30m during CW contest

With the CQ WW going full bore many Cw ops have used the 10/18/24 MHz bands to escape the QRM.

I listened for Nick VK2AOH last night (about 0900) when he moved to 10.112 or so, the only signal heard was G4OBK calling Nick! Don’t know if you made the contact Phil, but I couldn’t hear Nick at all. My 10 MHz antenna is not a good one.

I will try to make some 10m contacts in the CQWW today. Need more uniques for the challenge log.

Andrew VK1DA

HI Andrew,

I was calling Nick on the off chance he heard me and came back - but there was no response. A little higher up the band ZL1ALZ was calling CQ at 579. I didn’t expect to make a QSO with VK2AOH but there was a possibility at that time on 10 MHz on the long path. Thanks for the SWL report Andrew - I was running 100 watts to a rotary dipole at about 50 feet.

73 Phil

Thanks gents for trying, Bonfire Hill was not very pleasant with mist and drips of water from the surrounding trees.
Don’t know what happened on 30M last evening (Sat AU) heard nothing…
This morning Sunday AU 40M was simply wall to wall with cw contesters. Tried in vain to escape by going to 7.080 which I am very reluctant to do only to be pursued by a contester whom demanded a number !!
Just gave up. Pests whom call one even when calling CQ SOTA three times!
The only pleasant event was a meeting with Compton VK2HRX and his wife although the dismal weather put a dampener on things. Its nice to catch up with other SOTA enthusiasts.
The nightime campfire was a cheerful thing with plenty of firewood.
Normally nice views, all that could be seen was mist.
Compton was able to qualify Bonfire on 80M at night althought conditions were poor with much static.
Only radio event of significance was a 2M handheld to handheld from Compton on Mt Bindo and myself on a high point as I was leaving Bonfire.

73’s Nick

I had a listen at various times on the bands but I suspect I was always a little too late. Heard nothing, though my skimmer picked you up on 7.030 at one point. When I got to the radio all I found was a couple of contest stations on top of each other.

Given only a handful of vk stations taking part, they were probably chasing you for a country multiplier.

40m last night at my QTH. It got worse later I think.

Thanks for the skimmer report, really only went to Bonfire Hill as a social event as have already done an activation there.
So no points in it for me and really was not much concerned nor put to much effort into on air contacts.
Could not believe some of the antics of contesters. For the most part it appeared whom could tromp on whom in the fastest manner possible.
Pity I did’nt have a tape recorder handy. Must do something about getting one ready.

I only participate in a few minor contests from time to time. Its hardly worth the anguish.

73’s, Nick

Nick

The contests are certainly a different style of operating. I will add something to my blog about my activation at Bowning Hill VK2/st-042 this afternoon.

Maybe the contesters are so pleased with band conditions (not fantastic but a lot better than the last two months) they are going a bit harder than usual. It will be over at 2359 UTC.

Cheers

Andrew VK1DA

Phil

For 30m I use my 40m dipole and it is only up about 20ft. Improvements coming. I have not heard Europeans often at that time of day.

Thought you’d be interested to know you were heard.

73 Andrew VK1DA

Thanks Andrew for the report it was a dismal evening which made me wonder the dampness had something to do with propagation.
Sitting there by lamplight with mist swirling through the campsite is hard to raise enthusiam.
Normally 30M at night can unearth a good bit of dx.
On 40M the 27th Z (our Saturday) I worked a good number of EU’s from home so quickly I could hardly write times and calls down.
Around 1830Z onwards. Noticed similar conditions when the contest was in full tromping roar.
My home aerial is only a horizontal loop strung on poles around the fence line so hardly a high grade aerial system.
(fed by about 4 metres of RG213 and a 4:1 balun afixed to the outside of the shed and the wire is say 5 to 7metres high at the most).
Will have to wait for another time with more comfortable weather.

73’s, Nick

I got frustrated 28NOV whilst activating W4C/CM-005 on 20m and had to bail to the WARCs. But not before I snagged my one and only DX. Thanks PHIL (G4OBK)L! Pat (KI4SVM) were using an 88’ doublet, which I guess would have qualified as an EDZ on 20m, and about 40 watts from his Hardrock 50.