See photos. This morning from summit VK2/ST-006 South Black Range I worked four SOTA chasers on 1296.150 using the Bi-Quad antenna, I qualified on 1296 MHz The summit is heavily timbered with eucalypt trees, other obstructions include large Granite Tors. Best contact through the aussie scrub was with Matt VK1MA/2 along a 70 km signal path. Even better I worked Chris VK2DO in grid QF54CH due East on the south coast of NSW at a distance of 66 km. That’s 66 km as the crow flies.
1296 MHz Contacts:
VK1MA/2 S2S VK2/ST-005 - 70 km
VK2DO/p - 66 km
VK1KW - 53 km
VK1RX - 40 km, however we didn’t have a direct signal path. The signal from Al’s QTH first went due west (I was 40 km east of Al’s QTH) for a reflection off the Brindabella Ranges. The secondary signal path was close to 84 km.
Bi-Quad and 23cm transverter mounted at the top plate of a 1.4 metre tripod beaming west for a S2S contact with Matt VK1MA/2 on VK2/ST-005, Al VK1RX and Rob VK1KW. BTW, the purple antenna is a 3el 2m yagi for 144.200 SSB.
Hi Andrew, interesting that you decided to operate towards the bottom part of the AZ - I normally operate on the top adjacent to the large boulder. Presumably you were trying to maximise path opportunities?
I think the next time I activate South Black Range that I will take a ladder up there with me so that I can safely get up onto the boulder and activate from there. No major benefit on HF, but should improve opportunities on VHF and higher.
I would expect absorption and scattering to be greater with the tree material parallel with the electric field. I no longer have access to the neat little kit that we used to teach this sort of thing.
As I recall the students all assumed that our parallel wire grid acted as a cage to keep the waves in rather than warming up as an absorber. Perhaps someone is still teaching this and can give a proper experimental answer.
73,
Rod
PS lovely piece of work that wood based Yagi antenna Andrew illustrated; no idea which Andrew or where I found that, so commenting here,
Hi Matt, that’s right, I was looking for a break in the trees. I set up about 7 vertical metres below the top boulder. The 25 metre AZ is halfway down the trail before exiting on to North Black Fire Trail. Loads of vertical space to find the best signal path out of the scrub.
It was thanks to your alert that I ventured out to my local summit to try and make the S2S.
I managed 15 contacts on 23cm in 90 minutes during my activation.
My thanks to you for the S2S and another “summit complete” for me.
73…Stuart
G1ZAR/P
I have an Alinco DJ-G7 and would like to buy another one (You always have to have some spares!). To my knowledge they are no longer sold as new equipment, at least not from the usual dealers in Austria or Germany.
Does anybody know a vendor for a new Alinco DJ-G7?
Is there any other triband handheld or mobile transceiver available right now?
The summit is heavily timbered with eucalypt trees, other obstructions include large Granite Tors. Best contact through the aussie scrub was with Matt VK1MA/2 along a 70 km signal path. Even better I worked Chris VK2DO in grid QF54CH due East on the south coast of NSW at a distance of 66 km. That’s 66 km as the crow flies.
