As reported in the current issue of the German magazine ‘FUNK Amateur’, as he now has time, having just retired, Volker DK2MT will start a 800Km walk from Haltern am See (JO31NR) to the HAM RADIO hamfest in Friedrichshafen this year. It is expected to take 47 days.
Quite a challenge you say … but wait, Volker is not planning to walk on flat ground, no, he’s a SOTA (Summits on the Air) activator and his route will take him up and down 40 mountains en-route.
Volker plans to cover 20Kms per day and of course will have his radio equipment with him. This consists of a KX3 and VHF HT.
The 40m antenna is an Inverted-V that will be supported by a telescopic pole from the company DX-Wire. Operation will most be on CW. The new technology “LifePO” batteries will at least reduce somewhat the weight of the equipment being carried.
Volker is expected to receive a very warm welcome by the SOTA aficionados at their noon meeting at the QSL wall in Friedrichshafen.
What a great project - the key to a happy and healthy retirement is to come up with projects like these, I applaud the idea!
We wish Volker DK2MT a great adventure, we’ll work you on the way Volker (I know you are a CW man from previous logbook entries) and see you for fellowship with the other SOTA enthusiasts at the Ham Radio Friedrichshafen.
Phil G4OBK & Nick G4OOE
PS We will be travelling to the event by car from NE England and activating summits on the way there and back in the countries we travel through, especially in the DM/BW area of course.
In reply to ZS4BS:
Thanks for all the good wishes. You can see a list of summits I hope to activate on DK2MT | Amateurfunk . But no guarantee that I really activate all of them. I’ll try to do my best and hope to arrive healthily and in time at the HAM RADIO.