Some of the VK SOTA activators are having a 160m activity today, 6 April 2025.
Alerts have been posted for @VK3AFW, @VK3ZPF, @VK1RX, @VK2HRX, @VK2IO and @VK1DA from 0001 UTC to 0700 UTC.
Sunset today on the east coast of Australia is around 0800 UTC and I’d expect we will all be packed up and off summits by no later than 1000 UTC.
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Hi Peter,
A bit disappointing on 160m. Did better last time. A S2S with Compton VK2HRX/3 and chased by Peter VK3PF. I heard and called but was not heard by VK3ZPF, VK3CAT, VK3YY, VK1RX. Packed up in light rain at 0735 UTC. Home later than nominated ETA. Penance required.
Thanks to Rik VK3EQ for organising the event.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
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My plans came to naught with some illness and eventually I had to face facts and withdraw my alert.
I used 160m last in the 1980s from Brunei on the urging of some JA ops, I did log one on cw. Before that it was in the 1960s with 50w of AM and CW.
Next time…
73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2DA
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My activation on Sunday was planned with three objectives;
- Qualify a SOTA summit on 160m
- Show and tell SOTA and WWFF/VKFF to Stuart VK3STK,a recently licensed operator.
- Provide an opportunity for Eddie VK3SRT to activate his fourth SOTA summit and fourth VKFF reference.
The summit I chose was VK3/VC-031, Arthurs Seat. It is a one point, 305m ASL, drive up summit, partially within the Arthurs Seat State Park. Arthurs Seat looks out over Port Phillip Bay and on a clear day one can see out to Bass Strait and the Melbourne skyline.
The area has numerous picnic areas with tables and BBQ for all to enjoy. My preferred location is a small, grassed area that has a quiet walking track on one side, and is across the road from a convenient car park. It has a sheltered electric BBQ and two picnic tables with bench seating.
It is also a relatively short drive in the bush between the summit and the freeway, minimizing the risk of collision with kangaroos after dusk.
The station consisted of a Yaesu FT450D radio, 100 Ah LiFePO4 battery, Lenovo laptop, SignalinkUSB interface, link dipole (80m – 2m), 9m fiberglass squid pole and some extra wires and an 80 turn tapped 165 uH inductor for use on my 160m antenna.
Arriving at about 11am, 0100 UTC, I set up for the day including a 2.4 x 2.4 m portable gazebo over one of the picnic tables for shade, and the link dipole on the squid pole set as an inverted vee.
The first band tried was 40m SSB which, as usual, delivered many local chasers and quickly put 17 QSOs in the log. Moved to 30m SSB for 2 QSOs including a Park to Park contact with VK2EG.
Stuart VK3STK arrived about midday, and we spent the next two hours talking about SOTA, WWFF, FT8 and a few other topics as well. Eddie VK3SRT arrived around 1:00 pm and joined in the discussions.
I fired up FT8 on 20m to demonstrate the mode for Eddie and Stuart and got another 3 QSOs.
Eddie activated on 40m SSB from 2:00 pm, 0400 UTC, getting about 14 QSOs reasonably quickly. This was Eddie’s first ‘solo’ activation where he had full control of the radio with no coaching from me. His previous activations had been either immediately after my activation, or dual activations with microphone passing every QSO. My only assistance this time was posting a spot. His operating style is still developing, but I must say he handled the initial 40m dog pile well.
After Eddie had qualified for VKFF and the 40m callers stopped we returned to general discussions about portable operating then Stuart headed off as he had other plans for the afternoon.
Eddie and I then changed the antenna to be a top loaded T shaped radiator with two radials for 160m. The vertical section of the antenna is a 7.6m length of wire that then connects to the 165 uH inductor. The inductor then connects to both side of the link dipole, shorted at the middle, with the link dipole opened for the 17m band (about 3.8m in length) making a capacitive top-hat. The radial wires are 9.7 m long and lay on the ground, directly under the top-hat wires. This is the same antenna I had used one week earlier at VK3/VC-037.
At first the ATU in the FT450D couldn’t match the antenna system and the VNA sweep showed SWR greater than 6:1. Lowering the centre of the antenna we discovered the crocodile clip to the top of the inductor was disconnected. Duh! Once connected and raised back up in the air the radio’s ATU was able to provide a reasonable match from 1825 – 1855 kHz.
My first 160m QSO was S2S with VK2HRX/3 at VK3/VE-174 (157 km) at 0603 UTC followed by VK3CAT operating from home (52 km) at 0613 UTC.
With no more SSB calls, I spotted on 1840 kHz FT8 and tried that mode for 15 minutes with no response.
A text message from VK3YY operating from home (52 km) took me back to SSB for my third 160m QSO at 0657 UTC.
Eddie then headed off and I prepared for a cool evening donning lined over pants, a warmer jacket and a beanie. I continued calling on 160m SSB for 30 minutes eventually making S2S contact with VK1RX at VK1/AC-043 (495 km). After four minutes, with much QSB and perseverance, signal reports were exchanged and confirmed.
Having now qualified the summit on 160m, with about 20 minutes before sunset, I changed the antenna to 20 m inverted vee and made 13 quick SSB contacts including 9 DX QSOs.
Just before dusk I returned the antenna back to 160m, however the ATU wouldn’t match the antenna. I lowered the centre of the antenna and, with light rain falling, I discovered I had forgotten to reopen the 17m links, so the top-hat section of the antenna was too long. Doh!
After putting the antenna back to the top of the squid pole, I returned to the shelter to find the rain had been blowing in and my radio, phone and laptop were now wet, and the ATU still wouldn’t match the antenna.
At 1811 local time, 5 minutes after the official sunset, I sent a QRT spot to SOTAwatch and packed away all the equipment in the rain. While packing away the antenna, I noticed an open connection that may have happened during the take-down or may have been missed during the earlier change from 20m back to 160m. Either way the wet radio, wet laptop and wet phone had confirmed it was time to call it for the day.
All up I had logged 38 QSOs and had achieved the initial objectives.
Once at home I took the radio, laptop and phone inside and dried off the surface water. I was surprised just how much water had got between the screen and keyboard of the closed laptop. The next day I laid out the wet gazebo, clothes, coax, and antenna to dry.
I am looking forward to more 160m activations over the coming months, but only from summits that are easy egress in the dark, and with good weather forecast.
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…hi Peter, great report and photos. I did listen out on 160m but heard nothing. Sorry about that.
Cheers, Geoff vk3sq
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No problem at all Geoff. The weather disrupted my plans - I was going to stay at least 1 hour after sunset. Maybe next time.
Hi Ron,
Sorry I did not hear you from Mt Stromlo on 160 m. Unfortunately, I did have 57 worth of QRM. However, I did manage to work Peter VK3ZPF/P and Gerrard VK2IO/P also Glenn VK3YY, David VK3TUN & Tony VK3CAT as well as 11 local stations. My inverted “L” antenna seemed to work a treat and I was very pleased with the results, especially being able to work into VK3. Looking forward to working 160m again & more DX, perhaps on a summit with less noise.
Thanks again to Rik, VK3EQ for organising the event.
73
Al
VK1RX.
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Well done all you VK’s. 160m is no easy option for sure. Keep up the good work and keep 160 alive for SOTA!
Yours Sincerely,
John
G4YSS
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