I plan on activating Mt Fuji this month between August 13 to August 14. More likely on the 14th due to time zone shifts. I’ll mostly be operating FT8/FT4 with a QMX+ and an Elecraft AX1. I’m still trying to debug SSB on it since I can’t seem to hear myself on any local or nearby SDR’s. If anyone has any experience with setting up SSB feel free to email me on my QRZ page or respond here. I’d like to try and do USB and SSTV while I’m on the summit.
Otherwise, set a ham alert for JL1GDF. I’ll try for some POTA before I go up the mountain too.
I plan on bringing my HT as well, since I know that Japan uses UHF and VHF a lot. Is there any specific frequencies that I should use?
Hello and welcome to Japan.
If you’re going to call on 430MHz FM, I recommend that you first introduce yourself on 433.000MHz (the calling frequency) and invite those listening to you that You’re going to start calling, for example, on 432.800 up/dwn
If the AX1 covers 7 MHz, I’d recommend this band to ensure QSOs, whether CW or FT8.
28 MHz is another good option since it’s a heavily populated region.
Good luck with your activation.
73, JP3PPL
I’m already having more than enough troubles trying to get SSB to work on it to begin with. If I can’t get it done by Monday before I leave I might do digital only and listen on SSTV to get some images.
I unfortunately do not know cw. My radio comes with a cw encoder and decoder though. I don’t know if it would be fast enough for communication to other people though
Thank you for the help and suggestions! My antenna primarily covers 20m , 17m and 15m bands. I can try to bring random wire to try and make a dipole, but I don’t know if there would be much for it to hold on to up there.
I planned on laying a few radials across the ground for my AX-1.
If I make a dipole, wouldn’t it require to be above the ground? If I laid the wires just on the floor wouldn’t the RF just get absorbed into the earth?
I’ve informed my club to put me on their personal HamAlert app. Is there any other tools to let people know I will be going on the air if cellular signal is bad there? And any sites I should populate? My club said to use dxsummit.
Sorry for so many questions. A bit new to SOTA, I’ve done a bit of POTA and field work with my club, and cellular is a bit more reliable in those locations.
You are on a few thousand metres of lava and from an RF point of view you can be considered a few thousand metres above the true ground. It’s not the same as laying your dipole on rich, wet soil close to sea level.
If doing SOTA you place alerts where SOTA people will see it and that means an alert on SOTAwatch. Remember the alert time is UTC, time for when you think you will be QRV and chasers will know to listen before and after.
Good Point! I bought a BNC to banana plug to create a diy dipole. I’ll pick up some wire and strippers from an electronics store before I head up. I need more wire for my ax1 radials anyway!
Hopefully this will let me play on more bands than just 20/17/15
Tad late, but… my experience on 20m wasn’t great since the conditions during my visit weren’t that good. I had better luck on 30 & 40 to work JA, HL and BY (in CW, 4W).
