or VE in calls.

But curious why W and VE calls only, any reason behind that one ?

karl

[G6TUH]

Hello Karl,

“W/VE amateurs work as many DX stations in as many DXCC entities as possible on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter bands. DX stations work as many W/VE stations in as many of the 48 contiguous states and provinces as possible.”

It is how things are scored.

Sanctuary bands as you can see 12,17,30 & 60M

Mike

[GW2HFR]

@M0LEP

many other folk will probably move up, too…

That is where the Russians tend to “hang out” in the remaining 40 KHz window. One of the reasons why I hate 20m… despite its apparent usefulness.

17m may be a good shout indeed, although it will be 15m here if 20m becomes impossible.

[MM0FMF]

30m QSOs to VK/ZL are not common but there are several EU<>VK/ZL 30m qsos logged.

activationdate,timeofday,owncallsign,othercallsign,band,summitcode,name
5/26/2009,15:33,SV5/DJ5AA/P,VK0MM,10MHZ,SV/AG-002,Ataviros
6/20/2011,18:56,HA3HK/P,ZL2IFB,10MHz,HA/DD-012,Fonyódi-hegy
10/6/2012,07:04,DK7MG/P,VK5CZ,10MHz,DL/BE-032,Buchenauer Kopf
1/8/2013,16:32,HB9BIN/P,ZL3CW,10MHz,HB/SO-019,Engelberg
8/2/2013,08:08,F5MNO/P,ZL2GEO,10MHz,F/MC-177,La Boriatte
8/2/2013,08:08,F5MNO/P,ZL2GEO,10MHz,F/MC-177,La Boriatte
11/8/2013,17:24,DF2GN/P,ZL2KE,10MHz,DM/BW-228,Hummelsberg
12/16/2013,08:42,Z3/PB2T/P,VK3EW,10MHz,Z3/WM-046,Krstovar, Vodno
12/29/2013,09:09,EA2IF/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,EA1/CR-034,Lagoa
1/19/2014,10:15,EA2CW/P,ZL4PLM,10MHz,EA2/BI-057,Ereñozar
1/26/2014,08:17,F/G3VQO/P,VK2AET,10MHz,F/NO-026,Mont Le Communale
2/16/2014,06:47,DF3MC/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,DM/HE-017,Taufstein
2/28/2014,18:43,DF2GN/P,VK5CZ,10MHz,DM/BW-228,Hummelsberg
4/10/2014,06:00,F/HB9AFI/P,VK2YW,10MHz,F/VL-044,Mont St Romain
4/10/2014,06:09,F/HB9AFI/P,VK5CZ,10MHz,F/VL-044,Mont St Romain
4/26/2014,14:28,NA6MG,VK2DAG,10MHz,W6/CT-203,Pt. 2432
5/23/2014,04:38,9H4RH/P,ZL2AL,10MHz,9H/GO-001,Ta’Dbiegi
6/15/2014,05:18,S50AAA/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,S5/PK-002,Velika Kopa
6/15/2014,05:29,DM1LE/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,DL/EW-010,Hohe Kisten
6/27/2014,06:39,EA2BDS/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,EA2/BI-051,Ganeroitz
7/17/2014,07:15,G4OBK/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,G/SC-003,Beacon Batch
7/31/2014,06:07,F/HB9AFI/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,F/VL-056,Mont Rome Château
8/12/2014,06:32,F/HB9AFI/P,VK3XDX,10MHz,F/JU-009,Le Mont d’Or
8/12/2014,06:34,F/HB9AFI/P,ZL2IFB,10MHz,F/JU-009,Le Mont d’Or
9/21/2014,08:03,EA2IF/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,EA2/NV-040,Olotoki
9/27/2014,13:18,DM1LE/P,VK2DAG,10MHz,DL/EW-021,Heimgarten
11/20/2014,07:48,F6HBI/P,VK2IO/M,10MHz,F/AM-416,Montagne de Thorenc
11/20/2014,08:01,DL/HB9BCB/P,VK2IO/M,10MHz,DM/BW-082,Witthoh
11/20/2014,08:07,HB9AFI/P,VK2IO/M,10MHz,HB/BL-003,Helfenberg

[2E0FEH]

Mind you good thing about this contest.
Is fact that we be up early chasing the VK before the propagation rises up from the Americas north, Hopefully he says

karl

[M1BUU]

Hopefully the contest won’t be a problem, surely at that time 20m won’t be the main band in use, as NA will be in darkness. I think 20 will become busy later in the morning / afternoon.

I also looked at the propagation prediction, I found that real propagation from the summit was better than predicted, so I think things are looking OK. Peak seems to be around 0930 UTC between VK and UK.

Really looking forward to tomorrow!

Colin, M1BUU

[EA2IF]

Will get up in time to look for you guys.
The ARRL contest won’t be a problem at that time, as 20m won’t be open to NA for us yet.
Hope to chase you soon.
73 de Guru - EA2IF