Hi Colin
We have to be gone by 09:00 UTC but I think around 08:00 to 08:30 would be best for UK. Look for spots as I’ll be on SSB but can swap over and try for CW at any time on the MTR.
Fingers crossed.
John VK6NU
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[quote=“G2HFR, post:57, topic:10338”]One of the reasons why I hate 20m.[/quote]Between the S9+ stations calling “CQ Contest” and the S9+++ sproggies being thrown out at 16kHZ intervals by a PSU (or something) somewhere in the neighbourhood, 20 metres (or at least the portion above 14.310) is a dead loss here this morning. Time to make a small directionally sensitive 20 metres receive antenna, and go walkies, I guess…
73, Rick M0LEP
Nothing heard this side so far
Did hear a couple European stations working Sota VK/SM-053
Conditions not favourable 
0835HRS Can hear VK5PAS/p in back of box working some stations QSB and gone 
14302
Karl
Hi all
Ian VK1DI/2 and I (Andrew VK1NAM/2) had a terrific time on VK2/SM-053 working S2S with; Herbert OE9HRV/P on OE/VB-509, Barry M0IML/P on G/SE-015, John VK6NU/P on VK6/SW-039, Mike 2E0YYY/P on G/SP-013, Tom M1EYP/P on G/SP-015 and Jonathan GW2HFR/P on GW/NW-062.
EU chasers included: EA2IF, IK1GPG, DL1ASA, EA2DT, ON5SWA, G0RQL, ON3EA, EA8/PA7ZEE, and DL6MST. Had a couple of US contest stations call Ian and I for 20m contest points. Both were surprised with our power output set at 40 watts.
Thanks everyone for a productive 60 minutes on the summit chasing S2S on 20m.
73, Andrew VK1NAM
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A pleasure Andrew, really made my day - thank you both. The QRM was making it hard at first but your signal came up perfectly towards the end.
Mike was booming onto Hope mountain.
Bacon butty and back out into the yonder to activate another summit…
Mick M0MDA - its one YOU need.
Jonathan
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Thanks Andrew. A cold but worthwhile activation; 10 VK contacts including 6 s2s.
2 NA Plus 2 other s2s - one with Mickey on 21mhz!
Here’s to the next VK Sota party.
Barry
M0IML
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Hi Andrew,
It’s a fair old time since we last had an s2s, many thanks. QRM was a real PITA
Great job on the DX by Ian and yourself.
73 Mike
2E0YYY
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Well done all.
Nothing heard on Cleeve Hill, in fact the bottom end of 14Mhz was virtually silent and devoid of signals.
At least it was a balmy 10ºC this morning, everyone else seems to be complaining of the cold!
Never mind, maybe another day.
34 QSO’s with 4 S2S.
RBN tells the sad story. 14Mhz was just not playing ball.
Now off to work…
Pete
The following sums up my morning -
Best SSB DX was Tom M1EYP/P on G/SP-015
Seems I used up all my luck last week. Heard the VK contacts taking place but nobody heard me
Better luck next time.
Colin M1BUU
Superb and enjoyable morning. Saturday 7th March 2015 began at 5.50am, just four hours sleep after getting in from a gig with the Retrobeats on the Friday night. Gig or no gig, I didn’t want to miss the VK SOTA to Europe activity, and I’m glad I didn’t.
I was a bit later than intended on The Cloud G/SP-015, but I kicked off at 0717 UTC with a 20m SSB S2S with Jonathan GW2HFR/P on Hope Mountain GW/NW-062. A few kHz further down was Mike 2E0YYY/P on Gun G/SP-013, with an unsurprisingly monster signal across the valley. I replied to his CQs a few times, but didn’t get heard. To be fair, he was calling “DX” alternate CQ calls (and I didn’t answer these), but I assumed he was exclusively working DX and decided to try again later.
A weak and watery signal was heard VK, but not strong enough to even attempt to work, so I would have to wait for that too. Meanwhile, I popped down to CW to catch Pete G4ISJ/P on Cleeve Hill G/CE-001. At 0740, I did manage to get back to Andrew VK1NAM/2 on VK2/SM-053 for the first DX of the activation. Also worked was Ian VK1DI/2 who was on summit with Andrew.
