Hi all,
An update on the 2026 Hotham SOTA Summit gathering.
For any questions, please reply to me direct, not via this group.
Regards,
Peter VK3PF
2026 Hotham SOTA Summit gathering update
Thursday 26 March 2026 to Monday 30 March 2026
Update: 24 February 2026
The lodge booking is pencilled in, so we need to confirm your requirements by the end of this week. I will be calling for payment very soon. Please confirm which nights you need accommodation at APEA with me via return email before Friday 27 February 2026.
Confirm your booking with Peter VK3PF: peter.vk3pf@gmail.com
You wish to consider a new option: a request from a participant now has the lodge available from Thursday night 26 March through to Monday morning 30 March 2026. It may be possible to extend to Tuesday morning.
Some items to consider in making you final decision:
There have been bushfires in several areas in Victoria, some of which are still burning. As a result, many areas are currently under “Watch and Act” alerts. Many roads and tracks are currently closed as a result. Many will have heard about the Longwood and Walwa area fires, which have received extensive media coverage. The Mount Lawson State Park and surrounding Parks have been impacted, with most Parks closed, currently until 28 February. Some may remain closed for an extended period. Check the Parks Victoria website.
There has also been a fire in the area between Mt Selwyn and Dargo, mainly west of Tea Tree Range and extending south and east to the Wonnangatta Valley to the west of Dargo. The Dargo High Plains Road (DHPR) is open, but most roads and tracks west of the DHPR are currently closed.
I anticipate that most tracks will have been opened by the time of the Hotham event, but we will need to keep an eye on the road closures closer to the event date. See:
https://traffic.transport.vic.gov.au/disruptions/
Regardless of road closures, there will still be many options available for activating Summits and/or Parks.
Other events in the area:
There are two other events scheduled in the area which might impact your planning and activities:
Buffalo Stampede running festival. Based in Bright, over 27 March to 29 March. The area around Bright is therefore likely to be busier than usual. There are various courses, some of which include climbing Mt Buffalo and The Horn. Details at: https://buffalostampede.au/
Great Alpine Rally based at Falls Creek, 28-29 March. Expect increased traffic and road closures in the area around Falls Creek. Such closures may impact access to Mt Cope, Mt McKay and Mt Nelse.
Hotham SOTA Summit activities
Most will be aware that the SOTA Management announced a Challenge theme for 2026: 2 m & 70cm SSB & CW.
If you have gear capable of operating on 2 m and/or 70 m SSB, please bring it to the event. Ideally, each group activating should have a suitable station operational, so that contacts can be maximised using 2m SSB or 70 cm SSB (or CW, for those able to do so). Horizontal polarisation is recommended, but contacts can be made with vertical antennas, as per S2S experiences at previous Hotham gatherings. A simple antenna option is the Oblong Rectangle by VK1AD. The VK1AD/VK1NAM blog is no longer operational, you can find valuable information by searching the web. For those subscribed to the OZSOTA Group, look at:
https://groups.io/g/SOTAvk1area/topic/vk1ad_antenna_factory_2m/77420004
Further updates
Any further updates will be sent to those who have booked and paid for their accommodation closer to the event.
We look forward to catch up at Hotham.