A few more attempts to work Mike 2E0YYY/P S2S failed, so I started trying to run and self-spot on my own QRGs. This brought in 9A1AA, followed by a run of four consecutive S2S:
Colin M1BUU/P on Buckden Pike G/NP-009
Andrew VK1MBE on Mount Ainslie VK1/AC-040
John VK6NU/P on Mount Randall VK6/SW-039
Paul VK5PAS/P on Mount Gawler VK5/SE-013
Other DX contacts of note included EA9IB (Ceuta & Melila, North Africa), Bernard VK3AV, N3BUO (Texas), Ian VK5CZ and Gerard VK2IO/M. The final tally was 24 contacts on 20m, with 9 on CW and 15 on SSB, 8 VK contacts and 8 S2S. Further attempts to answer Mike 2E0YYY/P’s CQ calls all failed, so I marked that one as an SWL-only logging, and packed up while finishing my flask of coffee.
I had a bit of spare time, so took a drive across the valley to Gun G/SP-013. The rucksack was left in the car, and I just stuffed the VX7R handie and logbook into my coat pocket. After a brisk walk to the summit, I said hello to Mickey 2E0YYY/P who was packing up his kit, then leant against the trig point while making 3 QSOs, obviously all 2m FM.
Most enjoyable, many thanks to all the VK SOTA activators, the other VK chasers, the EU activators and all the other chasers. SOTA was just pure enjoyment once again! Now looking forward to the home match vs Aldershot in Macclesfield Town FC’s promotion push, and another gig tonight, but with a completely different outfit - The Yellow Pad Band.
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Well done Tom! Nice haul.
I also called YYY a gazillion times but got no response. I heard both sides of your VK contacts.
73, Colin M1BUU
Hi Tom,
Despite not being able to get out early becuase of this “dratted” flu bug, I managed (just) to get a contact witth John VK6NU - thanks John. I heard Paul VK5PAS at a workable signal trength until some Eastern European stations decided to use the freqency. I could only heear traces of Ian/Andrew however - strange as East Coast VK is closer than central or western VK via Long Path. Also bagged several “local” EU contacts which I would not normaly hear. - so despite not getting out, had a good morning chasing (was just too late to get the CT I would have liked though) - now heading off to take the dog to the dog school, so no more chasing for the rest of the day.
Ed.
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Funny how it goes. I hunted around on 20 and 15 this morning between about 7 and 9, and heard very little evidence of SOTA activity at all; a few callers on spotted frequencies who might have been answering activators, and other than that, only the contest callers and Eastern European stations, and intermittent sproggies from some helpful neighbour to be heard. Clearly the trick is to get away from the urban jungle and out onto a handy summit…
73, Rick M0LEP
I was listening on your frequency this morning but conditions were not good between us. I heard the EA4 station giving you 59 but you were not readable just 400Km up to the North of Madrid.
Next time…
73 de Guru - EA2IF
Hi Mike,
Conditions were a bit weird this morning between you and me.
I could just have a feel of your presence on the frequency while beaming North but wasn’t able to copy what you were saying and, to my surprise, I could copy you weak but much better when I turned my beam to NorthAmerica - 315 deg. This is how I worked you this morning.
I had not noticed this weird effect before but I’ll have to check it again.
Thanks for the QSO.
73 de Guru - EA2IF
Believe its called Long path ( the hard way round extra Km reaching him)
Brilliant stuff 
Don’t think my contact with Mike was via LP.
There are weird things like this happening and they need to be checked.
When I was living in Madrid, I learned that the best way to work Barcelona on 20m is beaming to NorthAmerica (315 deg = NorthWest), while, amazingly, Barcelona is NorthEast of Madrid.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
You were coming very strong to me this morning on CW, Colin.
Thanks for the QSO.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
Thank you guys for the activations and the DX SOTA QSOs.
You were getting beautifully to my receiver this time.
Best 73 de Guru - EA2IF
[quote=“EA2IF, post:76, topic:10338”]when I turned my beam to NorthAmerica - 315 deg[/quote]I figure short and long path would have been around 360 and 180 (give or take), so that’s a weird bearing. Does your antenna have any odd side lobes in its response? Or might aurora have something to do with it?
73, Rick M0LEP